Just bought a 72 510 for $250.00. Nice little car that needs some help. Anyone know of resto places? Parts places? Good forums?

I always wanted one of these and finaly got one. I figure the thing should get 25-30 MPG with it's 1600. It has an auto trans. Not really looking for speed with this one. It will get webers or some or DGV carb at some point.

Going to let my daughter drive it for a while.

Joe

Hi Joe - The poor mans BMW is a great little import with lots of history. They were popular auto cross cars and they held a couple trans-am championships back in the day. Growing up in Santa Barbara the wagon version 510 was very high on the surfers list of auto choices as well.

Might not end up being your daughters ideal choice in cars and by todays standards not the safest with no side impact protection in the doors, no air bags and 1970's seatbelts...

I don't have any recomendations on web sites or parts dealers but if you google it you'll find lots of promising info. Definitely one of the imports from the '60s and '70's worth calling a classic...

Growing up in San Diego the wagons were a close choice to the VW bus for getting boards and buddies to the beach. 510's ran around San Diego in herds. The old Trans Am cars looked great and my daughter wants some of that old school look as they say now. She's pretty into old cars and loves this little thing. It's on loan only to her though.

She has already been looking at old pictures and wants pana sport wheels or mini-lites. Some of her friends are really into rice. She told them we just scored some old school rice. We live in a small town in Arkansas and I have never seen an old 510 around here. About 10 kids have looked at it and she has pics of them lowered etc. These kids are going wild over this car. They love the Camaro and other old muscle but to see something that is the orginator of what they are into has some looking for 510's already.

One kid called last night wanting to know if I could talk his dad into buying one he found.

Dad is telling him "that death trap is not ever coming to this house" . I told him no way was i getting involved in that. Now go find a first gen Camaro and I will dads best buddy.

Joe

As Dennis said, little friggin' things run forever. Nothing wrong with old school ricer. She'll love the car once it gets running. You scored very well.

Minilites, lowered stance, roll bar, and front seats, this will be THE ticket. Don't forget the "DATSUN" windshield applique across the top of the windshield.

Click the pic...
http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/Images/510-2-1.jpg (http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/gallery2.asp)

Minilite still makes the wheels to fit the 510 too...
http://www.virhistory.com/vir/73-apr/el-7304/el-7304-01.JPG

How about an LS-1/6speed transplant in something like this...
http://gallery.carreview.com/data/car/500/medium/239863510_00.jpg

Used to have a '72 with a 1600 SSS and a 5 speed. Fun car. Datsun used to make lots of factory racing parts for them.

Not sure what the supply is these days, but you could buy the SSS motors from Japan at the engine recyclers like Attarco. Bolt that up to a 240SX 5 speed and you had a nice quick car for relatively low money.

This guy has had some nice 510's.
http://www.bryanf.com/510/

WOW there is some cool stuff happening with the 510's. I have been looking around the web and tons of cool stuff is out there but it's hard to find. I can say this parts for these little cars are not cheap!! NOS nissan parts seem to bring good money.

The conversions people are doing are widely varied but the one I like the most is the VG30 or Nissan V-6 from the 300ZX. Using the FI is nice but the really cool conversions I saw have a modifide intake and use a Holley 500 CFM 2BBL carb!!

Having a little car that weighs in at about 2100 LBS and could have a 200 HP carbs v-6 under the hood should be fun to drive.

Right now and for a while though mine will have the wopping 96 H/P L16 or 1600 under the hood .

i've owned 3 (72,79,80) - awesome little racers (a very well balanced car).

you can do a simple carb upgrade to a 2bbl down draft weber and be able to enjoy it right away with little or no additional work

Joe , I think all that time you spent at Riverside as a kid might have something to do with your 510 purchase :) Good enough for Paul Newman good enough for me too !


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-012.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-012.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-011.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-011.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-010.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-010.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-007.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-007.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-004-1.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-004-1.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-002.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-002.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/th_Trans-Am-001.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/ChevyThunder/Trans-Am-001.jpg)

[QUOTE=ChevyThunder;778767]Joe , I think all that time you spent at Riverside as a kid might have something to do with your 510 purchase :) Good enough for Paul Newman good enough for me too !

Do you own the PLN 510? I know back in the 90's it was owned by a guy named Gary something. Ricker, Ricker... We used to race SCCA Triumph Spitfires with him before he bought the PLN 510.

Hey Van PLEASE e-mail me those picutes in full JPG form. There are couple of 510 forums I found and it would be great to have and post those!!.

Do you own one of these little gems Van? yes your right my time at Riverside is a major influance on this purchace. I was bitten by a British car bug when I was 13 years old. I am glad I was finally vacinated and got into something else. I still love Truimphs, Jags, Tigers and Healy's but have no desire to ever own one again. In all those years of loving small cars I always wanted a 510 and never have owned one. It was the last thing I needed to buy it was love a first sight and breought back tons of memories and teenage dreams of owning one. It's the one car I wanted and never owned until now.

It cracks me up talking about classic little Japanies cars in this forum. It's also cool to know that in the current world of tuners/ricers that these 510 are respected for the car that they are by people in this group. They were abad *** little macchine in there day and the swaps being done now make them a formidable street car today.

Joe

Joe those are thumb nails just right click and save... I have a huge data base of vitage racing photos.. some mine and some from otehrs who have contributed :)

No that 510 is not mine.. but I love those cars. I think thay have an awesome stance when set up and are cool little canyon carvers. Definitely wouldn't mind having one.

On another note... Joe, the car of mine you gave me photos from Riverside... we ran the motor on the dyno today... 720hp @ 7500 (hot day) from a little 3.2 liter motor:)