Please add any ideas or facts about swapping a Mazda piston engine into Datsun 1200 here. In South Africa, the Mazda piston engine is a common swap. The fastest Nissan 1400 bakkie is running a turbo Mazda piston engine. It's that blue one of Louis Lima, and it does consistent sub-9 second 1/4 mile runs. The rest of the top spots are taken up mostly by turbo'd Toyota 4A-GZEs and some other turbocharged Mazda pistons.
Also see: Mazda rotary engine swap.