Turning a totaled out dirt track Datsun into a Hot Rod.(starting on page 15)

[wayno]

It's good to know your all right, silence is bad, it sorta lets lets the imagination go a little crazy.

[Dirttrack510]

Ok, here's a couple Videos as Promised...

 

The first one is the Hot Laps (practice/warm up laps)

 

The Second one is my Heat Race

 

Enjoy guys, this should be about it until next season.

[wayno]

It looked like you were having issues in the hot laps, like you couldn't control it in the turns, is that a "the track is differant every weekend issue"?

[Dirttrack510]

The car was faster, so I had to relearn the car a little and we ran hot laps earlier in the class rotation this week so the track was wetter and slicker than usual for me. I changed my right front tire to a wider one when I raced and that helped in the turns. I need to find some wider rear tires now too, because with the new found horsepower I'm spinning the rear tires a lot going through the turns and when i start going into the strait aways.

 

I wish I could of posted the semi-finals race (my camera died), because I started dead last in a 12 car field, fought my way up to fourth, then I spun the car out fighting for third, caused a caution with two laps to go, had to restart last and made it back up to seventh in those two laps, earning the last position to race in the feature (finals) race. I was thrilled with the way the car ran. It was awesome to finally feel like the car was getting competitive. I can't wait to see how it does next year, especially if I can learn how to tune the side draft carbs I just bought. :devil:

[Dirttrack510]

Just a quick update... I'm planning to install a new t o bearing and do some tuning, this weekend. The new race season starts in two more weeks :)

[wayno]

Just a quick update... I'm planning to install a new t o bearing and do some tuning, this weekend. The new race season starts in two more weeks :)

 

Yea, new race season, more videos, life is good.  :thumbup:

[Dirttrack510]

Only 2 more days till I go break some shiz! New vidz coming soon :)

[Dirttrack510]

It's a sad sad day in Datsunville..... I'm 90% sure this car got totaled tonight. I'm going to have a friend look it over, but i'm probably going to be better off transferring everything to a "new" body/chassis. :( pics and vidz coming soon. He car behind me shoved me head on into the outside wall. My right front wheel is smashed flat against the fire wall and the frame is bent up like an accordian. :(

[Tristin]

Damn... whats that, like the 5th Datsun to get wrecked over two weeks? Crazy. 

[TENDRIL]

if thats the case its a uni-body , and it will not buff out .. once that lower body rail is  bent ...welp not even a legit frame straightener  can fix it, where it might get it close enough to drive it will never sit/drive right again ...bummer

[Tristin]

if thats the case its a uni-body , and it will not buff out .. once that lower body rail is  bent ...welp not even a legit frame straightener  can fix it, where it might get it close enough to drive it will never sit/drive right again ...bummer

 

Time for a tube frame!

[TENDRIL]

^^^ prolly the cheapest alternative and least time consuming.. if he has the means 

 

 

or at least from the middle of the body forward or where ever the crunch stops 

[wayno]

This sucks, was it an accident, or on purpose?

What I am asking is, was a legit bump, or something done by an asshole?

[Dirttrack510]

It was a legit bump from an inexperienced newby. My car got loose in turn 4 and I let off to staighten it out and just as I was about to straighten out he bumped my left rear corner and spun me to the right and into the wall at around 45mph.

[Dirttrack510]

I'm planning a short trip to go look at a "donor body" this week, apparently someone fairly close has several of the mid-seventies 510's sitting in a farmers field, so I'm gonna go check em' out and just swap everything over from the wagon to the new car (if they aren't all cancer)... Engine, trans, cage, struts and rear axle (if they swap over).

 

It shouldn't be to bad, as I would of had to pull the drivetrain out of the car, just to try and fix the wrecked car and the cage is a pretty easy swap, The second gen 510 is still an L series drivetrain, so everything should bolt right up. :thumbup:  I think the second gen cars have a slightly wider wheel base (i may be wrong) which would make em' drive better on an oval track. The lack of IRS isn't much of big deal to me, since the wagon never had it to start with.

[Dirttrack510]

Here's the Hot Laps Video... :thumbup:  :thumbup:  :thumbup:

 

Here's the grim Heat Race Video (a Datsun dies in this video :sick: )

[mcmlxxxv]

sorry about that man ... Is the tube frame a realistic option for you ?? that could be great I think  :)

[hobbes_the_cat]

Huge bummer. I have to say though, it is cool that after a hard hit like that you still could drive it all the way back and on to the trailer. Datsuns are tough. I hope you find another suitable shell in that field you're checking out.

[Dirttrack510]

sorry about that man ... Is the tube frame a realistic option for you ?? that could be great I think :)

I just don't have the fab skills to do it right and it would probably be illegal at my track anyway.

 

this car had a good 3 seasons of racing and started a fourth. Most of this car will live on in a new race car and to be honest this car was BEAT to death after 3 years on a track. Most cars barely make it more than a season or two.

 

I'll post more pics when I tear down the car. :(

 

Yeah that was a tough car to drive back to the pits and onto the trailer.

[mcmlxxxv]

awwe ... at least you had a great time driving it :)

[wayno]

I envisioned more damage, I was expecting to see the wheel shoved up by the firewall, are you sure the damage isn't just sheet metal damage, I understand there was a lot of sheet metal damage, but was the upper strut moved?

[Dirttrack510]

 

I envisioned more damage, I was expecting to see the wheel shoved up by the firewall, are you sure the damage isn't just sheet metal damage, I understand there was a lot of sheet metal damage, but was the upper strut moved?

[Dirttrack510]

The wheel is against the firewall and the strut mount is twisted in about 6 inches.

The only way to fix this is to sawzall everything on the right front corner and fab up a frame rail and brace the hell outta the strut tower after pushing it back out. This is no easy fix :(

[izzo]

All we have is time..... Get to it!

[Dirttrack510]

If I can't find a good donor I may have to fix it. My welding skills just plain suck though. Time will tell...