And, by the way, it IS an A-series motor - just a Toyota one. 4A-GE is a member of toyota's A series family, like 7A-FE, 4A-C , etc.
S you've still got an "A series" of some description

Don't listen to 'em - its a great idea!
The 4A-GE, even stock, would be a world apart form an A-series. Especially if you can wire in the factory ECU. There are two different types of 16V 4AGE, one has 86kw (the RWD one) and the other has 100kw (front wheel drive). There are some mods to make the 100kw one rwd, but not much, mainly sump and pickup, and moving the position of the throttle body to the other end of the plenum (standard, it would be pointing out the back).
A 100kw 16v would be an awesome improvement, not just power, but also refinement, smoothness, free revving power delivery, nice sound, easy starting etc, and parts are just as easy to get as A-series ones.
No need for the 20v though, not a big enough benefit for the stuffing around.

Anyway, C'mon, 100kw in a 1200? thats going to go pretty damn well, and theres only so much power you'd want to feed into such a little chassis before it would ruin its balance etc - personally I would think a freerevving 4age powered one would be more fun than a 4agze or ca18det.
Also the rwd toyota 5 speed (e.g from an AE86 or AE71) is a nice gearbox, good ratios, good feel.
So many pluses to outweigh the old "not a toyota noooo" chants...

All I can say is wow! those welded tailgates make the rear end soooo smooth!
have you all just welded the tailgate across or actually made a new skin from left to right?

Thanks for that stirlingmac!
Thats one aggressive B10 Van...I wonder if its still got the transverse leaf front end unfortunately street machine are a bit vague on that.

Shame its probably not legal in any Aussie state to fit a 305 cid V8 into a 660kg car....

Oh, and if ANYBODY has a copy of that issue, AND access to a scanner, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE scan it and post it on here or email me at:

mflood@utas.edu.au

The 240z would be good too, its in the same article.
cheers,
floody

wow, thanks Devil! I reckon I have that back in Victoria somewhere (I'm living in Tassie for uni), I'll ask mum to go through my old stuff!
awesome!
it was a pretty crazy beast IIRC, but it all looked very sanitary..

Hey guys,
just wondering if anyone can help me out, there was a feature in Street Machine (aussie mag) a while back about 3 60's/70's datsuns in Japan, that all had V8 engine conversions. There was a 240Z in BRE colors with a chev, a purple, flamed Gloria (again with a chev I think), and a yellow B10 Van with a 305 chev tubs, big slicks etc.
Just wondering if anyone remember what issue it was, or could send me to a link with pics of the Van, or scan the article....
cheers,
floody

I had/have a 1970 1000 2 door sedan.
It said 1970 on the Victorian rego label and on the build plate,if I remember right.

By the way, I paid $50 for it, full of rust, not a straight panel and NO brakes, to use as a paddock thrasher. I had fun with it for about a year, and it had such upgrades as chaining the engine to the firewall to stop it going through the radiator landing after jumping the dam on the property, and staggered tyre heights to help handling on the speedway we set out.....
It was great until coming into a sinkhole on the speedway, sideways in 3rd, the front supension lever arm (the one with the damper on it that goes to the front of the frame) ripped off its Tek-screwed on front mount. wasn't worth fixing. Its on a farm with a whole heap of other broken Datsuns somewhere out near Smythesdale/Scarsdale (near Ballarat, Victoria)....

cheers,
floody

*edit*: Hankooks were $360, not $60!!!still cheap though!

Well, I have to say, I see Fosters in the Bottleshop, but really,it is piss and I wouldn't drink it in a fit.
The best Aussie beer, IMO, is called Crown Lager. If I'm not drinking crownies, I'm drinking Victoria Bitter (made in melbourne),Boag's Draught (Made in Tasmania), or either Asahi super dry or Kirin first press. The last two are Japanese :D
As for wheels and tyre, I'd go for 14" wheels nowadays. That said, Hankook did make a good 185/60/13, I had them on my escort Van, and they were cheap, maybe $360 AUD for 4. They were a really good tyre, a bit shorter in the sidewall than most 60's but very grippy. I last had a set of those about 18 months ago. Worth a shot.
I would say you could also easily get 13" Yokohama Advans, or pommy performance tyres like Avon, as in Japan and england both those sizes would be getting plenty of use still.
cheers,
floody

G'day,
I'm trying to figure a way into historic racing. I'm down in tassie, and there seems to be some escorts and mini's running about, but I've never seen (here or on the mainland) a 1200 historic race car. I was thinking one of the touring car categories. Does anyone think that a 1200 coupe would be eligible to run with the valiants, falcons, toranas, mustangs etc in historic class racing? I was thinking stock body, some mild suspension work as per whatever rules apply, A12 with cam, sidedraughts etc. Here in Hobart the local track is baskerville, which is hell tight, so I reckon a little car would be just the ticket, probably keep up with if not beat the big cars. I was looking at a KE17 toyota sprinter but It had front drums and some truly odd gear in the front end so I decided it would be too hard to make handle. All transverse leaf and stuff, a bit like my old 1000 coupe...way too spooky handling...
Anyhow, any ideas? would the regs allow something like this?
cheers,
floody