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Datsun 1600 Appreciation Thread


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69 Datto 1600 with L20B turbo. This is when I discovered turbo charging back in the late 70's & the boost bug bit hard. Was a lot of trial & error back in the early days with suck through turbo charging.

When that IHI turbo would come on boost at about 3000rpm, all bets were off. Notice the single circuit brake master cylinder, drove this car for a while with standard Datto brakes & boy was it a handful to stop.

Linamint%20Dat%20at%20nats%20driving.jpg

 

Linamint%20DAT%20engine.jpg

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68 Datto 1600 rally car. Built this to do some clubman rallying with mates back in the day around the Blue Mountains & Oberon areas.

This started out from a $300 Datto that needed some work, make that a lot of work. Wish these bargains were still out there.

A lot of parts & knowledge were sourced from guys like Stewart Wilkins (SSS Automotive) & Arthur Jackson (Road & Rally). Was only painted these colours because that's what was on the shelf in Dads garage at the time.

kgJh7Wq.jpg

 

 

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1 hour ago, 81SC said:

68 Datto 1600 rally car. Built this to do some clubman rallying with mates back in the day around the Blue Mountains & Oberon areas.

This started out from a $300 Datto that needed some work, make that a lot of work. Wish these bargains were still out there.

A lot of parts & knowledge were sourced from guys like Stewart Wilkins (SSS Automotive) & Arthur Jackson (Road & Rally). Was only painted these colours because that's what was on the shelf in Dads garage at the time.

kgJh7Wq.jpg

 

 

And....I'm hoping you left the L motor in.    I worked on a couple of night rally's doing check points years ago, and nothing like the sound of a a P510 with a couple of webers opened up bashing through the bush, and coming towards you flat out...

Only other car that used to get the juices flowing would be a twin cam Escort ...(Twink)

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1 hour ago, Niko said:

And....I'm hoping you left the L motor in.    I worked on a couple of night rally's doing check points years ago, and nothing like the sound of a a P510 with a couple of webers opened up bashing through the bush, and coming towards you flat out...

Only other car that used to get the juices flowing would be a twin cam Escort ...(Twink)

Yeah Niko, that one had a built L18 with webers & 72° FIA camshaft.

Those factory Stanzas at the 1980 Canberra Rally with their LZ20's spinning at 8000rpm through the forest was also an impressive sound. I remember the bitumen stage through a new estate area vividly, the Nissan team had dropped the Stanza on a sport road course type suspension. We thought George Fury had looked slow compared to Greg Carr's BDA Escort because of his balls to the wall 3 wheeling driving style in the Escort, but actually Fury smashed them. 

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72 Datto 1600 GL 3 speed B/W Auto, 1 owner country car. I bought this car during my time living & working in the Mudgee area of NSW. I found this car early one morning advertised in the local newspaper, the Mudgee Guardian. It was a pretty nondescript type of ad, but Datsun 1600 was all that was needed to spike my immediate interest, so a phone call was made to arrange an immediate look.

Upon arrival at the owners home I new almost instantly this car would be coming home with us. I spoke to the young lady that I had spoken to on the phone 10 minutes earlier, to be informed that the car was her Grandmothers car that she had been driving. Well Grandma came out of the house to tell me about all her years of glorious ownership, this was 1988. As soon as the grand-daughter opened the car up I looked at my wife & nodded.  

A quick discussion was had about the advertised price & a deal was struck, I think we had a few hundred dollars on us at the time so I sent the wife to the nearest auto-teller to get the rest of the cash whilst I stayed with the Datto, letting Grandma hold the few hundred bucks. No way was I letting someone else get this car.

Oh yeah, $925 was the cost of this Datto. I would go on to build this into one of the best cars I have owned. As seen in the photo, Bluebird TRX wheels were added & the suspension lowered in the first couple of weeks of ownership.

To think that I sold the Lina-mint green 69 Datto 1600 3 weeks after we moved to Mudgee, only to end up with another one. ?

 

1aM0tnJ.jpg

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19 hours ago, 81SC said:

72 Datto 1600 GL 3 speed B/W Auto, 1 owner country car. I bought this car during my time living & working in the Mudgee area of NSW. I found this car early one morning advertised in the local newspaper, the Mudgee Guardian. It was a pretty nondescript type of ad, but Datsun 1600 was all that was needed to spike my immediate interest, so a phone call was made to arrange an immediate look.

Upon arrival at the owners home I new almost instantly this car would be coming home with us. I spoke to the young lady that I had spoken to on the phone 10 minutes earlier, to be informed that the car was her Grandmothers car that she had been driving. Well Grandma came out of the house to tell me about all her years of glorious ownership, this was 1988. As soon as the grand-daughter opened the car up I looked at my wife & nodded.  

A quick discussion was had about the advertised price & a deal was struck, I think we had a few hundred dollars on us at the time so I sent the wife to the nearest auto-teller to get the rest of the cash whilst I stayed with the Datto, letting Grandma hold the few hundred bucks. No way was I letting someone else get this car.

Oh yeah, $925 was the cost of this Datto. I would go on to build this into one of the best cars I have owned. As seen in the photo, Bluebird TRX wheels were added & the suspension lowered in the first couple of weeks of ownership.

To think that I sold the Lina-mint green 69 Datto 1600 3 weeks after we moved to Mudgee, only to end up with another one. ?

 

1aM0tnJ.jpg

Great story.....Nothing better than finding a granny's 1600, for $925.00

I'm thinking you got rid of the Auto?   Surely...you got rid of the auto...

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1 hour ago, Niko said:

Great story.....Nothing better than finding a granny's 1600, for $925.00

I'm thinking you got rid of the Auto?   Surely...you got rid of the auto...

Why?  The auto has a larger transmission tunnel so you can fit the larger Z box without modification........or so I was told.

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Just saying  the original auto tramsmissions  in the 16's were very very ordinary.

I'm sure a Zed box would be a good modification, good thought re the transmission tunnel, hadn't heard or thought of that before but just interested to see if 81SC persevered with the original auto or what he did swap it with.

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9 minutes ago, Niko said:

Just saying  the original auto tramsmissions  in the 16's were very very ordinary.

I'm sure a Zed box would be a good modification, good thought re the transmission tunnel, hadn't heard or thought of that before but just interested to see if 81SC persevered with the original auto or what he did swap it with.

Sorry Niko, misunderstood what you meant. You are right, the slushbox was very ordinary.

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9 minutes ago, Niko said:

Just saying  the original auto tramsmissions  in the 16's were very very ordinary.

I'm sure a Zed box would be a good modification, good thought re the transmission tunnel, hadn't heard or thought of that before but just interested to see if 81SC persevered with the original auto or what he did swap it with.

Niko, The earlier 1600's had Jatco transmissions in them, I believe these are the ones you're referring to & the later 1600's had Borg Warner transmissions. I pretty sure if my memory serves me correct the later ones were Borg Warner 35's, like some of the Falcons used.

OZ, you are correct about the tunnel being marginally bigger in the auto 1600's.

 

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  • 1 month later...

One for Niko? _ Datsun 1200 Group C Touring Car

http://www.my105.com/ListingDetails/p/1/id/20376

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1972 Datsun 1200 GrpC race car. ***Project car, rolling chassis*** Vehicle was originally sold to Aspley Car Sales as a repossession from a young lady, the car was taken from the lot and prepared for racing. Log book first issued 26/8/1974. Raced in QLD, mostly Surfers Paradise and Lakeside by Brian POWER 1974-76. Set class lap record for Lakeside on 6/4/1975 at 1.08.8, again 27/7/75, and again on 28/9/75 at a 1.06.0! Have digital copies of Event programs and corresponding Timing sheets verifying the Lap records. Sold to K. SHAW in Jul 1976 who campaigned the car, then John Taylor in Aug 1977. GrpC 1974-78, then became a rally car through late 70's and the 80's. Became early Improved Prod early 90's, until hit a wall at Oran Park in 1993, then stored. Originally ran with an fairly stock A12 in 1974, before upgrading to A12GX running gear at the start of 1975. Purchased by current owner in 2016, who has amassed a large collection of spares for the vehicle. Multiple extra panels, multiple interior sets, two long block A12's, 3 spare blocks and numerous engine parts, 3 x rare dogleg 5 speed 56A gearboxes (one complete, two in parts in need of repairs). The list goes on. The body shell is still the original red underneath multiple paint schemes, as evidenced by the engine bay, and under all panels on the inside. Body is a rolling shell only. VIN, build plate and compliance plate all correct, and match the three original log books. A very rare up to 1300cc Group C touring car, currently believed to be one of a handful of Datsun Group C cars remaining. Vehicle is in Melbourne, and will come with a couple of pallets of spares as stated. More photographs available upon request. Price is O.N.O

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WOW....I did my 510's all to the BRE book of mods as much as I could afford.

What a legend.    What a history.   I never realised his early life achievements.

Thanks for putting that one up, I have a few Datto 1600 mates who I will be forwarding that on to.

Just goes to show.

He may be old(er)....but he certainly isn't obsolete.

What about that big banger 1600....   F me drunk....

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Ditto or rather Datto Niko's comments.

I only knew about his work on the Corvette which also involved a young body engineer called Tony Lapine who later when on to be famously known for his work on the 928, 924, 944, G series and the Pink Pig designs.

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  • 1 month later...

I actually had one of these, 2000 roadsters back in 2001, kicking myself now, let it go, half way through restoring it

Fantastic cars.

 

.https://www.shannons.com.au/club/video/datsun-fairlady-shannons-club-tv-episode-110/?intCMP=SHN:GI:PI:NPS:OSL:20180323:2441&?cmpid=SHN:GI:NPS1:NPS:EDM:20180426:6501

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45 minutes ago, P-Kay said:

What were you thinking @Niko

Classy car!!

Long Story cut short.....

I was driving along Nepean Hwy just over Olivers Hill heading Mornington Bound.   There was a 1600 Fairlady on the side of the road with a for sale sign on it.

I got out just to have a look.   As I'm doing that another bloke pulls up and walks over.  

Asks me if I was interested, I said I was just looking and if I did get one it would have to be the 2000 model.    

Just so happens he had one under his house in Mornington.    Invited me down to have a look, it had supposedly been there for about ten years and never moved.

He was moving interstate, the house was for sale, blah blah blah.   

Anyway I went down, and sure enough the FOR SALE sign was up and the house had boxes etc all over the place.  Opens the roller door and there it was.

Couldn't believe it.   Complete just sitting there very dusty and the rag top had been cut open by someone but otherwise it looked good.

Cutting the story short again....I bought it on the spot.   Think I paid 5K from memory.   It was a steal.

Organised picking it up and I had planned to drive it home.   ha ha, that was fun.    

Bastard of a thing wouldn't start, (I had a good battery) pushed it outside thinking I would roll start it.

Which was good in theory, till I found out the brakes were not working, and he lived on a hill.   Hand brake came on very quickly.

Finally fired it up with lots of smoke and farting.

I had the relevant permit so decided to try and drive it home.    (WITHOUT BRAKES...relying on the handbrake)  F*#& me drunk, that was fun.   It was running on three cylinders, no brakes, blowing smoke, and it turned left hand corners like it was on a sixpence (5 cents for the youngies) but when you tried to do a right turn it was like trying to turn the titanic.

   But I thought it would all be worth it in the end....:wub:

Ha ha ok cutting the story short again.....

Got it home in the garage, my missus was spewin....

She had lived through the rebuild and restoration of the 180BSS which took a few years and knew this was going to cause me some grief, and errrrrr cost some money.

Put it up on stands and started to get into it.   Started underneath, dismantled all the suspension and sent that of to Lou the Datsun Roadster Guru in Moorabbin.

Then started to degrease underneath and re body deadener and paint the bits that needed painting and replace all the fuel and brake lines.

Then after breathing fumes and my back playing up due to lying on a garage creeper working every spare moment I got...

I walked out of the garage one cold night, rolled the door down.  And couldn't force my self to do any more.   Completely lost interest in the major task still ahead.

Then about two months later I opened the garage to see if I could get enthused again.  But the car had cobwebs going everywhere and I looked at it for about an hour.

Decided, nope I 'd had enough and decided to flog it.  

I was member of the DATSUN ROADSTER CLUB so ended up selling it to another member for about what I paid for it.   

I still remember the day we dragged it out and put it on a trailer (no wheels on it).  and off it went.

Peter the chap who bought it now has it on the road.  I haven't seen it but I have heard it is a fantastic car now, and one of the best in the club.

I will try and find some photos of it.  

Ha ha now I bet your sorry you asked me what I was thinking...... 

 

and I have kicked myself ever since......

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

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