Will

The parts that I need are all of the "large and expensive to send" variety. Thanks for the offer though!

I sent a message to someone on this site that had a 710 that was just like the car I was looking for (ZX 5-speed! 74 hardtop! White interior! ...not GREEN, but at least not a boring color) to see if they had any leads on a car like theirs on the market, and they offered to sell me their car. Hooray! So it looks like I'll be flying out west near the end of the month and then driving back with my brother who lives in Los Angeles. He'll be driving his Jetta, so I'll have a bit of security if the car breaks down... and besides, this will be my seventh time driving cross country. ...and two of those California-New York trips were in a '76 Gremlin, so I should be okay, right? So, I'm looking for suggestions on what to bring for my emergency roadside repair Datsun survival kit. L18, ZX 5-Speed. ...what's gonna explode? And I need to pick up a few parts along the way, so If you have some extra 710 parts laying around, or want to show a weary traveler around your local junkyard with 710's, I need: 74 hardtop front bumper rear package tray (that's what the panel is called that is between the top of the back seat and the window, right?) rear springs (the ones on the car had a bit too much of their arc removed, so now the driveshaft bonks the driveline tunnel sometimes.) dashboard bezel that hasn't been hacked for a radio. I have a set of instruments that I pulled out of a 710 in a Finnish junkyard to offer in trade. With a tach! And a metric speedometer, so you can pretend that you're going 150% faster! IMG_2340 by willkrause, on Flickr

Oh! Also, I was saving a set of 710 gauges that I found at a junkyard in Finland - complete with tachometer and metric speedometer, just in case I ever found myself a 710, but since this car already has a tach I won't be needing them. I could trade the gages for parts that I need.

Hi Everyone, I tracked down a Datsun that is almost exactly the car I was looking for, except it needs a few parts. It is a 74 710 2-door hardtop. I'll be driving the car from Sacramento down to Los Angeles and then all the way back to New York, so I could pick up the parts in person if you're somewhere inbetween California and New York! (also if anyone knows of a good junkyard with 710's, I'd be interested to hear about it. PARTS I NEED: front bumper for a 74 Hardtop. rear leaf springs - they were de-arched, so now the car rides too low - the driveshaft bonks the driveline tunnel sometimes. dashboard bezel - mine was cut up for a radio. the panel that is between the rear seat and the rear window (I can't remember what it is called!) IMG_2340 by willkrause, on Flickr

Nice to see that stuff really works - I always figured that it would be as effective as a can of Ron Popiel spray-on hair.

That's what I figured... kinda expensive, but still a lot cheaper than mail order from Europe.

I saw this listing for a Datsun 140J grille - the grille that the 710 was sold with pretty much everywhere but the USA. And it's in California, so no overseas shipping to contend with.: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260775536125

Thanks for posting all of the details of your work - Hopefully I'll get a chance to try out a 5-speed swap myself.

Those door panels look nice, especially since the hatch has been gone long enough for moss to grow! - how long ago did you snap the pictures?

Perfect! Is this the CDM model with the overdrive hand crank, so that my left arm doesn't get tired at highway speeds? -Will

Yep - that's my old Datsun Cherry, the second one I brought over from England. The first one was hit and totalled by a taxi while it was parked! Luckily I saved almost everything from the first car, so the new owner will have enough parts for the repairs. It actually isn't too difficult to bring a car that is over 25 years old into the USA. I've only really had those two Datsun 100A's over the past eight years, so it would be nice to try something else, and I've always liked the 610 and 710 hardtops. -Will

This place has fiberglass 710 fenders and front spoilers: http://www.showcars-bodyparts.com/datsun.html Anyone ever get parts from them before?

After driving almost nothing but stationwagons and hatchbacks since I started driving, I've decided to track down a '74 710 hardtop or '73 610 hardtop. I like the 710 with the smiley bumpers and the 610 with the tiny bumpers. My 75 Datsun 100A wagon was wrecked about a month ago and passed along to someone who could better handle the body work, and I'd like to drive something a bit bigger and more quiet for road trips. ...and it would be nice to be able to find parts without having to wait for the mail to arrive from England or Finland. (P.S., thanks for the help England and Finland - you guys are great!) Something free of rust holes and drivable is essential. Manual transmission, white interior and green exterior would be best, but I'm flexible on those details. I live in New York State, but I'm willing to travel cross-country for the right car. I've driven across and back in a Gremlin, so it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for any leads, Will

Hello Todd - do you have the contact information for the guy that is selling this car? I'm trying to track down a '74 710 hardtop! -Will