Uncle Silvia
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Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Hi all 👋🏻 Yes I'm back 🤣👍 Well those that know me know I have a massive love of Japanese cars, including Kei Cars! But up until now I've not bitten the bullet with a tiny little box! BUT after a mate tagged me in an advert for a funky little van as a joke (I’m 6’2”), last week I did a buy!! 😁 A JDM 🇯🇵 1998 Subaru Domingo 1200! - 61bhp - 3 Cylinder - Rear engine - RWD - 7 seats - VW front conversion - factory A/C I have always fancied a Kei car but although this isn’t officially a Kei (only the engine and bumpers are bigger and has more seats than the actual Kei Sambar model), it gives the same fun size but with a little more “performance” for daily driving. It’s currently been sitting for 5 years, the engine is out and the gearbox is broken., but It comes with 2 engines and some spares…… which is nice! 👍 I didn’t have a plan when I put a deposit on it apart from trying to get it running again and save it, but it ticks a lot of money saving and practically boxes compared to my current Lexus v8 sooooooo it may end up as my new daily! 😁 I’m genuinely excited to have a play with this and hopefully all goes to plan and it gets back on the road! 🤞 First things first I gave it a wash and an inspection to see what I got. Turns out it looks totally solid and 90% is where it should be. Even the paint looks ok bar a few bits which are easily sorted! It’s currently a CVT which I’ve read aren’t great! Ideally I’d love to convert to manual so if anyone has any advice in doing that that would be very appreciated 😁👍 Failing that (parts are hard to find in the UK but have a small chance from Europe!), another option is to stick a completely different engine and box in it which may actually work out “easier” and “cheaper” than finding the correct parts. I really want this to be a pretty economical and easily built van that I can use daily, and then I can get on with my other projects and save money from my previous V8 but still have something quirky and fun. If anyone has any ideas of what could “easily” fit under the boot floor and be cheap to purchase along with being reliable and economical, please feel free to comment 😁👍 Let’s see how it goes!! Hilarious probably! 🤣👍 How we found it        2 spare engines and lots of broken gearbox parts 🤣  Time to get it home     The neighbours know me well!! 🤣🤣🤣  Hanging out with the big boys    First proper inspection         Found the OE badge still on the front panel under the VW fibreglass! 👍  And the manufacturer of the kit in Japan 🎌  Pretty clean under here 👍  The horizontal radiator  The space I need to fill with something! 🤔       First deep clean!  And stickers gone!  Much better 👌  Some quirky features 😁   Yes the windscreen washer filler is………  ……….. behind the pedals on the floor!! 🤣  Factory A/C  |
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 1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Mar 11, 2024 21:09:09 GMT
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Nice find! I've rebuild a few of these 3 cylinder Subaru engines! Neat little things!
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 12, 2024 17:37:29 GMT
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Nice find! I've rebuild a few of these 3 cylinder Subaru engines! Neat little things! Yea the engines are supposed to be good but the auto and CVT gearboxes are chocolate!! My gearbox came as a box of metal pieces lol. Ive been looking for a manual gearbox for it and all the parts to swap from Auto but they just don’t exist. Found 1 in Germany but it’s a 4wd box and he wants a million quid for it! I’m pretty sure for that sort of money I can fit something a lot more interesting into it! I’m now considering totally different engine options. No idea how this is going to turn out! 🤣🤣🤣 |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Mar 12, 2024 20:55:47 GMT
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I will check at my work. I work at a transmission and engine rebuild shop and we imported loads of parts from Japan back in the day. We also specialise in Subaru.
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,001
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Mar 12, 2024 21:01:11 GMT
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Oooh I like that...I'd be tempted to be unique and ditch the VW splitty style decal on the front...they all seem to have that and it's a bit played out for me.
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LowStandards
Club Retro Rides Member
Club Retro Rides Member 231
Posts: 2,716
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Is the whole front end a fibreglass kit to make it* look like a splitty?
Lets see what's underneath
*DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A SPLITTY
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 14, 2024 10:37:07 GMT
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I will check at my work. I work at a transmission and engine rebuild shop and we imported loads of parts from Japan back in the day. We also specialise in Subaru. That’s sounds interesting. Be interested to see if u have anything. Where are you based? |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 14, 2024 10:43:34 GMT
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Oooh I like that...I'd be tempted to be unique and ditch the VW splitty style decal on the front...they all seem to have that and it's a bit played out for me. Yea it’s a cool little thing. It’s not a decal, it’s a full fibreglass moulding that replaces all the removable parts from the original van. Plan is to get it on the road as it is, but paint it all silver to make it less “toy like”, and later swap the front to a Sambar front end.     |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 14, 2024 10:47:24 GMT
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Is the whole front end a fibreglass kit to make it* look like a splitty? Lets see what's underneath *DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A SPLITTY Yep it’s a full fibreglass panel that replaces all the removable panels as I posted above ☝️ Underneath is the front panel (complete with OE Domingo badge! 😁), but all removable panels and lights are gone. Here’s an example…….  But as I said above, eventually I want a Sambar front end on it! 👍  |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,001
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Mar 14, 2024 18:58:26 GMT
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Well, consider me lessoned - I had always assumed they were stickers. Like you I'd still plan to get rid ideally tho - keep up the good work!
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Ratchet
Part of things
The user formerly known as Thomas
Posts: 739
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Mar 14, 2024 20:23:57 GMT
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neat little vans, i particularly like that they are rear engines
I'm not 100% sold on the split vw front ends myself, though the later vans look even wirder with them as the windscreen slopes back too sharply
the similar bay window bus, dodge a100 and ford econoline kits always worked better to my eyes, but you rarely saw them
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Competition is the law of the jungle, but cooperation is the law of civilization.
1971 vw beetle 1200
1978 international loadstar 1700 4x4
1987 landrover 110
1994 Yamaha FZR600r
2010 honda CBF1000GT
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 14, 2024 20:37:27 GMT
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neat little vans, i particularly like that they are rear engines I'm not 100% sold on the split vw front ends myself, though the later vans look even wirder with them as the windscreen slopes back too sharply the similar bay window bus, dodge a100 and ford econoline kits always worked better to my eyes, but you rarely saw them Yes there are several kits out there. Some really quirky ones too. Mine obviously came on the van but is only the front panel so if I can find the Sambar parts I will be swapping it to that eventually. For now I’m going to embrace it but in a different way to normal, as I said above, I’ll paint it all one colour to make it less “Toy like”. I’m defo going down the Japanese custom style route rather than go full VW look. First off I need an engine that works and maybe gives it a bit of performance while still keeping running costs down?! |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Mar 14, 2024 21:39:04 GMT
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I will check at my work. I work at a transmission and engine rebuild shop and we imported loads of parts from Japan back in the day. We also specialise in Subaru. That’s sounds interesting. Be interested to see if u have anything. Where are you based? I searched but my boss said we used parts out of the last gearbox to get customer going again. |
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Mar 15, 2024 21:52:49 GMT
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1967 Triumph Vitesse convertible (old friend)
1996 Audi A6 2.5 TDI Avant (still durability testing)
1972 GT6 Mk3 (Restored after loong rest & getting the hang of being a car again)
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 15, 2024 23:50:45 GMT
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Your right, it does say that but I’ve read elsewhere that the boxes are different due to the engine standing up in the Justy and laying down in the Domingo. I will look into it again however. Still not sure a Justy box is easy to find though!! There is a bit of me that wants to put a different engine in it with more grunt though! 🤔 Options, options 😁 |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Mar 16, 2024 20:19:59 GMT
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Well, the only thing that springs to mind with similar layout is the Smart….. Not exactly a powerhouse though. Or reliable/durable! Honda Goldwing conversion maybe, yoeddynz is blazing the trail 🙂 |
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1967 Triumph Vitesse convertible (old friend)
1996 Audi A6 2.5 TDI Avant (still durability testing)
1972 GT6 Mk3 (Restored after loong rest & getting the hang of being a car again)
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j4mes
Part of things
Posts: 168
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Mar 16, 2024 21:19:16 GMT
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Bike engine for screaming fun or small diesel for mpgs would be where I'd be thinking.
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 16, 2024 22:03:27 GMT
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Well, the only thing that springs to mind with similar layout is the Smart….. Not exactly a powerhouse though. Or reliable/durable! Honda Goldwing conversion maybe, yoeddynz is blazing the trail 🙂 I’ve been seriously looking at Smart engines, particularly the 999cc Turbo Mitsubishi engine. The fitment would be spot on but looking at the workings of it the wiring would be a nightmare with sensors and modules all over the car just to make the thing run. The whole point of this project is to keep things simple to make it a reliable and cost effective daily driver. Ive not looked into the Goldwing engine but I got put off the bike engine idea with them being highly strung, horrid to drive round town and no reverse. I’m not sure how the Goldwing engine would fit in there?! |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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Uncle Silvia
Posted a lot
Datsun Club UK & South West Retro Rides Admin
Posts: 1,492
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Mar 16, 2024 22:06:28 GMT
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Bike engine for screaming fun or small diesel for mpgs would be where I'd be thinking. So far bike engines have been off the cards due to being highly strung, horrid to drive round town and no reverse. I’m also trying to avoid diesels with all the clean air zones and diesel bans popping up all over now. |
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1981 KE70 Corolla 1978 B310 Sunny Coupe 1977 Pink Clubman Mini Shorty 1998 Subaru Domingo |
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braaap
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,744
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How about daihatsu 3pot engines?
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