Steve Jr. AKA "Junior" 1971 4-door KA24E 510 Daily

[FiveSeventyZee]

Sorry, long ass post. It's the story of my 510, I put as many pics as I could :P

 

So after owning my z for 2 years and my 720 for about a year and actually the mazda for half a year or so too, I decided I needed something practical, I got a little tired of only having 2 seaters. So my excuse for a practical reliable daily? a 510! specifically a 4-door. So the search began and went to go see the first one i found on the local craigslist

 

 

Brought it home a few days later for $2500 which is a bit high but 510's arent as common as z's around here and i justified it by the suspension and drivetrain in this one, it had poly bushings all around, coilovers in front, stiffer shocks and springs in the back and z 5-speed. All of which had been done (allegedly) by Troy Ermish over in Fremont for a total of $2800. Plus it had knock off racing seats, a cheap-o racing wheel (which are both actually pretty good) an L18 with a weber downdraft, newer clutch, "subi LSD" (I haven't confirmed yet and it doesnt seem to act like one), 2.5 inch exhaust with a flowmaster muffler and electronic ignition. I'm sure some of you have scored better deals but the way I like to think of it is that I didn't get the worst deal on a 510 in the world AND I now had a 510 which was a bit of a lightweight pipe dream for me (after an s30 and a kpgc10, one of which had already happened and the other....well lets be honest, i work at a grocery store...)

 

 

When I brought it home i threw a pair of stickers I had lying in my room forever

 

 

Then I liked the sticker-y look. I know a lot of people think its super ricey but that's kind of why I like it. Because its sorta rice, but on an old school car. I don't know, I have strange taste haha, but I like the idea of bridging the gap between rice and old school. Long story short, I ordered more stickers :P I did intentionally avoid brand stickers (like sponsor logos) on anything I didnt actually buy parts from for this car. That's tacky in my head

 

 

 

Then about a month later, I got a fix it ticket for "excessive smoke" the cop said he used to have a 510 and that they were great cars. He seemed like he might be reasonable until he walked back with a ticket. Anyway, we (this like all my cars is a father son build, anytime i say we i'm reffering to me and my dad) determined it was a blown head gasket. we went about pulling the head off and ordering the new gaskets and such. When we had the head pressure tested we found that the cause of the blown gasket was from overheating due to one of the coolant journals corroding away into the #3 exhaust port. Basically my coolant was just burning up in my exhaust till I had no coolant left and I got overheating.

 

PnP head was no good, I still have a store credit there from returning it.

 

Ended up buying a closed chamber A87 head from Mario (71Dimer), I didnt meet him personally, my dad was the only one that had time to get down to santa clara.

 

 

 

I just thought the newly resurfaced closed chamber head looked cool so I took a pic haha

 

It ended up taking a month of down time just for a blown head gasket and a bad head because can only get to the car once every 5-7 days...so needless to say I was ecstatic when I got to drive the 510 again. So excited in fact that I couldn't wait to put the grill on before driving it.

 

 

 

 

Drove it like that for a few months until I decided it was time the brakes were just too sketchy (super soft/unadjusted the parking brake didnt work at all and it took forever to stop the car) so I ordered new everything but just stock replacements to save on cost and downtime. Sorry no oics of the replaced brakes but I only ended up doing the backs because the fronts looked to be in good shape still and they just looked like drums that were clean haha. I learned after about 3 weeks that lug nut torque settings are very important...

 

again, sadly no oics, but it was 65 or 70 mph on the freeway, mid day, plenty of cars on the road, and my driver side rear wheel flies off my car taking the new drum with it. I was riding on the backing plate like it was a ski (probably throwing sparks behind me) and my wheel proceeded to (allegedly) hit 8 other cars, 3 made claims: an 06 mitsu 4x4 no biggie, an 05 mustang (gt?) getting pricey, and a 2012 audi s4....fuck...luckily my insurance covered it but i do believe my rates are higher now. worst part was my manager drove by and honked at me and gave me a thumbs up as he drove past my tripod of a 510 haha.

 

Decided, why replace stock brakes twice? so when I saw a 280zx rear disc, caliper, brackets, pads and hardware kit on CL for $150 I went for it. After a lot of struggling with a rusted out suspension and ordering the wrong length custom brake lines...twice (my bad :P) I had 79-81 zx rears with stainless steel lines

 

 

 

 

Got that fixed, drove it for a while (found out zx rear brakes dont fit 13 inch rims) and eventually got my new wheels I had bought to replace the one I lost seeing as how this is what it looked like after the incident

 

 

Then decided to paint my new wheels black. I tried out the plasti dip spray. I like it a lot, you have to do thin coats though, at least I did. I went too think and it bubbled on one wheel. And you have to be careful with the lugnuts to not tear the rubber. I dont think i have enough coats though. I suspect regular spray is probably better but I like this because its easily removable.

 

 

 

 

 

No pics of all four black yet sorry.

 

And Just last weekend I was feeling productive and I stole the engine bay lamp from my Z, Which i think is super cool haha.

 

 

Also I put 5000k HID's in my outboard headlights. Theyre wired to a separate switch though so they're technically my hi beams. and started the teardown to replace my loose timing chain.

 

Got in there to find mayhem...

 

 

 

I had thought I could get away with not replacing the chain guides until we pulled the timing cover off. Thats how it sits now, waiting for chain guide and new motor mounts (mine literally fell apart).

 

Things I did but werent really important for the story of my car; autometer tach, cheap-o $5 tripple gauge pod for amps, water temp and oil pressure, custom faux leather rear window sill, halogens in my lo-beams, ford focus center console (HAS CUPHOLDERS!!!), crown royal shift boot, a few more stickers :D and a BRE 510 christmas tree ornament hanging from the dome light. its my chandalier :P

 

Why he's named Steve Jr. AKA Junior? My old 720 was named Steve. After Steve Erwin, because he fucked around with deadly snakes and crocodiles and yet his final demise it at the hands of a stingray....quite possibly the least threatening obstacle he was ever put up against. My truck could do and had done crazy stuff in its life (I bought it off a hunter after all) and yet somehow I know it will be put to rest by something simple like the late Mr. Erwin's sting ray. As for the 510, I bought this car to replace my 720 as my daily along side my z. Also, I'll get a link to the post but anyone at Geno's house a few weekends back after the norcal judo and japanese classic meet would have seen my 510's battery explode all over the place, and it threw the wheel that one time, and I had been driving on that bad head gasket for a while before I actually did anything. And I even found a piece of flathead screwdriver in my oil pan! And yet it's still loyal and alive, but at the same time I know it'll be ended by something silly and unexpected. So the 510 must be the son of my 720, at least thats my logic.

 

Future plans for Junior:

-KA24e (waiting in my garage for other parts, probly throwing an O & J cam in it)

-Bigger brakes in front

-coilovers in back

-roof rack (gotta have a good rack)

-new fixed back seats (possibly move the current seats into the back and have 4 racing seats? haha)

 

Who knows after that. but right after the KA is in my focus goes back to Harold, my 240z because I've had that car since I was 16 and I havent driven it (3 years) and I hope I don't hurt any feelings but I like the Z better. The body just gets me.

 

Thats all for now, I'll try to update as I go along

[dennis]

looks good.

[bsd510wag]

I was looking at buying that car when i was looking for one. well glad to see you sticking to it after all the trouble youve had. keep it up

[FiveSeventyZee]

Dennis if you saw the car in person "looks good" probably wouldn't be the first thought to come to mind. this thing is bondo ridden and has significant body damage. I'm pretty sure it's been in a flood and a front end collision haha.

 

and 510swag you probably dodged a bullet haha, it's been a pretty costly car. but I do love it and as for sticking with it, I've given up on many things in my life, but I would never give up on a Datto. If for no reason other than to prove to all my family/friends that my car is a good car lol. im one of those guys that you find pushing their car home just to claim that it's still reliable, just needs a bit of work :P

 

[dennis]

Dennis if you saw the car in person "looks good" probably wouldn't be the first thought to come to mind. this thing is bondo ridden and has significant body damage. I'm pretty sure it's been in a flood and a front end collision haha.

 

Well I wanted to be nice. Would you rather say it looks like a pile of shit? Besides, if you say something nice it keeps the owner motivated to keep going. LOL. It doesnt look too bad. Have you seen some of the other cars on here?

[FiveSeventyZee]

Haha, yeah I know. Like I said its not the worst 510 in the world but it could be a lot nicer. My goal is to actually replace it with a new 4 door when I get out of school and switch all my parts into a new strait frame. And I wasn't trying to disagree with you, I love this car and always will no matter what it looks like, I was just being funny.

 

That and I'm so used to the "why didnt you just get a nice car?" response to it...then again that response usually comes from people that arent really into cars let alone on a datsun forum haha

 

 

edit: i actually noticed recently that whenever I park my car and start to walk away I turn around just to admire it lol, put that in the "you know you own a datsun when..." thread

[FiveSeventyZee]

Current update: Got the engine back together after the timing chain issues, had some problems with camshafts and valves but I think I've got the solution finally. I'm putting the old cam I had in it before back in which is actually a good thing because upon pulling it I discovered it was a regrind, pleasant surprise lol. couldn't tell any specs other than a .490 lift.

anyone? I also put that in a thread in the engine forum so its over there too.

 

And the more exciting news, got KA parts stockpiling!

 

I had the wrong flywheel (hardbodies had 240mm and 240sx's had 225mm flywheels) so I have a new 11.5 lb one on the way :)

 

found people using these ebay XTD clutches on 400+ hp cars saying these clutches are better than ACT's so I thought I'd give them a try. Same thing with the ebay exhaust, I had seen the ebay N1 mufflers for a while and loved the look and price but I figured, they're ebay knock-offs, they probly sound like shit. then I started looking into reviews and what people who bought those mufflers thought of them and found this video/soundclip that convinced me it was worth at least a try ($33 shipped total? worth it...)

 

 

KA swap to do list:

-choose a radiator (I was thinking 620/720 L20B stock 3 core, I've seen others using it with no issues)

-replace the timing chain while the engine's out

-figure out fuel delivery (high pressure pump and EFI fuel lines)

-flip Xmember

-install

-get pipes welded up

-piss off some natives

 

and somewhere in there is

[VintageRice]

I got a ebay 11.5lb flywheel in my Ka and love it. EZ to drive and revs fast.

 

Also, I got a vw radiator off ebay NEW SHIPPED for 42 bucks and looks great. Then ueds an inline filler neck from a 2000 dodge dakota. The combo looks, works, and fits great.

 

filler neck pic

 

Rad pic

[FiveSeventyZee]

I seriously can't handle that valve cover haha its too cool. I was thinking about painting the rising sun on mine and carry the rays over onto the intake manifold but idk anymore because my previous attempts at rising suns have not gone well and with the little fins in the valve cover itll be even harder.

 

in other news, L motor's coming out next time I get a chance. Probably tuesday. And my new KA should be here thursday! last engine was in need of a complete rebuild which I don't have the time for right now but I've seen the new one run and rode in the 240sx that it was pulled from today, pulls hard, good torque, no smoke :)

 

Ended up getting a stock style aluminum radiator with 3 thicker cores. I'm running metal radiator hoses so I can bend them in the directions I need them to go in.

 

Got a fuel pump too, TRE performance, ebay again but the way I see it its got a warranty so its worth trying out.

[FiveSeventyZee]

update: no longer L powered! L18 is out and sitting in my garage (waiting for a new home hint hint)

 

takes longer when you don't have anyone around to help....

 

 

 

 

sorry for the crappy oics....hadn't eaten in a while, hands were getting shaky...but hey whats more important? food or dattos?

 

Gonna cut and flip my oil pan rather than my crossmember for a few reasons, 1) I can go back to L motors if I need to, 2) I have a 1" sway bar and I like it, don't want to go swaybarless slash pay $300 for a custom one, 3) finally, this way quickens the down time on the swap if youre doing it yourself like me because you don't have to wait till the L is out to pull the xmember and flip it....thinking about flipping the pan from my extra KA and selling it hence the 3rd reason.

[FiveSeventyZee]

So I've been working on a new oil pan for my KAe so I could keep my 1 inch front sway bar.

warning, its pic heavy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

then I sprayed it with duplicolor rust converter, since i had used water to check for leaks it got some surface rust on it and I wanted to make sure the wire brush had all the help it could get.

 

Then I threw on some of this stuff

 

 

and the new valve cover too...

 

 

A shot of the valve cover after all coats. Its a little greener and less blue in real life. I'm pleased with it. None of the pan yet, took these while the pan was drying

 

edit: here's a better pic of the color:

 

And brewing in another corner, while taking breaks from welding and grinding I tackled my new interior. I picked up these off of a member on here for real cheap. I really couldnt pass them up so I grabbed them before planning where they would go but I had a few ideas.. (the red momo's)

 

ended up deciding to try out an idea I had in my head to see if I liked it and I got this...

 

 

 

Decided I like it....ricey...but fun, and different, and functional because my old seat was torn and sagging really badly making my back seat uncomfortable and passengers always whined at me because they were sliding about back there when I turn "too fast" since the bench seat only has lap belts. This way even with the lap belts, no one's going anywhere. already only had 4 seatbelts so the only thing I lose is maybe 3/4" of legroom and some storage if i were to put boxes of things back there. but I haul people more often than boxes, so racing buckets it is.

 

Also got in touch with my inner sticker whore and added my new sticker that came with the clutch haha, they say each one adds 5hp...

 

 

Plans are for the engine to go in tomorrow and hopefully get it fired up and on the road by the weekend. I cant wait! havent driven it in 3 and a half months!

Edited August 6, 2012 by FiveSeventyZee

[Z chopper]

I like the rear bucket seats

[freekwonder]

Lovin it.

 

Which radiator did you get? Did you have to cut anything up to get it to fit?

[FiveSeventyZee]

I got a stock style aluminum 3 row. so it'll bolt right in without cutting. it's the fans I'm worried about. I may have to mount them as pushers. but I haven't installed anything yet. just got the pan on the engine. I'll be dropping the motor in at some point today so that's when I can get the rad in and see about my fans.

 

also, oics of the new pan and pick up going on the engine

 

a shot of the pan/valve cover with the car behind it so you can see the difference in shades of green. it doesn't match but the only greens were this and lime....

 

 

now everything can start going together =)

[freekwonder]

I got a stock style aluminum 3 row. so it'll bolt right in without cutting.

 

 

Is it just a Jetta/Rabbit radiator?

 

Pan looks pretty good, something like that was available when I did my swap I would have grabbed that.

[FiveSeventyZee]

no stock style for a 510. I'll get some oics of it later. And yeah the pan looks pretty sweet i must say. it took way too long though because i'm a noob at welding and it took me 2 and a half weeks to get it together and get rid of all the leaks it had. After all that though i could probably do another one in half the time. not that i'm going to need to but i've gotten a lot of experience from this project. had I known it would leak that bad at first I would have bought more sheet metal and practiced sealing up water tight boxes that were much simpler shapes to waste less time cutting and spend more on welding technique

[FiveSeventyZee]

update!

 

 

without getting a new driveshaft, my motor sits about 3/4" too far back for the motor mount holes to line up. Gonna make some small adapter plates to go between the motor mounts and the crossmember. Need to make them a little thick (3/8 to 1/2") because I don't have as much clearance from my sway bar as i'd like. But its in! hoping to fire it up soon!

 

and a little shot i took of my playground with my dime spread out all over the place, the engine, tranny, back seats, new valve cover and the car are all in different locations haha

[Tomakze]

I dig it! I can't wait to see that KA fire up. I need to just bite the bullet and install mine. Mine needs a rebuild though...

[FiveSeventyZee]

yeah I have another that needs a rebuild...I decided not to bother with it...takes too long and I wasn't prepared to do a rebuild myself at the time. just went out and bought a new one haha. Zilvia is full of people doing sr swaps

[Z chopper]

 

 

Why he's named Steve Jr. AKA Junior? My old 720 was named Steve. After Steve Erwin, because he fucked around with deadly snakes and crocodiles and yet his final demise it at the hands of a stingray....quite possibly the least threatening obstacle he was ever put up against. My truck could do and had done crazy stuff in its life (I bought it off a hunter after all) and yet somehow I know it will be put to rest by something simple like the late Mr. Erwin's sting ray.

 

maybe getting cut off by a corvette sting ray on the freeway

[FiveSeventyZee]

 

 

maybe getting cut off by a corvette sting ray on the freeway

 

BAHAHAHAHA never thought of that....I'll be sure to avoid sting rays.

 

in other news, got the fuel pump in plumbed and wired, got the engine all the way in and mounted with adapter plates that set it back about 3/4 so I didn't have to get a new driveshaft, and I got started on my vacuum plumbing and ecu wiring! all kinds of progress and I couldn't help but test out the green valve cover to see what it'll look like....

 

gotta get rid of the red on the intake but ignoring the red Im loving the new valve cover. but I don't want to scratch it up just yet so I left it with the red one on

[FiveSeventyZee]

Got a lot more done today. intake is in, vacuum lines are done, got my radiator in (gonna have to use my fans as pushers but thats easy so no worries), got my wiring harness situated in the engine bay, finished the fuel lines up, wired in my aftermarket water temp gauge so I know actual temp not just hot/cold and also yesterday I forgot to mention got the throttle cable in. pulled it from a hyundai at the junk yard...shhhh don't tell anyone ;)

 

anyway...here's the newest pics, threw the green valve cover on for the oics again :P and couldn't resist throwing the strut brace on real quick too

 

 

 

and what my pan looks like with the engine mounted

[FiveSeventyZee]

no explaination...too tired...but.... OICS!

 

the last few days' progress:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i think that was chronological order....if not, who gives a shit anyway.... :rofl:

[Z chopper]

BAHAHAHAHA never thought of that....I'll be sure to avoid sting rays.

 

thought you might get a kick out of that

[skyblue]

wow man! greeat progress. I'd love to check it out before you head out.