General Comments:

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 it's 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 fourth 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, and 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, and now I have spotlights on it, it blows more often, every month or so.

With petrol prices 140c or thereabouts these days, my car from empty costs about $38 to fill. Which means it's 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.

Faults:

Acclerator cable broke, fuel cap leaked, leaks from gearbox, seats and dash cracked and broke away.

General Comments:

The car was in average condition when I bought it, came home fix it up and little , eg. spark plugs, airfilter etc., after that it was thrashed for the next 2 years of it life and not a thing gone wrong with the engine, very very reliable little car and great fun to drive also makes a good car to do up because of the mean looking shape of the body.

Faults:

Carburettor had problems.

Paint is peeling on bonnet.

Seats have started tearing.

General Comments:

Car had bad body roll, but after being replaced with Monroe Shocks it is 100% better.

Having an old lady has owned having the car since 1976 the 120y is in the most original and best condition I have seen so far.

Faults:

Front suspension springs failed.

Original engine A12 was gutless, so I replaced it with a A14.

Was originally automatic, converted it to manual, put in 5-speed sunny gearbox.

Front seats extremely uncomfortable.

General Comments:

120ys are truly a strong car, unlike new cars these days which seem like they are made out of tin foil. After I replaced the engine and box I found the car to be much quicker and economical especially with 5-gear.

Seats became extremely uncomfortable on long trips so I replaced with 1985 Honda Accord seats.

Faults:

Front clip on the brakes broke so disc pins rub on the rim.

Number three cylinder ceased to survive.

RUST!!!

Back rest on the driver's side seat broke.

General Comments:

If the car was lighter (remove bonnet, boot, seats etc) the car would do burn-outs with ease.

Faults:

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.

General Comments:

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.