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Jake's patient 510 build


jser12

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The Background

A litte background info to begin, fell in love with the datsun 510 when I was about 15/16. Since I am from Michigan, it is highly discouraged to purchase an import, but that was not going to stop me. At the start of this summer I woke up one morning and decided that I wanted to purchase my coveted japanese classic. Now that I am entering my junior year of college (turning 20 next week!) at western michigan university (go broncos) I dont have the highest paying job, but I earn enough money and have made enough since high school to purchase a datto.

 

The Hunt

At the begining of April I began to start researching datsuns and I joined the site, I did what anyone would do, beg like a newb for one and post wanted ads everywhere. I was determined to get this car. Almost had a deal go through for a datsun out in cali, and it seemed that all datsuns were out in Cali. When just as I was about to lose hope, TJ (aka yenpit) messaged me. He lived an hour away and the next day me and my friend mark (obsessed with nissans, patiently waiting to purchase an R32 in 2 years and to import it to america) went up to see him. TJ had a light blue 1971 datsun 510 4dr sedan that he was originally working on that he was going to build for himself. I have no idea what possessed him to do it, but he offered me the car. We came to a list of things he would agree to work on and fix up on it before he would sell it to me. A few months later I am here writing this thread after picking the car up on friday. First time I ever drove a 510, and damn... I could just not get over how perfect it felt. To drive a car that is 2x older than me, but it felt like it was built for me... now that is what it is all about.

 

The Car

 

more in depth by TJ, just search "yenpits 510 beater"

 

-The exterior is pretty nice with some rust holes showing and minor rust spots throughout, otherwise the body is fairly striahgt. Found out after I bought it that car was origianlly painted orange and at one point I guess it was painted light blue. One side has those ugly ass trim pieces and the other sides were ripped off. No dents on the hood or the trunk (thank god it was used most of its life by an old farmer from Iowa then stored for 15 years so it was never really abused).

- The interior was one of the areas TJ worked on for me. New carpet, seats out of a 90s integra, aftermarket stereo and speakers, headliner sprayed white, restitched rear seat then spray bombed black, dash has one crack, steering wheel out of a B210.

- the engine is the original L16, has just over 150k on it but runs like a champ, TJ put a weber carb in there, powder coated the cover, and fabricated up a new exhaust that sounds pretty nice. Swapped from an auto to a manual and a 5 speed was thrown in there.

- The suspension in the front was your typical swap for the 280zx struts and the rear is still the classic drum brakes. I believe he said the rear springs were cut slighlty and he replaced all of the struts.

 

The Future

After spending time on here I have a slim idea what I want this car to be. I have been inspired by TristinGrind's build (if you see this, keep it minty fresh, love the color), the stance of SIXTY-NINE-DIMES, and everything about SyCK's SR20VE 510. Already ordered new outer squeegees for it, and just ordered an electric ignitor from pertronix last night (yes, it has the japenese spec single point), so those are my first purchases of the datsun. Planned on driving it around school for a few months now before I store it for the brutal michigan winters. While its in storage I want to lower it this winter. 280zx GC coilover conversion, Byrons rear xmember slotting kit, and rear shocks from an 82 camaro to give it a fairly low stance without killing my tires. If I have time and money i'll start to knock out the rust, patch some areas, and just clear coat it. I dont want to repaint it all together because I hate hiding history, I want to show what the car has been through. Next summer maybe an L20B swap and new rims (maybe like a 14x6 or 14x7). I just want to be patient with this build and do it right, so bare with me as this may take a while.

 

The Pics

well I feel like I have been rambling but I am a very thorough person, now time for some OICS for you kind folks on Ratsun.

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sitting next to my 2003 ford focus SVT

 

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Got some gifts in the mail the other day. My pertronix ignitor and my dad sent me a tachometer and and a couple other guages to instal. As soon as I got them I installed the Pertronix with my friends as soon as I got it, we learned that we had no idea what we were doing. But through trial and error we realized that we are retarded and finally got the car to start, and in the process we learned how a points system works and how my carburetor works.

 

Felt good to finally park in this spot at school

"small car only"

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Hey Jake, welcome to the forum! Glad to hear you're enjoying it, but I'm back to just driving my trusty ol' Subaru again..........grrrrrrrr :sneaky: . FYI the front fenders were replaced at one point, likely due to rust not crash damage, with some orange fenders, and then the whole car was repainted (prolly 20++ yrs ago!). That BLUE is the original color!

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Yeah the pertronix kit is for a single point distributor. 68-69 model year.

 

you got a garage for this car?

nothing wrong with the stock gauges if they work.

 

also the oil port from the block is a 1/8 BSP not the common 1/8 NPT. so dont put the wrong one on there. you need a adapter. Best to use a remote tranducder type oil gauge set up. where the tranducer is at the block and wire feeds the gauge. To many Plasit oil lines get cracked . esp those taiwan plastic kits. Autometer might have a better set up look it up.

save this

olddatsuns.com

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I wish I had a garage for this car in the summer, but I do have a safe place to store it for the winter. But I plan on sanding down the rust spots this winter and patching some areas and just putting a clear coat on it to keep it from rusting anymore. And that is a really helpful video, and all the gauges work, its just that it was converted to a manual so I would like to have a tach on there and my dad wants me to also put an oil temp guage somewhere just to be safe.

 

and yenpit just out curiousity, did you notice that the car ran hot or is the temp guage on there broke. cause after 5 minutes of running, it would jump up almost the H but it would just stay there no matter how long I drove it for.

 

And one day when I get to an engine swap, a SR20DE with ITBs is starting to sound really good to me. But i guess money and time will decide the future for me on that one.

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The physical temp under the hood was never a problem, and it was consistent on the gauge, so I figured it was fine. It's got a NEW sending unit at the thermostat housing, and new coolant. I "grounded" both the temp gauge & the fuel gauge before putting that gauge cluster in there, and they responded as they should. There is a voltage stabilizer within the gauge panel, which could be "worn out" I suppose, but again, the car simply didn't overheat, so you should be good. I was hoping to get a buddys infrared temp reader (point at any spot anywhere to get a temp reading!), but ran out of time.

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  • 1 month later...

Went up to holland to see TJ today one more time before he leaves me in michigan all alone before he ventures out west. :crying:

All I can say is that i am stoked about my purchases and he is great guy for the deals I got. I was able to get

- rebuilt l20b (done in 1992 but never put in, just need to knock out minor rust by oil filter and another area)

- 6 bolt fly wheel and a clutch

- 4 speed tranny as a spare

- rear crossmember (will be sand blasted and FutoFab toe adjusters will be welded on)

- Rear Axles

- stock rear opp diff with a 3.9 gear ratio

- tie rods

 

i think that was it... very good prices, sucks to see him go, there need to be more 510s in michigan

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I think that overall I want the datsun to be like a hakosuka silver with red advan a3a rims.

lowered to 3 inches of the ground, with 3 degrees of camber in the rear and 2 degrees in the front

get rid of the door mirrors and put on fender mirrors

 

What do you guys think of these changes?

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So somehow ive missed this thread for an entire month... It gives me a warm fuzzy knowing youre a fan of my car and the work I do. Always nice to have an admirer.

 

I'm sure you'll go good places with this car.

 

Personally, never been a fan of Advans but as I once told Q-tip at a show, I give them made props for reinventing the 3-spoke so many times over the years. Anyway, just do whatever you feel is right with the car and you'll do something you like. Look at me, who keeps a car auto?!- oh me...

 

And just to show you what it could look like:

 

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Please excuse the 2dr. and olive and not a 4dr. and Hako silver.

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I have seen that one before. It looks good becasue those are 14x9's tucked under those fenders.

I have always not followed things by the book and I enjoy being different. So not only am I one of like 3 510s that I know of in michigan, but I figured why not really make it unique and throw some a3a's on it. Its not a final decision because I wasnt going to buy rims until the end of october but I am trying to get a feel for what would looked good.

 

I am really set on the hako silver though. its a timeless color

 

and skyblue521 i'll probably be dropping serious money on this car in about a month or so when I put it in storage for the winter so i'll PM you about the mirrors then.

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UPDATE

hopefully buying some parts within the next few weeks: suspension, engine parts, and safer seat belts haha

and I got my stickers in from Jun, just need to put them on the car now... bought an extra one for the laptop too

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Inspired by this photo for the stance of my car, I think this is literally perfection to me

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Ordered some goodies recently. A surprise pair of rims for you guys, couldn't pass up the deal. And I ordered GC weld on coilover kit for 280zx front struts along with what I hope will work of '87 rear shocks from a corolla. Read on here that they would work and it would be a short shock, so we will see how that goes when I install everything.

One week left of driving my car until I store it for the winter. Time to drive it like I stole for a while :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Most street 510's use #200 or less .. . I have #225 front and rear coilovers, and it's great for being too low.... but a little too stiff for "comforatable" daily driving on bumpy roads,, it's amazing on fresh pavement ... . I still daily on them no problem (I like it)

 

... 510 race cars use #275-300

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michigan roads are full of bumps and needless shit so I went with a stiffer ride so I dont bottom out all the time.

 

my first car i ever bought was a ford focus svt and that suspension was stiff as hell. i got used to it, and i prefer a more stiff ride now

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