KiloTango1200 Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I am the proud owner of a 1972 Datsun 1200 that my Dad bought new. I took my drivers license test in the car in 1977. I inherited the car when Dad passed on 18 years ago, so the car has a lot of sentimental value. It has been in storage since that time and has lived it's whole life under some type of cover, usually fully enclosed. With an arid Texas climate and being garaged all this time, it has very minor rust and the interior is in great shape. The dash and rear seat look like new and will be up for sale soon because they don't make the car go fast. I intend to race the 1200 in the SCCA Solo class at Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth TX which is 15 mi. away from my shop. I have just acquired a 1971 Datsun 510 4 dr sedan that is a complete, intact car. The 510 has been sitting in a Texas wrecking yard for the past 20 years but the body is in surprisingly good shape. The mechanicals are good but the interior is toast. The 510 engine will be rebuilt to a max performance unit. The tranny will be a 280Z 5 speed. I have to decide if I will fabricate the 510 IRS on to the 1200 or use a 1st gen. RX7 diff. that comes with disc brakes and limited slip diff. Anyone with experience in this area, your help and comments would be greatly appreciated. I know that the 510 IRS will take a ridiculous amount of fabrication, but the work will be done in the corner of a full blown aircraft repair station. We have the tools and talent to make anything required. I am just asking for help so we don't have to re-invent the wheel if someone has already done it. I also have an unlimited supply of AvGas so high compression is not a problem either. I am in the research stage and will not be doing anything for a couple of months except for taking the 510 apart. The bottom line is that I want to go to Texas Motor Speedway and race an old school Datsun. I want to send all the yuppie boys from Dallas in their BMWs, Alfas, Porsches, Mustangs, Cameros, and Corvettes home crying to their Mommas' because they got their asses kicked by an old country boy in an old school Datsun. If anyone has any suggestions to move this goal forward, your comments will be greatly appreciated. When it comes to the driving, I will do my part. If you screw up on the track you hit orange cones. When I learned how to drive smooth and fast on the twisting roads and hairpin curves in the Texas hill country, if you screwed up you hit Oak trees. No Fear. Look out Dallas Yuppies, HERE I COME!!! 1 Quote Link to comment
Kirden Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Haha, nice introduction and story. You are about to get blasted by the "pics or ban" crew, but really we just want to see what you are working with :P Welcome to ratsun and good luck with your build. Quote Link to comment
laotsu Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 go to photobucket, open an account, post some pics on photobucket, copy the img code of said pics, post img code in this forum... or ban Quote Link to comment
KELMO Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Welcome to the circus...now post some pics No, really we are serious. I would be extremely interested in your dash....but would need to see pics of it (see where I am going here). Hell, I would even be willing to drive out and watch you race. Was actually in DFW last month to buy a 510 wagon(stinkin loop 820 construction) Quote Link to comment
dozenhundred Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I'd be interested in the rear seat if it's a coupe. Of course I'd like to see pics, but just about any rear seat would be better than the one I have now. I have been thinking of doing some autocross with mine when I get further along. Kelly2 Quote Link to comment
510sss68 Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 yes pics and be quick about it !!!!! :P Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 Man you got me fired up with this post! Bring on the build and welcome! Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 http://s1290.photobucket.com/user/KiloTango1200/slideshow/Datsun%201200%20build Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 I hope that works. Recent photos of the 510 engine donor Quote Link to comment
Rhapakatui Posted June 26, 2013 Report Share Posted June 26, 2013 That has to score some points for Texas. Why is skib always first to read the lame Texas stuff, and not this guy's thread? I can't see the pics. Copy the IMG code and paste it here. Welcome to Ratsun! Quote Link to comment
Davec Posted June 27, 2013 Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 here is a link to a rearend that you were asking about http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/pts/3890769787.html Good Luck with the build. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 loatsu, thanks for posting the pics, still trying to figure out why I can't paste the the IMG code. It's that 5% rule getting me again. You must be 5% smarter than the device you are trying to operate. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 Thanks for the link, Davec. When I stumbled across this site, I knew I hit pay-dirt. That is exactly what I need. Quote Link to comment
Ranman72 Posted June 27, 2013 Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 I only see a 510 where is the 1200 you are building Quote Link to comment
king bee66 Posted June 27, 2013 Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 save the 510 and now have 2 datsuns? i mean, there are better options then an l16 Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 In storage 3 1/2 hours away where my 85 year old Mom lives. Everything is happening very fast now. 1 month ago, I rolled the 1200 out of storage. I haven't fired it up in 7 years. Hooked up jumper cables, gave it a shot of ether and it coughed, sputtered and died. Another shot of ether and it coughed, sputtered and went into a smooth high Idle. 2 minutes later it went into a smooth low idle and purred like the day Dad brought it home from the dealer. About 2 minutes later a white Chevy pickup pulls up into the parking lot. Call it Karma, Fate or Divine Intervention, It doesn't get any better or weirder than this. It's the son of the owner of the storage shed and he is spraying for weeds. He walks up and introduces himself as Bob. He asks if my car is an old 510. I tell him it is the 510's little brother, the 1200. Bob, says I don't think I have ever seen a 1200. Bob goes on to tell me that he has a 510. I ask him where it is and he says in his wrecking yard and has been there for the past 20 years. I ask him what he is doing with it and Bob tells me that he had a friend whose Dad raced 510s. He didn't have the heart to send it to the crusher and has hoped for the past 20 years that someone would be able to use the car for something and not have to go to the crusher. I quickly made an offer and Bob accepted. Bob's 510's heart will live on in my 1200 and make life miserable for the Dallas Yuppies that bring their European snob cars to Texas Motor Speedway. The 1200 pictures will be coming in about 2 weeks when I go to visit Mom. I will be bringing both cars back to Denton TX very soon. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 Above photo shows the distributor internals on the 510. Looks like new. Not sure why the picture popped up. Still trying to figure out how to post pictures. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 Welcome to the circus...now post some pics No, really we are serious. I would be extremely interested in your dash....but would need to see pics of it (see where I am going here). Hell, I would even be willing to drive out and watch you race. Was actually in DFW last month to buy a 510 wagon(stinkin loop 820 construction) I avoid loop 820 at all costs. I don't go any farther south on I 35W than Cabelas. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 save the 510 and now have 2 datsuns? i mean, there are better options then an l16 save the 510 and now have 2 datsuns? i mean, there are better options then an l16 King Bee66 Glad to know there are Datsun enthusiasts in the Great State of Texas. Started to think they were all in Australia or New Zealand, not that it would be a bad thing. The main point is that it will be an Old School Datsun. No turbo and long velocity stacks with driving skill making up the difference. The Dallas yuppies could go home and say "yeah, but he had a turbo". Allow no excuses, give no quarter. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2013 Inside of the radiator looks pretty good. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 save the 510 and now have 2 datsuns? i mean, there are better options then an l16 I actually haven't decided to do with the rest of the 510. It may get a modern engine later on. The L16 is the most economical route to my goal at this time. Besides I love the howl of a full race L16 with twin Webers and velocity stacks. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 20 years of red West Texas Dirt. Quote Link to comment
KiloTango1200 Posted June 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 Yea, I figured out how to post pictures! Quote Link to comment
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