nickmitty, id say im passionate about 1200s, but i sure as hell wouldn't pay the price people want for A series boxes

at the end of the day if you put a decent amount of torque through them they will break, and you will have a very gearbox that you wont be able to find parts to fix it.
celica box would be a better option if you are going to spend that kinda money and really wanted to keep the A series, and atleast if you break one you can replace it easy.

But then if you are a handy person you can do a CA conversion for a bit more money and have a 5 speed that wont break and a whole lot more power you can put through it.

nothing says you cant be enthusiastic about a car that performs better than stock, sometimes it just means you are being more sensible with how you spend your money on it

Pigdog, i'd say yes and no. I am passionate also. In the late 80's I ran a dynoed 177hp methanol motor and from memory 123rwhp with alfa lsd, rx3 radiator and bla bla . I sure as hell did not run a dogleg in it, it was a celica box. To me that was not a datto 1200,(actually Datto 1000) but more a hybrid, like a ca motor or rotary etc. Built for a specific purpose. But if you were restoring a 1200 to former glory.The car would retain its value. You would respect your car and treat it right. Know its limits. Perhaps spend 15k-20k on it over a few yrs. You wouldn't then weld spot lights to the roof and take it bush bashing and roo shooting in it and then down the local drags and cane the ass out of it. And I never implied you cant be enthusiastic about a car that performs better than stock. Purpose supercedes everything, then sensibility and then money.And yes a celica box is cheaper and a much better alternative if your running serious hp. But not everyone wants a 12 sec car.........

im building my wagon with nothing stock in it, and the idea is for it to take a thrashing. doesnt mean i dont care about it....just means i know that it will be built to take abuse and respond accordingly. will always be garaged, cleaned and serviced. but wont be driven lightly

anyway, the point i was making was more that there are smarter things to spend money on than an A series 5 speed. a celica box is an example of this

an engine conversion is another example if power will be chased later on down the track

personally i see both points of view but a factory standard 1200 rarely came with a 5 speed, so unless you have a shell with the coresponding codes that say it had a 5 speed standard, it will be treated as a modified car.

thats how anal concourse restorers are. i remeber from my mini days when i put a 1100cc into my mini that was an ex vic police deluxe- they say i desicrated it, i said no- the motor that vic police installed in it wasnt on the build plates anyway.

Lol, my brother is/was an anal concourse restorer (charger)and it was amazing !! And as Pigdog stated, his car was designed to thrash, so that was its Purpose. Most of the kids out there that want a pocket rocket will put a Ca motor or Rotary in one. The rally blokes will do their thing, speedway ect ect. But then there are a majority of kids that just do a few little mods here n there and make it a little more zippy... I think this being a Datsun forum, we should encourage other to stick as much as possible to original.I am not a mechanic but know what most parts are and where they go but I would not give mechanical advise. This forum is amazing for knowledge but we don't encourage enough. Example- A kid will ask how to stroke and zip his A12 so it had 100+hp and the answers he gets is " Save ya money kid, slap a sr20 in it, 9" diff with mini tubb's and a parachute". I don't know about you, but I'd be more impressed seeing a 100hp 1200 with 120y disc and h165 diff with a genuine 5-speed than what I just described. And though its not totally original, it is as close as you can get. I know a few now will argue whats the difference, well near enough is good enough in this respect. There wont be too many A-series motors out there doing sub-14"s and as you know, they are a tough unit and A-series gearboxes and diff's can handle a 14-15sec car. And just think about how many unadulterated 1200's left and what they'll be worth in a few years to come. And Pigdog, I respect and fully understand what you say, but at the end of the day, no matter what engine you build and how much it cost's, it won't survive constant abuse.

Unless you were lucky enough to pick up the celica box very cheap.. .and even luckier to find a dellow kit or have access to a machine shop to cut and shut an auto bellhousing... I don't think you'd do the celica conversion for less than a A series 5 speed
I certainly won't be parting with my celica deal for less than a generaous offer

Curiosity has got the better of me .. In dollars, whats a generous offer??

someone should make a conversion kit for CA/SR boxes they are cheap, plentiful and can handle enything an A series could throw at it.

You Aussies should start taking full advantage of your strong dollar and start plundering Trade Me in NZ! There's one for sale in Dunedin I think from memory for NZ$450 or thereabouts and no buggar over here seems to have any money so it could be relatively easy pickings even by the time you factor in the freight.

Just wont to kno if the later model b310 manual 4 spd box could bolt on to the a12 stock,and are the ratios different?anyone?