Well as this car is 30 at some time during this month, I had decided to try and have it running and driving by then. However, due to time restraints and other difficulties, this is probably not going to happen. So I've decided to make it a member's ride thread instead
So this is my 'other' Datsun 200B, an SX I bought for $300 when I was 16. After finding out that they existed, I decided that I really wanted one because I thought they looked cool. I had missed out on a couple but then this one came upon eBay, annoyingly at the same time as a SSS! Then that weekend, my green 200B was having some engine problems, and some idiot told me that is was on the verge of blowing up due to the smoke blowing out of it ( which was due to the PCV not being connected
), and as such I would need a new engine. The SSS got a few bids on it and became out of my price range, so a friend and I went quite a reasonable distance to have a look at this SX. The seller assured us that the reason it wouldn't start was because the starter motor was dead. It had extractors and a full exhaust, twin SUs and a 5-speed. So I gave him a deposit that day, and then retured with a tow truck later in the week to collect it!
Here are some photos I took of it in the garage where I first saw it:
It hadn't moved from this spot for a good three years before I saw it. This was in 2006! The engine in it turned out to be seized, so luckily the green 200B's engine wasn't actually stuffed. So I nicked the extractors, exhaust, twin SUs and 5-speed, and then left the car out the front of my house while I worked out what to do with it.
It had an excellent body as far as dents were concerned, aside from one door it is almost completely straight. However, there is rust in the rear beaver panel...quite a lot now, unfortunately
I have had it for almost three years and I have had no choice but to leave it parked outside for the majority of that time. Unfortunately the bottom of the doors, bottom of the rear quarters, and the rear beaver panel, have all suffered as a result.
If it weren't an SX I would definately wreck it, it would make an excellent parts car! But SXs are very thin on the ground, plus I believe this to be one of very few painted yellow from factory. I had many plans for this car, from rally car, SR20 conversion to make quick street car, then a race car, but now I have decided to restore it to be as original as possible, even though I don't have the original engine for it. Over the years I have slowly acquired a few good SX parts that this doesn't have, such as a mint dash (still with the original radio!), some genuine SX wing mirrors, some more centre caps, a proper SX grill and a brand new sticker set. This one definately had a front spoiler at one point, as I can see where it has been and all of the mounting holes. I have a second-generation SX front spoiler I can use if I wish but would prefer to try and find an earlier spoiler.
Progress on this will be slow, until I can have a garage for it permenantly I won't be doing much in the way of body repairs. BUt I plan to get it running and driving as soon as possible, and then slowly fix it up to be as close to factory specifications as possible.
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green200b - aka Alistair
The fleet:
Australia:
'80 200B GX - the
green200b - hibernating
'81 RX-7 - 12A extend port - daily
'74 RX-2 - 13B bridgeport - cruiser
Europe:
'93 200SX - CA18DET - tourer
Green200B has forgotten more about 200Bs than we will ever know.