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How do non-genuine parts compare to genuine Nissan parts?
Nissan parts are guaranteed to work with your 1200. However, for a parts maker to sell a new part suited to a particular car, it often must pass certain standards, usually as good as or better then OEM parts. Otherwise it cannot be sold in Australia. In the United States this is not necessarily true, but general they are of acceptable quality.
Some aftermarket manufacturers make better parts, but not all the time. As long as the replacement part is from a respected name in the industry, then you stand a good chance of geting a good part, but always be aware of the 'cheap' replacement part as there is usually a good reason why it's cheap.
Keep in mind that most "genuine" parts are made by companies other than the car manufacturer. This is true of Ford and GM as well. In our Datsuns, the auto trans is by JATCO [Japan Auto Trans Co] & the diff is by Hitachi, as are the carbs. All of the ball & roller bearings are industry sourced & many of these manufacturers sell these very same parts in their own branded boxes. Having said that, the genuine part is built to a specification that may, or may not, be the best there is, because, remember, the car is built to a price & as long as the parts survive the warranty period, many makers are happy with that.
Parts that are usually made by the car maker could include the block, crank, & rods, but not the pistons rings or seals. Even the head may be a 'genuine' item, but they buy in the valves, the springs & perhaps other valve train items.
Parts you want to buy from Nissan:
- Body panels
- Head gasket