Datsun1200

High Fuel Economy?

2011-12-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

In 1973, the Datsun 1200 was the car with the highest fuel economy sold in the USA. It was EPA rated at 37.9 miles per gallon for the highway test cycle. Many owners report getting that mileage, although many others report less.

I checked my mileage carefully, keeping records of gasoling purchase and miles driven. After driving mine for several years and averaging 42 mpg when on the highway -- according to my records -- I realized the speedometer in my 1200 was inaccurate. It was reading about 10% too fast. I began checking the odometer against the "test" sections of the highway, and it too was reporting about 10% more miles traveled than actual. All of this even though I was running with the factory size tires. I also learned from my Ford service manual that Ford's specification was that a speedometer could be +10% to -5% and still be acceptible.

So when checking your MPG, be sure to test both the speedometer and more importantly the odometer. Today's roadside "your speed" signs make checking the speedometer easy. For the odometer, a stopwatch can be used. One mile @ a steady 60 mph takes 60 seconds. If your car takes 66 seconds, your gauge is 10% slow. Or just use the highway test sections which are usually 5 miles.

So what mileage did my Datsun 1200 really get? After correction, it was delivering 38 mpg, right with the EPA estimate.

Complexity is Good?

2006-10-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Today's car are nice. Very nice.

But in 15 years, will you be able to fix them, or will the cost of troubleshooting the 20 computers make them suitable for the scrap heap?

Datsun 1200 Cut-away Drawing

I enjoy driving and tinkering with a car where every component, every assembly can be understood by the average shade-tree mechanic. I know that if anything goes bad, it won't take a lot of money to fix. And I can fix it myself.

Where are the Subcompacts these days?

2006-10-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

When they started out together, the Honda Civic was just as small (if not smaller) than the Datsun 1200. Now look how big the Civic has become:

It's the same with all the other subcompacts. They become much larger, heavier cars. Including the 1200's archrival Toyota Corolla. And especially the Datsun 1200 (B110) direct descendent, the Nissan Sentra (B14) -- it's just huge compared to the original!

But now ... the small cars are making a comeback:

Honda recently introduced the Fit
Nissan just came out with the Versa
Toyota redesigned the Yaris

Is it time for you to get a small, fuel efficient car? 30 MPG? That's nothing. If it doesn't get at least 40mpg, it's a gas hog. Why even the mid-size 2007 Camry (as big as a 1968 Chevelle) gets 31 mpg highway. And it's as fast as that V8-powered Chevelle, ripping off a 15-second quarter mile.

When the average joe could maintain his own car

2006-10-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

Remember when cars were simple to work on? And the Datsun 1200 was arguably the easiest to work on of all 1970's vehicles.

And you didn't need to be an electronics engineer to tune it up. All the spark plugs were within sight, everything is easy to do. I can even pick up the entire engine by myself! The Datsun 1200 was the least expensive car sold in USA in 1972, got the highest fuel economy, and perhaps the least expensive to maintain. You couldn't lose with this little car.

Does any manufacturer make a car like that today? Yes...

2007 Nissan LDV 1400 is a pickup (el camino-style) version of the Datsun 1200, manufactured by Nissan South Africa. It even has a carburetor!
In the 1990s, India's Premier 118NE had the same engine as my 1972 model, the Nissan A12 engine and same transmission, however the body was based on a Fiat design

Treasure Found Under Tree

2006-10-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hear about the collector who found a rare car in a barn? It can happen to you. Although it might behind the barn. Or under a tree.

If you've ever thought "I wish I could have" that car of your dreams (whether small dreams like the car in this pictures or bigger dreams), well you can. Tell your friends and family about your dream. Tell others. Eventually some one will let you know where a treasure is ready for the taking.

If you know of any Datsun 1200s for sale, or just seemingly abandoned, tell me about it. My contact info is here.

Paradise

2006-09-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot...

Fill 'er Up

2006-09-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

It's been about three weeks since I last went to the gasoline station.

Something I don't see very often

My 1200 gets 38mpg highway, and probably 28 going back and forth to work. All I know is today I got down below the "E" so went to the filling station on the way home from work. I almost forgot what the experience was like! Wow, the price has dropped a lot, seems like it's about 70 cents/gallon cheaper than before.

Does Your Old Car Have 'Personality'?

2006-09-26T00:49:00.000-07:00

Not like new cars. Those are all quiet, and most everything works as you expect.

No, I'm talking about quirky, interesting. Never boring. That rattle in the passenger-side door when you drive down the road. The squeak in the dash when you rev the engine over 3000 RPM. Why do these things happen? How to get rid of these quirks? Ah, always interesting, these old cars.

Keep On Truckin

And why does the vintage car run better (or worse) depending on the weather? Mine runs superbly on warm days, but is a bit balky on cold days. Even when fully warmed up it is still not as smooth as on a nice hot day. Why is that?

New cars must be awfully boring. OK, if it has 300+ horsepower maybe it's not so boring. But your average new mid-price or economy sedan must be awful boring. I guess that why they all come with CD players now. I don't even have a working radio in my car, the engine makes its own music.

Parts Hunt

2005-03-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

Ah, remember when?

You got your first car, and being a used model, it needed just a bit of work to be perfect. So the hunt begins.

When I got my first car -- a Datsun 1200 -- it was missing the back seat. Instead it had a carpeted area in the back, which I thought was cool. But the next summer my buddies from out of town were coming to visit. I couldn't ask them to sit on the carpet! So the hunt began. Cutting it close, my plan was to drive the usual 3 hours to the Portland, Oregon airport to pick them up. The plan was to leave a few extra hours early, swing by the wrecking yards and buy a nice rear seat in time for the arriving flight.

Back in those days (the early 80s), there were a lot of early 70s cars in the yards, ready to donate parts. But the Datsun 1200 didn't sell in huge numbers like the domestic cars did, so I had to visit quite a few yards. I traveled down Columbia Boulevard, along the mighty Columbia River where are the scrap yards, industrial equipment lots and used-auto-parts lots were. There was a hint of dampness in the fresh sunny air, summer in Oregon. Walking through the dirt lanes between rows of classic and not-so-classic cars. Wow!

Anyways, I did find a seat in time, in the yard closest to the airport: John's Import Auto Wrecking. This also happened to be the most advanced yard at that time: concrete lanes, cars "stacked" three high on outdoor giant-sized shelves, and very clean cars. I purchased a like-new-condition rear seat and stuck it in my car.

Columbia River, 1984
My friends never knew ... we traveled back along the Columbia River in that little Datsun out to the Pacific Ocean. We visisted Mount St. Helens. We drove everywhere -- and got 38 miles per gallon.

The Potential of "My Car"

2005-03-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

What a car. 30-plus years later, thousands of owners are still talking about the Datsun 1200. Sure, back then it was basic transportation and viewed by many as only a get-me-by until a person could afford a "bigger, better" car. But Nissan really outdid itself with a timeless design and good engineering.

The other subcompacts have come and gone. Chevy's Vega (millions sold) are history. Most rusted out during the eighties if not sooner. Ford's Pinto (millions sold) lasted longer but are now history. But the 'lil Datsun 1200 (10s of thousands sold) commands a rabid following out of proportion to its sales figures.

Maybe it was all the races the 1200 won. For rallycross, it was really the car to beat until the mid-90s. It won many SCCA road racing events. And a modified 1200 was the fastest of the "Fast and Furious" cars in its class at the 2003 NOPI races.

The second-generation of the Sunny car line (that ushered in the "my car" era in Japan) is still loved by those who 1) love cars, who don't view cars primarily as transportation 2) who've driven 1200s for enough time to realize how good they were and 3) appreciate the more simple and direct excitement of a real car -- no radios, carpet, leather seats and power windows and other luxuries. Just pure driving enjoyment.