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July & August 2021 Newsletter - Issue No 117 |
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Figgy owner,
Welcome to our July & August Newsletter!
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Well, wasn’t that a whole load of fun last weekend? But only for those who were lucky enough to attend our amazing Nissan Figaro 30th Birthday Fun Weekend of course!
Unfortunately, the weekend didn't start off well. Wind the clock back to Friday morning, and I was pulling out what little hair I have. The idea was that Sue, myself and Daniel to start setting up the field, however, on arrival, we were met with the sight of a 3ft meadow showfield of wildflowers which although looked very pretty, our little Figaros would struggle to drive through.
Apparently, the hotel's grass cutting machinery had broken down the day before! After ageing a few more years, the problem was sorted when a local farmer arrived to cut it! Phew!!
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The 3ft meadow 'showfield' of wildflowers which although looking very pretty, we felt our little Figaros would struggle to drive through! |
One door closes and another opens...
We a re well aware of the disappointment that many of our members couldn't attend the 30th celebrations and wanted to announce the imminent launch of the Laon Historique Pilgrimage 2022. This exciting event located in France will take place over the extra-long Bank Weekend (UK) on 3rd & 6th June 2022. Featuring a drive-out on Saturday and a closed street run on Sunday where the historic town of Laon comes to a standstill and the locals... Read more
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INSURANCE VALUATIONS
Priced at £16 our 2 Year Insurance Valuation Certificates are highly recommended to protect your value
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FIGARO TRADER
Launched 5 years ago our online platform allows you to buy and sell Figaro Cars, Parts & Accessories
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FIGARO CLOTHING & GIFTS
Our Figaro Store contains over 20 designs and hundreds of gifts to keep any Figaro enthusiast happy
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FIGARO BUYERS GUIDE
Priced at just £6 and published Online (PDF) the guide is explains INSPECTING, TEST DRIVING and BUYING
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ARCHIVE NEWSLETTERS
We have published over 100 Newsletters containing OWNERSHIP SUPPORT, MEMBERS STORIES...
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A PERSONAL WELCOME FROM KEVIN & SUE |
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A figgy welcome to all our new members.
We love running this little 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 too, so ask away!
We wanted to remind everyone that we are always on the lookout for great stories and helpful and interesting content.
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We show you how to check the age of your tyres
Let's be honest, when we think about checking our tyres, all we are thinking about is the pressure and tread depth. But did you know that all car tyres have life regardless of whether the car is driven or not? Although none publish a definitive tyre age limit as to when you should replace your tyres, most say when they reach 7-10 years old, you should keep a close eye on their condition and consider replacing them. Read more
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And how to find your 10 Digit Engine Number
Some countries require the 10 DIGIT Engine number when importing the car. Club founder Kevin explains where the number is located and how to find it within the engine bay. Using a light (recommended) to enhance the numbers and also a small extendable mirror Kevin locates the number which starts with a MA10 XXXXXX B. Useful to note also, just in case the car was ever stolen. Read more
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Member gives 'beyond repair' Figaro the perfect resting place
Paul Hodgkinson sent this picture of his 'fig sofa' which he created out of scrapped Figaro. Having a milestone birthday on the horizon and his love of the Figaro Paul thought it would be a great addition to his home to add a small extension to their house and create a bar room come cinema room where we can sit relax and generally chat!
The obvious choice was a Figaro-themed with the centerpiece being a bench seat made from the backend of a Figaro! Read more
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Reduce our car tax from £170 a year to £0 a year!!!!
The Figaro costs £170 a year to tax (UK). Please sign this petition which is trying to gain 100% exemption for classic cars (currently 40 years) down to 30 years. We require 100,000 signatures for the government to respond and currently only have just over 12,000.
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Video on how to adjust the bonnet so it's flush with the bodywork
Kevin shows you a quick adjustment to ensure your bonnet is flush with the bodywork. By unscrewing the rubber bungs/stoppers you can make this flush which looks much better.
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Pictures of a very rare Emerald Green Figaro Bicycle.
This bike was found by a Japanese Figaro owner Pyon. It was found in a very damaged condition, so the person who found it replaced the saddle, handlebars, and other parts. It's the best condition by far we have seen. Read more
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THE BIG PICTURE
The image that makes us smile
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0-60 in 10 Seconds!
Not our typical picture we accept, but one worthy of note never the less. We have been following this restoration since member Prem Reynolds took it on and the result is what 367 hours of blood sweat and come to think of it, money looks like!
Scottish-based Prem stripped everything back to the shell and repaired/replaced or redesigned it. He lost some of the early pictures but from memory, it was in an “OK” used condition having been sold by a Figaro dealer but the rot and engine troubles were hidden from view. Lots of lessons learned along the way and working with Maz from The Figaro Shop he uprated everything. He has an adjustable actuator fitted on the turbo for a gentle boost increase, retarding the timing to compensate. It is a lot quicker than it was (0-60 in under 10 seconds) and cruises at 70 with around 4000 revs so much less screaming on the motorway. His plan, with the uprated cooling and induction flow, is to improve the bhp so it pulls harder up the gears but the tuner will check this along with checking AFR. Wow is all we can say!
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Let's get this party started
As lockdown eases members are getting together to celebrate the car's 30th Birthday. First off the mark was our Irish Chapter who got together on Sunday 13th June and enjoyed a wonderful day.
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Words Dolly Webb & Pictures Paul Loughlin
The Irish Chapter of the Figaro Owners Club came out in style on Sunday the 13th, 2021.
It all started with great disappointment when I had to cancel the main event in England. So, I said to myself, well, we get knockdown, but we get up again, what can I do to celebrate our wonderful Figgy’s.
And an idea began. I placed the idea on Facebook and our WhatsApp group. Due to Covid, we were only allowed approx. 15 people. The idea was snapped up! So, the planning began. We were lucky enough to privately book out Coolcarrigan House and gardens in Coil Dubh Co. Kildare for the day in question. We all met at the main entrance at 11.30 am and lined up accordingly with 30th balloons all swinging from our beauty’s. Everyone was dolled up to the nines in 1950s gear.
Lights…Camera…Action!!!!!!
Our photographer was ready to take a drone of us coming down the wonderful avenue to the house. The avenue was full of colorful flowers and a lake on either side…a lovely setting…
We parked up the cars at the House and chatted and chatted about engines etc…
Following on we had a picnic on the lawn and goodie bags were given out. Thanks to Lilly O Briens chocolates who were so generous and gifted us boxes of chocolates, which made our day even sweeter. And Thanks to The Figaro Shop who also came up trumps with beautiful air fresheners. And we also had 30th birthday keyrings made and bubbles. YES, bubbles…always good to bring the kid back out in us all. Thank you also to our photographer Paul Loughlin who gave up his time for free and did the drone. And also, to his wife Gillian who is the very first Lady to be Chairperson in our local GAA club Ballyteague, who presented the trophies to all our deserving winners
We then played Croquet on the beautiful lawns in the blistering heat with the backdrop of the arboretum and wonderfully scented peaches. The owner Rob and his wife brought us on a tour of the gardens which were full of flowers and trees from all over the world. And we visited the house which was built in 1830 and Hanna Webb got the privilege of playing the Pianola. Following on we had a fun Figaro Quiz. Lots of laughter went on here.
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The invitation was placed on Facebook and soon the event was full |
WHO WON OUR AWARDS?
Amanda and Gerry won the best car and rightly so as Gerry did all the work himself and his engine well Woo-hoo. I won best dressed. Very proud indeed lol. Camilla won The Figaro Quiz (It got very competitive…however Camilla came up trumps thankfully as she is the coordinator for the republic of Ireland lol. Joanna and Mark win the Furthest Travelled from Northern Ireland. Max Webb won the best player of games.
To wrap up this momentous day we then headed to the church that is also on the grounds. It was so quaint and great history, and the door of the church key was massive. Here, me and my wonderful husband David, got a photo taken at the Alter as we are 25 years married this year. so lovely to mark it on this special occasion.
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Words & Pictures: Kevin Fagan
The venue for the event was the wonderful Mercure Warwickshire Walton Hall Hotel & Spa. Due to Covid restrictions, 45 cars were unable to attend from overseas which was incredibly disappointing. We also lost 64 cars due to members cancelling last minute, most again down to the pandemic where their bubble had been affected by a family member testing positive.
Even so, we still achieved an amazing 242 cars on Sunday. Once in place, they did look totally spectacular, precision parked in colour order by our fantastic car parking marshals.
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The weekend kicked off on Friday evening when we all left the venue at 7 and drove in convoy to Caffeine & Machine which was 15 minutes away. On arrival, there were already a number of Figaros parked up and someone told me they counted over 80 cars! |
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THANKS TO THESE HEROES…
We could have never achieved the seamless organisation we did without the help of the following. Ken Graham (Car Park Supervisor) and the following Marshals, Pete Pattermore, Peter Warnell, Andy Hennell, Nigel Tyson, James Buchen and Trevor Ridley. Plus, Debbi Rogers & Ali Shepperd for their help and cheerfulness in giving out the show bags. Daniel and Gary Fagan at Registration. Sue and Jessica Fagan on the raffle and tombola in our club tent. Dan Noonan and Diane Fagan for the photography and drone footage (coming soon).
CAR NUMBERS
We ended up with 242 cars on the day. Although this was lower than we hoped for, it’s still an amazing figure considering the circumstances.
AWARD WINNERS
Congratulations to the award winners of the day.
- LONGEST OWNED – Karen Button/19 Years (brought 12th July 2002)
- MOST DAILY DRIVEN – Tom Brake/33,000 km a year (a lot of motorways!)
- BEST RESTORATION – Quentin Lester/J144AEO (2019/2020, extensive list of parts removed and replaced. Over 500 hours labour by owner)
- FURTHEST TRAVELLED – James Buchan/807 Kms. Drove from Fraserburgh (Scotland)
- BEST CONVERSION – James Brown/Electric Figaro
- BEST PARTY CAR – Veronica Young
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£2,019 RAISED FOR CHARITY
With a combination of Charity Raffle tickets and Tombola sales (£1655), plus Veronica Young's Kodak Picture Stand (£81) we raised £1736 for Clic Sargent. And if you add in the RNLI donations (£283), we raised a fantastic £2,019 for charities! The RNLI stand (manned by Belinda & James Richardson) will cover the £263 sponsorship and plaque for a station with a little leftover for the pot! This brings the total raised for charity since the club started £7,701. Read more
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THANKS, ALSO TO OUR SUPPLIER DONATIONS
We would have never raised this amount without the following people
- Yuki Saka - Extensive range of gifts sent from Japan
- Nic Caraccio - Figaro Parking Sign
- Ann Tyson - Mosaic pot and Handcream
- The Figaro Shop - Figaro Car Mats
- Autolink - Boot Rack x 2
- 2 x Cabung's
ENJOY PICTURES FROM THE SUNDAY
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Give me that Bling
A new chroming service could be the answer for owners looking to restore their Figs to how they looked when they rolled off the production line.
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Words & Pictures: Kevin Fagan
Part of the charm of the Figaro is its 'bling factor'. The car has an abundance of chrome parts which over time can dull and peel. Nissan used a technique where plastic parts are coated in a top layer of chrome to match the bumpers and stainless steel trim running around the bodywork.
The most common plastic parts
- Front Grill
- Bonnet Badge
- Hockey Sticks (4)
- Brake Light Surround (4)
- Interior Door Lever Cover (2)
- Wash Nozzle (2)
- Rear Number Plate Surround
One solution is to remove the parts from your car and get them resprayed. The process is far from simple and we have partnered with a company called Chrome Spray who by using an 8 parts process, can take your old parts and make them look like new again.
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There are 8 parts to the process, finishing with the top coat which will give all parts a just-out-of-a-new-box feel. Note: All parts will need to be dissembled such as the lights so you will be required to remove the lens and glue it back in when you get the parts back. |
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Note: Before you get too excited please remember that they will only plate parts that have been completely dismantled. As an example the rear light assemble will have to have the red or orange lens removed (using a heat gun) then when plated, you will need to glue this back into the exact location. |
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Below are some parts after the process. |
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Beep, beep!
All change……the perils of custom colour, and the joys of change and ceramic coating
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Words & Pictures: Belinda Wanless
Some of you may remember an article I wrote in 2011/12 about my Fig 2’s change of colour from ‘winter’ grey to glorious sparkly orange three weeks after I bought it. I loved it! Roll on ten years (where did they go?!) and things have changed again.
The car has always lived outside, and I’d had several rust repairs carried out over the years, and typically saw rust starting to bubble up on a rear-wheel arch around four years ago. Sadly, it turned out that one component of the custom sparkly orange paint was no longer in production; hence no paint to enable the wheel arch to be repaired.
So I waited…..
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Belinda is really happy with the outcome of the new colour and the ceramic coating |
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Another three years later it became apparent that the paint was never going to be produced again, and by this time it was clear that I had to do something. I ended up in a local garage owned by a friend of my neighbour and come highly recommended. They started the repairs and therein commenced discussion about the paintwork. It was a conundrum. I could have picked a pearlescent orange; similar, but never the same as it was. I was sent to a Lamborghini garage to look at their various orange and yellow colours. The salesmen were very interested in my Fig 2, but I wasn’t ever tempted by a Lamborghini! |
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"In addition to the protection and shine, with a ceramic coating, I don’t need to polish after cleaning the car. I simply wash and dry." |
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After much deliberation, I ended up biting the bullet and elected to go for a Renault colour – ‘Liquid-Yellow’. A friend brought round his liquid yellow Renault Megan to look at, and that sealed the deal. That was the difficult part, as it’s always difficult to imagine what the finished car will look like in a new colour, especially when you loved the old. However, when it was repaired and resprayed it looked amazing! Really beautiful deep yellow, slightly pearlescent colour.
By this time I also knew about the ceramic coating. My husband Martin had his car coated the year before. Ceramic coatings protect against UV rays from the sun. Without protection, UV rays can eat away at the paintwork, causing oxidation and fade. It also helps your car stay clean by making it more difficult for dirt to stick to the surface. On top of that, it gives the car a deep glossy ‘glow’. The price was around £200 for my car; costs more for bigger cars of course, and depends on how many coatings you have. Martin’s Mustang (BIG MUSCLE CAR!) was around £300 - 350 for a double coating and will last two to three years before needing recoating. In addition to the protection and shine, with a ceramic coating, I don’t need to polish after cleaning the car.
I simply wash and dry. I’ve been very happy with the outcome of the new colour and the ceramic coating, and I will be renewing the coating again in a few years time. Keeping the car outside means you have to do have to take extra care in looking after it so I believe it is worth the extra money to give it a ceramic coat. I love the deep glossy shine the ceramic coating gives Fig 2, as if the liquid yellow wasn’t glorious enough! I loved the old sparkly orange, but times move on and you have to move on with the times.
I love my ‘new and improved, liquid-yellow ceramic coated’ Fig 2, enjoy some pics!
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Stainless Steel Bumpers - New
A couple of weeks ago we fitted one of the best upgrades ever to Belle. Manufactured from 304-grade, 2mm stainless steel these bumpers will never rust and will always look super shiny!
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Words & Pictures Kevin Fagan
If your bumpers are rusty and in need of replacing, up until now, you had no choice but to buy the ones manufactured by Nissan. However, over the years the quality of the chrome plating thickness has become less and less than acceptable.
So when a guy called Darren Fallon contacted us and said he was thinking of manufacturing them out of Stainless Steel, we were very interested, but we would add, a bit sceptical.
After six months and several prototypes, a box arrived at club HQ containing a set for testing the fit and quality. As you can imagine it didn't stay in the box for long and a few hours later I'd removed the old ones and started fitting the six parts.
What about the fit?
The good news is the fit and finish exceeded our expectations. The quality of the forming was top-notch and once fitted, the car just looked better!
And the price?
The six-part kit is priced at just £1,049 plus postage and packing which is just a few more pounds than the current low-quality alternative!
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The fitting can be carried out without having to jack up the car. I created a comprehensive fitting video (see below) showing the tools and all the elements required to remove the old bumpers and install the new ones. |
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WATCH MY FITTING VIDEO
I removed the old bumpers and fitted the new ones
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Odometer - What's your Mileage?
The subject of the true recorded mileage keeps cropping up. Quite a lot of Figaro’s have been converted so that they record both speed and distance in miles.
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Words & Pictures: John Cooper
If your Figaro has an ‘MPH’ sticker on the speedo, it has been converted. If it has a full stuck-on dial, the speed you see is MPH, but the distance on the odometer is Kms.
My Figaro has been converted. This is done by fitting a gearing device called a transducer. This works just like a bicycle gearing system and makes the Kms show in miles using the current layout on the speedo face. The only change to the speedo is to cover up the KMH with a sticker reading MPH. When I bought my car, the previous owner said he didn’t know when it was converted so could not guarantee the mileage as being accurate. According to Toby Brooks from The Figaro Shop, the transducer could have been used without any sticker or paperwork (when the odometer is almost impossible to work out). It can be used as follows:
With a sticker but not have the odometer reset to the correct miles, meaning you have that inconsistency and it is very hard to trace the miles. At the same time as having the transducer fitted, have the odometer set to the correct mileage so that going forward everything is in miles, this is the clearest way but involves adjusting the clock.
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The conversion sticker above is placed within the speedo and shows MPH but the odometer remains in Kilometres! |
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“If you have a ‘Transducer’ fitted, it could have been fitted 11 months into an MOT period, in which case the recorded mileage will be different – a mixture of kilometres and miles” |
With a document drawn up to demonstrate the sum required to work out the mileage when required. Accurate as long as the paperwork is kept safe.
But you can check the mileage by looking at the MOT record of your Figaro Click here
The MOT is only recorded in miles, and it will even tell you when that very first MOT was.
When I had the gearbox replaced a couple of years ago, I had to go back to the garage, as I was, according to my speedo, doing over 100 MPH on the dual carriageway. The mechanic had forgotten to connect the transducer. It took all of five minutes to rectify. In that short trip, the car recorded kilometers because I checked it against the satnav, along with the actual speed. But if you have a transducer fitted, it could have been fitted 11 months into an MOT period, in which case the recorded mileage will be different – a mixture of kilometers and miles.
So for now, if you are selling your Figaro and you are unsure what your correct mileage is because you have a transducer fitted, go with what the odometer reads. At least that way you won’t be underestimating the mileage and potentially misleading the buyer.
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This can also lead to much confusion when we create a valuation certificate as total mileage must be logged at the time of issue. Ed |
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Music Figaro Collection
We all know how special it feels on a warm summers day, roof down and CD playing some soulful tunes but just imagine how better that would be if they were specifically chosen for the Figaro?
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Did you know that when the car was launched back in 1991, Nissan worked with Sony Music to create five ‘mood music’ CDs? It is thought that these might have been available to buy in some dealers or given away as promotional merchandise to promote the car. Each CD included a route map in the centrefolds
THE FIVE CD’S
- AOYAMA/URBAN ROAD R246/ROCK & BALLAD
- SHONAN/SEA SIDE ROAD R134/ROCK & POP
- IZU/SKY ROAD R135/OLDIES
- YOKOHAMA BAY BRIDGE/EXPRESS WAY K1/LOVE & BALLAD
- KARUIZAWA/EMARALD ROAD R18/SOUL BALLAD
These are now very rare and we are so lucky to have acquired the full set!
THANKS TO YUKI SAGA FOR HELPING WITH SOURCING THE CDS
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Meet the Members
We love to publish pictures of our members' cars. Here's a selection of some of our latest Figs from around the globe.
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Pete Berry
Here’s Cilla at the seaside, she lives in Bristol but also holidays in Charmouth, Dorset.
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Pete Gill
Keeping the sun off the dashboard is very important.
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Siem Crompvoets
This was taken in the winter of 2018 near our home in The Netherlands.
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Laon Historique Pilgrimage 2022
Held over the long Bank Weekend (UK) 3rd & 6th June 2022, the event features a drive out on Saturday and a closed street run on Sunday where the historic town of Laon comes to a standstill and the locals come out to enjoy the spectacle.
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Along with the Mazda MX 5, the Nissan Figaro are the proud Marque of Honour* for the 2022 Laon Historique, the biggest classic car pilgrimage to Europe, and as such will enjoy an exclusive display parking area and will be the prominent marque for the Saturday Run and Sunday Parade.
*As the Marque of Honour we will enjoy exclusive display parking areas and will be the 'prominent marque for the Saturday Run and Sunday Parade!
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- Return P&O Ferry Crossing from Dover to Calais (other crossings available on request)
- 3 Nights Hotel or Camping Accommodation
- Buffet Breakfast each Morning (excluding camping)
- Classic Car Display en-route to Laon
- Entry Fee to the Laon Historique
- Participation in Saturday Rally
- Participation in Sunday 'Closed Street Parade'
- Participation in Monday Morning Run
- Commemorative Rally Plate
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The event is run by the 'Association of the Montée Historique de Laon' and was created back in 1991 on the basis of inviting old and prestigious automotive cars to Laon and its region |
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- Entry, Ferry & Accommodation £199 - £499 per person (depending on the chosen hotel).
- Entry & Ferry £275* per car
- Entry only £150* per car
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THE EVENT IS DUE TO BE LIVE AND BOOKABLE
FROM THE MIDDLE OF JULY
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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.
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, we 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
Figaro Owners Club
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58 Earl Howe Road, Holmer Green,
High Wycombe, Bucks, HP15 6QT
United Kingdom
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