Marina coupe V Datto GT coupe

[Stickman]

Load your shotguns boys and girls as I'm about to run naked in front of the firing squad!

Ok here we go.... There has been a fair bit of B&S flung around of late by an unnamed Stickman in reguards to the highly desired and prized automobile that is the Morris Marina Coupe. Fair enough to say that it has ruffled a few feathers and brought down the the image of this incredible forum (whoops). Well I am about to fix that with the announcement that I'm over it! The Marina that is and have moved on to something much bigger (smaller actually) and better (this is for the jury/firing squad to determine)

Drum roll please squire..................

The Datsun 'GT' Coupe! (120Y fastback for those in the know)

How does everyone feel about that? Mixed emotions maybe?
I feel that I've moved up in the auto world and I feel that my soul has now been cleansed of all British impurity (no offence Pom Bell, you're a champ - after all, you've been saved by Rolie & are one of us now) so it's time I went back to my roots. My first car was a Datto, my third, forth & fifth were Belletts, my sixth was a Datto, my ninth & tenth ARE Belletts and my possible eleventh will be a Datto. Actually it is the afore mentioned Datto GT coupe.

So I put it to you the jury/firing squad. Do I the unnamed Stickman buy the holy grail of Datto's because
1. I cannot afford a Bellett GT
2. I prefer the shape of the Datto GT (FIRE!)
or
3. Because I can and it's REALLY cheap

Stickman (unnamed)

[mrflibbles]

i like 120y coupes, but have never mentioned this fact to anyone! last one i had ended up with a 2 ltr and 5 speed with twin carbs....

[PR95]

Hey Stickman, I found a Dato Fairlady in a shed one day last week, It has been there for around 4 years and she would like to sell it, its a bit ruff. has a hard top as well.

[Stickman]

Well now mrfibbles, a world wide forum is one hell of a way to come out of the closet!
Would you like to lay down on this comfy couch and tell me the entire world a little more of this secret love of 120y's?

Your secrets are safe with me.
.yas uoy gniht a dnatsrednu ot elba eb lliw ydobon sdrawkcab epyt uoy fI

Stickman

[BELLQLD]

very good max now take these pills and you will be better in a week .....whatever you say 99....great catching up with you again regards davo ..car looks filthy loved the japanese stickers and am look forward to the new wheels

[PR91]

all i'l say is that a one-eyed datto head i know calls all datto's "DRD's"
stands for.... DIRTY ROTTEN DATUSN.... so if that's what those who own them think, what am i to think...?

ohh, and please read my sig on here with carefully note to who drove what, and what followed....
is the truth....

[Stickman]

Davo, was great to see you and have a chat again. Gave you a chance to see the old green donkey again too, hasn't been touched with a wash cloth since you had it. Not hard to tell either. The japanese kamikaze stickers reflect the risk in either driving the thing or cutting it off in peek hour. Hence no longer having exhaust pipe from the headers back any more as a result of mounting 1 too many traffic islands to avoid reincarnating the car as coke cans. A little deafening after half hour behind the wheel though.

Brett, Dirty Rotten Datsun you say. Maybe that's what has attracted me to it??? I like em dirty.
No wonder it's cheap - rejected by the Almighty himself.

Stickman

[PR91]

honestly tho geoff, its classic japanese, so its gotta be a bazillion times better than the marina could ever hope to be.

a mate rallied a 120-why?? for a while.
went ok with a 1200GX engine.... firebreather with a weber'd L20B!! mate, coz they weigh next-to-zero, it was a damn fast car.
and none of us cared if it got bent, coz there we're still plenty around and nobody wanted them so they were cheaper than dirt....
try finding a decent one now tho without a health pocket of cash.

[Stickman]

This ones a pretty tidy unit, a fastback too. Almost zero rust, rebuilt engine and brakes, new tyres, very crusty interior, very rough paint and heaps of carizma (for a datto). For a coupla days labour I can't go too far wrong. I'd rather clock up the daily driver mileage on it then risk the tear drop any more then necessary. And it's a classic jap coupe.
12A turbo maybe? CA18 turbo? 4AGZE turbo? L20 stroked with rodeo crank to 2.4? Too many options!

[PR91]

fkn rotary.... NEVER!!!
now if someone would fit a chook cooker into a marina, then i could aim my entire automotive hatred onto 1 solitary target....

if it was my 120why.... i'd go L20 with webers. easy fit, easy to get, plenty of go-fast stuff, and can't beat the sounds of webers at 7000rpm, or more!

[RobSA]

.ffoeG teb ot tnaW

sreehC
boR

[yellowperil]

Heeey Stickman

Without you, who can I depend on to help uphold the Marina for the true classic it really was???
No longer will we be able to point out it's similarities with the Austin Healy six and other examples of classic British auto engineering.

When you think about it, the 1750 cc Marina coupe was a mixture of the Datsun 1600 and the 120Y coupe.....fastback styling and light weight matched to a powerful OHC 4 cylinder engine. You'd have the best of both

[BELLQLD]

hey geoff check or you may well have the 120y coupe for sale on ebay in brissie cheers davo ....

[2ldohc]

Hey stickman, you couldn't find a better car as a daily driver when it comes to reliability so my vote is do it.... The 'L' motor in (almost) all of it's forms is like a cockroach, keeps on going and you can't kill it!

This is coming from someone with a 240Z in the shed and a Fairlady on the way, so I might be a little biased!

Cheers,
R.

[Stickman]

Hi fives to you Rob!

Davo, went and checked that one out on the weekend. Not too bad if the price stays where it is.
Wouldn't want to pay any more than it is atm at as it needs a bit spent on it to get it up to scratch. It's had a big wack at some stage in it's life. Fixed very well but still noticable if you know what your looking at.

L motor is the easiest and cheapest option. I've got a warm L20 sitting under the house atm I think unless I've hocked it off allready, should check that.
Had 2 1200 5 speeds up until 8 months ago too. Got good $ for them. Pitty really, their hard to find again.
Might just leave it as is for the time being though as I want to get the drive line & brakes sorted in the tear drop sorted first.
Thats if I get it.

I LUUUUV 240Z's
My uncle sold his very tidy orig one for $2400 12 month ago without letting me know and the dude that bought it then sold it the very next week for over 10G. Couldn't believe it! He knew I wanted it but thought I had enough cars. Never!

Sorry YP but it's time for me to move on to the next thing that get under Bretts skin........................ROTORY!

Brap Brap Brap Brap Brap

[mrflibbles]

i fitted a L20 to my 120y, used a 180b cross member and struts although had to trim crossmember at the radius rod mounts, and use the 120y radius rod mounts, then used a dogleg 5 speed to convert it from the origional auto. the only other hole i had to cut was one for the clutch master cylinder, the origional tailshaft bolted up, and after playing with the linkages for the datto twin carbs, and my mate playing with the electrical smokey stuff she was a goer... went real hard too!
we got bored though so we ripped out the motor and my mate ended up putting a SR20 in it!
The first incarnation was all done on the road for less than $500! was a beast!
hmmmm im looking for a cheap daily again!

[Stickman]

Just had a scratch around under the house and there was no L20 to be seen.
I Think I gave it to the fella who bought my 180B 18 months ago.
Not to worry I know where to find another, they practically grow on trees around my neighbourhood.

[mrflibbles]

i wouldnt walk under those trees....

[PR91]

Sorry YP but it's time for me to move on to the next thing that get under Bretts skin........................ROTORY!

Brap Brap Brap Brap Brap

no comment....
but just remember who can BAN who from the forum geoffrey....

[lemansvk]

Well, my Father and my Mother-in-law both owned examples of both these cars. I do believe I once said that the worst car ever made was the 120Y and the second worst was the Marina - or was it the other way around?. They are both significantly awful cars, but in different ways. The Datsun has too little power, the Marina has too much (even though it doesn't have very much); the Datsun is too reliable/well made (hence there is never a reason to get rid of it) and the Marina is too poorly made (hence it is always falling apart and is nasty to work on). Both have handling on the down side of ordinary. The 120Y coupe has ugly styling in its DNA (ie the sedan is just as ugly), whereas BL had to to turn a plain-jane sedan into an ungainly coupe - or maybe it just came naturally to them, given the P38.

I dunno, a bit like Tom Petty, I can't decide which is worse.

Cheers, Vic