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The Complete Guide to Classic Datsun Cars and Trucks
1957 Nissan Junior Caball C40
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 In December 1953 the Nissan Motor Co. signed a "technological co-operation agreement" with the Austin Motor Co. Ltd. of Great Britain. The result of this agreement gave Nissan the rights to build and market the Austin A40, and later the Austin A50, in Japan. It also let them use the Austin engines and chassis technology as a basis for future Nissan vehicles. The first vehicle Nissan designed and built themselves using an Austin engine was the B40 Nissan Junior in 1956. A year later in December 1957, Nissan introduced a cab forward style truck that was based on the mechanicals of the Junior, and this was called the C40 Nissan Junior Caball.
 Just like the B40 Junior pickup, the C40 Junior Caball was powered by the 1500cc version of the Austin B series OHV 4 cylinder engine, which produced 50hp. The engine sat directly under the middle of three seats in the cabin. The cabin area of the truck had a huge hump in the middle of the floor directly under the middle seat that housed the engine. This hump went from the back of the cabin right through to under the dash. This meant that the only person who could possibly fit in the middle seat was a dwarf with no legs.
The body was a rather bulbous and rounded shape, not unattractive, but definately odd. The doors were a rear hinged "suicide" door arrangement. The grille on these C40 models were in two sections. Between the headlights there was a white painted grille with four horizontal bars and five vertical bars. This had the name Nissan in large letters on the top of it and the name Junior in smaller letters under the Nissan name. The second part of the grille sits under the white painted section and is a flat panel with three horizontal slots stamped into it. This panel is painted the same colour as the body of the truck. There is a rectangular grille above the main grille which supplies air to the cabin, this grille has a Caball badge attached to it.
 In 1958 a new C42 model was introduced. For some reason the C41 designation was missed and they went from the C40 to the C42. The C42 is essentially the same as the C40, the only changes being to the colour schemes.
 In 1959 some much bigger changes occurred when the new C43 Junior Caball was released. The biggest improvement was to the interior design. The ridiculouly huge hump that covered the engine compartment has now been completely redesigned. The only hump is now under the seat, and the part of the hump that went under the dash is now gone, instead leaving a flat floor from one door to the other.
 On the outside there are some major changes as well. There is a new grille design which completely fills in the section between the two headlights. This grille has a series of small horizontal slots arranged five high and five across. This grille is painted white and has a new badge in the middle that says Nissan Caball. The second part of the grille that sits below the white section has also been changed. It is still painted the same colour as the body of the truck, but it now has two large horizontal slots instead of three. It now has a Caball badge directly above the passenger side headlight. (on RHD models) The cabin air intake grille that sat above the main grille on the C40 and C42 models is now gone, cabin air is now directed through the white grille.
 Like the Junior, the Junior Caball had a seperate ladder chassis and had leaf springs front and back. It sat on smaller wheels than the B40 Junior, with the Caball having 15 inch split rim wheels rather than 16 inch wheels. It was rated to carry a 2000kg payload.
 The Nissan Junior Caball C40 was in production until late 1959, when it was replaced by the Nissan Junior Caball C140.
A sales brochure for the Nissan Caball Junior
 
1957 Nissan Junior Caball C40 Specifications 
Length - 4580mm   
Width - 1675mm   
Height - 1990mm   
Wheelbase - 2390mm   
Weight - 1505kg   
Top speed - 90kph  
Transmission - 4 speed Column change
Engine Specifications 
OHV 4 Cylinder  
Model - Austin B Series   
Capacity - 1500cc   
Bore & Stroke - 73x89mm  
Power - 50hp@4400rpm 

Final Drive - unknown
 
Model Variations
 
Nissan Junior Caball C40 
The truck version was available with either a "styleside" cargo area as pictured here, or with a steel cargo area with fold down sides.
Nissan Junior Caball VC40  
A van version was also available in a few different configurations. It was available as a delivery van with glass side windows, and as a panel van with painted steel panels wher the side glass would normally go, and also as a micro bus with rows of seats in the back.
Nissan Junior Caball C42  
In 1958 a new C42 model was introduced. For some reason the C41 designation was missed and they went from the C40 to the C42. The C42 is essentially the same as the C40, the only changes being to the colour schemes.
Nissan Junior Caball C43  
In 1959 the Junior Caball got a new grille design and a significantly altered interior.
Nissan Caball C40 Bus 1957  
A micro bus was also built on the chassis and mechanicals of the Nissan Junior Caball truck.
Nissan Caball KC42  
Another later version of the Caball based bus.
Nissan Junior B40  
The C40 Junior Caball was based on the chassis and mechanicals of the B40 Junior. More information about this model can be found on the B40 page.
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