Blanco the Winter Wagon

[carterb]

So I was just sitting at work one day back in 2007, minding my own business, when my phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Carter"

"Do you buy Datsuns?"

 

Um, well, indeed, I have been known to purchase a Datsun from time to time but no one has every called me and asked.

 

"Sure?"

 

Well he proceeds to tell me he has three Datsun 510's and a load of parts up in Oak Harbor and wants to know if I wanted to come check them out. He has decided to get out fo the 510 game and work on his other projects. After getting some descriptions of the cars and some general pricing, we load the family up in the suburban and drive the 1 1/2 hours north to Oak Harbor to check it out. After viewing all the goodies and agreeing on a price and delivery, we head on home. Well the next morning after he was supposed to show up I get a call saying something came up and he couldn't deliver any more. So I spent the next 24 hours making trip after trip to Oak Harbor hauling home the three cars and truck-loads of parts. It was quite an ordeal but I was happy. I was three 510's richer after all. : )

 

The first was a bone stock 1971 red 2dr. "The Brick"

Except for the damage on the drivers door and the right front fender, it was a peach! Not a spot of rust anywhere. Fantastic car. In the end, I never did get to build it though as I sold it to a guy in Australia who shipped it over along with one of my other cars where they ended up in a movie!

 

The second was a 1970 yellow wagon. "Caliwagon"

I had high hopes for this car. L20, 5spd, cool rims, etc. But when I started to dig into it, the rust was abomidable! Even the wiring was corroded so bad the connectors would fall apart when touched. In the end, I parted it out and cut it up because honestly, it was too dangersous to put on the road.

 

The last one was a 1971 white wagon. "Blanco"

This was probably the least interresting of the three but is the only one I still have and will be the subject of this build thread...

[carterb]

The car was a bit of a mess mechanically. The motor had been torn down left in pieces.

 

 

It had wierd lowering blocks in the rear which I had to remove in the middle of the night in the guys lawn with a sissor jack so I could tow the car home on the dolly without the rear end dragging on the ground, and it was missing some other pieces back there.

 

But the more I looked in to it, the more solid the car appeared. So eventually, I swapped in an L20 and dogleg 5spd. And got it running.

 

 

Then I got new exhaust installed and before enjoying it myself. Sold it to a co-worker.

[datzenmike]

I hope you're loading more of the story right now....

[the510keeper]

And then what else we are all ears, (eyes)

[carterb]

My friend and co-worker started off with good intentions. He started stripping the interior to make it a bit nicer and even did a rear disk brake conversion. Unfortunately, he burried himself and ran out of steam and there the car sat for a couple of years. Eventually another co-worker "bought" it from him along with another abandond project wagon of his but Blanco's situation didn't improve. Rather than getting either car back on the road, he started swapping sheet metal panels adn parting out bits and pieces whenever he needed some cash. : (

 

Now here we were, November 2011 and I was still daily driving my 1969 SSS bluebird coupe. I was getting nervious about the change in the weather that was coming and didn't want to drive my coupe on the roads once they started to ice over. Partly because I didn't want to pick up the salt-brine mixture they now spray on the roads around here and partly becasue I didn't to slip into a ditch after hittting a patch of black ice or something.

 

So I began looking for a 4dr or wagon that I could drive for the winter. I talked to the guy I sold the wagon to and it turns out he was still the owner. We struck a deal on it and the other project wagon and shortly after I picked up the wagon from the other co-worker and *barely* drove it home.

 

It was ugly as sin and needed a lot of work!

 

But it wasn't as bad as the project wagon that came with it:

[carterb]

The next couple of weekends I addressed the driveability problems (SU's out of tune, no damper oil, shotty wiring, etc). Added a white hood and right front fender I had in my stash. Then I swapped back to as many white doors as I could find in the back of the blue parts wagon. Looking better?

 

 

I found out that the drivers door and rear hatch were sold to a guy named Mark up in Arlington. He put them on his cactus green wagon.

 

 

Unfortunately, he sold the wagon to some guy for $335 a few months ago and kept no contact info. Craigslist adds and a "who bought this goon" thread elsewhere on ratsun have turned up nothing but another guy who claims to have purchased the wheels before Mark sold the wagon. Really? No one out there knows where this wagon is?

[carterb]

Now that the wagon seemed to be running somewhat reliable. It was time to improve its stance.

Custom blocks in the rear and coil-overs in front and I had genuine snow plow on my hands!

 

 

A little better dont' you think?

[carterb]

Next up: Interior.

Let's just say it was a little spartan:

 

Now I've driven a single seater race car before and it was awesome! But this is a wagon. It needs more than one chair. So I bought a pair from my friend Rich late last Friday night and spent Saturday stripping out the interior to make room for them.

 

 

Man it was good to get that red seat out of there. The mounting was extra-scary! Along with the rest of the car, the floors are nice and solid though! I had a roll of carpet in the garage that I thought I might put in the cargo area. But while I had the floors stripped, a little light bulb went off, and so I carpeted the front instead. With BERBER!!! Oh Yeah!

 

 

Next I grabbed a set of seat risers from the garage and mounted the new front seats.

 

 

Along with the nasty old rear seat that was collecting water and mold in the back of the blue parts wagon (still needs a deep cleaning)

 

 

And wala! We are now up to date.

With any luck, tomorrow I will be trading a SSS SU air box for a set of seatbelts and will swap out the nasty blue door panels for a set of cream ones. But you know how often things go according to plan. We'll see!

 

 

Have a great weekend Ratsun friends.

[Shagy]

Hey...that's my old yellow wagon.... L20b was bored .20 over, I was told it had a cam in it. When I owned it it had dual 44 mikuni carbs. It was an old mckinny motorsports motor. Thing ran like a monster (for me anyways)...

 

That car went from san diego to long beach (with me), sold it back to San Diego...then up to you Carter. I remember your email on the BB list...how did you know it was my old goon?

[the510keeper]

 

Love these seat how much,

[carterb]

Of course you love them. They used to be yours! : )

 

I've paid for them twice now!

 

Shaggy, I don't remember how we found out the yellow wagon was yours. I think there was actually some paperwork in the glovebox or something. I'd have to go back and dig through the e-mails. As I said, it was a shame to have to cut it up, but it must have deteriorated quite a bit since you had it.

[datsunfreak]

In the end, I never did get to build it though as I sold it to a guy in Australia who shipped it over along with one of my other cars where they ended up in a movie!

 

Was that the blue 4dr used in "Mao's Last Dancer"?

[KyushaKai]

Nice scores! By any chance, would you happen to have a rear bumper for wagon for sale?

[carterb]

Datsunfreak - Different movie. Here is the thread:

A bunch of 510's were prepped. You can see the Mao's last dance 'sister' car in one of the shots though.

 

He bought that red 2dr and also an orange 2dr I had.

 

KyushaKai, sorry, no spare bumpers.

[cfount]

Nice scores! By any chance, would you happen to have a rear bumper for wagon for sale?

 

i do if you still need one...pm me if so...

[carterb]

Water pump went out Wednesday after a long freeway trip. Car was making a terrible noise when I pulled off 405. Couldn't describe it, sounded like a pot boiling over with nasty metal bearing sounds thrown in for good measure. Didn't seem to be RPM dependent. Weird! I got it home and lifted the hood but it was dark and I couldn't see anything obvious. Next day I looked at it fully expecting to find no coolant but radiator was topped up and coolant was nice and clean. A friend grabbed the fan and the whole thing wiggled back and forth at least 1/8"!

 

I orderd a new water pump, picked it up on Monday but didn't get a chance to start the swap 'till tonight. I got the old one off and then before putting the new one on I noticed that the fan clutch looked quite a bit different.

 

 

My fan won't fit over the huge hub on the new one. Always sumthin'... Plus it has the icky sheet metal impeller.

 

 

I already have another one on order but I looked in my garage tonight and found that I have a couple used water pumps that feel and sound okay so I'll probably just put one of those in so I can get back on the road. Still need a gasket though. Hopefully they'll have one at the store when I take back the new waterpump. At least one of my used ones has this huge hub on it as well. Anyone know what car/truck had the giant fan?

[bananahamuck]

Is the crossmember at the bottom of post 2 one of those from that company in Allyn WA ??( I cant remember name right this second )

...Glad to see your bringing your huge bank of knowledge over here..I never signed up over " there " because i just never saw myself fitting in.

 

So now that you big guns are signing up here , i might have to start cleaning up my act..

 

 

Not........

[carterb]

That is an Experimental Engineering 5spd Crossmember

Experimental Engineering is a good friend of mine Dave Carroll

He is in Belfair, not Allyn, but really he's in South Seattle so there you go...

He's welding up a new batch right now!

You can see his brochure and price list below. I just updated it last night with some new goodies.

 

 

 

lots of good pictures of his stuff can be seen here:

http://datsun510.com...ry.php?cat=3329

 

or over at http://www.vg30.com/

 

I'm using one of his VG30 install kits on another wagon I have yet to start a thread on.

[bananahamuck]

Thanks ,,that`s the place ,, could a person walk into the address at the bottom left of list and purchase .?? My brother works just across expressway at Delta marine and it might save on shipping if he could pick-up.. If that`s not really an option it`s ok , i understand..

[carterb]

Thanks ,,that`s the place ,, could a person walk into the address at the bottom left of list and purchase .?? My brother works just across expressway at Delta marine and it might save on shipping if he could pick-up.. If that`s not really an option it`s ok , i understand..

 

Yes, just e-mail him first dave@vg30.com to make arrangements.

[datto510]

Love the wagon carter, looks bitchin. You have a great eye for wagons!

[carterb]

Okay, update time.

I replaced the water pump. Funny thing was, the car had this wierd noise when I first got it. It was always there, and didn't seem to change much with RPM, but it was kind of anoying as it sounded like metal on metal scraping. You could hear it from inside the car but not really from the outside. Almost sounded like the flywheel was rubbing on the bellhousing or something. Well, i now know what it was:

 

The water pump bearings had failed and the impeller was now cutting into the timing cover like a mill!

 

The shaft play on the old waterpump was truely amazing! I could wiggle the impeller back and forth about 1/8" in the housing. And it didn't leak a drop either.

 

Well, correct new water pump sourced and finally in place and I was back on the road.

 

No more noises and another great testament to how well durable these L-motors are.

[carterb]

After the water pump swap, I spent some more time on the interior. I swapped out all the nasty mis-matched door panels for cream. I traded with my friend Pat for some rear panels too. (now just need the left rear) My wife Brenda lent a hand and scrubbed the rear seat, door panels, and even the headliner. Looks SO much better now. I can't believe it is the same car after looking at the interior shot at the beginning of this thread.

 

Next it was a couple more driveability things. First up - SHIFT BUSHINGS!!! Yeah!

 

The old shift bushings weren't worn, they weren't there!!! Well, that's partially true. Someone wrapped the shifter with about 10 feet of electrical tape to build up a big knob at the base betwen the ears on the tranny to help take up the slop. Umm, let me just say it didn't work. : )

 

Next up, alignment. I know lowering a 510 always screws up the alignment but you never know how badly 'till you check.

 

How about over 2 degrees of toe-out?! No wonder it didn't like going straight on the ice.

 

After a little adjustment, about 1/8-1/4 degree of toe-in.

 

It's nice to make little improvements along the way isn't it...

[carterb]

Love the wagon carter, looks bitchin. You have a great eye for wagons!

 

Thanks! Icehouse calls me "The Wagon Guy" because I've been daily driving one wagon or another for the last 8 years or so? I have a coupe, a 2dr, and a 4dr too but only the coupe is a driver and even while I was driving that to and from work all last summer he still called me the wagon guy. I just picked up another wagon on Tuesday. Now I have three. Oh well, what'cha gunna do? : )

 

Here is the first wagon I fixed up - Flipper. Drove it for a couple years, sold it to a co-worker, he sold it to someone else, who sold it to someone else, who... you get the picture. Now it has a KA and pink wheels and a very happy young woman owner.

 

Here is the second wagon I fixed up - Otto.

Did a ton of work to this one and drove it for 3 or 4 years before selling it to a local guy who bought it to match his cactus green 2dr 510.

 

Here is the third wagon I fixed up - Donko II

I just did a motor swap and some rust repair and some other things to make it roadworthy and then sold it to a friend of Jason Wong's up in Canada. I never really drove it myself.

 

Here is the last wagon I fixed up - O'Tannenbrown

This was just an amazing stock wagon to begin with and I did a ton of suspension work. It was truely the best example I have owned. I sold it at the end of last summer to my friend Rich up in Oak Harbor. He is currently giving it an SR20 and a lot of other love. That's him in the photo driving away.

 

This one is my VG33 wagon project - Rice Wagon

I will start a thread on this one soon.

 

And finally, Freebird, the wagon I towed home on Tuesday. Not sure what I'll be doing with this yet but I have some good ideas and requests.

 

I have had 3 other wagons too I think but they were all parts cars.

If you want to see more pictures of any of these projects, look here:

http://datsun510.com....php?ppuser=159

 

I have been playing with 510's for years but I just finally joined Ratsun a month ago.

[510sAreHot]

 

i like this one!