hey all,
ok, i inherited this datto 1200 ute, it runs and is entirely stock, as it was my grandads.
I want to get this car looking good,
i need to strip it and paint it etc, do the suspension, engine (nothing fancy probly just a 2 litre and some webbers) etc....
I wanna do this properly the first time but i dont know where to start, plz i desperatly need some help here..... should i strip and paint first or what i am clueless??
any help on suspension tricks, what should i keep , waht should i change??
what else should go with a l20 engine ??
i need all the help i can get, that is why i joined this forum, that and the fact that dattys f**king rule!!!!!!
all help is very much appreciated, cheers!!!!!!!

An L20 isn't a direct bolt it.

So that wouldn't be too easy. But it is still possible.

I fI were you I would wait until the majorty of the work is done before painting it.

If you need to lips guards or modify other bits it woudl be annoying tohave to do it again. Or if you accidently scratch the paint gettign the old engine out.

Try out martins Datsun page for some basics:
To Start you Off

Umm oh yeah where are you? What country etc...

Has it still got the front drums. That is a good place to start. Find some coupe discs and calipers to put on the front. That would be cheaper than the commodore ect brakes. Keep an eye out for a coupe dash and tacho to replace the clock on your rounds of the wreckers as well. Better off knowing your revs than the time.

Probably be a good start to keep an eye on the trading post for an A14 or 15. Be heaps less work than the 2L and performance wise would not be too far off.

Rear leafs can be reset pretty cheap. To drop the back end down, and some lowered king springs on the front a good start.

It all depends on your budget, how much you want to do yourself and how fast you wanna go.

Have fun.
mely

the L series will require a fair bit of work to fit, but if you are interested I can give some advice there. If you go with a conversion, complete that before painting the car, as you might find you have to massage a few parts of the engine bay.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the coupe discs, and they arguably aren't an upgrade at all. Road tests of the time showed the drum braked sedans out performed the discs braked coupes in stopping distances! Go straight for the Stanza front brakes which will give you a very worthwhile upgrade to braking and suspension for probably no more money. Added benefits of about 0.5 to 1 degree neg camber, more castor, and bigger diameter inserts.

I don't want to sound like a grumpy old kill joy but I reckon you should just drive it around for a while before you mod it. That way you will get a better idea of what you want. Upgrading to Stanza fronts is a good move and won't mean you're parked up for long. If you start trying to do everything at once it's easy to lose interest because it's off the road for a long time - just ask Lump_a_ Charcoal.

Quote:
Amen my brutha! I have so many half assed projects waiting to be finished i should probably have my butt kicked.
Want a list? The Chickenhawk, Gil/Mini-Pearl, Herman (the 4x4), George (the turbo), The Louisiana Purchase, the Chuck Wagon, the Honduh, the 200SuX, and various Pit Cart buggies and scooters. Of course, since they are never truly finished, I guess I could include my daily driver Subaru too.
I need to lie down for a minute. Putting things into perspective is overrated.

ok,
if i were to get an A15 or something close to that, what should i do to that to get just as much performance wise as i would out of an l20????
where would i find a A15 engine?????
i dont what to be super fast or anything, jsut fast enuff to beat stock comodors, or exels with sports ehaust....
like seriously, im asking u guys, if u had a stock ute, what would be the first thing u would do to it????????
what parts in my ute are still ok and what parts should i replace?????
i can drive it now btw(stock), it runs ok
-thx

I would use the ute/pick-up to haul around the A15 and 5spd and everything else you need from the junkyard. Get the engine rebuilt and have a decent cam installed. Find some used sidedrafts and intake, headers/extractors and whatever else you'll need. Then take a weekend ( or week) once you have everything, and drop it in.
Its just that easy. Now...why haven't I done the same?

ok,
what type of car do i get an A15 out of?
and what is a good cheap 5 speed man gear box that fits good in a ute?

osmo,a15's or a14's mostly came in 81 sunny (b310) wagons here in aus,or in c22 vanettes.they are becoming harder & harder to find.if you're very lucky,you might find a 5 speed behind the a15 in the sunny.this will go into the 1200 ute with the fabrication of a gearbox crossmember.in america,it seems a14/5's & 5 speeds are very common,so it all depends on where you are.you can also try the ozdat classifieds'as i notice there are several a15's for sale.you could also try some of the engine builders,as they sometimes have spares kicking around you can get out of their way.good luck looking,& remember,if you find 2,you could always sell the second to someone on this site.