Yes I took the car for a spin on the Nordschleife some time ago.
Here is a blog about the car on the s12silvia site.
http://s12silvia.com/?page_id=1996
Driver's Blog: Mark van der Velden – part 1
As contemporary and local to our fellow S12 member Nils, the one who started our Driver's Blog series, we knew immediately that Mark would be one of those guys. Kind, knowledgeable, understanding, helpful, and the all-around great guy you would want to meet. Having talked with him for some time, we were quite anxious to feature him and after much effort on his part, Mark has assembled several pictures of his car and written a bit about both himself and his experiences for us. Just reading his story and browsing the pictures he had for us proved to us that there is not much better but an individual who truly values his vehicle.
Hey guys, my name is Mark, 28 years old and hail from the Netherlands. My first was a '91 Nissan Sunny N14, which had a GA16DS. I drove that car for three years and enjoyed it to its fullest. While owning, I drove on the Nordschleife in Germany several times and even took it to the big Japanese Festival in the UK in both 2009 and 2010. After some time I began to want something faster and preferably RWD. After much effort I was able to obtain my Grand Prix S12 (FJ20E powered) after quite a trip.
I had ownned my Sunny for three years and as mentioned loved it. After the years of building it and driving it on the track, I began to strip my N14 and sought to move on. I then found myself thinking about what I wanted next. Did I want to pay road tax for a track car that I only was able to drive six months out of the year? I knew I wanted to avoid paying road tax so I knew it had to be pre-1987. I also preferred a RWD car so I began talking to a fellow Nissan enthusiast of the Dutch Nissan club. It happened that a friend of him ownned a Grand Prix S12 with a swapped JDM FJ20ET. He suggested that a Grand Prix S12 would be my best choice and advised me to look in Germany for a Grand Prix S12. Despite being available in Germany, even the Grand Prix S12 is a rare commodity there.
There were several reasons for my purchasing of the S12. In the Netherlands, cars that have been registered before January 1 1987 are not applicable to pay road taxes. I only have to pay car insurance (full insurance), which is quite cheap. In addition, I bought the S12 knowing its rarity as a Grand Prix, driving on a track, and for going to meets with the local Dutch Nissan club.
I really love the Grand Prix S12. I could have easily bought an S13 or a RHD S14 for the same amount or possibly less but the Grand Prix S12 is much more of a rare chassis. This is especially true in the Netherlands where there are not many S12s were sold. When I drive the Grand Prix, I constantly see people stare in confusion and many times, I get the thumbs up when cruising. I love getting recognition and helping to prove that the S12 is as great of a car as the S13 or S14.
With so much capability of the Grand Prix platform, the options are great. So many things I could do but for the short-term, not much. I have replaced some parts that required it and changed many of the fluids. As recent, I am looking to open the engine up and assess its current condition. At first, I wanted to strip the car in its entirety and have a cage welded in but I have fallen in love with the stock interior so for now refrain from doing so.
I currently plan to drive my Grand Prix on both the road and the track. I plan to continue to take it to the Nordschleife and to the Japanese Auto Extravaganza in the UK. I attended it in the past two years and am planning to go there again marking it, my third visit. This winter I plan to buy some BC racing coils, do an S13 front suspension conversion with appropriate S13 brakes. I have currently been preparing my winter progress as I have bought ES polyurethane bushes, S13 hugs, and S13 calipers.
I also need to acquire a set of bucket seats but that is not as easy a task as it may seem. I wish to have a set of bucket seats that fit the interior of the car even if it is 'dated' to the 80′s. If it becomes quite difficult to obtain a set bucket seats that fit my taste, I may have a set reupholstered to make them more fitting. Regarding the chassis itself, I want to add some stiffness to the car by way of both sway bars and strut bars. All this may be long-term depending on my funds. My brother is going to San Francisco and shortly after I will be following on a road trip along the west coast of the US. Yes, my funds may be short by that time so if the BC racing coils have to wait then wait they will. I have no problem with that for the car is not leaving me any time soon.
At this time in addition to assessing the motor's health, I am looking to upgrade to an FJ20ET exhaust manifold for my future turbo plans. I plan to run low boost at that time but who knows what happens after that. Most assuredly, it will be fun. Next year I want to take the car to other tracks participating at track days such as the Belgium circuits Spa Francorchamps and Zolder in addition to a Dutch track, Zandvoort.
Be sure to keep an eye out for Part Two of Mark's blog. It covers his experiences on the Nordschleife in both the Sunny and his Grand Prix S12 along with some downloadable content about the Nordschleife.
Pictures go credit to: Jorg Jakowski, Ring-bilder.de Photographer: Jörg Jakowski, Ringbilder.de Photographer: Christian Wolf, Carphotos.nl Photographer: Martijn Huiskes, Member of SXOC.nl Photographer: Paul Krauth (Anu on SXOC.nl), Member of SXOC.com Photographer: Jim_S13 on SXOC.com, and Roy Zweers for the use of his pictures from his photoshoot.
