www.figaroownersclub.co.uk March 2010 Newsletter
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Membership Subscription
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The clubs Annual Membership is 'Donation Based'We ask if you can to make a small Donation to help the club maintain our web presence, forum and content in addition to creating and distributing our monthly newsletter, promoting and attending events, supporting our many members and more... Thank You Very Much :) Make your Donation Now
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Expore
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Our website is packed with useful information and facts.
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Figaro Clothing & Gift Store
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The Figaro Store is run by the Figaro Owners Club.
Packed to the roof with great a Figaro Clothing Range and Gift Ideas from funky T-shirt designs to stylish clocks and much more. Happy Shopping!
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Greetings!
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We're almost One Yes its true, 12 Months ago on Monday (1st March 2009) we launched the Figaro Owners Club based on an extensive 500 page business plan and a number of high level strategic meetings... well okay on a wing and a prayer (and a hunch)!
Thanks to your support the club has gone from strength to strength. With over 60,000 hits on our web site, 320+ Forum Members and 2,000 Club Members in 11 countries!
Big Love and thanks to the following people Toby @ The Figaro Shop ~ Gareth @ GJNorthall Factors ~ Patrick @ Figaro Car Sales ~ Marc @ Figaro Club ~ Dan @ Figaro Imports ~ Dave @ Figaro Restore ~ Brian @ Jap Cars ~ Bob @ Nissan Figaro ~ Faisal @ Nissan Figaro World ~ Hamid @ Wimbledon Cars ~ Darren @ Classic Insurance ~ Nathan @ Blue Print ~ David @ Fig10 ~ Paul & Richard @ FigFest ~ Glen @ Halifax Figaros ~ Nick @ Rustmaster ~ Baz @ Figaro Car Imports ~ Andy Powell for his fantastic merchandise designs and lastly Caz, Paul and Gary for helping out on the forum and anyone else who we may have forgotten! This newsletter is packed with useful stuff so go and make yourself a cup of tea, sit down and enjoy :)
For those newbie's to the club then a big hug and welcome. We really are a friendly bunch so please feel free to contribute, we would love to hear from you Read more.
Catch you all next Month, bye for now.
Kevin Fagan Figaro Owners Club Founder Email [email protected]
Communicate with over 2,000 Figaro Owner Members and 50,000 Web Users Learn more
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Your Car Featured in the clubs 'FIGARO' 2011 Calendar
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The club is delighted to announce our plans to Design and Print our very first 'Round-the-World' FIGARO Calendar!Each month the Calendar will feature a spectacular photo of a Figaro with a stunning backdrop from places around the world! The picture will be captioned with the cars name/location/photographer's name, and will have a perforation so the photos can be easily removed for framing.
Get SnappingWe are looking for you to help us create this great Calendar so get clicking and submit pictures. Don't forget we are looking for your Figaro with a really stunning background (not parked outside your house!) Deadline for submission is 31st October 2010. Example of Picture Submitted for Sept 2011
Submit my Car for FIGARO 2011 Calendar Click herePhotographic TipsWe have put together a useful collection of tips to help you take that really special picture of your Figaro. Click here
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Car of the Month ~ March 2010
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This month we have a tear jerkier of a story from Carol Harbottle and her 'Little Fig'. I love the fact that when she went to buy the car the owner burst into tears. It just shows these little cars offer so much more than A-B transport!
Carol takes up the story "I am not normally bothered about what I drive but I do like something a little different. I have had a new mini and an MX5 and after that a polo. Needing a vehicle we looked around but nothing took my fancy..until my husband said what about a Figaro.
We saw one, drove one and I fell in love with them. After a long search and numerous 'expensive duds' we found a Topaz Mist one, the colour I preferred. I saw it, I drove it and I wanted it. The lady we bought it off" ...
Checkout Full Story, and more Pictures (Submit your Comments) Click here
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Destination Figaro Dealer ~ Revised Garage Listings
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For those of you who have yet to take the plunge and purchase your Figaro we have news of our revised listings and location map. We have ditched our old database which required users to enter county locations to search for Garages in favour of a more 'Visual Map' of the UK which shows more clearly the location of each Garage.
Garages also have Postal, Phone, Email and Web Info and links. Click here
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Celebrate your Figaro's Birthday ~ Fig10 Competition
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Ever
wondered when your Figaro came into the world? The club has been
contacted by the organisers of Fig10 who are running a competition to
find the oldest and youngest Figaro and perhaps find a Figaro with a
birthday
on the Day!
Original Photo of Nissan Figaro in Production
Following Fig10 David &
Laura will be expanding the Figaro Register on the www.fig08.com
site to include the Date Built info as well - with permission from owners
of course. (Data Protection observed)
The Register are hoping this will
throw up all sorts of interesting information (well for Fig owners). e.g find
another Fig with the same birthday - is it the same colour? Apparently
although only 20,000 were built the Production Number could go up to
20,200 as there were a number of pre-launch vehicles.
Also you could have a
later numbered car with a earlier build date due to the fact that it was not an
automated production line assembly or the car may have gone back for re-work.
So they do not necessarily run in order.
The Production Number is the last 5 numbers
of the Chassis Number which can be found on your V5, MOT Certificate, or
on a plate under the bonnet on the bulkhead.. For example FK10-002543 is
Production Number 02543 built 18th March 1991.
Due to the research involved this service is at first only available to
owners attending Fig10 on 16th May. To attend Fig10 please first Register
Here
Thanks to The Figaro Register
and GJNORTHALL for providing this free
service.
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FigFest Update ~ 17th / 18th July 2010
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Organiser Paul comments: First of all thanks to all the people
who came last year and made it such a fantastic record breaking weekend and
thanks for all the fantastic comments about the whole event and all the donated
raffle prizes (thought we was going to be there all day giving them away!). Richard and I are busy at the FigFest HQ organising another record breaking figtastic event for
you all.
Let the Festival begin This years
event will have the usual Friday night BBQ, chat and music. Saturday will be
the official opening and we will be celebrating the Figaro Owners Clubs 1st
birthday, along with popmaster and general knowledge quizzes , buskers, scooters
and campervans and in the evening it's fancy dress party time this year to be
held in our marquee with band and our fantastic DJ Fancy - who did last years DJ'ing . Sunday will see yet another record breaking figaro convoy, if you missed
last years you can see part of it here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7cAfi2nU_I
throughout
the rest of the weekend there will also be raffles,prizes,stocks, boats, t
shirts, posters and stalls and lots of laughs. look forward to seeing you all
there for the biggest figaro festival weekend of the year. cheers. Paul.
It all Sounds fantastic Register Me Now
Trade Suppliers Weekend Pitch £25 FigFest will have a limited number of Piches for Trade Locations and welcome Suppliers and Garages to partisipate in the Festival. Book your trade stand now
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On-line Figaro Help just a Click Away ~ PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
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Current
and Future Owners may not be aware of a great web site run by Gareth of
Gjnorthall Factors. The site features a comprehensive library of FIGARO OWNER
INFORMATION.
You can download up to 20 PDF's covering just about every issue to
do with the Nissan Figaro!
Common Problems
PDF Part 1 ~ Car won't start in Park ~ Reverse won't engage ~ Gearstick
won't move from Park ~ Can't withdraw ignition key ~ Can't lock / unlock door ~
Catalytic converter warning light remains illuminated.
Common Problems
PDF Part 2~ Dashboard top has cracked ~ The interior panels are sticky
~ There's brown marks on the carpet ~ There's stains on the leather seats
~ Window doesn't work properly ~ My speedometer has stopped working ~ I've lost
/ broken my key ~ My tonneau cover has shrunk.
Common Problems
PDF Part 3 ~ My Figaro won't idle properly when cold ~ Engine shakes /
steering wheel vibrates when stationary ~ Engine speed drops when switching on
lights etc ~ Idle speed goes up and down ~ Faults with automatic gearbox
(including procedure for checking gearbox fluid level)
Common Problems
PDF Part 4~ I can't seem to find new tyres for my Figaro ~ How do I change
the oil and filter on my Figaro? ~ I can't remove the end spark plug! ~ I've
got a water leak ~ the carpets are wet! ~ The rear window demister
doesn't work
Important
Information for the New Figaro Owner PDF
Some Useful
Things to Know about Your Figaro PDF
Figaro Colours
PDF Light Bulbs PDF
Servicing the
Nissan Figaro PDF
Service
Checklist PDF
Lubricants and
Fluids PDF
Service
Specifications PDF
Winterisation
PDF
Battery and
Alternator Problems PDF
Fault Codes PDF
Starting Issues
PDF
Fuel
Consumptions PDF
Nissan Figaro
Turbo Problems PDF
Insuring your
Nissan Figaro PDF
Servicing and
Maintenance Labour Costs PDF
About GJNorthall
We are a long established garage and new parts provider specialising in
Japanese Imports. We have been caring for Figaro's for over 10 years so have
developed a large knowledge base of these cars - we really do know every nut
and bolt on these cars! We also have an enviable reputation and are always
happy to give help and advice to Figaro owners and other Figaro dealers. We
don't sell cars so we can therefore focus our attention on service and
maintenance aspects. The Owners Information Section of our website covers many
of the issues we've come across in dealing with Figaro's and the Problems and
Issues subsection cover questions that are often raised by owners. It is our
intention to add to the Owners Information Section on an ongoing basis and we'd
like to hear from members of The Figaro Owners Club which topics they'd like us
to cover in future. We probably have the largest stock of new Figaro parts in the
UK
- all competitively priced and including many parts now obsolete from Nissan.
We also have a good selection of Figaro accessories. Very importantly - we back
up everything with, instructions, technical information and advice. Over 10
years, or so, we have developed a large knowledge base of these cars ~ we
really do know every nut and bolt!
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News from the Forum ~ babies, Turbos & Cambelts!
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babies v's figaros!
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Turbo Question?
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Cambelt?
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My wife is expecting out first child and i was wondering how the fig's cope with car seats etc, Jonnyclash
You You can absolutley have a figaro with babies! I have an
8 month old and a 5 year old and have had my fig for 2 years. Stage one
car seats fit well in the front seat which is probably the best place
for them anyway in a 2 door car. I have a maxi cosi car seat and a
quinny zapp buggy which fits into the top boot. The zapp can be used
from birth with a maxi cosi car seat. Once the baby gets to 6 months
you can use a mcclaren volo which fits into the lower boot and then you
can still have the top down. My little one is fine with the top down. I haven't yet tried my stage 2 car seat in the back but if it won't fit I will carry on using the front. The
only down sides are for long journeys there is not much luggage space
but we also have a volvo estate so that is not an issue. All 4 of us can fit in the car even with the baby in the front although it is a bit of a squash.
need to loosen the 14mm bolt on the front of the wheel for it to move up and down. Rachel
Need help or Got a question? Join our Forum Now
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I am building up information for when I get my Fig.
I have noticed that one has to keep the engine running for a couple of
minutes to let the turbo cool off when stopping.How does one do this if
filling up with petrol after a long hard run?the filling station would
be rather annoyed if you kept the engine running whilst filling [its
illegal] and other drivers would get annoyed if they had to wait.Would
it do any damage to the turbo by ignoring the cooling off period. Sorry if this is a silly question-just put it down to old age if it is. Mind you I think I asked stupid questions when I was younger nothing has changed. stopper1941
the turbo should be run for a short while after a long
run but only up to 1 min so should not be any probs really at a service
station but it wont be a disaster if it isnt left to idle once in a
while. It needs to be done to allow the turbo to cool down. Caz
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I've just been told by my garage that my Figaro won't
start because the cambelt has broken - it was fine when i drove it a
few days ago. Does
anyone know what might normally happen when the cambelt goes? Or how
much it might cost to fix? I'm hoping I haven't done any damage to the
engine as I haven't actually driven it anywhere... It also seems
strange as I only bought it last year and it had a full service. I've
got an RAC warranty, but I've heard they're not worth much - does
anyone have experience of trying to claim from them? Vicky
You'd be very lucky to avoid any damage. The Figaro has
what's known as an interference engine - when the belt snaps - the
pistons can strike the valves! Replacing a couple of bent valves would
cost a few £100's - it's not a cheap repair. Usual procedure would be
to refit a belt first (together with anything that caused the failure -
water pump or tensioner usually). A compression test would then be
carried out to ascertain if theres been any valve damage. Important to
do this before leaping in and removing the cylinder head.
The
RAC warranty is decent and should cover the consequences of belt
failure. However the warranty co will inevitably ask for evidence of
the last belt change - usually a garage invoice will be accepted as
proof. Belt failure is a common and expensive warranty claim and
warranty companies will usually reject claims where the belt change
history isn't available. gjnorthall
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Figaro Spares at your fingertips - PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
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Looking for a replacement ashtray or rear light? Figaro Spares can help. They stock a wide range of Figaro Replacement Parts for the Nissan Figaro. Visit the web site now
About Figaro Spares
We have been selling Nissan Figaro Cars and
Parts for the last 5 years, and supplied parts to many Figaro Traders. We sell
parts on Ebay as well. My username is : figaro-spares. We can supply brand new, genuine Nissan Figaro parts as well as
second hand good condition parts. If there is something you require which
is not listed on the website.
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We need your contributions!
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Can we remind all our members that THIS IS YOUR CLUB and everyone is welcome to contribute in any way you feel. Why not... We appreciate all contributions large and small so don't be shy get involved!
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Save 15% on your Figaro Car Insurance
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The Figaro Owners Club has joined forces with Classic Line Insurance to create Figaro Insurance Services. This service is exclusive to members of the Figaro Owners Club only and could save you hundreds of pounds on your Figaro Car Insurance!
We have negotiated a volume discount rate which means you can enjoy 15% off an already very competitive price!
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*Quote your DISCOUNT CODE FIC20406 ~ Check out Now ~ Click Here |
About the people behind the Figaro Owners Club
My son Daniel had always wanted a Figaro and after saving for years (plus a small contribution from his mum and dad!) he brought an Emerald Green one in May 2008. That was it - I was hooked too! Even now we spend many a happy weekend polishing her in the garage. We just love all that chrome...
Kevin & Daniel Fagan (Figaro Owners Club Founders)
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