Random # 326: When Too Many Datsun 120Ys are Barely Enough, Part 1

-

 

Seeing two Datsun 120Ys - aka B210s and Sunnys, depending on the market into which they were sold - in one year, let alone one day, is freaky enough!  Not at a show, mind you; two unrelated sightings within an hour or so, both in the same Hobart suburb, and each of them in really, really good nick.  

The lift back is probably the second rarest variant after the coupe (there was also a four door sedan, a station wagon and possibly even a van).  This one was recently rebuilt by its serial 120Y owning owner, who told UMPH that it wasn't really meant to have been the project that it became but one thing led to another and, next thing he knew, it'd morphed into the ripper that you see here today! 


Starting up front, there are QH headlights, JDM-only side indicator lenses and forward-mounted sports mirrors.  The duco is gorgeous, the chrome dazzles and the 13" alloys look a treat, while the Datsun B210 badges that adorn the side panels add a further touch of JDM authenticity.  Only the rear trim panel - the victim of tin worm, apparently - is absent. 


The interior is also in fabulous condition, with nice original seats and other fixtures, although the dash is a bit cracked.  It's all very era-appropriate and is a credit to its owner.


What's not visible is the 1200 cc A-Series engine fitted with twin side-draft Webers and a set of extractors, although anyone attuned to a nice note will soon guess that the car's induction and exhaust are not standard.  It sounds very, very nice indeed!  


Everything else is pretty much standard 1970s' Datsun fare; it's running a four-speed floor shift, a disc / drum brake set-up and coil front / leaf rear suspension.  It's not exactly high-tech but that doesn't bother the owner, who readily admits that it's not fast but is great fun!


And that second 120Y?  Ready for publication on Monday, hopefully.

Did you enjoy this article?  If so, why not check out the rest of the site, share via social media or - even better - become a subscriber?  It's free!  We're also on Facebook @uppermiddlepetrolhead1.  Please like or follow! 







U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

iPhone images.






Comments

  1. Anonymous12 November 2022 at 08:34

    There was definitely a van I have one as a project there also was a 2 door station wagon in other markets

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12 November 2022 at 08:40

    Does the van’s side profile follow that of the wagon, even though it has no rear side doors? That’s my vague memory from decades ago.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EJ or EH Holden? (Up-dated December, 2022)

-
Image
EJ or the later EH? Several years ago, I posed the question:  Can somebody please explain the difference between an EJ and an EH Holden ute or van?  The response at the time wasn't overwhelming, so I did a bit of Googling and ferreting through my photos and came up with my own rough guide to EJ and EH identification.  Sedans and wagons are easy to tell apart ;  the EH's vertical rectangular tail lights are a dead give-away.  However, the workhorse versions of both models share the rear-end treatment of the earlier EJ, making it harder to identify one from the other.    No super obvious hints here. Or here ...  . It turns out that the main clues are in the placement of the front   H O L D E N   lettering and GMH lion emblems, the style of the radiator grille and the width of the vents in front of the windscreen, with all EJs - sedans, wagons, utes and vans - having one combination and the EH line-up having th...
Read more

An Electric Fiat X1/9

-
Image
For several years, there have been whispers that an electric X had been constructed in Tasmania's south.  However, no one seemed to know much about the car and how it had been built. That's not to say that it was some kind of skunkworks project; it seems to have simply been an under-the-radar affair, quietly put together by a bloke in his shed.  It was actually so U-T-R that I'd seen it at least twice without me realising that it'd been electrified. The car's since been sold but this is what I could glean from its current owner:  - It's a 1980 model and, as such, was delivered to Australia as a "Series 1.5," meaning that it originally had the Series 1's 1300 cc / four-speed in a Series 2 body with impact-absorbing bumpers and the higher engine compartment lid, as well as the latter's interior; - The motor is a 120 volt DC unit from US company Advanced Motors and Drives, rated at 10 HP / 7.355 kW ( http://evalbum.com/advdc , accessed 03 JUN 24);...
Read more

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

-
Image
  Once upon a time - six or seven years ago, actually - there was a lovely pale yellow GC Galant station wagon getting around Hobart.  It was totally nanna-spec; its paint was umarked, the chrome work and hubcaps were immaculate, and its very original interior was pristine. Then someone stuck feathers in its dashboard.  Next, the windows were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags.  And a hubcap went missing.  And the the rear bumper was pushed in, mangling the bodywork behind it.  And a mudguard got dented.  And rust set in.   I fear for this sweet, innocent KE36 Corolla.  Somebody please save it before it's too late.  Nanna needs you to do it. Hello, reader! I've noticed that this seems to be a particularly popular post.  Something to do with Google's algorithms, I guess ... .  But it's not my best piece!  Sure, it's ok, but there are so, so many more interesting classic, sports and performance cars on this site - as wel...
Read more