Good luck mate I hope the 1200 goes well. With the 4.3 diff back in try launching in 2nd gear. I found it quicker at the drags that way. revs around 5000rpm and soft on the clutch then full gas once moving Its defintaley hard to get off the line consistantly takes a fair bit of practice.
I want to see a sub 46

What times were you doing with the old L-series setup Harry?

that is awesome if the club record is what u said for that class, and on the first meeting ur new 1200 will be on top after next run

Thanks Andrew, I'll give the 2nd gear launch a go! I'm also planning to try a bit of left foot braking in the first loop, and try 3rd gear in the second loop. I'd love to run sub 46 too. The car certainly has the potential to get there.

My old Lseries coupe ran a best of 48.37 on the only hillclimb I did with the 146rwbhp Stewart Wilkins engine.

Its really weird whats happening here with your titles and avatar thanks to your arrangements; this is a great post. If only now Harry your old 1200`s new owner gets on here also some day and also perhaps any other competitors.

What kind of gearing does (you are going to have to give it pet name so some of us can keep up with the beasts changing hands) the CA1200 have?

I was looking at some speedway guys and gals using old volvo 240 gearboxes mated to a12 engines, I couldnt believe it but apparantely the way to go. As I search through I spotted the factory turbo 240t turbo boxes have race car gear ratios like 2.3 for first. It might be that the second gear on your box is probably about the same or around 2 ? interested to know because its always escaped me and my wallet that I could have 4 close ratio speeds from 2nd to 5th with boost.

CA18DET gearbox ratios are pretty typical of Nissan/Datsun 5spds:
1st - 3.321
2nd - 1.902
3rd - 1.308
4th - 1.000
5th - 0.838

final drive is 4.375 with 225/50*15 tyres.

2nd gear launches are not a problem, but I haven't really got them right yet. either too much wheelspin or I bog down.

And the engine has a nice fat torque band so it really doesn't need a close ratio box - there's always enough grunt on hand in the next gear!

I ran a best time of 46.35 yeaterday, which is a 0.51sec improvement on the previous hillclimb, but I didn't quite make my goal of beating the GTR's 46.2. It might take a while to squeeze a 45 out of it! Its not an easy car to drive on such a tight little track.

waiting for the results with split times and hopefully a few photos.

Do you get much PUSH in the tight corners with the locked diff Harry ?

not really Cameron. its pretty neutral. I'm pretty impressed with the handling. If I had to pick anything, it could be just a little crisper on turn-in to those slow corners, but everywhere else its very good.

the bigger problem is trying to get the power down on the way out of those slow corners, as anyone who saw me yesterday will be able to tell you! There's definitely no understeer involved in that! I suspect there might be some more spectacular photos this time! faster steering would be nice there, but I'm starting to get used to it again now.

I think there is a 45 in it the way it is, but it might take me a few hillcimbs to really get consistent enough to get there. Unfortubnately that might have to wait till next year. I'll be in Forster on Holidays when the Australian Championships are on, and the Bathurst Speed Weekend clashes with the final Mt Cotton hillclimb of the year.

Next Event is Grafton Hillclimb in 3 weeks.

Thanks for those ratios, 1.9 is pretty hard to control, I reckon if your first was 2.6 youd be right on the money for 45s. The GTR has the advantage in its gearing where the 1200 is so light that first gear is just trouble and the 1.9 is just bog down material, your times seems excellent considering the gearing.

the gearing isn't that bad - you have to remember its running a 4.375 diff so 1.9 is effectively lower overall. And it has heaps of torque! The GTR's gearing is very similar
1st: 3.214:1
2nd: 1.925:1
3rd: 1.302:1
4th: 1.000:1
5th: 0.752:1
Final: 4.11:1

Its advantage over the 1200 is traction off the line more than anything else. Mt Cotton has a concrete launch pad,which has been worn through to the agrregate (pebbles) over the years, and the repeated wheelspinning starts has polished them, so it very slippery. Basically you have to roll off the start line and then try and feed the power in when the back wheels hit the bitumen - even in the GTR to some extent.

Here's the splits from last weekend. Big improvement on the 1st sector, probably mainly due to the 2nd gear launches. I was consistently in the 46's this time, except one run where I bogged it down badly off the line and then ran wide on the 1st turn. Also included my splits for the best run in the GTR from May 2006.



Next time I want to be consistently in the low 46's and hopefully beat the GTR's times with some more work on the startsand I think I can make some time up in the 3rd sector yet. I've decided I will run in the Australian Championships in November. The track should get fast with alot of rubber down if the weather stays fine, so its a good chance to run a fast time.

Still a good result harry once you get it hooking hard of the line a few 10ths there.
I look forward to more pictures and also split times.