Greetings Folks, new to the OZDAT forum and just thought I'd share a bit on my beloved Datto, and as my first - it is my absolute pride and joy.
It is a four speed '74 a12 120Y 4 Door, originally Cream with black interior, but seems to have been bright yellow for some years.
The original yellow respray was allegedly done in the same shade of paint used to paint the yellow lines in the middle of the roads around Cessnock ! May in fact have been that paint
It started life in 1974, bought new from D.E.K Autos Nissan/Datsun in East Maitland (still has the sticker on the rear windscreen), bought by the one and only previous owner 'Alf' who owned it with his sister from 1974-2010.
It has lived in the Hunter Valley town of Millfield, where Alf, a well known local mechanic, took great pain in keeping the car in good running order, with a shed full of original spare parts.
The car was driven regularly up until 2001, after which it sat beside his house collecting dust.
Alf is the grandfather of a friend of mine, and over at the house one day I spotted the poor little beast looking a little worse for wear, and asked my friend if he would find out for me what Alf intended to do with it.
My friend Got back to me and said "Pop said you can have it for $50" , at which I couldn't believe my luck.
I had no previous history with Datsuns, or any intention of buying a vintage vehicle at this particular time, but at an asking price of fifty dollars why not!
It quickly became nicknamed the Pineapple, given the colour of bright yellow in which it was painted, along with the fact that it cost me a 'pineapple'.
The car came with no ignition key, and I very quickly taught myself how to bridge an ignition and hot wire a 120y.
After changing the battery, fuel and emptying about half a can of 'Start you Bastard' into the intake, the old girl woke up from her almost ten year nap in the paddock, and I let her warm over for a good ten minutes.
I found the car had no working lights except the dials, and drove it home unregistered under the cover of night, following my mate who was in my Nissan Patrol, up over a windy dirt road to its new home in Pokolbin.
I later returned and pick up the spare parts which Alf had in his shed , and there was enough there to almost make a spare drive train.
- two engines - Manual a12 complete and an auto
- clutch plate and flywheel
- spare heads, cover, pistons, rings,
- spare belts, fans, filters, two sumps,
- factory Datsun driving lights, yet to be fitted (new in cases)
- alternator, fuel pump, distributor, two carbies, brake booster, spare wheels
(Almost too much to mention really !)
The car has since had a few grand spent on it, including bits and pieces in the engine bay (which are all stock and the fitted motor only just clocked 40,000km) and has just undergone a full respray in AMG Mercedes SLK yellow.
The Datto has been fitted with double darkest (15%) legal tint , a tidy little stereo hidden in the glove box with cleverly disguised speakers under the stock grills, some resprayed steel wheels off a KE75 Corolla with chrome dress trims for that older look.
Unfortunately an old man on the central coast T boned the front end, destroying the front right Strut and quarter panel
, but these parts have since been replaced and resprayed.
The stock peashooter pipe on the car has been swapped out carefully for a 2" pipe which makes it sound like a track car, (not too legal but the low rev burble and pop , as well as the sound at high RPM is magic)
The taillights and Rear bar have been replaced with absolute mint condition genuine parts off a '77 120Y sitting proudly atop a tower of cars at a wreckers.
a few thanks to some people who have been of great help so far
Len and Brendan of Main Drag Rare Spares Cessnock
Ian of Coalfields Classic Vehicle Restorers
SW Stewart Wilkins Motor sport Sydney
The boys at Cessnock Detailing
Brodie at Revvins Auto Cessnock
Noel at Quick fix Auto Electrics Cessnock
John (whose location will remain secret as he has my stockpile of future 120Y parts)
Graham (whose location will remain secret as also he has a stockpile of future 120Y parts)
And most of all , Alf for his 36 years of tender loving care of this little car
NB : in really really sad new, I went into Bishop's Bridge Auto Wreckers a few days ago, and asked if they had any Dattos, and they told me that they had two 120Y's , one running 4speed Black 120 in great nick with all original trim, panels, drive train, etc, and another automatic which wasn't running.... just one catch....
They had been there for 20 years untouched, and they went through the shredder two weeks ago
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