This new "Nissan Sports Car Club" is rubbish

When I first began my pursuit for information on the S12, I encountered http://www.200SX.org. This site had absolutely NO info on the 200SX as it turned out, and basically started at the 240SX (S13) and up. I could noth fathom why a site named 200SX would not have any data on the 200SX. There was one small blurb in the "History" section with a single fuzzy notchback pic.

Since then I have delved into the yahoogroups list, urged the S12 members of that list to establish an S12-specific club (does this make me co-founder with Dan? hmm...), acquired numerous pictures of cars and engine bays in CA20E, CA18ET, VG30E, and even the FJ series, learned a great deal of tech info, etc. etc. All in the span of a couple months. Yet this 200SX.org site, which has been around for some time I am told, has not managed to gather this same information about the car it's named after, nor does it seem there is any desire to.

I recently learned that in September of this year, some of the people involved with that site decided to found a car club called the "Nissan Sports Car Club", intended to represent enthusiasts around the world. They are requiring dues, they are promising the sun and the moon, yet they are limiting "qualifying" membership to only S14, S15, and the 350Z.

Apparently, these arrogant founders have chosen to exclude a good portion of Nissan's sports cars. I cannot imagine what reason they would have for this elitist attitude, other than ignorance. Nobody can be that ignorant... can they?
icon_confused.gif

I decided to kick their emailable asses on this. Below is the email I sent to their main address. I am forwarding this to a few Nissan sports car lists. I think these people need a wake-up call.
_________________
-Jason Arro -- Club-S12 Moderator
'85 Nissan 200SX -- CA20ET
http://www.cardomain.com/id/arro200sx
NEW! '83 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
'89 Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II
'90 VW Corrado G60 Supercharged
'90 Plymouth Laser FWD Turbo

here is my letter:

To: [email removed]

I have read your announcement at http://www.emergent.com.au/200sx/club/announcement.htmlof a new "Nissan Sports Car Club".

I have some things to say on this.

I am particularly disappointed with what you consider to be "qualifications".

From your announcement:

"S14 200SX, Silvia, or 240SX (from 1995 - 2001)
S15 200SX or Silvia (from 2001 onwards)
350Z (from 2002 onwards) "

I do not understand this. Why do you only go back to S14? Is the S13 and S12 Silvia/Gazelle not "cool enough" for you? I hate to sound rude, but elitism within the same car make has no place. Perhaps you forgot that the S13 and S12 were part of the line? I'm not sure even why you did this.

But a greater disrespect is given to the Z community. I do not even own a Z car, but I cannot understand why you would limit the Z inclusion to an edition only barely offered to the public? See, my problem here is that your "selection" of "qualifying" vehicles does not add up. It seems like you abritrarilly picked a couple Silvia generations and the new Z, and then decided that those alone were the essence of Nissan sports cars. I don't even personally like the late-edition 300ZX TT really, but I can't sit there and ignore that it was one of Nissan's most successful sports cars. I think it is quite arrogant to assume the title of "Nissan Sports Car Club" without representing ALL of Nissan's sports cars, but here you are actually EXCLUDING ALL but the newest Z's, and the S12 and S13 Silvia/Gazelle. Perhaps you Australians never had the 240/260/280z and ZX, the 300ZX T and TT, and the S12 and S13, and you assumed that the rest of the world was the same. Somehow I don't buy this. Maybe you should call yourselves "Late-model Silvia and New 350 Z Club of Australia", since you've chosen to forget about a huge chunk of modern Nissan performance, yet have chosen a name that misleads people to think that you actually represent Nissan sports cars on the whole, and you claim to represent Nissan sports cars worldwide. And please don't hand me this "affilliate" nonsense. A guy with a 1995 300 ZX TT should have the right to be considered a "full true member" and "qualify" just as much as a someone with a 280Z or a 200SX turbo (S12), and not be treated like some "unmentionable" Nissan automobile that you "tolderate" unde the label "affilliate".

Speaking of which, I should note that I always found it absurd that a site located at "www.200SX.org" would have so little or no info on the S12 which WAS the original "200SX". By virtue of ethics the web content doesn't deserve the domain name. I have been involved in S12 discussion now for a few months, and I beet I myself could ask you a dozen questions about the car that I know the answers to and you do not. If I can bother to gather that much info in only a few months, why does your site not have ANY spec data on those cars, and yet it has ben around for some time?

Somthing to think about: Nissan sports cars have a long history in the Z alone. As far as the Silvia legacy goes, S12 and and especially S13 saw a huge sales in the US and Japanese market. They were also used in Nissan's professional racing endeavors. Without the early Z cars and the S12, there would be no 350Z or S15. It was the S12 that brought Nissan into the modern small displacement sports competitive market, and the early 240/260/280Z that set standards in the import automotive industry for high-performance.

The bottom line is if you are going to assume such a grand title as "Nissan Sports Car Club" and claim to represent such an interest worldwide, then you had better take a look around and recognize the primary base of Nissan's sports car impact.

Or pass the torch to those with less automobile elitism.

-J.Arro
Club S12 (Worldwide)
_________________
-Jason Arro -- Club-S12 Moderator
'85 Nissan 200SX -- CA20ET
http://www.cardomain.com/id/arro200sx
NEW! '83 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
'89 Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II
'90 VW Corrado G60 Supercharged
'90 Plymouth Laser FWD Turbo

man arro you really hit the point exactly. im sick and tired of the a
holes around my area that own or run the import performance stores
always telling me i should cut my losses with "that car" as they call
it and get a real import the eclipse or an accord. Man this pissed me
off so much that i said i dont want to be a rice prick in a front
wheel drive piece of shit that might look good but has absolutely no
balls under the hood. I even challenged him to a drag against his 95
civic...."well maybe we will" is all he replied....the best part is
that i ran into his buudy at a light one day with his 94 or so
eclipse with a body kit and the enoying ass muffler. man i fucking
blew him out of the water and felt soooo goooood.....wonder if his
buddy will think different of the power of the s-12's now...
_________________
bart
'86 INTERCOOLED Turbo
1/4 mile: 14.964 @93.02mph
CEO of:
"Barts Parts Incorporated"
http://geocities.com/bartc_j
http://members.cardomain.com/bartc_2

Between my tax return and some do it yourself elbow grease I hope to build an S12 that runs 13's and holds its own on a road course.

I have a number of southern cali DSM people to piss off. I haven't been talking to them lately, nor told them I've ventured into this car.

Once I get the car and the engine/trans, then I can asses what kind of $$$ I need to do this. I'm hoping to go ghetto-tech, meaning as many home made and rigged alternatives as possible. I want to go budget street thug.
_________________
-Jason Arro -- Club-S12 Moderator
'85 Nissan 200SX -- CA20ET
http://www.cardomain.com/id/arro200sx
NEW! '83 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
'89 Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II
'90 VW Corrado G60 Supercharged
'90 Plymouth Laser FWD Turbo

Good deal dude thats what they needed icon_biggrin.gif . I agree that it is extremely ridiculous about them excluding us. They totally contradict themselves and really show their ignorance like you said. I doubt they will change anything , but maybe now they realize how just plain dumb they look to real Nissan performance fans. And bart, keep up the good work man. Maybe if enough S12's win enough street races then we can get a little aftermarket support. Just maybe....
_________________
Shaun®

You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose.
But you can't pick your friend's nose.©
http://www.angelfire.com/retro/shaunp

I forgot to mention the Nissan Skyline GT-R. How I could manage to forget THAT car I'll never know.
_________________
-Jason Arro -- Club-S12 Moderator
'85 Nissan 200SX -- CA20ET
http://www.cardomain.com/id/arro200sx
NEW! '83 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
'89 Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II
'90 VW Corrado G60 Supercharged
'90 Plymouth Laser FWD Turbo

the s13-s15 are still called 200sx in other parts of the world.
but i whole heartedly agree that those sites should have more s12 info. when i bought mine i searched and found those sites, theres SOME info in the history that's interesting but it's written as if i was reading about ww2.

until i found the yahoo groups that is. i think the best thing we can do is spread the word. people are finding this site without much trouble, new owners come on all the time. as long as s12 enthusiasts have a place to go the support will be there. i'm just glad we don't have to RELY on sites like the aforementioned "nissan sports car club"

IMHO icon_cool.gif
_________________
~J "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!"
84 CA20E Notch rockon.gif

hail.gifwww.littlefoxdesign.com/200sxlinks

Well, it now seems there IS no internationally-representing NSCC. The announcement has been revised and the international representation statements are no longer present. The announcement makes direct reference now to the fact that it is Australian-specific, as well as identifies the Aussie Nissan market offerings and reasons for exclusions of non-Aussie cars.

basically my letter had some impact. Either that or a dozen or so angry people from the "Z-car Forum" made the difference icon_wink.gif

Either way, we got recognized, if even subtly.

May "esstwelve" be a holy word alongside "zee" and "skyline" in our near future, brothers and sisters icon_razz.gif
_________________
-Jason Arro -- Club-S12 Moderator
'85 Nissan 200SX -- CA20ET
http://www.cardomain.com/id/arro200sx
NEW! '83 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
'89 Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II
'90 VW Corrado G60 Supercharged
'90 Plymouth Laser FWD Turbo

preach on brutha man
_________________
~J "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!"
84 CA20E Notch rockon.gif

hail.gifwww.littlefoxdesign.com/200sxlinks

BTW, there is a Nissan forum which is pretty robust, it's at www.freshalloy.com. I don't know why they called it that, but it's not bad.
_________________

I tried their site before I found this one and they completly seem to think that if it is not a s13-14 the simply does not exist which was sort of frustrating to me I do not know a whole bunch about any of these body styles but trying to learn more as I go. And to think that they are completely ignoring a great line up of nissan sports cars such as the 1600 roadster and the whole Z lineup not to mention the SE-R just baffles me if it were not for early cars of this nature they would have nothing to celebrate.

Well, after I wrote them the nasty letter and showed the letter to the "Z-Car" email list, they hastilly revised their statements.

If they want to be an S13, 14, and 15 club, whatever. I think it's elitist, but it's better than calling themselves a Nissan Sports Car Club.
_________________
-Jason Arro -- Club-S12 Moderator
'85 Nissan 200SX -- CA20ET
http://www.cardomain.com/id/arro200sx
NEW! '83 Datsun 280ZX Turbo
'89 Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II
'90 VW Corrado G60 Supercharged
'90 Plymouth Laser FWD Turbo

sweet good to know that they changed their name...good work arro
_________________
bart
'86 INTERCOOLED Turbo
1/4 mile: 14.964 @93.02mph
CEO of:
"Barts Parts Incorporated"
http://geocities.com/bartc_j
http://members.cardomain.com/bartc_2

Arro and all, take a chill pill. You're free to get upset and express your opinion but really it's just an Aussie site regardless of its claims to be a worldwide site. The only cars that were sold by the factory in Australia that were called 200SX were the S14 and S15 Sivias. They do however recognise the S13's simply because they are more similar and that they've been flooding in as Jap imports dirt cheap.

As inacurrate as their claims, information, and services may be, they are free to call themesleves what they want. They are free to choose what is published on the site and what isn't. They are free to choose who joins and who doesn't. I don't get why it bugs you that you think that they're elitist? Let 'em be. Who gives a crap? When I came across them some months ago, I had the same opinion as you did and thought that they were next to useless for my needs. That was that. I just ignored them. Pretty simple thing to do really. Bit like TV. Rather than complain about a programme, I'll switch channels or turn it off, easy.

A few weeks ago they had a "witches hat" and "skid-pan" challenge against the NSW WRX club and got smashed. Don't get me wrong, there are some very capable S15's around but as a new, young club they have a lot to learn.

Club S12 rocks! I like this place because it's devoted to the S12 - awesome!

Arro, I'm in the process of converting a CA20 S12 coupe with a FJ20ET. Hopefully we can help each other out?

Cheers.

iono if you realized but this was over a year ago..ehhe

first post was "Oct 08, 2002"

but I think the whole thing was because they claimed themselves to represent the world wide nissan market and yet excluded so many cars.

*shrugs*
_________________
Nissan RPS12
mods:
Panasonic Head Unit
2.25" custom aluminum exhaust(cat-muffler)
2.25" aluminum magnaflow muffler
momo superturismo pedals
http://www.cardomain.com/id/indecisive1

"Out of sight, out of mind..."

They just don't see things the way we do.
_________________
Riyan

1993 Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo AWD >400hp weekend car
1985 200SX w/CA20E & I.R.S. >Daily Driver/Autocrosser =)

NORCAL DRIFT EVENT!
http://www.club-s12.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=56314