Lookin good, can't be long to completion now

Um the seats are some japanese brand... Takami? something like that. Leather. The car has "new car smell" ! Its pretty exciting.

The most amazing thing happened too (and this is the first time something has gone smoothly on the car) they just bolted into the original seat brackets! except one bolt... bastard. I take that back, I hade to weld a bracket for one corner- but the rest fit

cut that stick down, did it to mine! made the drive feel so much better!

a poor mans "short Shift kit"

Hi Astro Boy - seats look good

Astro Boy wrote:
Quote:

I too fitted aftermarket seats (pics in my album) and did like you bolted them to the original runners and mounts. The only mods I had to make were to remove the position adjuster control on the drivers side as it hit the front of the race seats.
I had the same problem 3 bolts lined up spot on and the third was a real bitch (about half a bolt hole out).
What I was interested to know was whether the seats sat evenly in the car (in regards to the steering wheel etc).
My passenger side seat is spot on, but the drivers side sits a little to the right (the horn button on the wheel sits to the left of the centre of the seat.
It should be no big drama might just have to modify the mounts some way to bring it back towards the passenger seat.

But just wondering what yours ( or others ) sit like in that respect.

Yeah... That third bolt is a real pig! But by welding a plate next to the original hole and using that for the bolt works a treat. The seat sits dead straight- perfect.

Somehow by accident I ordered (or was given) two passenger side seats wich worked out perfectly as the back adjustment lever would have hit the seatbelt anchor on the drivers side otherwise.

What is the seat (from)?

Are they SAAS seats???

Astro_Boy
Those seats should really improve things.

To truly appreciate just how small the ute cab is, try driving from Pyramid Hill [Near Bendigo in Vic] to Melbourne. Stooge around there for a while, but dont get out, then drive straight through to Port Maquarie on the far north coast of NSW. To fully benefit from the roominess, do it in ONE day.
You will need 4 or 5 tanks full of fuel, so you are allowed a pitstop at the fuel station, but just keep it moving.

I did it when i had the GX & 5 speed in it one year, & the journey added up to roughly 1750k, or almost 1,100 miles. The most beautifull feeling in the world [after sex] was getting out. The next day, i drove back home here. It was only about 7 hours.

The pain went away eventually

Sweet Jesus Dodgeman! I wouldnt be surprised if you suffered some sort of permanent disability.... And I thought the trip from Sydney to canberra was long in the ute.

Permanant disability? Probably.
The stiff springs under an empty ute, along with the 34psi in the 14" tyres on the 6" wide Bluebird rims ensured a ride that must have beaten more than a few neurons to death as my brain played cranial tennis in my skull.

I had driven the ute to Bendigo, then Pyramid Hill the day before, so the 3 days added up to about 9 or 10 tanks of fuel. I didn't drive it again for about 2 weeks. I had put the stock ute motor in the '68 fourdoor & that served as transport for a while.

The Bluebird rims with 70 series tyres were used on the rear [small 13"s on the front] as a poor mans attempt to overcome the 4.11 to 1 diff ratio & give me some cruising ability. It looked a bit scruffy, but it worked a treat.
Chris

I was just gonna ask about the diff ratio... Im running an A14 with a 4speed and as far as I know a standard diff. When I "cruise" at 100km/h the car is seriously struggling. It feels like its on redline- doesnt want to go much faster than 110km/h.

Is there a way to get around this cheaply?
-John

The rear axle housing should be using a H165 diff of 4.11 to 1 ratio, which was just the ticket for a loaded ute with 1200 & 12" wheels, but is not so good when it stops being a workhorse, & becomes a show pony. The Nissan bluebird sedans used a H165 of 3.9 to 1 ratio & this should bolt right in. These should be cheap & reasonably plentifull in wreckers. Make sure that you use a tyre size that is of a larger diameter too as this is also a form of gear ratio adjustment, but don't get carried away. The bigger tyres go on the rear only.

But what if i get a puncture, i hear the cry. I drive hundreds of K's every day,... well, almost every day, on all sorts of roads, & i have had only one puncture in over 10 years. Thats what the steel in steel radials is for. Just fit the front-sized spare & drive at a steady speed to the nearest tyre repair place. I have run diferent sized tyres, front & rear for over 23 years & don't plan on changing that anytime soon. No problemo
Chris
P.S. From the interior shot, it looks like you have a "genuine" 1200 ute. A '71 to '73 model. Mine was a '71

Thanks for the advice... So what year bluebird am i looking out for? I cant imagine that ill be able to cruis at a normal speed how exciting.

Yeah the ute is a '73 - Its been through hell and back. Only thing is I wish it had come with a tacho standard... Its just one of those things. Oooh and a clock! Id love a clock

Astro_boy

I also go with Dodgeman's answer.
Check for a diff.
I also have, like him, a 1200GX.
Mine is also a 4 speed like yours.
I do not know what ratio but it is a GX 4 speed.
At 3500rpm I drive 110km/h.
I cannot believe you can only get 110km/h out of a lightweight utility with a A14 motor.
I once got 140km/h out of my GX sedan and if I flored it, it still pulled.
Good advice also, get a rev counter.
It will help you heaps on what is going on with the engine revs.
By the way, GREAT LOOKING SEATS

I was thinking about that for a while wally, but I cant find any decent ones in canberra. Plus I kinda llike the readings in km/h.

Ill probably just buy a tacho and put it somewhere... maybe where the clock goes.

The stanza has a 3.9 ratio diff, I use that in the ute diff I put in the my coupe, it lowered the revs down at 100km/h

Cheers
Damo

Finish the interior with a coupe dash and ya there Only a opinon

The 3.9 to 1 diff center that i will be using in my 200B came from a series 1 TRX & i paid $100 for the whole rear axle as i wanted the disc brakes as well. The 5 speed in my 200B came from the same TRX.

My Bluebird parts book [series 1 & 2 only] shows that the 3.889 to 1 ratio [3.9 for short] was used in all 5 speed & Auto cars.

The 3.7 to 1 ratio was used in 4 speed sedans. This is the H165B diff for both ratios. Stay away from the 4 speed wagon as it used a H190 diff which is quite diferent.

If you do a lot of long distance driving, the 3.7 to 1 might be usefull, or it could work with wheels & tyres of a smaller size than previously mentioned.
There is every chance that the series 3 parts are the same, but i don't have a book on that model.

I do not know if your driveshaft will bolt right up to the pinion flange, but i suspect that it will.

I hope that this is of some help. My opinion? 3.9 & big rubber. Ya gotta fill up that wheel arch.

P.S.
1200GXman
Your diff ratio should be 3.9 to 1, but it will be the small H145 diff. I put the same diff from a 1200 sedan into the 1000 rear axle housing in my sedan. With the big bore GX & direct drive in fifth [same as the four speed] i was forever looking for another gear on the highway. Thats why i'm looking for a 3.7 to 1 Sunny diff. I used 205/60/13 tyres.

Beautiful! Thaks folks, im off to the wreckers tomorrow to follow it up. Ill let you know how it all goes.

-Johno

So just to clarify, a Series 1 or 2 bluey sedan has a 3.7 in it???? Is there any indication on it's ratio, on the center itself????

Cheers
Damo

Demojob
The 3.7 to 1 diff was used in Bluebird SEDANS only, when originally fitted with the FOUR speed box.
Sedans & wagons that had an auto, or a 5 speed, used the other ratio.

If Ferals info is correct, the vehicle ID tag on the firewall will have the gearbox & diff info on a single line. The diff part should be the last part of the spec on that line & it will read HC 39 for the 3.889 ratio & HC 37 for the 3.7 to i ratio.
The code letters HC are for the H165B diff center & the numbers, well they are self explanitory.

Thanks again to Feral
Chris

Astro_boy
How did you go at the wreckers for the diff?

No luck.... All the BlueBirds I found were autos. (no kiddin, ALL of them). I guess Im stuck. Ill have another good look on the weekend. There is a wrecker in queenbeyan that I avoid at all costs no matter what(but they are probably the only ones that have it)

Hey Astro boy check out Stanza's if you want a 3.9 ratio. They were easier to come buy for me than bluey's round here too.

Cheers
Damo

Back to the seats... what did they cost ya?

too much

It's a good investment, It's where most of your body has contact with the car, If you work it out in flesh to car ratio. its cheaper than a flash gear knob

And no that does not mean driving without pants on

Astro_Boy
What ratio do you want?
The Auto's come with the 3.9 to 1. It's the same diff in 5 speed manuals.

The 3.7 to 1 was in the 4 speed manual sedans only

Ive just got back from sydey with some stanza struts.. :)

I was very happy with the seats. I actually dont think I paid too much for them- but ive been TOLD they were too much.

Dodgeman, I must admit I know almost nothing about diff ratios... I just would like to be able to cruise at high speeds 100-110km/h more comfortably...

Where are you in canberra?

Astro_Boy
OK, the original diff in your ute should be 4.11 to 1. While the number is relatively high, the ratio, or "reduction" is low.
When you are in top gear, the tailshaft turns once for each revolution of the engine, but it turns 4.11 rotations for 1 rotation of the road wheel.

A 3.9 to 1 ratio is a bit higher, even though the numbers are lower [3.9 is a lower number than 4.11] This is regarded as a higher "ratio" because the "reduction" is not as great. This now means that the engine & tailshaft turn only 3.9 rotations for each rotation of the road wheel. This is the same ratio as a stock 1200 car.

So now, the ute would have more wheel rotations per 100 engine revolutions. It's like having another gear after top. The downside is that all the gears, including first seem higher. Not quite like taking off in second, but a little closer. Now if you were hauling a full load in a stock ute, this would be a disadvantage, but in a toy, it is not a disadvantage at all.

Next comes tyre size. If we accept that the original tyre was 550mm [close enough] the ute would travel foward 1728mm with each rotation of the wheel. If you use a bigger tyre, say 205/60/13, which has a nominal diameter of 576mm, the ute would now travel foward 1810mm for each wheel rotation. The engine sees this as a higher gear, but if you have an A14, or souped up A12, you will have quite enough power to handle it.
Fine tuning of the final overall ratio can be done with tyre size, within limits.

This is the gear ratio & tyre size that i had in my 1000 sedan with big bore A12 GX & if anything, it was UNDERGEARED, which is why i am looking for a 3.7 to 1 diff.

I hope that this is of some help
Chris

Lobster, im in the weston creek area. where are you?

Chris, youre a gret help mate! If I actually find a diff center ill be able to put my new found knowledge to some sort of use

So, changing the diff ratio will affect the acceleration? I have an A14- totally stock

I'm in the belconnen area...
We are getting a few canberrans in here now...

In a given car, a lower diff ratio, say 4.11 to 1, will give good acceleration & hill climbing ability, but will run out of puff at a lower top speed.

With a higher diff ratio, say 3.7 to 1, you will get slower acceleration, but [theoreticly] higher top speed, & lower revs at cruise. This can also help fuel economy. You can more than recover the lost acceleration with a larger engine, or engine improvements,... or both.

If your engine is revving too high at highway cruise, then an increase in diff ratio will help. You just need to figure out which ratio is best for your needs & driving style.
Chris