New shite collection trip, Datsun, The Doctor and a DeLorean

[Mash]

Well, my plan to reduce my fleet has gone all Wuvvum-esque and resulted in me buying yet another fine example of Japanese engineering in the shape of a 1983 Datsun Sunny. Luckily however, I managed to sell my Mazda 323 GT last week so that freed up some space and finances to much relief!

 

A few years ago my much loved 1985 Sunny did an impression of a K-series and ended up with a knackered the engine. I couldn't find another engine near or cheap enough and eventually had to let the car go for next to nothing. To be fair it didn't owe me anything due to being paid handsomely for a filming contract and it wasn't perfect bodily, but I really enjoyed using it as my everyday car. Fast forward to April 2012 and our old friend "The Doctor" had a 1983 example on offer, well presented as usual. I'd seen this car before a coulpe of years earlier and I kept an eye on it though not really thinking seriously of buying it. After a couple of times being relisted RNM, I happened to chance on the latest ad a couple of weeks ago but now as a classified with a very reasonable price. After a bit of deliberation I thought "bugger it", rang him for a chat and made an offer which was accepted.

 

 

So at the weekend I arranged to go and collect the car and meet the legendary man himself!! I took the train down from Hull to Oxford on Saturday and arranged for the Doc to meet me at the station. As luck would have it, fellow shiter and J-tin enthusiast "Reallyloud" (Darren) lives nearby so we arranged a car and beer themed evening for my return and I would stay over at his then have a leisurely drive home on Sunday.

 

Trains all on time which was great and the sun shone as always on the Doctor's hacienda! It's a lovely place and we had a bit of natter about some of his cars over a cuppa. He's a really nice, genuine guy, a former BL salesman and though it's a business he's running at the end of the day and therefore not too sentimental about the cars, he knows a good original motor and seeks out the very best examples and they go to good homes. He has some regular customers and unfortunately due to storage problems, the Sunny and a few others came back from one of these collectors. He hasn't got anything much in at the moment save for a Morris Ital which has done - wait for it - 300 miles!!

 

Well, deal done I had a few hours to kill before heading up to Darren's so I thought I'd potter around Wiltshire a bit and I decided to head to Cirencester at which point the heavens opened and I sat in Faringdon looking at the map in thunder and lightning and hailstones But it was a lovely drive over there in my new old car which feels very tight as you would expect from an immaculate example with only 36000 miles on the clock! I know these aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I've always had a soft spot for them and I doubt there's a better example left.

 

Said hi to the Doctor's neighbours on my way out:

 

 

The weather was better by the time I got to Cirencester and gave a opportunity for some shite-seeing. There was a lovely Astra Belmont CD parked in one street but there was a guy sat in it so I was reluctant to take a snap. This R11 made up for it though:

 

 

And a sneaky Escort Cabriolet shot:

 

 

But most unexpected was this scruffy looking DeLorean!!

 

 

On the way back into Oxfordshire for the evening I stopped off for a mooch round Abingdon which presented this photo opportunity:

 

 

So after talking cars, cars and more cars that evening we decided to have short road trip on Sunday too and make our way over to the Atwell-Wilson museum in Calne. The Sunny performed faultlessly again though the weather was still a bit changeable. Still, drive-it day and we did see a few oldies on the road.

 

Outside the museum:

 

 

Ah, memories:

 

 

And the delights inside

 

Saab 99 and the last SD1 off the line:

 

 

On loan from Gaydon, the last Maxi and Dolomite:

 

 

Fantastic Manta and Celica:

 

 

Lovely Minivan:

 

 

Brilliant old garage diorama:

 

 

Wonderful Buick, an orginal UK car:

 

 

Proper fire engine:

 

 

Bet they don't have one of these at Beaulieau:

 

 

Marina TC Jubilee c/w pound shop wheeltrims:

 

 

Solara!!!!

 

 

GR8 4 DRFTN:

 

 

Lovely Renner 4:

 

 

The one you've all been waiting for!!!!

 

 

With stops it took me about 6 hours to get home to Hull via Northampton, Melton Mowbray, Newark and Lincoln but the Sunny did me proud and I had the roads to myself quite a bit. I took it steady and with this being a Nissan E-series engine I had one eye on the temperature gauge all the way!!

 

 

THE END

 

[michiel]

Just WOW! Great car, great thread.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Excellent trip report, Mash, and an excellent car.

 

Also, I like that Leyland cars sign in your garage.

[Guest]

Nice one Mash, looks like you had a good day, as expected I was waiting to see the Polonez

[cort16]

nice one, that looks great

[pompei]

Looks like you had a GR9 time - why doesn't reallyloud post up here any more? I used to like his contibutions, especially his photos.

[dollywobbler]

Great stuff Mr Mash. Lovely report and a lovely looking motor!

[Rocket88]

Great write-up. I've also met the legendary Doctor, lovely bloke. That museum looks like a posh Stondon!

[MonsterMaster]

Mint lookin sunny, Car looks good an all

[eddyramrod]

Marvellous stuff! This is the life, picking up an unloved car that stirs your memories and having a good time on the way home. I love it.

[Pete-M]

Splendid!

 

Was that SD1 as nice as it looks in the photos? I do like a TP Vitesse.

[mk1_4dr]

Very agreeable.

 

lovely looking Datsun you've bought there, nice way to spend a couple of days too.

 

Is the Doc the fastidious, if slightly ecentic, sort of chap that I imagine him to be?

[boobydoo]

That trip would be a 'perfect' day for me. Going to pick up a new motor followed by a museum filled with excellent looking tat!

Brilliant.

 

I'm sure I recognise that Solara. There aren't that many two-tone blue Rapiers left and that one has the wrong grille...it should be colour coded...it's really low mileage and used to belong to a club member, I'm sure.

 

What's the story with the 300 mile Ital ? It has set my pulse a-racing!!

[Mash]

Thanks peeps glad you enjoyed the write-up! The Sunny is fab and I'm very pleased with it, I've just seen the D-reg Mazda 323 saloon on the new eBay thread and to be honest that would be a better car all round but I'm a Datsun man at heart and this one holds sentimental value for me too. Got a little bit of detailing to do and I'll go round it with the Bilthamber and so on, needs a bit of a tune I think too as it's slightly underpowered but I have an idea what's causing that and when I'm finished with it, it'll be spot on.

 

Answers to questions:

 

"The Doctor" isn't anything like I imagined him to be, in fact completely the opposite in appearance, he's got long hair for a start!

 

Reallyloud is still very active on the old car front but just not much time for forums I think at the mo. He has an updated website though: http://www.reallyloud.co.uk/

 

Pete, the SD1 in the museum is the last of line from Gaydon, it's absolutely as new and has done about 700 miles I think.

 

Boobydoo, the Ital is an odd one, I can't remember exactly what the story is but it's been in and out of private collections I think. It's unusual in that it's silver too. The interior is lovely because it's dark grey/blue and not beige! Needs a bit of polishing and detailing but has that tight feel and solidity that only a brand new car can exude, quite remarkable.

[HillmanImp]

Great write up and photos. Car looks lovely.

 

Looks like a fun journey. I never think of stopping anywhere, its just foot to the floor and head home. Should think about that in future.

[ProgRocker]

The Datsun Sunny is really nice.

 

Great pics of the cars in the museum. A red Polonaise Prima is rare. Most of these were white iirc.

[Mr Lobster]

Looks like a good journey. The car looks superb though, nice work!

[RobT]

Cracking read, cheers. All these roadtrip threads are giving me the itch to buy something!

[messerschmitt owner]

Cracking read, cheers. All these roadtrip threads are giving me the itch to buy something!

I'll sell you a Sherpa - lol!

 

only joking

[eddyramrod]

Cracking read, cheers. All these roadtrip threads are giving me the itch to buy something!

 

Potential road trip of the year:

You know you want to!

[RobT]

^^^Don't tempt me Eddy. I haven't got a garage big enough for that though I may be moving the BX on soon though and would fancy replacing it with a Renault this time - as my Dad is using it now he's finding the clutch too hard work on his dodgy leg, so defeats the object of keeping it really.

[retrogeezer]

Nice one Mark, it looks a cracker. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this but the white Y reg one I had only had 22k on the clock when I bought it and the headgasket failed within a few months.

 

Was your old one the car that was in Red Riding?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I’ve had a bit of cylinder head grief off one of these as well, nice to drive when they’re on song though. Great story, I would love to meet this Doctor character and shake his hand.

[Mash]

Nice one Mark, it looks a cracker. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this but the white Y reg one I had only had 22k on the clock when I bought it and the headgasket failed within a few months.

 

Was your old one the car that was in Red Riding?

 

Yeah that's the one.

 

The HGF issue is the only thing that bugs me about these cars, it's a real Achille's Heel. At least I know now what's what and I'll be checking it regularly have no fear! To be honest the temp gauge hardly rises on this one so I'm just going to check the thermostat, temp switch and filler cap to make sure they're all ok, don't want a repeat of last time. In fact the filming was what did for the old one, I think it was left running on set for long periods and that won't have helped.

[Spottedlaurel]

As you know I'm very pleased you've got this car, and I'm envious of just about every aspect of your trip to collect it!

 

Random thoughts etc from my ownership of a couple of them:

 

My 1.5 coupe blew a core plug, which obviously led to overheating. However, even after that event it didn't seem to have any HGF issues.

 

My 1.3 saloon had a replacement engine when I bought it. I wonder if HGF/cracked head was the reason for that? However, it did 40k+ with me over a couple of years.

 

I think both 4th and 5th are overdrive ratios, and on the 1.5 they have an even taller final drive which doesn't exactly make the performance feel sparkling. Can't remember if your new one is a manual or automatic though?

 

I would love to own another someday, ideally a fastback estate as I’ve always thought them very attractive. It’d be the ideal 3rd car in-between the Laurel and a daily driver, probably more economical and cheaper to tax than the Camry V6 currently filling that role...