Tim's Datsun 510 Build Thread

[Alchemy-Z]

I got a thread on my local car forum but figured one here would be good so if I get slack I will have 2 forums bitching at me for updates


Catherine handed over the reigns to the 510 with the stipulation of finishing it before she gets her masters.
so...Goals

Running/Painted/Driveable 510 in 1 Year and 6 months.
Going to be working on it weekly while she is in class to keep this thing moving.

Getting Started

Got the 510 on Equipment Dollies so I can roll it around the garage in any direction for making adequate work space for my self.

Restoring the Doors
Passenger rear all harware removed and Glass

Passenger Rear Glass

Rust removed Primed/and painted to prevent future rust.

Old window rubber channel

New window Rubber Channel ;D

Passenger rear sanded and Primed ready or some Daytona Blue

Driver Front door removed

[Alchemy-Z]

Just like playing operation...except instead of a jarring buzz you get to slice your finger open

Passenger front Glass

Rust removed/Primed/ Painted over spray cleaned off glass


Me and the Heat gun removing the left over Rubber Weather Door Seals so I have a nice clean surface to apply the new ones.


New weather seals ordered...should be at my door step this week or next.
Currently Paint Gun Shopping...so to save on the budget I am doing the painting myself hopefully getting some color on the interior doors before Christmas.
Still tossing ideas around for the power plant...I've been offered 2 freebies but still doing research and have plenty of work on the rest of the car any way so not top priority.

More Updates to Come!

[case sensitive]

nice! what engine will it run?

[ride5000]

i'd love to knock a few beers back and throw in a hand while chilling in your garage with you.

unfortunately that's not going to happen. this is the next best thing, though!

[BobbyT]

cool project. and what Ken said.

[jacobsen1]

Nice dude, I'd be there for the beer drinking, but I'm all thumbs so I'd just help with pics if I could.

Just like playing operation...except instead of a jarring buzz you get to slice your finger open

gloves?

[Alchemy-Z]

Nice dude, I'd be there for the beer drinking, but I'm all thumbs so I'd just help with pics if I could.



gloves?

I normally wear gloves but the wheel that attached the window glass to the slider is held on by little wire clips and it's pretty much impossible to see what you are doing so you have to do it by feel...and gloves don't help.

Luckly in my line of work I have had about 7 Tetnis shots in the past 10 years...so you can just about use my blood as rust remover

[Drew84]

I love those nickel dimes.

[Warus]

Yay Datto 1600. I was trying to get one for my first car but ended up with a Stanza. Fond memories of rebuilding it in my parents driveway. SR20DET or are you sticking with a classic L series?

[marcus.raw]

subscribed! glad you got your build thread up and running. build threads help my progress by 40% (scientifically proven) im sure it will help yours too.

[Alchemy-Z]

Started off the Night with an Epic Battle in the garage...
With me winning Black Widow in 2nd and the Beetle taking 3rd place

sanded removed rust and primed Passengr front door.

Paint fumes make you do crazy things


okay enough damn body work...time to test fit the brakes

Nice fit


Who knew Toyota Hilux brakes and Datsuns would go so well together.

now to decide on a powdercoat color.
and yes that was a wheel stud holding it on I need to buy bolts luckly 510's use almost the same bolt size for everything.

Shine time....putting the polish back into the Light Bezels


Old vs Polished


Bling Bling


spent the rest of the night unpacking parts and getting myself organized and getting a bolt count on what to buy.
trying to knock out a lot of little project while I wait on some new stuff to show up but so far so good.

[danm]

nice work, and great 'safety' helmet! coming along nicely

[thechickencow]

I've really gotta get a house, garage, and then get a project like this going. I lack experience in a lot of the skills, but would love to learn. My experience is mainly in rally stuff, which we NEVER give a crap what it looks like so making things shiny is foreign to me.

[LateApex]

Nice! I need to put some more work into mine. Maybe this winter. I've about decided to do a KA swap. I need to craigslist my roadster 5-speed to fund some of it. They go for quite a bit if they have a working reverse.

Where did you order all your seals from? That window channel felt looks a lot nicer than the stuff I've used in the past.

[Alchemy-Z]

Nice! I need to put some more work into mine. Maybe this winter. I've about decided to do a KA swap. I need to craigslist my roadster 5-speed to fund some of it. They go for quite a bit if they have a working reverse.

Where did you order all your seals from? That window channel felt looks a lot nicer than the stuff I've used in the past.

I was looking at KA swaps myself but Iv'e been offered a freebie VG30E out of a 1988 300zx so now doing research on if its worth trying.

I've sourced the seals from different places...I believe the window channel came from a ebay store called Resto Rubber or something like that I have it favorited on my home computer I will look it up and post it.

[Drew84]

4g63 swap lol

[Tito]

LS1 all the way!!! What are your power goals Tim?

[ride5000]

that is the most ridiculously clean garage/workshop i've ever seen.

only tim can spray paint over a rug.

[CaityB]

This is actually pretty friggin epic. I'd love to have a project car thingy going, but I need to actually buy one first. A friend of mine has a Porsche 944, it's still a piece of crap right now because of funds, but that would seriously be fun.

[jacobsen1]

Paint fumes make you do crazy things

I've really gotta get a house, garage, and then get a project like this going. I lack experience in a lot of the skills, but would love to learn.

+1

I can't wait to be able to do a FFR, hopefully with Elias and my Dad.

[case sensitive]

+2

i thought you were looking at the truck ben?

[jacobsen1]

i thought you were looking at the truck ben?

or that. Who knows, I've had my heart set on the FFR for a long time, but the truck is also cool and even less people have them. Both?

[marcus.raw]

LS1 all the way!!!

qft!

[marcus.raw]

are you running a wheel spacer?

[Alchemy-Z]

LS1 all the way!!! What are your power goals Tim?

a running engine at this point it depends on what engine I go with but 140-200HP range would be fun.

are you running a wheel spacer?

I plan not too...going to just buy wheels with the correct offset I need.

I do have to use spacers for the factory wheels currently but I have some 240Z wheels that fit with out neededing spacers.

also looking at fender flares so I can run a little wider tires and give it an aggressive stance.

[Tito]

a running engine at this point it depends on what engine I go with but 140-200HP range would be fun.

We'll you already know what engine I would recommend just for the weight and flexibility.

[jacobsen1]

also looking at fender flares so I can run a little wider tires and give it an aggressive stance.

yes!!!

[marcus.raw]

We'll you already know what engine I would recommend just for the weight and flexibility.

you can buy a used running 97 camaro with the ls1 for under 5k. the ls1 weighs 497lbs fully dressed 365tq + 510 = awesome power to weight ratio. i think im biassed a tad bit

[marcus.raw]

also looking at fender flares so I can run a little wider tires and give it an aggressive stance.

in the rear as well? i convinced myself to get wider front fenders so i can run non staggered and go as wide in the front as the rear, but i cant convince myself to cut the rear fenders and slap some fiberglass over it just to run a tad more meat there.

[Tito]

Yup, just a little bit. It's a light car and he doesn't need something that powerful on the street. IMO it would be over kill even in stock form.

[Alchemy-Z]

We'll you already know what engine I would recommend just for the weight and flexibility.

Yeah everyone keeps saying SR...but I kinda want to go KA and do ITB's so it has an oldschool look with new school power.

you can buy a used running 97 camaro with the ls1 for under 5k. the ls1 weighs 497lbs fully dressed 365tq + 510 = awesome power to weight ratio. i think im biassed a tad bit

497lb huh? lol thats probably lighter than the solid block of Iron (L motor) I pulled out of it I got like $250 bucks for that thing at the scrap yard


I've had whole shells of cars that only pulled about $170 bucks

[Tito]

Yeah everyone keeps saying SR...but I kinda want to go KA and do ITB's so it has an oldschool look with new school power.

That works. the 2.4L would be good. And if you ever get bored you can easily find a turbo kit to fit it.

[marcus.raw]

That works. the 2.4L would be good. And if you ever get bored you can easily find a turbo kit to fit it.

i still say ls1. theres no replacement for displacement

[Nogrady]

Nice build so far. I had dual 50mm weber sidedraft carbs on a KA on my 73. The KA will make plenty of power for that car. Unless you beef up the rear end, any more than 300-350hp will kill the rear diff and axles.

[case sensitive]

or that. Who knows, I've had my heart set on the FFR for a long time, but the truck is also cool and even less people have them. Both?

i'd like them just to sell me the frame/chassis for the truck. then i'll fab up my own body (think atom like).

[1055]

a running engine at this point it depends on what engine I go with but 140-200HP range would be fun.

couple of different things come to mind from this..

im guessing you want RWD?

a honda F20C (out of an s2k) would be nice as hell. 240hp/220 ftlbs tq, 9,000 rpm redline and all out of a 2.0. id imagine the wheel base of the s2k and the 510 to be somewhere around the same as well..

or the slightly heavier (iron block, blehhhh), but beast like performing toyota 7me-gte.. it clocks in at ~400 lbs, @ 5 psi making 240hp, 232 ftlbs tq.. the markIII supra engine.

[freq]

That brake setup is SWEET, and the coilovers look very clean. (assuming they're Z-car struts?) What spring rates and and what shock inserts are you using? What are your plans for the rear suspension?

Motorwise, the KA with ITB's is a sweet approach and not too complicated.

And careful with the fender flares! The rears are going to be hard on a 4 door

[LateApex]

There are plenty of options for engine swaps. There are also a couple of tried and true swaps for 510s that are both easy, and have quite a bit of information and parts available for. The KA, SR or VG swaps have been done lots of times, and with the right parts can be practically a bolt-in. I also like to keep a Nissan engine in a Nissan, but that's just me.

I'd go for simple anyday. And, while 300+ hp sounds fun, these cars are still a blast with less than 100.

[Alchemy-Z]

That brake setup is SWEET, and the coilovers look very clean. (assuming they're Z-car struts?) What spring rates and and what shock inserts are you using? What are your plans for the rear suspension?

Motorwise, the KA with ITB's is a sweet approach and not too complicated.

And careful with the fender flares! The rears are going to be hard on a 4 door

Yeah 240Z struts Modified a little and Powder coated w the coil over sleve added on. Tokico HP shock insets and the springs rate up front is 280 I think (been a while since I made them)

For the rear similar set up and convert to disc brakes (I think Maxima ones)

well the Motor will be a VG30E out of a 1986 300zx I am getting the whole car..hopefully have it here with in the month and start stripping what I need off of it.

as for the flares I saw a trick one guy did on a Wagon that I will probably use if I go that route.

[freq]

This guy used rabbit flares in the rear, and cut and widened the back edge of the rear doors to match the contour. looked soooo sweet. The stupid 510realm moved to a new server and lost a bunch of pics and the build thread from this car is MIA. Here's the only pic i could find with image search:

http://media.motortopia.com/files/16...0325_Small.jpg

vg is a nice swap and well proven good luck.

[Lucky Loser]

holy ****! That black widow is no joke.

[Zillon]

This. Is. Awesome.

I've had a secret love for the 510 for some time now, I'm definitely clicking on this thread more often from now on.

[Alchemy-Z]

Well since Thrusday is Turkey Day I moved 510 work night to tuesday this week.
Still waiting on the door seals...=/ so they are on hold.
but in the meantime I decided to try and get the Headlight taken care of.

Tape up

Prime Time

Flat Black

Fin! I wanted to keep some of the classic chrome while doing the agressive flat black look that alot of Dimer's go 100% on.


time for the Headlamp Buckets


Went with a Machine grey just to add a little flavor this for the most part won't be seen any way except for the engine bay side.


With bezels


With Lights


teaser on car


all new bolts for everything...stil need to find some tiny adjuster springs for the actual head lamps and some small countersunk screws for the bezel.
but I think it looks pretty cool so far.

[Alchemy-Z]

Where did you order all your seals from? That window channel felt looks a lot nicer than the stuff I've used in the past.

few sites I used

http://www.scottsoldautorubber.com.a...-72%201600.htm

J's Retro parts on Ebay
http://stores.ebay.com/Js-Retro-Parts

and I use to use
http://www.datsunrestore.com/

but they haven't answered my email for 3 weeks now so I dunno if they are even in buisness.

[jacobsen1]

flat black with the chrome lip left looks RAD dude!!!

[case sensitive]

+1.

[Alchemy-Z]

^ Have been swamped at work so didn't get the pics up but here is the Thursday Update =)
Z31 parts car (Thanks JDM ALAN!)

VG Powa!


Farmers tan in December ?..gotta love the south.


Ready for transplant doctor!


Go time!! (Thanks Aaron for the loaner Lift & Tony for making pick up possible!)

Up ...Up...and

AWAY~! and thru the miracle of photography INSTANT ENGINE STAND =)

Time to pull the harness

To be continued...

[marcus.raw]

wow nice man you are making some nice progress. ive been waiting 3 weeks to get 8 bushings pressed in for free. i still have the entire back double wishbone, lateral links and i beams to go so i can finish up my suspension and move on to another phase lol

[Alchemy-Z]

Lots of overtime at work and a plumbing mishap last thursday but I managed to squeeze in a few hours on the 510.
back to work on the harness.

Engine Harness Out

ECU out

More harness for MISC I might use


cool thing that came with the Z31's was the Space Saver Spare with CO2 INflater canister...might make a good spare on the 510 just gotta check the offset but its the right 4 lug pattern.


got some more rubber seals in so far so good.

[Slack]

Sweet project. I might have to come out and see it in person sometime.