1973 datsun 140j project

[73violet]

so this is my first dato.
was browsing the other website and came across a thread about a 1973 datsun deluxe 140j

http://www.datsun.co.nz/phpBB3/viewtopi ... l14#p70365" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

funnily enough i just swapped my old holden for her.

shes so freaking awesome but a tad rough around the edges.

here are some pics

it has awesome as wheels,

im going to splash out and get a full panel and paint job done on her.
not sure if im going to stick with the blue or go back to the dark green she was originally,

for some unknown reason it has a single carb not the twins from the build thread, so im going for twin su's i think, im new to oldschool projects so its kind of touch and go. im pretty mechanically minded so will be doing all the interior engine drivetrain and electrical work myself,

the interior is a bit on the rough side and it has 81 sunny seats which dont fit properly so im hping to go back to fully original, with a few hidden upgrades like sound system and so on and so forth,

the gearbox isnt too bad but i want to upgrade to a 5 speed, im not sure if the ratios in the 4 speed are same as the 5 but the 5 having an extra gear or if there different, (research to follow)

with any luck ill be able to do some work to the engine and exhaust to make her crank along a bit faster, but time will tell. im trying to avoid changing the engine so she is more or less original.

i also have a few violet badges. but im unsure if i should put them on, and replace the deluxe 140j ones. it has violet on the back tho. and thats the name i have given her

any questions or advice please feel free to drop a comment or a pm.

i welcome it.

cheers
James and Violet

[z18et1200coupe]

sick 140j James! what are you planning to do to the motor? nice work trading for a holden!

[Mikewazowski]

the ratios in the 4 speed are same as the 5 but the 5 having an extra gear

This will be the case most likely.

Edit: Oh and sweet car btw.

[Dattochriswagon]

Welcome to the club dude!

Good to see another 140J!
Not a great deal of them around so its good to see one getting some love.

Keep up the hard work and the pictures flowing!

[gingofthesouth]

Awesome. Bugger all 140j on here. Take heaps of pictures for everything you do and upload them so everybody doesnt hound ya haha. We LOVE pics.

[73violet]

i will be getting lots of pics.

with the engine i was thinking getting twin carbs,
if i can find one an lz twin cam head,
lumpy cams maybe
full exhaust system ( keeping the original one in the garage ofcourse)
other then that probably nothing.

[Bartman]

LZ heads are rarer than rocking horse shit, and cost more than double what most peoples datsuns are worth. (sorry to burst your bubble)
If you want more go, the easiest means is to fit an L18, or L20b. Although if your engine is numbers matching to the car, then I fully respect keeping it. (If not, L14 conrods are sought after by people doing an L31 build)

[unlimitedpower]

If you wanted to go to a twin cam head as a project (trust me the engine would be a project in its self but doable) you could fit a KA24DE head to the L series block. Its been done before so it is possible. If i could some how would out how to make 30hour days id give it a go for sure.
Very good to see another 140J will be keeping an eye on any mods you make.

[73violet]

alrighty then. i myt just look into a bigger engine. i will probably hold onto the l14 seen as its the original. i want to be able to have the car original if wanted. for shows etc in the future.

is the swap to an l18 or bigger easy?

[Bartman]

Piece of piss mate. The only consideration is the sump pan really. I think your 140 has a "front sump". cars such as the 180B, and the 510, (And maybe the 720 too?) have a "mid sump". It's not hard to swap them over though. (Although you must also swap the oil pick up, and the dipstick tube too. The dipstick tube is in a different place, and may also be a different length accordingly. The is a small brass (?) bung than you need to drive out from underneath while the sump is off, and then back into the old hole where the old dipstick was.
I'm 99% sure that the 910's had a front sump too. (910's were available with both the L16 and the L20b.)

The only other consideration with an engine transplant is that the L20B has a fractionally taller deck height. That means that if you're running a factory style two barrel down draft carb, the air cleaner might have clearance issues on the bonnet. Hey-Mish on this forum put an L20B into a 140, but I can't recall off hand if he ran side drafts carbs or not. (He has a build thread on here somewhere if you'd like to check.

As for which engine is the best to use, it really comes down to what you want, what you can find, and how much you want to spend. The L18 seems to be a little revvier, whilest the L20B has a bit more low end-mid range torque. And the L18 is a little bit lighter too. All of the L20b's had the same cam factory, as the L18sss. And some of the L18's fitted to the 720 utes had a less peppy cam profile. Also, depending on which style of carburation you opt for, the SU style hitachi sidedrafts will run out of puff a little up top with the L20b.
On that note, if you are sourcoing some SU carbs, the type with the round top are preferable over the kind with the square tops.
If your current motor is a real honey, (And you have the funds to do it) you might want to consider finding a larger motor for your car, and giving it a freshen up prior to using it. These motors are getting on a bit, and I've had mixed results when buying used L series motors.
One lat thing, if you can lay your hands on an "A87" head, thats the one to use. These have closed chambers. Whereas all the L20B heads , (V91, and U67(I think) had an open chambered head.