Christmas Pilgrimage to the Mainland.

[R18dat]

Hi all,
Thought I would share my Datto build with you. It started about 3-4 months ago. Brought this so called mint little red Datto from down the line on a wet rainy night. Drove it home and had a good look around the next day, F$@k it I just brought another project car. After kicking myself I started on fix'n her up. The list was long and is slowly shrinking. I have told the girlfriend we are driving this down and around the mainland for two weeks over Christmas. It's this or we are driving my old Datsun 620 ute, I think I might buy a modern car before that happens!
Found seats were broken, replaced with Bride recliners. ( cheers Russell ).
Front suspension, cut springs and B310 struts. Changed out for my 1200 ute struts to fit new wheels.
Tyres bald, Ordered new Work Equip 03's 15x7, arriving end of the month. So fitted my Simmons from my coupe.
This ment I had to flare guards, which ment I had to reset the rear springs with extra leaf to firm up rear end. Fitted all new bushes.
Replace single pass shitty radiator with alloy 3 core.
Just working on the next big head ache, repairing the engine. I will go into that next week.

[Bartman]

It looks like all the bones are there for a sweet car!
Be sure to let us know when are down, we'll have ot have a meet up or something.

[R18dat]

Sorry for the mix up, but hope you can make it out. Photos are in reverse order.

[R18dat]

Keen as to meet you guys from Chch, We will be down there for 3-4 days around new years.

[Kitch]

Looks like you are doing a sweet job.

is that car from Timaru? I recall a red sedan with a drop tank for sale here a few months back.

[kartboy]

I will be in Nelson from 23-25th December then Picton from christmas day til we decide to come home (christchurch) approx around New years so if you are up that end of the island give me a shout.

[R18dat]

Car is from Timaru. I was after something abit more tidy and standard, but this was the only 1200 sedan for sale at the time. The week after I brought it a mint white one came up all standard. I guess it all worked out as I couldn't have brought myself to modifing a minta.
Kartboy, I will give you shout when we are down, it will be great to catch up with moreDatto owners.

[Flauski]

That car was built in Palmerston North about 15 years ago and looks as though not a lot has changed. Wheels, engine, dash, drop tank were all definitely done by the original owner.

Grouse car, I have seen it for sale on Trademe at least 4 times, each time for a higher price with nothing more done to it. Gotta love the appreciation on these old Dattos!

Sounds as though you are the perfect person for the job, judging by your wheel choice and what I can see of your coupe bum.

[R18dat]

Cheers for the history of the car. I have the engine out at the moment, fitting new milder cam, recondition distributer with electronic igintion and tidy up engine with a bit of paint. Hope to have a WOF by end of the week. Will post pictures soon.

[R18dat]

Right engine is out, time for a quick tidy up. Yeah right. As we dig deeper into the engine tidy up the distributer was loose and bearings or bushes were worn, causing alot of backlash. I wonder if that was making it run like a bag of shit. Fitting a reconditioned unit.
Next the rocker cover was removed to find #4 exh v/v spring sitting higher, that can't be good. Removed rocker gear, blow me down thats all worn, looks like they have been modified to fit double v/v springs. I think they removed the hardened surface of the rockers. Removing the head gave us the next suprise, the port job is a bit extreme. It goes throu the inlet to the head bolt wall, not good. The bores have only slight glazing, so I will hone it and fit new rings.
New deadline, hope to have engine back in by new Wedensday with WOF. Then a quick run in to a wedding down the line and start on the rest of the list, before the big trip to the Mainland for Christmas.