First time on public roads since 1987? Datsun 120Y

[@sunilphalakdhari3869]

Wow! What an.incredible history this car has...very close to the 140Y my dad bought in 1978. Never had any mechanical issues and even though we lived in.the best climate in the world..South Africa, living 20kms from the coast, the body could not handle it. By the time he traded it in in 1985, it had done to full body restoration at the panel beater..so hearing this car went through the same routine by the later 80s. ..and has survived until 2023....is an absolute incredible story. Treat car the best you can, it's a survivor

[@WalksInCamera]

Definitely a practical classic. A neighbour had one of these back in the 70's in a very loud bright blue colour. They seemed to enjoy driving it too.

[@simonbrader8408]

That was such an enjoyable video. What I find amazing is that back in the day I probably wouldn't have given a car like this a second glance - just another cheap Japanese car - but looking at it today it just looks fantastic. A very subtle and ageless design. You must be deservedly very proud of getting it back on the road. Great to hear that you were able to close the loop and let the previous owner that it now has an MOT. Brilliant work Sir!

[@SeasideGarage]

Thanks!

[@frankharrigan5368]

I loved my 120Y. Bought it when it was really old, for £120! Had it for 2 years, constantly fighting the rust. A joy to drive.

[@grayfool]

I haven't seen one for literally decades. Good to see it back on the road. Well done.

[@marcinbujok7388]

Congrats on the MOT! So great you brought it back to on the road! Don't sell it! You might not have an opportunity to see anything like this in future... these cars are already gone...

[@theotherchannel2279]

I would keep the Datsun also. It is not just a good looking car. It is also a very reliable car. They were back in the day. As I said before my dad had the estate version. He only serviced it. Never broke down and it went everywhere. But it did have a lot of rust!

[@paulbennell3313]

These are great little cars! It's a shame there are so few left now. Nice work getting the MOT.

[@pepijnwittopkoning4582]

What a nice car and how nice that you got in contact with the former owner of the car and got the full stiry of the car!! Would indeed be a shame to sell it. But it might be worth some money. Japanese cars from that era in that condition are hard to find!! They are getting more and more populair!! Love your channel! keep up the good work! Greetings from the north of the Netherlands!!

[@SeasideGarage]

Yea its was really nice to get some story on it... it was such a weird find to get a car with new tires and powder coated rims and so on... and been of the road for 36 years... Yea I need to sell something to get the ball rolling on all the other projects... but Niva or Datsun? really hard decision!

[@sietse9920]

How funny: for years only the “Minor-fart” was famous. Now we learn that there also exists a “Datsun” version of it 😂😂

[@freshbait]

Congratulations! Glad this Datsun is having a 2nd (or 3rd) life.

[@DeanofMachines]

It's nice to see you out cruising and laughing.

[@samuel96100]

I loved the shape of the 120Y, it was a car that I wanted in the 80's but never owned. I love what you do and your videos are great to watch. 👍

[@kevinw8258]

I love the Datsun😊 It deserves a proper carpet though👍

[@davidhinkson8856]

Saw one of these on the road, looking completely stock only a couple of days ago still going strong!

[@SeasideGarage]

Nice! Where?

[@davidhinkson8856]

@@SeasideGarage Barbados where I think there are about three from this generation still in existence.

[@joewyatt2407]

Just love these old Datsuns. We had an estate ad a kid. Always liked the coupe versions, very interesting cars!

[@andythebourne]

Congrats on the MOT! I hope you will enjoy this car a lot after all the work you have done on it and decide to keep it :) I am happy that you found the previous owner and now have the complete story since 1987, it's very rare to know the past of a car so well!

[@StevesMachines]

Awesome, this is one of my favourite cars on your fleet, closely followed by the Saab. Great to see it driving.

[@oxulucozcan4923]

such a well made car. given it's not actually a low mileage example speaks for itself. happy for you Seppo

[@johnboy384]

Awesome! The little Datto lives again. Good work bro. Great to see. I remember these on the roads in NZ when I was a kid. RHD of course.

[@SeasideGarage]

Thanks!

[@paulb4uk]

Great story and a great car very few survive in the uk as most of them rusted away ,

[@timkiwi]

My parents owned a 1200 coupe, 1200 3 door wagon, 1200y coupe and 1200y wagon. The earlier 1200 was best due its light weight. I love these cars.

[@3thedward]

What a Great Moment 👌

[@TPerry2828]

That's great news about the MOT! Good to know there is now another of these on the road 😎

[@rustino666]

Nice work. Great to see another old motor back on the road. What a fantastic little car!

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I remember driving those cars years ago when they were everywhere . You are right the brakes are super sensitive. Every example I drove stumbled a bit with the accelerator as many contempory Japanese cars did. The steering is light but the slack takes a but of getting used to. The engine hangs on in there on the hills, they were never fast but they were very usable.

[@twocvbloke]

It's incredible to think it's done over 200kKMs, and it doesn't look it, that thing's a peach, a testament to the work the fella did to it prior to it being passed about before arriving at your garage, and personally, given the choice between this and the Niva, I'd be going for this, it's just too nice to pass up... :)

[@SeasideGarage]

Yea its does not look like a "high" milage car!

[@stefantrnacek1394]

Congratulations on getting the MOT. I would definitely be keeping the Datsun and selling the Lada.

[@j.zingler6735]

I took the driving lessons for my license on a Datsun back in 1991. :)

[@Parknest]

Congrats on the pass. Your advisory would've been a failure with the UK MoT. The history from a previous owner who did the bulk of the restoration work was quite interesting.

[@SeasideGarage]

For not having washer fluid? wow harsh!

[@androo4519]

I thought it must not be the original colour. I don't remember seeing one in silver back in the 1970s. It's funny how you just know all these years later. But it doesn't matter. It's a great little car you've helped save and I can see why you're tempted to keep it. I would be. How times have changed though - my neighbour had a metallic brown one (the 120Y was also badged Sunny here in the UK but maybe not in Denmark?) when I was a kid. It had a vinyl roof and those distinctive honeycomb hub caps. It rolled away down the hill one day all by itself while I was looking out of my bedroom window, which I thought was hilarious. I hated that car back then but now it seems cool.

[@SeasideGarage]

The sunny was another model in Denmark as far as I know. :) Yea its weird how times changes perceptions of cars... Some really needs time to be appreciated..! I cant remember these from my childhood though... I think they where all gone by then... :)

[@joedredd13215]

My first ever car....1978 great wee 🚗

[@barryphillips7327]

Excellent result washer fluid, bah thats Nothing to worry about, some water would suffice in the interim, the colour suits this car, these were a very popular car in the day!!!!

[@eggy1962]

Im in the keep this sell the niva camp, next up has to be the princess with mot and some tidying up of the body.

[@Fradde1]

Nice car glad it past the mot test happymotoring 👍

[@puntomk1uk64]

Awesome that the little Datsun is road legal again!! you might be able to get a roll of car carpet instead. Or possibly a specific carpet kit, as I'm sure the 120y was sold in Australia and the USA where those sorts of things might be available! Same with the window seals, although you might be able to make something else work too 🙂

[@SeasideGarage]

Uhhh a I gotta check that out... but shipping could be expensive!

[@andrechristiansen2161]

these where sold pretty much worldwide, even in africa under various names and in general seem to have sold well, only issue being there arent really too many left. nissan still has parts for these cars, but sadly because of low demand the european parts catalog for nissan doesent contain parts for the 120y.

[@bryjan51]

That's excellent news after all your input you have put into it.👍👍

[@topspoke]

Absolutely amazing story. Glad to see it back on the road again. I can't remember, did you mention how good the brakes are?🤔

[@Mr.-Wint]

Must be a 1976 or so.. 120Y - Allthough a coupé it was the one that I had my drivers lessons in !

[@SeasideGarage]

77 If i remember correct!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

My 1975 120Y developed a stumble on acceleration just like this at 228,000km..just before I sold it to a mechanic and family man who really wanted the car and who said he could fix that fairly quickly.. He said that the most likely culprit would be the acceleration pump (worn out plunger seals and/or dirt in the passageway to the carb throat....or a slight wobble in the distributor shaft due to wear. The crackle on overrun is the leak letting in air...(that exhaust hotspot flapper valve shaft under the base of the carb?) so that when some unburnt petrol goes out into the exhaust on overrun this air leak allows the now correct air plus unburnt fuel "mixture" in the exhaust pipe to be ignited by the flame from the next exhaust valve opening up........crackle crackle crackle..... You could deliberately induce the same by a vacuum operated valve deliberately plumbed into the exhaust...the direct opposite of a blow off valve...

[@SeasideGarage]

Yea My suspect is the acceleration pump. Yea its most likely due to the small leak... but its so cool! :D

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Here in Northern Ireland we don't have "test plates", for the MOT. Once you have a date and time for your test, you can drive the car to and from the test centre. If stopped by the police, evidence of you appointment at the test centre is sufficient to avoid legal action. The Datsun is looking great, I drove one as my daily in the late 70s, such a sophisticated car compared to its UK rivals.

[@SeasideGarage]

Uh thats smart.... ! Wish it was the same here.... But 15 euroes gives you one day with testplates here.... Problem is when it does not pass and you need a day to fix it... then you have to go buy another pair.. ;)

[@andyarmstrong1493]

@@SeasideGarage Here it's £30.50 for the initial test and £18.50 for a re-test. On each occasion it is legal to drive the car. Also, after a car is 40 years old, it no longer requires MOT or taxation! I have a 1987 car, can't wait!

[@SeasideGarage]

@@andyarmstrong1493 wow.... That's nice!

[@MotorkontoretDK]

Congrats, that’s such a nice car, keep it is my advice

[@SeasideGarage]

Good advice!

[@andrewcooney2387]

Greetings from Ireland and I love the work, the 120y is well worth it, I am looking for two front brake cylinders for a datsun laurel 2.4 auto 1981 do you know where I might find these. Keep the videos coming, your datsun is a real find.

[@MrToxicSkittle]

Great work! I would keep the Datsun and sell the Niva, at least until the BX is working!

[@danielstephenclarke]

Wow what a great result 🎉 Maybe hold onto it for a little while give it 500-1000 kilometres and iron out any teething issues and then decide? Before the tin worm fairy visits the Seaside Garage 🌊

[@pritambissonauth2181]

Since it has a nice body work, I would suggest you resto-mod the engine with a stand alone ECU to do sequential injection and ignition. May seems overkill, my dad own one in the early eighties to the early nineties. Was surprised with the performance of the car which weighed only 830Kg.

[@dibekuluhawaze1880]

Great video with a GREAT GREAT car. You earned a sub. I have the same exact car. It has some issues with its diffential makes, humming noise on coasting speeds. You know of a people with old stocks spares in Denmark or any where else? Thanks

[@timkiwi]

I’d keep the Datsun as they are going up in value very fast

[@mikeymike3240]

Hi Seaside, don’t you know that you never ever ever mix black and brown together DOH 😣, great video, very enjoyable. 😎👍👍👍🇬🇧

[@SeasideGarage]

Living on the egde!

[@mikeymike3240]

@@SeasideGarage Hells yeah man, lol 😝

[@pepealexandre]

Pretty cool.

[@imranramzan5434]

Fed bil Jeg vil gerne købe den når du bliver “træt” af den 😊

[@holgerlutz705]

You should keep it, it is such a period correct example of a Japanese car 🙂

[@SeasideGarage]

It the drive is so much fun in it! Nimble!

[@holgerlutz705]

@@SeasideGarage I would be tempted by this car as well If there wasn't a Reliant Robin waiting for reassembly....

[@kelvinnathanielfrnsdal951]

You should sell the lada and keep the datsun they have cheap incuranse and nice milage and a sweet sound your datsun 120y sounds just the same as mine it gave me flash backs. Im going to buy a classic car to run all year around and it has to have a mot becuse then i have more time to get the datsun done.

[@migueldavidramirez9497]

I Learned to drive in that car

[@mikemccarty9787]

Great Video. I would not sell it

[@wollaminfaetter]

Just keep the damned thing, I didn't want it anyway 😅😂😂😂

[@sjcuk]

Why do I dislike this car so much? I love the channel and I respect all your hard work but I can see nothing good about this car. Being the son of a car mechanic during the 70's I think I must have been influenced at very young age to mistrust anything Japanese. Older and wiser I can now appreciate some of the amazing engineering but as for looks and desirability I'm afraid that will never be reinstated. It must be a UK car industry thing, A bitterness towards the destruction of our the industry which is blamed on everyone but ourselves....During the war😁......No,!.........Still loving the channel.

[@SeasideGarage]

Haha Stehen! You have been brainwashed by the the Leyland campaign against them! ;)

[@kevingayadeen7253]

DO NOT SELL THAT DATSUN, YOU WILL REGRET IT.