Met a 70's datsun mechanic today

[.sunlover]

I was at work, and a truck driver was coming in with a "bad fuel filter" We figured it would be more, because most the drivers in our company will drive a truck into the ground before coming in. Wow, it was exactly what he thought it was, I was in the process of changing it for him, and we're making conversation, and he mentions he used to be a mechanic for a company called "Datsun". I nearly drop my tools, and tell him how I love these rides, and very little about my 521 besides I have one. He starts with "do you know how hard it is to find one of those", and I answer "I know Exactly how hard it is to find one of those" and we talk shop about Datsun, of course, leading straight to the 510. He says they sold, and never came back for anything, nothing broke, he knew numerous owners that went 250,000 and just changed a clutch. We have the whole 4 wheel independent suspension talk, and the first rally car talk, then he tells me something I didn't know. The reason for them discontinuing them was they were too perfect basically. Datsun didn't make enough money off a car that never needed any fixing, and they corrected it with the "next generation 510" that they replaced them with.

[Wide14u]

that would totally make my day

[datzenmike]

It's the dealers that would go broke. Nissan sells them and takes the money and make their profit and that's the end of it. It's the dealerships that need revenue from replacing parts and servicing them. To a degree a car that never wears out will stunt future sales meant to replace it. Ever heard of planned obsolescence? an item is designed to wear out so that a company can sell you a new one.

 

When Nissan started sales in N Am it had to prove itself as a reliable maker of cars. They couldn't be known as cheap junk from Japan, well they could, but cheap tough reliable junk from Japan. Compare the L series main bearings to those of the later KA motors. The L series are wider yet the KA makes over 50% more reliable power! This shows just how over engineered they are.

 

I don't know if the next gen 510 qualifies as 'junkier' or not. It has the same drive train in it as the PL510 other than the rear axle. In any case the EI dizzy and IR alt offset that some anyway. But yes, cars today are trimmed down to make do with less and are many orders of magnitude more complicated. No longer can you lift the hood and figure out what is wrong with your car. Those cars that went 1/4 million miles were easy for the owner to keep going without seeking dealer help. Today's cars you have to go there to have a technician check your oil. Forty or more years ago it took a certain kind of person to own and operate a car. You had to have some idea how things worked and how to get yourself home if things went wrong. People were more involved with their vehicles and did routine maintenance on them. Today's driver has been separated from this experience and reads the booklet in the glove box to find where the spare tire is.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Dealers didnt make money off the 510 cause the owners had no money when the car went bad and car went in the back yard.

[.sunlover]

I wasn't saying the next generation 510 was a junker, just that it would need some sort of professional maintenance once in awhile. Yeah, it made my day. Always wanted to meet a back in the day datsun mechanic and get some new to me history.

[datzenmike]

Agreed. Also that car was good for 10 years or so before it was handed down to 3rd or 4th owners who payed little for it and just drove them into the ground. Slowly it got to where it is today and people expect to just put gas in them and drive.

[flatcat19]

Agreed. Also that car was good for 10 years or so before it was handed down to 3rd or 4th owners who payed little for it and just drove them into the ground. Slowly it got to where it is today and people expect to just put gas in them and drive.

 

Sadly.

But that means cheaper Datsuns for us.