Project Car - Seeking Opinions

[CKA16v]

Myself and a mate of mine are seriously considering embarking upon a project car. Few ideas have been tossed around but im thinking of a couple of combinations.. some of the more favoured ones would be:

*Early 70's Datsun 1600 - ca18det
*Datsun 1600 - FJ20det
*Datsun 1600/200B - SR20det (maybe a little to expensive)
*Early Gemini - 12a/13b Turbo

Any ideas/comments/criticism/opinions anyone wants to share would be great. Idea behind it is to create a sleeper with the potential to shock alot of later model car owners on the road, hence the older car / powerful engine combination. Long term goal is to turn it into a full drag strip beast. Keen for feedback! Thanks.

CKA16v

[Esteban]

Well, i cant speak for you, but i want a 12A or 13B turbo in a RA/TA23 Celica. Good chuckable car, for cheap, with a simple performance engine of proven credibility. Perhaps supercharge it to be different. Thoughts ...

[Forg]

Just a couple of thoughts;

* The 1600 would have to be the easiest to unload when you get bored of it.
* Both those shells are going to be hard to find in not-riddled-with-rust condition; they're both rustbuckets.
* FJ20's are as old as the hills; it's been close to 20 years since they stopped making them, hasn't it? I reckon a CA18 in worthwhile condition would be much easier to find.
* I should've looked at your location before hitting the reply button, but the Gemini conversion you mention wouldn't be legal in NSW or Qld (assuming you mean 12A Turbo; a n/a 12A would be OK, and a 13B would probably just be OK too).

[RedSuns]

All of your choices sound great. But your idea was to create a sleeper. Nwdays if you see a tidy 1600, its usually got something silly under the bonnet, negating some of that "shock" factor, because you're expecting it. Its more of a suprise to see one with a standard motor :p

[meggala]

datsun 180b SSS with either a ca or sr forget the fj as forg said to old and the ca's are cheap as .
what about a te cortina with and rb20 ? or any cortina (its different.
or an lj-lh torana with a 2 jz gte ?
they are some of my thought .
just thinking different.
meggala

[Norbie]

I reckon a 2JZ-GTE in an old Charger would be way cool. It would be a great way to confuse the hell out of the bogans when you lift the bonnet and there's a high-tech Jap six in place of the ancient Hemi! Would go pretty hard as well - a Charger is significantly lighter than a JZA80 Supra.

[Drizt]

gees i thought chargers were heavy .... ? but yeah AWESOME looking car's


a torana is never gonna be a sleeper.. such a greatly modified car, i would say it would be one of the most common drag cars ????

hehe you could do a sigma..
my mate intends on putting a twin turbo'd 300ZX engine in there one day when he gets enough mullah

[floody]

I think that if its old and four cylinders and worth modifying its been done to death, so that to me wopuldn't be a factor, i mean how many hot dattos/escorts/mk1-2cortinas/sigmas/rotors etc are out there, they are everywhere.
how bout a 4agte powered 1200 coupe? that would be fun.Or, every capri you see has a windsor, clevo or chev in it, how about one with a 1uzfe or a big-boost vg30det? Or my favourite conversion for when you want to be really different- mazda bongo van meets 20b turbo. Might need a tougher gearbox though, box not being all that strong in those things. But its light, and with the rear engine, kombi style, would do mental wheelies!!!! never replace your front tyres again!!
cheers,
floody

[SuperBoRi]

Holden camira, hi-po jap engine
would truly be a shameful occasion being beaten by a camira - dont you feel worthy to hand out such punishments?

[joshinthecity]

Bongo Boost !

I love it.

I want one.

[Jon]

I think camira's just look wrong.
Datto's are cool, but redsuns is right, if you see a nice 1600, it's never stock!
A nice sleeper isuzu gemini would look nice! Maybe some airsprings so you could lower it to buggery when you wanted to! (I've got one in the backyard that is so low, we can't fit a jack underneath it!)

J~

[SubbyRS]

Late seventies / early eighties Sigma (RWD)......drop a P76 or Rover SD1 V8 in with an appropriate 5 speed....
Not the fastest thing around but muchos fun:D :D

[CKA16v]

Thanks for all the posts guys, some interesting ideas and food for thought. Dunno about that camira idea my mum used to have one years ago.. never did like those cars :rolleyes:

One combination i forgot to mention was an older celica, say ra23 or ta23, with either a 3s-gte or 1g-gte. I think these older RWD Celicas look mad but again with the datto 1600 if you see one driving around with a nice paint job chances are its gonna blow you away (well me anyway!).

This said I am from Perth and there is not that great of an abundance of modified older cars.. they are around but not every third or fourth car as it might be like in other areas of Aus.

CKA16v

[karl_2ltGC]

cant go past the galant for sleeper style looks

Read my signature :D
http://galant.8m.com/pics/galantfr.jpg

[floody]

G'day,
just had another cool idea, there was a sigma in street machine a couple of years ago with an efi 5.0 windsor from a mustang, that would be a sleeper, even with wuiet pipes it could be made to pump what, 170, 180kw? centrifugal supercharge it too , underbonnet and stealthy with a well hidden black painted intercooler, maximum stealth bomber sleeper.Oh and for the clincher put like onld 14 or 15inch globe 5 spokes on it or 5 slotters, so everyone thinks its a mega bogan mobile, gotta have the no fear sticker too for a few more rwkw
cheers,
floody

[AusMX6]

escort with the kia FE engine fitted out with a supra 5 speed, and the internals from the Mazda FE-ZE, forged slugs, some boost....and lots of fun

[Jman]

Currently taking part in a series3 Bluebird Trx project, bought it for $500 off the road but in running order and a ca18det is on the way, will be a kick ass sleeper.


I love the idea of a LJ, LH or LX SS Torana with RB20DET,RB25det, RB30et or GEN111(250kw)

HEHE

[Forg]

Originally posted by CKA16v
One combination i forgot to mention was an older celica, say ra23 or ta23, with either a 3s-gte or 1g-gte.
You might want to email Norbie directly; if he can't tell you exactly what you need to do to an old Celica to get it going, he should be able to tell you who to contact that will know. :)

Also, Mk1 Escorts are pretty rare these days, could be an interesting sleeper if only because most people into the modified car scene are too young to remember them being "boy racer" mobiles. :)

[THE ASH]

1/2JZ-GTE in a VB-K commodore!! :eek: :D should shock the shite out of plenty of people with no V8 rumble. Best thing is it won't be the expected RB motor when they realise its boosted. There will be plenty of aftermarket support for everthing else as its a commodore (eg. brakes, diff, suspension) & they are relatively light. And everyone will like it cause its a falcodore with turbo rice power! ;) fark me, I might do this myself, wanna VR4, they are a bit of a sleeper? :rolleyes:

[BSTD510]

Im biased but depending on what mechanical knowledge you have and how much you want to spend and what kind of car you want to have to get into, id go for a datto 1600. The parts are cheap to buy for suspension motor driveline interior etc nissan loved interchangability (locked r180 diff =50 bucks, motors are cheap for them, irs rear end which is great unless youre into drag racing.) With the ozdat mailin list and a lot of workshops experience theyre easy as to set up as well. Ive got a fj20det in one of my 1600s (if ur in perth u might have seen it) and as ppl have said it isnt a shock when i blow ppl away but it is by how much (like a certain guy in his sick bro falcon who wasnt smilin for long). Down the drags the previous owner was runnin high 13s at 108mph (but it does have a few mods). My project car, another 1600 had a z18 with a lot of mods and id say it was a lot faster still, and it didnt cost the earth to set up (but ill admit i have spent 30000 on it now heh.) I have another 1600 thats up for sale but it is unregistered. I also have two spare shells, so if ur ever interested in checkin out any part of either conversions or lookin at parts etc let me know. Ill offer any advice u require.
regards chris

[TurboMongrel]

Turbo 13b in a AE86!!!!
(if you're a reall nut bar go to 3rotor.com and check out their video of a Hachi with a 20b!!!)Just vulgar...
Rob:D

[PLAYA]

i nearly finished my project, its a bit different.

i got a worked sr (230+ rwkw) in a bluebird wagon.

the exterior is just going to be cut and polished and trx rims, lowered on king springs and kyb shocks. I recon that will be a sleeper.

[CKA16v]

BSTD510:

That sounds great I'd love to have a look at both cars as I am quite keen on the idea of the datto but the Celica is growing on me more and more each day but we will see what happens. Not sure when we sill start building the project probably sometime later on this year as I said before just considering options right now.

If I do go ahead with the Datto Id be interested in looking at any parts you might have for sale too.. very interested. Thanks for your post dude.

CKA16v

[Fat67XR]

I'm building a '67 falcon, with a 302 windsor, using mustang efi inlet manifold and plenum, aftermarket computer, etc., but it will be years before that thing sees a road!!!:(

[spook]

how about a dirty old 120y cots $50 max put a 180b xmember in front(bolts in) and worked 2lr or ant jap datto motor (depending on buget) and off you go!!!! i put a 2.1 ex rally motor in one of these cars and it went good even better was the look on peoples faces when they were passed by a shitbox 120y at ten zillion miles an hour go the datto!!!!!!!!!

[RB30DETT]

ok I did a conversion many years ago that was so f**kn easy it was hard to convince others of how easy it realy is. a v6 com + 5speed into an 82 se sigma. how easy?, well vn-vp v6 sump ok, commodore engine mounts need little mods (adaptors only) commodore gearbox mount just had to redrill, sigma clutch cable fits com/box wire + custom tail shaft off the shelf com extractors bolt on fine even the air filter box fitted nicely in the front looked like it was a factory job. and this was an awsome sleeper too

[YBS1OW]

how about a fiat 124bc. just get a crap one and put something like an sr in it. or what about an early model corolla with a 4agze in it. the coupes look tuff..

[dieline]

How bout a VG30DET in a Navara :) :)

I am not biased of course. I wish I used a VG in mine rather than an RB!

[120why]

Hey spook i had a 120y with a 202,trimatic used cut down 240k struts and had hubcaps standard t-bar etc. now i want a wagon to do it all again!