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The Nissan PB110 model line was named the Sunny Excellent 1400 (サニーエケセレント 1400). It featured a larger overhead-cam engine and modified front sheet metal styling. It is also called the "Sunny Long-nose" (サニー　ロング　ノーズ). The engine bay seems to be the same size as a B110, but the guards and bonnet of the PB110 are longer in the front to make the car feel bigger. The wheelbase is 40mm longer (less than 2 inches) but the PB110 overall is more than 5 inches longer. Most components of the PB110 are the same as B110, including 12" tires and same dashboards.

Overview

Our beloved "Datsun 1200" is Nissan body code B110, equipped with the 1200cc A12 pushrod engine. This is also known as the Datsun Sunny 1200. In Japan however, there was an upscale derivative of the B110, the Sunny Excellent -- body code PB110. The P apparently stands for "bigger engine". Yes, the Excellent was fitted with the L-series Overhead Cam (OHC) engine, the same type of engine fitted to the bigger Datsun vehicles.

full

Sunny Excellent PB110 was offered in two body styles:

* Coupe
* 4-door Sedan

full

Unique front, same rear except taillights & badges

Description

This factory brochure shows both vehicles (Comparo):

Sunny 1200 and Sunny Excellent 1400

On the right: 1400 Excellent (PB110)
On the left: 1200 GX (B110)

Sunny Excellent 1400 4-dr sedan

aftermarket minilite-style wheels * custom silver paint

Notice the unique grille. The hood and fenders are also slightly modified in the front area. For more details on this, see discussion PB110 (Sunny Excellent) vs. B110 (Sunny).

Features:

L14 Engine, 1400cc
Single-carb engine: 85hp, 11.8kgm/3 torque @3,600 rpm
Twin-carb engine (GX): 95hp, 12.2kgm/3 torque @4,000 rpm
Top Speed (both engines): 155km/h
4-speed floor shift (or optional Nissan Full Automatic 3-speed floor shift, not available for GX models)
Nissan Guarantee: 2 year and 50,000 kilometers (1971 brochure)

Sunny Excellent 1400 Coupe

The writing before 1400 says "Coupe" (Kuupe, a germanic spelling)
Notice the unique taillights and 'blackout' rear panel.

Sunny Excellent 1400 brochure

Closeup of grille. The extended forward "peak" of the Excellent grille is evident here, compared to the more flat grille of the 1200.

Sunny Excellent 1400 brochure

The Excellent was also available as a 4-dr sedan. There were no 2-dr sedans, wagons or truck versions.

Notice the unique GL and DX hubcaps, which are different from the B110 wheel covers of the same trim level.

Trim Levels: DX, GL and GX

1200 and 1400 trim levels
This outlines the various trim levels the Coupe was available in: GX, GL and DX. The writing above '1400' phonetically spells out "Excellent" in japanese katakana writing. The same trim levels were offered for the 4-Excellent door Sedan:

From left to right: 1200GX, 1200GL, 1200DX, 1200 Semi-DX & 1200 STD, 1400GX, 1400GL, 1400DX. Compare to Australia and USA where only one trim level was offered: a customized version of the 1200 DX.

3-spoke standard GX steering wheel
GL and GX trim used wood grain on lower half of dash
1972 Facelift dash has hooded gauges. The hood reduces glare. (NOTE: this is the same dashboard as in regular Datsun 1200s)
Console with optional clock
Excellents came with extended color choices for carpeting

GX Steering Wheel, Dash with hooded guages, and console w/clock. Also notice upgraded cloth-insert seats.

Wheel and Tire

The PB110 Excellent used 12" tires.

See main article: Hubcaps

1971 options:

blackwall
dual-stripe whitewall
wide-stripe whitewall with optional hubcap

regular hupcap

Engine

The Sunny Excellent PB110 was fitted with 1400cc L14 engine, a smaller-displacement version of the L16 fitted to the Datsun 1600. This is an wikipedia:Overhead Cam engine. Both a single carb and dual-carb engine was available. Top speed was 155kmh, up 5km from the Datsun 1200.

Sunny Excellent 1400 engine compartment 85 hp single carb (non-GX) L14 engine

Sunny Excellent GX (twin-carb) L14 engine with original Twin Hitachi (SU type) carburetors.

Sunny Excellent GX (twin-carb) L14 engine. With aftermarket dual sidedraft carburetors.

DX and GL models had a single-carb engine, while the GX had dual sidedraft carburetors (GX means GL with Twin Carbs).

Nissan Factory Rotary Engine

Under the bonnet of this Excellent is the rotary engine used to advance the development of NISSAN's new rotary.

See main article: Rotary engine

Interior

Excellent 4-dr sedan Interior

Notice the upmarket seats, the (aftermarket) steering wheel, and 1972 dashboard

1971 Excellent GX also has standard 1971 B110 dashboard, with woodgrain trim

1971 Seat Upholstery Choices

GX:
- black striped cloth (available with exterior Colors #008 Blue, #005 Blue, #931 Gold, #930 Green, #665 Yellow)
- brown striped cloth (for #009 Orange, #004 Green, #821 White)
GL:
- black tricot (for #009 Orange, #005 Blue, #004 Green, #931 Gold, #930 Green (Coupe only), #665 Yellow)
- blue tricot (for #008 Blue, #821 White)
Deluxe:
- black vinyl leather (for #008 Blue, #930 Green (Coupe only))
- yellow vinyl leather (for #931 Gold, #821 White, #665 Yellow)

Consoles

1971 console:

Console could be had without any gauges (just a Sunny plate)
Clock with cubbyhole below was optional
Clock with two small gauges was optional
Has heater vent extender with directional (!) vents

With option Large Clock
With option auxliary gauges
- Oil P (oil pressure) measured from 0-6 kg/cm3
- AMP (ammeter) from -30 to +30

Seats

Deluxe: Vinyl seats like B110, but with fancier form-fitted stitching
GL: ?
GX: Cloth-insert vinyl seats

Excellent Brochure

Notice the GX engine (sidedraft carbs), deluxe seats, and the DX dashboard (same as the B110 dashboard - which may have been a first-year only Excellent).

Dashboard And Steering Wheel

Early:

Early GX dash (same style as B110, but with woodgrain accents)
Three-spoke GX wheel, spokes have single slots

Late:

Deluxe uses same steering wheel as Standard B110
GL uses 3-spoke steering wheel
GX has standard 3-spoke 'large-horn button' wheel with "GX" emblem in center. Each spoke has two long slots.

The Late PB110 instrument cluster is the same as Datsun 1200 "Late", but the dashpad is different as is the glovebox:

B110 vs PB110 Late Dash Comparo

Later 'hooded' dash. Picture clearly shows the concave profile of the instrument cluster. (aftermarket seat color, shift knob, equalizer). Judging by the wood-grain dash and steering wheel style, this is a GL model.

Details:

Badges

84822-H2600 '1400 GL'

Grille

Front: 'S' pentagon-shaped radiator grille ornament

Coupe

Side Rear quarter: 'Sunny' then 'Excellent' followed by: GL,GX or Deluxe

** 'GL'
** 'Deluxe'

Trunk lid fitting
'1400 GX'
'1400 GL'

'1400 Deluxe'

Rear: 'Excellent' on black-out panel between taillights

Sedan

Excellent

C-pillar

'Excellent Deluxe'

'Excellent GL'

'Excellent GX'

Quarter

'Sunny'

Trunk lid fitting:
(left) '1400'

(right):
'Excellent GL'

Rear: 'Nissan Full Auto Matic'

Tail Lights

Coupe

KPB110 looks like B110 sedan lights, but protruding

Sedan

Looks like the facelift B110 sedan lights

argent: 26650-H2801

dark: 26650-H3001

Sedan

Optional Equipment

1971 Options:

LH side mirror
Vinyl top
Console Clock
Console Clock with auxiliary gauges
High-back bucket seats (standard fitting is seats with detacable headrests)
Coupe trunk-lid mounted air spoiler
Rear-window defrost glass
Fibre-optic Illuminated dash switches (like 1973 USA B110s)
Air conditioning
Assistant driver's seat headrest

Excellent interior trim (some are standard, others optional):

GX Mirrors: Fender-mounted black with chrome ring
'Datsun' Clarion AM radio
GL three spoke steering wheel. Later style 'hooded' dash
?
Driving lamps (fog lights) built into the grille
Clock in dash
Steering lock with ACC position (what you can't see is the special 3-switch Hazard lights (regular, left lights, right lights)
tilt wheel(?)
sun visors
8000 RPM tachometer (redline: ~6400)
Optional wood shift lever knob
Rear window defrost control (?)
Rear seat shoulder belts
Cigarette lighter (?)
Center console (with no clock or tach)
Larger disc brakes than Datsun 1200 models

How Different From B110

How different is the PB110 from B110?

Same:

Passenger compartment
- Doors
- Roof
- Firewall
Rear quarters & boot lid

Different:

Wheelbase +40 mm
Radiator Core Support appears to be only +40 mm forward
Front fenders & bonnet much longer, extended further beyond core support

So the engine does not appear to be farther forward, but actually as far back as in B110. Being "set back" a little compared to the front wheels may have contributed to good handling even though the L14 engine is much heavier than A12 engine. The extra 40 mm is probably used for the slight length difference of the L14 and the extra thickness of the 510-type radiator.

In front of the radiator core support, the fenders and bonnet sticks out about 5 inches longer than B110.

The extra length is all forward of the windshield:

Advertising

Innovate marketing? Featuring Alan Merril, a rock star in Japan.

Yes Sunny! advertisement with red Excellent coupe

Racing

The racing PB110s included this Coupe (KPB110) with the Nissan works competition LZ engine LZ14 DOHC four-valve engine:

KPB110 #9 with LZ14 Engine

LZ14 May 3, 1973 introduction for TS-a Class japan Grand Prix racing
16 Valve Twin-cam head on L-series block, 1600cc
200 HP @ 9,400 RPM

Takamiti Shinohara ???? rented LZ14 for the semi-Works Omori (??) team for "1973 Japan Grand Prix" -- if I tranlate correct Wikipedia Japan article Takamiti Shinohara

Sunny Excellent 1400 Coupe race car at Advan Historics