first timer with datsun's, wtb 510

[b8er]

hey there, WARNING: first timmer here, iv been looking for somthing different, somthing kinda rare, and just outta nowhere i say a datsun, i had no idea what year it was, what is was called, what it had for a motor, or anything i just knew i wanted one. so after some research i happened to find out this beautiful car was called the 510.

I WANT ONE, but i basicly know nothing about them, i know i want a 72ish one but to be honest i dont even know why, i dont even know the difference bewteen 70-72, are there any? what was the generation gap for the 510?

i have found out what i should look for in a 510 body wise but what should i look for engine tranny wise? like all of us i want maximun power on a minumin budget what are my options?

lastly i am looking for a 510 somewhere near the Canadian/USA boarder as i am from Canada and am asuming im gonna have a hard time finding one in Canada. does anybody have a runing 510 for sale?

thanks for any help and info, also is there any other 510 websites that i can learn more from?

[dimefury]

is this the car you are talking about? it is a 68-74 Datsun 510. (not mine, btw)

the 68 and 69 had almost identical bodies to the 70-74's except for small styling differences and minor variation in suspension. the 72 is most common (u.s.), some collectors seek out the 68 and 69 for the earlier trim/styling. the later models (78-82?) were completely different cars. i don't know too much about these later model cars.

engine wise, its up to you really, sr20det, ka-t, hybrid L-Z motor, vg30 (or 33), or stay L-series. and that is just the short list of all-nissan swaps.

if your primary goal is most power for least money, you probably want to go turbo. (sr20det or ka24de+turbo kit)
but if you are on a really small budget you could just tune the stock motor, these cars are really light and don't really need a lot of power to go pretty fast.

i live in northern california, so i can't really help you find one. where in canada/u.s. border are you at? east coast, west, middle? if near B.C. look below for 510 club of B.C.

here are some links to some datsun 510 sites
http://www.datsuns.com/media/
^^datsun 510 video clips

http://www.dimequarterly.tierranet.com/
^^the BEST 510 site, ever. check out the classifieds.

http://www.the510realm.com/
^^british columbia datsun 510 clubs website

http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/index.htm
^^austrailian datsun site

http://www.turbophile.com/
^^austrailian nissan/datsun turbo site

http://www.datsunrestore.com/
^^intierior and trim for 510s.

i have a few others, but that should get you started.
sorry it took a few days to respond. as you can probably tell, i am really into datsun 510s, so if you have any other questions, feel free to ask, i'd be glad to help.

welcome to AF and the datsun forums!

good luck with your project!

[b8er]

ah thanks for that info, iv check all the classifieds here,the510realm,and dime quarterly. im still looking and i willl check out your other suggestions there. im in Kelowna, British Columbia, about 3 hours north of Vancouver. withthese engines swaps im asuming theres custom brakets and what not envolved but one the off hand chance is there any direct swap ones? in your opinion whats the east/most benifical swap thats been done and proven?

also i might as well ask if you know of any decent, running 510;s down in your area, as i am willing to travel to pick a decent one up. thanks

[dimefury]

68-74 Datsun 510's came stock with a 1.6 or 1.8 liter SOHC inline 4 cylinder (L-16 or L-18) engine. this family of engines is called the L-series and includes the Z car (240-280) straight six engines, the 510's engines were basically the same as the 240z's engine but with two cylinders cut off.

most 510's came with the L16 1.6 liter. you can directly swap any of the other L-series 4 cyl. engines (L16, L18, and L20b). it is really easy and a good mechanic could probably swap them in under a day. these engines are really easy to work on. my current auto-x racecar project has a L20b (2 liter) pretty heavily modded, not really a reasonable street car anymore, but i still drive it on the street.

a few pics of my L20b (i still use a 1600 valve cover)



some later model datsun cars and trucks came with what was called the naps-Z series of engines (Z20, Z22, Z24) these were dual spark plug crossflow SOHC 4 cyl engines. these engines have a nearly identical bottom-end design to the L-series engines, just different heads and displacements. the bell-housing (trans.) bolt pattern is the same and the bolt holes on the side of the block will work with the 510 motor mounts.
this engine family would also be a simple bolt-in swap, but many people don't like this head (Z-series) for racing because of its small non-machinable ports and dual plug design.

some people are taking the best of both these engine families and creating L-Z hybrids. using the larger displacement Z22 or Z24 bottom-end and bolting a L-series head to it. i've heard very good things about the LZ24b hybrid, but haven't yet built or run one of my own.

that is about it for easy bolt-in swaps, everything else will require custom engine mounts, etc.

to directly answer your question .....
a L20b swap can be reasonably cheap, is do-able for the begginer mechanic, and you should see a reasonable increase in HP and torque. add dual carbs for even more power. add a LSD from a subaru. get some good tires and you would have a fun little car.

i'll keep my eyes open, but most of the people i know who have them aren't selling. a buddy of mine just sold a bone-stock really clean 510 on ebay to a guy in florida. just over $2500 for the car and he is going to pay something like $1300 to have it shipped from northern california to florida. i'm still kicking myself for not buying it myself. oh well.
look on ebay, sometimes there is something good there.

[b8er]

right on thanks for some of that info there, im learning as i go here but your dfinalty making it easier. another question, what lsd from a subaru are we talking here, what model/year/blah blah, aha all thay kinda stuff, thanks

[dimefury]

the datsun 510 (68-74) used a rear differential made by Fuji Heavy Industries. it is called a R-160, named after the diameter of its ring gear, in this case being a 160mm ring gear. many other japanese car manufacturers used Fuji Heavy Industry rear diffs, including subaru.

the problem now is finding a subaru with a clutch-type LSD R160 (usually 3.70 to 1 ratio). the problem is that it was an option to have the LSD unit in the cars that do have them, so i can't just tell you what year/model to go rip the diff out of. the one i just put in my car came out of an 88 subaru RX. below is a link to an article that will better explain how to find, identify, and install a subaru R160 LSD into a 510. it is really easy to do.

the stock 510 unit is an open 3.90 to 1 R-160 differential.
i recently installed a subaru clutch-type LSD R-160 (3.70 to 1) in my project car, it kicks ass!

here are some pics of the subaru LSD i put in my car to help you know what to look for. i bought mine on e-bay, could have probably gotten one alot cheaper if i could have found it in a junkyard, but i am impatient.



there is a great FAQ on subaru LSD rear diffs here-
(third button down on the left of screen, then you will have to use the mouse and grab the separation and pull it over to the right to get a full screen look at the article.)
http://kmhafer.datsun510.com/

[b8er]

cool that should help once i get a 510, aha, thanks bro

[Datsun_Punk]

Originally Posted by dimefury

68-74 Datsun 510's came stock with a 1.6 or 1.8 liter SOHC inline 4 cylinder (L-16 or L-18) engine. this family of engines is called the L-series and includes the Z car (240-280) straight six engines, the 510's engines were basically the same as the 240z's engine but with two cylinders cut off.

most 510's came with the L16 1.6 liter. you can directly swap any of the other L-series 4 cyl. engines (L16, L18, and L20b). it is really easy and a good mechanic could probably swap them in under a day. these engines are really easy to work on. my current auto-x racecar project has a L20b (2 liter) pretty heavily modded, not really a reasonable street car anymore, but i still drive it on the street.

a few pics of my L20b (i still use a 1600 valve cover)



some later model datsun cars and trucks came with what was called the naps-Z series of engines (Z20, Z22, Z24) these were dual spark plug crossflow SOHC 4 cyl engines. these engines have a nearly identical bottom-end design to the L-series engines, just different heads and displacements. the bell-housing (trans.) bolt pattern is the same and the bolt holes on the side of the block will work with the 510 motor mounts.
this engine family would also be a simple bolt-in swap, but many people don't like this head (Z-series) for racing because of its small non-machinable ports and dual plug design.

some people are taking the best of both these engine families and creating L-Z hybrids. using the larger displacement Z22 or Z24 bottom-end and bolting a L-series head to it. i've heard very good things about the LZ24b hybrid, but haven't yet built or run one of my own.

that is about it for easy bolt-in swaps, everything else will require custom engine mounts, etc.

to directly answer your question .....
a L20b swap can be reasonably cheap, is do-able for the begginer mechanic, and you should see a reasonable increase in HP and torque. add dual carbs for even more power. add a LSD from a subaru. get some good tires and you would have a fun little car.

i'll keep my eyes open, but most of the people i know who have them aren't selling. a buddy of mine just sold a bone-stock really clean 510 on ebay to a guy in florida. just over $2500 for the car and he is going to pay something like $1300 to have it shipped from northern california to florida. i'm still kicking myself for not buying it myself. oh well.
look on ebay, sometimes there is something good there.

wow...that is not fair at all. i would kill for those sidedraft carbs.too bad they cost more than my car! i picked up a 72 datsun 510 wagon. alllll stock...i need something more to get this baby goin. 96 hp just inst cuttin it. does anybody know where i could find any cheap weber side-drafts? theyre always runnin about $350-$900. way too much for me. my car was $350 lol. im also looking for some rally style wheels, obviously 4 lug, but wheels are so expensive! they hav to be light too, the L16 in these are sensitive to the smallest weight changes. hell, pull out a seat and you've just shaved probably a second off your quarter mile lol i just want to make this car drive and look respectible and to live up to the emblem on the side.

[Datsun_Punk]

thats my L16. needs lots of tlc. i dont even know if that picture will even be seen but if you can see it...thats it. any suggestions?