[quote]Hi guys. Thanks to both of you for your replies! Awesome. And yes, the gemmie was basically Japanese (was it Isuzu?). Apologies for not being clearly in that bit of my question... I guess I meant why choose the holden (which is a hidden Japanese car) over a Datsun or something? Was it price? Was it familiarity with the brand? My mates did a whole lot of stuff to their gemmies too. Is that one of the features of them? Are they easy to work on? Perhaps there was plenty of room in the engine bay for putting in bigger or better engines and things? Oh, and did you both own your cars back in the day when they were new or did you come to them later?[/quote] I don't regard the Gemini as Japanese.More a world car, with some Japanese components. Styled by Opel. Why? I worked at a Holden dealership as an apprentice mechanic when I bought the TD van. Datsuns and Toyota's appliance collection never appealed. Smaller engines and fussier styling as well as inferior dynamics too. I wouldn't touch the Escorts. The 2 litre was a good motor, but the wheezy gutless 1300 and 1600 Kent engines were dogs. Yes, easy to work on. Vastly better than Escorts, and on par with the Japanese vans. The TD vans was 18 mths old when I bought it, bone stock. I upholstered the rear, fitted a Webber, carpets, console and a (then) killer Pioneer component sound system. The TX coupe was bought damaged from the wreckers, had it repaired and I did the prep, and a mate painted it. Didn't do a lot to it, other than get some engine parts chromed for free.