I'd like one of 2 of those cheap 5 speeds too.
I looked for one for 2 yrs before I bought my celica conversion and couldn't find a single one.
So if you find them pass the info around.

I too am wondering about Conversions for datsun 1200's.
What would be the advantage of going for a CA18 N/A over a 4age? The reason i say this is because i dont want a turbo or supercharger, and a 4AGE is like alot cheaper here in NZ. Are they hard to fit into a 1200 coupe? Also toyota 5 speeds are cheaper here, and there are more tuning bits around for 4AGEs.
cheers, Volod

lol! please! support a local perth boy!
1200rallycar has secretly told me that he is a closet lada fan! (what more reason do you need lol?) .. just jokes
a 5 speed is really on the books because the gears on the 1000 box are just too short for the torque of the A15, plus I'll probably end up breaking it anyway.. so if you decide to get one for yourself and there are any spare I'll be there quicker than an alco to a pissup, just give the word!

folds down in a coupe, no firewall behind there but a sedan one i doubt folds down, put me down for a couple of $250 five speeds if you can get em, seriously if you can get 2 at that price ill buy them so check up and see please

a15 will go straight in if you make up a plate for the mount, ive been meaning to make a diagram of this for another guy on here and havent had a chance to find the plates i have spare to make it, but i swear ill do that tommorow (saturday)(ive said ill do it tommorow one other time but it didnt happen) and ill explain how its used for you then

Yes the rear seat folds down in a coupe. The gas tank is under the trunk.
Good luck.
Angelo

There's a guy near to work who is a Morris Minor expert. Something I learnt is that Datsun basically took the engine out of a Morris Minor and perfected it and called it the A10. The rest is history (That's why so many MM owners put A series motors in - I'm sure you guys already know this though).

I'm starting to ply him for info and stuff and basically get on his good side as he has a lot of access to plenty of Datsun stuff.

I'm looking long term here and see him as a potentially valuable source for parts/ info.

I'll definitely keep you in the loop...

Am I right about the rear seat being a fold down item ? I think there is a space behind the rear seat in front of the rear firewall. But I could be WAY off base with this...

where my man!? I NEED ONE!!


>$1000 for the 5 speed ??? In Perth I've >heard of them going for $250 !!
>
>They're still FAIRLY common here... I >know of 6 all within 300m of where I work !!

What can I say Guys... you definitely seem to have all the answers !!! I've been thinking about it and I'll probably go the A15 route... that way it is only an engine mount modification (or so I can tell from the site's info...

Thanks also for the ULP stuff Chris.

Yes, I do have another car - a '93 XR@ Turbo convertible as well as a Navara Tray top (handy for the inevitable Wrecker Run !!!)

$1000 for the 5 speed ??? In Perth I've heard of them going for $250 !!

They're still FAIRLY common here... I know of 6 all within 300m of where I work !!

The whole reason I'm doing the project is that I miss my very first car, a '77 120Y and liked the look of the 1200 better. I've also read that the rear seat on the coupe is a fold down item. Is this true ???

But at the end of the day, I'm looking for something that is ...zippy (for lack of a better word) and that most important word of all, the 'F' word - fun.

I'll keep you posted on the hunt for the 1200...

Quote:

The A series engine should run fine on ULP. You might have to retard the timing a couple degrees, or do what I do. run it on PULP (Premium Unleaded).

Chris

P.S welcome to the club

It all comes down to money, research, time and a balance of patience versus desire.

Sounds like you have another car. So that might be a positive. But how badly do you want complete this conversion? What other priorities might slow down the project? Hey I hear you saying, this guy's a negative ba$%ard.

If you just like driving 1200 for it's simplicity, then keep it simple. An A-14 or A15 would be good. Especially if you can get an A series engine in really good or highly worked condition. I suspect with all the other conversions going on, there must be a few around. Getting a 5 speed is not only hard, it's expensive. Factor in $1000. This will get you an original Sunny 5 speed, (maybe a B110 race-option 5spd), or it will buy you a Dellow conversion housing and a Celica 5 speed. This will involve another couple of hundred bucks for new gearbox mounts and tailshaft.

A bigger A series and 5 speed conversion, with a new 5 speed could take from 2 days to 2 weeks, depending on which options you decide on. Probably cost about $2000.

A CA18 implant will take 2 weeks to 2 months (to 2 years) if you don't have expert help. My original 1200auto -> ca18DE + stumpy skyline 5 speed cost about $5000, doing all the work at home. For a shop to do it expect $6000 - $8000.

Doing it myself it took 8 weeks. I was one of the first in AUS to do it back in 1993.

Mine may have been finished in 8 weeks, but it was far from neat. I had to spend almost every weekend for the first year, at home fixing something. I had heater hoses blowing off under the dash, once coating me in luke warm rusty coloured water.. Custom radiators leaking, a strange fuel pump condition (caused by constant 12v) which made the car stall in traffic on hot days. The starter motor would not fire up all of the time, and I had to clutch start it after it would stall in traffic.
I broke 2 starter motors before I realised that locally built N13 EXA starter motors had a different pitch and number of gears. This explains why I broke 2 starter motors before realising the RWD Silvia's use a different starter motor.

And in the 1200/CA, if the gearbox needs to come out. It'd easier to pull the whole lot out. In my original 1200/CA install, I had the engine out of the car about 6 times. Never because of engine reliability, but because of the failure of the add-on bits you have to use in a transplant. I had to call NRMA for a tow about 4 times in 2 years.

If a transplant is done properly, it can give years of service, if it's cobbled together on a budget and at warp speed, your car might end up a constant headache.

This is the main reason why my latest CA18 conversion is taking so long. I'm constantly thinking of ways to do it better, based on old experiences and the experiences of others.
Keeping your body rust-free will also provide it with a long life. If you leave your car out in the rain. Don't expect it last much longer than another 5-10 years. When you car gets hard to register because of rust, this is when you really need to 'love' the car in order for you to spend the money to save it from the scrap heap.

With parts getting rarer by the day. I don't expect you'll be able to get parts for 1200s for that much longer. It'll soon only be the domain of the hardcore enthusiast.

I wonder what the next generation's "1200" will be?? A hyundai excel..maybe..Oh man.

Chris.
(This post is so long I ought to get 3 posting credits, at least my membership joined date looks good)