Learn Me Datsun 210

Here's where I'd love to tell you if it's a B310 chassis car or a B210 chassis, but I'm not sure. They are basically the same, no?

I was also wondering what sort of potential there is in the A series engines, and if the L series bolts in.

I'm thinking a fun autocross build. Don't really care if it's class competitive.

All I can add is a pic of my 210 taken back in 1988. I sure miss that car. It was a lot of fun to drive:

My understanding is that you need the A10 (78+ 510) crossmember to bolt an L20B in.

I had a garbage 510 for 3 years waiting for a nice car to swap it into, sold it, then found a clean 210 hatchback.

$14,000 for a "mint" 210 is too much money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&item=180965824553&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1775768074928385314&cmd=ViewItem#ht_500wt_948

This B210 is in my price range.

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/cto/3199271425.html

The B210 has leaf springs at the rear the 210/B310 has coil spring four-link.

I had a 1970 Spitfire with an A12 in it. No more powerful than the stock Spit motor but a lot more reliable. That car has the distinction of being the only car I bought back 3 different times.

The A motor is pretty dang tough but there's not a lot of speed stuff available. If you are willing to make parts like headers and intakes, then it's definitely possible to drag a few more horsepuppies out of one. It has a 5 main bottom end so should be OK with throwing boostification at it. Within reason, of course.

This guy has an A12 engine on eBay. Like Curmudgeon said; power is not easily found.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATSUN-B110-A12-1200CC-ENGINE-IN-CRATE-W-SUNNY-MIKUNI-DUAL-CARBURETORS-HEADER?item=360450406308&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1784008734737613246#ht_500wt_689

They build the snot out of those engines in OZ. If you can find one with a 5 speed, sell it to a midget/sprite owner for a quick $500. I had a B210 with A14 that we were going to swap into the MG- in my car mechanic infancy someone told us it was a bolt in, and my dad and I believed him. Wasn't quite.

Man, that A12 sure looks good! But it's not $3999 + $1500 shipping worth of good.

The A series shares one MG/Triumph characteristic: long and willowy pushrods. They will flex and bow when the motor is wound up, in stock form this limits the motor to around 5500 RPM. I'm sure some kind of custom lightweight and stiff pushrod coupled with dual springs would help.

The L series motor has a lot more hotrod stuff available along with being an OHC design. That would sway me right there.

ArthurDent wrote: The B210 has leaf springs at the rear the 210/B310 has coil spring four-link.

Is that a big advantage, either way? I imagine it would be better for tuning with the four link ... unless it's a crappy fox-body style non parallel four link.

Curmudgeon wrote: Man, that A12 sure looks good! But it's not $3999 + $1500 shipping worth of good. The A series shares one MG/Triumph characteristic: long and willowy pushrods. They will flex and bow when the motor is wound up, in stock form this limits the motor to around 5500 RPM. I'm sure some kind of custom lightweight and stiff pushrod coupled with dual springs would help. The L series motor has a lot more hotrod stuff available along with being an OHC design. That would sway me right there.

Really? Factory rated the A12's peak power at 6k rpm.

I have nothing to add except that I learned how to drive a stick shift on a B210. 1974 model, I think.

And "I heard" that the cranks can be used in Ford Kent blocks, as the Jap parts are forged and the English parts are not, giving a much stronger bottom end for, say, your Lotus TC motor (Ford Kent bottom end.)

DaewooOfDeath wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: Man, that A12 sure looks good! But it's not $3999 + $1500 shipping worth of good. The A series shares one MG/Triumph characteristic: long and willowy pushrods. They will flex and bow when the motor is wound up, in stock form this limits the motor to around 5500 RPM. I'm sure some kind of custom lightweight and stiff pushrod coupled with dual springs would help. The L series motor has a lot more hotrod stuff available along with being an OHC design. That would sway me right there.

Really? Factory rated the A12's peak power at 6k rpm.

I don't know what to say about the long, willowy pushrod (initially, I thought connecting rod, which they certainly aren't), I revved my a-series Midget engine to past 7K (isky valve springs) without valve trouble all the time. Easy fix, that, just get the chro-mo tubular pushrods and be done with it, if in fact they are an issue.

I contacted the guy with the B210 because I was interested in the Libre wheels on it(despite the fact they're the wrong bolt pattern for the Europa). We didn't discuss the B210 much because he was showing me pics of his beautiful 510 autocross car, but he seems like a decent guy if any of you are interested in it.

Oh, and I passed on the wheels because they're only 5.5" wide, the wrong color and bolt pattern.

DaewooOfDeath wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: Man, that A12 sure looks good! But it's not $3999 + $1500 shipping worth of good. The A series shares one MG/Triumph characteristic: long and willowy pushrods. They will flex and bow when the motor is wound up, in stock form this limits the motor to around 5500 RPM. I'm sure some kind of custom lightweight and stiff pushrod coupled with dual springs would help. The L series motor has a lot more hotrod stuff available along with being an OHC design. That would sway me right there.

Really? Factory rated the A12's peak power at 6k rpm.

When I was messin' with them, the conventional wisdom was anything past 5500 with stock springs and pushrods was asking for valve float. Of course, this was 1982?

B210 tachometer:

I've seen some indecently fast Datsun 1200 race cars. Somebody is building parts fro them.

The B110 (1200 coupe) was so freakin' light that a Saturday afternoon A15 swap from a later 210 would propel it rather nicely.

OBTW, Daewoo: IIRC the 310 was the FWD chassis, used the same motor turned east/west and replaced the F10 here in the Great Satan. The A110/B210/210 was the rear wheel drive layout.

petegossett wrote: I contacted the guy with the B210 because I was interested in the Libre wheels on it............he seems like a decent guy if any of you are interested....

I talked to him too as he has a 1986 200SX with the V6 for sale -auto trans. I am tempted a little.....he also has a Turbo Sentra Spec V with a blown Trans for sale.

A guy I know put a turbo on his A-series (in a 1200 though)

Nothing to add other than I loved my '81 B210. Not very fast, but rwd and very fun!!!

Dr. Hess wrote: And "I heard" that the cranks can be used in Ford Kent blocks, as the Jap parts are forged and the English parts are not, giving a much stronger bottom end for, say, your Lotus TC motor (Ford Kent bottom end.)

This is something that I will eventually get around to investigating, since a Lotus TC seems inevitable at some point.

My brother had a 610 and my sister had a B210. I loved both cars, but I was too young to really know much about them.

I built a B310 into LeMons car last summer. It was the most fun I've ever had racing. Better than the lemons races I've done at Summit point and NH in "real" race cars.

Powered by a stock A14. Ditch the Hitachi carb, drop a Weber DGV on it. Dig up some front struts from a 280ZX and swap over the big brakes and hubs. The rear axle is pretty weak. We blew it up when we lost an axle seal, but I guess that's not the axles fault.

Oh, and I didn't mention. Buy one.

If I were to continue the B310 build, I'd drop in our spare L20 w/L28 dished pistons, peanut chamber head, cheapo header, SU carbs, mild cam if I can find a used one, and a 4 speed from the Z. We'd just weld up some new motor mounts since the late 510 subframes are unobtainable in CT. Need a stronger rear end, and rear discs.