my uncles got a 1200 coupe im thining of buying it no rego but i want to make a lil track car and heard these are pretty light
few questions
what sort of engines and gearboxes can i put in?
weres the best place to get parts
and suspension whats best to go for ?
cheers guys ive done a bit of searching but i need to know by tuesday otherwise its off to scrap:(

Wrong section but look at the tech wiki on 1200.com

any mechanics in victoria with experience in 1200s?

A 1200 coupe can make an awesome race car. Nothing new about that- people have been doing it for 40 years. It's only a couple of years ago Steve Newing won the Victorian under 2 litre Sports Sedan title in a 1200 coupe running an A15 engine.
Engine choice is vast, depending on your budget, what class you want to race in and how fast you want/need to go. 1200s have A series engines standard, and these are available in 1200cc, 1400cc or 1500cc versions called A12, A14 and A15 respectively. These are simple, incredibly tough little engines with heaps of good bits and tuning knowledge available and can be a great little engine for someone on a budget or learning to race as well as an experienced racer.
Other likely engine options are L series (L16, L18 or L20), Z series (Z18 turbo, Z20, Z22 or Z24), CA series (CA18 twincam 16 valve in atmo or turbo), SR20 (in atmo or turbo) or something non-Datsun/Nissan like a Toyota 4AGE or even a Suzuki Hyabusa motorcycle engine. Gearbox wise you'll probably want a 5 speed manual and the engine choice usually dictates which box(es) you can use.

Suspension options are also simple and easily available- front struts form a larger Datsun (Stanza, 180B, 200B, 240K are the usual, depending on what brakes you want to run). Ideally you want to make the front alignment adjustable, too (there are various ways to achieve this). Standard diffs aren't very strong so people usually change the rear axle to one from a 1200 ute, 620 ute or any of many custom options, depending on the brakes and diff ratio(s) they want. For track work the leaf springs can be modified to work fine. You'll want the best shockers (front and rear) you can afford.

There's heaps more to building a good race car, but it's all available for a 1200 coupe. You need to ensure that you have/get:
-a good place to store and work on it
-spare time to research what you want to do and then do it
-spare money to spend on parts and getting work done
-The enthusiasm/stubborness to see the project through
-some way to get it to & from the track, etc. Truck or towcar & trailer

It's always sad to see a 1200 coupe crushed so if you can rescue this one it'd be great. Without seeing it I don't know what it'll take to get it track ready, but whether you want to just have a dirt cheap car club sprint/hillclimb/autocross/motorkhana car or something way more serious a 1200 is one of the best cars you could choose.

Cheers!

Buy it!You'll be able to sell it on easily enough if you change your mind. If you have any questions ring Tommo on 59791400, he is a 1200 nut who will happily help you out. Tell him Alistair with the green Datsun sent you. Even if you're not, he'll be interested in buying the 1200 probably.

_________________
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

1200's make a fantastic race car. But I am personally not a fan of the large engine conversion in a lightweight car. It does make them very front heavy. Recently in Victoria there is a new contender in the under 2L class that smashed a long time lap record by 5 seconds with a turbo A12. It is a fairly intense piece of car though. Alot of time, money and engineering has gone into it, but it has proved that the car will do great things using a lighter high power engine.

Recently I have fitted a CR14DE into a Datsun 1000 and while I havent finished it or got it running it does prove that a FWD engine can be fitted into a RWD vehicle without too much hassle. Personally I don't think it's the right engine choice as the previous modle Micra (K11) had the CG13DE which has aftermarket cams etc available through TOMEI and has a massive cult following overseas. This CG13DE has been known to put out over 300HP@FW when fitted with a turbo. Add to the fact that it is nearly 50kg or more overall lighter than a CA18DET then it makes for a pretty nifty racer indeed. I think the lighter engine avenue needs to be explored.

Also, Sikyne from datsun1200.com is a good bloke to talk to, it's his car that smashed the record earlier this year. I think he gets on here sometimes too. Simon is always only too happy to give solid advice on any subject.

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Some people play hard to get... I play hard to want!

I think that's great advice, RevHead. I didn't include FJ20s in my list of engines because of their weight- despite their awesome power and strength. And I did include the Hyabusa motor because even though the hassle of using one is great their power to weight ratio is almost unbeatable. Still, an A series is where I'd start.

http://datsun1200.com/modules/newbb/vie ... post407973

This is where you'll find some info on Simons engine progress. True to form he has just posted a new figure of 161kwatw!! That is alot of power. And he has room to spare. Another thing to point out is that it is literally a bog standard A12 from a 120Y with an oval port head. His own cam choice but it is a very impressive setup.

I did my first L series conversion in a 120Y nearly 20 years ago and the change in handling characteristics was attrocious. It wasnt my car so I didn't really care, I left it up to old mate but in 2005 I built another L series 120Y. Although the power gains, mainly torque were more than impressive, it took as much work to get the suspension right just to get it to turn into a corner properly just because of the massive weight difference. The center of gravity felt like it was at the firewall. More camber and caster helped, stiffer spring rates etc but it was a prick to turn into corners. If I could have gotten the same power from a smaller engine the corner exit speed would have been heaps better. Sure it was a fun car but you had to put alot more effort into driving the thing.

If it is a track car you want think very carefully about the style or class you want to run in. If you are unsure, stick to Improved Production guidelines. At least then, when the car is finished you have alot more options about where you can run and the resale will be better. Building an off beat race car can limit the categories that you can race, and in some cased limit you to sports sedan. Which is very competitive.

The CG13DET will put you at 2.2L cubic capacity.With 180kwatw in a lightweight car that would make for a competitive car.

_________________
Some people play hard to get... I play hard to want!

I'd agree with rev bout the weight issue. I have a l16 in my 1200. It's not as massive an issue but you can feel the difference from the a15.

Mine set back as far and low as the engineer would pass really.

But the torque of the l makes it a better drive you just need to work the corners. I just redid my front end again bushes links and 250lb springs at reset height.
Already had coil overs, adjustable castor rods s13 camber tops and strut bar. Also running rear sway bar.

I'm shifting weight out of front of the car so battery in boot too. Yet to test but should be slight improvement with 15kg off the front corner.

Get the coupe, get an a14 or a14 and drive it for a bit- its enough to get you suited to car and work out if you do need more from a different engine.

More benefits from weight reduction in these cars