Charlotte's Datsun 1200 Sedan

After the Gemini was taken off the road for a rebuild (which never actually happened, by the way), I needed transport so I dished out $800 for this 1973 Datsun 1200 Sedan. The gearbox and diff were the first items to go, simultaneously of course, but these were an easy fix as a friend replaced them for me, at the same time converting the front drum brakes to discs and fitting some lowered springs.

Those drum brakes were great fun, I'd only have to touch them when they were cold and it would result in instant lock up of the drivers side wheel! Very interesting, especially in the wet.

Towards the end of the ownership period, about a year, the tired old original A12 motor finally almost died, but somehow kept running for a few months on only 3 cylinders. This lasted up until the day before the car was sold, when it mysteriously starting running perfectly on four again. I think it liked me... and I miss it too!

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