The 120 Y is the apple of your eye, Datsun 120Y! That was the song. But these cars were not as good as their predecessors the Datsun 1200 and 1600- which became the Datsun 180B. The earlier ones had independent suspension etc. Twin over head cam engines. These were old fashioned budget cars. The real shopping cart.
Incredibly simple , reliable and dependable cars ... Cheap to own and not bad at all to drive . Compared to today's beeping christmas light show , laptops on four wheels , digital piles of junk plastics, it was a joy that reminds us on fantastic past that will never ever return any more
What a beaut. This was my dream car. I had the 1200 coupe and got a chance to drive the 120Y, I fell in love with it straight away. They don't make them like they used to anymore. Those headlights will never fade. That ground clearance negates the need to have an SUV. In the old days an analog clock is all you get in the base model. Now, they will only put an analog clock on the top of the range, lol.
I was in the motor trade back in the 70 s . Sold cars in South Africa . These were indestructible. Very light controls and a super smooth gearbox . Streets ahead of the uk equivalents . Very quite and a delightful car . The Datsun blue bird of the 1960s was also superb .
My dad took a Datsun 120Y and a Datsun 1200 to Pakistan by road to Pakistan in 1980, on the way there they had a accident while overtaking a lorry, my uncle was driving the 120y and to avoid a on coming vehicle he on the opposite side and rolled over into a ditch luckily everyone survived but the 120Y had a damaged windshield and some other dents which they eventually got repaired back in Pakistan, they drove all the way from turkey to Pakistan with a plastic windscreen.
Great story. My sister, now 67, had this as her first car in the mid 1970's. It was indestructible and 'ran on the smell of a greasy rag'. However, she never needed to drive it with a plastic windscreen 🤣. 🦘
The external styling was a bit peculiar, but from the driver's seat the dash looked quite futuristic - I loved it. And yes the engine was soooo quiet and smooth at tickover, and all the controls so very light and precise - one wondered why British and European cars didn't feel like this.
Mr Dad bought a Datsun 120Y in 1977. It had a manual gearbox and ran like a swiss watch. He kept it until 1980 due to his left hip issues were too painful to change gears. It was light blue. 🦘
These cars bring back so many memories! When I was a child my next door neighbor had a yellow estate, and another neighbor had a yellow saloon. Where I live in Barbados there are only about three left now, including an orange one that is completely standard with the original "pie dish" hubcaps.
Hi mate here in Australia in my family we grew up with one of these cars. My mum had a purple 120Y for about 16 to 18 years. Mostly it was a grea t little car and very reliable but it was possible for them to tip over if you took a corner too tightly due to very softly sprung suspension and very skinny wheels and tyres. My mum ended up replacing it with a Toyota Echo which was amazing And lasted well into the 2010’s. Sadly my mum passed in 2016 but thanks for that fun memory 😁
Your light and easy comments. In the mid 1980s I had a 6 year old VW Jetta. For a work trip I drove a work collegues old Datsun, think it was a 120Y. My over riding memory was how light the contorls were, I thought the clutch was broken it took that little effort to push the pedal
It’s hard to explain to anyone who wasn’t around when these were on sale just how much of an impact these cars had. The quiet engine, the lovely gearchange , the comfortable and stylish interior, and the incredible reliability was groundbreaking. They did rust, but to be fair so did most cars sold in the 70s, I remember seeing the first Escorts and capris nearly all failing their first MOT on corrosion.
In the US this was called the Datsun B210 and you are absolutely correct that American public’s favorable opinion of Datsun was highly influenced by the wonderful 240Z (and the Datsun 510 and Lil’ Hustler pickup as well). In high school my math teacher drove a 240Z and therefore he was the coolest teacher ever!!! :).
In Australia back in 1974 no one would have predicted that a Datsun 120Y would one day be a valuable classic. They were everywhere at the time but considered a retrograde step over the Datsun 1200.
I second this... There were a few around growing up in Australia in the 80s and 90s. The coupes were harder to spot but a few of them were around too. I felt the Isuzu / Holden Geminis were a much more stout car, although I think they rusted a little more. Datsun 1200s and 1600s were around but I don't think we got them as local imports, but I do recall the "Stanzas" being more common. Toyota Coronas and Ford Escorts ... A few Fiat 124s and Alfas were crusing around back then too. Good times.
I can atest that I too found them quite ugly as a kid in the early 80s, when they really did look old compared to the Maestro and Mk3 Escort, but about 10 years ago I found myself looking at a coupe, thinking how well designed it was. I'd happily have one now.
YES! 😂. My grandma had a mustard yellow, B210 i remember. I thought that car looked stupid ugly! Lol. I remember her letting me shift the gear sometimes (I was like three or something). Looking at it now, it’s not so bad. Actually, the 2015 Nissan Versa called this car to mind when I first saw it.
AND let me add that I really enjoyed this review! It brought up fond memories of my early childhood, especially when I saw that gauge cluster and heard the sound of that engine. I can recall the SMELL of that car.
When they hit uk they came with top reliability top mpg , heated rear windows , headrest , radio , british cars didnt have any i remember the 120y with fondness , put £5 in it and could go anywhere
It was 4000.00 Cedis at Japan Motors in Ghana in 1972. A very versatile strong saloon. It enjoyed great patronage because of its low petrol consumption
I sold these in their hundreds ...... put simply they were so far ahead of the British offerings, far from being old fashioned they were of a style that we simply couldn't match, and of course, they came with hazard warning flashers, Heated rear screen, an AM radio, all as standard ...... twin that with their sheer drivability and total reliability at a time when the British Motor Industry was in turmoil, and it is no surprise they gained such a foothold in the market place.
The Datsun was super popular here in Australia also! I have fond memories I still own a Datsun! A 1965 Bluebird (on my channel). Datto’s are great cars. Mine has the e1 engine unlike the 120Y A series engine but it looks very similar.
Wasn’t the Bluebird known as the 1600 in Australia? It was internationally known as the 510. The Bluebird name didn’t one out until the 1980’s with the 910 series.
@@paulsz6194 Internationally, the Bluebird name wasn't used until the 1980s with the 910 series. In Australia, the BLUEBIRD name was used for the 310 series [1963-64], the 410/411 series [1965 -1968]. The 510 series which followed the 410/411 series was sold as the Datsun 1600 in Australia. The 1600 was followed by the 180B which was a 1.8 litre version of the Japanese market 160B. The 180B was succeeded by the 200B which was largely designed by Nissan Australia. The 180B, and the 200B did not use the BLUEBIRD name. The BLUEBIRD name was revived for the model that followed the 200B and was the last time the name was used in Australia.
We had the 120y in Australia. They were very popular. Can’t say I have seen one in the last two decades. My first car was a Datsun 240k and the second was a Datsun Skyline(both were late 1970’s built). Found memories of Datsun.
I bought this car when I worked in Zimbabwe 28 yrs ago, 120Y coupe 1976.....one owner an old lady so it was in great shape, added a new pearl sky blue paint finish, mag wheels a banana branch manifold an 10 disc CD changer Rockford Fosgate amp. Twas heaven!!!!!!!!
Newly married and our first car. Went everywhere in it. Splendid car.
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My Datsun 120Y had a problem with the gearstick locking up in traffic. I used to jack it up, remove the few bolts attaching the gearbox to the engine, seperating the 2 and freeing up the gearshift and putting it all together all within 15-20 minutes and continuing my journey! I dont think that could be done on any other car that easily and at that speed ever
10:35 You are correct - models fitted with the tacho (such as the 2 door coupe's) had a small clock where the D panel is in this car - at least in the ones I've seen in Australia in the past.
I have seen comments saying "The car that broke British Leyland" ..NAH! British Leyland "Management" broke British Leyland. OK, that said... These Datsun 120Y cars came with zero rust protection... Here in the UK, They dissolved faster than an Alka Seltzer in water. The corrosion protection was not up to the standard to drive on our heavily salted roads in the Winter. This is why these cars disappeared off our roads here in the UK faster than a £20 note in a heroin addict's pocket.
Agree absolutely, you could almost see them rusting in front of your eyes. A couple of years ago I saw a photo of one of them in a scrapyard. The rear third of the car had basically dissolved away to a skeleton.
@@andrewpreston4127 100% Correct...They were indeed total rustbuckets. Back in the day, the MOT test was nowhere near as strict... You could drive cars that were rotten on stress points. And boy did these Datsun 120Y cars rust.
Aaawww. My dad had one, bought brand new. 140Y...in chocolate brown and tan interior. And passed the car on to my elder brother, when he finished school. The engine never ever gave up. Car never broke down, in the about 7 years we had it....unfortunately the body wasn't up to standard. Even in our amazing climate in South Africa, rust was a disease and we lived about 20kms from the ocean. But car was used as a trade in for brother's purchase for his first own car. These cars were and still is sought after but with the rust, very very scarce to find one....possibly in the interior of our country far from the ocean but still very rare. I can personally say these cars are absolutely reliable, absolutely economical fuel wise and spares but you really required any mechanical parts....it just went on and on. Today's the new Datsun after they came back into our country around 2010, I think. The new Datsun "cheap" low specs introduced then, are unfortunately a let down. Unrealiable and very cheap parts by these days standard, don't make them last too long. Nissan who was always in our country, (Datsun takeover) still kept reliable good quality, low maintenance cars. I loved the 140Y we had...went so many places in my childhood with it❤
In New Zealand 🇳🇿 we had another model called the Datsun Violet, also 1400cc with quad headlamps and looked quite classy for the day 😮 Thanks for sharing ❤
wait is this Datsun Violet ? ! So why they dont named !? There is a guy offer me a Datsun Violet one owner since ew in his family , in my country they are realy rare , maybe 3 cars !? and that is ''Maybe '' So i try to find info about the car . cos he wont sell me cheap , ask 5,5 k euro, so i need to know what number models are under Violet , thanks at advance ,
Loved these cars, so relaible and nice to drive, sold them when I was in the used car market, they never came back under warranty, unlike other cars I could mention.
A quiet and reliable car which returned good economy on 2Star petrol. I remember driving one when they were ridiculed. I was amazed at the clutch, gearbox, and very efficient handbrake.
I use to love working on the older type cars the Datsun's, cortinas,toranas you could easily repair them yourself, they were easy to work on, really didn't matter what the problem was, these modern cars so many sensors all over them, but yeah I would still give it a go, there is a lot of TH-cam info sites that will show you, but EV stuff them one stick of dynamite will fix it lol
I owned one, in the US it was called Datsun B-210. I purchased a brand new Datsun B-210 back in 1977 for $3500 US dollars. I only had it for two years and had no problems.
My mother had a 120 Y Coupe in Australia. Economical, comfortable, very easy to drive and totally reliable plus it came with everything: carpets, bucket seats, radio, heater - all things that were optional on Australian and English cars available back then.
Before we get sentimental.....the handling was abysmal, and the engine was underpowered. Which gave the wonderful whirring noise, when accelerating 0-60 in 28 seconds. There were no bucket seats. (I used to own one ❤)
We had a 1972 Datsun 1200 station wagon that Daddy bought in 73 in Zambia. She was the predecessor to the 120Y so, not surprisingly, was this very shade of blue. We had her for 9 years and 60,000 km. The stock alternator on her and the early 120Ys would fail within the first 20,000 km, but the replacement was made of hardier stuff. Being of the same model year as she, all my childhood memories are of vacation trips in her, mostly esconsed with my brother on a couple of mattresses in the boot. We made quite a few visits to Lusaka, Mazabuka, Choma, Kariba Dam, Vic Falls, Bulawayo, Kazangula, Francis Town, and innumerable picnics with friends to Riverside Drive. We sold her only because we changed countries. I remember her fondly.
I had a 1979 140J as my first car .Banana yellow with a brown vinyl roof .Always started on the key and mechanically was bulletproof .Great spec as well 👍
Datsun 120Y was the darling of Taxi drivers in Nigeria in the early 70's. Christened 'Naira Body' , because it was fuel efficient, reliable and easy to maintain. Drove out British cars out of Nigeria roads with a little help from Toyota Corrola, Peugeot and Lada. Nostalgia....
Had a Datsun 100A in the 80’s. Put 60,000 mile on it in 4 years. Very reliable, minor issues, alternator, water hose. Body work built like a tank. Many happy days of motoring.
I had one of these in the 80s, it was a saloon in Metallic Green. I went from a Mk 1 Escort to the Datsun, it felt luxurious compared to the Ford. Mine was an Auto so very under powered, but I still loved it. It only had rust along the top of one of the wings when I sold it.
My dad had one of those - an "S" reg in red, having traded in a Morris Marina for it. Apparently the lads at work took the mickey out of him for buying it - that lasted until the end of the first winter nightshift at work. Every car in the car park was covered in a thick layer of frost at 6am - my dad's Datsun started first time, every time, unlike the Allegro's, Marina's and Cortina's all his work colleagues were driving!
Daughter had one, she was never one to treat a car kindly, but the 120Y no matter what she threw at it never submitted It was truly a car you could call indestructible
Yes. Indestructible. Especially, the bulletproof engine. Drove a Datsun pickup with that engine in the harshest of environments of extreme heat, dust, rain and deep mud. Used it to tow out stuck Ford tractors from chassis deep mud.
As a 16 year old in 1977 I worked as a pump attendant at a local petrol station with a Datsun sales showroom attached. On Saturdays I helped clean the brand new cars and prep them for the showroom. They arrived with a protective grease all over. It was a great job and I loved sitting in these brand new cars. The mechanics would alway take me along for a ride when they were out in them. Great memories. I also remember there was one painted in the same style as the Starsky & Hutch cop show car, all red with the white flash/stripe.
I remember riding in one of those 120y's downunder in New Zealand 🇳🇿. They were everywhere, yes as stated it is a facelift model. Still has a hint of the "coke bottle" hip kink that the Viva Hb ( Envoy Epic ) had. A very comprehensive dash for the period and in dash push button stereo ❤ Thanks for sharing your mint car. 👍 Keep it out of the snow and salted roads please 😮😊
My brother had one of these in Zambia as a company car when he was working on a mine about 30 miles outside Lusaka. It lasted considerably longer on the poor dirt road between Lusaka and his work than his personal Ford Cortina, the suspension on which had been almost totally wrecked after about six weeks. Oh, and the Datsun started every morning - unlike the Cortina, which was actually less good to drive than my tiny air-cooled twin cylinder Honda 360 cc Japanese K car.
I acquired a second-hand 120Y in 1980. It was a Mk1, with 12 inch wheels, not the later 13 inch wheels. It also had a Rev Meter, with a smaller clock to the left of the front panel. First registered in 1973, it was White, but the paintwork was faded and there was significant Rust in the Front Wings. The engine had done 88 thousand miles. I finally scrapped it in 1987, with 173 thousand miles on the clock. Working on the car was a doddle. The bloke who ran the Parts Department at my local dealership, said it was probably designed by a Mechanic, not an Engineer. You could get inside the Engine compartment, when working on the engine and everything was easily accessible for routine maintenance. When I replaced the Clutch at 100 Thousand miles, I did it all by myself, with the car jacked up on Axle stands. Dropped the Gearbox onto my body and just wriggled out from underneath. Ditto, when replacing the gearbox. I loved my 'Sunny' and was sad to scrap it, but by then, it was a Rust Bucket and not economically viable to repair, but the engine and gearbox were still in good condition and I got 50 quid for it, from my local Breakers Yard. The Standing Joke with Datsun's back then, was you parked the Bodywork by the side of the road and kept on driving. I would love another one. Finally, the Front of the car and the Radiator Grill and lights, are copied from the Ford Mustangs of the time.
Having got used to driving around my Dad's land crab, I eventually took my driving test in a 120Y in the late 70s. I just couldn't believe the difference between how different they were to drive. The Datsun was simple, easy to steer, change gear etc. The land crab was completely the opposite, where I wrestled with most of the controls just to go in a straight line. Thank God I passed my test.
The Datsun 120Y was very cheap and popular, in many colours, well equipped with a radio as standard. I was a passenger in one years ago and remember the funky blue light for the rear screen. Corrosion was a major issue, you could hear them rusting in the terrible winter snow of December 1981 but would have started first time being very reliable.
My dad had a 120Y estate WMS 101R in white it was a very good car it would take you to the moon and back but it dissolved greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
My dad bought a orange 180B when we arrived to Australia, but within 2 years upgraded to the 200B, as he wanted a little more power & realised we really needed aircon ❄️ for the stinking hot summers!
My dad bought a 120Y in 1975 with a 3 speed automatic which was nippy enough but embarrassingly slow up hills. It had uncomfortable vinyl seats but was smooth and quiet at town speeds. The boot was ridiculously small thanks to the fuel tank being situated behind the seats for safety yet there still being a high floor; I suspect the tank had been relocated at the last minute due to Ford being sued for its fuel tank location in the USA. It used to take ages to start on a cold morning, the cylinder head warped and had to be skimmed and it rusted rapidly but was reliable compared to British cars. The reason my dad bought it was that he'd ordered a Ford Escort XL in 1974 and Ford kept postponing delivery for about 9 months so he cancelled it, walked into the Datsun dealer and drove out straight away with his new car which had such luxuries as a radio, door mirror, reclining front seats and tinted glass which would have been options or unavailable on some British rivals.
Had one of these in Australia, wonderful car to work on , wife burnt out clutch ,next day changed clutch in car park , try that today on "modern cars". only issue I could see was prone to rust and perhaps in a shunt would fold up.
All cars rusted very easily back then Chris I didn’t this you guys suffered with rust down there, plus with no crumple zones or safety testing either you’d certainly be more prone to fatal accidents back then also.
Grandfather had his first Datsun in about 1977, a Laurel 2.0 after his brand new Ford Cortina started rusting and falling apart after 18 months. He had a 120Y in the early 80s and its the first car I drove aged about 11. He then owned other Nissans, his last being a late 80s Bluebird 1.8 he owned until he stopped driving. That car did close to 150,000 miles, only problem a failed radiator.
Had a green 120Y estate as one of my (numerous) early cars back in the eighties. Ran very well and was fun to drive but it was rather consumed by rust.
Passed my test in a S reg Datsun 120y 2 door. My driving instructor loved it as it was totally reliable, cheap to run and easy to drive. If i remember right they had a spring loaded gear change of 2nd to 3rd.
We had a bunch of them in Jamaica. My dad owned one. It was so reliable and very good on gas consumption. In Jamaica we also a bunch of vw bugs, Morris minors, fiat 124 and 125s, peugeot 504 and 404s, mini coopers, ladas. Austin cambridge, Morris oxford, mgb gt, citroens, triumphs. For fords there were ford escorts, anglia, capris , lotus and regular cortinas to mention a few. I ended up owning about half of these cars that i mentioned. The trucks in the 60s and 70 were mostly thames traders and British leylands. How times have changed. Today If i had a warehouse with half of these cars stored away, i would be a millionaire many times over. How times have changed. I wish i had the gift to look into the future !! Lol
It was my first car I had when I past my driving test in 1990..had so much fun in the car, 1 litre and going up hills in first gear most of the time.....fun times...
We had zillions of them in Australia they were as common as flies ...like its big brother the Datsun 180b...both hugely popular !
The 120 Y is the apple of your eye, Datsun 120Y! That was the song. But these cars were not as good as their predecessors the Datsun 1200 and 1600- which became the Datsun 180B. The earlier ones had independent suspension etc. Twin over head cam engines. These were old fashioned budget cars. The real shopping cart.
It was also as flies inTaiwan😃
I had one of those bluebirds, very quick, had a nikkiwebber carb.
Incredibly simple , reliable and dependable cars ... Cheap to own and not bad at all to drive . Compared to today's beeping christmas light show , laptops on four wheels , digital piles of junk plastics, it was a joy that reminds us on fantastic past that will never ever return any more
Datsun were great cars in the 70's!
yes in 1870's
@@OGforlifebbwasnt many better normal family motors than these in the day, certainly not brit stuff
Really great to see a 120Y again as I passed my driving test in one in 1984 …fond memories.
My wife had one of these in the 80's, she said it was the best car she has ever had.
Had one of those , utterly reliable and simple.
These were without a doubt fantastic cars. Super reliable and very fuel efficient.
What a beaut. This was my dream car. I had the 1200 coupe and got a chance to drive the 120Y, I fell in love with it straight away. They don't make them like they used to anymore. Those headlights will never fade.
That ground clearance negates the need to have an SUV. In the old days an analog clock is all you get in the base model. Now, they will only put an analog clock on the top of the range, lol.
I was in the motor trade back in the 70 s . Sold cars in South Africa . These were indestructible. Very light controls and a super smooth gearbox . Streets ahead of the uk equivalents . Very quite and a delightful car . The Datsun blue bird of the 1960s was also superb .
They were awesome, but didn’t like Durban salty humidity - rusted terribly.😂
They were a very practical, reliable car for the masses. The dashboard and seats were ahead of it's time, great video and great presenting.
My dad took a Datsun 120Y and a Datsun 1200 to Pakistan by road to Pakistan in 1980, on the way there they had a accident while overtaking a lorry, my uncle was driving the 120y and to avoid a on coming vehicle he on the opposite side and rolled over into a ditch luckily everyone survived but the 120Y had a damaged windshield and some other dents which they eventually got repaired back in Pakistan, they drove all the way from turkey to Pakistan with a plastic windscreen.
Great story. My sister, now 67, had this as her first car in the mid 1970's. It was indestructible and 'ran on the smell of a greasy rag'. However, she never needed to drive it with a plastic windscreen 🤣. 🦘
I had a mustard yellow 120y. Brilliant car. Wish I had it now!
The external styling was a bit peculiar, but from the driver's seat the dash looked quite futuristic - I loved it. And yes the engine was soooo quiet and smooth at tickover, and all the controls so very light and precise - one wondered why British and European cars didn't feel like this.
Mr Dad bought a Datsun 120Y in 1977. It had a manual gearbox and ran like a swiss watch.
He kept it until 1980 due to his left hip issues were too painful to change gears.
It was light blue.
🦘
I remember this car from my childhood in the early 70's. I liked it even then.
Dad had an estate in 70s , super reliable 👏
These cars bring back so many memories! When I was a child my next door neighbor had a yellow estate, and another neighbor had a yellow saloon. Where I live in Barbados there are only about three left now, including an orange one that is completely standard with the original "pie dish" hubcaps.
Hi mate here in Australia in my family we grew up with one of these cars. My mum had a purple 120Y for about 16 to 18 years.
Mostly it was a grea t little car and very reliable but it was possible for them to tip over if you took a corner too tightly due to very softly sprung suspension and very skinny wheels and tyres.
My mum ended up replacing it with a Toyota Echo which was amazing And lasted well into the 2010’s.
Sadly my mum passed in 2016 but thanks for that fun memory 😁
Your light and easy comments. In the mid 1980s I had a 6 year old VW Jetta. For a work trip I drove a work collegues old Datsun, think it was a 120Y. My over riding memory was how light the contorls were, I thought the clutch was broken it took that little effort to push the pedal
It’s hard to explain to anyone who wasn’t around when these were on sale just how much of an impact these cars had. The quiet engine, the lovely gearchange , the comfortable and stylish interior, and the incredible reliability was groundbreaking. They did rust, but to be fair so did most cars sold in the 70s, I remember seeing the first Escorts and capris nearly all failing their first MOT on corrosion.
So you spent more time at the motor body repair shop than you did at the mechanic.
@@paulsz6194 well yes, in fact fact in those days a lot of garages that did mechanical repairs would also do welding rust repairs.
In the US this was called the Datsun B210 and you are absolutely correct that American public’s favorable opinion of Datsun was highly influenced by the wonderful 240Z (and the Datsun 510 and Lil’ Hustler pickup as well). In high school my math teacher drove a 240Z and therefore he was the coolest teacher ever!!! :).
In Australia back in 1974 no one would have predicted that a Datsun 120Y would one day be a valuable classic.
They were everywhere at the time but considered a retrograde step over the Datsun 1200.
And rusted after a year or so. Especially near the sea. Great cars tho.
The coupe looks tons better
It’s ever rarest to see a 120Y wagon -or estate as you Brit’s call it.
Saw a green wagon a few years ago with a male driver who wouldn't have existed when these were declining in number.
Saw a 4 door 120Y recently, in Brisbane. And few days later, a Renault Dauphine.
I feel like I'm in a time machine. Still can't believe I can see one in such pristine condition. Takes me back to 1982.
We had a bazillion of them here in Australia. That and the 200B, classic little cars that were much better than anyone gave them credit for.
I second this... There were a few around growing up in Australia in the 80s and 90s. The coupes were harder to spot but a few of them were around too. I felt the Isuzu / Holden Geminis were a much more stout car, although I think they rusted a little more. Datsun 1200s and 1600s were around but I don't think we got them as local imports, but I do recall the "Stanzas" being more common. Toyota Coronas and Ford Escorts ... A few Fiat 124s and Alfas were crusing around back then too. Good times.
I can atest that I too found them quite ugly as a kid in the early 80s, when they really did look old compared to the Maestro and Mk3 Escort, but about 10 years ago I found myself looking at a coupe, thinking how well designed it was. I'd happily have one now.
YES! 😂. My grandma had a mustard yellow, B210 i remember. I thought that car looked stupid ugly! Lol. I remember her letting me shift the gear sometimes (I was like three or something). Looking at it now, it’s not so bad. Actually, the 2015 Nissan Versa called this car to mind when I first saw it.
AND let me add that I really enjoyed this review! It brought up fond memories of my early childhood, especially when I saw that gauge cluster and heard the sound of that engine. I can recall the SMELL of that car.
When they hit uk they came with top reliability top mpg , heated rear windows , headrest , radio , british cars didnt have any i remember the 120y with fondness , put £5 in it and could go anywhere
It was 4000.00 Cedis at Japan Motors in Ghana in 1972. A very versatile strong saloon. It enjoyed great patronage because of its low petrol consumption
Though am not a fan of Japanese cars I love this one, it still looks nice 😊
I sold these in their hundreds ...... put simply they were so far ahead of the British offerings, far from being old fashioned they were of a style that we simply couldn't match, and of course, they came with hazard warning flashers, Heated rear screen, an AM radio, all as standard ...... twin that with their sheer drivability and total reliability at a time when the British Motor Industry was in turmoil, and it is no surprise they gained such a foothold in the market place.
Had a 120Y coupe in the same colour. Brilliant car.
Hairdresser's car.
The Datsun was super popular here in Australia also!
I have fond memories
I still own a Datsun!
A 1965 Bluebird (on my channel). Datto’s are great cars. Mine has the e1 engine unlike the 120Y A series engine but it looks very similar.
Wasn’t the Bluebird known as the 1600 in Australia? It was internationally known as the 510. The Bluebird name didn’t one out until the 1980’s with the 910 series.
@@paulsz6194 Internationally, the Bluebird name wasn't used until the 1980s with the 910 series. In Australia, the BLUEBIRD name was used for the 310 series [1963-64], the 410/411 series [1965 -1968]. The 510 series which followed the 410/411 series was sold as the Datsun 1600 in Australia. The 1600 was followed by the 180B which was a 1.8 litre version of the Japanese market 160B. The 180B was succeeded by the 200B which was largely designed by Nissan Australia. The 180B, and the 200B did not use the BLUEBIRD name. The BLUEBIRD name was revived for the model that followed the 200B and was the last time the name was used in Australia.
@@EVISEHboth the 180b and 200b were both in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and were very popular 👌
@@EVISEH the 410/411 was known as the bluebird here in Aus, not the 1600 as it only has a 1200 engine!
We had the 120y in Australia. They were very popular. Can’t say I have seen one in the last two decades. My first car was a Datsun 240k and the second was a Datsun Skyline(both were late 1970’s built). Found memories of Datsun.
The biggest problem with the Datsun 120y was rust ,which is what really killed them off, also they were a bit of a oil burner.
Had The 120 Y coupe great car. Never let me down. It was the reson why I bought a Nissan sunny in 1984 brand-new.
I bought this car when I worked in Zimbabwe 28 yrs ago, 120Y coupe 1976.....one owner an old lady so it was in great shape, added a new pearl sky blue paint finish, mag wheels a banana branch manifold an 10 disc CD changer Rockford Fosgate amp. Twas heaven!!!!!!!!
Mum had one when I was 16, first car I drove, was fun.
My sister had a 120Y and while some things were rubbish, other things were far better. She then bought a SSS Datsun which was great
Newly married and our first car. Went everywhere in it. Splendid car.
My Datsun 120Y had a problem with the gearstick locking up in traffic. I used to jack it up, remove the few bolts attaching the gearbox to the engine, seperating the 2 and freeing up the gearshift and putting it all together all within 15-20 minutes and continuing my journey!
I dont think that could be done on any other car that easily and at that speed ever
My first car! Banded the Datsun B-210 for North American markets, mine was Banana yellow with the 1.4 OHV engine.
10:35 You are correct - models fitted with the tacho (such as the 2 door coupe's) had a small clock where the D panel is in this car - at least in the ones I've seen in Australia in the past.
I have seen comments saying "The car that broke British Leyland" ..NAH! British Leyland "Management" broke British Leyland.
OK, that said...
These Datsun 120Y cars came with zero rust protection... Here in the UK, They dissolved faster than an Alka Seltzer in water. The corrosion protection was not up to the standard to drive on our heavily salted roads in the Winter. This is why these cars disappeared off our roads here in the UK faster than a £20 note in a heroin addict's pocket.
Agree absolutely, you could almost see them rusting in front of your eyes. A couple of years ago I saw a photo of one of them in a scrapyard. The rear third of the car had basically dissolved away to a skeleton.
@@andrewpreston4127 100% Correct...They were indeed total rustbuckets. Back in the day, the MOT test was nowhere near as strict... You could drive cars that were rotten on stress points. And boy did these Datsun 120Y cars rust.
The unions played their part in the demise of Leyland as well.
Not exactly....it was the Soviet backed unions ..Red Robo was paid by commies to cause mayhem... Margaret thatcher was inevitable.
Aaawww.
My dad had one, bought brand new.
140Y...in chocolate brown and tan interior.
And passed the car on to my elder brother, when he finished school.
The engine never ever gave up.
Car never broke down, in the about 7 years we had it....unfortunately the body wasn't up to standard. Even in our amazing climate in South Africa, rust was a disease and we lived about 20kms from the ocean.
But car was used as a trade in for brother's purchase for his first own car. These cars were and still is sought after but with the rust, very very scarce to find one....possibly in the interior of our country far from the ocean but still very rare.
I can personally say these cars are absolutely reliable, absolutely economical fuel wise and spares but you really required any mechanical parts....it just went on and on.
Today's the new Datsun after they came back into our country around 2010, I think.
The new Datsun "cheap" low specs introduced then, are unfortunately a let down.
Unrealiable and very cheap parts by these days standard, don't make them last too long.
Nissan who was always in our country, (Datsun takeover) still kept reliable good quality, low maintenance cars.
I loved the 140Y we had...went so many places in my childhood with it❤
In New Zealand 🇳🇿 we had another model called the Datsun Violet, also 1400cc with quad headlamps and looked quite classy for the day 😮
Thanks for sharing ❤
The Datsun Violent is an absolute classic as well.
I remember the Datsun Violet, very classy car with quad headlamps which would be foot up into the US market ❤
wait is this Datsun Violet ? ! So why they dont named !? There is a guy offer me a Datsun Violet one owner since ew in his family , in my country they are realy rare , maybe 3 cars !? and that is ''Maybe '' So i try to find info about the car . cos he wont sell me cheap , ask 5,5 k euro, so i need to know what number models are under Violet , thanks at advance ,
Loved these cars, so relaible and nice to drive, sold them when I was in the used car market, they never came back under warranty, unlike other cars I could mention.
This was extremely informative and well made. Very professional. I like this car of its time.
It's super rare because all the others disappeared in a cloud of rust overnight, leaving only the tyres on the driveway. This one looks fantastic!
A quiet and reliable car which returned good economy on 2Star petrol. I remember driving one when they were ridiculed. I was amazed at the clutch, gearbox, and very efficient handbrake.
I use to love working on the older type cars the Datsun's, cortinas,toranas you could easily repair them yourself, they were easy to work on, really didn't matter what the problem was, these modern cars so many sensors all over them, but yeah I would still give it a go, there is a lot of TH-cam info sites that will show you, but EV stuff them one stick of dynamite will fix it lol
I owned one, in the US it was called Datsun B-210. I purchased a brand new Datsun B-210 back in 1977 for $3500 US dollars. I only had it for two years and had no problems.
My dad always swore by the Datsun 120Y and never bought any other make throughout the 70s and 80s so many memories !!!
I had a 120 y and it was ultra reliable, and never, ever let me down, the kids loved it. x
My mother had a 120 Y Coupe in Australia. Economical, comfortable, very easy to drive and totally reliable plus it came with everything: carpets, bucket seats, radio, heater - all things that were optional on Australian and English cars available back then.
Before we get sentimental.....the handling was abysmal, and the engine was underpowered. Which gave the wonderful whirring noise, when accelerating 0-60 in 28 seconds. There were no bucket seats.
(I used to own one ❤)
We had a 1972 Datsun 1200 station wagon that Daddy bought in 73 in Zambia. She was the predecessor to the 120Y so, not surprisingly, was this very shade of blue. We had her for 9 years and 60,000 km. The stock alternator on her and the early 120Ys would fail within the first 20,000 km, but the replacement was made of hardier stuff. Being of the same model year as she, all my childhood memories are of vacation trips in her, mostly esconsed with my brother on a couple of mattresses in the boot. We made quite a few visits to Lusaka, Mazabuka, Choma, Kariba Dam, Vic Falls, Bulawayo, Kazangula, Francis Town, and innumerable picnics with friends to Riverside Drive. We sold her only because we changed countries. I remember her fondly.
The rust got most of them. Brilliant mechanically.
They just worked, and kept working. Somewhat overstyled but that had got a lot better by the late eighties. Just good at being a car.
I had one, bought it from a dear old lady, fixed a few minor problems. Gave me good service.
I had a 1979 140J as my first car .Banana yellow with a brown vinyl roof .Always started on the key and mechanically was bulletproof .Great spec as well 👍
Datsun 120Y was the darling of Taxi drivers in Nigeria in the early 70's. Christened 'Naira Body' , because it was fuel efficient, reliable and easy to maintain. Drove out British cars out of Nigeria roads with a little help from Toyota Corrola, Peugeot and Lada. Nostalgia....
This was the taxi car on the roads in University of Nigeria Nsukka in the early 80's.
Nissan were excellent cars before Renault got involved with them and made them unreliable like themselves, pure shame… well done TwinCam great review
True👍👍👍
Yep
My dad had a t plated face lift 120y back in 1981 and was a rolls royce compared to his old triumph toledo.
Had a Datsun 100A in the 80’s. Put 60,000 mile on it in 4 years. Very reliable, minor issues, alternator, water hose. Body work built like a tank. Many happy days of motoring.
You could see this car everywhere in my home country (my Uncle had two of them). They were very fast and, very reliable.
They were never fast, NA 1.2L A12 engine. Trust me, I own one.
I had one of these in the 80s, it was a saloon in Metallic Green. I went from a Mk 1 Escort to the Datsun, it felt luxurious compared to the Ford. Mine was an Auto so very under powered, but I still loved it. It only had rust along the top of one of the wings when I sold it.
Ooooo, look at the dash! Almost space age. Imagine you were coming from your Minor/Beetle/Escort.
My dad had one of those - an "S" reg in red, having traded in a Morris Marina for it. Apparently the lads at work took the mickey out of him for buying it - that lasted until the end of the first winter nightshift at work. Every car in the car park was covered in a thick layer of frost at 6am - my dad's Datsun started first time, every time, unlike the Allegro's, Marina's and Cortina's all his work colleagues were driving!
Daughter had one, she was never one to treat a car kindly, but the 120Y no matter what she threw at it never submitted
It was truly a car you could call indestructible
Yes. Indestructible. Especially, the bulletproof engine. Drove a Datsun pickup with that engine in the harshest of environments of extreme heat, dust, rain and deep mud. Used it to tow out stuck Ford tractors from chassis deep mud.
My uncle had one in 1977 P reg absolutely streets ahead of British and European cars.... So good. Very distinctive exhaust note too, so reliable.
Lovely old Datsun wich I wished to buy during the 80's ❤
As a 16 year old in 1977 I worked as a pump attendant at a local petrol station with a Datsun sales showroom attached. On Saturdays I helped clean the brand new cars and prep them for the showroom. They arrived with a protective grease all over. It was a great job and I loved sitting in these brand new cars. The mechanics would alway take me along for a ride when they were out in them. Great memories. I also remember there was one painted in the same style as the Starsky & Hutch cop show car, all red with the white flash/stripe.
Beautiful
Worked on Datsuns/Nissan in the early seventies for over 20 years warranty claims were none existing odd fuse now and then.
Lol- someone would seriously come back in for a fuse? 😂
I remember riding in one of those 120y's downunder in New Zealand 🇳🇿.
They were everywhere, yes as stated it is a facelift model.
Still has a hint of the "coke bottle" hip kink that the Viva Hb ( Envoy Epic ) had.
A very comprehensive dash for the period and in dash push button stereo ❤
Thanks for sharing your mint car. 👍
Keep it out of the snow and salted roads please 😮😊
My brother had one of these in Zambia as a company car when he was working on a mine about 30 miles outside Lusaka. It lasted considerably longer on the poor dirt road between Lusaka and his work than his personal Ford Cortina, the suspension on which had been almost totally wrecked after about six weeks. Oh, and the Datsun started every morning - unlike the Cortina, which was actually less good to drive than my tiny air-cooled twin cylinder Honda 360 cc Japanese K car.
My mother had one of these brings back comforting memories
A wonderful driving car... Super slick...
Still good looking, a smart interior and a super sweet engine... :)
Our family had one in the 70s. Excellent car.
I acquired a second-hand 120Y in 1980. It was a Mk1, with 12 inch wheels, not the later 13 inch wheels. It also had a Rev Meter, with a smaller clock to the left of the front panel. First registered in 1973, it was White, but the paintwork was faded and there was significant Rust in the Front Wings. The engine had done 88 thousand miles. I finally scrapped it in 1987, with 173 thousand miles on the clock. Working on the car was a doddle. The bloke who ran the Parts Department at my local dealership, said it was probably designed by a Mechanic, not an Engineer. You could get inside the Engine compartment, when working on the engine and everything was easily accessible for routine maintenance. When I replaced the Clutch at 100 Thousand miles, I did it all by myself, with the car jacked up on Axle stands. Dropped the Gearbox onto my body and just wriggled out from underneath. Ditto, when replacing the gearbox. I loved my 'Sunny' and was sad to scrap it, but by then, it was a Rust Bucket and not economically viable to repair, but the engine and gearbox were still in good condition and I got 50 quid for it, from my local Breakers Yard. The Standing Joke with Datsun's back then, was you parked the Bodywork by the side of the road and kept on driving. I would love another one. Finally, the Front of the car and the Radiator Grill and lights, are copied from the Ford Mustangs of the time.
My first car in 1985 was a red Datsun sunny coupe, paid £750 for it, great little car.
Roughly the price of a set of wiper blades fir it back then 😅
Having got used to driving around my Dad's land crab, I eventually took my driving test in a 120Y in the late 70s. I just couldn't believe the difference between how different they were to drive. The Datsun was simple, easy to steer, change gear etc. The land crab was completely the opposite, where I wrestled with most of the controls just to go in a straight line. Thank God I passed my test.
I had a Datsun 120Y estate car in 1978. Light and nimble thing
It drove well with a full load
I owned one in South Africa from 1998. Great car. Probably still running.
The Datsun 120Y was very cheap and popular, in many colours, well equipped with a radio as standard. I was a passenger in one years ago and remember the funky blue light for the rear screen. Corrosion was a major issue, you could hear them rusting in the terrible winter snow of December 1981 but would have started first time being very reliable.
Great car....Had one many years ago( por969s ) never let me down, but rust got it in the end!
Very nice. I nearly bought one in 1978 but bought an Allegro 1500 Special Edition instead, silly me 😢
Great video. You are a very talented presenter. Good luck.
MOT expired in Feb. 2020; last passed with no issues in Jan. 2019. Wonder what happened since?
I love this car. This one i had and one of my favorite car during eightees. Best reliable car and very economical. Comfort too.
Loved this review!
Thanks!
Had one in late seventies early eighties fantastic car mechanical y but scrapped at 6 yrs old the only that didnt rust away was engine and seats
My dad had a 120Y estate WMS 101R in white it was a very good car it would take you to the moon and back but it dissolved greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Every car dissolved back then
That engine is based on the A series engine. Common swop was Datsun engines into the Morris minor here in NZ
Always loved the Datsuns from the seventies.
These cars were so popular in Australia. Now few survive as they were driven daily and suffered from bad rust. My mum had a 180B.
My dad bought a orange 180B when we arrived to Australia, but within 2 years upgraded to the 200B, as he wanted a little more power & realised we really needed aircon ❄️ for the stinking hot summers!
@@paulsz6194 yes. So hot. Mu mum’s 180b had a black vinyl roof which turned the car into an oven. So dumb to have a black roof in Australia.
My dad bought a 120Y in 1975 with a 3 speed automatic which was nippy enough but embarrassingly slow up hills. It had uncomfortable vinyl seats but was smooth and quiet at town speeds. The boot was ridiculously small thanks to the fuel tank being situated behind the seats for safety yet there still being a high floor; I suspect the tank had been relocated at the last minute due to Ford being sued for its fuel tank location in the USA. It used to take ages to start on a cold morning, the cylinder head warped and had to be skimmed and it rusted rapidly but was reliable compared to British cars. The reason my dad bought it was that he'd ordered a Ford Escort XL in 1974 and Ford kept postponing delivery for about 9 months so he cancelled it, walked into the Datsun dealer and drove out straight away with his new car which had such luxuries as a radio, door mirror, reclining front seats and tinted glass which would have been options or unavailable on some British rivals.
My late grandpa and my mom had this far. Thanks for the memories.
Had one of these in Australia, wonderful car to work on , wife burnt out clutch ,next day changed clutch in car park , try that today on "modern cars".
only issue I could see was prone to rust and perhaps in a shunt would fold up.
All cars rusted very easily back then Chris I didn’t this you guys suffered with rust down there, plus with no crumple zones or safety testing either you’d certainly be more prone to fatal accidents back then also.
I was driven around in one of these as a kid. How cool!
Grandfather had his first Datsun in about 1977, a Laurel 2.0 after his brand new Ford Cortina started rusting and falling apart after 18 months. He had a 120Y in the early 80s and its the first car I drove aged about 11. He then owned other Nissans, his last being a late 80s Bluebird 1.8 he owned until he stopped driving. That car did close to 150,000 miles, only problem a failed radiator.
Had a green 120Y estate as one of my (numerous) early cars back in the eighties. Ran very well and was fun to drive but it was rather consumed by rust.
returned to the earth from whence it came ;-P
Passed my test in a S reg Datsun 120y 2 door. My driving instructor loved it as it was totally reliable, cheap to run and easy to drive. If i remember right they had a spring loaded gear change of 2nd to 3rd.
I had a 1972 Datsun 1200 and then this 120 Y. Fantastic cars for that time..Then followed by the Datsun 1600 SSS and the 160 J models
We had a bunch of them in Jamaica. My dad owned one. It was so reliable and very good on gas consumption. In Jamaica we also a bunch of vw bugs, Morris minors, fiat 124 and 125s, peugeot 504 and 404s, mini coopers, ladas. Austin cambridge, Morris oxford, mgb gt, citroens, triumphs. For fords there were ford escorts, anglia, capris , lotus and regular cortinas to mention a few. I ended up owning about half of these cars that i mentioned. The trucks in the 60s and 70 were mostly thames traders and British leylands. How times have changed. Today If i had a warehouse with half of these cars stored away, i would be a millionaire many times over. How times have changed. I wish i had the gift to look into the future !! Lol
It was my first car I had when I past my driving test in 1990..had so much fun in the car, 1 litre and going up hills in first gear most of the time.....fun times...
Couldn’t even hear the engine warming up ; looks beautiful.
They sold 'em on price & the level of standard equipment that weren't costly optional extras.