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Boaty's KA24DE 2DR


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Hey everybody,

My name is Steve Boatman. I live down here in Grants Pass, Oregon, born and raised. I've been into Datsuns since I was 14 or 15 years old, so around 10 years ago. I'm kind of a jack of all trades, but my profession is being an IT Consultant/Computer Technician.

EDIT: I am currently an assistant manager at a Circle-K in manager training. No more self employment - it is now just a supplementary income. More Datsun cash. :D

 

I'm self employed - I used to be self employed and used to do mobile computer repair/small business IT stuff for the last 3 years or so as my primary source of income. I've been into computers since I was in elementary school, and I first started out cleaning up, fixing, and setting up computers when I was in the 5th grade as something to do in my spare time. When I went into middle school, I was offered my first computer-related class as an elective, and I spent the majority of my time there assisting others and such in the computer lab, and being the little teacher's pet/assistant and such. This jump started my interest in becoming a computer tech, which nowadays is comparable to millwrights. It has been a wonderful choice on my part, it's an entertaining, enjoyable job that I'm good at, pays decent - and best of all, I get to drive my 510 around to peoples houses and fix their stuff smile.gif

I grew up in the woods and such, my father was a Chevy man and I spent the majority of my childhood and adolescent years out in the woods camping, hunting, or just driving around. My father taught me how to drive when I was about 10 years old, because where we hunted at the time was remote enough that if something happened and he wasn't able to drive, I needed to be able to drive us out. This kind of jump started my interest in driving, and I've been into it ever since. Eventually, some time down the road, I would like to get into some track days and some competitive stuff, maybe take some technical driving classes and make racing/competition stuff my main hobby.

Anyways, I've been into Datsuns thanks to my brother, who shoved me into the scene in an attempt to kill my fascination with Honda's and such. I purchased my 510 from him back in 2002 somewhere around or just prior to my 16th birthday. It is my first car, and it's been a slowly progressing project ever since. About 90% of what I know about cars, I learned by working on my 510. Some day, I'll eventually get it to a condition where I can say it's 'complete', but as I now know - and I'm sure most of you know as well, there really is no such thing as a 'completed' project. There's always more that can be done, more that can be modified, more upgrades, etc - the sky's the limit! In my case, my lack of a second vehicle and my pocket book. But alas, here she sits! She has been my daily driver as long as I've owned her, she's been rear ended twice, flung off a road or three, drifted around, rallied in the boonies, raced, spun out, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. I was 16 when I got this car, so you can probably imagine the hell and misfortune I put her through. But, it taught me a lot through trial and error, breaking things and fixing them, trying things and finding out the hard way, etc.

When I bought the car off of my brother, it was in rough shape. The original dark green paint was faded out, the floorpans were completely rusted through (literally just frame rails in the front), the upholstery was shot, interior was haggard, and nothing really worked. My brother bought the car off a guy that had it sitting in the weather for years with a blown engine, uncovered, and neglected. We swapped in another L16 from a family member's 521 pickup, which had 370K or so documented miles, got the car running and driving, and relatively safe. It was the perfect first-timers project. It was what I wanted, it was easy to work on, and it was relatively cheap to maintain.
 

Here is a picture of the car, the afternoon that I bought it:
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I never did get a picture prior to us spray bombing it with cheap walmart primer, but I wish I had. It really was in rough condition.

Needless to say, nearly 10 years of trial and error, nickels and dimes, she is no longer the rag doll that she used to be.

Here's a list of mods that I've done so far over the last decade..

Engine Mods:

  • L20B + A87 Peanut Head, shaved .015"
  • .010/.010 Crank, balanced rotating assembly
  • 38mm SU Carbs, polished intake manifold
  • 200mm Flywheel, Roadster Clutch
  • Truck 5-speed
  • 93A IR Saturn Alternator
  • 3-Row Radiator, 10" electric ghetto-fan from Vatozone biggrin.gif
  • Subaru 3.70 LSD (currently needing rebuilt so I'm back to the 3.90 open for now)

Interior:



  • APC (Amazing Piece of Crap) ghetto race-styled seats (getting replaced ASAP)
  • 2 Intense Restoration carpet kit
  • Minor sound deadening
  • "Datsun Sport Racing" shift-plate with Hurst round boot
  • Rear seat delete - had to have somewhere to put my subwoofer!
  • Infinity 6.5" front door speakers, 6x9" in the rear deck
  • Crappy old school Sony head unit of mighty failure
  • Grant steering wheel
  • Wink Mirror (because they are epic!)

Exterior:



  • 15" Swastika wheels (280ZX-T)
  • Generic H4 low-beam conversion
  • NOS Euro front turn signals
  • 280z front marker lights (full rubber boots)
  • That's about it...

Suspension/Brakes:



  • S12 200sx front struts with modified spring perches, 15" inserts
  • Offset Strut Isolators (Datsun 710 Station-Wagon)
  • ~225 lb/in front coil springs
  • D50 coil springs in the rear
  • Experimental Engineering T/C rod conversion (NISMO Ball/Cup solid-mount kit)
  • Experimental Engineering Idler Arm conversion
  • KYB Gas-A-Just rear shocks (83-93 Camaro/FB)
  • KYB GR2 front strut inserts
  • DAMB Roll Center Adjusters
  • 7/8" Front Sway Bar (23mm?)
  • Metal Master Front Pads
  • 280zx Alloy Brake Drums
  • 7/8" Brake M/C
  • B210 Rear Wheel Cylinders
  • Solid Mount "Savage Washer" Rear Cross-member conversion
  • Solid Mount Mustache Bar modification (Solid washer-shimmed)

I ran a 15.9s quarter mile back in 2007 with a 1.9s 60'. Not too shabby for an engine I built in my KITCHEN!
A picture of my engine bay after a fresh coat of black primer, and a few hours of polishing work on the engine and such... back in 2006
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I intend to do some more modifications this year, money permitting. I've decided that I want to finish my main modifications this year, and start another project to use as my daily so I can keep the 510 in tip top shape. Besides, it really doesn't give me as much room and versatility that I would like, such as a truck bed, etc. I would like to pick up a K/C 620 to use as my daily driver/project. I am hoping to get the 510 painted this year as well as sort the suspension. I intend to swap in a KA24DE this summer, as well as upgrade to 280zx front struts. My current S12 struts, combined with my ZX wheels, gives me one hell of a scrub radius. I'd also like to pull the front wheels in that half inch from stock instead of sticking them out 1.5" total.


And for your viewing pleasure, here's some more pictures of the 510 at various stages over the years!

Doing a little burnout for everybody at a get together after a buddy of mine passed away.
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A couple of shots on a trip to Crater Lake with Cody (68Datsun510)
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I bought a set of Nokian snow tires from Les Schwab, and a set of chains back in 2008. Nearly 12" of snow, the 510 really didn't give a crap!
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An awesome winter shot. This was taken about 2AM or so, when it was close to 10 degrees...
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Just after installing my Swastika wheels...
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One thing I've always loved, is Rally racing. There isn't much more fun to be had, than when you're screwing around on dirt roads!
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A picture from 2003, before I spray bombed my car flat black! Taken right before leaving to Shasta 2003, my first Shasta trip!
That would be Steve Dalton, and Lou Speed (510freak), and of course myself on the far right...with stock suspension YUCK!
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My car was featured in the 2010 Dime Quarterly Calendar
This is the picture that was selected...

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And of course, for awhile there I was hanging out with one of my best female friends, and well.. she's crazy sometimes. But she managed this photo @ 80mph or so...
... hanging out the passenger side window with my camera >.<
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And of course, what kind of thread would this be without some kind of female Datsun representing?! My ex, at Shasta 2006. She was my 'Datsun Lovin' Girl" smile.gif
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So, anyways, I am hoping to get the 510 cleaned back up and pretty like she once was here soon, and when I do I'll take some updated pictures. I don't have any super-recent photo's, and since I got burned out on my car there for awhile, I let her get dirty.

I'll continue to post in this thread with some updated info as I move along and such!

Thanks for reading!

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Thanks, everyone!

 

Yes Lou, it's been THAT long. Amazing how time flies, no?

 

Yeah Yeah, Larry I know. I've been around forever it seems. Figured I may as well post somethin' lol.

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I would like to pick up a K/C 620 to use as my daily driver/project.

 

 

you can come pick up my 620 :cool: already a perfect DD but its not %100 done so you can do w/e you want with it project wise lol

 

 

 

oh... and toss me a beer while your in the fridge :lol:

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