Video: 1000HP Datsun 1200 Wagon Street & Track WEAPON

When it comes to killer project cars, few things are as exciting as seeing a car built at home that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible - combining street and track duties into one epic build. Michael Silk’s killer little 1971 SR22VET Datsun 1200 Wagon does exactly this, and recently became the first four-banger to crack into the 1000 horsepower club in the Summernats Haltech Horsepower Heroes competition.

Michael has owned the Datsun 1200 Wagon for close to 20 years, and with the help of his dad, brothers and a few close mates, he has been able to build it in his own backyard shed. This car is not just a track-only machine, it’s a street-driven, drag-racing powerhouse that’s been sent down the strip more times than Michael can remember.

It’s gone through many iterations, with standard SR20 combinations thrown and blown, a variety of transmissions (including a C4 with a reverse shift that might be responsible for the early death of one of those engines), but the goals and intentions of the car have remained the same; run low numbers on the strip, cruise the streets and have a great time doing it.

Under the hood is a stroked out 2.2-litre SR Nissan engine with a P11 VVL head and a Garrett G42 1450 turbo. The VVL head helps the SR scream to an incredible 10,350rpm - a whole 2000rpm more than a standard SR20. The tune on the engine targets a massive 50psi of boost, meaning this little combo spits out more than 250hp per-cylinder.

It was always a bucket list goal for Michael to make it to the Street Machine Summernats, run the Datsun up on the dyno and attempt to be the first four-cylinder car to make 1000hp in the Horsepower Heroes competition. Summernats 35 was the year, and Michael was stoked to put down a record breaking 1056hp on the MPW Dyno on Friday morning. Michael said:

“It didn’t quite hit 50psi of boost, it hit about 49psi as a maximum. I’ve looked at the data and it actually made its peak power at 45.4psi at 10,300rpm. I was stoked to run those numbers, it’s a full exhaust, air cleaner, no nitrous bottle in the car.

“It’s exactly how I drove it there. It just makes boost! I have a ball in the car, I love driving it, and it’s fast!”

Michael headed back to the MPW Performance Dyno Cell on the Sunday at Summernats and went even further laying down a whopping 1077hp at the hubs. The car took home the ‘Rev Monster’ and ‘Boost Demon’ awards for running up the highest RPM and boost pressure seen over the event.

It’s the leader for the four-cylinder class at Summernats 35 so far, and was often spotted cruising the venue and the streets of Canberra. It’s one epic street and track car, so be sure to follow the link below and watch the full feature on Michael Silk’s ‘KAOTIC’ Datsun 1200 Wagon.

PG Tech Check

Name: Michael Silk
Car: 1971 Datsun 1200 Wagon
Engine: SR22VET
Trans: Two-speed Powerglide
ECU: Haltech
Diff: Toyota HiLux
Turbo: Garrett G42-1450
Power: 1077hp at the hubs at 10,350rpm, 50psi