Almost a build thread for a 72 coupe

[LeviGideon]

I'd missed every deal on a 1200 I ever found up until last summer when I traded my blue wagon for some long-deserted 1200s. The Datsun gods had a good laugh that day, I'm in over my head and I'm not mad about it.

 

Last registered in 02 I think. Had a new carb with the dust cap still on and needed hoses and wires hooked up. It came with everything needed to fix it - plug wires, dizzy cap, odds and ends all still in the packages - it was pretty easy going getting it up and running. It's getting the love it needs and has a long way to go, but I've driven it to work almost every day since I got it mid October... Probably 3000 miles in and no real issues beyond initially shaking it down.

 

Here's the todone list as of 3/12/24:

- Tires.

- Front wheel bearings

- Swapped the steering wheel out for an intact one

- Replaced the windshield, got a funky seal from thailand that I still need to change out

- Replaced the rotted out filler neck (Dayco makes the right size and it's flexible enough to make the bend)

- Flushed all the fluids a few times so far, no flakes!

- Put in a radio

- Dismantled and deep cleaned the column switch assembly and got all the switchy things switchin and lighting up

- 3d printed a fresh column bushing

- Replaced all the weatherstripping and window seals but the trunk and front wings

- Swapped out the trunk lid for one that still had the emblem intact and gave a it a little paint so it doesn't vanish before summer

- 210 Dizzy swap

- Fit a tach into the stock location
- Stuffed a nice chunk of memory foam where the seat padding used to be before the rats ate it

- Addressed a spooky rust discovery in the rear passenger wing window/door pillar and took emergency precautions

- Cut a perch, flipped a leaf

 

Plans:

- Get it as nice as I can while keeping it close-ish to stock

- Have fun

 

We'll kick off the photos where Aaron found it. I'll get to the orange car sometime too - I got it running first but I'm a sucker for a rusty car so it's a priority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See ya at Powerland!

[datzenmike]

Better to use lowering blocks to lower. Lowering needs a stiffer leaf spring. I like the 1200, so light.

[KELMO]

Love me some 1200.

The front wing window seals seem to be made of unobtainium.

Are you running 12" wheels and tires? They kind of look like 13". If they are 12" I would be interested in finding out where you acquired them.

[Icehouse]

Such a rad rig!!!!!!!!!!  Just needs a little lower with some Wats on it!  I've always dreamed of a 1200 coupe.  So so hard to find.  Keep the updates coming! 

[LeviGideon]

12 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Better to use lowering blocks to lower. Lowering needs a stiffer leaf spring. I like the 1200, so light.

Yup, realized this afterwards.. Gotta get all the suspension squared away when the weather gets nice again so I'm living with it for now. May put em back to normal and go with blocks.

 

12 hours ago, KELMO said:

Love me some 1200.

The front wing window seals seem to be made of unobtainium.

Are you running 12" wheels and tires? They kind of look like 13". If they are 12" I would be interested in finding out where you acquired them.

 

Do you know if the ute wing seals are the same as the coupe? There's a ton of those available but I don't know if it's the same size. Rubber is a pain to find for coupes.

 

I'm running 13's. Considered getting some ebay 12s but the wheels are pretty beat up.

 

7 hours ago, Icehouse said:

Such a rad rig!!!!!!!!!!  Just needs a little lower with some Wats on it!  I've always dreamed of a 1200 coupe.  So so hard to find.  Keep the updates coming! 

 

Yeah I gotta find some wheels! Nothing I've got clears the front calipers.

[LeviGideon]

Replaced the speedo cable with a slightly longer b210 one and got the speedometer working today. Nice to have all the little stuff coming together. 

 

Got a clunk in the rear end and a whine at slight load that's been there since I got it but as I seal everything up and everything else gets quieter it's getting more annoying. We'll see how long that lasts, I've got a spare diff to clean up and try out at some point

 

[LeviGideon]

 

Edited March 14, 2024 by LeviGideon

[KELMO]

10 hours ago, LeviGideon said:

Do you know if the ute wing seals are the same as the coupe? There's a ton of those available but I don't know if it's the same size. Rubber is a pain to find for coupes.

My understanding is that Ute seals are the same as sedan but not coupe. I have been told the Ute seals would work but they have to be cut in order to fit....not my cup of tea nor do I know how much truth there is to that. If memory serves the coupe part # ended in H1800 and the sedan/ute # ended in H1000(that is a big if BTW).

[datzenmike]

H1001 for sedan. Door glass is different number so maybe roof line is lower? on the coupe.

[KELMO]

Missed it by one digit, not too bad for pulling part #'s out of my ass.

 

Yes, the coupe door is shorter than the sedan/ute.

 

[fivetenguy]

Late to the party, but years ago I bought a set from Datsport. They fit pretty good.

 

There are also these:

https://allmusclecarparts.com.au/datsun-1200-cpe-rh-frnt-vent-seal.html

 

Edited April 13, 2024 by fivetenguy

[LeviGideon]

Had a baby so it's just been bits and pieces lately. Been cleaning up rust and putting all the nice parts on, also repainted the grille.

 

The heat exchanger gasket blew over the weekend, so I replaced that gasket and found out the little coil that makes the whole thing work was disconnected and the flap was just flopping around as I drove. No more exhaust smell and it cold starts like a champ!

[datzenmike]

What and where is a heat exchanger on a 1200 and what coil and what flap was flapping around?

[LeviGideon]

Right under the carb, the gasket goes between the intake and the exhaust, but the flap is within the exhaust and held in the right spot with a little coil that's similar to an electric choke coil, so, until it's heated up it runs some hot air past a heatsink on the underside of the intake.

 

I didn't take and pictures when I fixed it but here's what it looks like on another engine.

[LeviGideon]

On 4/12/2024 at 5:32 PM, fivetenguy said:

Late to the party, but years ago I bought a set from Datsport. They fit pretty good.

 

There are also these:

https://allmusclecarparts.com.au/datsun-1200-cpe-rh-frnt-vent-seal.html

 

 

Those look nice, decently affordable too! I need to use that bike tube trick

[datzenmike]

Yes! The heat riser. Only needed in cold weather. Normally it should close once warmed up or it overheats the intake air and robs power. You could wire it closed.

[Morrisun]

Open would be so much better!

[LeviGideon]

Took the car up to Timberline for the solstice. Got a bit warm on the climb up, so I dug out this 210 radiator to see if it keeps the temp more stable on long climbs, maybe it was just the bugs. About 5 inches wider overall.

 

[Lachlan]

Such a badass car.

[Tom1200]

With the stock radiator they will run warm above 4500 rpms or other heavy loads.

 

The B210 radiator helps but a 3 core aluminum one completely solves it. That is what I use in my race 1200.

 

[LeviGideon]

Oddly enough the bigger radiator was ineffective at solving the cooling issue. It got hot enough to terrify my passenger on the 1 hour drive up to Powerland. Replaced the thermostat with some random 195 I had in a drawer, and backflushed the heater core and it hasn't gotten much past half hot since. 🤷‍♂️

 

 

 

 

Scored some fun goodies at powerland. Thanks to Doug, Jerry and Draker! Should have a 5 speed together before winter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LeviGideon]

Been busy!

 

Finally replaced the diff with the rebuilt unit that was in the back seat of the car when I got it and repacked the rear bearings. There was a 4dr 210 that had a known good 5 speed in town I've seen lately, so I bought it from the kid for a bargain after he somehow ran it dry on oil and spun rod bearing #1. 😅 The drive to Blue Lake was amusingly smooth and quiet.

 

 

No more dented trim! Just gotta fix that saggy bumper

 

Pretty stoked with how this bag cleaned up

 

I believe this trunk floor is the last of the original pieces that were downright missing when I got the car. No more stuffing groceries into a rusty spare tire well.

 

Even have the little hook and loop intact

[LeviGideon]

Pulled the orange coupe out today, finally back up and running to some degree! Dropped a matchbox dizzy and IR alt in from the 210 donor and she fired right up again, just gotta sort out the filthy gas tank. The original tank was rusted beyond repair - When Aaron dropped the car off it was sloshing a cocktail of rusty water and 30 year old gas out into the world and that smell still permeates the neighborhood a year later.

 

 

 

Also doing "bored in the garage" stuff like painting spare parts army men colors.

[LeviGideon]

Took a look through the white car a bit more.

 

I was planning on making it strictly a parts car, but both other cars are almost parts-complete with spares and there's just a lot of bondo on the white car, making it tricky to cut spare corners from. so I'm leaning back towards patching up the most pressing rust and driving the wheels off it like the good lord intended. If there was ever a perfect candidate to try all my bad ideas out , this would be it. Too bad I traded off the trunk lid recently. 😆

 

 

 

This window sill is gone, and so are some of the rockers, but otherwise it's not the worst I've seen.

 

[LeviGideon]

Pics and updates...

 

I'm slowly painting as time and weather work out.

 

I picked up a pretty beat 210 for the 5 speed, and the 5 speed took a shit within a month or two but I figured I'd swap the suspension over to the 1200 to make something of it until I get the 5 speed fixed.

 

It wouldn't be right without some coilovers that I didn't even take a real picture of

 

I put this little wing on

 

 

Went to Powerland

Got my kid stoked about cars