Before we discuss this nasty little box-flared Datsun we must take a trip down memory lane…in their youth Rob and his good friend Tony both had Datsun 510s and enjoyed modifying and autocrossing them. Here are some pics of the box flare car before Tony transformed it:

 

Rob and Tony on the auto-x in Georgia. Yes, GO GA 510 used to be white and ran a turbo L-series!

 

Fast forward to 2011, Rob acquired the box flared Datsun from Tony with plans to get it running again one day and track-worthy. The car sat for a several years until Tony decided to visit us just a few weeks ago. Rob thought it would be a nice surprise to get the car running so Tony could drive it again and re-live his youth! Working late nights and on the weekend not only did the Datsun become road worthy, it got a new drivertain in the form of a Turbo L-series!

 

A few words about the car…Tony did all the work himself to create this car. It has a full roll cage tied into the front strut towers, 280zx brakes/front suspension, stock rear drums, ZX transmission with welded diff, Z31 hood scoop, fiberglass hood/trunk, plexiglass windows, and a completely gutted interior with custom gauge panels.

 

The Petty Blue paint was badly faded and surface rusted, especially around windows. We cleaned these areas up and simply rattle canned color-matched paint

 

Tony ran some 15×7 ARE wheels but Rob knew he could fill out those massive fenders with a more substantial wheel/tire setup. He found some old school Riken meshies in 16×7 and wrapped them in 225/50/16 Hankook RS-3s which now tuck nicely in the box flares.  We think it looks perfect. Don’t mind the negative 4 degrees of rear camber…penultimate member on the way!

The heart transplant only the box flared 510 could deserve:  Draw-Thru turbo L-series! This drivetrain  started out in Rob’s 510, made its way to Forbes’ and now resides in the box flare car:

 

More close-ups of turbo setup/downpipe in gallery! Note before/after engine bay shots. It was pretty gnarly before:

When Tony arrived from Georgia he was amazed to see his old 510. Then he drove it and the smile on his face was priceless.  We made him wash it before taking it out on the fun run 🙂

 

I was lucky to take the box flare for a spin. Driving this beast is a sensory overload. There is no passenger seat, window crank handles, sound deadening or any interior panels whatsoever. The welded diff and on/off clutch make low-speed sharp turns interesting(lsd on the way). But I forget all of this the moment I roll into the throttle and hear that semi-truck like hiss and whirl from the turbo…it is so addictive! I tried to capture this sound on video. Crank up the volume, enjoy, and please forgive the crooked quick-release steering wheel as I was very anxious to get in and drive!

 

 

Thank you Tony for keeping your Datsun in the family and we hope you enjoyed your visit to ZCG. The Box Flared 510 lives!

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We love to help a fellow Datsun owner out especially if they have a long history with their dime. Kent Morgan isn’t the original owner of this 510 wagon;  his father bought it brand new and Kent eventually got his hands on it.  The wagon dropped a valve and needed some work to get back on the road so ZCG came to the rescue.  Rebello helped rebuild the cylinder head and Rob worked on a few other items that needed attention.

This Datsun isn’t a weekend toy or garage queen. Kent works in the upholstery business (40 years strong) doing custom interiors for Pebble Beach-caliber cars. He is a one-man show and the wagon is his daily work vehicle.  The car was re-painted about 25 years ago and Rob couldn’t resist completely detailing the exterior and engine bay.

Kent tells us that not a day goes by without someone stopping him to ask if he would sell his wagon…we understand why he wouldn’t considering how long it has been in the family.

Datsuns are Driven!

I was digging through old photo albums when I found this photo from 1998. Our friend Jan T’s Datsun 510 next my ’77MGB in a school parking lot. I can still remember Jan giving me my first ride in a Dime…he would make the rear end step out on a 1-2 upshift while turning onto a street…good times!

The folks over at Car and Driver just featured this wicked 280zx powered Datsun 510 in their “LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week” article. Check out the story on “Team Dirty Sanchez”(yeah, I know, but it’s LeMons!) and more pics HERE. Thanks to zcarblog reader Clark G. for the heads up!

This year’s Concours was just as incredible as last with an even larger showing of Japanese cars. Thanks to David Swig there was an 11-car lineup in the Japanese Car Exhibit.  The display included an R34 Skyline GT-R, Datsun 510, Datsun 610, three Datsun 240z cars, Datsun roadster, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Celica, Toyota Corona, and a Honda S600 roadster!

The weather was perfect for walking on that famous Stanford lawn with cars from different eras and marques everywhere. The highlight of the Japanese Car Exhibit for me had to be the Datsun 610, Toyota Corona and the Honda S600.  I have not seen a clean 610 in person and this one looked just right lowered over Watanabe wheels and running a front spolier. We wonder what it had under the hood.  I really liked the pillar-less door/window and the rear tail lights:

David Swig showed his 26k original mile Toyota Corona Coupe. This car was a totally un-molested gem with plenty of character. From the hidden fuel filler to the pillar-less windows and detailed hubcaps it was treat to see:

The Honda S600 roadster sported a dual chain-drive system unlike the later S800 with its live axle. The  high-revving motor has a near 10,ooorpm redline, in 1965! The owner said driving it was exhilarating to drive since the powerband starts where most car redline 🙂

The Japanese Car Exhibit was staged… …[read more]