Treated the 1600 to new tie rod ends, new brake hoses, new radius rod bushes and a tailshaft strap last week (due to very diligent scrutineers putting the car up on a hoist). Got it all fixed and made the trip to Oran Park on the weekend for a supersprint put on by the Hills District Car Club - my last chance to run there
. Houses are already being built only 100m or so from the end of the main straight.
Managed 1:36 for the GP circuit which I was happy enough with.
By the end of the day, the clutch hydraulics were shot, oil leaking everywhere from the bellhousing (so either rear crank seal or front gearbox seal), and datalogging showed I could only manage 139kph down the main straight
Last time I had it dyno'ed, the dyno guy commented on its severe lack of compression, so I don't think I can put it off any longer - its time for an engine refresh, so the 1600 will be out of action for a little while
. All has to be finished by Easter as I've put an application in for the FOSC 6 hour event at Bathurst
. Still have to wait and see if my application is accepted as apparently they usually have way more applicants than positions available.
My other dilemna is whether to do some bodywork ? At the moment a reasonable amount of the car still retains its original Datsun factory paint. It is starting to look a bit tatty though - dints and a few bits of rust. Don't know whether to paint it or leave it as-is for "nostalgic" purposes ??