G'day guys,

I have a '76 1200 Ute which was my late Grandfathers. Currently stock A12

I have always wanted Injected Turbo Datto and had settled for an LZ Hybrid setup.

After doing a bit of research into what would be required for such a setup and the costs involved I began reconsidering. I've also been pondering as of late and I pictured my Grandfather and what he would say to me if I went this way. He was a funny Maltese bloke with a thick accent and although what I imagined would have been extremely funny, I'd have to agree. He absolutely loved this Ute and it was the last thing he ever worked on and it holds extreme sentimental value to me.

I've now began considering keeping it an A-series for the above mentioned reasons as well as various other pros being Easier to convert/swap, cheaper and more available overall, more original and nostalgic, lighter and more within my capabilities.

The only reason I've dismissed it in the past was because I was never sure if I would be happy with the end result i.e. power and limitations. After doing a bit of reading and scouring the forums, there are some A-series putting out some decent numbers and times.

I've set myself a budget of $5,000 for now. I will not require any labour to assemble or fit the engine as I plan this to be a Father-son project (My dad is a qualified mechanic and flat out petrol head...however he's knowledge of Datsun's is not the best). Any labour will purely be machine work etc.

The car will be 95% street car which will be driven predominately on the weekends but I would like it reliable enough to be driven daily. So strength and longevity are important to me as well as power. As it's mainly going to be a Sunday car, I'd like it to be slightly on the angry/rough side not entirely streetableif that makes sense.

The engine will be built on a stand as funds permit over time and so if I have to stretch this budget a little, I don't mind to much but I've started at $5k as a ball park.

I'm thinking for now to keep it NA for simplicity and see how I go. The $5,000 must include everything ready to fit and turn key minus the drivetrain from gearbox back. I'm aiming for 150hp + if possible. Is this achievable or am I way off?

I've done a bit of searching around the site but can't seem to find complete combinations and direct results.

I've read a few A14 V A15 threads. It seems people’s opinions are consistent in that A14's like to rev harder than A15's and have a more smooth power band through the range however the A15 has more torque due to the longer stroke.

Any help or advice is much appreciated.

Cheers, Joe.