The Bakkies have a higher roof line and the rear window is reversed from it's original position so it protrudes out towards the tray. NZ got both short and long wheel base utes.B120 was the shorty and GB120 was the longer one. Later model utes around 85 were designated B122 & GB122.

Good stuff can't wait to see that up and running again...did it include rods etc that were missing from the other engine??

Let's just clear up a couple of points...the Bathurst 1200s were based on production cars, they definately did not just get plucked from the production line and have the hot bits dropped in. In 75 I think the car John Boston has was specially ordered from Datsun Competition(now Nismo) to do the job at Bathurst in 76. Those cars were extremely well engineered and to be honest highly illegal !!Though in their defence many other teams were bending the rules as well. The engines remained the property of Datsun and were very special. The valvetrains were ultra light and the metalurgy used was highly advanced for the time. I have no doubts they were seeing the revs quoted and possibly more. I personally have revved A12s to close to 10,000rpm and the crank hasn't dropped out! The old timers like Bert and Vixen obviously have a bit of knowledge accrued on these cars and slowly the answers to the "how did they do that" ,that we all ask ourselves are getting answered.I have been researching the factory cars for many years and have even talked to the President of Datsun Competition at the time and he was very reluctant to even now divulge details about those cars and he knew them well. As they are still highly regarded in the organisation. I have a 1974 Datsun build manual which details in very fine detail how to build a 1298cc A12 with factory crank etc to produce a reliable 135 hp. That is without the sodium filled valves and titanium rockers the works cars had....as well as special build pushrods, followers etc etc...

Many years ago I was caught on a radar equipped plain clothes car at 152 mph. The cop took ages to catch up and was truly surprised that I stopped when I saw his flashing lights. After a short question and answer session he warned me and let me go......ah the good old days. My last ticket was for 61 kph in a 50kph zone. And if your'e curious it was'nt in a Datto. it was a seriously built 3.9 litre V8 MGBGT.

Your mate has the numbers wrong....there were only around 200 120y SSS's built. The 1200 version had over 4x that number. By the way you got a bargain,but what it's worth restored is a tough answer...it's how much someone wants to pay.

The GTO's were sold new in NZ and were extremely popular and many still survive. There was a hotter GSR version with twin carbs and screw on flares they are still one of my favourites.

I guess it would be true to call me a helpless petrolhead...

71 1200 GX coupe
70 1200 Coupe rotary racecar
72 Mazda 1000 ute
70 Ford Escort RS2000
76 XC GS Falcon 351
65 MGB
70 MGB
71 MG Midget A14 powered.
31 MG M type supercharged
28 Model A pick up hot rod project.

+ the boring Falcon wagon and Honda Accord family cars...

I can't be as old as Dodgeman and can definately remember the last time and doing it in a 1200 coupe!!! Being a light car I reccomend not parking on a grassy slope in Winter. The rocking motion from heavy "sleeping" can cause the car to slide further down the slope until it's hits a fence post on the edge of a large drop........requiring the assistance of a tow truck to pull it back up

Any thing new always has it's sceptics, look at shopeening, tuftriding and nitrating. All processes that have been introduced and taken on by engine buiders.I used to work in a foundry and if a cast iron casting was exposed to a breeze from an open door it was enough chill the metal and make it brittle and hard, making it a bugger to machine. Castings were covered and allowed to cool slowly. This new process is just a development of what has been known for years, temperature alters the structure of metals. Cryo treatment is relatively new and I was keen to see if the claims for increased durability and strength were true. So at work we took too brand new and identical pumps and had one cryo trated and it wasn't cheap. After two years the cryo pump is still in service with no wear while the untreated pump is now sheduled for replacement. These pumps have a severe work cycle with hot and cold acidic products and can run for 48 hrs non stop. If I could afford it I would be using this treatment on my engine components. I understand that there are rule changes in the Supercar engine specs to cover this technology, and you don't find much more technically advanced pushrod engines than those things..

Fit the sidiedraughts mate.....you will want to fit extractors/headers at the same time cause you rarely get an inlet manifold to clear the standard exhaust manifold. To really make use of the carbs you should fit a new performance cam and you will be pleased with the transformation . As for the story about about Webers being no longer available that is complete horse ####. Weber sold the manufacturing rights and they are now made in Mexico. DCOE and IDAs are still available new in all the popular sizes.