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The Retired 510


Noflers

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I started a thread on NWDatsuns awhile back, but I don't think the site gets much traffic and I always like hearing suggestions....

 

I'm probably just going to swap everything from my original thread over to here and continue on. 

 

 

A bit about the car:

It's a 1970 4-Door 510 with an L18 and what I think is the stock 4-speed, it also has a 3.9 Subaru diff (which has had stuck drain and fill plugs for as long as I've had it)

 

This is from the day I brought it home.

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The heads are ported, it has a Weber 32/36, and a 2.5" exhaust, up until the 2.25" Thrush I had put on for a temp fix for the huge amount of loud the exhaust was making before. 

 

The car is as rust free as they come...

 

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Big ol' front sway bar.

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Car had no muffler on the ride home, I think I got that installed the very next day.

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I still cant figure out why the car sits lower on the right side than the left (in the rear). Springs match and everything else looks good...

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The car has a ton of work in store for it, but there are some good parts here and there that should prove beneficial. Definitely looking forward to ripping around in it. 

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Spent the better part of today getting work done on the 510. Passenger floor board was sanded down and painted (rust was VERY minimal). Didn't end up getting a before photo until it was almost done. Also laid the sound deadener, glued the carpet down, installed T3 kick panels, and got some miscellaneous stuff done. (actually combining a few interior progress posts into one here, all this stuff took at least a couple weeks.)

 

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Here's the interior on day one, btw...

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Here it is after I sourced the rest of my dash and cleaned up the wiring (huge mess)

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The car came with a mustard yellow, rusted out, trunk lid. I swapped some parts with another guy from the forums and got myself as glass trunk lid. 

 

Sanding some rust away here:

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Lid removed, frame reinstalled:

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Finishing (glue) touches:

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Done:

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Also installed a new trunk seal. I love those little clips!:

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Glad I got around to the outer window squeegees before the PNW rain set in for the rest of the year...

 

I used this method, I was weary at first, but after doing one window I liked it and did the rest. Sorry no photos...

 

 

I got my front suspension sorted out finally, I want softer springs, but it's 100% improvement over stock cut springs and blown struts... 

 

I bought the car with a spare set of strut housings, Tokico 5-way adjustable struts, and these unknown springs...

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Starting with the California Datsuns RCA's:

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The wiring in this car has been butt fucked more ways than I can even imagine. But hey, if I hadn't had to chase a wire leading to nowhere, I wouldn't have found a spare hole in the trans tunnel. They were nice enough to plug the hole with the original piece they cut at least. Someone had a five speed in there, wish it was still there icon_e_sad.gif It's taken a lot of work to get all the electronics functioning properly, but now the heater fan, all lights, and wiper motor are working (more on the wiper motor next...)

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When I started replacing the TC rod bushings I found out the car has the delrin bushing with a metal cup on the front side and a regular rubber bushing on the inside. Just like this: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/68964 ... t-install/

 

 

I got a TON done in the last week or so!
Got a new set of wheels/tires
The new wheels came with tires, 215/60/14 Goodyear Eagle GT. They're a little big for me, but they have never been used. It is nice to know I can safely drive in the rain. 

Aren't they beautiful?!

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Mazda Wiper Motor Conversion
My car came with a non functional wiper motor, and when I took it apart I found that the drum magnet inside was in pieces! The Mazda wiper motor conversion was straight forward, and it works just as it should. Now I just need some wiper arms. Anybody have any luck with universal wiper arms?

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That's the slightly condensed version of everything the car has gone through. Will probably post about how nice it is to have RCA's, idler arm braces, and the steering box tightened up later...

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Looks good. I'm going to guess that you're rear springs are to blame for the sag on one side. They hold the car up, the shocks dampen the travel when the car is in motion. I'm betting that either someone did a poor job cutting them down, or one spring has a crack in the coil somewhere, or it may just be losing its strength (one of them). I've seen all those scenarios at one time or another.

 

Nice car too BTW. Thanks for bringing it here, you made a good choice!

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Love it. Reminds me of one of my favorites I had to let go of a few years ago. I don't think that trans is stock tho. The shifter looks like a later model, you sure it's not a dogleg 5-speed?

Definitely no 5th gear here, lol. It does have a hole on the tunnel (covered up now) where a 5-speed shifter should go...

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Ok. I only ask because that shift lever looks just like the one that I had on a dogleg and a lot of people don't realize they are 5-speeds since they have a weird shift pattern. If your trans has an oil pan under it, it's probably the stock 4-speed.

Well you cast a doubt in my mind! I was out making sure there isn't a 5th gear hiding. Hahaha

 

I've not been doing much with the car for the past few days, but I did install the steering wheel hub, in anticipation of the new wheel that should be here Friday. So I guess I won't 've driving it for a few days, lol.

 

I also got the last piece to my windshield wipers, the actual wiper arm. Only problem is, one is missing the nut to lock it onto the stud. Do the nuts from any other Datsuns fit?

 

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*At the time of this post the wiper circuit developed a short, on the heater fan circuit. Random magical grounds....

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Not much going on here, BUUUTT...

I can say that a decent steering wheel makes a world of difference! No more cramping hands while holding onto a wheel that's about as big around as my pinky finger. No more feeling like I'm driving a school bus with a giant wheel. No more ugly, horn button-less wheel. 

With the zero offset of the wheel and the added height from the hub, the steering wheel position is more or less the same as before. 

This will be one of the few occasions where I deviate from factory, and I'm glad I did!

 

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I'm hoping someone here can help out with a situation I have... 

I got a new set of wheels last month. Only problem is, one of the four is a unilug wheel. Meaning the lug holes are oval to accommodate different lug patterns.

What in the hell can I do about it? Is it usable?  

 

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Hoping some of the old timers can chime is since these aren't common anymore, let alone 30 years ago...

Dan Gurney Western Wheel. 14x6 +0 for those wondering.

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After finally getting down to the math of my front coil spring rate, and finding out that they are something like 650lb spring, I scored an Ebay deal on a set of Eibach 8" length 200lb springs. $65 shipped for the pair. They look to be about $60 each +shipping everywhere else.

650lb/in WTF?

Anyone running a spring that stiff?

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69 dash

Yep! I had a choice between the 69 and 70. the 69 was much more complete, and in better condition so that's what I looked for. The build date was 1/70 so is it possible it had a 69 dash, or did they start the switch around the end of 69?

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Did you seal the floors be for you did the sound deadining?

Rust never sleeps

Yep! Top and bottom sides. I don't think it make it into the thread for some reason. A good sand and some cheap paint. Rust was only on the passenger side and very minimal.

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I came across a killer deal on seat brackets a couple weeks ago and they're finally here! I'm planning on a junk yard trip this weekend for seats.

These brackets feel very solid and I can't wait to get them in the car. Later I'll post photos of the current seat bracket setup. 510 brackets welded to the sliders, and bent up steel for some makeshift spacers to lift the seats up higher. You'd want to kick the PO if you sat in them, completely unstable! 

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My only complaint about them is they don't have a seat belt mount. Oh well, something will be figured out...

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Finally got around to tires. 185/60/14 I'll probably keep these around until spring, then I'll put a good summer tire on the 15's I have. Bastards at Les Schwab broke a rear stud in the process, I knew it would happen. I wont be surprised if they do it again when I bring it back to have them fix it. 

 

Right now it's sitting a little low and I need to level the car out anyway, so I went for some Ermish rear coilovers. Hope to have them next week, or sometime before three months of rain come. Just struck a deal on ZX struts/brakes, I'll swap the coilover stuff off my current struts on to them. It'd be nice to get it all done next weekend, but who knows....

 

Tread makes me feel safe when I'm sliding :)

 

 

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