New 610 Owner- Help with VIN

[datsunaholic]

Well, one reason I can think of for having the mismatched plates is the car was stolen, and the thieves did a terrible job of hiding it by having the plates mismatched.

 

OR

 

The car is a '73 610 body (which the body VIN confirms), but when it was converted into a race car they wanted to use the L20B which was used in '74 so they used '74 dataplates vs the '73 dataplates that specify a L18. Model year changeover was between July and September, depending on model. 8 is August- could go either way.

 

But one problem- "HPL610" isn't a valid VIN prefix... it's either PL610 or HL610, as H and P are both engine identifiers.

[610racecar]

y.

 

But one problem- "HPL610" isn't a valid VIN prefix... it's either PL610 or HL610, as H and P are both engine identifiers.

 

 

Your right- typo on my part. The replacement door jam and firewall plates say HL, the window and firewall engraving is PL

 

I agree with your logic on it justifying the L20B motor. At least it is preferable to the idea it is stolen!

 

So it sounds like the body is an early 610. The bumpers look like what I have seen in images for a 1973 610. Not that matters, as they are coming off soon per SCCA B-Sedan rules for that era.

 

Marc in Indy

[zerow]

Okay, an update on the VIN:

 

Number on windshield plate and engraved in the firewall: PL610033625

 

Number on door jam plate and firewall plate HPL610 027823 Door jam plate when removed and scrutinized from the back says 8/74 manufacture (it was scratched out from the front)

 

Since the door jam plate and the firewall plate are attached by non-OEM screws, I assume these were taken from another car. Why, I have no clue.

 

Front brakes are same as 510 with the funky chamfered brake pads.

 

Mechanicals underneath look clean and solid. Nice header and exhaust, brake ducting to front brakes from the front spoiler, stainless steel flexible brake lines and huge rear aftermarket sway bar. Interesting contrast to some of the crampy detail work in the interior ie, the piece of carpet on the rear window deck to cover the holes. This was apparently in response to the log entry by the SCCA tech inspector who said the holes needed to be covered to isolate the fuel cell- Yikes!

 

What month did the new model year roll over in 1974?

 

Thanks,

Marc in Indy

 

This is fascinating, so I go with my previous post:

 

Same thing I thought, but 610racecar has no 'K', so I wonder what is going on here...The PL610 would imply '72 or '73. The 033625 would be Mid November of '72. Is the plate implying that this is a two-door sedan, not a sports coupe...???

 

The model year for 1974 started in August of 1973..., so you technically have the guts from a '75 model year., which just reverses my hypothesis from another previous post:

 

There is no 'K' in front of the VIN number??? The K would be there for '74 models, and it signifies sport coupe, which is what the body shape lends to from the photos.

I would have to go on numeric facts, and say this was an Early Model run, likely a September or October of '74 with A LOT of '73 grafted parts.

 

I am going to go out on a limb here: My bet is on that the car is, in fact, a November of 1972 Datsun 610 Sport Coupe with the driveline from a '75 610 Hardtop. That would have been the first year (IIRC) that the 5 speed was available stock. So a full swap of the driveline to rid the car of the L18 and 4 speed transmission that it was born with to gain an extra bit of engine displacement and a 5th gear.

[datzenmike]

610s came with 5 speeds????? This is news to me. Need more info.

[zerow]

610s came with 5 speeds????? This is news to me. Need more info.

Dealer installed option.

[Jassifrass]

we still need pics of your datsun

[fisch]

Bitchin! So glad someone got this car on Ratsun! Man I posted that a long time ago!

 

My link

 

[datzenmike]

610s came with 5 speeds????? This is news to me. Need more info.

 

 

Dealer installed option.

 

zerow what 5 speed was used? Short doglegs??? Or did they import them???

[Burabuda]

Dealer installed option.

in the usa? really? i thought it was just in other countries

[datzenmike]

Yeah, New Zealand built the 610s for Australia and offered them as an option. If it was an option here I would very much like to know if it was a short dogleg or not.

[datsunaholic]

I don't think the Dogleg was in existence before 1976, and it wasn't used until the '77 model year here. Could be a real early gearbox, they had them in the late 60s in Roadsters and it was a dealer swap-on option on 240/260Zs (no US spec one came from the factory that way). Since the 610 used a longtail trans (albeit the F4W63 that more common as a short in all other apps) putting a FS5C71A transmission wouldn't be hard, and maybe the dealers had them in stock.

[datzenmike]

Ah, this way I ask. There is a long tail dogleg that I believe was an installed option on JDM and in the Australian 610s for '75. If there was a dealer installed option here, as stated earlier by zerow, maybe they just copied them.

 

 

 

 

.

[datsunaholic]

It's of course entirely possible, Mike. No one really seems to know when the Dogleg was first produced. Typically Nissan would engineer stuff years before it made it to the US market, and racers had access to a lot more than the average owner.

[datsun 160J SSS]

William .I still have the vin and pink slip on that 610 parts car .good for a car missing ID for STREET registration in any state

[Burabuda]

I don't think the Dogleg was in existence before 1976, and it wasn't used until the '77 model year here.

actually in japan it debuted in 1975 model year

so it must have been built by at least 1974

and so possibly designed in 1973

[zerow]

William .I still have the vin and pink slip on that 610 parts car .good for a car missing ID for STREET registration in any state

I have the paperwork on my end as well...Lets keep this to ourselves...

[zerow]

As I understand it:

Roadster 5 speed transmissions were available as dealer installed options, but the one used in the 610s

(1975) are the FS5W63s...

 

Yes an FS5W63 dogleg but was it long or short???. I have theorized that the mystery long doglegs that show up may have been bolted to JDM motors imported into the US. Seems to me a long would drop right in, in place of the long 4 speed without shortening the drivesgaft.

 

 

L O N G

 

 

SHORT

.

[datsun 160J SSS]

William .i will split it with you if you can find a new home for the paper work ,vin tags and pink . mike

[datsun 160J SSS]

Talked to a dealer parts guy for Datsun ,at the time you could get a 5 speed instaled at the dealer but the cost was almost as much as the car like 1,800 out the door not a good seller :(

[zerow]

William .i will split it with you if you can find a new home for the paper work ,vin tags and pink . mike

If we can find a buyer...most of these cats are looking for a complete 610...

[datsun 160J SSS]

if you find a car with no paper work ,,BINGO your in the game . or someone turned it in as junk .