Smartphone uses, rotate the phone for a richer experience. |
|
May & June 2022 Newsletter - Issue No 122 |
|
Figgy owner,
We are delighted to publish our latest newsletter a few days early.
|
Figaro Racing Car in Massive Tail-gate Crash!
Yamamoto Katsuya's Figaro (which was featured on our website a few months ago) was involved in a huge crash last Sunday.
Our friend Yamamoto (see picture here after the crash) suffered 6 broken bones and will be in hospital for 4 weeks following the accident. The images below show another vehicle approaching at speed and crashing into the rear of the Figaro which was catapulted down the track backwards. After spending almost a year creating this amazing car we feel so sorry to see the damage but thankful Yamamoto is okay :)
A video and pictures appeared on Twitter Watch now
|
Many thanks for contributions from Amanda Langard, Alysha Hall, Julie Thornley, Dave Eve, Ian Moorhouse, Dorothy Cox and Diane Bell.
|
|
INSURANCE VALUATIONS
Priced at £16 our 2 Year Insurance Valuation Certificates are highly recommended to protect your value
|
BUY & SELL FIGARO STUFF
Launched 5 years ago our online platform allows you to buy and sell Figaro Cars, Parts & Accessories
|
FIGARO CLOTHING & GIFTS
Our Figaro Store contains over 20 designs and hundreds of gifts to keep any Figaro enthusiast happy
|
VIDEO TUTORIALS
We have produced dozens of Videos which will help you carry out ownership issues and repairs.
|
ARCHIVE NEWSLETTERS
We have published over 100 Newsletters containing OWNERSHIP SUPPORT, MEMBERS STORIES...
|
|
A PERSONAL WELCOME FROM KEVIN & SUE |
|
Sue and I love running this little friendly club and are here to help in any way we can. Although I personally don't claim to know everything about the car, as a club we are truly blessed to be surrounded by such helpful and friendly members whom we can turn to, so ask away.
Lastly, we wanted to remind you that we are always on the lookout for great stories and helpful and interesting articles so please don't be shy and do get in touch.
Kevin, Sue & Belle (Figaro)
|
|
UK & COUNTRY CHAPTER COORDINATORS |
|
UK CHAPTER COORDINATORS
We now have 11 members throughout the UK who represent the club locally. Called Chapter Coordinators they are all volunteers so please support them in their roles and try to help them with ideas.
CONTACT YOUR CHAPTER COORDINATOR
If you have an idea about an event or can offer help email your local coordinator by Clicking here
|
|
Brian/Judi Crockett
UK CHANNEL ISLANDS
|
|
Adam Woods
UK EASTERN ENGLAND
|
|
Coordinator Vacancy
UK LONDON
|
|
Lisa/Peter Richardson
UK EAST & WEST MIDLANDS
|
|
Gabriella Giovinchi
UK NORTH EAST & YORKSHIRE
|
|
Tracy Muschamp
UK NORTH WEST ENGLAND
|
|
|
Joanna Firek
UK NORTHERN IRELAND
|
|
|
Alysha Hall
UK SOUTH EAST ENGLAND
|
|
Kitty/Andrew Muffett
UK SOUTH WEST ENGLAND
|
|
|
|
WORLD CHAPTER COORDINATORS
We have 10 members outside the UK who represent the club. Called Country Coordinators again they are volunteers so please support them in their roles and try to help them with ideas.
CONTACT YOUR COUNTRY COORDINATOR
If you have an idea about an event or can offer help email your country coordinator them by Clicking here
|
|
Coordinator Vacancy
AUSTRALIA
|
|
|
Jean-Michel Decroix
FRANCE
|
|
|
Pascal & Joyce Snell
HOLLAND
|
|
|
Ace Cafe London Returns - Saturday 22nd April 2023
After a 4 year delay due to Covid, we return to one of our favourite venues! Established in 1938, today the Ace has become “the home” for petrol heads and is known as the world´s most famous motor cafe. We welcome you to join us on the day and celebrate both our fabulous little cars whilst networking with old friends and making many new ones. Register Your Figaro
|
|
A story all about the little bar in the back seat!
Glenn Rader (Fanchette, Michigan USA)
I was curious to find out the exact purpose of the little bar that is on top of the back seat (pictured below). In my opinion, it is a bit of an odd item in the Figaro.
I reached out to the Figaro community and found out that the little bar is a mystery to many. It could be to protect the brake light from being “whacked”. Perhaps, it is something to grab on to when you are getting in or out of the back seat. Just decorative – not likely. So, the team of Glenn, Kevin, and Sue made a few inquiries.
Here is what we discovered. Maz Christofi, the parts manager for the Figaro Shop told us that the part is called a Parcel Shelf Protector – likely there to protect the brake light. Further, he indicated that the bar is not structurally integrated enough into the car to be a grab handle or roll-over protection of any type. Then, after some serious internet search “magic”, we got input from one of the designers of the Figaro, Naoki Sakai. His input to us supported Maz’s description – it is to protect the brake light from being damaged.
Now I can sleep better – knowing this important bit of information.
|
|
How to open the top boot if you have a flat battery
If your battery is flat or your top boot opener switch will not release the top boot, you can still access it by pulling entering the lower boot and locating two release wires which are in each corner of the lower boot. Simply pull each wire and the top boot should pop open. Watch video
|
Glove Box - Lock Fitting Video
One part of the interior of the Nissan Figaro that tends to wear and break is the glove box latch. The Figaro shop has developed a lockable replacement latch that you can fit with ease. Watch video
|
|
|
|
On the 1st of April, we posted this story which many of you fell for hook, line and sinker :) |
|
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today revealed early plans for the Figaro, originally designed over thirty years ago to “bring out an atmosphere of light-hearted elegance, the entire car painted in a solid two-tone colour scheme.”
Download/print the original Nissan press release - Click here
The plans were discovered by Naomi Watanabe in an unpublished version of the 1990 concept and design brochure, which reveal that the car was inspired by five instead of four gemstones. The white exterior tone and interior colour coordination were planned to be black rather than white. The colours for the rest of the two-tone design featured another jewel alongside the realised Emerald Green, Pale Aqua, Lapis Grey and Topaz Mist colours.
Current owners of the “Cult Classic” have customised the Nissan Figaro in pink, leading many to wonder why designer Naoki Sakai did not use this colour originally, however, earlier plans now reveal Citrine Gold was included alongside the final fab four.
Further revelations include plans for an optional seat gap filler, taillight eyelids, and an upper luggage rack instead of the final upper boot rack which held two sets of skis, popularly believed to be vital to the car’s off-the-piste success in the French Alps. Naomi Watanabe commented “Fans in Japan will be very thrilled to hear about it.” while Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's senior vice president for global design, said, “Why not share it with those who will appreciate it?”
The confidential drawing below shows how well the gold and black work together!
|
|
Nissan is marking the unexpected announcement by asking individuals to celebrate this news by tagging their posts with #aprilfool
Thanks to Adam Woods for bringing this article to our attention
|
|
Figaro Meet at Ryka’s – Sunday 6th March 2022
Our first event of the year kicked off at Ryka’s Cafe, Old London Road, Dorking, just outside London and enjoyed 41 cars!
|
|
Organised by South East England Chapter Coordinator Alysha Hall 25 Figaro, 8 Pao and 3 S-Cargo’s came out in force on Sunday morning, with someone coming as far as 130 miles.
Alysha enjoyed seeing everyone mingling and was extra pleased that a few cars were actually bought and sold following the meet (An S-Cargo owner bought a Pao and a Pao owner ended up buying a Figaro just 3 days after)
Enjoy some of the pictures...
|
|
Leaks – Establishing the cause of wet passenger carpets, lower boot and rusting sills!
One of the most frequent questions we are asked at the club is why my Figaro has wet carpets typically in the passenger footwell.
|
|
Words & Pictures - Kevin Fagan
Owners who find they have a damp carpet, and wet carpets in the rear of the car or even in the front pay attention now! Mildew throughout the car is another problem. We think that most of the problems come from the roof and rear top boot (which is a wet boot). If the damp is on top of the seat then it may be the roof but in our experience 7 of 10 leaks are the boot. Over the past few years, The Figaro shop has developed some techniques for tracking and curing water leaks. As the Figaros get older we are seeing more and more leaks.
Usually due to perished or cracked seals. Sometimes they can be replenished and stuck again but sometimes they need replacement. This is not to say that sadly water leaks are one of the hardest faults to diagnose.
HOW WATER MAKES ITS WAY TO YOUR CARPET
The design of the floor pan allows water to run down from the lower boot and under the seats. You may wonder why it takes this route if your drain holes are clear and your wet boot tray is clipped in. We have found that it runs over the seal and hopefully, the images will help explain this and how to potentially cure it
|
|
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
The design of the floor pan allows water to run down from the lower boot and under the seats.
You may wonder why it takes this route if your drain holes are clear and your wet boot tray is clipped in. We have found that it runs over the seal and hopefully, the images will help explain this and how to potentially cure it. Here we are demonstrating how the rear window can be manipulated. It’s metal-backed and once moved will hold the position. Test that when you pour water into the centre of the back of the seal, with the upper boot open, it runs only into the boot channels, not through the gap where the arrow is.
In the image on the right, it shows ‘gully ‘A’. Here we are demonstrating 2 things.
1 – The big rubber seal in the gully that touches the lower edge of the metal part of the roof is stuck in place correctly and securely.
2 – The point where we state ‘cut channel’ is the weakest part of the design. If you pour water down the gully you may find that when it runs past the ‘cut point’ it runs over the edge, this is the most common point for directing the water into the car. You need to make this cut very carefully in order to re-channel the water.
|
|
Don’t cut right through the seal just the upper band, and only big enough to re-direct the water around the gully rather than over the edge. |
|
The next image shows two places this will be apparent, it also often makes the latch go rusty so look out for that as a clue. The latch should be dry. You can see this in the ‘dripping area’ picture here. Hopefully, this will help your interior to look good and last a long time. Please be careful though we can’t take any responsibility if the rubber is cut too deep or for any other damage.
This is just what worked for us. Well worth a watch if you use your Figaro come rain or shine and or keep your car outside. The roof and top boot are vulnerable areas where water can enter the car which in extreme cases can lead to wet carpets and rusty lower boot areas & sills which can be expensive to fix.
|
|
|
WATCH OUR VIDEO TO HELP FIND YOUR LEAK
Kevin has shot a great video that shows how to test your water exit points. Its
well worth a watch and will help you check your drainage areas
|
|
Fun-Filled Figaro Weekend in the Cotswolds - 8th/9th of April 2022
After a 2 year delay, 30 x Figaros enjoyed a fun-filled adventure exploring the amazing scenic roads and stunning scenery.
|
|
Figaro’s finally descended on the Cotswolds at the weekend. Thank you to Amanda Langard for organising such a fantastic rally. We followed her yellow fig ‘Miss Daisy’ along winding routes that took us through gorgeous countryside and chocolate box villages, with some lovely stops along the way. We also overindulged at The Pudding Club on Saturday night, where we were treated to 5 different desserts!! A big part of the weekend was raising money for Charity.
The rally members raised an incredible £1492 over the 2 days, through a charity raffle and a Figaro auction. Amanda is donating £1092 to the local Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven and £400 is going to our very own superhero Veronica Young who is raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support in Moray.
Thank you to everyone who donated a raffle and auction prize and who dug deep to buy tickets and bid on items. It truly is an amazing effort!! Thanks to everyone for coming and we hope you all had a fantastic time!!
|
|
Julie Thornley – Audrey’s one-way ticket to Portugal
Read about member Julie's trip to Portugal
|
|
Words and Pictures Julie Thornley
We were feeling a mixture of emotions the week of our move from the UK to Portugal – stressed, anxious and nostalgic but also excited! We had been planning the move for months, even years, but now the day had come when it was actually happening – our house in York had sold and the removals firm had arrived a few hours earlier than anticipated, catching us a little off-guard.
Box upon box rapidly disappeared into the depths of a large van, our small house seemingly larger as our life contents were bundled away. However, it wasn’t until Audrey was collected that it really hit home. Audrey is my Topaz-Mist Figaro. She’s been with us for almost 9 years and I had recently had her resprayed as well as some repairs done in anticipation of her big adventure. I knew she’d cope well in Portugal and had already been in touch with the classic car club in Porto, where she would be deemed a vehicle of historic interest, being over 30 years old. I knew the better climate would also suit her – and us! – with more sunshine, no snow, sludge or salt and less rain.
|
The removals firm we used were used to transporting vehicles, usually fancy cars belonging to footballers and the like, so Audrey made a change from the norm and was labelled ‘cute’ by some rather burly removals men, who had not come across one before. Minutes later, she was strapped onto the trailer securely and was disappearing down the road from York to London.
Meanwhile, everything was rapidly disappearing from the house and after only 3 hours, the men were gone, our belongings were on their way and we were setting up camp beds to sleep on for the next four nights until our flight to Porto. It should be said at this point, that our cat was still with us and that his journey abroad was to start the same day as ours, but that’s another story. However, by the end of that week having had little sleep on the camp beds and the cat wondering why his house was empty, we all embarked on our adventure. Boris (the cat) was collected early on the Friday morning and we then read the meters and locked the door for the last time, posting our keys through the letterbox. It was a strange feeling, leaving our house of 20 years and the UK, but we were both ready for it, having planned for such a long time.
We arrived in Porto that weekend, with hand luggage and a list of things we needed to do and buy. The weather was glorious and we enjoyed a couple of celebratory mid-morning beers in the sunshine, not quite believing what we had achieved.
|
|
The journey begins from York to London…and on to Portugal |
Audrey after the trip now safe in the warehouse |
|
Brooklands Easter Classic Gathering - Saturday 16th April 2022
Cars turn up to take in the famous driving destination
|
|
Organised by South East England Chapter Coordinator Alysha Hall the meeting started at the Hilton Cobham at 08:30 where members met for a quick chat before heading in convoy to Brooklands! A good selection of Pike Factory cars attending the day. |
|
Towing a Nissan Figaro
Although the Figaro was supplied with a tow hook that attaches to the front of the car, we explain here why you need to be very careful if you break down and need to get the car recovered.
|
|
Words and Pictures: Kevin Fagan |
|
If your Figaro breaks down and requires recovery, be mindful of the way it is collected. As the car has an automatic gearbox connected to the front wheel, extensive damage can occur if the car is towed. We recommend using a flatbed breakdown recovery lorry which means the car can be pulled at a low speed onto the top of the lorry.
If this is not available the next option is to make sure they use a dolly (see below) which means the front wheels are kept clear of rotating. The last option is to tow the car with a rope but be very careful to not exceed 30km/h and be mindful to not go tow for too long as this could damage the gearbox.
|
|
|
1 RECOMMENDED – FLATBED BREAKDOWN VEHICLE |
How to prepare your car and make sure it is safe during transit.
- Place the select/shift lever into the N position (If the shift lever cannot be moved to N then click the Shift Lock Release Button which is found just in front of the base of the lever).
- Ensure the handbrake is off
- Remove the blanking grommet located above the front and attach the tow hook to the front of the car. See here
|
|
- The breakdown company will now winch the car onto the lorry
- Apply Handbrake
- Place the select/shift lever into the P position (If the shift lever cannot be moved to N then click the Shift Lock Release Button which is found just in front of the base of the lever).
|
|
2 OPTION - BREAKDOWN VEHICLE USING A DOLLY |
If a flatbed lorry is not available, this is the next option but be aware the rear wheels will be in contact with the ground and rotate at speed.
- Place the select/shift lever into the N position (If the shift lever cannot be moved to N then click the Shift Lock Release Button which is found just in front of the base of the lever).
|
|
- Ensure you release the handbrake and check doors and windows.
|
|
3 CAUTION - CAR TO CAR USING A TOW ROPE |
The Hayes Nissan Micra Manual (same engine) states that vehicles with an automatic gearbox should never be towed with the front (driven) wheels on the ground, as this can cause serious damage to the transmission. If you have no choice but to get the car recovered using a tow rope, please ensure you follow the following strict procedures. This is the least good way to tow the car so be very careful not to exceed the speed limit
*The Figaro uses an automatic gearbox for its transmission. Even with N selected if you exceed 30km/s this could damage the gearbox. Also towing a long distance could put undue wear on the gearbox. This is because the engine needs to be running to circulate oil through the transmission. The pump in the transmission that keeps the transmission fluid (which is a lubricant) flowing over the parts, does not pump when the engine is not running. However, many of the parts in the transmission do spin when being towed in neutral. What this means is that you are grinding metal against metal with no lubricant, and this causes massive wear on those parts and possibly the destruction of the parts involved.
|
|
- Place the select/shift lever into the N position (If the shift lever cannot be moved to N then click the Shift Lock Release Button which is found just in front of the base of the lever).
- Ensure the handbrake is off
- Remove the blanking grommet located above the front and attach the tow hook to the front of the car. See here
- Using tow rope on longer than 2.5m, keep this on the same side for both vehicles
-
Do not exceed 30km/h at any time*
- Do not exceed 30kms distance
|
"THE MORAL OF THIS STORY IS NEVER TOW YOUR FIGARO UNLESS YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE!"
|
|
SAVE MONEY - USE YOUR DISCOUNT CODES! |
Remember, as a club member you have access to lots of DISCOUNT CODES across a range of Figaro products and services. Click the link below and enter FOCMDC
|
|
|
It's not a ship it's a Figaro!
Over the years we've witnessed some amazing and dare we say it, slightly bizarre Figs. This one by member Dave Eve definitely falls in the latter category.
|
|
Words and Pictures Dave Eve
With the addition of portholes, quilted white diamond leather & cup holders member Dave Eve takes his Figaro Refurbishment to extreme levels!
The old-time story of boy meets girl, girl meets Figaro and they fall in love. “with the Figaro” I might add!
About 15 years ago we spotted our first Figaro and thought like many how cute and utterly stylish they were. “I want one” the better half exclaimed. On looking at costs back then a decent example was still above £5,000 which wasn’t justifiable as an extra car. So, the idea was put on the back burner only to be brought up every time a Figaro was spotted (thankfully a rare car).
My partner Yvonne was going through a rough patch as her mum was very ill. In an effort to distract and cheer her up I spotted a very cheap Figaro on eBay. I rang the seller who explained the previous owner had just had the engine rebuilt and everything was original some small welding by the sill needed doing. He had it for 2 years and never got around to repairing it as just after rebuilding the head gasket went.
We agreed on a price and it was picked up by a car transport company. It arrived late evening in mid-December. Oh my lord, what have I bought? It was awful the paint had a black tar-like substance all over it sills rotten, arches rusty no bumpers, the interior was as if it had been stored in the titanic, after it sank… barely had the engine grunt to get off the trailer.
|
|
THE PORTHOLE!
I don’t know if it’s just me but I find the area behind the seats on side of the roof to be a huge blind spot of 12 or so inches of metal that stops me from seeing if anything is coming.
I have fitted two small chrome porthole windows into this section of the roof pillar so it makes visibility better.
|
|
The look of disappointment on Yvonne’s face was plain to see although she denied it. I on the other hand did not. I had been duped. Seeing the disappointment, I felt I had if anything made matters worse. So, I searched again this time and went to see another one in London. It looked nice bumpers a little rusty as a normal small bit of welding by the sill. Smoked a bit which I was told was turbo. I have an entire spare car I thought this is much better on the eye. I bought her and drove back home.
Yvonne was much happier with this one. It looked like a car, not a rusty canal boat. After a few weeks, I put her up on the lift to see if anything needed doing other than the sill. It was like a horror show and this is the sequel. Both sills are rotten. The floor pan was rotten in so many places it looked like a rusty trellis fence. The arches didn’t feel right from inside they looked rusty and holed. I set to work with a hammer and found that the rear wing and arches had been filled with about 2 inches of filler (to be fair it was an outstanding bit of sculpting I couldn’t tell from the outside that it was getting eaten from the inside out.
|
|
We decided as it was going to be one of the family I would do a full as best I could restore. With the help of a lot of the guys n gals on the forum and club in general I started the task which took 6 months to complete.
I ordered lots of new parts to include. Sills. Wheel arches. Metal sheet for floor repair. Full-service kit. Cambelt kit. Water pump. Thermostat. Radiator cap. Steering pinion repair kit. Steering gators. Ball joints. Crankcase seals. Turbo. Vacuum hoses. Full silicon water hose set. Gasket Set. Full large leather restore kit. Tiger seal (thanks Kevin) chrome strip accents.
15 metres of white diamond-quilted leather. Double din Sat Nav Radio with hands-free and reversing camera. Switches for boot release and fog light. Remote Central door locking kit.
’m sure it’s a story you have heard so many times regarding Figaro ownership. But it’s better to keep these on the road than scrap them. Hard work but worth it in the end. Official name Glennis. My name for her. THE MONEY PIT
|
|
Meet our members
We love to publish pictures of all our brilliant members with their Figs, so don't be shy and get in touch and we promise to include you in the next edition!
|
|
Image of Flur in the workshop having a bit of work done, mainly caused by Rona parking in Huddersfield M+S Car Park, dints in rear back quarter, I am sorting bumpers to keep them for another year are so, we decided to have a yearly budget to keep Flur tidy so tackling the most important issues first.
Ian Moorhouse - West Yorkshire, England.
|
|
Arrived at a new home in Winchester Virginia USA.
Dorothy Cox - Virginia USA
|
|
Meet Flossy the Figgy whom we hope will soon be available for weddings.
Diane Bell - Southhampton, England
|
|
Our son Daniel had always wanted a Figaro having seen the car at his local garage when he was just 16. After saving for a number of years (plus a small contribution from his mum and dad!) he, at last, brought an emerald green model in May 2008. See him pictured with Figgy aged just 19 bless him >>
Following the purchase, we searched on the internet for a club in the hope we could attend events and meet other owners. We were amazed that at that time no club existed so the Figaro Owners Club was born!
"We decided to build a basic website and forum which took a few months and on the 1st March 2009, pressed the publish button and waited to see if anyone wanted to join? Within a week we had 10 members, a month 35 and a year 478!"
Today the club has around 1,300 members worldwide in countries including New Zealand, Japan, Australia, USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and many more.
Kevin & Sue Fagan
Figaro Owners Club
|
|
|
|
58 Earl Howe Road, Holmer Green,
High Wycombe, Bucks, HP15 6QT
United Kingdom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
