Just thought I'd post up a few pics of my old ex-rally 1600.
I bought the car about 11 years ago, already kitted out as a rally car. My intention was to use it in club-level motorsport - motorkhanas, sprints, hillclimbs and the like.
As luck would have it, I found out I was to be a father a few weeks after I bought it, so that was the end of that idea
I used it for a few years as my daily driver, even managed to fit a baby capsule to the passenger's seat to pick the daughter up from childcare
(it had no back seat).
Eventually it was retired to the shed in November 1998, according to the last rego label.
After a trip to the 2005 Datnats, I decided I really needed a Datsun to drive again, as my never-ending 180B SSS project was, well, never-ending
When the 2006 mini-Datnats came around in 2006, I decided to drag it out of the shed and get it ready for a blast round the track. Preparation consisted of reconditioning the front brakes, replacing quite a few rubber hoses that were a bit perished, getting the radiator repaired, throwing on a set of wheels and tyres I got at a swapmeeting, bogging up a few gaping rust holes in the rear 1/4's and giving it a quick coat of paint where I'd been using it to test the spray pattern of my spraygun when painting other stuff
, and generally checking it over. Modifications consisted of putting the good inserts from my other 1600 into the 240K struts on this one and removing the perished sock filters on the carbs.
Turns out I really should have got the block fushed, as it overheated all day at the mini-Datnats at Wakefield Park due to scale and sludge from the block finding its way into the radiator. I managed to understeer my way to a best time of 1:34
Meybe I should have started to get it organised more than a month before the evnt as well.......
Anyway, once home I decided to try to improve things. It was treated to new front springs (about 80mm lower than what was in it
). lower rear springs, new front brake rotors, new front brake pads, new rear wheel cylinders, new fixed back racing seat, lengthened lower control arms, offset 180B strut tops, heavier front swaybar, steering brace, a complete engine flush and a dynotune where it reeled off a mighty 69 horsepower. Also took the head off to make sure everything was OK after its overheating probs at Wakefield, revealing a head that looks as though it was once fuel injected (see injector cutouts and extra bolthole for injection manifold):?
After its trip to Wakefield Park earlier this month lap times have dropped by 9 seconds to a 1:25 neat.
Future plans include slotting the rear crossmember, buying a decent set of track tyres in 14" and fitting a dual circuit brake master cylinder
And I really should get the 180B SSS finished one day too.....
Buried in the back of the shed after 8 years
Nice and spartan (and loud and hot with no carpet..)
Bit of a polish and the original Datsun factory paint still shines
Out in the sun after 8 years
Understeering around Wakefield Park
Front end is just a tad too high..
Fuel injected head ???
The mighty L18
And its last outing