My build thread (pic heavy)

[Xander_42]

Sorry that I'm just now getting around to posting pictures of my car. But here goes.

 

I bought this car when I was 16 (23 now), and she's been running for most of that time. I had been looking for a 510 since I was 14 or 15 when I found this one, not three blocks from my parents house (correction: 467 from where it was parked, to where it ended up at my parents house), there's another one there still, that I really want to see get finished, but that's another story. I talked to the owner and bought it for $550. It was running, but the transmission made a weird clunking sound, I was told it was the throwout bearing. Later I figured out that the throwout bearing was fine (still using the same one today), and that there was three teeth missing off one of the gears (would have to look again to see which one), and that was what was causing the clunking. The PO had a spare 4 speed though, that he gave me (it had been sitting outside for a while, but it worked great). I threw that in there and then drove the car for that whole school year with very minimal issues, except for it being severely beat. The next summer my dad and I stripped her to bare metal, and repainted her in a dark Toyota blue (these days a color I still love, but maybe a bit too modern for the direction I want to go).

 

Here she is at my first auto-x:

Pander shot:

 

She's still running an L20b with a 32/36 Weber. I did the yellow high beams recently with a sheet of Lamin-x, and I don't regret it, because I've wanted to do that forever, and I don't care that everybody else is doing it, because it looks cool. I recently got her running again after a failed EI dizzy attempt. I failed at using an HEI with one of the old style EI dizzys, and I got it running with a matchbox dizzy from AriasCarlos (thank you, it worked amazing if I didn't already tell you). I'm in the process of putting together a new powertrain for the car as well. I've got a Z20s/e (still need to take some rod measurements to confirm which) that I'm gonna build as an L20, with a closed chamber head I've got sitting next to my bed. Got the engine from Datsunaholic, thank you. I'm working on getting together a set of sidedrafts for this engine as well. There's also a 5 speed I've got next to my bed that's gonna go into the car when I get a chance. Got the cylinder head and tranny from a guy in Everett(?) that had a 4 door with a VQ35DE from a Pathfinder. Cool car, not sure if he's on here or not, I think he was trying to sell it though, too bad. The Mikunis are gonna need a rebuild, real bad, so I think I may do a write up for that (it'll be a learning process).

 

I would like to say that I'm glad I didn't have a pile of cash when I was 16, or I would have butchered this car. It'd be running a KA-T probably, and it'd be slammed, and have wheels that didn't look very good. I'm very glad that I got to use it as a learning platform, and managed to keep it pretty much unmolested. On that note though:

 

I know that on this forum I'm gonna get shit about the fender mirrors because they don't look very good. That's the one decision I regret from when I rebuilt the car. If I could do it again, I would use the same mirrors (GM sport mirrors), but I'd mount them on the doors, it'd look great. There are however plans in the works to get rid of the fender mirrors and mount them to the doors, we'll see how it plays out.

 

One thing I learned during the paint job that I want to share. DO NOT USE PLASTIC AS MASKING WHEN DOING A PAINT JOB, especially if it's an olefin plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene, and a few others). The reason is that because they have a very low surface energy, paint does not adhere to them. It sticks at first, but once the paint cures, if the plastic bends or is removed, the paint flakes off, and you have tiny flakes of paint that are statically charged that stick to the car everywhere, and if this say, happens before you're done with all the layers of paint, it takes an enormous amount of time to get all of the tiny flakes washed out of the paint booth. So if painting a car, and using masking, use paper: butcher paper, newspaper, whatever, but do not use sheets of plastic. Sounds like a good idea, is not a good idea.

 

Well that's where I'm at with this car. My life with Datsuns should be growing once I graduate from college and get myself an actual source of income. I plan to get myself a 521, and my brother and I are planning to build/buy a goon race car, and do the Targa in it. Should be fun.

 

Here's the in car video from the aforementioned first auto-x:

 

I'll keep updating this thread as I do stuff to the car. But that's pretty much where the car stands today.

[danfiveten]

Nice, i need to do that kind of strip to my dime, but i never have the time or the money. Always told myself when i got my dime thats the first thing ill do.......still need to do that first thing :)

[bananahamuck]

The car looks pretty dang sharp in your other walk around youtube video also..I thinks the blue is awesome but kinda liked the first wheels better..

[Xander_42]

DanFiveTen: Yeah, I was really lucky, my dad agreed to pay for the supplies if I paid for the parts, then we worked our asses off for 4 months (woulda taken less time if we knew what we were doing). I gotta say though, my dad did the actual spraying, and I had no idea until I watched him work, but that man can lay down paint, I mean he's no pro, but he's damn good for somebody that had never painted a car before. His experience came from when he owned a cabinet shop, and he had to do the finish work on them.

 

Thanks BananaHamuck.

 

Oh yeah, the wheels, I was gonna mention that too. I got them because they were cheap, and I had been meaning to go with 15s for some time, but hadn't had the money, and my dad was giving me his "old" set of Direzza Z1 star specs fo' free, so I needed wheels for them. These wheels are heavy, they're something like 20lbs each :o. I liked the old wheels too, but I didn't love them, I still don't know what I'm gonna get, I was thinking Rota flights for a while, but that's too modern for what I want, now I'm thinking like Work Equip 01s, Rota Flashbacks/Work Equip 03s, Watanabes, Konig Rewinds or B-bombs, or something like that, more old school. I don't really like Panasports though, but I like Watanabes and Konig Rewinds, which is weird.

 

Man, I totally forgot about that walk around video.

 

I should do a poll. What kind of wheels should I put on my car (down the line, when I can afford to put new wheels on it)? The restrictions are they have to 15s (14s could MAYBE be okay) and they have to be at least little old school.

[808DA6]

Great score. Insane price! Not a huge fan of painted grills and bumpers, but that's just me. The yellow fogs are dope! :thumbup:

 

-Brian

[Xander_42]

Yeah, I wanna start getting some silver back, but at the time, cost was a serious concern (still is), and paint is a lot cheaper than chrome. Also, I didn't realize that some of the trim was stainless, so I didn't know I could just polish it.

[808DA6]

Some silver is merely an Aircraft Paint Remover can away my friend. :) All the trim on my 521 was orange! Nice a polished now.

 

-Brian

[Xander_42]

Thinking about it, I'm not entirely sure which trim pieces are chrome and which are stainless. I believe the trim around the grill is stainless, and the middle slats of the grill, I remember the main slats of the grill being chrome, and the bumpers, and the main trims (while the inner trims are stainless?). The side markers are stainless (I do have a new Taiwan set of these though, any experience with these eBay brand cheap corner markers?). I got rid of the windshield and rear window trims, although I believe they were stainless. Not sure what else I'm forgetting.

[Xander_42]

HOLY CRAP! I just got home from a four hour drive. I drove Highway 9 from Maltby to just past Deming. It was the best drive of my life, even though I had to drive carefully because I didn't want the block in my trunk to a put a dent in the side of my car. That road is really good. Now that I have my car up here, I can't wait to explore some of the bendier roads around Bellingham, and I can't wait to get that block out of my trunk so I can actually let my tires do what they do.

[bonvo]

i love that blue im curious is it a 350 z color?

 

[Zeusimo]

I know that on this forum I'm gonna get shit about the fender mirrors because they don't look very good.

 

Nonsense...

I Love Those Elky Mirrors Never Thought Of Having Them On Fenders

Might Put Some On My Truck ;)

[erichwaslike]

wat happened to these wheels?

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Zeusimo

Might Put Some On My Truck

 

DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SoCal Rotarito]

Very Nice!!!! ;-)

[Zeusimo]

DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

LMFAO

Just Trying To Make Him Feel Better

But Really, I Don't Like My Big Fat Mirrors

[Xander_42]

Bonvo: Nope, not a 350Z color. It's a Toyota color, I saw it on cars in 06 or so. I know it was on some trucks, and maybe Matrices.

 

Zeusimo: Don't do it, use smaller fender mirrors, or use them as door mirrors. But thanks.

 

SoCal Rotario: Thanks. Right back at you. You got pictures of that somewhere (I probably have some on my computer anyways, but...)

 

UPDATES:

 

Alright, I got some more work done on the new engine, and I got some more parts in the mail. Haven't gotten a chance to take engine pics.

 

Engine: turns out what I thought was a Z20S is actually a Z20E (measured the rods), which means (in case you somehow didn't already know), long rods and flat top pistons. Which with the 1.2mm compressed height of an L20b head gasket gives me about a 10.5:1 compression ratio. Which is more than I was initially planning, but if I do that on pump gas, I will. From what I've read, it sounds like the L head doesn't like to over like 10:1 on pump gas without knocking. If anybody has any input on this, let me know.

 

Mikunis: I picked up some Mikuni 40s a week or so ago, and I've been slowly tearing them apart. They're pretty beat, but they appear to be totally salvageable (but it's gonna take a lot of work). I've also got an intake manifold that I picked up. Oics:

 

 

I spent some time today sandblasting and wire wheeling half of the intake manifold, and I'm gonna do the other one tomorrow. Problem was, I only had a benchtop grinder mounted wire wheel, which worked well for most of everything. So sometime I've got to attack between the runners with a dremel mounted wire wheel.

 

Question: The half of the manifold I worked on today, had a weld at where the flange attaches to the runners, but the weld was not very well done, it did not have full penetration, so the crack was still visible inside the runner. I'm a decent welder, so I shouldn't have a problem tackling this if I need to, but what I want to know is, should I, is the weight hanging off the manifolds enough to crack them?

[sinner720st]

im sure you know that thats aluminum, its not as easy as welding thick steel... you need aluminum wire or a tig and some aluminum rod, i have only done it a couple times and you have to move fast and i would recommend many practice pieces from the scrap bin. also i read somewhere that the z series head have anti ping characteristics, and those carbs look sweet

[erichwaslike]

wat happened to these wheels?

 

 

anybody?

[Xander_42]

Right, the wheels, I was gonna answer that question too, sorry.

 

I sold the wheels to a guy on CR that was looking for wheels for a 210(?), I was told by the PO that they were 200SX wheels, but to this day, I'm still not sure of the origin.

 

Yes I do know about it being a cast aluminum, which presents its own difficulties over welding plate, billet, etc. because of the inherent porosity of the casting process. Well aware of the steps I need to take to weld it, and the amount of preheat I will need to do, thanks for your concern, I just don't know if it needs to be done.

 

Here's a materials question for you guys (I may need to ask this on a materials forum), but given that aluminum will always fail from fatigue on a long enough time line, can you reset aluminum's fatigue cycling by normalizing and/or re-heat treating it. I suspect that the result of this cracking could have been a combination of a flaw in the part, combined with a fatigue stress crack.

[SIXTY-NINE-DIME]

would be better with out those mirrors imho

[Xander_42]

I know it's old, but here's some updates. Haven't gotten much done on the car in a long time (no time or money). But, a while back, I swapped the wheels from my RX-7 to my 510. Now the 7 looks dumb, but the 510 looks great. Problem is with the stock struts the 15x7 +0 Konigs stick out too far in front, (perfect for the rear though). With the cut springs in the rear it sits way too low. So I need to get myself some new stiffer and longer rear springs and some 280zx struts.

 

Love the way the 205s fill out the car from the back. (Terrible picture, sorry)

 

Problem with the rears is that they rub, real bad. So I'm gonna need to roll the fenders. I drove it for maybe 100ft this way.

[bananahamuck]

Good to see you posting again..

 

The car looks almost perfect but have you tried 195 or 185 on those wheels.... BUT im not sure if that would keep you from having to roll fender .

[Xander_42]

I don't think a 195 would keep me from having to roll the fender, and a 185 is gonna get into some pretty serious stretch territory.

[bananahamuck]

Yeah , i was just thinking out loud..mostly

[Xander_42]

Fair enough. I'm not that worried about rolling my fenders. It's not like I'm ever gonna sell the car. Also, I can rent a proper fender roller from some autocrossers for pretty cheap.