Hi fellas!
So like many of you on here the Datsun bug has hit me again, but this time really really hard! So much that thus far I'm minus one really fast Mazda 3 MPS, an N14 SSS and a really rusty 180B SSS I've picked up for parts, Oh and not to forget a very pissed off girlfriend lol
I figured it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask permission, and guess what? It actually worked!
Ok so many of you must be wondering, what ever happened to the original SIX-TEN??? Well to cut a long story short I was not able to move on my MPS and come up with the funds on time, the then owner was in a real hurry to move it on and there was nothing else for me than to cut my losses and start hunting....
I was left with a very bruised and battered set of emotions, I was angry, upset, sad, you name it, but I decided not to let it be the end not just yet. The hunt for a replacement started pretty much the same night it was evident the original SIX-TEN was not going to be in my possession, and I remembered an old message on FB from none other than Joel aka Burubado who so happens to be one of the most hard core 180B/610 enthusiasts I have ever met in my life. The message read along the lines of an old fella who replied to one of his wanted ads from way back.
He described the car as being an original 1972 180B SSS model, with a good engine, both twin SU carbs tuned to perfection by its previous owner, a gentleman who so happened to be a Datsun mechanic back in the days, he also mentions that there is very little rust, has the Japanese round gauge cluster and much more. I was pissed that I initially had ignored the message previous months before, this time tho I was all over it looking for the number...
To cut a long story short I ended up going up to Bendigo all the way from Berwick one Saturday arvo, with my beautiful GF who put up with the crappy ride of the Pulsar, we arrived at the guys house and first thing I noticed was how much bigger the shed was compared to the house, we walk up to the shed or shall we call it barn, he opens the door and there it is, in its unmistakable Datsun glory, my jaw dropped and we started discussing the condition of the car, he mentions that the battery had been charging over night and for me to crank her over, I pull the choke and turn the ign key... Hey what do you know??? It started first bloody GO!
With a smile on my face and after having a chat about Datsuns, he takes both me and my gf for a tour of his barn, what we saw next is best described as being DATSUN HEAVEN!!!!
I start to see 1600s, 200Bs, Stanzas, Sunnys, 240Zs, an original 260C in mint condition, another 1600 which has only done 50,000kms still on the original tyres! An original works rally Stanza, an R32 GTR track car, another 1600 which is also a track car, a 1600 Rally car and the best of all a New GTR which he let me have a sit in! Oh and also forgot to mention that his shed has two hoists, a man cave full of Datsun memorabilia like an old poster of the works Stanza signed by none other than Gearge Fury! And not to forget the rooms with shelves full of Datsun parts!
As you can see the guy is a real Datsun God, he has been building, racing and collecting Datsuns for over 30yrs, I will be heading up this weekend to drop off a deposit!
As for the condition and plans for the car, well lets start of by saying that atm I have to move on the parts car which I basically bought off an old fella in Blanarring, it has a lot of the parts needed to make a real clean car and the rest I thought I'd might as well help the community of SSS owners and hook them up with a deal on parts they need, the car was bound for the tip, and would have been a real shame not to salvage some parts, the car is not perfect either and I can see why it will have to be thrown away, so for the time being we shall refer to it as the bad car.
The good car is still in need of some TLC, the bad is nothing more than cosmetics, nothing too major things like a inside out paint job, a freshen up of the motor is surely needed, it has some rust on the drivers side sill where is meets the rear wheel arch and the interior needs a tidy up.
The good about it is, the lack of rust, it has all of the chrome trims and molds, the underside of the car is very dry and there is not a single spot of damage and rust to be seen under there, overall it is a totally good base to base a nice project on, Oh and forgot to mention that it actually drives!
Plans for this build this time round, will be nothing hectic like the last one, no engine conversions this time round and no taking it out to the track, I will be keeping its original heart where it should be but of course with some go fast bits like twin carbs, extractors, a mild cam, some dished rims and suspension mods to achieve a nice stance. I have already been buying parts online, locally and form overseas, things like indicator lenses, a new aerial, gearknob with a Datsun logo, and even a cigarette lighter with the SSS logo on it!
This will once again be total fun, a great experience and an adventure, I wont put a finish date on this one, I had done so on the last one and look what happened in the end, this time round it will be a keeper for many many years to come.
Look forwards to catching up with old friends I have made over the years on here and most of all look forwards to cruising!
Cheers!
Alex
Some of the rust, but rest of the car is clean!