1979 Datsun 200L

carchaeologist

Picked this up on Thursday in Dublin. After a good clean and a compound it turned out quite presentable,though it needs more compounding and attention to various marks on it. Still on its original paint which isnt too bad although it will need a respray at some stage. Its driving very well and is structurally 100%,the only rust is cosmetic really,bottoms of the doors are shot and theres various small rust scabs all over the car. Even the tape player works perfectly,iv been in the attic trying to find long lost tapes!:D







Needs a rear bumper,one of the reflective markers on top of the wings,a grille badge and the top of the rear seat is wrecked from the sun,although its not too bad. Also the back box has been replaced by a straight pipe,so its quite loud.
Anyone know of a scrapper around that could be picked over?

Anyone have pics of any other ones in the country.

Blue850

Well wear.


you know you want to:D

carchaeologist

Blue850 wrote: »

Well wear.
you know you want to:D

Thanks,i had seen that pic before and the thought had crossed my mind!!:D

Blue850

2 I've seen at shows

Bigus

"This Weeks classic Bargain That I Bought" !!!!

Good luck all you need now is a taxi plate to go with it !

Bigus

PS is your collection complete or are you going to rest on your LAURELS ?

kasper

well wear the datsun fleet is coming along nicely ,whats next ?

Max_Damage

All you need now is a rare early Datsun Micra (1982-1985 model)!

carchaeologist

Thanks for the comments lads,the main problem with a car like this is spares.i havent seen another 200L in years,the last one i reckon i saw was in athlone in 2001 on an LI plate.
As for at the moment i have,
'76 100A Estate
'80 100A FII
'79 200L (irish)
And my friend has
'74 100A 4door
'77 120Y Coupe
'79 120Y saloon
'79 140J saloon (irish)

Surely enough?

kev1.3s

never enough! congratulations on a very original looking car, almost a shame to paint it!

carchaeologist

kev1.3s wrote: »

never enough! congratulations on a very original looking car, almost a shame to paint it!

I know,as the say,its only original once. Its just about ok at the moment,except it has typical old man repairs in various places with a paintbrush,and someone dabbed all the rust spots with some kind of sealer that ran down the sides of the car,it comes off,but its slow work.

Gary ITR

Good man, fair play

Have you pics of the estate up anywhere?

carchaeologist

Onkle wrote: »

Have you pics of the estate up anywhere?

hi5

carchaeologist wrote: »

Thanks for the comments lads,the main problem with a car like this is spares.i havent seen another 200L in years,the last one i reckon i saw was in athlone in 2001 on an LI plate.

Might be a few bits on this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrawb/4468322922/in/set-72157623267456103/

kasper

you would have to bring a strimmer in the tool box

FearDark

*cough* How much?? *cough*

carchaeologist

hi5 wrote: »

Might be a few bits on this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrawb/4468322922/in/set-72157623267456103/

Any idea where this is? And is it still there?

Max_Damage

PM sent.

Andrew33

I drove a 200L once when I was a kid, (for legal reasons I'm not going to say how old I actually was!) I thought it was the absolute cheese at the time. Just looking at the fit of that glovebox lid though would give a Skoda engineer the heebie jeebies.

Max_Damage

Were these Irish built, or Japanese built?

carchaeologist

Max_Damage wrote: »

Were these Irish built, or Japanese built?

Brittains had the Datsun franchise in Ireland, though the company appaerently never recovered from the severance of the BL franchise in 1974 and collapsed in 1977.
Datsun Ireland emerged from the ashes of the Brittain Group and became a very strong player on the Irish car market. Their large import facility on the Naas Road in Dublin was where part of the Brittains operation existed.
So i guess all the cars after the Brittain collapse were imported complete? Or were they still CKD? Anyone know for sure?

hi5

carchaeologist wrote: »

Any idea where this is? And is it still there?

Co Kildare,I dont know if its still there.
I'll PM you his name and number.

MercMad

My father bought a brand new one in '78, 303 GZD bought from Esmonde Motors. It was the pre-facelift one with the round twin headlamps.

Lovely car, very fond memories and a smooth 6 cylinder engine (a copy of the Merc engine)

A friend of our bought one like that too, around the same time 370 LZH.I'm not positive but I dont think the Laurels were assembled here, I recall our having lots of Jap writing on the chassis plate and certain lables, if that makes any difference.

I've seen that navy one you bought around North Co. Dublin a lot in the last year. I wonder where it was hidden away?

carchaeologist

MercMad wrote: »

I've seen that navy one you bought around North Co. Dublin a lot in the last year. I wonder where it was hidden away?

Apparently it was in a shed for years in the midlands somewhere. It must have been a fairly good shed.
Id love to know the whole story. The Taxbook is a replacement so not much good.

1948Wolseley

Wow, just stumbled across this thread, can't believe I missed it before. That version of Datsun Laurel was the car that got me interested in classic cars in the first place, at the ripe old age of four. My grandfather had two of them in succession in the '80's/early '90's. One was on a ZF plate, can't remember the reg of the other one. My grandfathers' Cortina-driving neighbor had no respect for them, but the Laurels never gave a day's trouble while I seem to remember said neighbor always having to park his Cortina at the top of a hill so that he could bump start it on said hill.

Seeing the interior picture of your 200L brought memories flooding back of me sitting on my grandmothers lap when I was a little 'un! I also remember being really sad the day the second Laurel was finally hauled off to the scrapyard with more rust than metal in the bodywork, but still running as sweet as the day it left the factory.

Edit: I kept all the badges off that car too, but they got thrown out a few years later. I could have given you that bonnet badge if I'd held onto 'em! Bugger!

carchaeologist

Good story,good to see that the thead is jogging memories like that. I suppose you have no pictures of said cars?

carchaeologist

Unfortunatly many of them ended up like this,more so in england and it was seeing them being wrecked in Demolition derbys in Rosegreen in the early 90s was what got me into them in the first place. They're a tough old bus.

68deville

i can recall the wifes uncle owning a early 80s laurel in metallic red and i am certain he said that the original owner was Dr Tony O Reilly in Kildare?
i will look into it

TigerTim

Nearly fell off me bike in Tralee yesterday when I saw it:D. Magic sound from the engine. Enjoy
T.

Bitten & Hisses

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/1314110

You know you want to, Carchaeologist!

kasper

i would think it is probably a ni or english reg ?

carchaeologist

TigerTim wrote: »

Nearly fell off me bike in Tralee yesterday when I saw it:D. Magic sound from the engine. Enjoy
T.

Thanks Tim,engine is a tad loud as someone fitted a straight pipe instead of a rear box!
Where did you see me?

carchaeologist

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/1314110

You know you want to, Carchaeologist!

Nice wheels,though three Dattys is enough for the moment!

TigerTim

Coming around Moyderwell corner by SF office.

T.

Foleyart

I had one of these in the the late eighties. Beautiful car, quietest car on the road with that v6 engine. The only problem I ever had with it was I burned out the clutch, my own fault, Foolish youth etc. Good memories thanks op.

Andrew33

Foleyart wrote: »

I had one of these in the the late eighties. Beautiful car, quietest car on the road with that v6 engine. The only problem I ever had with it was I burned out the clutch, my own fault, Foolish youth etc. Good memories thanks op.

I think the original 200L was a straight 6? and even when they started badging it as the Laurel it had the straight 6 for a good number of years. Even BMW now have stopped with the straight 6 which is a real shame. One of the nicest configurations on the planet (after the V8!).

carchaeologist

Yes,straight 6,a pretty big one,overhead cam too. They do sound good!
I dont think Nissan did a V6 around that time?
Anyone have any wheel suggestions,im not huge fan of the hubcaps,which arent the correct ones,they are 14" wheels.

Max_Damage

Ah here mate, keep the car original. Leave the hubcaps on it.

Plus I think they look class. Proper 70's look!

carchaeologist

Max_Damage wrote: »

Ah here mate, keep the car original. Leave the hubcaps on it.

Plus I think they look class. Proper 70's look!

They are from a P6 rover,though they look pretty ok. Im not thinking of going mad,jus something like this

1948Wolseley

This is the only picture I could find of my grandfather's Laurel (the second one). As you can see, your hubcaps could have been a lot worse!

carchaeologist

Ha,nice,cowbox on and all! Very irish!
Pity the damn pic didnt link out in my last post.:(

carchaeologist

carchaeologist wrote: »

engine is a tad loud as someone fitted a straight pipe instead of a rear box..

Fitted a rear silencer(from some kind of mitsubishi) over the weeked,transforms the car. Its lovely and quiet now. And it can be driven over 50mph without going deaf.:)

Bitten & Hisses

Saw you on Sunday near the county council offices. You've a brake light out!

carchaeologist

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

Saw you on Sunday near the county council offices. You've a brake light out!

Ha,crap,must be recent so,they were all working last week! Thanks!:D

carchaeologist

A dead 240L

TigerTim

Tail light out in the Merc as well. Better buy a few bulbs !!:D

T.

carchaeologist

TigerTim wrote: »

Tail light out in the Merc as well. Better buy a few bulbs !!:D

T.

haha,my brother is runnin that at the moment,i already told him about it!
This is like the keep tabs on carkys cars thread! lol!:D

Kevin_Herron

There was a very clean champagne coloured 200L at Mosney today.
Before you ask, no, I ddint take a pic!
But somebody else might have!

It was an English reg.

carchaeologist

Kevin_Herron wrote: »

There was a very clean champagne coloured 200L at Mosney today.
Before you ask, no, I ddint take a pic!
But somebody else might have!

It was an English reg.

Would this be her Kevin?

Blue850

carchaeologist wrote: »

Would this be her Kevin?

He said champagne, not piss yella:D

carchaeologist

Blue850 wrote: »

He said champagne, not piss yella:D

Haha,anytime i go near Champagne i soon forget the colour of it!:p