So after a long while, the time has come to get my project build going, but first a little history on the project as every car has a story.

I bought the car in 2008 from an elderly man who's family didn't want it and he could no longer drive it. He apparently got the car from his mother who bought the car new in 1972. As far as we know, the car hasn't left the state of Nevada in the US, so the car is pretty rust free.

At some point in the late '70s it was involved in a pretty serious crash. The extensive bodywork is there to prove it. The front driver strut tower was replaced and there are a number of other places that were beaten out and bondo covered.

When I got the car, it was complete, but in pretty sorry shape. They told me it didn't run since the motor was apparently locked up. I got it back to the shop and found out the alternator was froze up. I had a spare alternator and soon found the car did run, but only on three cylinders. The car was also an automatic, so taking off with three cylinders was pretty slow. You almost had to rev the piss out of it then dump the thing into gear.

First off, I have a tremendous respect for the A12 that came with this car. On 3 cylinders, this sucker could still get up to 100mph. After driving it for a month, I parked the car and took the motor apart. Then I found the piston had the entire side of it scraped off. Not fun. Originally I was going to do a restoration on the car and go 0.050mm oversize on the pistons. Then I found an A14 in the junkyard (actually quite rare here) but the motor was stuffed. I acquired a KA24DE to put in it, but had financial problems and sold the motor. I had built a Z22ET for my Datsun 720 4x4 (my other datsun love) and was going to take that motor and put it in the 1200 at one point. A friend had an L16 I thought about putting in, but I thought better of it. After a while I found this place, started pouring over the Tech Wiki section and settled on going A series.

Then I saw a silvia CA18DE with transmission, harness and ECU for sale. I wanted EFI reliability and something that would look good and fit well in the car. Of all the swaps, I really wanted to stay away from the turbo as I plan to drive this daily.

So last year I started work on the car. My goal is to build the car as something that I can take to local car shows to help promote my shop. More importantly, I want to drive the car and enjoy it, but I do not want this to be another JDM crazy rat-rodded, stickered up concoction.

The car is being worked inside and out. The body had rust on the inside-out in the floors where it collects condensation. We have patched all of the rusted floor panels and we will be coating the floors and underbody with POR-15 rust preventative paint.

Under the hood I will be using a CA18DE from an s13 silvia, mated to a '720 2wd stumpy FS5W71B transmission. Out back I have installed an H165 axle from a 1978 Datsun 200SX. The front suspension and brakes are from a B310 (because they were free) with 1200 springs and strut tops. The fuse box was rotted, so I replaced it with one from a Painless products kit that I had laying around. I basically took it and spliced it into the stock wiring, which for the most part was in great condition.

I was donated a set of Konig B.Bomb wheels for the car, so those are going on. Since they stick out of the wheel well slightly, I am going to flare the fenders

Beyond that, I'm going to paint the car Scion Deep Jewel Green.

For gauges, I'm using an AutoMeter traditional chrome speedometer and tach in the factory locations.

I hope to update this build regularly as I make progress. I also want to let you all know I am very grateful for all of the information here on the site. It am in your debt for all your help.

True, most people new to track driving are starting out with some fine pieces of machinery. Back in the day, you started out with something and then "set the car up" to suit your driving style. With cars "set up" already, the opposite appears to occur in that people are adjusting themselves to the car.

If you think back even merely 15 years ago, setting a car up for the track was a big deal. Think of how far we have come! Even now, if you wanted to start with a basic car, the web has so much help and information out there, you could get a car pretty much dialed into the ballpark before you wear the first nubs off the tire. Not so before!

Somebody I once knew thought it was important that no matter what, you start off in a lower-horsepower car that did not have the ABS, Tracton control, etc (grandmother) modules and learn how to drive at the limit and get the feel for that first. He said experience proved that if you would do that, in the end you could take a much more modern car and out-drive someone who may be equally familiar to their modern car in the same car.

But I just build cars...

BTW, Rallytwit I still have some parts to deliver to you someday!

Get a wrecked car with a title and slap the vin plates on. Otherwise, the car is pretty useless. CA20E was a fine motor for the street and getting groceries but on the track it has its shortfalls. In street trim in a 1200 that would be pretty good especially fuel injected. It's relatively easy to wire that harness into the 1200.

What year is the car? Need to know this to determine what generation of ECCS it has.

I'd say if you're after more torque, bigger displacement is the right direction, but what if you went a different route? I don't know what your limitations are when looking at engines. Anything bigger than the A-Series will obviously throw off the balance of the car more to the front. (of course you know that) Again, not sure how you have to have the car set up.

Oh, by the way, I still have a stack of parts to someday deliver to you.

I used a fuse box from a 12 circuit used painless products harness we took out of a car that got wrecked. It fit gret in the stock location and gave ma some additional outputs for the EFI.

BTW this is probably the BEST forum for ANY Datsun/Nissan I have ever been on!! Great work!

As I heard, the A series engine seemed to be the basis for the E series (SOHC version) and the E series was the basis of the CA series. If all that is true, the CA will be relatively comparable from the standpoint of the block. The head due to it's mass is definitely twice as heavy, the intake is twice as heavy not to mention the other ancillary things. Apparently the All aluminum SR weighs about as much as a CA, so for a Cast iron block motor, the CA is relatively lightweight.

I had an A12 motor and transmission from the car. I really would like somebody to take it off your hands. Shoot me an e-mail at da82kc@hotmail.com and let's talk about meeting up to talk about the car.

As for the transmission I'm going to use, I planned on trying a stubby fs5w71b transmission, since I do have one.

Interesting thought on those sentra brakes though. Will have to check that out.

TITLE: Include in the title your Country (e.g. AUS or USA or ZA, etc)

ITEM:
LB110 A12 with JATCO L3N71B automatic transmission.

CONDITION:
Engine is apart, Cylinder head is fine, but #3 piston has a broken ring with some scuffing to cylinder wall. Transmission is fine and when removed fluid had a nice red color. Carburetor was a reman unit and comes with engine.

REASON FOR SELLING:
Swapping in a CA18DE engine and no longer will need any of the original A12 components

PRICE AND PRICE CONDITIONS:
Make an offer, will ship wherever but buyer assumes price of shipping. Just want motor to go somewhere other than a scrapyard

EXTRA INFO:
Also available is the original A/T shifter which I can throw in. Not sure about shipping overseas though.

LOCATION:
Las Vegas, Nevada USA

CONTACT:
da82kc@hotmail.com

PICTURES:
Will post as I have available

So I bought an LB110 coupe in 2008 for $200 and have been sitting on it until I had time and money to get it going. I got a great deal on an s13 NA CA18DE motor swap and since I have been hoarding parts for this project for a while I thought it best to start in on it now.

I know what I need as far as mounting the motor, frankly fabbing up for the mounts isn't even a concern of mine. I also picked up a stronger H165 Axle out of a 1978 S10 200SX(silvia). (Quite a rare find might I add)

I do need some advice on brakes. I've been pouring over the Tech Wiki for a while but I'm not sure what direction to turn. The brakes worked actually real good when I got the car and from 100mph with the old A12 it stopped just fine. I don't compete with the car, but want something fun to drive and good looking. But, now I wonder if the brakes will be up to task. Not sure if I just want to get the motor in and tackle it later or not.

Great! I work for a performance shop in Las Vegas and have access to a professional shop and equipment, so fabrication was never a problem. The motor was given to me by a friend, and will be gone through extensively. As I said earlier, I know my way around cars, but I don't know everything.

I just bought a 1972 Coupe and have been putting parts together for a japanese resto-rod project.... Want to know if anyone else has put a KA24E into a 1200 or if I'm just going way too far. I'd like to hear, because it looks like a tight but doable fit. Any tips would be helpful. Was looking to keep it fairly simple and straightforward. Not looking for a rocketship, but not looking to get embarassed. I intend to drop the motor in and fab up whatever need be, then pull the motor and perform a full body restoration. In other words, not my main driver, my datsun truck is, so I've got nothing but time...

Also, what kind of rear disc choices do I have. I think the rear disc setup off the S110 200SX would fit, but there again, I'm a Datsun 720 truck guru, not a Datsun 1200 know-all.