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Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
http://www.ozdat.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16520		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  green200b [ Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
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 :roll: ), 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:

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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.

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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.

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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.
Author:  Lurch [ Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
Pffft that rust is easy treated & fixed!
Author:  Dave [ Sat Mar 14, 2009 4:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
I can't recall ever seeing another yellow SX - they are usually red, blue or white.

Looks like an interesting project :thumbsup:
Author:  green200b [ Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
Lurch wrote:
Pffft that rust is easy treated & fixed!
I've seen worse rust. But this car also has some rust in interesting places that I don't believe I've ever seen another car rust in! I'll try and get some photos tomorrow.
Dave wrote:
I can't recall ever seeing another yellow SX - they are usually red, blue or white.

Looks like an interesting project :thumbsup:
Thanks Dave. I haven't either. After reading another thread somewhere on here I believe they made most in red, yellow and blue, then a few limited edition ones in silver, and also in yellow. I've seen two silver ones on eBay and SIX-TEN said he once saw one, and I spoke to someone who said that he remember seeing a yellow SX when he was younger. However this is the only yellow one I've ever seen. By the looks of things it is definately the original colour, you can see it underneath and in other places that you would never re-spray unless you did a repair like your 180B. SO for a while I wondered if this was a mock-up SX, however I think that considering the only SX options this car has not got are the side racing stripes (although it has all of the other decals) and it had standard mirrors. So maybe it is a poverty-pack SX? I saw one other one once which had standard mirrors so maybe they were options.
Author:  GSpec [ Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
About time we saw this project begin.
Yes, sadly the rust isn't as easily treatable as the pics may suggest but you'll have it sorted and brought back to beautiful DATSUN glory.
I should have bought this off you when i had the chance... I have perfect doner body right here.
Good luck with my friend and be sure to asl for help if/when required.

:thumbsup:
Author:  Ryan [ Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
so the starter motor the only reason why its not running?? should dive in head first as a resto you have a daily or two so no rush to get it on the road.
Author:  green200b [ Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
Well, that's what I was told when I got the car. The motor turned out to be VERY seized when I eventually pulled it down. Here's how it looked:

[ img ]

It has a motor in it now, another one I got. I need to fit up the gearbox, starter motor etc (all of which I have), and then try to figure out the weird engine wiring which is definately not factory. It's had a few extra gauges at some point I think, so I'll need to remove everything for those and make it nice and granny-spec again.

Haha, this car will probably end up being the most disliked car on Ozdat. Not only is it a 200B, but it is being kept original, and even de-modified!!! :twisted:
Author:  Datski [ Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
hmm my old L20b looked like that when i got it out of the 1600...the guy had left it sitting for 5 years with coolant in it and ate the head away at piston number 4 but all the rest looked good....the only good thing about it was now it gives you an excuse to bore and stroke the heck out of it for the other 200b you got to give it heaps of power at your disposal. There is nothin wrong with 200b's i quite like them but will never own one
Author:  green200b [ Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
Well I finally have a few things to update so here goes!

I've acquired a few little bits and pieces for the car, such as a set of NOS SX decals and sidestripes, but not the rear 'DATSUN SX' decal, and a full-sized spare. But the most important thing of all, I managed to find an ORIGINAL front spoiler!

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Rarer than a 13-year-old virgin in Frankston, these spoilers were usually either crushed with the car (when there were still some left) or broken when you hit a gutter or a bad bump. Which I can see why, I'm pretty sure my cat could break it if he tried. It's made out of very thin plastic. When I removed the SX's front bumper today, I found the remains of the original one :(

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You may need a magnifiying glass to see them.

So I bolted it all up...

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...And re-fitted the bumper:

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F**k yeah! Now we're getting somewhere!

When I finally do the engine swap on my green 200B the SX will get it's old motor. Then it will drive. Expect another update in a few months :lol:
Author:  1600 head [ Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
now i know what ur on about al, that looks sweet as!
Author:  James May [ Wed Jun 24, 2009 12:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
green200b wrote:
Well, that's what I was told when I got the car. The motor turned out to be VERY seized when I eventually pulled it down.
Nothing a can of start you bastard wouldn't fix...
green200b wrote:
Haha, this car will probably end up being the most disliked car on Ozdat. Not only is it a 200B, but it is being kept original, and even de-modified!!! :twisted:
What's wrong with keeping an SX original? In 10 years it might be the only stock 200B left!

I might rephrase that sentence: In ten years it may be finished.

Nevertheless, it's good to see you start this project, instead of using the SX to keep more 200B bits in.
Author:  Shexy Chester [ Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
that look's awsome al!!
keep up the good work1
u have inspired me to get my project going!
why dont you put the motor from the green machine in here?
Author:  green200b [ Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
Shexy Chester wrote:
why dont you put the motor from the green machine in here?
Funnily enough that's the plan :lol: so in theory this one should have a motor fitted, a gearbox on the back of it and possibly even be running and driving in three months. It all depends on how strange the wiring in this car is, and how much of my spare time I decide to use making cars go :?
Author:  200b sx [ Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
:D Sweet dude a front spiler looking good now :thumbsup:
Author:  Dave [ Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alistair's 1979 Datsun 200B SX restoration project
green200b wrote:
Haha, this car will probably end up being the most disliked car on Ozdat. Not only is it a 200B, but it is being kept original, and even de-modified!!! :twisted:
I've actually got a soft spot for 200B's as well.

I learnt to drive in my old man's beigy-tan coloured '77 model, complete with IRS. Funny how times change, back then when I got my licence and started looking round for a Datsun of my own, I couldn't afford a 200B, so I got a 1600 instead as they were much cheaper
:shock:
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