1980 Datsun 210 (310 120Y Sunny) Pretty Solid Survior

[hcallaway]

I was looking at Craigslist about 2 months ago and saw this item that caught my interest. We were looking for a car to race at a 24 hour road course event. 24 hrs of lemons down at VIR in Virginia.

Told my possible team-mates what I found and that I was buying it if it looked fairly solid. After looking at the car I bought it and then called my no longer possible team mates that the car was too nice to be trashed, so now it is my new toy. Let me know if you think it is as clean as I think it is. I am big on pictures if you look at any of my other projects.

 

 

This is the day I drove it home and gave it a quick wash job.

 

[hcallaway]

So here is the story on the car. Any good car has to have a history. The current owner was a self described retired 65 year old Vietnamese mechanic originally from California that was a car nut. (He lived in a cul de sac and had 4 cars on the street and 3 in the driveway. His garage was too full of parts and RC cars to have a car inside. I am sure he was popular with his neighbors and wife.) He was a Datsun/Mopar/Toyota/Buick/Olds/Chevy man and hated Honda's. Several kids came to check the car out but had told him that what they really wanted were Honda's. He had a super clean 6 cylinder Duster he bought off ebay in California and shipped it back to Virgina. It was his starter for a big block conversion. The problem with the car is he wanted the motor to die before he did the swap. Those slant sixes don't die, so after 2 years he decided to start the conversion anyway. Something had to go!

 

He bought this car off ebay with the idea of dropping in another motor. Problem number 2 was this car had the same issue as the Duster, the motor/transmission was so solid and with low mileage and he could not bring himself to messing with changing it from stock.

 

We went for a test drive and I was sold as soon as he started it up. It ran perfectly and everything worked. Every idiot light, guage, signal etc... The bad was the cloth on the seats were threadbare in spots and the top of the rear seat was really bad.

 

In the trunk were new Brembo rotors, front struts, fuel filters, pads, shoes and rear shocks, Chiltons Manual. He bought the parts to replace due to the age of the car.

 

The car was a one lady owner car, bought new and kept down in Birmingham AL all its life. Original Paint, Bumpers have never been tweeked, Spare has never been taken out, Dash is perfect. Rust is non existent. I love restoring cars and over the years I have gone to look at No Rust Cars and what they consider no rust are pieces of crap. This is a no rust car.

[hcallaway]

He was asking $1600. I am sure the book value was $300; but the car kept saying buy me and ask the wife for forgiveness later.

This was his decription. For sale is a clean 1980 datsun B210, 82K miles, automatic, looks good, starts good, runs good,

He told me that he bought it, shipped it to Virginia and that he knew he was going to take a bath on the car, but he needed it gone.

I gave him $1100 and felt like I had done OK. (He paid $600-800 to ship it to Richmond from AL.)

I never drove the car until I came to pick it up. It ran 70-80 and even the temp gauge stayed low.

When I stopped to fill up with gas is when I noticed the new radial tires.

[hcallaway]

Spare tire never out of the well.

Bottom of the deck lid.

Door panels are great except for the speakers he decided to install.

Headliner

Perfect Dash

[hcallaway]

Trunk with extra's.

 

I put the car up on the 2 post lift and liked what I saw. They usually don't look like this on the East Coast Roads.

[hcallaway]

Pulled the carpet, have the seats out to be recovered. Figured the carpet needed replacing; but I gave it a second look and felt like it could be saved. It did turn out good. Hung it out in the sun to dry between cleanings.

 

[hcallaway]

Another Craiglist find. Shelby Cal 500 Aluminum Slots 14 x 7

I think I will run 195-60R14 tires. I think when the unsprung wheels are dropped on the ground the wheels and tire should move pretty much under the wheel wells. Once I have the tires installed and mounted, I will look at cutting the springs to lower it.

[hcallaway]

Wheels came with center caps. I have started cleaning them and that is when I found the Shelby stampings. I am using a 600 grit wet sand paper and steel wool. At this point they have a fairly nice satin look with some wheel compound.

[metalmonkey47]

FYI, it's only a 120Y if it's got an A12 (1.2L) in it. That would be either a 140Y or 150Y. (A14 or A15)

 

 

Looks like it's gonna be cool!

[Dirttrack510]

Nice score, I like it. Keep up the good work. :thumbup:

[hcallaway]

FYI, it's only a 120Y if it's got an A12 (1.2L) in it. That would be either a 140Y or 150Y. (A14 or A15)

 

 

Looks like it's gonna be cool!

This has an A15 so that makes it what? 150Y?

[flatcat19]

Wow.

 

That is all.

[CWhip]

Congrats on finding a super clean 210! Love it!

[Willdatsun]

nice but don't call it a '310' as thats something different entirely. yours is B310.

[DatDoug]

Whatever its called, its a super clean sweet lil car. Cant wait to see the progress B)

[hcallaway]

Not sure how to change to B310 and 150Y in header?

[jalen]

I dig it but needs moar lowar

[vex210]

DamM that's clean man, just be careful because I had 195/ 60 14 in front and they we're rubbing, I when with 185/55 14 but 195/60 14 would look good on the back, it give a mean look. :) and good job saving the car..

[hcallaway]

Seats were just finished. Wayne is in a wheelchair and has more work than he can handle.

He tears them down to the frame. Paints the frames and then builds them back better than new.

The one thing he is not is cheap, but he does pay attention to make sure you get what you want and what he promises.

 

 

 

They will look better after they warm up in the hot sun and the small wrinkles will fade away.

[mrmark]

seats(and the whole car) look fantastic!

[datsunfreak]

Wow. Just, wow. :thumbup:

[ggzilla]

VERY nice! I worked on one this morning just as nice, but it the only one out here like it.

 

Definitely worth $1000 to $1500. $300 is scrap value by the way (some junkyards will pay $300 for a non-running small car).

 

Datsun model B310 it should say on the plate under the hood.

* Marketed and sold as Datsun 210 in North America

* NOT a 120Y/140Y/150Y -- B310 were only badged like that in Europe and Carribean

[akumazedex]

Wow, this soooo makes me miss my old b310 twisty beater, good job on this one! If you're wondering about suspension a good direction is sectioned ZX struts up front, you get better shocks and bigger brakes, and 510 rear coilovers, you will need to box and gusset the bottom shock mounts tho.

[ggzilla]

They B310 already comes with rear coil springs.

[akumazedex]

Independent spring and shock, coilovers use the sock mount, shock mount is strong enough for the shock not the weight of the car. So you need to reinforce the mount.