I am starting to think that none of todays cars will ever occupy the sort of place that our Datsuns currently do.

What makes these Datsuns so great and able to last the distance is their simplicity,anyone with a bit of aptitude and a few spanners can soon sort out anything that may ever go wrong with them .

Changing engines is a simple one man job.

It is easy to make them go faster, anyone can do it.

Todays cheap and cheerful cars are too tinny, after a few years of use most are ready for the wreckers.

Front wheel drive, multi valve ,overhead camshafts and fuel injection make working on or modifying these cars a real pain in the arse.

Remember the last time you tried to change the clutch in a front wheel drive,its torture.

I was 17 when I pulled my first head off an A motor and didnt know anything, it worked out OK, I fixed it myself.
halfway through trying to take the head of a Swift GTI at age 35 I called a tow truck and sent it to a shop.

Most of the cars today are designed to be disposable,
and the truly great ones like the R32 GTR Skyline are keeping their owners of today broke,imagine what a money pit they would be in another 20 years. Who is going to fix the four wheel steering then ,most mechanics are scratching their heads now.

Maybe I'm missing the point of this thread, but my idea of a modern day 1200 would be similar to the NEO 510 project at freshalloy.com.

What about the current Holden Barina (Opel/Vauxhall Corsa)? Before you laugh, there are a lot of similarities. They are nippy for such a small motor (1.4). They handle really well through roundabouts. They have 2 doors & 4 doors as well as a sports model, the 1.8 SRI. They have the potential for substantial powerups ie. 1.8 astra, 1.8 astra turbo, 2.2 Vectra motor. They have good brakes and they are better put together (and heavier unfortunately) than most of the competition. The current corollas, civics, etc have got too big. If only I could fit chrome bumpers & rear wheel drive. The silvias & skylines are not really the same as 1200s.

but try getting something like a tie rod end or replacement window rubbers in 30 years for these cars - enev the VT commodore NOS is obsolete now!

i think corollas are on par for a datsun replacement, like the AE86 sprinter, the AE82s for engine conversions etc etc. they still suck in comparison, but are the only car i can think of that the average joe can fix and modifications are plenty.

I think what this thread proves is that there will probably never be another car quite like the Datto 1200 which explains why enthusiasts such as yourselves (and myself) invest so much time, money, blood, sweat & tears on these little gems.

Long live the Datto 1200!

Maybe I should remove my location before putting my two cents in so I don't get hunted down... but I'm thinking you will see the odd WRX and EVO Lancer in 3O years time.

I agree with sprite63.
Anyhow,
Give it 30years and someone will be pressing out complete new shells of 1200's just like they do with 32 fords. Its just a shame it will be a ute since it would be the easiest to make.

nissan pulsar sss hatch...... 1992 till 2001
honta civic vtir 3dr hatch
honda integra type r (previous shape)
nissan s15 200sx
aw11 mr2 (supercharged if possible 4agze)
evo 3
my99 wrx sti coupe
r31 skyline passage and shiloette
1977 celica

more coming....these are off the top of my head
.......
boof why ask anyone else... you should know where to come

unfam, a few of the cars you've listed i can see following into the classic/cult car such as the mr2, the sti coupe, r31 shiloette but for most of us the chance to own a couple you've listed (sti, wrx, evo) would be hard enough now, let alone in 20-30 years and parts ???? also wondered how long it'd take for you to reel out a handful
matbighat, think you're a little off track .... was trying to come up with a current/recent car, that over the next 20 years will develop a following as the 1200 has, with the same availability for upgrades, resale, all round likability. the 510/1600 can also fall into this easy enough as its current day following is still huge.
the barina/corsa, i think, could come close to being a car to keep an eye on. they've been around quite a while and as for upgrades and even base performance in their own range of models they have always been of a good standard, especially now with the strong european background.

i'm really luvin this thread, it's extreemly interesting reading others views on this as it's been something i've wondered alot about. and it also adds to the reason we luv our little dattos so much

keep 'em coming guys !!!!

hmmmmmmmm. i think that this is a great post, and it makes you think about things that wouldn't normally enter your head. and honestly after scratching my head for a while and reading everyone elses posts, i dont think that there will ever be a car anything like the datsun 1200's, and 1000's. back in the day when the 1200's and 1000's were built, i think that the motor car designers had their heads screwed on, simple, affective, small, and best of all rear wheel drive. the best part about the datsuns i think were that they were family cars, people bought them because they were inexpensive and cheap to run, they were not sports car. and thats why i feel that they have lasted 30years, and they are still good ones about, with orig engins, diffs and gearboxes. maybe some people think that the silvia s13, and 14's, will take there place, but i honestly dont think that they will go the distance. the main purpose of these cars are sports, or sporty cars, and they are all hammed, i dont think that they will be able to last thirty years like the little datsuns. but hey this is just opinion, and you can agree or agree to disagree, but i feel strongly that the datsun 1200's, 100'0's, and 1600's, will never be able to be replaced, and i dont think that there is any car out there that would even come close to it.