I've been looking at the parts book. There were reports that the PB110 was a bigger car. From the part numbers and looking at pics, both are the same width, but the front is longer.

Doors are the same
80102-H1000 PANEL ASS'Y door (R.H.) PB110 DX, B110 (GL, GX differ)

All front panels are different: pointed hood, so core support is also pointed, inner fenders are different

boot and rear bumpers are the same
85011-H1000 BUMPER - rear, center PB110, B110 (bumper ends are same as well)
84300-H1000 LID ASS'Y - trunk PB110, B110
rear fenders are different, but the cross panels are same (parcel shelf and waist)
rear panel is different, probably to fit the slightly different tail lights.

roof, pillars etc are all the same
73102-H1000 PANEL ASS'Y - roof PB110, B110
most side pillars are the same
rear wheel house is same

Floor is different, but cross brackets are same as B110, for example:
74310-H1000 MEMBER ASS'Y - cross, front seat (R.H.) PB110, B110

Instrument panel is same dimension
68100-H1000 PANEL ASS'Y - instrument PB110, B110
This is the basic full-width frame, the stuff in front is very different



PB110 Photo Album
Body Styles tech section article

DD, that book of yours is the Holy Grail for Dattos. You realise, if you were to make copies or put it on CD.........cha ching.

Hy. I have some brochures that came in a mag a japanesse friend gave me, a japanesse edition car and driver, all in japanesse(nice pictures though), mags are read from the back to the front, (backwards). Well, the brochures are for the Sunny Excelent 1400 1973, which was a 1200 Datsun(later, the Sunny Excelent 1400 became a PB210 or B210 with "L" engine, due to the 1200 being terminated, its sucesor the B210 being born)...and the story with the Sunny Excelent 1400(1200 type) is the same, appears, as in the B210-Sunny Excelent 1400, in the sense that it is the same vehicle, platform, chasis, only the engine changes(and trans/gear box) and accordingly the front apron and front hood elongates to accomodate the larger motor. The front suspension is probably beefier to accept the heavier motor, and the grill and tailights change, but other than that, it is the same car, dressed up in a wolf costume. The one in the brochure I have has an "L" 14 motor, factory, it must have been a rocket back then, still it is a fast arangement today, imagine back in 72, driving around in a 1200 "L" 14 motored Datto.
Cool.
______________________________________________

Interesting that these so-called "Excellents" never gained the cult status of their A-powered bretheren. It's telling that this is the only two recent pics I've found of an Excellent (except for the race car versions).




In fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if this was the same car. Note the similarities, such as the Bluebird mirrors, in both pics.

Hey Matt, I think they did, in the countries were these cars where available. In South Africa, the 140/160"Z" cars were sold and, as several sites show, they were built up and used in racing too. Not sold in mass numbers, but the car is well known in SA. In Japan it is well known , and also used extensively in racing(same category as 610's, 710's,510's). Well, here in US and Australia we like these small cars, and we like to make them fast, but unfortunatelly(ignore why this happened) these excelent GX models were not marketed. Perhaps these cars were the economic answer to gas problems of those times(70's) and the better "L" engined models would have created a bad reputation(not in performance, of course, but in fuel consumption, ads talked about 35MPG 1200/B210's, a excelent GX twin Hitachi 1200 would not have given that much gas mileage)or confusion, because other than that, I do not understand. Also, probably they wanted to reserve the "L" series engines for their top cars of the time(4 cyl, 180B/610, violet/710/160J, etc)... probably they thought that somebody looking for the "L" powered car would go for a more spacious car(710/610). Truth is we Datto crowd got shortchanged!
They(japanesse automakers) still do things like that, like with Mazdas, I do not know why, the 3 rotor Mazda 20B engined cars never made it to the US, nor to Australia that I know, weird that is.
Jaime.

DGonz, that brochure you posted, the one with all the 1200 excelents is the same one I got, from a japanesse Car and Driver mag, amazing display of these differences, it would be imposible(or very difficult) to own all the 1200 varieties ever made, so many subtle differences, interesting it is.
Jaime._______________________________

Those mirrors are stock Sunny Excellent items. Stock on the GX Coupe, optional on some others.

The PB110 I think wasn't made for the performance of the L14 engine ... most likely for marketing: to fill a need. For someone who liked the Sunny 1200 but had extra dollars and wanted a more upscale vehicle.

someone pointed something out ages ago about the diffrences in overall dimensions of the two cars,

the excellent actually came with bigger and wider wheels i think it was, and this was the reason why the excellent was taller and had a wider track, and as already mentioned the longer nose for the motor meant it was longer, but yeah otherwise i cant see anything that suggests any structural diffrences, i would imagine the l-series box would at least require an (normal 1200) auto tunnel though

It's interesting for sure, maybe someday we'll see them side by side.

The floor pan is entirely different, but all the floor transverse stringers (stiffening braces) are exactly the same suggesting it's the same width.

I think the nose is the same length except for the pointed radiator core support and corresponding pointed hood (the L-series fits in a stock 1200 nose). The fenders are different because they have lights in the front edge. But it's just a guess.

we had one here out in the boon docks of townsville 1000miles from the nearest major city a 1200 coupe excellent everyone in the rally club chased him for that thing but he wouldn't part with it . didnt realise how different it was to other 1200's though, bloody nice car too!