There is something about some car designs of years gone by that scream ‘old school cool’, and it’s undeniable. If you are old school by nature, then modern car designs are just never going to cut the mustard for your project car. That’s how Garry Hamilton felt when searching for his new project. What is likable about late model cars though is their running gear - reliable, economical, powerful. Words that don’t usually go together, except when comparing motors designed and built about thirty years apart. Garry falls into the ‘mature hoon’ bracket. By ‘hoon’ I mean ‘enthusiast’, of course. Having owned such rides in the past as an FC Holden, a V8 powered Austin A40 and a heavily modified EH Holden, his latest project also had to have an early shape. Finding a Datsun 1600 was a start, and although it was in rather poor condition, Garry is of the opinion that the 1600 was the best model from the Datsun lineup and snapped it up. There was plenty to keep Garry busy while sorting out some running gear for the little Datto.
