Nissan Elgrand E52 Lowdown

For any of you UK residents you will be well aware that the UK MOT test for an imported Elgrand means that we have to fit a rear fog light.  Initially I got a dual bulb put into one of the rear lights, but I have now found the ultimate fog light option!  Wait just a minute though....you can only fit it if you are the proud owner of a Autech Rider model. Sorry Highway Star drivers 😞 On the rear bumper skirt of the Rider it has two circular reflectors, which can be removed and some red LED lights fitted instead.  This is my car at night with the new fog lights in place. Removing the reflectors is easy, just reach behind the bumper and unscrew the nut from the thread.  They should just push out once released.  You need to drill a small hole in the bumper to feed the wire through which you can see below, and will then need to find a rubber bung behind the light block (with the reverse/indicator/stop) to feed it through to the inside of the car. I also sourced a fog...

 Apparently every Elgrand has to be named, so after a lot of discussion, I am introducing Elsie. She is a Nissan Elgrand Autech Rider E52 with a 3.5 V6 engine (VQ35DE) finished in Phantom Black Pearl paint.  The alloys are 5x2 spoke silver 18" wheels that are not the standard Rider wheels, they actually look more like the ones on the Highway Star.  She has the optional large rear spoiler, the window wind diffusers, a nice twin pipe chromed exhaust, along with the normal Rider chrome front.  She has uprated shocks that the previous owner fitted (Kyb Riter Sports), twin sunroofs, and a blanking cap where the rear window wiper should be (apparently a common 'cool' mod in Japan). Inside Elsie she has a full 7 seater black leather interior, with black deep pile carpets that are more comfortable than those in my home.  The audio boasts the optional Bose 5.1 surround sound speaker system (with centre speakers and subwoofer) along with a rear mounted DVD screen.  T...

 I cannot even remember how I stumbled across the world of imported minivans, but at some point in 2020 I saw a Nissan Elgrand E52 for sale online and jokingly showed my daughter as a potential new car for the family.  The advert seemed to show an impressive luxury 7 seater with way too much chrome and way too many electric gadgets.  The joke quickly turned into 'why don't we go and see one' and two weeks later we were off to a local importer to check them out. We visited Lakeside Imports who had an impressive array of imported cars including a long line up of Elgrands.  Nestled in amongst the older E51 models were two E52's poking out, both Autech Rider models in black. The 2010/2011 cars made an immediate impression with their raked chrome fronts, blacked out windows, sliding doors and high end leather seating.  A quick look at some older E51s showed how much of an improvement Nissan has made moving away from the boxy van shape with its 70s dashboard to a car ...