Jeff made me do it - Cactus Green 1972 510 FJ 2dr

[carterb]

Not sure where to start on this one.

 

My friend Jeff  was looking for an FJ20ET.

I knew where I could find one.

I bought it for him.

 

But that's not all...

 

I have a Datsun friend in Monroe see.  He bought a wagon from me once years ago (2010 actually).  I bought a VG30 and install kit from him once (actually, his son's I think).  And come to think of it - I don't remember which transaction was first.

 

We met on "the bluebirds list" (an e-mail list us old farts use(ed) to communicate all things Datsun long before the510realm, ratsun.net, and facebook. 

 

Anyway - he's a great guy.  The wagon he (or was it his son) bought from me was a 1972 cactus green affair w/ an L18 & weber downdraft carb.

 

 

They were excited to get it because they had a cactus green FJ20 powered 1972 Datsun 510 2dr at home - making a nice little pair.

 

A while later he converted to SU carbs and I went over to help tune them.  He gave me an electronic distributor for my trouble.  Awesome trade!

 

While I was there, he showed me some parts he was thinking of selling (more on that later) and more importantly, he showed me his FJ2dr - this was back in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the time I wasn't much interested in the car.  It was cool and all but I had my hands full with my own projects and it wasn't for sale anyway so...

 

I was however interested in a dogleg 5spd he had which he was willing to part with.  I filed that away as I knew I would probably need/want one some day.

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

Earlier this summer, I determined that I finally had need of that dogleg 5spd.  I was pretty certain there was just something wrong with the L16 in Trouble so I was going to put Granny's L18 in it and swap in a dogleg 5spd at the same  time.

 

So I contacted Greg and set up a date to come look at the dogleg as well as some other parts he had for sale. 

 

We loaded up everything he had except for a bunch of "crash" parts he wanted to hold on to for his 2dr.

 

 

Filled the back of the 620!  He had recently sold the wagon and so was ready to let go of most of his *spares*.  While there, we talked more about his FJ2dr and he showed me an FJ20ET on an engine stand.

 

A little later Jeff (Icehouse) mentioned he was thinking how cool it would be to put an FJ20 Turbo in his wagon...  Hmmm.

 

 

[carterb]

I contacted Greg again and asked if his FJ20ET was for sale.

 

Initially, he said no, as they were saving it for the 2dr.

 

Then, later that same day, he said he and his son would entertain selling everything together.  The FJ20 2dr, the FJ20ET,  and all the remaining spares.

 

Oh man!  Now what am I going to do?  I have to at least go back and look at it right?

 

This was early May.

 

The car has some very obvious positives but also quite a few rough spots.

 

 

Looks like it used to be a vinyl top car

 

 

Rear 1/4 rot is pretty severe

 

 

Cracked  dash but a really nice SSS steering wheel

 

 

Jeff's centerfold

 

 

Mikuni shod FJ20

 

 

One of many pretty good bumps and scratches in the right rear 1/4 and - that whale  tail!

 

 

 

This all certainly gave me something to think about.  The asking price did not make this a no-brainer - It was substantial.  Fair but substantial.

 

It was also pretty close to my birthday.  And I've mentioned it before - May 10, 1972 makes a really nice match for a 1972 510!  : )

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by carterb

[carterb]

I took Brenda back with me in June to look over it again.

 

Looking over the car with an even more discerning eye this time, the rough spots were really jumping out at me.

 

Frame rail cancer threatening to break through

 

 

Spare tire well looked great though!

 

 

Lots of spares as part of the package.

 

 

 

 

I did a lot of hemming and hawing but essentially established intent to buy it.  Greg is very gracious and told me to take my time and let him know if/when I was ready.

 

On the way home from Canby, I blew a hole in the exhaust of Cooper.  I felt this was kind of like the nail in the coffin for that car.  I have been intending to take it off the road for a couple of years.  As fun as it is to drive - it really needs a restoration.  The rust used to just knock on the door.  Now it is breaking and entering. 

 

I don't mind driving the 620 but I really love driving 510's.  And this would give me one to start driving this year (I hope).  Plus Jeff really wanted that FJ20 Turbo motor!  : )

 

The rationale was established and I told Greg I was ready to buy.

[carterb]

In early August,  I loaded up the Monster Truck, borrowed Jeff's car dolly,  and Brenda, Corey and I drove to Greg's house.

 

He and his son had the car and all the spare parts staged and ready to load up which made really quick work of the whole thing.  And It was great to have  the help because it really was a load of parts!

 

 

The trailer loaded easy but I was a little nervous.  The cars has been off the road for 10 years!  The last 510 I pulled on the dolly had its rear end lock up half way home.

 

Before getting on the freeway we stopped in a parking lot to check everything over.  Glad we did because while I had strapped the car down okay,  I had forgotten to hook the safety changes to the crossmember!  It was also hot!  So Brenda and Corey got some cold drinks while I was laying down in the parking lot finishing the job.

 

 

While there, someone rolled up in a car, told  me they used to have one, and offered to buy it!  (That didn't take long)

 

Thankfully the trip home was uneventful.

 

 

 

Where am I going to put all this stuff?!

 

 

 

I know where I'm going to put the green trunk lid!

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

Time to give  the car a good look over and see what in the heck I just drug home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

The first thing I did was swap the trunk lids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much more to my liking!

[carterb]

Pretty big dent in the left rear 1/4

 

 

Rear seat is all moldy

 

 

 

I'm not  feelin' that 510 emblem on the shifter cover

 

 

 

 

Floors look okay - they have been treated at some point in time.

 

 

rust through in the left front fender

 

 

Very nice '71 bluebird grill

 

 

Hood is okay but it's been overextended so the back has nice fold lines at the hood hinges.  So sad - and typical - for 510s.

 

 

Nice dent over the right front fender and door dings and folds all the way down.

 

 

Nature's been busy

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of door dings?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

A few more negatives:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left frame rail appears to have been painted with the engine bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we've all seen worse.

 

Cosmetics aside, if I can get this thing running again to its potential, I think it will make a very proper daily driver 510!

 

[Lockleaf]

Very cool car.  I'm pretty sure my 510 wagon (also cactus green) came with that EXACT set of seats in it.  Any idea what they come from?

[]2eDeYe]

What a nice pile of stuff you've got there B)

 

[Trophy24]

Great to see the new ride documented. 

 

You coukd use that spoiler to jump garbage cans with your mountain bike. : )

[datzenmike]

3 hours ago, carterb said:

The first thing I did was swap the trunk lids.

 

 

 

Much more to my liking!

 

Oh thank god that's gone.

[volkswagner]

I wanna go for a ride!!

[mrbigtanker]

Love it. FJ for the win. How much you selling it for ? 

[banzai510(hainz)]

throw that whale tail in the dump before some kid has a bright Idea of thinking its cool to put that on his 510 and ruin it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[]2eDeYe]

Should put it on the racecar lol

[banzai510(hainz)]

those SSR Meshes for sale woud look nice on this

[volkswagner]

1 hour ago, ]2eDeYe said:

Should put it on the racecar lol

As a front air dam!

[carterb]

On 11/5/2018 at 10:52 AM, banzai510(hainz) said:

those SSR Meshes for sale woud look nice on this

 

Waiting for them to drop to my price range.  : )

[carterb]

Turns out this car has quite a history.  Some of which I have been able to find out...

 

One of the first things I noticed was that the car looked familiar.  Turns out I had seen it before - 2002 at one of Dave Carrol's Experimental Engineer 510 Day Barbecues.  (Shows how long the rust has been trying to eat through)

 

 

Recognize any other cars from that day?

 

 

 

 

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

yellow car is still the same last time I saw it,just a few months ago.

come on 700$ for SSR FORGED. Frank would pay 1500 and pay shipping just to say it was from Japan.

 

I bet half these cars are gone off the streets already

[carterb]

I was able to get in touch with the original builder - J.R. Hoppenrath (sp?) who gave me some good history and sent me a couple pages from his photo album showing the car when he first bought it and then when he sold it after all his work.

 

 

 

Super nice guy and it has been great to talk to him.

 

Apparently he sold the car to Joe Smith who added the SSS steering wheel.

 

Joe then sold it to Chuck Fowler who submitted the car to FJ20.com for a one page write-up

 

http://www.fj20.com/chucks510/

 

 

Chuck sold it to Greg who drove it for a bit and then parked it in 2008(ish) when a fuel leak was discovered around the fuel tank area. 

 

Life happened and then I bought it in August, 2018.

 

It's funny looking back at the photos.  It is still almost exactly the same as when J.R. built it.  All that time and no one put the spring back in the hood prop!

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by carterb

[carterb]

27 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

yellow car is still the same last time I saw it,just a few months ago.

 

I bet half these cars are gone off the streets already

 

I wish I had taken more photos.

 

I was driving my red '69 2dr at the time - my first 510 - Mr. Burns!

 

 

Jason Wong owns that car now.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by carterb

[carterb]

Somewhere in late September/early October, I connected a battery and checked out the wiring and made sure the engine turned over.

Then for fun I squirted some gas down the carb throats, cranked it over a few times and got it to sputter.  Confirmation that I have something to work with.

 

Then, in mid October I finally started the resuscitation project:

 

 

Tires look brand new - not sure they have been driven on.  2008 manufacture date

 

 

810 front struts and brakes

 

 

Musical instruments

 

 

Coilover conversion with what I believe are Experimental Engineering adjustable lower control arms and fixed camber plates.

 

 

finned aluminum drums

 

 

 

time to find out where that fuel leak is

 

 

 

Just looking things over while I'm under here

 

 

Pulled out the rear seat and it looks like the whole thing was holding fuel at one point.

 

 

 

Aha!

 

Vent cap was cracked.

 

 

Now I know where to start.

 

Found the fuel pump too.  : )