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Papa Oom Mow Mow: 1989 Nissan Pao

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Update – It’s been relisted and this time without a reserve! This will be fun to keep an eye on!

Update – The price has been lowered on this Pao to $7,750!

Retro is king with this olive gray 1989 Nissan Pao, complete with exposed door hinges. This funky funster is in Laurel, Maryland and can be found on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $8,250 or make an offer.

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These folks are Nissan fans! Nissan made the Pao, along with the Be-1, Figaro, and S-Cargo as part of their special projects group as a fashionable city car. The Pao was made for 1989, 1990, and 1991 so they aren’t something that you’ll see too often, especially in the US where they were never official imported. 51,657 of them were made and a lottery had to be set up because they were overrun with people who wanted them.

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I think that this would be a super fun car for poking around town with, or for taking on a picnic (picnic? Who does that anymore?!). Or, just taking it on a weekend trip somewhere. This car has about 122,000 km (around 76,000 miles) on it and has just had $3,000 in maintenance work done and reportedly is ready and raring to go!

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Yep, they’re all right-hand-drive and this is a loaded PK10GFW model with 5-speed, fabric sun roof and this car also has working AC.  The interior looks great, at least condition-wise. Some folks may not care for the chunky/clunky features, but everything works, despite some “patina” that the seller mentions.

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This is Nissan’s MA10S 60.2 cubic-inch, 987 cc, inline-four with 52 hp! Jay Leno would frown at you for attempting a burnout with this car, but that’s not what it’s all about for me. I would love to have an example of all four Pike Factory Cars (Nissan’s term for the Be-1, Pao, Figaro, and S-Cargo) in my garage. Is anyone else a fan of these unusual Japanese market vehicles?

Comments

  1. Avatar Walter Joy

    There’s another in Maryland too. A kid in my town drives it around occasionally. Has a plaid interior.

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  2. Avatar Mark S

    I see that the seller is into butt ugly cars. I have no doubts that this is a well made car but I guess I just have to wonder if it comes with 4 brown cloth bags with eye holes in them that you can wear while driving in this think so your neighbors don’t know it’s you. Why do small fuel efficient car have too be built without any style to them. They all look like a rolling tulip bulbs. I think it’s a punishment set out by the manufacturers for buying their base line cars. Nice find all the same.

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  3. Avatar Bill

    Never worked on a Pao, but I have worked on Figaros and S Cargos. they are well built, probably better than it’s contemporary Nissans, and possibly because they were a kind of boutique car. Parts are actually easy to get (mechanical) you just have to take your time and figure out their origins. for instance: S Cargo brake rotors (I seem to recall) were Nissan Pick up. pads were off one of the sedans… and so on. They are certainly fun to drive and great for advertising!

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  4. Avatar Ck

    I like it, looks like its fun to drive.Oh and the steering wheel is on the wrong side and its a stick. Another kool ride that i didn’t know even existed.

    Like 0

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