Faults:

Rust and more rust!

Faulty carburettor (using too much fuel, common fault).

Locks difficult to use.

Aerial broke off (not the car's fault, vandals, damn kids!)

General wear and tear - brakes, oil and belt changes.

General Comments:

What can I say, I have fond memories of this Datsun Cherry as one of my first cars. I believe it was one of the last cars badged as "Datsun" before the Nissan name plate took over.

Being a 1970s/early 80s basic car, you did not get much. No electrics or fancy features. Interior was dull even with bright red cloth seats. On the outside it looked OK though, red hatchback (not the coupe) but I liked the chrome trim inserts typical of cars from this era.

To drive it was pretty boring, handling was OK, was very slow (1.0 engine) and averaged a little over 30 MPG, but this was acceptable in the 1980s. I had it a few years and was pretty reliable and cheap to run; the problems above were all sorted out by a local mechanic for a fair price. God I miss the old days of taking a car to a back street mechanic and getting an honest repair for cheap!

In the end rust got the better of it at its last MOT and I scrapped it just before it reached the infamous 100,000 mile mark. Japanese cars from this time are famous for bad rust, but I think you could say that about a lot of cars. At 90K plus miles and 12 years old this was good going for a car from this time. I would no doubt be disappointed if I drove one again today, but would love to have a go in one again, as everyone has a soft spot for their first car.

Faults:

The gear box bushings wore out after four years of standing still - it is a bit troublesome, it can be rotated around and it is somewhat hard to shift.

Heater fan fuse blown.

General Comments:

The car is very reliable, and the parts are cheap and still possible to acquire!

The car stood inoperable for for years until I brought a battery and 5 litres of gasoline. I connected it to the battery, turned the key, and to my surprise, it turned over right away, and it started after two tries (10 seconds total time running on the starter engine) That's what I call reliable!

The car still handled good, but the handbrake was stuck. I fixed this by removing the left rear tyre, and I knocked with a hammer around the wheel bolts. The brake eventually loosened, and I refitted the tyre.

It runs like a dream. All that is left is idle speed adjustment, it only runs with the choke pulled a little bit out. If you press the choke back in, it will stop.

The cabin is a bit small, but comfortable seats.

Though old, I will say it is a great car!