6,475 miles? That’s mind-blowing for a 53-year-old car, not to mention being all original and appearing to be in museum-like condition. This 1971 Datsun 510 sedan has to be the nicest original example on the planet and the seller has it posted here on craigslist in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland, and they’re asking $29,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the tip!
Many of you just laughed and cued up your replies in regard to the $29k asking price. Just as a general reference from a company that knows a thing or two about vintage vehicles, Hagerty lists a #2 excellent example of a four-door 1971 Datsun 510 as being $20,500, so the seller may be a bit unrealistic. Do ultra-low miles play a role in the asking price being more in the #1 Concours range of $31,000? This car may be between those two condition assessments, which would put it at $25,750. In any case, it’s a mind-blowing car and has to be worth $20,000 all day long.
Asking price notwithstanding, many of you are probably ready with “Two too many doors!!!!” comments. Four-door sedans are often used in racing due to an incredibly stiff body, but the two-door sedan is more valuable, and probably more desirable for most people. Sadly, this example has been off the road since 1978 so it’ll need to be gone through before filling the trunk with trophies. The 510 was made from 1967 to 1973 in two-door, four-door, and four-door wagon body styles.
A four-speed manual! I bet most of you thought for sure this would be an automatic, as I did. As expected and as it should, the interior looks great, from front to rear. Although, the back seat color is so vivid blue compared to the front seats that almost like the inserts are a darker color. The seller pulled the mat up in the trunk to show the incredible condition back there – very nice. Sadly, the headrests are AWOL as are part of the front seat belts.
The engine isn’t up to the visual condition of the rest of the car, I have to believe that it could be detailed without losing all of its originality. This is Datsun’s L16, a 1.6-liter SOHC inline-four, which for the U.S. market had 96 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque. Backed by the four-speed manual and rear-wheel drive, this would be a fun car to drive. Now, about that asking price…
About the asking price… too high. These cars are Japan’s 2002s and just as fun to drive. Spent 2 years racing one and had a ball. Finding one in this good condition is rare as they rusted rapidly if they weren’t rustproofed. Nice car.
Way back when I bought my daughter one of these in the exact same colour and also a four door. In South Africa it was called an SSS, or “Triple S” and had a twin carburettor set up, 5 speed box, and went like stink. Soon after I bought it she had it rust proofed so that it wouldn’t rust while she owned it. Well, that was a laugh as it was stolen about one week after she had it done! She still claims it was the best car she has ever owned.
FWIU the twin-carb SSS was never sold in America, Continental Europe or any other LHD market because the rear carb occupied the same space as the LHD master cylinder.
I was at Road Atlanta last weekend for the Mitty and there were several 510’s running competitively
Really fun seeing such a wide variety of old cars running !!
For that kind of money,it needs to be a modified 2 door.
I MUCH PREFER the 4 door over the 2. I want one to modify, can’t do it to this one.
Fun fact that I only learned recently. The two door and four door are exactly the same chassis/body. The only structural difference is the door pillar placement. In theory, you could convert a 4 door to a 2 door with two new doors. two fixed side windows and some fabrication skills.
And HofA, I respectfully disagree. 510s were and remain fantastic cars to drive. Not sure why your experience seemed so bad, but my 510 handled great over long distances and was one of the most fun cars to drive in the midst of a cold Ontario winter – never had heater or frost problems on mine.
best
bt
Bob beat me to the comment. These cars were legendary in SCCA and have a strong following. These have always brought strong money even when the 70’s Japan imports were not on anyone’s radar. Good looking capable little sedan.
Assuming this is the same as the Datsun 1600 here in Australia, that price seems about right. There are a couple here in South Australia for over 40K Aus Dollars. The condition seems good on the ones here.
Although it’s a great slice of history from the past…it’s really useless except as a museum display or other exhibit. Fragile, prone to rust…all the things that critics dammed Japanese imports of in the early days.
A daily driver it is not. As a display…it’s fine, except that few will remember it. The Japanese brands were slow to crawl out from obscurity…the pickup trucks, led by Datsun, helped the Z-cars or the Celica, established the brands and models in the American consciousness.
I wish the seller well. This is about like having an early Renault Dauphine for sale.
I think you need to just keep passing thru because you know nothing of the 510 or Japanese cars from that time period. Comparing it to a Renault shows your total lack of automotive knowledge.
This car in this condition is a unicorn. I drove an orange ’72 through college, also a four door manual, and it’s a great car to drive, economical, and just the right size to be a daily.
Which it should be. Please ditch the “investment” mentality that puts it up on blocks like it was an altar and enjoy driving it as Datsun intended. Life is not about making more money, it’s about experiences. Cars like this fit the bill perfectly and at $20k – $25k this would probably offer both a ROI and a lot of grins.
Agreed. When it comes to PL510s, condition seems to be more important than mileage as far as value is concerned. With that eager little engine, the 4-speed, and all-independent suspension, these were meant to be driven although a friend told me Datsun marketed these to be little more than grocery-getters for growing families. And $20K would not be an unrealistic price for this one, given the mechanical once-over this car needs. I see the new owner enjoying this and getting back more than what he paid for, provided this car remains as solid as it is now.
I agree with Greenhorn. I like the four-door better in the 510.
Woo Hoo!!!
I had a 69 4 door in school bus yellow and an 1800 engine in it. Drove it towing a trailer from California to Kansas fr grad school inthe 80s. An ice storm hit from Dodge City all the way to Manhattan. One backfire somewhere around Salina, and the trailer pushed us through a stop signing the middle of no where. Two 18ish hour days with a CST in the car.
Unloaded the trailer the next day and dropped it off. Unbelievably nimble and fun to drive the rest of that day.
Thanks, Scotty. Great writeup! These 510s should be celebrated. My first introduction to the 510 was a rusty orange four-door in PA. My buddy’s motorhead dad kept it as long as possible. The tinworm-eaten 510 traversed potholes and bumps with ease despite Mr. Bryan’s penchant for speed. Another car impressed me that way years later: the 510’s road course rival, the BMW 2002. Though I’m a 2002 tii owner, I know the 510 did better on the track, and I’d consider owning one – with four doors – for sure. This specimen looks like the seller detailed the engine compartment, removing all oil and grease and leaving the worn metal and surface rust. From that point you could decide to keep it in survivor mode or start restoring. Thanks again Scotty.
Thousands of believers flock to see an oil stain on the pavement in a shape of Jesus, doesn’t mean it’s really him.
My Dad bought one brand new in 1968. It was a 4 door, our family car. He and my mother were very successful autocrossing that car.
Egads, it’s a nonstop cavalcade of memories, mostly perpetrated by the author himself. I had a lady friend that had this exact car, only green. My usual Asian car opinions basically stem from cars like this. It was a miserable car. We took it on a trip to FL. from Wisconsin, in the dead of winter( when else do northerners go to FL.?) it was an awful ride. It sorely needed a 5 speed, poor heat( with the windows all frosted), uncomfortable, crappy ride, despite the IRS, it’s signature feature, didn’t help. It, like most, rusted quickly, and its replacement, the B210, was a much nicer car. Oh, one more thing, those slots in the wheel covers are razor sharp, don’t ask how I know!
It’s a great find, as mostly 2 doors were kept for racing, where in that, it did exceptionally well, but a poor passenger car.
Got a guy in our neighborhood who races one that started as a 4 door and was converted using the rear door skins. Not sure it needed to be done but it looks good.
Price? Nope, way too much!
Price is ambitious but I won’t be surprised if the seller gets it. These 510s have cross generational appeal. We oldsters know about their past as the economical car that ran with the BMWs and the tuner generation venerates them too. I’ve seen them modified in an amazing number of ways.
The supply of 2 doors is probably about dried up so it being clean and unmodified is what will sell it.
There are far too many vehicles with asking prices based on what the owner thinks they may become vs. what they currently are.
Yes, for now in a lot of cases its supply and demand. But as time goes on, the market will become smaller and smaller within the hobby.
Not because of a lack of interest but rather the lack of finances. Sooner or later the market will correct itself and when it does many of those who have the flip mentality are going to come up short.
I’ve been waiting for that to happen my whole adult life. And I was born in the 60’s. But hope springs eternal.
Gotta remember folks, this is in Oregon where Datsun 510 sedans are not all that rare. If it had the five speed conversion and two doors, the guy could probably easily get $20,000. But a four-door that’s been sitting? Those of us who restore cars know that we’re talking $10,000 just to get it running, $15,000-$20,000 to make it a reliable Decent runner. Don’t know any people who will spend $20,000 on a $25,000 car, which can only be sold for $20,000 in the local market.
Not true takes very little money and effort to get these old L-Series running. One of the easiest engines to work on and learn from.
I believe these numbers, but they seem crazy. in 87 I paid 3 digits for.mine. Then $100 for a radiator and water pump when it pushed the fan through the radiator.fortunately well before leaving San Diego. A couple hundred for a shop to do the breaks,and maybe $25 for a u-joint in the back. I bought it from a highschooler who hadn’t taken care of it.
This was my first car and I really liked it but it rusted in a heavy mist. At night if you listened closely you could hear the tin worms feasting on it.
Despite oil spraying it the car disintegrated after about 4 Ontario winters.
They were great and awful at the same time.
The day it went to the crusher it ran like a new car.
Maybe should have kept the engine and tranny. They were superb.
You sure don’t see many of these on the ground today. Most of them met their ultimate fate many moons ago; rust being a particular malady. My Dad’s B210’s Waterloo was an unfortunate encounter with a rather large deer. Fortunately Dad was not hurt. The deer was not so lucky and the Datsun’s whole front clip was totaled. My Dad was a life long Chevrolet man and the Datsun was his first venture outside of the Bowtie cult. Oddly enough he replaced the Datsun with a new Renault Alliance. He said he just liked economical small cars and was done with land yachts. If he were alive today he’d be celebrating his 103 birthday. Happy birthday, Dad! Whenever you are I hope that the drive is a good one.
I remember these very well, the 510 (along with their pickup siblings) were a landmark car for the Japanese industry. Along with Toyota, there were no other significant Asian import cars at that time. Car guys love cliche’s, with this one earning “the poor man’s Bimmer” tag, and after achieving notoriety on the track reached nearly iconic status as the first street “rice-a-roni rocket.” But as most all small cars back then, they were not bred for long American highway jaunts with passengers and gear. Though really only “delicate” in the sense of being snack food for the rust monster, and not obscure in most of this country, they did collectively rust away quickly and disappeared from common public awareness.
Reminds me of my second car, a ’72 1200 coupe. Great little car and low cost of ownership. When I was finally done with it I gave it to a guy who was going to race it
Ah, yes, the 1200. Bought one used. Rough looking. Replaced the 1200 engine with a 1400 and installed SU carbs, Mulholland shocks, free flowing muffler. Loved it. Not as much as the 510 I bought new. 4-door. Yellow. My father laughed when he saw it. Didn’t laugh when I got what I paid when sold. Massaged the main jet. Added a Stebro and wide tires on mag wheels. Handled well. The 1200/1400 not so much but it was a sleeper. Both were economical to own but eventually so RUSTY. Oh my, now I’m headed down memory lane, slowly.
Datsuns L-Series such as this are one of the easiest to get back up and running with very little money. I don’t know where you get about spending 10k to get it running.
I would also like to add, BMW’s were actually very obscure to the general public in much of this country all the way until the very late 70’s to early ’80’s when they quickly became known (undeservedly) less as an enthusiast car and more the darling of “yuppies” and europhiles. Long before that, Datsun/Nissan had become a household name.
I remember the old joke going around back then.
“Dad, what kind of car is that?”
“Dat son, is a Datsun”
In certain circles these are very sought after. Anybody else notice it has a repainted or at least touched up hood. Look close at pic of hood lip to the right of passenger side headlights. Looks like a patched up rust spot.
Washington, Oregon, and California have the most Datsuns than any state. So the popularity is there, and has been for many years. Just take a look at what unmodified and modified 510s have gone for on bringatrailer and social media.
Ah the Dato 1600, (as they called here).
Memories, like being pulled out of the car by a cop without opening the door.
All good, lol.
Unfortunately a “friend” of mine borrowed it and wrapped it round a tree. No injuries, but because he was DUI, no insurance.
Awesome cars, especially in the dirt.
But this one is over priced.