Hey, I have been getting a 1200 wagon going. When i got it started i found that the radiator is fcked as it is the orginal and has big wholes in the bottom of it. Are 1200 radiators expensive and is there a substitute radiator that is maybe cheaper n better that fits in nice?
Also when i went to take off i found that the front right drum had seized up. I tried to take the drum off but i didnt have the right tools so i just loosened it off a bit. When the cars gets to about 40k's and also a bit randomly there is a huge clunk in the front end. I think that is the from the drum but not 100% sure. I know the reason it ever went off the road was because it was pulling to one side and needed some work on the front end. Does anyone know if this would be the drum or maybe something else? Also does anyone know of a mechanic in Bendigo that does much work with datos?
Cheers Ed

the best thing to do to fix that front drum problem is to convert to front discs, as the drum brakes aren't much chop, in my opinion. the easiest way to get a bolt in fit is to find either a 1200 coupe, or an australian assembled 120Y with the Paton PBR brakes. Both of these will bolt in, with the only change being the need to change the rear wheel cylinders to 11/16ths. You could keep the original rear wheel cylinders, but the rear shoes will wear out quickly. You could also get the ball joints, tie rod ends & the idler arm & castor rod bushes changed at the same time. For about $150( used to be $100) you get a new front end.
As for finding a mechanic in Bendigo, my suggestion is to contact your local car club, & ask them to recommend somebody. I've looked on the CAMS web site & there's a BENDIGO CAR CLUB INC the contact name is CRAIG BUTTON on 0427 511 158 . There's also a website - www.bendigocarclub.com.au. Hope this helps with what you need.

When you say you have big 'wholes' in the bottom of your radiator, I presume that you mean that you mean that large areas of the fins are missing. Large holes usually mean huge water leaks.

Get a quote from your nearby radiator specialist to fix it with a new core. Get a good one, not a cheap one as they do differ in the number of tubes in the core & fins per inch. A cooked engine means not only a rebuild, but the need to replace the cheap core as well.

In my view you should get yourself one of the Gregories workshop manuals. These are wonderful for the home mechanic & show you how to diagnose & fix things.
If you have brake problems & a clunk in the front end, then find the cause & FIX IT before something bad happens.
Doing as much of the work as you can, yourself, will save you $$$ & will be a rewarding experience as well.

As for the brakes, I partially agree with B310GX, finding a 1200 coupe will provide you with a complete disc brake front end.
An imported 120Y, [& this was most of them,] used almost exactly the same front end except fot the 'hat' on top of the spring, so switching one of these onto a 120Y strut assembly will make it a 1200 one & fiting this under a 1200 is the quick way to disc brakes. The Master cylinder will need to be replaced with one for a disc brake model, or alternately, if the residual pressure check valve is removed from the front brake circuit of a drum brake master cylinder [the rear chamber] then the master cylinder is effectively converted to a disc brake one.

1200's prior to about mid '72 had a single circuit brake system & this would need to be changed to a dual circuit system from a later one if your car is one of these.

Using the smaller rear wheel cylinders from the coupe model will re-balance the braking bias front-to-rear & remove the tendancy to lock the rears in the wet under heavy braking.

PLAN 'B'
Get the book, read it, strip the brakes, replace the wheel cylinders with new [not expensive] replace the linings with exchange brake shoes, or new brake shoes, or get yours re-lined. Machine the brake drums, clean everything, reassemble exactly as per the book & have as-new front drum brakes. Drive sensibly & they will be fine in a stocker.

Do the same with the rears a little later on.

Replacing all the steering joints, the ball joints, & replacing the bushes in the idler arm in a 36 year old car during major brake work makes good sense to me, I did in my 1200 coupe & it drives wonderfully.

Thanks heaps for the advice fellas!
Ill try chasing up some discs for the front. Got my tax back so I am dedicating that to getting her back on the road XD
Cheers Ed