Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

i am set on getting a datsun 1600 for my next car (daily driver with power.), and majority of the ones i'm seeing for sale are sporting on of these three engines.

what i want to know is what are the pros and cons of these engines (sr20det, ca18det, fj20et) and overall in your mind which would be the best one to have in a 1600.

i want as much feed back as possible.

cheers.

The SR would be your best bet. As it is the newest out of the lot and there are heaps of off the shelf bolt ons available. Have a look on nissansilvia.com If you are on a budget the CA would save you quite a bit and still go hard in such a light car. Hope you are going to upgrade brakes and suspension. How much are you budgeting?

The SR would be your best bet. As it is the newest out of the lot and there are heaps of off the shelf bolt ons available. Have a look on nissansilvia.com If you are on a budget the CA would save you quite a bit and still go hard in such a light car. Hope you are going to upgrade brakes and suspension. How much are you budgeting?

well i plan on getting one thats had most of the hard work done (already had the engine conversion and shit) and then fine tune it. i think come the time to get one i'll be looking to spend up to 15 grand. just depends on the car, the engine, condition etc..

if you want to buy one already built, i think what ever motor has been swapped in there cant be part of your selectable criteria. unless there is a massive stockpile of 1600's with various engine conversions for sale that i dont know about?

sr20 or ca18. the fj20 is basically what the sr20 was based off and is a bit of a rattley old engine. CA18 aren't a bad engine (rather under rated by a lot of people) and the sr20 is a good engine.

CA's are an awesome bit of gear...id swap a SR for one in a heartbeat.

The Silvia guys are mad for thinking the SR is an upgrade. Dollar for dollar the SR 'upgrade' vs the built CA is a no brainer.

Im currently building one for my daughter's S13...great little engine that is not plagued by the weakness'/issues of the SR.

Edited by Swiper the Fox
CA's are an awesome bit of gear...id swap a SR for one in a heartbeat.

The Silvia guys are mad for thinking the SR is an upgrade. Dollar for dollar the SR 'upgrade' vs the built CA is a no brainer.

Im currently building one for my daughter's S13...great little engine that is not plagued by the weakness'/issues of the SR.

You have a point there "Mr. RH9".

BTW didn't you use to be Dirt Garage?

:)

To the OP, if you ask the CA18 enthusiast, CA18 = RB26 of the Silvia world.

1 tuff engine.

Having said that, I don't mind a SR20 either.

will depend on budget, and how much power you want from that budget.

now days all the motors have decent aftermarket stuff so you wont have a lot of trouble with parts.

Can get 200kw out of an SR relatively easily, where as a CA will need a bit more to get there.

I've had a CA and an SR, the CA was good fun, bulletproof, but lacked the 'kick' and i couldn't be bothered dumping $$ into it.

SR although its the tractor motor has been reliable and easy power.

i dont have a clue regarding the FJ, but hear good things, just an older motor is all.

can come down to personal preference. just make sure you do your research and dont jump into anything too quickly.

have fun

  • 2 weeks later...
You have a point there "Mr. RH9".

BTW didn't you use to be Dirt Garage?

:D

To the OP, if you ask the CA18 enthusiast, CA18 = RB26 of the Silvia world.

1 tuff engine.

Having said that, I don't mind a SR20 either.

:D

15k on the engine or in total?

a rebuilt sr20 turbo with ve head would be insane.

i own a s14 (australia model) with a stockish sr20det

pros:

lots of bottom end torque

good response, great for the street

large aftermarket support, parts easy to find, good prices.

new compared to ca and fj

cons

not so great top end

stock internals not that strong

weak stock turbo

crappy australian ecu

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Join SAU NSW for a flame-grilled feed & flame-spitting cruise! Sunday 17th August 2025 3:30PM Meeting Archies Flame Grille Sylvania Waters 4:45PM Cruise Departure 5:15PM Arrival at Cape Solander Kurnell Meet Location: Archies Flame Grille Final Destination: Cape Solander Kurnell *Disclaimer* There will be a lead and follow car so no one should get lost. If you would like to attend or bring others along please put your name down and a +1 as numbers will be needed prior! This is NOT a race and we will all be adhering to all road rules. If this is what you want please come to one of our many track days. This is an official SAU:NSW event and will be run under a CAMS permit. One of the things that really sets our club apart is our commitment to being true enthusiasts. When on normal roads we strive to maintain good relations with the authorities as well as the public in general. When attending one of Skylines Australia NSW events please try to: • Be aware of surrounding environment and act accordingly. • Drive courteously on the state’s roads as a true enthusiast should. • Understand how important it is to maintain the good name of SAU NSW and thus, treat others accordingly. • Any misbehavior will not be tolerated and you will be asked to leave.
    • Yeah good luck out there! Will be good to see a mighty GTST going harder than the GTRs
    • i will be there 😁
    • Hello!  i just finished manual swaping my r34 skyline with a r33 rb20de box(RB71C)box  When the car is running it squeaks crazy loud and it was smoking from the gearbox area. The gearbox is fine it was tested. The clutch slave cylinder seems like it doesn't fully releases the clutch. I want to ask if this noise is from the throw out bearing or could it be the clutch assembly or disk att.xFliq87Gzw6kImKBVqDebXkj0fBqymk0JaYeP3_3SlM.mp4
    • A few small updates since the previous post and lessons. I decided to do a little interior light upgrade on the 110. I quite like the iilumo items, even if they're a bit of a premium over other brands. You'll also note the Stedi Fogs, that will go into the S15 fog lights as I needed to match the bulbs since I got the new ones earlier. I hope they fit as the body is quite a bit longer than your normal bulb.  Annoyingly, I managed to trip the fuse, which normally wouldn't be an issue until I located the fuse. I can't say I've ever come across this. I had lucked out that someone nearby had a spare, but oddly enough Toyota dealerships seem to keep this in stock. I ordered some to keep in my stash and as luck would have it, someone else nearby tripped the same fuse so I passed on the favour.  I also did a little service on the 110 ahead of some additional work coming up. It's been annoying that Goleby's stopped carrying this particular HKS filter for the 110, so now I need to keep them on order from Japan. I also took the opportunity to install a bash plate and number plate riser. The plate riser is such a cheap but nice fix to help really tidy up the car. I'm tempted to now also replace my headlights, on this car. Both items were from Project Aero.    I also needed to replace the rear tyres on the 110, and after trying to get it aligned learnt that I need to replace some bushes in the front end, so that's next.  Closing out this update with a nicer picture as always! 
×
×
  • Create New...