compression ratio that a L16/20 combination produces, it makes for
a potent recipe.
It delivers everything we’ve come to expect from an old car.
The new twin Weber 45mm side-draughts gasp for fresh air with
a deep-toned aggression at every blip of the accelerator, and the
two-inch stainless-steel exhaust echoes the rasp of spent gasses
rearwards with force. It makes all the right noises and feels silly
rapid, despite the fact that it will never set any speed records, and
you won’t find it pulling lengths on much at the flicker of the green
light. But that was never the point. The package is serious kit for the
era that the car comes from, so, beyond that, it has no real need to
compete with more modern offerings performance-wise. After all,
it is knocking on 50 years old. It was this rationale that saw Neel
form each and every modification, focusing on achieving a period-
correct finish.
That respect is evident within the Datsun’s engine bay, where
Neel has gone to great lengths to give it one hell of a tidy up
while simultaneously ensuring that you are still able to see all the
components that you’ve come to expect when lifting the bonnet.
The carbs take pride of place in the freshly shaved and resprayed
bay — as they always have done — and critical components such
as the ignition leads, fuel lines, and coolant feeds are all in plain view.
However, you’ll struggle to find any trace of the custom wiring loom.
The widened 14-inch SSR Star Shark wheels are styled
straight out of the ’70s, and Pine Engineering was charged
with the refurb, which included tying in the burgundy from
the cabin and gold from the engine bay on the faces
SHOES
WHEELS: 14-inch SSR Star Shark;
refurbished by Pine Engineering
TYRES: 195/45R14 Toyo Proxes T1R