1974 Datsun 120Y Sedan from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

Engine would overheat often (although, there were no fins on the radiator...)

Clutch and alternator (Lucas) went shortly after I bought the car.

Needed a replacement calliper, because I ran the brake pads down to the metal and seized up the calliper piston...

Needed new idler arm bushes (disintegrated).

Got angry with overheating, ran the car hot up a hill. At the top, I put in cold water and warped the head. Did another 10,000km then I crashed the car.

Great little car.

Surprisingly good low end torque, would outrun 6 cylinder cars up hills.

Very uncomfortable and hard seats that sunk right down to the floor.

I grew up with this car (B210). My father purchased it new in 1976 and the same car is still alive and kicking today. This car is generally trouble free, very thrifty in gasoline consumption and has a very low cost of maintenance. Surprisingly, except for body parts, original spare parts are still available although we must know where to go.

Our biggest problem has so far been corrosion. We have done body repairs three times. The last one was done almost ten years ago. We are looking forward to have another one done in the near future.

We have had problems with overheating too, but this was mainly caused by corrosion of the radiator and to some extent, the inner part of the engine block. Also, the condition of the waterpump contributed to overheating. We have replaced the radiator once and the waterpump a couple of times.

We have also had a problem with the alternator but it was simply because of its bearings. Replacement of the bearings solved the problem. In short, our alternator is still original.

We are currently having some problem with the rear brakes as the drums need replacement. Fortunately, I was able to purchase an original pair in Singapore a few months ago. I am not sure if my brother has had the time to replace these drums or not. He drives a 1994 B13.

Other things that we have replaced: carburettor (twice), distributor (once), spark plug cables (once), coil (once), regulator (twice), muffler (twice), clutch set (four times), timing chain (once), cyclinder rings (three times) and valves (once). Some of the replacements here were done because we wanted them replaced due to their age.

What else can I say? Ooh, I still drive this car regularly at 120 km/h on the highway with confidence.

Just wondering if you're in the Datsun Owners Club (datsunworld.com) - easy to get spares, news about Datsuns and so on.

I bought a 1974 model 120y for a paddock basher in April 98, thrashed the hell out of it for two and three quarter years before it died. It went suprisingly well for such a small engine. Which started first go nine out of ten times.

I had to replace: the clutch, ignition leads, spark plugs, alternator and points.

Overall it was a very reliable car and covered some pretty insane terrain no worries.

I bought my Datsun 120y a couple of months ago. It is a beautiful car, runs perfectly, takes hills in fourth gear and is fairly cheap to fix.

The only things that are wrong or have gone wrong with my car is a leaking fuel pump and the original carpet is not in the best condition.

I bought the car off an old lady all original, and I mean all. I have done minor cosmetic modifications. They are just a new steering wheel, gear stick nob and mag wheels. I have also replaced the original am radio.

I am not in agreement with the above reviews. I have driven many and enjoyed little about these cars. As for a 120Y

out-running a (modern) 6-cylinder car, this is difficult to comprehend. Fuel economy is excellent, but this is its only real strength. It is flimsy, rust-prone, slow, ugly, noisy and laughable, yet it is probably the best runabout you'll ever find.

In the 4 years I have owned my Datsun, almost no money has been spent on the cars mechanicals. The car has been driven hard on many occasions, but has been serviced regularly.

I have given many cars a run for their money off the lights.

I have reached a top speed of 160 kph (seriously!)

Because of the cars excellent qualities, I have gifted the car with 13" steel 'turbine' wheels, 185/65 Kumho tires, and have lowered the car approximately 1.5 inches.

To summarize, this has been the best car I have ever owned and I hope to have the car for many years to come.

My 120Y rocks it's got a to3 turbo and a 4 inch exhaust I reached 175 km/h before it spat out the no.3 piston all in all is a good car.

Does anyone know where I may buy a rear Window rubber for a 1974 Datsun 120Y in Australia. Please email me - kelbus@yahoo.com.au

Thanks heaps.

I'm 19 and a 1974 120y was and still is my first car. My dad being a mechanic gave me the car when I got my license. Personally I don't think there will ever be cars as good as the 120y. 3 years back I had trouble with over heating and I had the radiator core replaced and its never been better. I also have a spare water pump, but I haven't needed to replace that yet.

Mine has the A13 motor with a alloy head and it performs beautifully, it does have good low end torque and performs exceptionally for a 1.3L carby. However on the freeway in forth it revs quite hard so fuel consumption doubles with freeway driving.

Few months ago I could hear a knocking in the rear, it was the rear axle bearings so my dad and I replaced them. It was a very difficult job, the old bearings had to be cut off with an angle grinder, we then pressed the new ones on. The front tie rod ends were also replaced.

The car is quite small in the rear however it wasn't made for a family, one minor issue mine has is the headlight fuse always blows, now I have spotlights on it, it blows more often, every month or so.

With petrol prices 140c or there abouts these days my car from empty costs about $38 dollars to fill. Which means its less than a 30 litre tank and it achieves 450km on average off one tank of fuel. AMAZING fuel economy.

I've also since put a nice head-unit under the glove box, 6" & 6x9" speakers so my Datsun 120y is a great everyday car.

My Stepfather owned a 120y for about a decade or so. All I can say about it is - the darn thing was unbreakable. We got the engine reconditioned at about 260K, then did another 100K in it before we sold it. The body corroded pretty badly, my S/F made new door panels out of Zincalume, and we were always cutting rust out of it and bogging it up. The engine was sweet though, it was unkillable. Sure we replaced a few things - starter solenoid, carby, radiator, alternator, points, but it ran like a kitten, and started first time, every-time as long as the battery was up to scratch. Loved the distinctive exhaust note too...

I learned so much about vehicle mechanics from this car, and to this day have never found a car that is as reliable as our little datto was. My favorite car ever.