We’ve been out west participating in the Motherlode 400. The route included three days of some of the best roads in the country. If you have a chance to participate, by all do so. Our little Datsun 510 handled the CA gold-country tarmac quite well, thank you very much. Here’s a teaser picture:
Earlier this summer, we had a hiatus while Chip went to California and did the Motherlode 400! Nice work if you can get it, I say. The Datsun performed very well. The car sticks. I found this link of Chip’s car crossing a bridge in CA on Rat_fink’s flickr account. I hope he doesn’t hate me for using it. If he does, you may not see it very long.
So, if you live on the East Coast and are pondering a trip in your 510 to California, have Chip set up your car to make sure it will get there and back.
It runs! The VG30 is in and runs as smooth as silk. Sounds good, too.
Looks like it belongs.
Chip custom-fabbed this exhaust. I didn’t know he was a pipe-bender. Wonder what other secrets he’s keeping?
The battery is underneath the back of the car.
A long view underneath this hot rod.
It fits, and it looks like it was born there. This is a great looking enjoy bay.
Here is the engine bay all tidied up. I’ll fess up and say I like this quite a bit. Some folks like rat rods, but I like clean and shiny. This is right up my alley. Just below is the VG30 that will rest under the hood.
I’m ready to see it installed.
It seems to me that the Datsun 510 is gaining popularity among the “old car” crew. It handles well and once you get them straight, they go forever as long as you don’t rust them to death. Chip is looking for a bit more punch from his, so he’s removing the four cylinder and installing a VG30 V6 from a first generation 300ZX. He figures to go from about 95 horsepower to around 160. Since the components are all Nissan, chances are good that the 510’s immune system won’t reject the new mill.
The Datsun 510 returned from Jeff Cotten’s Collision Masters. It looks very, very nice. I would love to tell you it will be back on the road next week, but that only happens on television.
We’re cautiously optimistic that Chip will make a race in May. Chip changed the ride height and a bunch of other things with terms I didn’t comprehend. I heard the word “geometry”, which sounds right. I subscribe to the premise that a good lap time is all about the hypotenuse. If you have a 510 race car, Chip can work on it. Seriously, he can find x for you. It’s basic geometry.
Datsun 510 trunk drop
This car came in not responding to the accelerator until it felt like it. Turned out to be a valve sticking. There were some other little items that needing tending as well, but the head work was the big item. With the head back and installed, it’s back to its owner.
