Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I'm not entirely sure why I have never signed up on here but finally I have so I figured a brief introduction was in order. I've posted in this section as my current project is a 710 but it's not the only Datsun I have. First things first though... I'm Ed, a general car nut from England and self confessed Datsun obsessive. I've been messing around with them for 20 years plus and despite regularly buying assorted rusty crap from other manufacturers, both old and modern, I always end up back with Datsun. There's a few names on here I recognise... some from many years back, but those who don't know me may well be familiar with my often neglected website, ratdat.com (which isn't dead yet, honestly... I keep meaning to get back on it and will do soon!). The last few years have been quiet on the Datsun front for me but now that I'm fully back in action I intend to immerse myself once more in the Datsun world. I have had a LOT of Datsuns over the years and usually had anything up to a couple of dozen Datsuns at any one time but some major life changes about four years ago meant thinning my fleet dramatically and so I now have just five Datsuns, a couple of 80's Nissans, plus a Dodge, a Mazda, a Peugeot and, to see me through the foul British winter, a Wolseley. The current Datsun fleet consists of a '71 Datsun 1400 (N510) which I have had for 15 years, two 160J SSS hardtops (KP710), one I have owned for 19 years and the other for 9 and a personal holy grail which I got in 2014, an original European 1600 SSS 4 door (PL510). I also have a '62 Bluebird wagon WP312. The 312 is originally from Australia and the 1600 SSS is from France so LHD, but the rest are all UK spec models. The Nissans I have are an '88 Nissan Prairie (M10) which is my daily transport (Stanza Wagon in the US) and a super obscure '84 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi (920) which is an Italian built Nissan Pulsar N12 with Alfa Romeo oily bits. So there you have it. The current active project is my '76 Datsun 160J SSS which is a nut and bolt restoration. I'll post some more about that soon but it's currently looking like this... 3 Quote Link to comment
Eagle_Adam Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Now that's an intro! Welcome Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I've seen your website before. Not sure how.. Welcome to Ratsun! Great intro. Quote Link to comment
uberkevin Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Holy shit! One picture! I guess it's better then most.. Looks an sounds like you know know what your doing, can't wait to see more of your cars. Quote Link to comment
Eagle_Adam Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Deffanitly need pics of the rest of the datsun herd Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 More pictures! This is my '71 510 which started life with an L14, then went L18, LZ20 (Z20 + L18 SSS head) and finally KA24DE. Now it's awaiting some major work on the body but should be back in action later this year. It's going back to L series power, initially just an L16 SSS motor but I have the parts now to build an L14ET using it's original block.... My '75 710 SSS which hasn't been on the road for years. This one will be modied when it's done but it's currently at the back of the queue... More to come... 3 Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 My current 710 project before resto started. It'll stay like this but shinier and the front a little lower.... My 312 wagon. Long story behind this one but I'll go into that in a thread in the appropriate section... 4 Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 My 510 SSS which came out of a scrapyard in France where it had sat since 1980! Needs major resto. Some work has been done but the body won't get tackled until next winter.... Getting dragged out of the scrapyard in France... 2 Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 That 312 wagon is tits. 3 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Sweet collection. I'm pretty sure i've surfed your website a few times. Is yours the one with the blog post about junkyard find of a good condition 160 or something? Welcome back to the family. And I love those riverside riverges! Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Sweet collection. I'm pretty sure i've surfed your website a few times. Is yours the one with the blog post about junkyard find of a good condition 160 or something? Welcome back to the family. And I love those riverside riverges! I'm not sure! Maybe this post? http://www.datsun-france.com/Ratdat/ratdatblog/?p=12225 1 Quote Link to comment
Lockleaf Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Yep that's the one. Sorry for the crap description. :) Quote Link to comment
INDY510 Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I've been following your blog for years. Thanks for documenting all the metal work and everything else. How do the round SSS rear pillar emblems mount on a 710 hardtop? Can you still get those new or NOS? Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I've been following your blog for years. Thanks for documenting all the metal work and everything else. How do the round SSS rear pillar emblems mount on a 710 hardtop? Can you still get those new or NOS? Thanks, I'll be bringing it up to date shortly. There's been a little more bodywork done but I'm going to cover everything including painting it as apart from some re-plating and upholstery, I'm doing everything else myself. Believe it or not, those pillar emblem are just stuck on with double sided tape! They are not available new as far as I know but I got one NOS set some years ago for my yellow 710 and stumped up a big stack of cash for another pair which came from Kuwait via ebay. I think they were about $130 of something crazy, but I figured I might never find another pair. Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Thanks, I'll be bringing it up to date shortly. There's been a little more bodywork done but I'm going to cover everything including painting it as apart from some re-plating and upholstery, I'm doing everything else myself. Believe it or not, those pillar emblem are just stuck on with double sided tape! They are not available new as far as I know but I got one NOS set some years ago for my yellow 710 and stumped up a big stack of cash for another pair which came from Kuwait via ebay. I think they were about $130 of something crazy, but I figured I might never find another pair. I believe the guy from Kuwait is a member here also. Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I believe the guy from Kuwait is a member here also. If it's the same guy, I have bought a few bits and pieces from him in the past and he's always been great to deal with. NOS bits for 710, especially SSS hardtops are becoming really hard to get now. I've collected a fair stock of stuff over the last 20 years which I'm glad of as I plan to keep my 510s and 710s for life. 1 Quote Link to comment
Burabuda Posted February 10, 2016 Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 sup ed! you sure you didn't have an old account here? whatever, glad to see the datsun juices are flowing again Quote Link to comment
Ratdat.com Posted February 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 sup ed! you sure you didn't have an old account here? whatever, glad to see the datsun juices are flowing again You know, I came here thinking that I must have signed up years ago and forgot about it but it turns out 'ratdat' on here is someone else and I can't think what other username I might have used. Quote Link to comment
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