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Fisch's 1973 2-door 510 (...yet to be named)


fisch

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To quote Britney, "Whoops I did it again..." Some of you may recall me talking about this '73 510 find, and if I should take it on.

 

Well, we are doing it! I have a fantastic cousin, Robin, who restores cars for a living, and  he must've taking a liking to the little Datsun because he amazingly offered to store the car at his shop and work on it with me, teaching me how to weld, etc! And i will help him around his shop. I wield a mighty broom. This is a win-win!

 

Believe it or not this car has less that 50K miles on it. I got it from the second owner, Norm,  who's has had it since the 80's and use to race 510s BITD and did really well. He was gonna make an streetable racer out of this and started the job, and just never got back too it. So it has been in this state since the 80s I think.

 

Robin actually thought the car was in really good shape, despite the missing metal. Which was nice to hear from a body man! (And as you will see I have most everything to fix the car, and then some.) It is actually pretty solid. Basically, if Norm (the PO) saw a spot of rust, he cut it out so it wouldn't spread. and most of that is flat metal.

 

Oics:

 

Hanging out in its new home for a while with with my 4-door, Chapman (Who is running like the devil is chasing him these days. (200 miles today like a boss.)

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The 73 has been cut for flares that never made it on, but them I have in the stash.

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'73 Defroster glass intact.

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 And the worst part, the trunk/tail panel. But you can see two complete trunk floors under the car. +Roll cage! (Bit of an amputee currently.)

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But no worries brothers, he comes with these:

NOS tail panel set.

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And um, before I decided to get the car I picked up a few other things... (Parts from a few cars, Dashpads, Dash, steering columns, airdams, grills,  headlights, taillights, it is a small horde..

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Hows the front end? Pretty solid. Bonus, I have  NOS front valance. And I have replacement metal for the fender channels, or whatever they are called.

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And can you NOS hood! Still has the part #s:

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First time I got under the car and I was pretty pleased with the floors.

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And in the truck is a built L16 with I believe, flat tops, ported head, lightened flywheel, maybe a cam? And also in that truck are two flared fenders, two doors, more sheet-metal cuttings, couple heads, Roadster 5-speed with L-series bell housing. And all the suspension, steering linkage, radiator, crossmembers, differential, and on and on.

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Inside the car are 4 bumpers, two stock seats, and that big box has two windshields and 3 rear windows. Plus two sets of 1/4 windows.

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Plus, I have complete set of seals including 1/4 window seals.

 

Epic Datsun day. 200 mile drive in a 510 with great weather. Geting a freakin '73. Great conversation with my cousin.

 

I know this will be an epic undertaking, but Ratsun will be fuel in the tank for me. (And my cousin will keep me on task.) And as 510keeper told me, by the time I finish with this I should be pretty good at welding! (Robin is even going to teach me how to tig!)

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Thanks guys. There is nothing like the excitement of a new project. (And it makes it hard not to forget about the current projects already waiting.) But these things aren't getting easier to find. Especially on the east coast. Yes I will finish the wagon. (I can hear Hainz already, lol!)

 

I've always envied the camaraderie you folks have when you team together on a project and help each other out. I am looking forward to having someone who knows what he is doing, to keep pushing me on this thing cause it is taking up space at his shop, lol. The extra motorvation I need, rather than working in isolation, and the education in bodywork that I need too.

 

Usually the big hang up on a project of this scope is the lack of parts and money. But I have nearly everything, so I won't need to buy much. So the next big challenge is time to do it. And I imagine Robin will keep me on task.

 

What can I say, I am an eternal optimist.

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No news just more pics from picking it up. Man I've never kept a Datsun 2 hrs away from me. Drives me nuts not to be able to walk out the garage and see it. But by that same thought, it will hopefull make me more efficient when I do go to work on it because I will leave other life distractions behind. GOtta say, I am as excited about the education I will get on this as I am the car itself. Hell I follow tig welders on IG because I am so envious of the craft.

 

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Nice that it comes on a pretty substantial dolly. My understanding is that it was on a rotisserie for much of this stage of the abandoned build, but then he move it he got rid of it. Too bad.

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You can see the l-16 poking out of the truck bed below. I am looking forward to seeing what it has even though I have an L18 hanging around. From what I understand the little 1600 has an aluminum flywheel, maybe flat top pistons, and a mid range cam. Anyone drivin with an aluminum flywheel? Feel much difference?

 

Look how happy Robin is to help me bring this back to life. Hopefully his smile will last!

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Light weight flywheels tend to require a little more rpm to engage the clutch, but zip up through the rpm range faster, but also dont hang at high rpm when shifting. They fall off rpm much faster because of the reduced momentum.

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Light weight flywheels tend to require a little more rpm to engage the clutch, but zip up through the rpm range faster, but also dont hang at high rpm when shifting. They fall off rpm much faster because of the reduced momentum.

 

 

The previous owner, Norm, suggested I might switch out the aluminum flywheel if I am just street driving. To that end he gave me an extra, steel lightened flywheel. Think it is a good idea? THis won't be a race car. Maybe I'd try a little cone carving. But mostly around town.

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Speaking of interesting parts, a few more from the stash:

 

NOS Koni reds and Mulholland inserts.

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NOS competition catalog Roadster to L-series 5-speed adapter and the roadster trans is around too. Plus the already shortened driveshaft.

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But if I don't want to go there I grabbed a dogleg 5-speed. One of these will probably make it in the wagon,

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Competition catalog struts with coil overs and teh body already has the camber plates.

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NOS Dobi air dam with skirt. I am usually more partial to the Bre Spook, and have a carbon Futofab one sitting in a box.  (Thanks Dave)

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1600 Valve cover, ribbed for her pleasure.

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A pile of new rear flares, including two new ones.

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INTERESTING STORY, a pair of those flares is famous. My understanding it that they came off a 510 in "How to Modify and Hotrod Your 510". See the #77, crunched, with the black stripe along the bottom. They are the first pair above.

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A white needle Tach.

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Finally for this post I have some 38MM Roadster carbs, which I'd like to trade of sell so I can get a pair of SSS carbs. So I will probably clean them up and head off to ebay.

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Well, not too much to report other than it is in much nicer shop than mine, waiting patiently for me to make it over there. Funny how it looks better than when I saw it last, because of its surroundings. I smell potential!

 

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Holy crap, what an awesome collection of goodies. Have you decided on a theme for the car yet? I vote for 70's race car, with a stripped interior, rolling on a wide set of 13" wheels.

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Thanks guys. My 4-door is already a striped interior, cut spring, bonejarringly awesome go-cart of a ride. I may want this one to be a bit more civilized!

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If you are taking suggestions on names Fisch, I'm feeling like bones (for obvious reasons), russ (for rusty) or Phoenix (cause im sure when you are done it will have risen like one) are all fitting.

 

My .02. If it's even worth that.....

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SR20! SR20! SR20!! SR20!!!!

Wouldn't that be something! I've never experienced anything but L-series. Knowing me and having a Built L-16 and a built L18 sitting around, I will go the path of least resistance. But a lot can change between now and when it is ready for an engine, lol!

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