Faded blue paint and a poor man’s carbon fiber hood (black primer) fly the tuner flag high on this never-restored 1968 Datsun 510, and after reportedly sitting for 15 years, it’s back on the road with a host of modified parts. Check out more details with pictures and video on Facebook Marketplace, where $9000 buys everything including a second modified engine. Thanks to reader Chuck F. for spotting this cool old Datsun in Rossville, Indiana.
Our Datsun experts can elaborate in the comments below, but this should be a 1.6L inline four that gained a seller-described “rebuilt 210 head” with a host of new parts and a Weber 32/36 carb. Even the 96 HP stocker would move the sprightly 2100 510 Estate in sporting fashion, and 150 HP makes a common target for modified (normally aspirated) fun. This combination reportedly starts well even when it’s cold outside, and the manual gearbox most likely contains four forward gears, though different later five-speeds often find their way into the 510s. In addition to this combination, full price buys a bored L20B motor stuffed with aftermarket parts and topped by a milled A87 head. Thanks to Wikipedia for some details.
The 510’s crisp styling attracted fans in the ’60s and ’70s and holds up well today. Sadly the wagon got leaf springs in place of the sedan’s independent rear suspension, but this one benefits from later Datsun 280ZX front brakes and suspension, along with new KYB struts and lowering blocks for a 1.5 inch lower ride height.
The seller calls the interior “mostly redone (besides the dash),” and these seats look ready to go. The 510 spoiled the on-track dreams of many fancy pants wheel-turners in SCCA, earning a reputation as a sort-of poor-man’s BMW 2002.
Fat tires and lowered stance signal “at least 150 HP” to any Saturday night trolling crew, but the iconic 510 won’t need to smoke a straight-piped Charger to attract a crowd when you pop the hood. Sure, some mom-mobiles might roast this wagon in a Stop Light Gran Prix, but they’ll be junked in 11 years when this classic is still flexing its gritty gravity. Besides, at 2/3 the weight of a Civic Si, a worked-over 510 could log plenty of fun memories, with decent highway fuel economy to boot. Would you daily drive this tuned-up hauler?
I’d surly drive it if I bought it. Fun to drive as I found out the 2 years I drove one in SCCA races. Cleaned house in the ‘two hour enduros.
Did you race a wagon?
Many differences from the sedans I rallied.
Todd, about that fake carbon fiber comment.
At leasrt 2 of the 510s we ran in scca pro rally had flat black hoods as well as my current vintage race sedan.
Flat black is on the these cars to prevent glare from a shiny hood.
I’d drive it daily. I drive my Amazon Estate daily and its a workhorse that handles
Rallye, when did you run? I ran in 1980.
Raced a 2 door sedan with Roadster suspension in ITC. There was a wagon that occasionly showed up and he was very fast also. They still run down here in the south east in both Vintage and H production.
Raced the 510 in ’98 and ’99.
Was the rear end/spring swap legal?
Why ditch the irs?
My Amazon raced in BS in the 70s with an old Halibrand v8 quick change and 3 link. That set up was from a wrecked pv544 bs and it’s very heavy.
Love it,had several Datsun pick up trucks
No under body shots but this is a pretty sweet deal. If you bring a trailer for it, make it covered as any salt will kill it fast. Early wagons are quite uncommon, grill, side marker lights and dash among other items are different in later years. Go for 2 side drafts if you build a proper L20b with the parts that are part of the deal. I had room, I would be seriously considering it.
Pretty nice! Unfortunately in the salt belt these dissolved back into the earth decades ago, can’t remember the last time I saw one on the road or anywhere else. R.I.P. the 1971 Datsun 510 sedan of my college days. (Note that the wagons don’t have the independent rear suspension of the sedans, instead there’s a live axle on leaf springs.)
2.5 Sedan racing!
Looked at the email from Road America yesterday $825. 2/1 add $50 for July vintage races. Looked at the info on featured. AAR racecars AND Trans Am. Who hoo…gonna be lots of 510s!
The TA race is part of a special with VSCDA in Sept. TA feature.
Can’t miss 2 3 day events here at home with sedan races. Actually looking forward to running with other sedans Hope to see Fords…Cortina, purple Pinto and RS Escorts, Opel and more. Sometimes in group 8 historic, there’s an orange bmw m3 German touring car with me. Wonder if they’ll put i t in 2.5 TA race.
My Amazon is far from fastest, doubt it’ll be slowest. My pleasure in vintage comes from “driving my ass off” (Lynn St James quote) and passing as many faster cars as Ì can.
Would being addicted to drugs cheaper?
Probably have to get new helmet, belts, renew license, $12gal fuel and now have I have to buy a Flagtronix box.
Fortunately, I can sleep at home and towing fuel should be under $5.
Don’t get me started about Road America. I never got the chance to drive in anger there. But spent a lot of time there. My exs aunt was chef registrar for the June Springs, ex’-f.i.l. was an official photographer for Road America and my ex was a nationally licensed SCCA tech inspector as was her brother. I would sometimes work the speed traps when they needed a hand. I also screwed for a friend who ran a Corvette. Nothing better than the smell of burned racing fuel burned rubber and bratwurst!
So many great memories of Road America. Used to go down for the June Sprints every year for my brother. The year he won G Production was so great.
Always wanted one of these Datsun long roofs, standard trans and all. There aren’t many Asian car’s I’ve liked over the years but this one is right there at the top of the list.
Love this one just as it sits, including the upgrades to the front end. No trailers. Just jump in and drive. And have fun hauling whatever it is you need to haul.
The Weber & head work are nice editions. And with another built motor in the wings for after you blow up the one under the hood now?
It’s quite a survivor! any pre-90’s Japanese wagons with sticks are fun! I certainly would drive this one! $9K may be fair but bit too high for me for another toy driver!!
Quick! Get it out of Indiana before the tin worm gets it! Always wanted to build a 2 door wagon out of a 2 door sedan with the 4 wheel independent suspension. The placement of the fuel tank on a sedan makes this impractical but not insurmountable. But never bring myself to hack up any “nice/non-rotted” 510 to do that. Ex-f.i.l. installed a 2.8 Cologne V6 in his 510. Yes, I want it, but no place to park it!
I don’t see the blacked out hood as “poor man’s carbon fiber”. I see it as a throw back to when 510’s ruled the rally world and hoods were blacked to prevent glare when dawn came on an overnight rally.
And Eric Jones ruled the 510 American rally world. The first pro rally I competed in was 100 Acre Wood. My odo broke, so we were “flying blind” so to speak. ( which also means going slower than we would have liked to.) When all of a sudden the woods was being lit up, coming up behind us REALLY FAST was Eric Jones. My thinking was that once I let him by, I would let him light my way AND maybe learn a few rally driver tricks. Silly me, he was gone in an instant and we were left to fend for ourselves.
Last time I saw Eric Jones. He said he quit rallying and bought a steam engine.
Ran 100 acre wood but never saw Winnie the poo.
Did you get a photo of your caron that bridge?
I rallied 70s n 80s.
Photo of black hood 510 ,@ POR 1980 just inside front door of the shop.
Also did NARRA RALLIES. They had a special on TV.
Saw myself on TV and thought stage rallying would catch on here in US.
I ran only in 1980. I ran POR also that year. Came in 7th overall on the spectator stage and all my stage times equaled 10th overall. But due to navigator issue. (I helped a little not wanting to give up anytime and should have slowed down to figure out the confusuon) I went out on the first night just a half mile from where Buffum and Leslie went out. I probably would have made the same mistake. So I’m probably better off going off where I did. I was a,stage captain the year before. Steve Nowicki (turbo 510) never beat me on a stage, on any rally we did at the same time. although he was faster when we ice raced against each other. He changed to a Fire Arrow the next year and went on the be 5 time national production class champion.
Nice looking Datto. My late father had a 1967-68 Datsun PL510 station wagon. I was way too young at the time to drive a car.
It was a 68, 1st year for the 510.
Okay. You’re understandably curious about the “Datto” nickname. Some countries called the Datsun the “Datto”. I don’t know where the name originated.
I took the heat for driving my dads 68 p/u 58 yrs ago. I would be proud to drive this. What a great truck!!! Made it easier to give up a hot 68 bacaruda & even hotter 67 Chevy 2 and drive a corvAIR when about to loose my DL…
I bought a 69 510 4 door with a 1.8 w/weber back in 87 for under $900. Needed some u-joints, brakes, and a water pump/radiator. Then it towed a U-Haul from San Diego to Manhattan Kansas for grad school. Drove from Albequerque straight through in a blizzard. Wonderful little car.
I had a 1968 Datsun B-210 4-Door in Aqua new it was $1800.00 , it was a great little car and great on gas in a time when we thought gas was high.
I met the chap that has one of the BRE 510s. I told him i still had a fondness for the sh#boxes. His eyes got wide snd said That’s what John Morton called them.
Wayne. I hadn’t heard from Steve in years and year before last I sent him my rallye 2000 lens reflectors.
Was he still living in Wisconsin? We used to ice race on Lake Marie. Just north of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. (The lake and it’s twin are mentioned in a John Prine song.) I had the class championship for 2 years before I did Pro Rally.
He hasn’t lived in wi in more than 30 years. I looked at the emails.
West Bloomfield. Mi
Thanks. I have been gone from the area for 43 years now. (Now in Northern Nevada) Time flies even when you aren’t having fun! Although I won’t complain. Raised 2 great kids, had 2 successful careers and retired now and just completing building a new house and shop. A friend and I raced a spec racer for 15 years in track days. And looking to get back to that again some day.
My memory is s a lot slower than I am on the track. I did a lot of work on the 5 10 turbo.
I had it here and drove to the nursing home where my father was with Huntingtons.
I wheeled him out to the car and got him from the wheelchair over the door bars.
Buckled the belts, pulled them tight. There were a couple of gravel roads nearby. I gave him a 10/10s ride. Back in the wheelchair, he saw the turbo glowing bright. I gave him a thorough tour of thr car.
I thanked him for building my first gokart and all he taught me.
He died few weeks later.
R.I.P. ,,Kenny
Gotta go sing “still crazy after all these years” and cry.
Bless you rallye, you gave your Dad a proper “gear head send-off! We should all be so fortunate to have such fine treatment!
Rallye, you made me cry. I too took my father for a ride in my rally car. I’m not sure if he enjoyed it or not. There was plenty of expletives while sideways. But a big smile when he got out. (The smile could have been for various reasons. Like I got out alive! ) But he was an old stock car/jalopy driver. So I think he was just proud of his kid!.
When I was in college in 1975, I convinced my dad I needed wheels. I was in Lincoln, NE and he was in KC, MO. He said he’d look around on his end and told me to do the same. I found a ’68 GTO. He found a ’67 Datsun wagon. Guess which one I got? :) The Datsun was reliable and fun to drive but I always wondered how my luck with the girls might have changed if I had the GTO?
Yep, fun car fun to drive, had a 1969 2 door baby blue 510 in high school it was light and fast laid rubber 1st and 2nd. rusted fast in Buffalo N.Y. miss it hard to find in 2dr
Some of these comments mention experience with pickups and sedans.
I don’t think they all drive the same.
sedans have IRS.
Wagons have leaf springs and solid axle.
Girl friend from then bought a new pickup. I think it had separate frame.
You are correct. Only thing in common is the engine and transmission. And possibly the transmission is different. A Datsun expert will have to weigh in on that.
The L series drivetrains were a tough, durable, and a learning curve in all Datsuns of those times. Giving the driver’s of the street, track, ranch, or even hell something to count on. Still have a couple of 521’s in my stable for shop trucks.
Wa y ne
Likely know some of your family. If they were there for any vintage in the last 35+ years, they’d recognize my cars. Except 02 n 03, gokart track twice a week with my grandson. Sometimes David Hobbs was there with his grandson.
I don’t know if i ever drove a lap there in anger, although. Many times I heard my
Wife say t hat i h a d a killer look in my yes @ pit stops.
I’ll give you a few thousand laps? Worked tech till scca got stupid. Suddenly to get the privilege to work for free at pro and nationals. I had to work races @ black hawk.
Some years with instructing and racing. I was on RA 30-40 days a year.
My brain needed a break this morning. I watched a video from 17. I ts incar from a porch 944. Pass him 3 times snd twice he cheated and passed me on the main straight. Then i got enough cars and corners between us, he had to finish behind me.
I’d send you a link if i knew how.
Most of these got beat to hell in the 70’s.
Scrapped out by the mid 80’s.
Go find another!
They were disposable cars.
To survive the last 5 cycles of poverty, this is rare.
This is a museum piece… Figure the car is almost 60 years old.