Pulsar squareback?

Saw an odd one on my way to work this morning. Just driving along, almost to the highway, and I see a purple car. Roughly the shade of Barney, for those of you who have small kids or otherwise remember that big purple dinosaur.

It was a Nissan Pulsar in front, maybe early-90s vintage. Flip up headlights, front drive. The back, however, was squared off like a van instead of the notchback that all the other Pulsars I have ever seen. Didn't look like a homebrew, though since it was pretty bright purple, I guess it could have been.

Was there a Pulsar wagon marketed elsewhere in the world? Pretty sure that even the normal Pulsar was sloooooooow, so file this under "car nerd questions."

I had a girlfriend with one of those. It wasn't pedosaur-purple though.

that would be an 80's model, well, 87-90 I believe, it was called the 'sports bak" or something similar IIRC, I've seen a few, I've always assumed they were an aftermarket item, remember the pulasr actually came with instructions and tools to remove the hatch completely, I never removed my hatch but thought it was odd they'd suggest people do that

IIRC it was a factory option. This was Nissan's attempt to create a "modular" car. I seem to remember them saying it was a sports car and wagon all in one!

For really funky though check out the earlier Pulsars.(with the flip up headlamps) They even had a turbo model!

ooohhs and ahhhs from the audience

funky indeed. the lineage of that car makes me blow chunks.

Datsun F10 became Datsun 310GX. Then it turned into the Nissan Pulsar.

All from the outstanding engineers that brought you the Z.

Yeah, that was Nissan's answer to a question no one asked. Neat cars but a bit too weird for most folks. The early Pulsar was a funky lookin' thing.

With the sportback:

My uncle owned one of these and loved it. He kept the "sportback" on it and enjoyed 35 mpg with the somewhat sportiness.

:lol: @ "pedosaur purple"

I knew I could count on the GRM board to teach me a new useless fact! I'll confess that I knew what the base car was because I thought they were the business back when I was a kid. 35mpg sounds awfully good now, too.

Man I used to think those things were cool. Around 1989 my Dad wrecked his Gremlin, so it was time for a new car. I suggested Geo Storm or Pulsar NX. My dad came home with a 90 CRX that he still owns (and has under 50,000 miles on).

I'm glad my dad was smarter than 10 year old me.

I found funny that the pulsay had nifty moulded plastic slorage for your T-tops beneath the hatch floor, while none of the T-Top Z cars form 1980-1996 had any really secure way of stowing your t-tops

but they did make a turbo'd awd pulsar, the gtir. suffice to say they weren't produced for america

Wow cool car. I'm totally hooked on modular cars after owning a Samurai

That could be really good looking with some different bumpers (Some less benchy JDM bumpers are probably available).

tuffburn wrote: but they did make a turbo'd awd pulsar, the gtir. suffice to say they weren't produced for america

The Pulsar GTi-R was a different model than the Sportbak, and as far as I know they didn't share anything but a name. Both cool cars!

I had a pulsar with the optional CA18DE. Not a bad motor for the time. I always wanted to find the wagon shell but never did before I parted with the car. Ditching the hatch shell and the t-tops really helped. Probably over 100lbs all together.

i'd seen these at some point... didn't realize it was a removable option which makes it even kewler to me :)...

if i could find one for cheap i'd snap it up...