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Post by chriss on Mar 6, 2016 20:52:06 GMT 1
Hi I'm new to the forum and after some advice on a car I’m looking at. I currently own a 1990 mini which is my pride and joy and also a 2.2 vx220, I’m not really gelling with the vx200. I find it handles lovely it’s just a bit slow for what it is, and the engine sounds rubbish even with an aftermarket exhaust. So I’ve been looking at something a bit more quirky and something I can work on. I’ve found this and think it looks fantastic. I went to have a look at it the other day and was very impressed. It’s a fresh import from japan. underneath it looks immaculate the only rust I could find was a bit of the framework on the inside of the bonnet was rotten however I believe the bonnet, grill and lights aren’t from this year anyway (it’s a 1992). Other than that there is a very early bit of bubbling about 2inches long in the bed. The rest of the body work is very good with a few small dents and scrapes, I’m fairly sure it’s had a respray at some point because it looks like the lip on the bed has been de-seamed (also I’m not sure if this is a standard colour ether). Interior wise the seats are a little rough with a few ash burns and the odd bit of broken or missing trim. The engine bay looked very honest and untouched, the car is on 67,000 miles and is running two double barrelled carbs I wasn’t sure if these are standard, they look like webers however I couldn’t quite identify them. Mechanically there was about two inches of slop in the steering, I’m not familiar with what setup they run however there is defiantly something wrong. It also has what is advertised as a fixed diff so I’m assuming it’s been welded. I didn’t get to test drive it however I obviously will if I decide it’s for me. If you have any other questions about the car shout up and I’ll try my best. What I’m after is really a rough value and also some insight into what it’s like to own and run a sunny of this age. The guy has it advertised at £7999 fully UK registered, mot'd, serviced and clear under sealed. To me this seems a little steep however I don’t have a clue and have no previous ones to go off, I was thinking closer to £6000 as it’s not exactly a show car. I was also wanting to know if they are fairly reliable or will it be like my mini struggling in the wet. If I get it I’ll take it straight to get the carbs tuned and will probably go for all new ignition components. Also are parts easy enough to find or I’m I going to constantly be shipping stuff in from the far ends of the earth just to keep it running. I’m fairly competent mechanically having done a few nut and bolt restorations and competition engine builds. Really I’m just totally clueless and need a bit of guidance. I’m trying to read as much as I can but it’s a lot to take in. Many thanks in advance Chris
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randywanger
Full Member
Posts: 265
Location: Chamonix or Essex
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Post by randywanger on Mar 7, 2016 21:21:33 GMT 1
Hi Chris, welcome to the Datsun Club UK, 16 views and no replies, shame on them. Car looks lovely, who's selling it? For almost £8000 i'd expect it to be perfect, you could import one yourself for less, maybe closer to the £6k mark but then you'd be buying unseen and trusting the agent. Problem is, nostalgic cars in Japan are rising daily. What engine is installed, assuming some kind of A? You should be able to feel the difference with a 2 way and a welded by driving it, and again for £8k I'd have expected the importer to take the rear cover off and find out, they should have changed the oil anyway so not exactly much extra work. As for the steering, I'm assuming it's the same type as on the 510, mine is like stirring porridge. Hopefully it just needs new bushes and a brace. No issue with shipping parts, you'll have to wait about 1 week but lots of companies in Japan that you can use. Inspiration:
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Post by invader on Mar 7, 2016 22:15:18 GMT 1
Hi Chris this is my pickup I sold about a year ago ,as I could take it with me when I moved to Spain . i loved owning it and drove it almost everyday and did a couple of track days always got lots of attention. mine was a 1993 and had a sr20de engine and 5speed gearbox plus many more mods. youre right the grill is from a earlier Car ,it should have square headlights, this is a common mod. it as a steering box ,mine was a bit sloppy but after adjusting it it wasn't to bad. if you have any questions I'll try to answer them
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Post by chriss on Mar 8, 2016 19:56:44 GMT 1
Thanks for the reply guys. I belive it's a A12 engine but I could be wrong.
The place is called car warehouse in Middlesbrough they sell lots of imports and odd ball cars, everything seems quite over priced to be honest. I may go down again and see how low he'll go on it.
I'm really undecided at the moment. I know it's hard to say for individual engines but are they generally reliable? I appreciate it's nothing like a modern car but I was wondering if it's the sort of thing that will just keep going or are they quite temperamental?
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Post by spottedlaurel on Mar 8, 2016 21:23:15 GMT 1
You can't get much more reliable than the Datsun/Nissan A-Series! Service parts should be no issue and where Datman can't help then more specialist bits can be obtained from Japan or Australia.
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datsian
club Member
Area Rep
Posts: 117
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Post by datsian on Mar 10, 2016 13:58:47 GMT 1
Hi Chris I have a 1973 saloon with 96k plus miles with an A12 engine and as spottedlaurel said, these are very reliable cars mechanically and very easy to maintain.
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Post by chriss on Mar 11, 2016 19:57:23 GMT 1
Thanks again for the replies guys I'm going to go down tomorrow and take it for a test drive. Hopefully if it all goes well I'll try to hammer out a deal, I don't think I'll pay anymore than 6k for it at a push. Does anyone have any suggestions for things to check other than the usual stuff?
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Post by chriss on Mar 11, 2016 20:20:24 GMT 1
Oh and I did find a picture of the engine bay
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randywanger
Full Member
Posts: 265
Location: Chamonix or Essex
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Post by randywanger on Mar 11, 2016 21:30:50 GMT 1
At least it's running air filters. Should be fine. See if you can knock him down a bit, buy it and have one of the rarest and coolest old Nissan/Datsun cars over here.
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Post by invader on Mar 11, 2016 21:56:29 GMT 1
Think 6000 is about the Wright price Check for usual dodgey Japanese wiring , mine was a bit of a rats nest
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Post by chriss on Mar 12, 2016 18:45:05 GMT 1
Well unfortunately it wasn't to be, I went down and he'd just taken a deposit on it for the full asking price, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near that price. So I guess I'll keep my eyes open for something else now.
Thanks for your help guys really appreciate it
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randywanger
Full Member
Posts: 265
Location: Chamonix or Essex
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Post by randywanger on Mar 13, 2016 21:43:40 GMT 1
That's a shame, wheres your thoughts now? Like them enough to import your own or something else?
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