Forgotten 70’s and 80’s Japs

[MisterH]

2 hours ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Had quite a few likes on the Piazza recently. 

An update: I still have it - it's waiting on both my and the IPTOC*'s schedules to align. 
It came off the road owing to problems with the head and fuel tank. It photographs extremely well; it is way rougher in the pictures but still basically sound. 

The 4CZ1-T (related to, but not the same as, the 1994cc N/A petrol engine in the Vauxhall Midi/Isuzu Fargo) uses thrust washers on the crank, like a Triumph 1500.  Unfortunately, when they wear out, a lot of crank end float is created. The bottom end of my engine was moving so much it was eating drive belts; one night, I had to coast to the end of a junction when it popped off and stopped driving the water pump. I think that's what caused the head to warp, or crack - I haven't properly investigated. I also had fuelling issues: I suspect the in-pump tank is clogged as I got a friend to take the external pump out to clean it with little improvement. 
Shortly after, the heater matrix failed and dumped coolant all over the passenger's footwell. It was beyond my meagre skills, so I decided to stash it away and wait for the IPTOC to finish sorting its workshop. 

[side note: This is more or less what happened to the other cars in my fleet that you haven't heard about for a while: the 305, 605, 850, Impreza, Cherokee and Amazon are all safe, in various states of disrepair, and I'll update AS on those if people want to hear about them. TL; DR - it's easier to stash and save up buying bits rather than tackling them one at a time]. 

My decision to squirrel the Piazza away coincided with the time of the first AS service station autocross events were taking place -  I thought it cruel for me to hammer the car with so much going wrong. When it goes to the IPTOC it will receive a 'new' engine with the best parts from mine transferred over. Not long before I bought GYP it received a rebuilt IHI turbo and a full service; the former will go on the replacement lump with a new head gasket, they tend to fail on 4CZ1-Ts between 100-150k, and GYP has clocked 157k. 

It'll also get the better HBL tailgate I bought very cheaply off eBay fitted (the spoilers are interchangeable with a few blanking plates) and a set of new brake discs (I warped the originals around Cadwell Park). With that work completed by the IPTOC (when it's ready, of course), it should see another MoT, so long as I have the Goodyears replaced. 

(The tyre saga is almost a tale in itself: many years ago, I won a set of shagged HBL alloys on brand new tyres on eBay; the seller had listed them without reserve and I got them for £1. He honoured the deal despite clearly being unhappy, and they sat in the dark for another three years before I bought GYP. I was Piazza-free at the time, having long sold D888 XJM, or 'Ceefax' to a long term member on Retro Rides, who bought it to hack out the running gear for a Triumph Spitfire. The car ended up in Belgium, where it was stolen from his barn in the small hours of the morning; when he went to check he ended up facing down the Belgian equivalent of the Flying Squad which were searching the premises on a suspected drug bust. XJM has not been seen since). 

As for the SVX? 
Still have that, too: it generated another comical bill for the brakes which took ages to save up for, and jiggling speaker shelf aside, is behaving itself. The specialist in Leicestershire which did the work is looking after it for me and keeps running it up and down the local area. I was to get it back this week but with the looming tanker driver shortage, running an 18mpg GT isn't the wisest or more selfless use of fuel; it's safe with them and they're happy to keep hold of it for me. It baffled onlookers at the filling station when they went to stick £30 in the tank a few weeks ago. 

*Isuzu Piazza Turbo Owners' Club 

I am glad to hear it is still around, I found a picture of it on the internet and it is currently adorning my desktop background for the second time, as I decided that it is firmly in my top 3 for most wanted models and wanted something to shoot for. Am I right in thinking that it used to be part of a magazine fleet? I think that is where the picture came from, it is a superb representation, and I am so glad it is still around. What is the parts supply like, I fear it is not looking good, but these things are no longer the killers they once were if a handy 3D modeler is to hand

[alcyonecorporation]

It still is part of a magazine fleet, I just switched magazines.  You'll have picked that pic up from an old thread on Autoshite. 
I took that photo in the Q Park in Sale around 2016-ish. 

Parts supply for consumables, s/h interior stuff and recon engines etc is fine - the IPTOC is well stocked unless you want HBL brake discs or bend your shell. For the former you're using a lathe and the latter you're fabricating/repairing stuff. They do like a good brown worm fizz. 

IPTOC does have some s/h panels and the odd LSD axle, but it will only sell the slippers to Piazza owners. 
The back axle 'just fitting' in Chevettes and Mantas is bollocks, by the way. Piazzas were very loosely based on the Gemini T Car, not the Chevette. 
The majority weren't fitted with LSDs after IM took over. 

[MisterH]

2 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

It still is part of a magazine fleet, I just switched magazines.  You'll have picked that pic up from an old thread on Autoshite. 
I took that photo in the Q Park in Sale around 2016-ish. 

Parts supply for consumables, s/h interior stuff and recon engines etc is fine - the IPTOC is well stocked unless you want HBL brake discs or bend your shell. For the former you're using a lathe and the latter you're fabricating/repairing stuff. They do like a good brown worm fizz. 

IPTOC does have some s/h panels and the odd LSD axle, but it will only sell the slippers to Piazza owners. 
The back axle 'just fitting' in Chevettes and Mantas is bollocks, by the way. Piazzas were very loosely based on the Gemini T Car, not the Chevette. 
The majority weren't fitted with LSDs after IM took over. 

Yes as someone in the Volvo 480 circles (many a 480 turbo were killed for their engine) I can understand the despair at seeing so many killed for their LSD, even without the passion for the model which I have as well. I have actually been emailing a club member, Clive I think is his name, who keeps me informed of developments in car availability, trouble is I don't have dedicated indoor workshop/storage space so I need something that is generally working and able to be used regularly in conjunction with the Volvo (if one doesn't work the other gets used and so on) so I don't really want to take something on that I will either A: not be able to get off the ground or B: is too good I will feel bad using it regularly and seeing it deteriorate, such as with the Rover. It is a conundrum which pains me but whatever I get I will use it regularly, that much I am certain on   

 

[alcyonecorporation]

Hear you, I had what was thought to be the earliest 460 Turbo left in the country with a B18 FTM; R5GTT foamers used to leave me notes on the windscreen and couldn't understand why I didn't want to rip it apart.  A 460 die-hard now has it and it's mostly restored. I had a few tasty R Sport bits on it like a Daytona steering wheel and Oscam Vega alloys which the VW lot kept telling me were Borbets. I even beat a GTI 8v at Santa Pod with it. 

I wouldn't use a Piazza Turbo every day. Mechanically they're up to it if you kept on top of the oil changes but unless you heavily rustproofed the body they'd get eaten by the salt and rain in no time. 

[alcyonecorporation]

Behold: my Piazza HBL office chair. 

I have most of a labrador beige/brown pre-Lotus interior in my garage. 

[MisterH]

3 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Hear you, I had what was thought to be the earliest 460 Turbo left in the country with a B18 FTM; R5GTT foamers used to leave me notes on the windscreen and couldn't understand why I didn't want to rip it apart.  A 460 die-hard now has it and it's mostly restored. I had a few tasty R Sport bits on it like a Daytona steering wheel and Oscam Vega alloys which the VW lot kept telling me were Borbets. I even beat a GTI 8v at Santa Pod with it. 

I wouldn't use a Piazza Turbo every day. Mechanically they're up to it if you kept on top of the oil changes but unless you heavily rustproofed the body they'd get eaten by the salt and rain in no time. 

That's fantastic to hear, glad it is safe.

Oh no I wouldn't "daily" it regardless. First job I would do when roadworthy would get it rustproofed, but I would only use it for high days and as a back up, as the Volvo is my main car (ok it is quite rare being one of 5 survivors of its year but it survived me learning to drive in it) and I am not a car abuser at all. It will probably be like our family Ur-quattro: Used often when weather is good, but kept safe when not in use. Finding storage is a mission of mine as well so it shan't be a problem always. Thank you for chatting about the car, I tend to hoover up all the information I can find 🤣

[alcyonecorporation]

3 hours ago, 17-Coffees said:

The 6th gen Galant. Only one I recall seeing was an imported VR4 at a show a good few years ago.

 

Now I open my front door and see a boggo 1.8 in my driveway. 

It's not even mine. 🤨

Work ran a 235k E33 Galant as its project car for a year. 

I'll see if I can dig some images out of it. 
Was wonderfully solid if not amazing on fuel; over-light, dead steering ruined it dynamically. 

[inconsistant]

On 9/28/2021 at 11:02 AM, TheOtherStu said:

White Nissan Prairie

2-tone brown Nissan Prairie

[TheOtherStu]

17 minutes ago, inconsistant said:

2-tone brown Nissan Prairie

I forgot that the MkII just about crept into the 80s.

The Mk1 also came in those gorgeous colours

 

[warren t claim]

On 9/30/2021 at 2:05 PM, TheOtherStu said:

I forgot that the MkII just about crept into the 80s.

The Mk1 also came in those gorgeous colours

 

When I lived in rural Wirral, the couple who lived in the cottage opposite owned a Mk1 Nissan Prairie.

It will come as no surprise to you that their place was known as "The Little House With The Prairie".

[tooSavvy]

Didn't YouTuber 'AutoAuctionRebuilds' pick up a Nissan Prairie (or something...) Mintolla???

I will check**

OK..... Is this "rebranded"??

 

[StescoG66]

On 10/4/2021 at 7:32 AM, tooSavvy said:

Didn't YouTuber 'AutoAuctionRebuilds' pick up a Nissan Prairie (or something...) Mintolla???

I will check**

OK..... Is this "rebranded"??

 

A fucked about with Mitsubishi Space Wagon

 

[Timewaster]

I'm a bit saddened by Mitsubishi UKs demise.

They had a big range of cars in the 80s. Colts in funky colours with too many gear levers for a reason I never really  understood, Tredia saloons, lovely Galants, Lancers and Station aswell as Shoguns. I liked the old square L300 too. There were lots of small town dealers around where I live. 

In the 90s and 00s they did the fantastic Evo cars, different flavours of Shogun, more vans and pick ups including every scrap metal enthusiasts favorite the L200 but the small dealers disappeared and it all went a bit corporate.

Early 2010s they were early to the electric party with the imev and later sold thousands of PHEV Outlanders but most of the other stuff had gone. Colts were outdated , the ASX was odd, Shogun Sports were ugly and had bad  Co2 levels. L200 sales had dwindled.

They dropped all the diesels and flogged them off. Mine was from a car supermarket 6 months old and barely half the list price.

 

Add it to the list with Saab.

[taxi paul]

Fun fact . When I started driving private hire taxis in St helens around 1990. You could have most 4/5 door cars. Except the Nissan prairie. Apparently it closely resembled the metro taxi of the time. So the public may have become confused and thought it was a Hackney taxi and not a private hire. Couldn't have that could we. 

[gtd2000]

On 10/4/2021 at 7:32 AM, tooSavvy said:

Didn't YouTuber 'AutoAuctionRebuilds' pick up a Nissan Prairie (or something...) Mintolla???

I will check**

OK..... Is this "rebranded"??

 

That's a Mitsubishi Space Wagon (over here) if I recall correctly?

 

 

[ProgRocker]

This YouTuber I follow gets to have a go in a few unusual Datsuns and Nissans. He has one of a 260Z uploaded recently and there should be a 260C video coming soon. When did you last see a Sunny estate in this shape?