The B210 was an econobox offered by Datsun in the 1970s, before the company’s products were branded as Nissans. On its home turf, the B210 was known as the Sunny, in production from 1966 to 2004. The seller has a 1978 B210 hatchback, which is in the woods and has been nearly reclaimed by nature in Cookeville, Tennessee. Perhaps some usable parts are remaining, as a restoration isn’t likely. This rusting import is available here on Facebook Marketplace for any reasonable offer. Our thanks go to PRA4SNW for this woods-bound tip!
Datsun sales in the U.S. finally took off after the introduction of the 240Z sports car. However, if economy was your primary goal, the B210 (third generation, 1973-78) was your choice over the Volkswagen Beetle and all the new domestic subcompacts entering the market. The seller’s car should have what’s left of a 1.4-liter overhead valve inline-4 and likely a 4 or 5-speed manual transmission. This should have been an efficient pairing in the wake of the 1970s OPEC oil supply issues.
The seller has the GX coupe, which stands for “Excellent.” We assume that means it was the sporty edition. All these cars used the thinnest sheet metal possible, which helped reduce weight but didn’t make for longevity against the rust bug. But chances are, if you bought a B210 new in 1978, you weren’t thinking about collectability decades down the road.
Listed about three months ago, this Datsun is still hoping someone will save it (or part of it). We don’t know how long it’s been living in the woods, but long enough for Mother Nature to grow up all around and under it. Obviously, it doesn’t run, and a trailer will be needed to carry it away (perhaps a winch, too). Do you see any kind of future for this B210?
Interesting find, but O Brother, Y Bother.
I don’t know if these have any “collector” value. If not, is this simply an attempt to get someone to make an offer of— I’ll haul it off for free. As opposed to needing to pay someone to haul it to the scrapyard.
Hard to justify the expense in trying to restore this, even if you love it. Might not even have any usable parts.
One of those situations where even for free it’s too expensive. The owner will probably end up having to pay someone to haul it away.
Given the low quality of Japanese steel in this era, I would expect the entire underside to be gone. Only cool because these early Japanese imports were RWD, and you hardly see these anymore.
Slowly going back to nature were it sits. Dame the radio is missing but it is a manual. to bad this happened to this import car. Still to get it for free would be cool and part out or used for scrap metal.
This isn’t something you try to sell, it’s something you pay somebody to get rid of.
Like the large spruce tree in my front yard it tired to “sell” as a Christmas tree one year. :-)
You have to be a true believer to dig this one out…at least it’s a stick vs. a slusher.
Not only a true believer, but a couple cans short of a six pack.
Even Derek from Vice Grip Garage wouldn’t touch this one.
This looks like a Rootes Sunbeam Alpine GT, sometimes known as the baby Barracuda. I wonder if there is any crossover design with Chrysler? They owned Rootes at the time.
Road Worthy Rescues….what a fantastic show, its too bad they cancelled it. It was one of the better ones in my option and Derek was a great character.
last I saw Derick of “RWR” went onto income producing uTube, no?
He had as much fun as we do ‘getting that 1st start’ in as few moves
as we can/breaking no thing (rings, lifters, etc). We call it DFD (dead for decades) some: parked when ran, aguy w/a few: “Heavy Metal Museum”. It’s all for fun (& a lill profit /or/ ‘as small a loss as possible’. aahahahaa (’N even more fun… cut hands, oil squirt inda eye, yoga-witha-wrench, etc, etc) LOL.
He’s been doing Vice Grip Garage on You Tube for years. Long before the Motor Trend gig. He still puts out an episode every week.
I like his subtle Red Green impression.
Well after leaving the old boy sit in the woods for about 20 years the owner finally realized that he wasn’t going to get around to restoring it. But Gee, maybe it’s still worth a lot of money to someone! Sad.
“Save it”? It already died!
Why show an econobox that’s about one winter away from being compost?
Roadworthy Rescues was cancelled ?
Reason for Cancellation: The end wasn’t due to the show’s quality but rather corporate restructuring and budget cuts at Discovery, leading to the dismantling of the production company.
So they cancelled one of the better show?!!! Doesn’t make sense to me. There are lots of shows that are bad, this one was a good one.
He is better on you tube anyway they tried to tone him down and it just wasn’t funny, Oh that is waaaaay too much; Just right.
Yep. I think he’s close to 2.5m suscribers now. Doing pretty good.
While reading the listing I was hearing this nagging crackling noise and it occurred to me it the sound of this rusting!!
Looks like it’s been parked I n the spot my free volvo 1800s was.
Cabin and land was sold. Poor volvo was worse. Vandals broke thr glass out but most of the rotten leaves fell out through the used to be floor on the way to the road. It still was able to help other cars in need.
Too bad.
These were good little cars for what they were intended. Those engines could really scream with a modified ignition and fuel system. Light weight and tail happy! A great fun combination! I saw one of these drive trains in a Bug Eye Sprite. It really scooted!
Russ, thanks for picking this one up.
I thought it was one of the most ridiculous vehicle listings ever.
that’s the best place for it where it sits
looks alot like the cellica we have for the lill restored
’71 turboed car’s spare parts. Pretty soon there’ll B no “spare” left.
Last coupla yrs I think the boss pushed it a lill further w/the sno plow.
No ‘Tree thru the hood’ yet. LOL
Not running….
At least it’s green. When it finishes dissolving into the ground it should blend in better with mother nature.
I’ll bet it won’t be sold for scrap, but will sit there until the second coming.
Had a 1200. Put in a 1400 B-210 engine with SU carbs and an exhaust exiting in front of driver side rear wheel. Good economy but it would scoot. Sold it to a coworker who dumped the clutch one too many times.
Parked by the kids from the “Blair Witch Project”