Mini Feature :: The Unlikely Coupe

From an unwanted shell to racecar in less than a year, when Michael tried to sell the Datsun SSS 200b coupe shell he had no bites! Rather than have a rolling shell taking up space in the garage it was time to inject some life into this old girl.


Being no stranger to race fabrication Michael dreamed of a setup that could take a corner instead of acting like a brick on wheels, wanting a responsive setup Michael decided to adapt the S14 suspension setup to the front and rear of the 200b. This was no easy task, the design of the 200b suspension setup had to sit a lot higher in the back end of body than the original suspension. This helped to give the car an aggressive new stance with a slight squat in the rear.

I didn’t stop there Michael had to make some serious cuts to the guards of the car to fit the huge 16×8 -4 wide wheels under the arches. Making the 200b sit super low with a large wide stance meant an extreme commitment to fitment!

The Modifications kept getting more complicated with a custom tunnel having to be fabricated to accommodate the RB gearbox that was attached to a very healthy Nissan SR20det engine.

If you have ever driven a Datsun 200b you will know that the steering is heavy and sloppy! Michael decided to fix that problem with a full steering rack from a S14 Nissan Silvia. The rack had to be slightly modified to fit the Datsun SSS plus a full roll cage was installed! With a good balance of power and handling this package makes the car a hell of a weapon.

The sound of this car is truly amazing! hearing the sr20 scream around the Haunted Hills race track was a pleasure. This Retro build is an absolute masterpiece! Michael has some real skill! make sure you check out Large Automotive Industries if you need some custom automotive fabrication. Michael’s Datsun makes a huge impact to those who catch a glimpse of it! A classic with a new lease on life, This is one of our favorite Datsun Builds of the year.
– Grant