We’ve seen a ton of these cars here at Barn Finds over the years. Just kidding, we’ve only featured one and it was less than a year ago. This 1978 Datsun 200SX is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Hartford, Wisconsin, and the seller is asking $7,900 (yes, more than it cost new 47 years ago). Here is the original listing, and thanks to Lothar… of the Hill People for the tip!
I’ll take Worst Bumpers of All Time for $400, Alex. “Name a 1970s Nissan, known as Datsun in the U.S., with huge, awkwardly scaled bumpers.” What is a 1978 Datsun 200SX! Yes. Select again… I mean, seriously, this car has a very cool space-age look to it, but those #$% bumpers! Arrrrgh. Most of us know the bumper dilemma with U.S. market cars made after 1973 or 1974 due to safety regulations. Japanese market bumpers are available if a person wants to trim down the look. The wheels don’t appear to be original parts, I’d want to track down some original spec wheels.
The Nissan Sylvia was known as the 200SX here in North America, and they were sold here under several generations beginning in 1976, and ending as a 240SX in 1998. I don’t remember seeing a black one before, and it looks fantastic, at least if you don’t look too closely, which is usually the case with buying a vehicle online. Thankfully, the seller appears to be honest as the day is long, and they show the bad parts, and they really aren’t all that bad. The underside looks fantastic.
As with the exterior needing some work on the details and edges, the interior appears to be very nice, other than the front seats, which are ripped in several spots. Sadly, we don’t see the back seats at all or the rear cargo area, so those areas are a mystery. Thankfully, this car has a five-speed manual so you can wring the most available power out of this one. It seems like we often see an automatic in a car like this, and it’s always nice to see a manual.
So that’s why we don’t see many black Datsuns, this car was originally Cherry Red, black wasn’t available. I’d put this car back to its original color after fixing the rust. The engine is Nissan’s L20B, a 2.0-liter SOHC inline-four with just under 100 horsepower and just over 100 lb-ft of torque when new. The sewing machine-like sounds roll through that five-speed manual to the rear wheels, and the timing chain was recently replaced. Have any of you seen this somewhat rare model?
Another of those “So weird it’s cool” cars.
Here’s a picture of one I rescued out of the
local wrecking yard.It was raced by the Eureka –
High race team at one point,& I remember it racing
at Sears Point in 1979.
Troy Ermish of Datsun racing fame bought it,&
I delivered it to his shop.
Anglia is that a Dakota or Chev truck ?
Dakota.I bought it for $1500 from the original owner,
& sold it about 10 years later for around $2200.It was a
Five speed,V6 model,a really comfortable truck.
Angliat that is one clean straight looking Dakota you had there. And with a 5 speed. Very nice
I remember these and I thought they were pretty sharp back then. Rusted away pretty fast and not many left. Even the kids that like the old Japanese rides aren’t very familiar with them.
Look! A theme park bumper car…..Nice!
I had one of these in high school. Mine was a brown color, similar to rust. Decent little car actually. They only offered this body style for 3 model years, so parts are a challenge. I wrecked mine in 1986. Damage was relatively minor, but no parts meant a total.
Cool little car, lasted 5 years on east coast, front looks like a bottle opener.
They gave the styling to the 3rd stringers.
Always loved the look of these… really sharp. And I think the bumpers add to the look!!! This one appears to be a 10 footer though. I truly doubt this is the nicest one left, even though they are scarce. Would love to find one in nice shape!
Had one for a short while as a temporary driver on an out of town mission- the thing I remember most was an odd shift pattern where first was over and down.
A friend of mine’s uncle owned a Toyota and a Datsun/Nissan dealership. When his kids turned 16, and got their licenses, he let them pick a new car to drive. His cousin chose one of these in a dark gold/ tan with saddle interior. Not a bad looking car. Well, she totaled it in two weeks and told her father she needed another car (she actually tried to blame her “accident” on the car, claiming it wasn’t a good car. He had her come to the dealership, she was excited to see what new car her daddy was going to give her! Well, my friend and I laughed when he brought out back and handed her the keys to a clapped out, oil burning 1954 Oldsmobile (they weren’t collector old cars then, just a crappy old car). She told him she refused to drive that piece of crap! He politely told her, “then walk. Until you can prove to me you can take car of a car, you don’t get a new one. Drive this one for 6 months, maintain it, take care of it, and we’ll talk about a new one at that time. Oh, and you HAVE to drive it to school and your job. If I find your friends or mother drove you, the deals off and you can save up to buy another car.” She was PISSED, but she drove that old car. Eventually got another new car and never trashed or wrecked another one! Guess lesson was learned!
This is a has been that never was. Poor styling, poor quality. The original disposable car and now we have many from the same part of the world. Sorry, don’t like cars from the far east. No soul.
Those are Datsun 280 Z wheels and could possibly have been available on a very high spec 200 as they were offered on sport package pickups also. 🤷🏽♂️