Datsun 1600's And Motors (fj20, Sr20 & Ca18),, Please Explain

[msmola2002]

My old boy's 2000 touring BMW had over 30k dropped into it by the guy who built it. granted, this was when an intercooler setup was not available on eGay for a few hundred bucks.

but just a few things that went into it for example off the top of my head. Pistons (1600 bucks from SPS) a garrett s14a t28 (1900 I think?) Haltech setup (by the time it was installed, fuel rail manufactured and a few other odds and sods - originally a carbied car. 3k)

6.5k, (1997 dollars too) and that doesn't include the rest of the crap to build the motor, the cooler and plumbing, custom manifold and zorst, modified throttle body and inlet manifold, several bouts of tuning as the cr was built/developed, the brake package (RX7 sIV calipers and disks) and all the other stuff I can't remember.

[TJ]

Datsport will sell you fully completed ones wont they?

People whinge about the price, but when you see the quality of the work and abilities of the cars, you soon realise its great value.

[IMOA]

By that logic paying 40k for RBaby is great value

[tim510]

u don't build a turbo datto for bang for buck anymore. thats what S13's are for.


u would have rocks in your head to convert a datto that isn't a SR20. they are easy, simple, ebay motors. everything is simple, its hard to go wrong.

I did a rebuild on my FJ20 and it was around 6k from pulley to clutch, sump to tappet covers. this was in jan/feb this year and was done at JHH in brisbane

FJ's are much cooler than ghey SR's

[fly510]

FJ's are much cooler than ghey SR's

You used to be cool. :w:

[tim510]

you've changed man,

you used to about the chain rattle

[Zac]

SR = fart box tractor motor!

[hemi770]

Does a 265 fit?

[CXTdreamer]

FJ's are much cooler than ghey SR's

Quoted for the mother-fuckin truth!





I think I spent $2400 on having the bearings changed, new chain, guides and tensioner, pump removed, cleaned and inspected and sump repaired on my FJ after doing the only thing that will kill them easily and denting the sump on a dirt road. Then the moron I sold it to ran 16 pounds on a stock 22 year old pump, stock injectors, stock computer and that killed it properly, but just over double stock boost with stock everything bar intake, dump, cat and exhaust will kind of do that. I cried. Then he put a long motor from a S12 (with a "genuine" 80,000km rofl sure) in it with the DR manifolds and wants to see if I'll swap back... When I said its got the wrong motor in it he said "Nah but now its got a new one in it" and I was like it had a perfect condition motor in it to start with you fool, when I got it it didnt have any evidence of being tampered with apart from a pod and exhaust, didnt look like it'd ever run more than 7 or 8psi, and made a healthy 125rwkw, then had the important bits inspected and replaced where necessary, but he still insists the 80,000km engine is better because it has less km's on it. Which is probably absolute bullshit because how can you prove how many km a bare engine has done, and its probably almost fucked now anyway because he never put the boost back to stock. /rant that wasnt going to be a rant to start with

[TK]

I think I've still got a mint FJ20 head laying around if anyone wants it.

FJ's are like the old L20b's - you just can't kill them.
SR20's die if you look at them sideways.

[oxy]

FJ's are much cooler than ghey SR's

Someone once told me it was the other way around - I can't remember who though :D

[fly510]

In summary. If you want an engine which is a good all rounder and responds well to simply mods and want to keep it around 180 - 200rwkw then I'd go an SR. As I mentioned earlier the ECU can easily be tricked up to support the above figures and then still retain factory cold start and fuel economy. In a 1000kg car you may well be surprised with the results based on the above figures

If you want to make decent rwkw, say over 200 then I'd go an FJ. Given there age it will almost certainly require a rebuild but if you were to carry out a build such as Tim has listed above and assuming the right turbo choice and good tuner (hard to find) you could be making 300 - 350rwhp reliably for many years.

FJs do take a beating no doubt, but they do break eventually. I have two busted ass FJs in the garage to support my theory.

Final summary. Don't buy a CA

[lumpy]

Probably the only sad thing about all these big dollar/go fast conversions and the growing collectable status of the 510 is that now there are very few 1600's left you would throw down a dirt road sideways. And to me, that's what they were made to do.

The really really really sad thing is I gave away my all my 1600 stuff a few years ago because it had sat around for years and looked all shitty and forlorn. Should have keep at least one of the rolling shells

[phreeky]

I'd like to add my own summary: the more boy racers using the same motor, the more cheapo ebay bolt-on (and properly made ones, too) there will be floating around. Considering SR20s were made in reasonable numbers until relatively recently (s15) means there SHOULD be a fairly good supply of them for some time - this is quite unlike CAs and FJs.

As an added bonus, I think the power a relatively stock SR can put out reliably will be crazy fast in a car like that, you'd barely need to do anything to it.

[Rotor7]

Where is the love for the humble CA? Its not as man as an FJ, but its still more likely to be wearing pants than a dump truck SR.