Datto folks

[31-EVO]

Hey chaps

Might have picked up a little project if anyone has played with a 1200 or Datsun in general speak up :-) need some advice

[dattoman]

1200's are evil and have pogo sticks for suspension


Do tell though...

[caibs]

ute, sedan or coupe?

personally i'd put a rowdy n/a rotor in, not really worry about going fast. low, bolt on flares and some wheels. just cruise around with an obnoxious rotang and enjoy.

[31-EVO]

Looking at a 1200 ute, been around the clock twice on a rebuilt motor now with a suspected head gasket failure ( I doubt it, but haven't inspected myself) body has a fair amount of rust, tray bed almost non existant and rust in usual Nissan/Datsun areas. Buying it in a hope to restore the body get the suspension less bouncy and put in something fuel injected of the 4cyl variety, probably the ca18det. I hate hate hate rotaries, but appreciate from affar.

[caibs]

yar fair enough. sounds like a pretty massive project. im guessing you got a welder and some time haha.
not worth hanging out for a less-rusty shell ? could save yourself an abundance of time in the long run.

[31-EVO]

Car has been in the family for 27 years, it deserves the love in my eyes. Haha. I'll get it on a hoist and evaluate I reckon

[DISTRBD]

Buy it so i can buy it later on once you lose interest :P Most body parts can still be purchased new

[Damo 69]

as above and even carbon fibre parts etc are abundant for the 1200.

[Socrates]

Get it, it will appreciate in the future i believe as they get rarer.

[31-EVO]

Time to do some ringing around for motors I reckon, cheers dudes

[31-EVO]

Got in contact with 'datsmad' today, I reckon I'll take it in, parts are pretty costly to some degree

[dattoman]

CA18det is the easiest since you can buy a kit to go straight in

But don't discount an angry A series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXTn_rdtbhQ

[blackjack]

I have/had an L20 in mine. Got a twin carb set up for the A series if you go that way (oval port A14/15)

[31-EVO]

Got in contact with 'datsmad' today, I reckon I'll take it on, parts are pretty costly to some degree, progress will be slow, but at least by the end I'll have something there is not many of in WA that I know of

[ForgedV6]

There is already a wealth of information on the Datsun 1200 website.

Where's Datsmad's? Or do you mean Mad Dat Motorsport? They make full conversion kits for the CA or SR engine conversion. They also do 4-5 stud conversions, shortened rear R31 diffs and coilovers.

They are fairly thin metal cars and are prone to rust. They don't handle very well and i dont think it would be comfortable in one with decent horsepower.

The A12 engine is amazingly reliable (my starter motor died yesterday, go figure). The A13 was equipped in 120Y's for the American market, not sure if the 1200 copped the same treatment. The A13 feels noticeable quicker than the A12. There's an A14 and an A15. The A15 cant be a little rough so the preferred combo is the A14 block with the A15 head or vice versa (i cant remember now).

I would like to drive one in stock form with an NA SR engine. I think that would be a nice combo for a 700kg car.

[31-EVO]

Yeah sorry mad dat, brain failure in full swing yesterday. I'll definitely be going ca18det, de stuff does not interest me at all in any car. Yeah I'll be getting the shortened diff and have a tails shaft made up, I'll no doubt grab a bit of the other stuff as well that I want. Brakes,struts,lowered rear leafs, new fenders etc haha. Really looking forward to it, just got to get the rear tray re welded

[ONETEN]

I am a Dato folk, ive had a love/hate relationship with a 1200 coupe for the last 6 years or so, this is it:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/hcope86/DSC02981.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/hcope86/DSC02983.jpg

First setup I ran was a ca18det, easily the most common swap into the 1200. Its a relatively easy fit if you use the Skyline R30 'Stumpy' gearbox bolted to the CA18 bellhousing (as this fits inside tunnel & puts shifter up through stock hole), but you need to cut & weld the tunnel if you want to use the CA18DET gearbox. I used the fitting kit from Maddat, they would be the best priced around for the basic fitting kit.

Second setup I ran was a SR20DET with high mount etc, never finished installing this before I had a change of heart and sold it all off. You cant legally run any bigger than 1.8L Turbocharged in a 1200, this was a big factor in me not using this motor.

The car is in the panel shop at the moment getting the body restored to its former glory, and I am now putting together an SR16VET engine, using head & crank from the N15 SR16VE engine and assembling into a SR20DET turbo block, I am more excited about this new setup than any of my previous setups and will probably be the last time I change it.

For fitting kits, Maddat would be my first choice, and I would also use their weld in trans tunnel if you want to run the ca18 gearbox, but in all honesty their engineering of other components is not the best, nor are the prices.

Datsport http://www.datsport.com/ run by a bloke named Baz, is an absolute walking textbook of Datsun knowledge and he is really helpful always happy to assist over the phone, and the parts he sells are second to none in quality. Not the cheapest out there though, and he mainly focuses on 1600's. They have excellent braking & suspension kits.

Techno Toy Tuning sell some cool suspension gear also, great prices and great quality: https://technotoytuning.com/nissan/1200

Stock suspension is a joke, this much is true, but good news is upgrade options are plentiful. I have seen 1200 setups running Stanza, 200B, R31 and even S13 front struts, and brakes off just about every car out there. I personally used VT Commodore calipers and 260 odd mm discs on the front to begin with, but now am running RX7 4-pots and 280mm rotors, both of these setups on a Stanza strut (which is probably twice as big as stock 1200) and with Stanza radius rods and new ball joints & bushes, custom front swaybar & strut brace, and it transforms the front end handling. The Stanza/200B strut can be converted into a coilover really easily if you are handy with a welder. T3 sell the kits.

Hilux 4spot (from early 80's models to early 90's, a few diff types) front callipers are another popular and very cheap upgrade, they are cast iron and about 260mm in diameter and fairly low profile so fit under most smaller rims. I run S12+8 Hilux non-vented callipers on my SR20 Dato 1600, they are no Sumitomo calliper like the RX7's but they do the job well enough.

As for rear end, 1200's come factory with H145 diff (or H165 in the ute) which isnt good for much. LSD options are pretty much non existent. Most common swaps are R31 Borg Warner 28 spline diff, or Hilux. I am using the R31 diff, and while Maddat do sell a ready to bolt in housing assembly, its stupid expensive, and Ive heard reports that the springs perches are too thin and bend. Final Drive engineering have done a few I know of now for around $1300, that's drop in standard R31 Diff & your 1200 diff, they shorten & respline axles, and fit all spring perches and attachments off the 1200 diff. Its cheaper if you want to weld the perches & assemble yourself.
1200's do suffer from axle tramp a bit with the leaf setup, so a set of caltrac arms is worthwhile to install, or you can get your engineering cap on and do a 4 link setup (I am looking at doing this at some stage). R31 diff gives you the stock 4x114.3 PCD and the rear brakes that come with the diff are adequate. The only other tricky bit is making up handbrake lines.

Anyway thats just glossing on many of the popular setups out there, ive tried my hand with a few of them and Im happy to share if you have any specific q's, I can generally point you in the right direction.

PS, awesome choice on the Dato, I have found them pretty scarce in WA since moving here so am pleased to find people still wanting to build them in a 90's import flooded scene.

[GhostFc3s]

They are not rare at all even in WA, Still heaps of workshops using them as part cars.

Ive had a couple and the panel replacements whilst new are china and of okay quality. Anything else should be relatively cheap also.

I would go a ca18 myself stock turbo and everything they do not need much power to get going, that being said if your anything over 5'8" they are horrible to drive.

[VEE KA]

here's one from the Hot Rod & Street Machine show on the weekend.... so nice!

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/9944/20120819167.jpg
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/1934/20120819165.jpg
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4069/20120819166.jpg

[ONETEN]

Yeah sorry I meant modified/restored ones. I havent been in WA for long so maybe I just havent seen enough of them.

And yes, I am 6'5" and driving either of my dattos is always comfortable :p

Edit: Thats a lovely looking ute!!

[GhostFc3s]

Ahh yeah , there is Innissane? an orange one with a stroker ca18.

There a yellow 13bt drag ute and a couple of other drag utes i believe.

[VEE KA]

there's a 1200 ute sitting out the front of my g/f's dad's house. it was his daily driver till it got yellowed for something minor like tail lights so it got left in the driveway and became unrego'd. few people keep saying they are keen to buy it but no one actually goes to look at it. ( hasnt been advertised, just word of mouth ).

[31-EVO]

Awesome post oneten, thank you so much for taking the time. I'm glad someone is doing the diffs over here in WA that saves about 1300 bucks, I'll no doubt go the rx7 setup on the ute. I'm really excited as I've been on eBay all afternoon sourcing headlights and taillights and seats and a new dash pad haha I can't wait