I was in NZ last year and loved it (particularly the amount of cool Old School stuff out there!).
Im now back in the UK After my travels and full of ideas (many silly) for my rides back here
I just thought Ide show you what Ive been up to.......................
Well its happened again!! All logic and plans went out the window because a cool rare Japanese car became avaliable in the Classifieds lol.
I was looking for something smooth and sensible and a little bigger with a bit of badge snobbery like a merc or something........... So i ended up buying a brown Datsun
If you know me, Retro Japanese is always at the top of my list so its a no-brainer really lol
Well here she is.............
Its a 1978 Pre-Facelift B310 Datsun Sunny 140Y Coupe which I believe are pretty rare over here now??!!
It has the A14 1400 engine mated with a 5 speed manual gearbox with Dogleg First to make it interesting lol.
I picked it up from Westcountry Classics, (nice chaps), near Penzance in Cornwall and they got it off an elderly lady that has been its only owner since new!! Yes I am the second owner
Its done 70500 miles and is a pretty solid car being garaged all its life.
Unfortunately its not perfect with a bit of a knock on the front corner and some badly matched paint on one side........... all fixable tho. The dreadded rot seems to pretty fairly at bay with only a few blisters about the car and I believe only had a few patches of welding ever! Inside is Mint tho
It also came with some "British Made" dealer option alloy wheels from new and I have a full set of 5!! Ill probably wack on some of my spare Jappy rims tho
She drives pretty well for an old car too and was happilly sat at 70mph on the way home to Plymouth for 80 miles. Good on fuel too!
This will now be my Daily driver while I build up my KE70 Corolla
Well enough of the chat........... you want some pics...............
On the way home:
If i decide to get keen one day............ this could be an option
Im doing my Corolla first tho lol
Well I took it for a late night spin........ and came across more retros.............
And the next day the mods started!! Ive been playing with my Wheels
First I tried my 14x9 Enkei's................
Unfortunately although they look right on the car......... I can even get half a turn on the stering wheel before they catch everything!!!! The arches just arnt as big as my corolla. Im not going wide arched just yet lol
SO I tried my 14x7 Watanabes...............
Well these fit just fine and TBH look good with the black on brown!
Next is to lower it
Oh and heres a better shot of the interior............
And my initial "In Car Entertainment"
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262896_10150256267509092_511144091_7520802_6206496_n.jpg
AND NOW THE WORK BEGINS
Well I was busy getting the Datty ready for the Retro Rides Gathering last month................
First off it said Goodbye to my Micra before it went to its new home...
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/291993_10150266640309092_511144091_7626756_2919553_n.jpg
Then it said hello to its new partner in crime..........
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/262926_10150266640604092_511144091_7626760_1189398_n.jpg
First off was to try and repair that front end damage the best I could without actually buying any parts for now lol.
This is how I straightened my bumper HAHA.........
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293263_10150266640954092_511144091_7626764_855147_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/296240_10150266641249092_511144091_7626768_456744_n.jpg
Taaa Daaa
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/262482_10150266641609092_511144091_7626772_4889882_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298152_10150266641889092_511144091_7626776_6644643_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/300691_10150266642159092_511144091_7626780_3490086_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/295986_10150266642399092_511144091_7626784_7674172_n.jpg
I then decided to convert the bumpers back to as near "Jap Spec" as i could....... meaning removing the horrid plastic end caps and bumper extensions and moving the bumper back closer to the car in full chrome mode
So I stripped the whole front down..........
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293952_10150266642664092_511144091_7626788_7964946_n.jpg
And while I was doing this I thought Ide tidy up the rest of it a bit INC trying to fix the dent in the N/S wing.........
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294748_10150266642974092_511144091_7626791_3038821_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300045_10150266643234092_511144091_7626794_7448058_n.jpg
Beat the wing with a big hammer until it was pretty good and then stonechipped all the bare bit of metal and around the edges......
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298363_10150266643569092_511144091_7626798_8164897_n.jpg
Stone chipped the inner arch where it needed it.........
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300863_10150266643824092_511144091_7626803_1461545_n.jpg
And the front panel...........
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294439_10150266644129092_511144091_7626805_4669573_n.jpg
There will be pics coming up of what it looks like all back together
Then I had an oil leak on the rocker cover so i stripped that off.......
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185279_10150266646214092_511144091_7626810_790051_n.jpg
Found the culprit.............
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293254_10150266646644092_511144091_7626816_3579218_n.jpg
And replaced with new...........
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/300331_10150266646809092_511144091_7626818_5350787_n.jpg
Next it was the fun bit of trying to lower it,
SO I stripped the front down.......
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/296444_10150266648774092_511144091_7626828_3206051_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297494_10150266648574092_511144091_7626826_2630338_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297020_10150266648244092_511144091_7626822_7087603_n.jpg
Marked where I needed to "modify" it lol (not to much for now just to see how she sits)........
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293179_10150266649204092_511144091_7626831_5582167_n.jpg
Them trimmed a little off
............http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294072_10150266649064092_511144091_7626830_7912983_n.jpg
Next was to Strip the rear springs out.........
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294432_10150266649629092_511144091_7626836_7122312_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/205900_10150266649799092_511144091_7626838_6207994_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299076_10150266649459092_511144091_7626835_6804914_n.jpg
And gave them the same treatment........
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/301061_10150266650099092_511144091_7626846_2575651_n.jpg
NEXT I had to get some modern tunes in here as i was getting fed up with the MW/LW and the not so loud Ipod Dock lol............
First up was to run power wires........
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294424_10150266652944092_511144091_7626855_761309_n.jpg
Next was to hide some speakers up under the dash.........
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300075_10150266653169092_511144091_7626857_4405397_n.jpg
I had to make a hole on the passenger side to get the wires through neatly...........
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297245_10150266653394092_511144091_7626861_1816466_n.jpg
And protecting the wires..........
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297572_10150266653614092_511144091_7626866_2634551_n.jpg
The headunit was fitted neatly under the glovebox and even matches the colour or the dash and trim (and the dash lights
).....http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297764_10150266653744092_511144091_7626870_3287221_n.jpg
Tidy up the wiring under the rear seat...........
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223784_10150266653904092_511144091_7626871_182587_n.jpg
Mount sub in the boot on a removable plug......
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294705_10150266654119092_511144091_7626872_5948541_n.jpg
I think it looks pretty neat...........
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/295899_10150266654434092_511144091_7626875_7488742_n.jpg
Now for some nicer shots at this stage with the car back together................
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/291759_10150266657834092_511144091_7626935_7878428_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299931_10150266657929092_511144091_7626938_4242838_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/295754_10150266658069092_511144091_7626941_3413100_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299848_10150266658164092_511144091_7626944_2971881_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294142_10150266658289092_511144091_7626948_1829172_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/301556_10150266658359092_511144091_7626951_8371080_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/295881_10150266658519092_511144091_7626956_3343377_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/205898_10150266658579092_511144091_7626959_4397290_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300849_10150266658659092_511144091_7626962_5482320_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254652_10150266658769092_511144091_7626965_2853277_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300742_10150266658844092_511144091_7626967_220321_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/296017_10150266658909092_511144091_7626970_4555317_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185248_10150266659084092_511144091_7626975_7388844_n.jpg
Next was to touch up the black and tatty bits around the car as the weather was better yesterday............
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/297953_10150267766399092_511144091_7635326_2341205_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/305987_10150267766559092_511144091_7635328_204330_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/316237_10150267766609092_511144091_7635329_6643353_n.jpg
It was only a quick job but it looks much better! Unfortunately I didnt have the time or have the paint to colour code the bad paint job on the drivers side before the show.
Ive also now filled the holes in the bumpers with dome bolts to neaten it up.
Hope you like it and there will be more updates very soon
