The entire reason why continent sized 4WD Trucks are popular over ther is cos of your
petrol (gas) prices.

No one else can afford to run big block chev engines - wonder why.

Petrol in Melbourne is around 87.9 per litre (A$3.20 or US$1.70 per gallon. Add 10% if out of metro area. In the centre of Aus, you'd be looking at
$US2.50 per gallon

We got 2 series of Escorts before the mark 2 escort, which we recieved in 1976 (Yay! the RS2000 - the only worth competitor to the datto). Mark 2 came in 1.6 and 2.0 models. Excellent rally
car and 4 cylinder hoon mobile.

Later we got Cortina's to replace Escorts, which were crap - except where Aussie Ford put 200 and 250 cube engines with manual 5 speeds in 'em (3.3 and 4.1 litre motors).

What we called the Mark one (1.3 or 1.6) was effectively here from about 1970 (when the Capri V6 (you might know it as the granada, or as the essex V6 engine)) hit. Prior to that we had a
different body, but same engines, excluding the lotus twin cam engines which were caklled Cortinas anyway (although they had escort sized bodies).

There was even a couple of bathurst special model cortinas, including the GT500 (one of the first bathurst specials). For those overseas who may not know, Bathurst is Australia's most famous
touring car race (around a 6 km mountain track) and had cars designed to meet it's homologation rules, which culminated in such niceties as the GTHO Phase III Ford Falcon 351 (5.8 L), A9X
Torana (Holden/General Motors), (Holden/General Motors) Monaro (327-350) (5.0 - 5.7 L) as well as for datsun fans the "bluebird" coupes (FJ20T's) and the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (twin turbo
RB 26 4wd).

Definately the best cars never to win Bathurst were the Chrysler E49 Charger and the Bluebird of George Fury (which held the lap record until the GT-R smashed it). Another e-mail for those
who care.

Generally the engine nond the engine designation are seperate. Look near the dizzy if it's mounted on the middle of the driver's side for the designation. Otherwise still on the drivers side
but near the back just below the line of the head.

Shave 60 thou of the head to up the compression (stock could be 8.3 or 8.9:1). You can do this safely and run on standard unleaded petrol - this is what I took off mine.

You can use and A12 head, but the A15 has heaps better ports and valves - which makes it's compression ratio carby, and cam even more of a waste. Don't bother porting an A15 head as it's
heaps better than A12 heads and will probably take more than the valves can take. Also the A12 head will be too high compression without work to reduce it or high octane fuel.

The bottom end of an A15 is more than strong enough for most sensible uses, even mild turbo charging (under 14psi).

If you want to turbo, leave the compression (head) alone and use either the stock cam or the A12 cam. Use A12 or a reground cam for atmo engines (but don't accept anything or believe any
excuses for a cam that can't be dialled in without adjustable cam gears - a price of being to busy at work to do it properly (yourself)). I'd go the factory A12 one, partly due to the
bullsh*t I've gone through with nearly every aftermarket cam I've had in any of my cars. Also you should have a spare if you're chucking an A12. Also, then you know the dizzy advance is
right to match the cam (but maybe not the compression)

Most A12/A15 swaps in OZ are a straight swap, due to the crossmember we use in most 1200's. For instance most utes use what was effectively an L13 crossmember (don't ask cos Aussies never
saw this engine). This isn't necessarily so elsewhere in the world. If not look for the differences in crossmember before you pay for one.

Use the A12 carby over the A15 - bigger jets. Dellortos or side draft webers are popular, but I'd go with 32/36 weber for the cost and driveability.

What more do you need than this? Carb cam and engine mods all covered.

Rpm isn't really going to matter to the turbo, so I dunno what you're so worried about. Most turbo's don't rev anywhere near as hard as worked atmo motors - they just confuse the engine
what it's capacity is by forcing the extra air in - strength is generally far more important than light weight in turbo engines. A lot of problems with turbo's are to do with either
weak cylinder bores (distorting under the much higher combustion pressure due to the extra air and fuel) or blowing head gaskets (likewise). This is usually the weak points of a turbo
engine, then rods would be the next weakest. Cranks are generally way down the list.

Sure a slightly lighter bottom end will allow more revs, but the main way to get power out of turbos is more boost pressure, not more RPM.

Once again, another generalization, extra revs (at the turbine of the turbo) increases intake tempratures and reduces charge density and can lose power.

Aim for strength in you bottom end over light weight.

Sounds like it's probablt an A14. Think the others were right about the "idle solenoid". Standard practice for japanse engines to include one of these, particularly for more cammy
engines, to stop them dieseling. When power is supplied throught the wire, it pushes out a piston which moves the idle speed up (basically by holding the throttle slightly open). I've had
these on previous dattos and toyotas (some were vacuum operated but mostly electronic as it's easier).

Just chuck a spare +ve wire to it and see if it moves out, then set your idle off that. If it doesn't then it must be an auto choke and need a correct temperature unit to send the correct
voltage.

It sounds like someone's had one of the good 1400's at one time (the 80+ hp not the 60+ hp one).

Good for a mild or stock A12 motor, but can't cope with a worked A14 or A15. Nice find for back of the shed (I 'spose I can talk with the 240Z roundtops, the 350 Holley, the 65mm hitachi,
the motorbike carbies....).

Gotta say SU's are heaps better than downdraft carbies - if you don't mind some of the concerns about tuning them, which is actually really easy with the right tools once you know
how.

Motorbikes are only really now moving to fuel injection and have been using SU carbies (under slightly different names) for years. The SU carbies are effectively a way better design
than any downdraft carby, and are self regulating for fuel and air flow.

Generally the benefits are: more power, better fuel economy, better throttle response than standard carbies. A simple example is the L24 from the 210 series (240C AND 240Z). 240Z's
had anout 15% better power just from this change alone over the standard single carby.

2 beats 1. And 4 beats 2. Anyone got some Hayabusa carbies they can spare?

Use your old A12 cam and distributor and shove em in the A14/A15 engine, rather than get a reground cam.

Some A14 engines have a more sporty cam in the depending on pollution controls and previous use (ie difference between a Sunny and a Urvan for instance).

These are the one to go for - but you never know the history of import motors unfortunately.

If you do decide to hot it up, take my word for it and use the A12 cam and dizzy, it will cost you a lot less and probably work better than half of the performance cams, without
the need to try and restrobe/realign distributor afterwards.

Best spot to start would be the South African model of the 1200 ute (aka bakkie) which was using a 1400 fuel injected engine at last count (and still being
built as we speak).


There are a few countries still using versions of this engine, mainly in commercial vehicles.

Does it definately have to be a factory A series engine setup (for a race class I'm guessing)?

There's heaps of better aftermarket fuel injection systems that would work better, and probably work out cheaper.

Failing that, a system with quad throttle bodies (or even twin throttle bodies) would work better.

Or just swap engines if that's allowed to CA18/SR20/E15 derivatives.

Should'a boat anchored mine after all. I got the bill back on my engine and it was almost twice what I was expecting (and first quoted). Guy repairing the head went ahead and did
the work without my approval, and claims he replaced every guide and valve.

Guy who ground the cam stuffed up in my view too. The cam would not dial in without adjustable cam gears - i think that's where he's stuffed up the rebuilding and rebuilt in a
different position.

So much for quick rebuild. It's taken about a month.

Can wait til she's run in though.....