ace028 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Hi, first post, long time 510 lover and finially got one. Ok, some of this will be a copy and paste from the510realm, but I wanted to share with you guys on this forum too. Quick background, use to have a 710 but ended up selling it, but it was fun. I worked at a nissan dealer for a while, then got recruited to work for Mercedes Benz, then I decided I wanted to try something different so I joined the Army, and let me tell you I miss wrenching, and my tools are very lonely and need love so its about time I get a project, but I am about to get deployed so the project will be waiting for me when I get home. ( just bought a new (to me) home with garage, so perfect place to finially start) Got tired of paying rent lol. I have been wanting a 510 for over 10 years now, and while looking through craigslist I stumbled across this 71 shell for $1000. I really didn't have the money for one at this time, I didn't think I would find one for a while that was less then 2k and wasn't rusted out, so while i'm not sure if $1000 was too much for it, I couldn't pass up a opportunity to buy a solid car with virtually no rust as it originally came from Oregon. Since the car was 3 hours away, I didn't want to go all that way and not be able to buy it if it was infact a half way decent car, so I managed to scrounge up the funds I didn't really have (still recouping from Christmas lol) and talked to the guy and we worked it out. I didn't bother to haggle price since he would be towing it to my house, and it would be cheaper for him to do that then for me to tow it. He will be delivering it by Wednesday, so hopefully everything goes ok, and i don't get screwed, I used paypal for the majority of the payment so some protection there. I just had to post so you can see my project, and I am finally a 510 owner! Now he is said he would give me the extra door he has, as well as 2 dash frames and one with a vin. Not sure if that is something of value or not. The car supposedly has zx brakes in the front. I noticed it is missing the rear drum on pass side, and there are some broken studs. He also told me that the car had fiberglass fenders and hood, and he traded those off to get the steel ones, but the bolts are missing so thats why the door is off and the fenders are just sitting there. It has all the glass except for the driver door. It does have the front valance but not installed, but its fiberglass. So as you can see from the pics the car is missing quite a bit of stuff, like trim, and seats and bumpers. But from what I can tell there is hardly any rust except one spot on the front lower part of the front window. I didn't really see any dents in the car except a few below the doors. The car has been hit on the pass side and repaired, when I looked it didn't look like a very good job had been done, but I will get it properly repaired, or learn to do it my self. I only saw minor surface rust except one spot by window, I will post more and better pics when I get it in my garage. CL and text photos Photos when I went to see it. Thats not me in the pic btw, accedently got him in the pic. opps lol. Thats my pathfinder LE in the back ground BTW (love it!) So hopefully this will be in my garage by wednesday. Plans for the car Will be used occasionally during the week as a DD, but not everyday Can take to autocross/gymkahana Basicly a steet car that I can just have a blast in like all you other datsun guys do, and go to meets and have more fun. SR20DET blacktop w/ 6 speed trans Willwood or brembo big brakes all 4 Coilover suspension and camber plate setup Tilton style brake setup (reverse mount master/clutch cyl) maybe. Too many other things to list that I want to do. It will be similar to most of the other awesome sr20 swaps you guys have done that I have seen on this forum. I know just the first 3 things I listed are expensice, so this will be a build as I have money slow build, and I am about to deploy so it will be waiting for me when I get back, and while I am gone hopefully I can pay off some bills, and buy some stuff online to be shipped home so I have parts to start working on when I get back. Feel free to offer advise, and any recommendations of venders products or if you know something will work better throughout the build. 1 Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Got off work early today, so I got a few min to clean it out and see what parts it does have, and take pics. Will be gone for about 2 weeks so prob no updates for a while, but will be interested in any comments and suggestions. Ok, here is a whole mess of pics, but this is what I have to work with. Supposed rust was under driver front part of window. Car was covered in snow when I went to look at it, and the inside was full of stuff. Prob should of shopped around more before buying it, but too late for that. I really love the awesome repair to the right front, makes me wonder if people actually drive cars with repairs like that ( I already know they do, its sad) And this car got hit HARD, its hard to tell in the pics but the firewall is pushed back a bit, as you can see the a pillar is kinked and the inner door jamb where the hinges goes is bowed. I'm wondering if this car is worth saving. I think it is, because the back of the car looks really straight, but its going to need alot of work. The floor pans need replacing as there is holes in them, didn't see it at first. I don't really want to do much of anything until I can get the front end and floor pans figured out. What do you guys think? Id really hate to not save it as these guys are getting more rare, and harder to find, and rotting away. Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 wow that is going to be lots of work and fun good luck hope to see more post of it as you go oh and welcome to ratsun Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted January 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 wow that is going to be lots of work and fun good luck hope to see more post of it as you go oh and welcome to ratsun Thanks. Quote Link to comment
Everat Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Damn, looks like a good project, I dig the quanitity of pics Quote Link to comment
Rustina 510 Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Not to bad of shape dude, I paid less for mine but it is in much worse condition. Good luck, let let me know if you need any help or parts Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Hey thanks for the encouraging comments, I can't wait to do stuff to it, but it will be a hurry up and wait project till I get back from my deployment I am going on soon. Quote Link to comment
the510keeper Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Totally worth keeping, some of the super clean shells are pricey, by the time you add that money to the cost of yours. You'll already on your way to what you want, not something someone else had. Everything there is very fixable. Good luck, nice detail on pics. u can do it Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Hey thanks, i like all the 510s you are saving. Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Ok got back from a field exercise, so I took the time to move all the parts except body panels into my shed to give some walking room in the garage. Next I took the instrument cluster apart and cleaned it up, the clear plastic needs more poslishing, but its much cleaner then it was before, not sure if it will be used in the end, but gave me something to do with the stuff I have. Looks like the engine frame rail is intact and not bent, but I haven't measured anything yet, but it appears that they just welded the inner fender part to the rail, after looking at it today, it looks more fixable then it did a week ago, but I'll let the body guys decide that. Quote Link to comment
Josh K. Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 This looks exactly like a shell I abandoned in Junction City, Oregon 15 years ago.... I wonder if its the same car? Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 This looks exactly like a shell I abandoned in Junction City, Oregon 15 years ago.... I wonder if its the same car? Its possible, a couple guys at the510realm said it was parked at their house in washington and said it went back to oregon, its possible it has made several trips from oregon to washington and back. One guy got glass from it, then the guy I got it from brought it from oregon to NC where I picked it up, and I'm from California. I hope to get it back to the west coast after I get out of the Army, but got to talk the wife into going back to Cali. If it is the same car do you have any history on it? How could I tell if it was your car? It would be great to document the history of the car for when its finished. Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Received some hood hinges today, not sure if they are bent or not. Also put the trunk on so I don't trip over it and it don't fall off, the gaps are wrong, gonna have to adjust or something is out of wack. Waiting on the door hinges. Had to exctract a broken bolt out of the drivers side hinge mount. Does anyone have PN's for bolts? This car has no bolts for fenders, hood, door, and everywhere else, I would like to use genuine nissan ones because they are usually zinc coated. Quote Link to comment
philcas1987 Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Just use stainless button head . Nissan bolts haha Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Just use stainless button head . Nissan bolts haha I prob will for the fenders, but there are so many bolts missing, I would like to use factory ones also, there prob not that many different sizes. Quote Link to comment
fuzz's '71 510 Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Look on ebay for original bolts, but get ready to spend alot of excess money that you could buy other items instead. I used stainless socket head and button head and it gives it a more finished look. Either way you got a nice project there and welcome to Ratsun :fu: Fuzz Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks for the advice. Any ideas on my hinges? Not sure which bends are and are not suppose to be there except the obvious bend where it mounts lol. Quote Link to comment
philcas1987 Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Yeah they are bent. I'd make both sides look the same Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thats the problem, both sides look the same now lol. Quote Link to comment
yellowdatsun Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 That shell is totally worth fixing, even with the hack job on the front clip. I would do some work though on the joints as a starting point. Get that cleaned up and fixed before moving on to the rest of the car. As for nuts and bolts, for the price of the Nissan stuff, you can get stainless metric from Ace hardware. Every time I replace something on my car I use stainless. Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Thanks, I am going to need to enlist some help of a expirenced body person to help me fix the hack job. I was hoping to maybe send the car out to a 510 friendly body man somewhere in USA while I am deployed so I have a good starting point for when I return, but I keep getting mixed thoughts about weather to use it as a parts car or to fix it. I would really hate to see another 510 die, I would rather take a dead 510 shell to fix this one that is mostly good. Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Thanks, I am going to need to enlist some help of a expirenced body person to help me fix the hack job. I was hoping to maybe send the car out to a 510 friendly body man somewhere in USA while I am deployed so I have a good starting point for when I return, but I keep getting mixed thoughts about weather to use it as a parts car or to fix it. I would really hate to see another 510 die, I would rather take a dead 510 shell to fix this one that is mostly good. talk to the 510 keeper he knows his stuff he could tell you witch way to go if you going to leave it with someone he would be the guy Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 talk to the 510 keeper he knows his stuff he could tell you witch way to go if you going to leave it with someone he would be the guy I might just do that. Work has been crazy, I really want to figure this out soon though, so I can have it planned out for when I am gone. Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 you should look at all his threads of 510 they are amazing Quote Link to comment
ace028 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Was checking them out, pretty cool, definatly good hands to leave a datsun with! Quote Link to comment
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