1990 Nissan Stanza 52411 miles whats the classificationfor this car

[Kirk Gray]

 

[TerryB]

By year definition it’s more than 25 years old so it’s an antique.   Here in PA it has to be 26 years or more to be eligible to register it as an antique.  Hope this helps. Welcome to the site

[ted sweet]

for aaca judging?

[rocketraider]

Right now I'd call it a nice daily driver. The big activity in these years Nissan is 240SX.

[avgwarhawk]

Nissan bread and butter car.  Dependable.  

[zepher]

The Nissan Stanza was later rebadged as the Nissan Altima.

Very dependable, as @avgwarhawk mentioned.

 

My parents had one in the very early 90's.

[TAKerry]

You have a few of options, Class27S, HPOF or DPC.

[8E45E]

We were down this road before:

 

 

[hursst]

I would put this in DPC.   

[60FlatTop]

AACA judging would put your car in Class 27S. At least one judging in that class will give you a point total that represents its condition in a judging situation. You will also have a list of items to improve it. That is a valuable document whether you want to continue showing the car or sell it.

 

Don't pay too much attention to those who scoff at the car and imply it doesn't measure up to their standard. They have been there since the beginning of the hobby and are generally tolerated until they run out of red corpuscles.

 

Finding an older car in good condition can be just as challenging as a restoration in the long run. And it will age. Keep it and see just how long it takes the majority to think of it as "an old car".

 

I never really bought an old car. Mine were just nice 15 year old cars that I aged with.

[8E45E]

4 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

AACA judging would put your car in Class 27S. At least one judging in that class will give you a point total that represents its condition in a judging situation. You will also have a list of items to improve it. That is a valuable document whether you want to continue showing the car or sell it.

 

Don't pay too much attention to those who scoff at the car and imply it doesn't measure up to their standard. They have been there since the beginning of the hobby and are generally tolerated until they run out of red corpuscles.

 

And it will age. Keep it and see just how long it takes the majority to think of it as "an old car".

As I stated in the previous post that I linked, they have yet to see an 'appreciation curve' for a pristine one; even after 30+ years of age.   

 

There was nothing unusual about them when they were new, nor were they rare in production number.  They were a simple, no-nonsense car that lived up to their reputation as being good value for the money at the time.

 

And now I will add, they DON'T 'age' like 50 years and older cars we normally discuss here did.  Technolgy in modern metallurgy and lubricants, plus paint and upholstery materials have come a LONG way since the 1970's and before, and it shows well after 30 years on a car such as this.  The original paint can still look shiny and entirely presentable on one, especially on a low-mileage, rust-free example, unless it spent its life in the sunbelt.   Not to mentions, their engines are good for a quarter million miles with regular maintenance, etc., and the on-board electronics for the time do seem to be reliable enough still to do their job.

 

Craig

[EmTee]

Hmmm...  I've heard people call '70' the new '50' when referring to their age.  Maybe the same situation is at play for used cars.  Perhaps '50' is the new '30' (or 25).  Most cars like the subject of this thread were driven hard, 'used up' and discarded.  Exceptions like this one do pop-up occasionally and appear modern enough that they don't stick out the way a 1940 __________ (fill-in the blank) would have in 1970.

 

Case-in-point is my 1956 Chevrolet that I received for my 15th birthday from my grandmother (the original owner).  The car turned 25 in 1981 and by that time it could not be overlooked when parked in a group of contemporary daily-drivers.  The less dramatic visual distinction of 1990s probably dampens the appeal of family cars like this Nissan.  Of course sports, specialty and muscle cars are exceptions...

[8E45E]

3 minutes ago, EmTee said:

The less dramatic visual distinction of 1990s probably dampens the appeal of family cars like this Nissan.   Of course sports, specialty and muscle cars are exceptions...

Well said! 

 

A lot of it can be attributed to the curse of the Wind Tunnel which severely limits design individuality these days, with the exception of a few sports and exotic halo cars.  And with the cost of development for a new design, many manufacturers are unwilling to take the gamble to make a radically different design that may not go over well with potential buyers when they count on three-figure sales to recoup the costs.

 

Craig

[EmTee]

Exactly!  I have a hard time convincing myself that my wife's '93 Allante is a 30 year-old car...

 

[Dr B]

I want to take the "big tent" attitude and encourage everyone to participate in the aaca.  The car is more than 25 years old so I understand it would qualifies by aaca standards. It may not be my cup of tea, but I welcome all who want to participate. We're all here for the fun. Of all the replies, I think only 1 or 2 answered his question about what [judging] classification it would fall under.

 

Robert

[TerryB]

New guy with a legitimate question.  He deserves respect not snide comments.  Remember that even the first Chrysler minivans are now antiques and the Diecast hobby manufacturers are making replicas of them for the hobby collectors.  Time marches on.

[28 Chrysler]

Welcome Kirk

When I picked up my 1941 Dodge it was only a 31 year old car and many times the newest at car shows.

[EmTee]

I was going to mention the VW beetle.  The longer they kept it looking the same, the more unique it became - so much so that they were compelled to bring it back at the end of the last century...

[60FlatTop]

Taking a little poetic license on the thought, I think a Stanza would be a couple of lines apart from the rest in the scheme of things.

[mrspeedyt]

if cheap enough I'd buy it and drive it a lot.

[Pfeil]

6 hours ago, EmTee said:

I was going to mention the VW beetle.  The longer they kept it looking the same, the more unique it became - so much so that they were compelled to bring it back at the end of the last century...

Look at how long the Porsche 356, or 9 series stayed or in the 9 series case is still in production. The BMW 1600/2002 sedans, the W series Mercedes etc.

[Frank DuVal]

On 8/30/2023 at 8:44 AM, 8E45E said:

As I stated in the previous post that I linked, they have yet to see an 'appreciation curve' for a pristine one; even after 30+ years of age.   

What does this have to do with antique cars?  I find this category to be great for entry to the hobby. 
 

We have a 1986 Stanza in our local club, owner very proud. He keeps it clean and adds NOS parts as needed. Sure he may have more in it than it is worth, but so do MOST of the cars on the show field. 
 

Upside down in small money easier on wallets than in the half million dollar range. 😉

 

Answer: DOC or class 27 (x). (x) for whatever is the correct suffix. 
 

And Welcome!

[EmTee]

I would definitely stop and look if I saw this Nissan at a cruise-in.

 

Like the domestic 4-door hardtops and station wagons of the '60s & '70s that were once ubiquitous but are now rarely seen.  More of the lower production coupes & convertibles were saved...

[rocketraider]

46 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

I got  here through Corvairs and Buick Specials. I got snubbed and didn’t join for another 40 years. I like new members with different cars and do not want to piss them off. 
 

Someday I will enter the Chevette Scooter! 

I got snubbed as a 27 year old with a 1964 Oldsmobile Starfire. I was even told someone my age had no business with a car like that because all I would do is ruin it. Funny, those people are all now dead, senile, or in nursing homes and they and their cars have been largely forgotten.

 

Didn't take me quite that long to join and I eventually committed to Life Membership.

 

Frank, your cohort with the 53 Buick Estate Wagon convinced me that not all AACA people were like the ones here in Southside. As I met people in Richmond and Lynchburg Regions in VA, and in General Greene, Alamance and Hornet's Nest in NC, I realized maybe I had found my tribe.

 

I later realized that most of the "car people" around here were/are born and bred jerks who peaked in high school. 

 

If I came across as dismissive in my earlier reply, it was not my intent. A car like a Stanza was generally driven to death and never considered to be anything special, but at 33 years old, 52k miles and decently maintained, it's worth a second glance.

[28 Chrysler]

When I was 20 I took 3 of my cars to a  Moose Loge fundraiser car show.

I was almost thrown out for opening  doors on two of my cars.

I bought one of the cars from the organizer. I also worked on several of his cars in the body shop I worked at for two years. 

I welcome the youngens even with rat traps as bad as the ones I drove.

[8E45E]

3 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

What does this have to do with antique cars?  I find this category to be great for entry to the hobby. 

You just answered your own question. 

 

As others have said, it qualifies as an 'antique' in the AACA and most states and provinces for the appropriate registration.  As I stated, they have not appreciated (as in selling more than what they were brand new in 1990.) as of yet.  As per your own answer, a person who is half the age of this car can enter this hobby/interest with minimal investment, and it will still be considered 'ancient' to him.

 

Craig

[CChinn]

If you think about it, all of our cars in this hobby are “used cars” whether it is a Pebble Beach Concours car, 100 point AACA or HCCA car,  pre-war, post-war, brass era car, muscle car or one of the newer cars that just turned 25 years old. The most important thing is that we enjoy the car(s) by driving and/or showing it or restoring it to perfection or keeping it in its original time worn condition. It’s all good however we chose to enjoy the hobby

[8E45E]

On 8/30/2023 at 11:28 AM, Pfeil said:

 The less dramatic visual distinction of 1990s probably dampens the appeal of family cars like this Nissan.   Of course, sports, specialty and muscle cars are exceptions..."

 

This Stanza has one thing in common with cars of the late 80's-1990. They all look similar-so competition is pretty much even.  Just as today's cars and that includes most sports cars look more or less alike, unless they are very high-end stuff. 

    

And in 1996, Volkswagen, of all car manufacturers, attempted to do something different (very unlike the 1962 Beetle ad). Volkswagen Golf Harlequin: VW's Strangest Idea? | The Truth About Cars

 

How many of these will we see at car show?

 

Craig

[LARRYCAROL]

Hershey 2021 . Bring your Nissan ( hpof, dpc, or judged class) welcome! 

[8E45E]

2 hours ago, LARRYCAROL said:

Hershey 2021 . Bring your Nissan ( hpof, dpc, or judged class) welcome! 

Thanks for that!  This should open the door and make a 1990 Nissan owner feel welcome.  

 

👍 Nice Harlequin, by the way!   Great to see it on the AACA Show Field!!

 

I'm fairly certain this was the local VW dealer's efforts as I don't think any Double Cabs were painted in Harlequin configuration.

 

 

[Frank DuVal]

Back in late 90s I photographed one (VW) I spotted in a Home Depot parking lot in Dale City VA. Back before I had a cell phone camera, so FILM! I didn't think I would ever see another one, and so far that is true.

Edited September 1, 2023 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[charlier]

13 hours ago, LARRYCAROL said:

Hershey 2021 . Bring your Nissan ( hpof, dpc, or judged class) welcome! 

This VW definitely turned heads at Fall Hershey that year. I doubt some people know exactly how RARE this vehicle actually is. If memory serves there were around only 650 or so of these vehicles made (ie 1 for every dealership in  the USA at that time). This vehicle actually resides on the Hershey area.