The story of the White Knight

[the510keeper]

Hey all you Datsun Heads, I wanted to share the story of the White Knight.

It was a long time a go near a place called Redding California, when I learned about this little deprived Datsun 510. I had to have it, so for the lucky price of $1500 I purchased it and towed it home.

Powered by a L18 with a L20B truck carburetor, It was going nowhere fast.

He had a stainless steel dash, that shined. While you were driving down the road you could check your smile, teeth, hair or tie. What an ugly site it was. Especially when I drove it.

 

 

I figured like so many times before I would change a few parts out and find a new home for this one. One thing lead to another, and I ended up gutting this little guy.

The plan soon became, do minimal body work and put some fresh paint on him. As I got started with body work I found more areas that needed more attention then what one could see under the black primer.

I pulled off street signs that had been riveted on and smoothed over with Bondo, at the rear rockers on each side.

I used 4 door rockers as replacement panels. After cleaning, and sealing the lower rockers I welded in the donors. There was some minor wrap age from welding, and both quarters had dings and dents. So I ended up using a grinder and removing all the old questionable material and skim coating the entire section with filler.

 

 

I took different front aprons smashed on either side and welded the good sides together then shaved the hole in the center.

 

 

After weeks of looking at the multiple colored engine bay I decided to pull the L18 / 4 speed combo and paint the engine bay. Once the engine bay was empty I stripped it with a chemical stripper. Soon after that I sandblasted the engine bay completely. While at it I decided to also blast the wheel wells and interior of the trunk pan. I timed myself 2 hours from start to finish, to blast. Next step weld up some unsightly holes, and smooth off the battery tray. A little more filler, a lot of sanding, and time for paint. I painted the radiator support black and the engine bay white. All single stage urethane, PPG Detron.

 

[the510keeper]

Not very excited about the look of the key lock on the gas door I shave that. I used a combination of a 300zx catch and a Maxima cable set up for opening the gas door. I also shaved the rocker holes, running lights front and back, license plate lights, all the emblems, and the little hole in the center of the front apron.

 

I had always wanted to modify a 510 for Bluebird taillights and figured they would make the ass stand out a little more. So I bought a set at a swap meet, cut and flanged the holes and whoa la. With no idea the pitted frames would take a life time to resurrect.

I sandblasted the little parts, hinges, quarter window frames, taillight frames, and grill parts to prep for the satin finish hot rod black.

 

 

Once the body work was done and the jambs were painted, it was time for final sanding and paint.

 

 

More to come

[INDY510]

This car is SO clean in person....

 

 

 

I have a few nice pics of it for when you're done telling the story......... thanks for taking all the pics along the way.... it makes me want to sell my kindeys NOAW!!!

[jefe de jefes]

Nice job!

 

Moar story please......

[fisch]

Geeze man you do such great work! Inspirational!

 

Just how many Datsuns have you saved? I am loosing count!

[INDY510]

Just how many Datsuns have you saved? I am loosing count!

 

I called him in 2001 looking for a 510......

 

... .. he had one with a dented rear tailight panel,,, and trick ground-control front suspension.. (he said 2 spring rates)... .. .. for like what $1200???? ...

and one with a 5 lug conversion .... and a few more shells/driver's to pick from

 

 

Something tells me he's saved hundreds of 510s ....... :thumbup:

[The Dat-side]

Glad you finally started this thread. Now finish it!

[datzenmike]

I really like this. It's something not seen by anyone while driving around but you know it looks good and that's all that counts. Well done.

 

[the510keeper]

And the story continues

 

After painting this nice looking Knight to be, I blacked out all the floors and wheel wells a second time. You ever see a white car with an over spayed white spare tire well? Sexy? This step takes that look away

 

 

Then off to the upholstery shop for a new black headliner. Once the headliner was installed, I had my glass guy install the front and back windows.

Now comes the fun part, putting everything back together, but then wondering what happen to the quick paint job and quick sell 510.

On a trailer and off to DGR where we decide to do a SR20DET s13.

At this point the suspension was still stock, I pulled the fenders off and the shell only had doors mounted permanently.

11 months later I towed the car home to install all the missing body parts, custom suspension and interior parts.

 

 

I had to weld in additional seat belts nuts to mount the 3 way retractable belts.

 

 

The rear seat, all door panels, rear package tray, and rear wheel wells were all reupholstered in confetti gray tweed.

I used mirror J molding for the door panels, (upper trim piece screwed to the top of the door, that holds the top of the door panel)

 

 

WRX seats with the centers reupholstered in black ultra swede

 

 

NOS dash pad, with 350z vents and custom center gauge cluster

 

 

Upgrades are still being made on small details of the interior as we take drives and come up with good ideas. He's already had 3 different steering wheels.

[fisch]

 

 

 

 

 

Porcelain sink handle FTW!!! +1 for Keeper. I assume you used the 'hot'? Never seen that done before. :thumbup:

[the510keeper]

I had a set of 200sx front struts that allowed you to run a 4 piston caliper and 5 lug conversion that I wanted to use. So I started buying all the necessary parts to install the coilover front struts, with bump steer spacers, new KYB inserts, T/C rod kit, reversed swaybar, urethane control arm bushings, new steering components and reversed center link. That took care of the front end over the course of a few months. Now on to the rear end. I took a stock cross member, put in a 3.5 inch exhaust hole and slotted all the A-arm mounting points. Then sand blasted, and painted it Hot Rod black. Installed the rear A-arms with 2 piston 300zx calipers and huge discs. Added a non LSD subbi diff (what I had laying around) , some Dodge D50 rear springs and KYB rear shocks. Put a jack under it and rolled it complete under the car and bolted it up.

In the beginning months I ran this White Knight with a carbon fiber hood, and 300zx wheels

 

Red candy and silver metal flake

 

From 300zx wheels to Ford Probe wheels, and a white hood

 

From Ford Probe wheels to Skyline wheels, and change the grill

[INDY510]

From Skyline wheels and new grill ........... back to the old grill and probe wheels again....... :lol: :

 

 

 

 

 

Look at the reflection under the hood!!!! ........... this car is SO CLEAN

[DISLEXICDIME]

i have a question. can you still run high beams?

[the510keeper]

No high beams, I would need to run a different inner cooler.

[DISLEXICDIME]

I wonder why they run the inter cooler like that

[Yakuza]

the bronze skyline wheels look nice..... :D

[hang_510]

twins, separated at birth