Hi Guys,

Here is my little project car. Its a 1969 Datsun 1000 ute that I picked up for a great price.... Lets just say a carton of grog and $100!!

Well its the second ute I've owned, the first was a 1200 and I kicked myself getting rid of it. Its pretty tidy, but does need a bit of work still.

Now it has been lowered front and rear, has the A12 engine and thats about it. I plan to do something a little different with this one -> along the lines of a Yamaha bike engine...

Seen this round wagga before mate its super clean! used to get driven by an old bloke doin local deliverys.

Thats correct! It doesn't get driven as much anymore. The parents are borrowing it at the moment, but the engine is on its last legs. Can't kill em though! I love it!

im thinking about the bike engine conversion right now too!

are you thinking of keeping the bike gear box or mating the engine up to a normal car box?

if your staying with the bike gear box. what are your ideas for reverse?

I'm thinking of keeping the bike gearbox, 6 speed sequential gearchanges = awesome! Only idea at this stage was a guy had one in a Lotus Clubman that had a cog on one of the rear wheels run by a starter motor. Or there is a company "Quafe" that do make a reversing gearbox, but thats pretty expensive. Thats one problem for later on!

Looks good! Are you gonna mid mount or foward mount the engine?

And please tell me your taking those horrible trailer lights off the back of it!

Looks like it has a coupe bumper too

Yeah, trailer lights will go. I needed them to pass it for rego! (Good eyesite picking that up!)
Engine will be front mounted. I have an EVO III turbo lying around too, just in case I get the urge later on. The Coupe bumper sounds like a bonus.

I sometimes wished I had one for a convertible project as they just need the doors welded up halve way and just have halve height doors in fibreglass with Lotus 7 style windscreens.
Also a big bore 2 litre notchback style VW engine in the rear with subaru box and side inlet manifolds fed by a snail to keep a flat tray.
The front would just have storage space under the bonnet.
Instead of the heavy tailgate you could just have some scratch proof lexan with chrome surrounds, Chrome the grille as they are tin and get the deluxe sedan stainless chrome window trim surrrounds.

those zcar minis with the bike engines use a toothed gear with an electric engine (which they can register over there) and so do our auscar things.

but i would love to know if we can do the same here for the road

I've been told that the main issue with Bike Engined Cars is that because a bike does not have a cat converter, you cant get them registered in a car. However I am wondering if that because the 1000 is so old, wether or not it still applies to such an old car...