$140! WTF? Who are you pricing the kit through? I just did the conversion from sealed beams (circa 1974) to H4 halogen semi sealeds in the XB and it cost me a lot less and they are all new parts.

Head down to your local Super Cheap Auto store: Semi Sealed beams $17.99 each x 2, Autotechica H4 Opti Blue Platinums $24.99 pair = $60.97, 15mins of your weekend and hey presto, halogen lights. This was the best $60 I have ever spent and it has made a major improvement. I only got the 60/55W globes, the 100/90W are overkill and as someone said you would have to beef up the wiring.

I recomend it to anyone who comes in to buy sealed beams, #### it I recomend it to anyone.

Cheers,
Simon

I work for Super Cheap and we can order in Gregory's manuals. I havent asked Gregory's about 1200 ones but way back when I got my first 1200 I wanted a workshop manual and the bloke I spoke with at this shop that sells them told me they dont print them anymore (cant remember if it was Haynes or Gregory's he was talking about). But if you got one from Super Cheap then I spose we can get 'em still. I am lucky my 1200 had one in it when I got it.

I hate thinking about buying engines that are not in cars and running. At least you can take them for a fang and feel for faults.

Anyway, I think you need to invest in a compression tester. This will help you get an idea of what the rings, valves and pistons conditions are. I would also check the colour of the oil, look for leaks around gaskets, check the points for wear, spark plug condition (running lean/rich etc). Check things that you would try and keep in good condition because it will give you an idea of how the previous owner did/didnt look after it.

What you other guys reckon?

Simon

There are two different octane ratings: RON and MON. RON is the Research Octane Number, it is the fuels ability resist detonation during acceleration. MON is the Motor Octane Number and it is the fuels propensity to knock at high engine speeds.

The "R+M/2" is the RON + the MON divded by two, used in some parts of the world instead of one of them.

How do you measure octane rating? A special machine called a "variable compression ratio test engine" is used. Anyone have a clue how this works? I am interested.

Hope this helps

Simon

I hate to be a pain, but, if you do a search Im sure you will find some previous threads on this topic. I even remember throwing in a few cents worth of my own, cant remember what I said tho..haha.

I dont know if I have mentioned this before but has anyone used one of the Crane Ignition systems. Zoom magazine tested one on a 1200 ute running an A12 and from my vague memory it gave a 33% power increase!

I have priced both the XR700 (street use) and XR3000 (race unit) through my work (Super Cheap Auto) and both seem like a great investment. I was talking to the bloke I bought my rally car off and he said he had one of these systems in the car before I bought it and it saved him lots of headaches, so guess what?, Im gonna get one so I dont have to stuff with points. The kit comes with optical pick up, module, the lot basically, all you have to do is set it up.

Sounds like when I was getting my coupe painted Chris. Mind you I got a shmiko 2-pak paint job at mates rates so I could let it go on for a little while but then I had to start calling and dropping in cause I was getting inpatient.

My dream Datto driveline?? Well...like some of you guys have said already, its what I am building at the moment. I just want my rally motor built and running hard.

But for a circuit or street Datto I would love either of the following: An SR20DE with the quad throttle bodies like the photo of that black coupe, an SR20DET equipped coupe that could break traction when ever you wanted but also had such good suspension that it could also stick to the road like #### to a blanket, even off the line. Thats a hard one to understand isnt it, but if money was really no object I still love the idea of shoe horning an RB26DETT and Hollinger 6 speed sequential gearbox into a 1200 Coupe. This thing should also have the suspension mentioned above. Imagine it, whooping Skylines, Porches, M3's, you name it it could spank it, oohhh baby! It would have to have flares and some wicked new school alloys. Coated in my old coupes colour...GT-R Skyline Charcoal Metallic Grey. What a horn bag!

Mate, I had the same problem on Friday. Went to Hobart Nissan dealer. I was after at least four maybe five GX inlet/exhaust manifold gaskets. Why? Well a mate wants a couple and I need a couple for the rally car. So anyway, I was waiting for some bloody service. This bloke says "can I help you?" I reply with "yeah, Im after a inlet/extractor gasket for a Datsun A12 GX motor". This bloke is stunned. I said "the same one came out on a A15 with the oval port head". This bloke still has no idea. "What is the motor in?" "Umm...(thats not relevant but I knew what he meant) a Datsun Sunny" He goes on to say that they never came out with "extractors (as I put it)". Now I work at Super Cheap Auto and the number of people that ask for EXTRACTOR GASKETS for thier Holden 202 is rediculous! Do you think I know what they are talking about? Ofcourse! If your extractors are different to the normal exhaust at the manifold then just modify the gasket. He finally finds it and say he has none in stock and it would cost $36 each to order in.

I just went "yeah right, leave it with me". Why didnt I just order them through my work in the first place? Simply because we dont keep em in stock and I wanted it that day. So now I will order some in through my work which will be a hell of a lot cheaper, hence the name Super Cheap.

It just crapped me how he was such a rude, furken arrogant prick! And working in a very similar job it got me fumeing.

Now sometimes we have to ask what appear to be stupid questions like " What is the motor out of?" Where some people have chucked a 5 litre Chev V8 into their tractor and havent a furken clue! It is only for the sake of trying to look it up in a bloody catalouge to get a part number, stop getting ####ty, because I dont ask the question like your a dick, so dont say "It doesnt matter what its out of, just get me the part!"

There is also a lot we can do for people that obviously no one else bothers to do. I had a bloke that wanted the filter and chrome housing for his Weber, and it had no ID plates on it. So what do I do? Tell him that "nah, sorry cant do it?" No, I pulled of his base plate of the housing (the rest had fallen off onto the road), traced it, faxed it to our supplier and, weh hey, they sent us the right one.

Sorry for having a whinge, but I will never go back to that Nissan dealer because that bloke just shat me off. This was an eye opener, and you wont catch me talking like this dickhead.

I agree with Chris. Daniel and Pedro have put a lot of time and $$$ into creating this club and it would be great to see the hosting fees for the site paid for by a little fundrasing. Maintaining the site I feel is no.1 priority. If we can further develop the site with new technology etc from the funds we raise that would be even better.

One site I have seen this work at is www.fordforums.com It is a site similar to our own and it has a huge following. They were in dire need of funds to keep the site going. So much so that there was no fundraising, if you like, it was people actually donating $10 here or there even a few hundred just to keep the site up. They sold stickers of: www.fordforums.com to the members of the site. They come in two sizes, 1 is the big one that goes right across the front/rear window the other is a smaller one for side windows or for people who dont want to clutter the car with huge stickers. These are sold at reasonable prices that still create profit for the site. As far as I know there are now T-Shirts and caps avaliable. I feel we could learn from the guys on this site, because they seem to be going from strength to strength. Sure they have a huge following that appears to be based mostly in Australia but I think the way they have keept the site up and running and growing is worth looking at.

I am down for at least 3 stubbie holders 1200rc! How cool would they be? (excuse the pun) We could do different designs. I like the idea of a sillouette of the car, or that dude fixing it, on one of the holders. Then we could think up some piss funny sayings to go on some.

We all love our Datto's and I am sure that what ever we decided to make/do would be supported 100% by us the members. I mean, if I had a sticker for this site it would be on the rally car, if I had a stubbie holder I would not use any other one, if I had a t-shirt or cap I would wear it with pride.

We just need to decide what we want to start with, who will start the ball rolling, who has the connections, and how to collect money etc.

I will shut my pie hole now!

Datto's - Love ya work!

Simon

Yeah in at work we have two types. One for $93 and one for $129, we can also order in Goss and those Holley ones. The two on the shelf run between 3-5.5 psi (i think).

I might look at getting a couple of Goss ones for the rally car. Wont bother with a regualtor, just a t-piece in the line should do the trick and cost $0.

I just installed a Fuel Pressure Gauge in my XB ute and its awesome. Mind you my electric pump in the ute runs at 7psi at idle, not sure what brand of pump it is.