Lucky Phil Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 There has been a bit of chatter today from those of us who owned a Datsun 1600 either as their first car or for other reasons. So here it is for those interested a new thread so as we can post everything about this great car. Here is a photo of mine. This photo was taken in 1978. That's my wife sitting in the car on our block of land that we had just bought ready to build our first house. Boy those 40 years went by quick. micknine01, Tips, Dalai and 6 others 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 Thanks for kicking off this thread LP... I have found over the years on this forum that a good proportion of current P car owners started out in either a KACKLEWAGEN (VW) or a Datto. I had a few of each in my wild younger days.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknine01 Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 Hooray!! Good idea. I've had a few. Everything from original, to FJ20 powered. Awesome car. I'll get another one day Niko and Dalai 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Phil Posted 18May, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 36 minutes ago, 901er said: Hooray!! Good idea. I've had a few. Everything from original, to FJ20 powered. Awesome car. I'll get another one day Looks like it will hard to find one. Not many for sale and those that are seem to be junk (look at the one on Facebook for $4000) or boosted hot rods painted purple or lime green. The hunt is on to find one that looks like mine did in the photo above. Anyone know a little old lady that still has hers in original condition with a rug covering it in the garage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBRUT Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 Yep, first car. 1800 with big Weber’s, then 2000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalai Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 Might take a while to find a photo of mine. Didn't take that many photos back then... This is the JDM car I should have bought earlier this year when it showed up! Always been keen on the Coupe as soon as knew of its existence. Tips and micknine01 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeM Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 9 hours ago, Lucky Phil said: Anyone know a little old lady that still has hers in original condition with a rug covering it in the garage? Yes A friends mum (nanna) gave her mint mustard coloured 1600 to her 17 year old grandson as his first car coz she had stopped driving and he didn't have any cash. Kid drives it for coupla years yet keeps it in good nick (mum n dad insisted he did and helped with any repairs/maintenance costs). Kid lost his job and put the car up for sale at a decent price (I have no idea how much), and it sold within a day to a family friend. Fast forward a few months, and grandson still didn't have a job and was becoming a little shit hanging out with the wrong crowd (been there meself) then visits nanna for her birthday with his family, and sees a car under a tarp/blankets in the garage. Goes something like this.... 'What's that nanna?' Go have a look! 'That's my car!' Yes it is. I bought it back coz I know how much you loved it, and you can have it back when you get another job and pull your socks up! I know it's still in nannas shed and it's never for sale Niko, Lucky Phil, micknine01 and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Phil Posted 18May, 2018 Author Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 @LeeMNow this is exactly what I am talking about. I am certain there are others out there like this. @Dalai Wow I have not seen a coupe before did we have them in Oz? I would like one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJM Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 I'll chime in, another Datsun tragic: - first car bought in 1988 Datsun 1600 with L18 and single 45DCOE Weber, Stanza SSS interior, bought for $3k when I was on L plates then got my licence on my 18th birthday and went rally driving at bonnie doon and rolled it 6 days later - bought a standard 1600, saw it on the nature strip in Seaford Rd, knocked on the door and bingo, $500 and it was mine, polished her up and transplanted all the bits into the new shell - sold a few years later to a rich kid from Flinders, lived on a deer stud, daddy paid for it to keep son surrounded with toys - then bought a 180B SSS $2,500 - it got written off a few years later when a drunk bloke ran up the back of it while parked at my girlfriends house, sold to Harvey's Wreckers in Baxter for $50 - mid 90s I bought another one, this time as a weekend car, Datrally engine with twin Webers, bought from a girl in Monrington who needed the cash quickly for her wisdom teeth. My wife was always concerned that I paid her too little because of her predicament. Found it, don't blame me for the Torana style drop tank and CB aerial mount on the boot ? http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/featurecars/ThadL/thad_dat.htm sold that on after a while then in 2007 I bought a club reg track car for $4,000 complete with L18 and carby fed turbo and Methanol injection, awesome fun, light switch delivery 270hp. Had Brown Davis build a stout cage for it. - engine grenaded and was rebuilt - the second engine failed, running 20psi boost, main straight Sandown and unbeknown to me, methanol pump has rusted and stopped working so with no intercooler and no methanol to cool the intake charge, KABOOM, it actually fractured the block! Engine in the skip - then we took it Selectmaz and had a 210hp 13B Bridgeport NA and 5 speed built and installed. Just as fast around the track but the turbo torque was gone and nowhere near as much fun. so after a couple of years, sold it, maybe 2010 or so. My brother and I shared the driving. He we are at Phillip island 9 years ago. This is prior to him putting it into the wall after Siberia in the wet and smashing up the front end ill dig up some photos. The second one got a readers entry in the back of Fast Fours and Rotaries early 90s which I still have somewhere. I Often toy with the idea of building another one but with decent shells commanding 15-20k it's getting a bit silly. A good mate still has his sitting in his yard in Warragul, same car I went with him to buy back in Uni days early 90s. He's planning a resto with his sons. One of my staff has one and he's planning SR20 build. THIS ❤️ Got to be L series NA https://youtu.be/OAeRXPUuCz4 Philbee, micknine01 and GTP911 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 28 minutes ago, Lucky Phil said: @Dalai Wow I have not seen a coupe before did we have them in Oz? I would like one of those. We did get a handful of 2door SSS's arrive in Oz I'm not sure if DATSUN actually brought them in or they came in privately. The U.S. Had heaps of 2 doors, I think the 2 doors were more popular than the 4 doors. the actor Paul Newman cut his car racing teeth in a 2 door BRE 1600. (BRE = BROCK RACING ENTERPRISES...who punched out some incredible racing 1600's and 240Z's. although his name was Peter BROCK ..nothing to do with our PB) Some Asian countries got the 2 doors and from memory they had a 1400cc motor in them. I think L14 but not 100% sure now if it was definitely an L series motor. the one in the photo may be one of those. a few of those are now floating around Oz but running L16, L18, or L20 donks. owners have "converted" them to appear as 1600 SSS's. the RACV Australia day rally (Mornington race course) normally has a couple there. A couple of weeks ago I went to the 50th anniversary of the DCCA/NCCA and seen some great photos of a perfect 2 door 1600SSS that one of the fellow original members has in his possession. Ha ha and I had to ask him.... But not for sale..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 2 door Coupe DJM, OBRUT, Niko and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 3 hours ago, LeeM said: Yes I know it's still in nannas shed and it's never for sale Errrr whats the address 19 minutes ago, OZ930 said: 2 door Coupe Thanks Brian, that makes sense, my memory is a bit vague on them. I think it would have been the coupe that went to Asia. Have to say the two door is still a a great looking car, what....47 years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garypgt3 Posted 18May, 2018 Report Share Posted 18May, 2018 I think that we all started with a Datsun 1600. I raced Series Production in 1970/71 mainly in Victoria. This pic is in 1971 at Sandown. Moved on to a Datsun Sports Sedan after that. Then purchased my first Porsche in 1976, a 1969 Porsche 911S (the same red car currently at Classic Throttle Shop). Should have kept that one! Niko, LeeM, micknine01 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 1 hour ago, Niko said: Errrr whats the address Thanks Brian, that makes sense, my memory is a bit vague on them. I think it would have been the coupe that went to Asia. Have to say the two door is still a a great looking car, what....47 years later. I think there were a few 2 doors brought into the country for rallying via New Guinea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 Rolf and myself with the car finished ready to start in the first 1985 WYNN'S SAFARI (Sydney to Darwin) Finished in the workshop..my nice street car now a lot higher and rally ready after a big day of driving, cool refresher time at Charleville the datto in good company. Out the back blocks of NSW somewhere... on the road to Birdsville on the other side of Birdsville in the dunes... GTP911, micknine01, Mike-S and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeM Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 1 hour ago, Niko said: Errrr whats the address Good luck with that mate ? Niko 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 Same car in 1984 before I bastardised it for the WYNNS SAFARI Lakeland Hill Climb 1984 81SC, StevepGT3 and GTP911 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 My best memory of a Datto 1600 is when 'DATMAD' spun on Canterbury Rd, crashed through my fence and ended up in my front yard. In the 90's. It's still around: micknine01, DJM, Philbee and 2 others 3 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 3 hours ago, Niko said: Errrr whats the address 1 hour ago, LeeM said: Good luck with that mate ? That's like the PH3 GTHO in a collapsing shed around this area. Brother in law knows where it is but is not saying. Story is, it was bought by the farmer's son before he was deployed to Vietnam. Farmer said "It's there for him when he gets back" Niko and LeeM 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJM Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 Not a 1600 but seems appropriate for this forum, Datsun GT2! http://www.my105.com/mobi/ListingDetails/p/1/k/Datsun/id/19956 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garypgt3 Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 My Datsun 1000 Sports Sedan circa 1976/77. DJM, Niko, OBRUT and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 Love those big guards and the little wheels. Calder? Motor? 42 minutes ago, OZ930 said: That's like the PH3 GTHO in a collapsing shed around this area. Brother in law knows where it is but is not saying. Story is, it was bought by the farmer's son before he was deployed to Vietnam. Farmer said "It's there for him when he gets back" Jesus...I'm taking it he never came back. firstone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garypgt3 Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 Calder Yes. Flared guards were like flared pants. All the rage. Motor was a highly modified Fiat 1600 Twin Cam with 5 speed gearbox mounted midships. Rear end was Datsun 2000 Sports (trailing arms, watt linkage, coilover). Front end was double wishbone coil over shocker units (dumped the leaf spring setup) with rack and pinion steering. Full fibreglass lift off front. 13 inch wheels. The availability of the big wheels, low profile tyres was not there at that time. Niko 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tips Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 Mate had the 1600 set up as a rally car. Lent it to another mate for a weekend who’s car was off the road and it was stolen stripped and dumped. Got the shell back and I went halves to rebuild it. We ran it for 3 years club rally’s, gymkana and Amaroo dirt circuit, it was just a great car and so much fun. I’m trying to locate a photo or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZ930 Posted 19May, 2018 Report Share Posted 19May, 2018 4 hours ago, Niko said: Jesus...I'm taking it he never came back. K I A sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.