Hirst Cabs - Your Number 7 Choice For Quality

[Guest]

Hopefully have now secured this:

 

This ticks all my boxes and is the ultimate Stanza for me based on that it's the early one noted for its extremely poor handling setup - extreme understeer and snap oversteer. Fantastic. It's also the saloon and it is beige. For bonus shite points, it apparently has a poor respray and is the 1.6 GL, sort of a middling spec.

 

Plans are not to slam it on steels and go drifting etc. Instead it'll probably just be driven around by Vicsmith and myself, loaded to the brim with petrol station sandwiches and cans of Rubicon, whilst we ponder what to ultimately do with it.

 

GR8 4 GETTING ANGRY LETTERS FROM THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

[pogweasel]

Amazing work D_Hirst, you are really racking up a mighty impressive collection of J-bilge now.

[michiel]

Jeez, good work!

[Milford Cubicle]

YES! The saloon must be ultra-obscure, as I've never seen anything but the 5-dr hatch.Any chance spottedlaurel (pretty sure it was his) could post the magazine cutting noting its supreme handling prowess? I can't find it.

[garycox]

Wow that's amazing! I love it but I have no idea why...The horrible hard brown plastic of 80's jap interiors reminds me of my Nan's shitey old Toyota Corolla, which may be joining my collection soon...

[Guest]

Any chance spottedlaurel (pretty sure it was his) could post the magazine cutting noting its supreme handling prowess? I can't find it.

 

FWD SO GR8 4 DRIFTIN!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

U CAN ENTAR TEH D1 CHMAPIUNSHIP WITH IT! NOT AE86 200SX CAPRI DAF66 FORD PREFECT JDM etc.

[500tops]

Beautiful! Is that Raoul dukes?

[Milford Cubicle]

Heroic.

[Guest]

Beautiful! Is that Raoul dukes?

The very same.I can't understand why I'm drawn to stuff like this to be honest. It's not just old Japanese 4 doors - I'm fond of pretty much any former minicab fodder, especially in white, beige or brown. I'd love a Regata diesel or something to join the fleet.Any theories?

[pogweasel]

Could you get a Regata Diesel? I remember my father (ex-minicab supremo) using a Regata "Weekend" at one oint as a temp cab when one of his was in for repair. I was impressed by the bumper folding down a bit to improve luggage access.

[carlo]

If you've a copy of that What Car comparison test of the Stanza Hirst, I'm pretty sure that's the one where they were so appalled at the handling that they cut one of their blobs in half and gave it a half a blob out of five!

[Milford Cubicle]

Could you get a Regata Diesel? I remember my father (ex-minicab supremo) using a Regata "Weekend" at one oint as a temp cab when one of his was in for repair. I was impressed by the bumper folding down a bit to improve luggage access.

Yeah they did do a Regata Diesel, Fiat were pretty hot on diesels in the '80s - my Observer book of cars lists a 128 Diesel, and a 132 Diesel.I had a play with the drop-down bumper on a Tempra Weekend at a scrapyard, it was most thrilling! I don't quite see the point in it though... They carried it on to the Marea Weekend I think.

[mk2_craig]

 

GR8 4 carrying timber without a roof rack.

[Spottedlaurel]

Excellent news Hirst! I felt bad I couldn't give that a home as it was being offered at decent price and the 4dr in particular is now a very scarce beast.Latest SMMT figures we had said there were:STANZA L JP 4SL M 1598 9STANZA GL JP 5HT M 1598 68STANZA GL JP 3HT M 1598 2STANZA GL JP 4SL M 1598 4STANZA SGL JP 5HT M 1598 2STANZA SGL JP 5HT M 1809 5STANZA SGL JP 5HT A 1809 33STANZA JUBILEE JP 5HT M 1598 19STANZA JUBILEE JP 4SL M 1598 4Significantly less saloons than hatchbacks then. Note the 2 3dr hatches though, wonder if they're still out there?Looks like yours is one of only 4 GLs, but I have a feeling you wish it was an L...I think they're neat looking things. I'm sure the search for JDM versions has already started, remember to look under Auster and Violet which they were also sold as. Some of them have a different bonnet/light/indicator arrangement, sadly I have nothing scanned in right now.

[Guest]

Not sure if I wish it was an L, did that even get a radio? Have indeed commenced the search for different models, check this: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CAeOoh5kyw4 "AUUUUSTER JX!"Think that area where the numberplate is mounted needs blacking out, looks a lot smarter. I'm sure Vicsmith will be itching to two-tone the bottom half in an obnoxious colour too - probably wine red or brown or something. And those steels need a bit of a home refurb.Depends what it's all like really - sounds like it's mechanically sound, but with some old boy paint repairs to be undone and a little non-structural welding, but this has been reflected in the price I was ultimately offered it for. I think the worst fate for it is to become a Hirst/Vicsmith "garage hack" whereupon it cruises the mean streets of Dewsbury in search of Transform-a-Snacks. I can't see us standing by and watching a Stanza saloon being compressed into an even boxier shape on the basis of it looking a bit scruffy. Have already decided it won't be my daily driver though, I need "executive" saloons for that purpose.Should hopefully arrive in about a fortnight anyway - exciting!

[Split_Pin]

NIce work - I like it a lot. Supremely obscure, saloon and great colour Incidentally, in my Fiat 132 Owners manual bought fron fiatdaft, it describes in detail the 2000D and 2500D model. Apparently the engine normally takes 15-30 seconds to fire up when the key is turned When diesels really were hardcore!!!GR8 4 SMOKESCREEN COLD STARTZ!!!

[mk2_craig]

I wish I had a photo of the metallic green circa 1984 Sunny (2-door I think?) that was bimbling around Jersey some years back, the owner had screwed on an entire Stanza front end for some reason. No doubt long gone by now.

[Guest]

Stanza is now in my posession, pics to follow later, the exterior is currently in a lovely shitey condition, yet incredibly solid. Looks very grim, you'll love it!Having driven it, I have to say it's an absolute corker - the engine is superb, quite powerful too. The gear change is nice and smooth! As for the handling, the understeer is noticable but to be honest that was it - not frustrating or dangerous or anything. Was driving it mostly round town roads though, the B-roads might be a different story perhaps.What is a real bonus is how nice the interior is - the seats are lovely, they seem to be made out of some weird sort of faux-velour! Also has a nice Datsun-branded radio.I don't know what it is about this car, it just seems to have a nice quality to it and I can see me liking it a lot!

[retrogeezer]

Good work Hirst....and I agree, paint the rear panel matt black.

[Guest]

Panel has already painted for me by the previous owner.

 

 

Nice work, saved me a job!

 

Having driven it, I have to say it is a very maligned car as I thought the handling was alright to be honest. The understeer is noticable, but not particularly jarring. What is a surprise is how nice the interior is for a car like this, check the back seats!

 

 

Don't know what fabric it is, but it's one of the most comfortable cars I've ever sat in and is surprisingly plush considering it is only the middle-spec GL. The top spec SGL must be like a mobile palace.

 

I have to say for a car with over 100K on it, the engine is absolutely superb. It fires up first time incredibly quick, you'd think it had fuel injection. Really smooth too, I was expecting it to be a bit clattery, in reality it's probably the best old car engine I've had yet. Wonder if it's had a new engine at some point? Unfortunately I can't look and see as I can't get the bonnet open yet.

 

And here is a side shot of it, location edited out for security reasons and unconvincingly replaced with a closed down pachinko parlour for your amusement.

 

 

So what are the plans? For now it just wants some stuff sorting on it, the boot has a leak and had a bit of water in it, have emptied it out via the grommets and luckily it is still rock solid inside. As mentioned above, I can't get the bonnet open, the remote fuel filler release seems to be dead too but I might leave that as you can open it by key anyway. A thorough service will also follow.

 

As for the bodywork, it is pretty good to be honest, remarkably solid! The lower half really needs painting, but it is a nice enough car to stand it. Since Vicsmith is involved with this car, it'll near-definitely get two-toned, probably in a non-metallic mid brown or something. The rest of the bodywork, bar a few touchups, will just be polished up as best I can. The stock steels need refurbishing, will probably whip the tyres off, wire brush and sand them down and redo them in the weird anthracite centres and silver rims combo in the brochure.

 

Then I'll enter it in a charity banger rally, concluding in it being left in an airport car park. (THIS IS A JOKE)

[Father Ted]

Thats a vision of lovlieness in Beige, BUT what about this one....

 

Go on you know you want it... I want it, its just too darn far away - poot

[michiel]

Excellent photoshop and purchasing skills!

[Guest]

Hopefully I can make it look more like this:

[AnthonyG]

Hey Hirst, If you want a Haynes manual for one of these, there's one in my local charity shop. £1+ P&P and its yours - just let me know.

[Guest]

Cheers for the offer, had one thrown in though! If anyone's got any badges for it lying around though, they'd be appreciated. I need the "Datsun Stanza (by Nissan)" one and "1.6 GL".

[Cavcraft]

That's bloody awesome! There was one rotting away in someone's garden about a mile from me, think it's a hathcback one. Not sure if it's still there but could find out if you liked? Might do for spares or something.

[vicsmith]

Began work on this on Sunday:

 

Got one of the wheels done:

 

 

Tried out a bit of the Clove Brown paint we found in a reduced box in a sort of down market scrotier version of Motorworld - imagine that.

 

 

 

The colour will look really good once it`s on, I reckon. Sunday we got another wheel done and started stoppering and building up the paint surface of the bottom half. A splash of red oxide gives you an idea of what it might ultimately look like, although the end result will be darker of course.

 

The wheels arent just a quick mist over by the way, Hirst put lot of effort into rubbing them down and eliminating every speck of rust, so they should look this nice for some time to come.

[mk2_craig]

That last pic is a bollock-hair away from being the PERFECT half-arsed internet auction listing photo. Too sharply focused though. :lol:U R BIDING ON MY STANZA I BROUGHT IT OFF EBAY LAST MONTH WNTD TO USE IT 4 DRIFTIN BUT CLDNT GET THE ARSE TO SLIDE OUT LOLOL

[Split_Pin]

I'm liking this car a lot - I really cant remember when I last saw one. The interior looks very clean indeed!I like the proposal for how the car will look once you have finished it too!