Datsun 120Y Reviews

When Oregon father Kim Ridley wanted to showcase his 1977 Datsun on the US eBay site, he tried to make it look more attractive by adding a provocatively-posed – and somewhat underdressed – young woman with it. If she were a professional model, there would probably be some tut-tuts but little surprise. But what has shocked people is that the young woman is his 20-year-old daughter, Lexxa. The eBay images showed her in a variety of sexy poses around the car: in one with her legs spread and the car seen between them; and in another leaning over the bonnet and pushing her derriere towards the camera. Advertising industry journal Adweek says that Kim being Lexxa's father "puts a strange and newly unwholesome spin on the … 'Sex sells' motif that goes beyond the usual cliches." However Mr Ridley said he has no regrets about taking or using the images. "If I felt bad about it, I wouldn't do it," Mr Ridley told Adweek, adding that he often used sexy photographs of Lexxa and her friends to sell items. Mr Ridley eventually sold the Datsun -- which had desirably low mileage at 49,964 miles (78,860km) -- for $7,500. Did the photos go too far? Or is the father-daughter relationship no different to any other 'sex sells' advertising?  

Chief executive Carlos Ghosn has outlined a strategy to target the revamped brand at emerging nations where the biggest growth is expected for affordable vehicles. The offerings will be tailored for each market, including price and engine size, targeting the burgeoning market of first-time car buyers in countries such as India, Indonesia and Russia, where Datsun will be introduced from 2014, he said. Executives gave away few details, including specifics of Datsun models they had in the works. Corporate vice president Vincent Cobee said the new Datsuns will be entry-level cars in each nation, aimed at "up and coming" successful people who are "optimistic about the future". He said two models will go on sale within the first year in the three nations, and an enhanced line-up of models will be offered within three years. Nissan Motor Co faces intense competition from rivals, including other Japanese players such as Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co, which all have their eyes on emerging markets that also include China, Mexico and Brazil. Growth has stagnated in recent years in more established markets such as Japan, the US and Europe. Ghosn announced on Tuesday in Indonesia that the Datsun will make a comeback, three decades after the shelving of a brand that helped define not only Nissan but Japanese carmaking in the US, as well as in Japan. It is a name that is synonymous with affordable and reliable small cars, according to Nissan. Datsun debuted in Japan in 1932, and hit American showrooms more than 50 years ago. It was discontinued globally starting in 1981 to unify the model line-up under the Nissan brand. Nissan also makes Infiniti luxury models. Tsuyoshi Mochimaru, auto analyst with Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, said the Datsun name helps differentiate cheaper models targeting emerging markets from Nissan's other models. "Emerging markets are where the growth is but what will sell are cheaper cars, where profit margins will be lower," he said. "By separating the brand, you avoid hurting the value of the Nissan brand." The new blue Datsun logo was inspired by the old one, according to Nissan. Ghosn said Nissan has been preparing the Datsun brand for years and was already developing models. He was confident Nissan had not fallen behind rivals. "Datsun is part of the heritage of the company," Ghosn said. "Datsun is a good name."

But everyone who's old enough knows you're talking about Datsun. Well, rejoice. The name is back. After being flung as signage from the corporate rooftops in 1986, parent company Nissan says the name Datsun will again be plastered on some of its cars. But the deal is the cars will be inexpensive and initially for emerging markets. Production of the boot badges starts in 2014 for Russia, Indonesia and India. Cars started wearing the Datsun badge in 1933 - 19 years after the first DAT car was made - and endured through Australian market cars such as the 240Z, 120Y and 180B before parent company Nissan in 1981 (1986 in Australia) put on its own moniker. The name change campaign lasted from 1982 to 1986. Datsun-badged vehicles had been progressively fitted with small Nissan and "Datsun by Nissan'' badges from the late 1970s. The announcement that Datsun would join Nissan and Infiniti nameplates came this week from Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.  He says the resurrected name will strengthen Nissan's foothold in emerging markets by offering inexpensive, fuel-efficient vehicles. But no specific models have been announced. Nissan in 2011 sold 60,000 cars in the expanding Indonesian market, and forecasts that to swell to 250,000 by 2014. Nissan this week announced a new factory in Indonesia which will become one of Asia's biggest Nissan facilities. It will build some Datsun-branded cars.

The Japanese brand that build the foundations for today's Nissan empire, and converted tens of thousands of Australians to the strengths of the compact 1600 and sporty 240Z, is being readied for a new role in the 21st century. Nissan is apparently preparing plans for a price fighting Datsun range that will sell in Russia, India, Indonesia and other emerging car markets. Reports from Japan suggest Datsun is the favoured badge for the new push, aiming for around 300,000 sales a year with vehicles - minivans in addition to cars - priced from as little as $5700.But don't expect any born-again Datsuns in Australia, as Nissan believes a price-fighter push would not work. "We would fail to understand where a brand like that would fit in the portfolio here," Nissan spokesman, Jeff Fisher, tells Carsguide."We've got the ST Micra at the lower end, all the way up to the Nissan GT-R at the top end. We've already got the bases covered, in the best sense. Where would we fit a Datsun in there?"There is no talk about this for Australia. None at all."In any case, Australia is a mature market, not a developing one."The Datsun plan comes as more and more makers develop two-tier sales strategies for a range of countries as diverse as Turkey and Indonesia. It allows them to spread their development and production costs without eroding the power - and price potential - of existing mainstream badges.Renault, which is part of the Nissan-Renault alliance, uses the Dacia brand for its cheapies and Suzuki uses Maruti in India. Toyota Australia tried for a while to push Daihatsu into the bottom end of the car business, but retreated when the cars could not be sold cheaply enough in Australia.Datsun was the flagship brand for its Nissan parent company for more than 30 years, although the first cars actually arrived down under in the 1930s. After success with the 1600 and 240Z, but then failures with everything from the 200B to 120Y, the badge was phased-out globally in the early 1980s.In Australia, cars were sold first with Datsun badges, then Datsun-Nissan, then Nissan-Datsun and finally just Nissan at a time when the Pulsar was the brand's local champion.The origins of the Datsun name go back to Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama and Meitaro Takeuchi, who built a car around 1914 and combined their initials to call it the Dat. In 1931, an all-new car was produced and badged the Datsun as the son of Dat.

There are no clear clues when you look at the all-time top sellers, which include everything from a hulking Yank pick-up to sedate German sedan - and the century-old Ford Model-T.

Craig Bastow, 43, swells with pride when he talks about the 1970 Datsun he has recently had restored. It's all original in Monte Carlo red with matching engine and chassis numbers and the original AM radio.The only additions are Ewing three-piece wheels, a custom exhaust and the Japanese-style fender mirrors for "presence". "There is a bit of a story to this," he says."As a young guy in my late teens a mate (Peter Semos) and I were really into them," he says. "He tragically died in the Noosa Triathlon in 2004."About a year later I bought the car from his wife, Robina, and at the beginning of this year I gave it a bit of a refresh. You could either do it up in a shoddy fashion or do it once and do it properly. I wanted to do it properly and keep Peter's memory alive. I knew how much this car meant to him."Craig's first 240Z cost him $4000 in 1986, but it didn't last long. "I moved on to other things for work," he says. "At the time a 20-year-old car with two seats wasn't the most practical thing."He paid $15,000 for the current 240Z and reckons it now owes him about $40,000 and could be worth as much as $50,000 because it's had a faithful restoration. "But I will never sell it. It will never leave the family," he says.Bastow shipped the car to the Motorline BMW workshop where it spent the next eight months being restored to its former glory. "I love the lines and the simplicity. You pull the bonnet on this and you know what's there. "There is a bit of purity to it."The 1970 240Z is powered by a simple, single-overhead-cam six-cylinder 2.4-litre engine, hence the name. "It was capable of about 150hp (112kW) in an under 1000kg car so it had great power-to-weight ratio," Bastow says. "They tried to copy the (Porsche) 911 dynamics with a 50-50 weight distribution."However, if you go over 100km/h the front tends to lift and it gets light in the steering. But it's a tough old girl. Mechanically it's perfect."Bastow has only had the car back from the workshop a few weeks, but intends to take it for "nice drives" once or twice a month through the mountains. "You don't want to sit on the highway for a long time. The exhaust note drones through the cabin," he says."You get more looks in this than in my Porsche (996 Turbo)." As a fitting tribute, he hopes to drive his mate's widow in the 240Z to the annual service in memory of Semos.1970 Datsun 240ZEngine: cast-iron block, alloy head, single over head camshaft, 2393cc in-line 6-cylinder Bore x stroke: 83 x 73.7mmCompression: 9.13:1Fuel: mechanical fuel pump, twin Hitachi SU carburettorsPower: 112kW @ 5600rpmMaximum torque: 146lb ft at 4400rpmTransmission: 5-speed manualBrakes: 10.7in discs (front), 9 x 1.6in drums (rear), servo assistedSuspension: independent with MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar (front); independent with MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampersSteering: rack and pinion

The Datsun 2000 Sports arrived here in 1967 to rave reviews, but it faced an uphill battle to win over fans of the British sports cars that dominated the market segment. Anti-Japanese sentiment was still present in the Australian community and it was often expressed as a resistance to buy products produced in the country we'd been fighting just a few years earlier.When it arrived the Datsun 2000 Sports had to overcome this hurdle in addition to breaking down the well-established loyalty of locals to traditional British sports car brands like MG, Austin-Healey and Triumph.MODEL WATCHThe Datsun 2000 Sports was the last in the line, and easily the best of the traditional open sports cars that began with the 1962 Fairlady 1500. In 1970 it was replaced by the very popular 240Z, the first of the Z-Series cars that continues in the 370Z today.When the Fairlady arrived on the local scene in the early 1960s the market was dominated by the British, with cars like the MGB, Austin-Healey 3000 and Triumph TR4 all selling well. The MGB in particular was a top seller, and a very popular and affordable sports car for local fans of open-top motoring.Perhaps not surprising the Datsun Fairlady looked much like the cars it was trying to beat, with long lean lines and athletic proportions of the sort that were familiar on British cars.But the oddly named Fairlady 1500 wasn't a great success. Sports car buyers mostly shunned it, because it was Japanese. Japanese cars were yet to fully establish a place in the market and hadn't had a chance to demonstrate their qualities of reliability and durability. But by the time the 2000 Sports arrived in 1967 the MGB had been on the market for five years and was looking rather tired in comparison.A steady rather than stunning performer the MGB was easily outpaced by the 2000 Sports, which had a top speed in excess of 200 km/h when the British car barely topped 160 km/h. The source of this performance was a 2.0-litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine that put out 112 kW at 6000 revs and 184 Nm at 4800 revs. It was backed up by a five-speed all-synchro manual gearbox.Underneath it boasted independent coil spring front suspension with semi-elliptic leaf springs and torque rod at the rear. Braking was by discs at the front and drums at the rear, while steering was without power-assistance.IN THE SHOPIt's important to realise the Datsun 2000 Sports is now an old car, and as such most are wearied by age. While they are now more appreciated they were once thought of as ugly ducklings, and many were neglected as a result.Neglect, poor maintenance and years of being driven hard are the main causes of problems in the otherwise sturdy car. Look for rust in the sills, footwells, and around the boot hinges, and check the door gaps, as they can be a giveaway to previous crash damage.The 2000 had the U20 engine, which was generally a reliable and robust unit. Look for oil leaks around the rear of the cylinder head and the fuel pump. It's important to use a good coolant, changed regularly to prevent electrolysis with the aluminium cylinder head and cast-iron block.Check for worn synchroes in the gearbox and make sure it doesn't jump out of gear, particularly in fifth when backing off after hard acceleration. Clunking or binding when steering is an indication of wear. The chassis is quite robust and gives little trouble, but look out for sagging rear springs.Generally the interior holds up well, but most parts can be sourced if needed.IN A CRASHDon't look for airbags in the Datsun 2000 Sports, it came from an era before airbags and relied on an agile chassis, responsive steering and powerful brakes to avoid a crash.AT THE PUMPLike all sports cars fuel consumption of the 2000 depends largely on the driver's thirst for speed, but driven normally it's quite economical. Road testers at the time of the 2000 Sport's release reported fuel consumption of 12.2 L/100 km.Of greater interest today is the fuel that can be used. The Datsun was tuned to use Super leaded petrol when new and a fuel with a similar octane rating is best used now. That really means 98-octane unleaded, with an additive to take care of the valves and valve seats.LOOK FORLusty performanceSolid constructionClassic roadster looksRobust and reliableAffordable fun motoring.THE BOTTOM LINE: A sturdy, reliable, and fun sports car capable of outperforming similar British cars of its era.

The 42-year-old Arana Hills car parts salesman has a yard full of the old Japanese cars and a history of owning them that goes back to his teens."I suppose I first got started on Nissans and Datsuns when I was a teenager and didn't really know much about cars," he says. "I saw an MG that I liked but it turned out to be a Datsun Fairlady. Back then you could get them cheap and dad was nice enough to loan me the money, so I bought it." Bent still has the 1966 Datsun Fairlady he bought in 1986 for $2000."I restored it with my father and it was ready to go by the time I got my licence," he says. "The odometer only has 99,000 miles (159,000km) on it and I've watched it click over six times, so it's done 600,000 miles which is almost a million kilometres. It's pretty well buggered now. I've taken it off the road and it's just sitting in the back yard with a cover over it, but maybe I'll make it into a historic race car as a sort of midlife crisis thing."Meanwhile, he has bought several other Fairlady models from 1964 to '67 and still has four of them, including one model with a third seat turned sideways. Most have had the 1600cc engine replaced by a 97kW stroked-out two-litre engine from 1970s Urvans. While the Fairlady is a pretty car, Bent also has a soft spot for the Nissan Cedric, a very plain vehicle and one of the more unfortunately named cars."I got into Cedrics when I was looking for parts for the Fairlady at a Clontarf wrecking yard," he says. "I was inside a Cedric when a big storm hit and I was stuck in it for about half an hour. I hadn't really payed a lot of attention to it. I was a teen and I had more interest in sports cars, but I fell in love with it in a wrecking yard of all places."A few years later he bought an eight-seater 1964 Cedric Wagon which was his daily driver for several years. He bought it for $500 from a 91-year-old man who owned it since new and sold it because he lost his licence. Bent grudgingly sold it a few years ago when he divorced. But he didn't stay cedric-less for long."When I met my wife (Ruth) she was driving an old Ford Taurus and we looked at a Cedric to replace it," he says.Two years ago they managed to score a 1965 Nissan Cedric for free."I had started a Planet Cedric website devoted totally to Nissan Cedrics," he says. "I was just cruising the net and found this in Victoria. The owner didn't have time to restore it and was going to sell it. He instantly recognised my name from the website and just wanted to give it a good home so he gave it to me for free. I tried to give him money but he just wasn't interested."Bent and his wife have "nothing in the way of qualifications" but do most of the vehicle restoration work under their house. They have spent about $2000 on the Cedric restoration plus $2500 for upholstery and now have it insured for $6000."You have to be a nut case like me to appreciate any value in them," he says. "But I'm not interested in selling it. I'll be hanging on to it. This is just what I wanted. I needed a big family car because both of us have two children from previous marriages and this is a six seater."He's hardly sold any of his cars and now boasts four Fairladys, the Cedric, a '62 Bluebird station wagon and a '62 Datsun 320 ute which Bent believes is the oldest Japanese car on the road in Queensland. "It's my main drive-to-work vehicle," he says. "They're all keepers. It's just something I'm passionate about."Bent has been president of the Datsun Fairlady Club of Queensland for several years and started his www.earlydatsun.com website in 1997."There was nothing on the internet at that stage about old Datsuns," he says. "There is no hit counter on it and I'm not sure how many members I have because there's no forum, but I get about three or four emails a day, predominantly not from Australia. You meet some interesting people. A couple of years back a Cedric owner from Canada came over and stayed with us."

It was the first generation of the legendary Z cars – 240Z, 260Z and 280Z – produced between 1969 and 1978. The 240Z itself was built between 1969 and 1973 and included four series.Although already established in America as makers of economy cars and compact pick-ups, Nissan Motors Ltd of Japan – under the US guise of `Datsun’ to sound less Japanese - knew they needed an ‘image car’ to crack the US market.In the late 1960s, designers started on a plan for a personal GT car, lifting aspects from other sports cars and putting them together in an affordable package. The E-type Jaguar and Ferrari Daytona were obvious influences.Although he left before the 240Z project began, Albrecht Graf von Goertz, a German-born design consultant to Nissan in the early 1960’s, implemented modern design techniques during his tenure – including the use of clay models - that enabled the Japanese marque to become a successful performance car producer. He is credited as being indirectly responsible for the success of the 240Z.The 240Z didn’t just look the part. It was built with performance in mind using four-wheel independent suspension – MacPherson struts in the front and Chapman struts in the rear - and front disc brakes.It also had quick acceleration, superior handling and a firm sporty ride, comparable to substantially more expensive cars like the Porsche 911.On October 22 1969, president of Nissan Motors Ltd Yutaka Katayama, introduced the 1970 Series 1 Datsun 240Z to America. Instantly popular, 45,000 units were sold over the first two years - and through to Series IV, a further 50,000 in 1972 and 40,000 in 1973 were snapped up before the release of the 260Z in 1974.Design and manufacturing changes From 1969 to 1973 the Datsun 240Z took on several design and manufacturing changes across its four-series run.Series I had a chrome “240” badge on the B-pillar quarter panel and two vents below the glass molding in the rear hatch. A three speed transmission was introduced in September 1970. By 1971 the vents were gone and the chrome badges were restyled with a white “Z”.Series II saw several minor changes to things like seat belt latches, sun visors and the tilt mechanism on the front seats. There were also small upgrades to the oil pressure guage and speedometer.Series III in 1972 got new hubcaps, a new rear end, a redesigned centre console, a new four speed transmission and a seat belt warning buzzer and warning light. Other upgrades included automatic seat belt retractors.Series IV received dash layout alterations, the headlight buckets changed from fibreglass to steel and intermittent windscreen wipers became standard eqipment.Racing history Datsun’s 240Z was very successful in SCCA racing in the 1970’s, notably when it was driven under Peter Brock’s Brock Racing Enterprises – the American, not the Aussie - in 1970 and 1971 by John Morton, John McComb and Dan Parkinson.From 1970 to 1973 the 240Z also enjoyed success in the International Rally circuit, where it competed in the East African Safari Rally, the Monte Carlo Rally and the Southern Cross Rally, among others.Drivetrain Datsun’s 240Z is powered by a 2.4 litre L24 inline six cylinder SOHC engine with twin SU carburettors. It puts out 113kW at 5600rpm and 198Nm at 4400rpm. There is the option of a four or five speed manual transmission and a three speed automatic for cars produced after September 1970. The 240Z will get to a top speed of 201km/h via a 0-100km/h time of eight seconds. Typical fuel consumption is around 11 litres/100km.Dimensions and weight Wheelbase: 2302.8mmLength: 4135.1mmWidth: 1628.1mmWeight: 1068kgIn 1998 - to keep the Z car flame lit - Nissan bought up several 240Z’s, fully restored them and sold them at dealerships for $24,000.These days Today the 240Z is fondly remembered as a hugely successful 1970s sports car and one still sort after by enthusiasts looking for an affordable restoration project or - if they can find one in good order - a great looking cheap sports car.The most common modification for the 240Z is the replacement of the normally aspirated engine with the turbo from the 280ZX due to the relative ease of the swap – it requires no changes to the transmission or mountings.V8 conversions are also popular due to the unusually large engine bay. And — not surprisingly — many clubs and forums exist for the iconic Datsun 240Z. 

From the day a Gippsland farmer approached Ford with a wish that they create a car he could drive to church on Sundays and take the pigs to market on Monday there's being a grand devotion to the body style locally.Utes have come in all shapes and sizes, from the whopping 5-metre long Holden Crewman to the array of small Asian models over the years. They are worshipped at their own muster at Deniliquin every year and put to work and play in both the country and now in the city.Sydney's David Falzon is one of the devoted. He has owned five different Datsun/Nissan 1200 utes and says he has finally settled on the one he's going to keep. His 1985 Nissan 50th anniversary model has had a relatively cosetted life. When he bought it 18 months ago it was a one-owner still in good original condition."(They) only used it to go down to the tennis club. It's only tennis rackets in the back," Falzon says. But at least it got driven, totalling up about 60,000 kilometres. Falzon has spent several thousands of dollars sprucing up the car to ensure it is now in excellent original condition. So much so that he won't drive it in case it gets damaged."I've never driven the car. It's a shame that I can't drive it, but I don't want to get stone chips on the bottom. "It's not registered. The plan is to keep it in storage."Falzon says he has received a considerable offer to buy it but he has no plans to sell. He says he has been a fan of the little utes for years. "I've always loved them. It's small, it's compact. I've had five of them. I said to my wife the next one I buy will be the one I keep. "And this one has got no rust."Falzon says a major reason for keeping this one is the high standard of its originality. "Ninety-eight per cent of them are modified. To have one of them in original condtion is very rare."Falzon says he bought the car in fair condition. Since then he sourced a heap of new parts, some of them from Japan, to restore the car. "It just needed sprucing up."He says the car was basically rust free thanks to it being coated in a wax at the factory when new. "They rusted up quite easily. They are such a flimsy car."It has been repainted in a striking coat of its original red scheme. Falzon says the utes were popular in their day, outselling the equivalent Datsun/Nissan sedan model. "They were very popular. They were the best seller out of the 1200 models. "I got told that if you bought a Kenworth truck you got one these for free. That's what I was told, I don't know if its true or not."As new in 1985 the two-door ute sold for $7865 and was powered by an 1171cc four-cylinder engine. It weighed only 1320kg.They have proven favourites with street car modifiers over the years with many receiving far more powerful engines transplanted into the lightweight chassis.The Nissan 1200 ute was first seen in Australia back in 1971 when it wore a Datsun badge. That car was imported from Japan with the same size engine as the last cars 14 years later.In the same vein as the much-missed Subaru Brumby and even the current Proton Jumbuck the baby utes have carved their own niche in Aussie motoring folklore.