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Mazda Projects \  My 1971 Mazda 1200 truck survivor/resto project

My 1971 Mazda 1200 truck survivor/resto project

Mazda Projects
views 3470
replies 8
following 6
 
mazkid   +1y
Picked this up Sunday from Columbia, Tennessee, just southwest of Nashville.










This is a 1971 Mazda 1200 truck. Supposedly one of 2,500 ever sold in the US between 1970 and 1971. Has an all-aluminum pushrod 1.2L 4 cylinder pushing out 64 hp through four on the floor and weighs in at 1,820lbs. This truck is the same chassis/design as the more well-known R100 but there were also 1200 2 door and 4 door cars as well as 1000 wagons in other countries. This was the 2nd gen Familia and even the North American trucks had a 'f' insignia on the hornpad. My truck is a 'Deluxe' which includes the radio and cig lighter, and other things I'm sure.

I've been wanting a classic Mazda for a long time... and I also wanted a truck. And now I have both, and a rare one.

Had this thing start up and run for a few seconds pouring gas into the carb - the mechanical fuel pump is bad and I'll be wiring in a 1st gen 626 electric pump. I will then focus on everything necessary to get this back on the road, before doing body work, mainly the front end where which the sheet metal and bumper are properly effed up from the guy I bought it from not realizing that it has no brake fluid and thus inop brakes, as he rolled it down a hill into his storage space, ramming into a Ranger transmission before using the wall to stop it. :/ No frame damage but it's gonna be difficult to find parts for this thing. Eventually I want to fully restore this truck but with my other projects and life, that's years away. Luckily with a little work I will have a useable 'survivor' truck.

I was looking at a '76 B1600 in Georgia but this came up and I had to jump on it!
h2omelon(nick)   +1y
Cool project! Can't wait to see more. Welcome to the scene!
sincitylocal   +1y
Best tail lights Mazda ever put on a pickup!
mazkid   +1y
Haha, thanks guys. I still can't believe I found it... I've never seen one for sale in the states. They're fairly prevalent in Australia/New Zealand... only other one I know of is a guy on the Mazdas247 forums that last posted about it a few years back.
dan woodland   +1y
Nice! Welcome... be sure to post pics of your progress because we're all picture whores here.
mazkid   +1y
Will do! I love pics and I know people would rather see pics than read text.

In a bit I'm going to take the wheels off and check out the hubs - if there's enough metal, I'd like to have them redrilled for 5X114.3. We'll see though. 5x110 sucks.
charlesskelter   +1y
Very nice project!
mazkid   +1y
Put it on stands and took the wheels off, then the brake drums. And nothing broke!!





I'm a man with a plan - have the drums and axles drilled for 5X100. I can then find all sorts of wheels for it. Thought about 4X100 too... I could do either really. 5X114.3 would've been nice but I don't think the axles will allow that.

Also going to do new wheel cylinders, shoes, etc... gotta see what all I need and where all I can get parts. Seems RockAuto has parts but they don't specify 1200 truck or sedan and I'm not sure they are the same.
ebcustoms09   +1y
Love the truck man. That will make a sweet DD.
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