chailey1970

There's an entire bucket full of pics linked in my project site. Just look up Little D. I completely understand your reasoning about the numbers and the fact that the PO had it listed for a long time. Those numbers are legitimate to me, and I stand behind them. This car may not be for the complete do-it-yourself person... I'm not one of those. I supported local businesses and had work done. $2500 is what the car is worth to me, and it's costing me $466 tomorrow for complete new Macphersons, an alignment and a 3-year warranty from Sears Automotive (which is transferable). It's okay if people don't agree with my price... don't buy the car. If nobody wants it at my price, Little D will come with me to Colorado (to the tune of $650 on an open transport). I'll happily continue nurturing the little car along. If I can sell it, I won't have to worry about the transport and I can possibly buy another car, as I mentioned. Just to satisfy the picture issue, here are a few: Let's be clear again. I'm casually interested in selling the car, not driven to sell. If you find it too much trouble to search a link or ask a question you may have (even though you find time to criticize my chosen method of advertisement), then don't worry about it. You don't have to buy it.

Price goes to $3000 tomorrow, as new Gabriel struts are being installed and an alignment is being done. I'm almost positive nobody is going to want to pay this (I know... shooting myself in the foot by saying so), but I'll leave the offer out there until I depart Portland next week. If, by some chance, I get a radiator put on between now and then, the price will go up in accordance with that work. Thanks.

I'm going to post this, and some of you will laugh. Someone out there may be interested, though, and it would help me out tremendously to let Little D go to another Datsun enthusiast at the right price. I want $2500. Please don't low-ball. This price gets you all the work that's been done so far: car stereo install with amps, EQ, speakers, sub and Optima Yellow Top battery. This isn't 100% complete, as the amps and EQ have yet to be mounted properly under the glove box, but this is over $1000 worth of car audio equipment. The car has a new muffler and pipes and new tires. $2500 also gets you a car with a new (used) Yakima roof rack with bike and cargo cage. It gets the new rear Gabriel shocks, and new Napa Gold brakes, front and rear. It also gets you the complete assessment of what needs to be done (although most of you will be able to determine this stuff yourself). The interior has been taken out and stripped - the rear seats removed and the carpet and jute taken up. I have a motorcycle muffler and three extra rims. I will throw in some shop equipment to boot - a Duralast jack set and some Autozone Rhino ramps. This price for all this stuff puts me at a loss, but saves me from future expense and puts me in a place where I can buy a 510 or 1200 at a later date (I do like the older, boxier style). I cannot ship this car for you, you must pick it up. It is available for viewing until next Tuesday or Wednesday, at which time it will be going to Boulder, CO. $2500. Cash. Please consider. [/url]">http://

Good point #2, but I'm not interested in an engine swap right now (moving out of state next week).

At this point, no. The #3 cylinder isn't getting compression, and we think it's a valve issue. If it is, that will be repaired and no engine swap. If it's not a valve issue, I have been told I'll need a new (well, another) engine.

Anyone ever done an upgrade or swap on a 210? I need to have the OE reconditioned or put in an upgrade. I'd like a Mishimoto, but they're expensive and the Datsuns aren't listed on their Make and Model lists. I think an aluminum would be much better than a reconditioned copper. Am I right? Any suggestions for swap or upgrade?

It's the CA model and has a catalytic converter. I've been shopping around for radiators today, and nobody has aluminum bolt-on models available soon (all would have to be ordered). There are companies here who can recondition the copper OE radiator for somewhere around $200. I don't feel too good about this, because the aftermarket aluminum models brand new are around that. At this point, I'm looking into putting it on a trailer and pulling it, just to keep it safe.

I made the hard decision this morning to strictly work Little D into a daily driver... no worrying about performance upgrades and potential track racing, just reliability and efficiency and comfort. So... he's in the shop getting brakes right now and will get the OEM replacement struts soon. I will try to find a radiator shop that can replace or repair both quickly and cost-effectively, because: I'm leaving for Boulder, CO in a week - accepted a job just a bit ago. Little D has to be made ready for travel. I still don't know whether driving any distance is "okay" with only three cylinders working, but I've read that doing so isn't dangerous, it's just not smart because you can destroy both the oxygen sensor and the catalytic converter (which I won't be needing in Colorado, anyway, I think). He's getting a full roof rack set-up after the brakes this afternoon... bike and cargo. I'm still getting the carpet redone, but now only in a more cost-effective grey cut pile, but the seats are going to stay mangled for the time being. A good set of seat covers should do the trick. It's not as interesting, I suppose, to have a daily driver crafted by multiple shops rather than doing the work yourself on a performance-oriented Rat, but... I like my Little D and hope I'll have him for another 117K miles, and I'm good with 65HP. :-)

Yeah... Wryann is honest, but accustomed to money being dumped into some very, very powerful machines coming through and out of his shop. I don't have gobs of cash. And... I'm probably the dreaded Can't-Make-Up-His-Mind customer, to boot.

Ha... I wondered who would be first to chime in regarding the Fiat :-) I also asked the owner of VIP whether he'd seen anyone actually using the stock A14 in their performance cars, expecting to start a conversation about the SR20 or K24, but he said he's seen a lot of guys use the A14 for hill-climbs. I took that conversation no further, because I'd be out of my element discussing that and because we had limited time and lots to talk about. I was just in the garage and had Little D running, and I'm kind of unhappy. Today, the vacuum hoses were all replaced and I was lead to believe that it would run slightly better - enough to give me encouragement to keep driving forward and fixing all the other things. The car sounds and acts "sicker" now, though, like fixing one small portion only made the other broken parts angrier. And boy, does that engine shake when it runs. I was trying to get a look down into the carb's throat and I couldn't see anything for the vibrations. And there's so much shit attached to the air cleaner, it's hard to even see the carburetor. My head is filled with two different ideas... fix it/sell it. Damn.

I really do want to learn. I keep thinking, "I sure hope my kids learn the basics of cars, because I didn't (even though I had a father that rebuilt several '40 Fords and others - we weren't close)." What better way to get them on that path than for me to also finally learn how to maintain (more than maintain) a car? It's funny someone mentioned that these cars are pieces of cake. I originally bought a 1976 Fiat 128 and read through the Haynes manual and really understood a lot of what was in it. The manual on the 1978-82 210 reads like Mandarin Chinese to me... it just seems so much more complicated. I try to read through some portions and I come away with a headache. I have a fear of knowing that a certified mechanic can instantly fix something, but if I try to fix it I'll just end up making it worse and then the same mechanic will have to fix my fix. Irrational fear, perhaps, but it's there nonetheless. I'm in a town on the other side of the country from where I live. I don't live in Portland - I'm only here temporarily. I'm from North Carolina, and any folks that I know that could help me work on this car are 3000 miles away. The quote to have the cylinder head removed and sent to a specialist to be rebuilt, plus a new head gasket set, plus a new thermostat and new spark plugs, plus an oil flush and change is for just under $1500. I feel a little bit weird listing the amount, but there it is. Can a car survive for very long on three of four cylinders? What am I doing to the engine when I drive it now?

Thanks!

[/url]">http:// Well... a couple hours at VIP and I know some things. Turns out the third cylinder is showing no compression. The mechanic thinks it is likely a burned or bent intake valve. The radiator is leaking and the hoses need replacing. The air pump belt is bad. There's a valve cover leak. The base plate carburetor gasket might be leaking, as well. I need new brakes and struts. All vacuum hoses are being replaced as I type. I have some thinking to do. VIP gave me an estimate to fix everything I just listed. That's IF the cylinder issue is, in fact, a valve issue and the radiator can be fixed rather than replaced. I'm actually comfortable with that estimate, but it's just to get it running well - has nothing to do with performance upgrading. I think here is where I need a reality check... it's time to decide what I want to put into the car (time, effort, money). I have no skills under the hood, like the majority of you guys, so... Hmmm... ouch... I don't like thinking. :-)

Curious... do you still have the 1979 dash? Wanna sell it? :-)

Whew... all morning in the car. The seat belts are out. The carpet is nearly out. The amps and EQ aren't tacked up into place yet - the idea I had didn't work like I wanted it to, so it's time for a rethink. There was nasty wet mold under the passenger floorboard. The sleeve around the gear shifter was damn near corroded through. Easy stuff to fix, for sure. For a Newb, that's a good morning's work, I think. I want to put a new short shifter in. I want new seat belts (the ones I just took out were a mish-mash). The new carpet goes in next Wednesday. The performance inspection/eval is tomorrow morning. There's lots more going on, but I have only a second to type... and no pics to offer. Sorry. Maybe tonight.