Hey, im currently in year 10 looking to buy a car for a school project (and L's)

I have a $3000 budget (might be able to go a couple of hundred over) in total.
Im looking to buy a car for around $1500(or less) and then do it up with the rest.

I was hoping someone could give me some pointers into which kind of car would be good to buy and cheap to fix up.

I've currently got my eye on a datto 620 ute (one in my picture) but I'm not sure whats the best thing to go for.

I dont really want anything ugly or piss weak, you know the reasons, because its a personal project (as well as school) and if im not into the car I wont be as enthusiastic etc.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Matt.

Pick something easy to get parts for.
Take a trip down to your local wreckers and see what there is a few of enabling you to get spares if needed. With old cars you will be going there quite a few times while restoring/modifying it.
620's are pretty hard to get parts for these days and have poor performance and resale value imo.
If i were you i'd be looking at a 910 Bluebird (series 1 or 2), or if you like chrome like me, perhaps a 1200 coupe. 1200 coupes are going for reasonable prices atm and you can get repro front end parts thanks to the utes. The bluey will go better imo with the least money spent (2lt+5spd+elec ignition come standard) but the 1200 coupe will retain more value.
Theres a nice white Bluey in the classifieds atm for $1500 that even has aircon!
I'm sure you will make up your mind at the end of the day tho, because its 'what floats your boat' that matters in the end...

arrgh, just wrote a big reply and net crashed\

Look at a 1984 MR30 Skyline
L24e (efi 2.4 litre straight 6, same/similar to the 240z/260z.280z)
independent rear suspension = good to really good handling
If you get a Ti hatch/liftback, it will have disk brakes all round
power steer, aircon, elec windows and mirrors

can put in virtually any nissan engine, as its engine bay is hughe, ive seen a v8 in one, v6 in another, holden v6/v8... nissan RB engines are a winner, even the old RB30e from the R31

I am turbocharging my factory L24e, as the parts come off an imprt HR30 that was turboed from factory

THey are cheap, like around the $500 mark, can buy whole wrecks for $230 and drive home (like i did)
go to this forum for a HEAP of info,

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums ... s-f77.html

they are a great car, you will find one in good nic if you try hard, but most need respray or work.... but the look good once done!!!

check mine out!

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R30 skyline hatch TURBO project

all honesty get an r31 skyline t1 excecutive

had power windows, steering, 4 door

does burnouts easily enough for a young p plater

has round rear lights

if you cant find parts for the motor vl bits will/may fit

can be upgraded easily (brakes motor manual if so wanted)

aircon

unleaded

look alright lowered with tinted windows

comfy

get one for about $3000 with ti mags (15 inch) with about 200 000km on the clock

that is where i'd spend my coin as a first car no doubt

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"the 910 is the poor man's 510"

i would second the 910, s2, trx
Cheap, gazillions of them..

Has the best performing L 4
Has discs brakes all round
Suspension can be bolt on upgraded from newer models (S13 etc..)
has all the handy little things already built into the car ie. acc cable (not linkage), elec fuel pump, elec dizzy, thermo fan.....
bolt in CA/SR/Z

A mr30 would be a second choice, many of the same reasons as above, except the engine with the efi is harder to work on and not really better than carbs
but
"bolt in" CA/SR/FJ/Z/RB

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SSS610: The Nicer daily
STK610: The Original Daily...Now The Hills Car

S2 TRX: SuckThru Turbo: RETIRED
MR30 Hatch: Daily Driver: SOLD
720 King Cab: Daily Driver V2: SOLD

sr20de silvia sell for between 2 - 5 grand they do a 16 sec pass down the quarter parts are cheap handels good making it turbo is eazy n cheap all the elec options you could want in a car like climate control auto folding mirrors elec windows / mirrors ect ect srock ones drift well add coilovers and a locker n there a wepon

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datsun 1200 SR
Silvia s13 SR
XR8 tow car
stocko 1200 ute

Z31 300ZX turbos are cheap too. The VG30ET, while being a bitch to work on (unless you pull it out of the car) will handle high HP on stock internals. No engine swapping, will save you a lot on engineering, etc. There's a group of enthusiastic Z31 owners over at http://www.auz31club.com

Probably not a good idea for a first car, insurance wise though.

Get a 4 cylinder if you want cheaper rego, insurance and maintanence...

4 cyl = cheaper rego/insurance/maint? How does that work and in what state?

+1 for Series 2 TRX, really good handling, comfort, light weight, heaps of parts... just make sure it's a manual.

+1 for MR30 Skyline. These things go pretty quick for what they are.

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Man ppl are so bias here!

How about a G100 Daihatsu Charade????

I picked mine up for $250 off ebay, spent another $600 on parts for road worthy cert and then another $600 worht of rego, goes like a dream and its EFI, plenty of parts at the wreckers and even has A/C tho it needs to be re gassed.

also for that price range look for EF Civics, Corollas of various variants list could go on and on, just because you'r eon a Datsun forum don't mean you have to get one, think out of the box like I have and keep an open mind, like you said its for a project and for L's i know they're not the most out there cars but think abot the money you're looking at spending....

just my oppinion tho

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"You stay classy OzDat"

1990 R31 Skyline Wagon GXE Manual

Best of the wagon models, RB30E's are powerful and plenty of fun. $1500 should get you the car, the rest can be budgeted on replacing bushes & shocks, rebuilding calipers etc.

Lowered on rims they look good, get one with a tow ball and it will tow a trailer with ease.

I've owned a few and they are still the best and most reliable car I've owned.

They also leave you open to easy engine and brake conversions later on (rb25/26, S13 susp & brakes etc).

AE82 twincam corolla best car ive ever had for under 3grand

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120Y 4DOOR SEDAN SR20DE WITH ITB'S

http://datsun1200.com/modules/newbb/vie ... post494892

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/tata ... -m82j.html

Sorry all - just saw the article 2K new

180b! but i am bias.

i got my sss on the road for less then 3K. i think it was just over 2.5K including rego!

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Currently whizzing around the streets of hobart in the imported orange '72 180b sss named Phillip

sadly, the 120y blew up and the old sss was sold to a better home.

if you're happy to suss bodywork, dont mind a bit of fabrication (good with welding, possibly machining) etc older cars are unbeatable

if you're not good with that sorta stuff, you gotta be careful which ones you get. RWC chaps dont like rust at all

if i was on my P's again, and for some reason couldnt go datto; id go an AE71 corolla no question (KE70's are same, different engine)
they look like boring corollas, but are RWD, and the AE71 comes standard with a 4A. you could swap out for a silvertop 20V, swap engine numbers and none but those who know toyota will know its a conversion hence, dodgy but sorta p plate legal! good solid engines, not so bad in the power department, not tooo hard to find at wreckers, not worth a whole lot either so insurance shouldnt be too bad

something along the lines of these;

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1972 P510
1979 620