RoadRace2 Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 In 2012 I sold my 510 race car, it wasn’t the first 510 I had but it was a proper vintage car, was made into a race car in 72, lots of history, local history that means more to a local like me. Anyway I spent 7 or 8 years rebuilding it to get on the track, I was always just one step away and never drove it before having to sell due to proper grown up obligations took over, and I sold it to a great guy in a different country, it went far away. Last year I got it back with huge help from family. I raced it for the first time ever - it was pretty hard to describe, but monumental seems to be an accurate term. anyway, Ratsun was always there back then, I used to be just “RoadRace” but I forgot the password and couldn’t use that name again, and that’s cool. I just thought I’d share this short story that took a long time to write itself. thanks again Ratsun. PS: I can’t seem to upload any pics from my phone or from G drive 6 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Ok, first off - pics or it didn't happen. I don't know what other guys are using to upload pics. I use Photobucket and I can't say loudly engough "DON"T SIGN UP WITH PHOTOBUCKET!!!" They hold me hostage and up their rates every year. Secondly, so very cool that you got the car back. Did you ever race before? Or are you just now getting into racing? We took a 25 year hiatus from road racing and just got back into it three years ago. We bought a Huffaker built MG Midget and it is a lot of fun. We now have two cars. One for me, one for my brother. For a while, I kept wondering why we gave up racing in the first place, but it hit me over this winter. Because it takes up soooooo much time. I have to keep the race cars in the trailer so I can focus on paying work. If they are in the shop, they are like magnets, constantly tugging at me for attention. Congrats on getting the car back. 4 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace2 Posted February 24 Author Report Share Posted February 24 Ya - I hear ya…I just tried imgbb and this is the day I brought it home in 04ish? https://ibb.co/tTdcxn4T This was it racing in 80-84, green was earlier, then blue. Note the 710 was restored and races currently. https://ibb.co/Ldb0qgww https://ibb.co/KpxKxq0Z when I was ‘almost ready to race’: https://ibb.co/rGnbfjPS https://ibb.co/DNb10T5 last summer, first Time on track for a test day, had my 2 younger boys with me, born in 08 and 12: https://ibb.co/chfcP9by https://ibb.co/5hDp6qW7 https://ibb.co/KpWDMGMy maybe that works? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Check your messages Matt 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Which Matt? 1 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 magic - thanks Mike!! 2 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 1 minute ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said: Which Matt? assuming it was me lol 1 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 this was just before i sold it in case the other link doesn't work 2 Quote Link to comment
Icehouse Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Once you've raced wheel to wheel it's hard to not want to spend every Nickel you make on it. I always joke that if there was a credit car reader on the dash we would be swiping it on the straightaway for more power! Love to see some of the build photos. 4 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 (edited) @Icehouse isn't that the truth! its weird - racing is in your blood or its not - hard to explain the difference between someone who like to race and being a dyed-in-the-wool racer. @Stoffregen Motorsports assuming your name is also matt - very cool! i have been racing since karts as a kid, maybe 8 years old. went to dirt bikes, then FF, then datsun street 510, then more serious drag racing, then a giant gap with some more karting and autoX and Drag racing and back to datsuns....and i built an 85 Iroc Camaro while my datsun was gone... those links only work on my phone, not me PC - so im glad i got my original account back as i can upload pics: this is the car back in the day: this is when i first got it - it had been "rode hard and put away wet" then i started to dig in and found it was cracked up a busted everywhere. it was a typical 70's-80's club car and battery acid spilled all over corroding the trunk floor, so i removed and did it as best i could: Edited February 24 by RoadRace 2 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 (edited) this was last summer - we went to a test day and i brought my youngest 2 sons the last pic is the car in 83ish i think, its racing with a 710, both the cars were on track together this past summer for the first time since then: these 2 pics are at teh same track almost 40 years apart 👆👇 Edited February 24 by RoadRace 2 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 @Stoffregen Motorsports i love the MG's! we are going to be running a 64 MGB this summer along with a 72 Mini - i just hope the 510 can keep up! 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Love the pics. Good looking car too. Yeah, the MGs are fun to drive, but they are not so easy to work on. Or at least not so easy to get it right. It takes three hours to assemble the back plate on a BMC A motor, and after that, you still don't know if it's going to leak oil. Datsun motors, no problem. Bolt it together and it's right. Oh, and I just learned that Jensen Button is racing with us in our group this year. I hope we can hold him off. 1 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 i watched him at the Velocity event on Tv - he cleaned up - still, it would be a lot of fun! 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Yeah, I wonder if he's going to give it his all. Our cars are pretty fast though. The only cars that beat us are the sports racers (Lola and Devin/Porsche) which shouldn't really even be in our class. And even then, it's by 2-3 seconds at the end of the race. What motor are you running? L18? Quote Link to comment
iceman510 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 I know that car. Previous owner was Michael Rankin. I sold him some parts a few years back. The head on that car might be from me (A87). https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-510-77/ Specs on the auction page Matt Stoffregen. Great to see it is back in your hands. I restarted vintage racing two years ago, and looking forward to year 3 very soon. 3 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace2 Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 Yes! Mike is great, he put a lot into the car. The motor is an L18, I’m not 100% what has been done to the head, but its a small chamber A87…I’m not sure about the cam as i havent measured or degreed it. When sold him the car and it had a Colt 525 cam in it that was broken-in, no more. That cam was what they called the "DRC" cam or "Datsun Radial Challenge" - the DRC was a series they ran in BC back in the day and this was the cam they used - at least that the dude at Colt cams told me. In any case, we got an L3 and a couple other heads in the spares package. Any info you have would be appreciated. @iceman510what are you running? Car/engine?? @Stoffregen Motorsports do you race in NorCal? What’s your sched this year? My brother lives in Norcal and tries to get to a few races. 1 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 This thread is rad. 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 (edited) this is the 710 and my dime racing around 83-84. and another this is the 710 back in 83 when the 767 landed on our track during a race - true story.... this is the 710 2 years ago - We didn't get any pics of the 2 cars on track last summer....long story, but we are going to try and re-create the video... Edited February 25 by RoadRace 1 Quote Link to comment
Pounding Rox Truck Shop Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 That's cool! My buddy owns the Frelsen 710. 3 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 14 hours ago, RoadRace2 said: @Stoffregen Motorsports do you race in NorCal? What’s your sched this year? My brother lives in Norcal and tries to get to a few races. Our first race is April 11th at Sears Point. Another SPIR race April 23rd then Laguna Seca May 1st and June 19th. Funny, the BaT listing says "welded Subaru R180 rear end with a limited-slip differential". I swear, those BaT agents are becoming less and less informed. 1 Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Too funny - that was the first thing that jumped out at me as well! It’s a normal welded R180 and I called him and asked what the deal was there… he wasn’t sure what happened, but it was not a subi diff. That’s a great sched - those tracks are on my bucket list! I’ll let my brother know as he usually goes to Monterray in August. Quote Link to comment
RoadRace Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 1 hour ago, Pounding Rox Truck Shop said: I sent this pic to my buddy with the 710…he called me immediately “where did you get that!!!” Lol is it possible to ask the owner of this car what differential type/posi/gear ratio he has in it? And if he knows where to get gears?? thanks! Quote Link to comment
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