Nice Van

- Rear wheels traction is excellent

- No need for repairing body holes every day

They

yeah? longest running ever?

I guess you're not including liscenced copies?

Licensed copies? You mean like the Premier in India is really just a old Fiat design? (albeit now with Nissan A12 engine). The VW Beetle is out of production everywhere. The 2CV is now out of production too I think (since 1998). But the Corolla has been made just as long as the Sunny pictured here, since 1966. The Porsche 911 has been made since what, 1964? That's longer running.

But maybe Killer meant that these little utes run forever, longer than other cars. That might be true, especially on average I'll but more miles have been put on utes per vehicle than anything except mercedes taxis. Oh that reminds me of the 1200 taxis of Pakistan and and the taxis and driving-school 1200s of Malaysia. Those probably rack up lots of miles too. And doesn't white make these raised-roof LDVs look more like the old 1200 utes?

i really dont know why nissan dont either import them to australia (or for any other country for that case)
i think if they did they woul sell like hotcakes, so many people would love to have a datsun ute that has all brand new parts...... i know i would.

I believe that Nissan don't make these utes.
The factory in South Africa is not Nissan owned, but is privately [or publicly] owned, so I guess that it is a Nissan 'affiliate'
Hopefully one of our South African members can set the record straight.

This factory seems to own the rights to produce the ute, but Nissan in Japan would have to buy them in order to sell them elsewhere.

As for longest running, well it could be one of the longest produced 'basicly unchanged' vehicles.
It has a taller top, new grille & a bigger version of the original engine, but it's still basicly the same as the 1970 model.

Corrolla's may have been produced as long, but only the name survives as there would be virtually no single part of a current one that is listed as being interchangeable with the 1970 model.

Quote:Probably because of the ADR ... and its counterpart in the USA, the DOT. Similar ones exist in many countries now. These safety rules prohibit simple designs. They'd have to weigh down the B140 with 500 lbs of safety features. Another likely reason: why should they bother? The vast unwashed buyers of economy vehicles think front-wheel-drive is better.

As a minimum if it dont have chrome bumpers, grille, tailight surrounds, window trims and mirrors I will never buy it.

5speed gearboxes are another story

yeah i'm not really sure of details, but we've got a 1990 model CJ3 jeep, made under liscence by mahindra, thats a 50yo design.

I'd buy one.

Then cut it up and turn it in to a drag car.

id buy one just for the fact that all the parts that are ####ed on our 1200's. ie suspension joints and bushing, door and window rubbers etc etc etc. are allbrand new, all ud have to do is transfer your grille bumpers and wheels and ud have a brand new car with the same oldschool look. i cant see a downside to it ....

Quote:

They are still on the nissan SA site, so nissan still sell them even if they dont make them.

http://www.nissan.co.za/vehicles_bakkie.asp?s=2

Also i think the person who said beetle is right they have been running with the same body for like 70 yrs and only recently stopped production in mexico!

That embassador in india has been running for a while and has the chance to go longer i think :P They only recently produced disc brakes on the front, until then it was drums all round

Yes, but the last VW bodyshell was modified in 1976 (I'd guess), making the 1200 Ute shell up to 6 years older.

the champs roof line is higher too for head room, so its change body shape right? only alittle bit though

I mean the same body shape.

911,Corolla ect changed not the same model this whole time.I guess you could say the ute isnt either what with the 1400 ect.