The Stanza is a car that never received the credit it deserves. Released in
the late ‘70s as the replacement for the famous Datto 1600, the Stanza didn't
score the 1600’s independent rear-end; it was built to a price. But what people
fail to recognise are the Stanza’s other attributes – durability, light weight,
value and potential.
Scott X of Queensland purchased this Stanzie
as a shell about three years ago. Initially, the idea was to revive the car with
a drop-in L20 2.0 litre (a 400cc upgrade over standard), but it proved
impossible to pass up the opportunity to fit Nissan’s ultimate four-pot – the
SR20DET.
“Boy, am I glad I didn’t go an atmo L20,” says Scott.
“The SR is a lot newer and reliable, smoother and has really great
power.”
The Stanza engine bay is a pretty simple place to work and there are
surprisingly few mods necessary to convert to SR power. Scott used late-model
S13 engine mounts, a modified Stanza cross member and a stock Stanza gearbox
cross member with adaptor plates to suit the SR’s associated gearbox.
Aside from that, there’s a shortened tailshaft (with a Stanza front and Volvo
rear yoke), a modified Mazda Familia radiator and some reworking of the water
jacket on the head to keep things tidy. The battery was also relegated to the
boot.
Scott’s driveline and brakes are particularly ingenious.
Torque is put through a heavy-duty clutch and S13 5 speed into a Volvo 240
diff. After destroying a total of 7 Nissan diffs, the Volvo diff was chosen for
its tough 27 spline axles and suitable width. For now, the standard open-centre
is being used but Scott is sourcing an aftermarket LSD.
Braking the Stanza are the associated 240 series Volvo rear discs and 2 pot
calipers, while the front employs Honda Legend 262mm vented discs with Hilux 4
pot calipers. Scott says all
that was required for fitting the front brakes was some machining of the centre hole and redrilling to suit
the Nissan stud pattern. A Skyline
master cylinder heads the braking system and all new lines are used throughout.
The suspension comprises
Monroe front dampers, Hilux rear
dampers and 2 inch lowered aftermarket springs. A 22mm front and 18mm rear
swaybar control body movement and Nolathane bushes get rid of handling
sogginess. Rims are 17 inch Rommeis wearing 205/40 rubbers.
Of course, these go-fast mods are all very well and good – but the Stanza was
still far from complete.
Scott got stuck into the body work by tapping out the dings, cutting out rust
and sourcing good quality replacement parts. The only change to the factory
panels are the rolled rear guards and the deletion of all badges.
“It has been called a Gemini on a few occasions,” says Scott.
“Not many people recognise it as a Stanza because there aren’t many
left.”
The eye-catching paint gives the car real appeal. Scott knew he wanted
something bright, and he ended up giving the nod to a stock Nissan S15 colour,
which was applied by GS Panel on the north side of
Brisbane. GS Panel can also be
thanks for part of the panel massaging.
Inside, the old Stanza trim as been revived with SAAS front seats, a
re-trimmed rear seat and a whole lot of vinyl spray and colour coordinating. A half roll cage also provides a welcome safety enhancement. The yuk-o plastic Nissan
steering wheel was replaced with a Momo leather item, there’s an AutoMeter boost
gauge and monster tacho and a sound system made up of a Clarion CD/tuner and 6 x
9s.
As you’ve probably guessed by looking at the photos, Scott wasn’t satisfied
to leave the car with stock SR20DET power.
No, sir...
A free-flowing K&N pod filter picks up induction air and funnels it into
the mouth of a big GT25 roller-bearing turbocharger. This new turbo is mounted
on an X-Force stainless steel manifold, which is simply a treat to look at. The
exhaust system is a 3 inch mandrel bent job from the back of the turbo. There’s
a cat, one muffler and one resy to keep things legal.
With boost pressure to a maximum of 16 psi using a LPG-type solenoid, there’s
a lot of charge-air cooling to be done. Scott employs an ARE custom front-mount
core measuring about 520 x 300 x 80mm. The intercooler plumbing was fabricated
by Scott using sections of a steel donut. The plumbing also incorporates an AVO
atmospheric-venting blow-off valve.
Controlling the SR20DET is a MicroTech LT8 programmable ECU, fitted by a mate (James Windsor) and tuned by ChipTorque. The system works with Subaru 560cc STi side-feed injectors, which means the standard fuel pressure reg can remain where it is. The fuel tank is the factory Stanza job working together with surge tank, Bosch Motorsport pump and a return line from the fuel rail.
Internally, the engine remains standard but note that the original SR20DET
that was fitted at the time of the conversion has been replaced after it
developed a timing chain noise. A ‘fresh’ import engine is currently in service,
while the original SR awaits a full-house performance build – more on this in a
moment.
In its current tune, Scott’s SR’d Stanza rolls out an impressive 219kW at the
back wheels on pump fuel. The little Nissan is a relatively light jigger so its
straight-line speed came as no surprise to Scott. To date, the car has run a
best quarter mile time of 13.1 seconds at 109 mph - achieved with the standard
turbocharger.
And with the big GT25 turbo, you ask?
Well, the best time so far is a slightly slower 13.8 – but with a strong 118
mph trap speed. Scott explains that the problem is traction – street tyres are
next to useless when you give it a big clutch dump!
But Scott isn’t too caught up in the Stanza’s quarter mile times.
That SR20DET engine that sits waiting for a full performance build will
be slotted into the snout of Scott’s other project – a wild Datto 1000 drag car!
This is the machine Scott plans to
get really, really serious with.
It seems that a 219kW ATW Stanza is just Scott kidding around!
Update!
Scott’s SR’d Stanza is now being offered for sale at around AUD$14,000. If
you’re genuinely interested, please enquire through
michael@autospeed.com
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