1975 Datsun 120Y review from Australia and New Zealand

Interior cannot handle hot closed up weather. (100 deg C +). This results in;

>Plastics crack, shrink and crumble

>Window seals fail

>Seats crack and split

>Lubrication of switches and latches dry up.

Padding in seats has lost bounce

Rear of doors suffering small rust patches.

Plenum tray (under vents in front of windscreen gets blocked easily). This promotes rust under dash.

Screws become loose on rough roads. Lots of things in car are held by self tapping screws!

Dust enters boot easily

Drain plug can loosen on fuel tank resulting in fumes in car cabin.

Simplistic car to work on. You can strip down these beauties in less than a day.

The whole interor can be removed with a shifter and a phillips-head screw driver in under 1 hour!

Engine swaps and rebuilds are notoriously simple.

Motor is light and simple, electronics are minimal; and faults can be traces easily.

These little cars love to rev and are well ballanced. Engine responds well to small tweeks like carb, cam and exhaust mods.

Reliable as, and basic to suss out problems.

Handles bad to fair, but once you are familiar with it, they are very drivable.

Try up dating with a shorter ratio diff, better radiator, 5 speed manual and firmer shocks.

Getting better seats will save your bum and back 100%

Great zippy responce around town.

Top first car for kids. They look a bit hot with mags and teach you simply all the basics of mechanics.

They are getting rarer to find in good condition. A tidy one stands out in a crowded car-park. Parts are still easy to come by and purchasing spares is cheap and available.

Old folk love mine.

You could take one of these across Australia no problems!

A spare wrecked car in the back-yard can be helpful when rebuilding.

Don't drive these cars till they die, because they just keep hanging on. They can be sick-as, but still get you home.