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Our 1981 Datsun 210


armallya

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The 1981 Datsun 210 was my wife's first car when we moved to California, I had the 81 Toyota Tercel which I'm also restoring, she drove it for years and then gave it to her Dad who drove for many more years. After he passed away it came back to us and sat in my driveway, I almost gave it away twice but it was not be be and my good Karma that I did not. I have over time fixed many of the exhaust, chassis and last year had engine overhauled. Both my wife and I got to work on the interior and I fixed many of the small electrical problems. Last Saturday I completely cleaned up the engine by removing years of grease and grime and as you can see the engine is sparkling clean, almost like it was when we bought it in 1981. It is one of the first few Japanese cars which came to US during the big gas crunch starting in 79 and has many of the Japanese components still in place, it clean and comfortable and fun to drive around. There is more work to be done on the body to remove rust spots, scratches and dings which I will do soon and then get it painted. I also took time to clean out the trunk and painted the wheel wells.

 

See attached URL for photos of the car in process of being restored.

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The 210 (B-310) isn't really one of the first cars from Japan, there have been hundreds of thousands if not millions brought here. Japanese cars have been coming to the US since '58 in one form or another.

 

410/411 of the 60s and there are more I just don't know much about cars this far back

The '66-'69 Roadsters

'68-'73 510

'70-'73 1200

'75-'78 B210

'78-81 B310 

'73-'76 610

'74-'77 710

'77-'79 S10

'78-'82 A10

'70-'78 240/260/280z

'78-'80 810

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The 210 (B-310) isn't really one of the first cars from Japan, there have been hundreds of thousands if not millions brought here. Japanese cars have been coming to the US since '58 in one form or another.

 

410/411 of the 60s and there are more I just don't know much about cars this far back

The '66-'69 Roadsters

'68-'73 510

'70-'73 1200

'75-'78 B210

'78-81 B310 

'73-'76 610

'74-'77 710

'77-'79 S10

'78-'82 A10

'70-'78 240/260/280z

'78-'80 810

Yes I agree, need too correct that statement, however the big break the Japanese car companies got was from 79 onward when there was the gas crunch, prior to that the Japanese cars were just a novelty

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Yes I agree, need too correct that statement, however the big break the Japanese car companies got was from 79 onward when there was the gas crunch, prior to that the Japanese cars were just a novelty

 

Look up the OPEC oil embargo of '73. Five dollars a barrel to 12. Gas shortages not just the increase in price. This is what got me into Jap tin with a 7 year old 510 and that same year a new '76 B-210. Everyone was going smaller back then and the Big Three helped by offering Pintos, Vegas which were absolute shit quality and mileage.  People flocked to Nisan dealerships.    

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By mid '70s people were really feeling the pinch and their new car was a few years old and time for a new one. Every year more and more people were looking to Japan. There was absolutely NO comparison between Japanese quality and the Big three. NONE. If that wasn't enough they would drive rings around the Vega and the Pinto and get over 10MPG better mileage. GM and Ford? Arrogance and POS economy cars. You know, the advertisements made impossible mileage claims. No one EVER got near what was claimed  ...by the time they realized that people were not buying their junk it was too late for them.

 

Only twice was I able to drive the shit out of my B-210 long enough to get the mileage below 30 for a whole tank. Yes it was Imperial gallons but still no Pinto made even got 30 MPG.

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Colourbox, As you see the back quarter panel emblems are missing on my car, I used a molding to cover it up for now.  Your car looks nice in great condition.

I'm still hunting down the emblems. I think they might be at my mom's place. I put them in a safe place....which means I hid them from myself. LOL! I'll be at my mom's pad this weekend so I'll see if I an locate them then.

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