If it hasn't been obvious from my prior posts, the Datsun brand and particularly the Datsun 510 has been a seminal influence and a key part of my formative years as a car guy. My first car was a Datsun 510, and it is a reminder of my roots in the world of cars and of car racing. It reminds me of that amazing freedom I first discovered at age 16 when I got my driver's license and the world suddenly seemed to open up for me. I've been racing my other BRE-liveried Datsun 510 with a couple different historic racing organizations, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I keep an eye out for interesting Datsuns that come up for sale. In this case, it was a 1971 Datsun 510 2-door 4-speed car that came up on BringaTrailer.com. I was immediately struck by its defining factor: it was a single owner car since new! I looked at the ad photos and the write up and since the car was local, just about an hour away, I decided to go take a look.
Well, never look at puppies for sale if you don't expect to bring one home. Same thing for me and 510s. I met the original owner, Joe, who gave me plenty of backdrop and stories about the car. He had purchased in in December of 1970 from the Datsun Dealership in Sunnyvale, CA while he was still a student. He had owned it continuously for over 52 years, and in my many years, that is the first time I had come across a Datsun 510 with a single owner history. So I was intrigued. He bought he car with a loan from Bank of America for a total of 2,125.44, paid in 36 installments of $59.04. Interesting that they din't have to disclose the interest rate on that! Also, car loans were rarely over 3 years in those days because cars didn't last long. Well, here it is 52 years later!
He told me that he had taken his now-wife on their first date in the car, and he now had over 225,000 miles on it. I met he and his mechanic and we talked about what they had done through the years. Although it had been repainted (I kind of wish it was still original paint), Joe had kept the black and white side stripe that was on the car when he bought it. He told me that was a signature of the Sunnyvale Datsun dealership where he bought it... they always painted a stripe on their 510s back in the early 1970s, presumably to add a little sportiness to the boxy little sedan. Keep in mind, in 1971 this might be sitting across the street from a fully pinstriped Camaro Z28 or double-hood-striped Mustang fastback.
The car was a bit dirty, and showed a little rust on one rocker panel that had been painted over (maybe 2-inches square), so I proceeded to look closely at all the floor pans, rocker panels, trunk pan, fender wells, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the one area of corrosion was really the only spot of concern. Under the aftermarket rubber mats and then the musty and faded original old carpets, I found he had the original rubber Datsun mats, which are rarely seen still with these cars. And these original rubber mats were perfect! The dash, gauges, steering wheel and seats were original, also rare to see, as was the headliner. The driver's seat was thrashed from all those years and miles and covered in duct tape and a sheepskin seat cover (so 70s!), but I was happy it was still there. Seats can be recovered and re-stuffed, but finding an original seat in the first place is difficult. Most of these cars have had aftermarket seats or other-manufacturers modern seats installed at some point through multiple owners.
After driving the car, listening to the engine, and talking about its history for quite a while, I decided I would place a bid in the auction which had a few days remaining. To my surprise, nobody upped my bid. Partly because I had placed a strong bid but also because I think most people bidding from a distance couldn't tell that this car was actually in far better shape than its photos may have portrayed.
Here is the auction site and outcome: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-datsun-510-55/
I was pretty excited at the end of the auction and ready to get this car in my garage. My wife was, as always, understanding of my "car problem" and realized this would be a great project for me. More on my plans in just a bit. But first, it was time to bring a trailer down to pick the car up. No way I was going to trust a 225,000 mile car on the drive home through Bay Area highway craziness. So I met Joe a couple days later and we swapped more stories and congratulated each other. Joe seemed genuinely happy that I was the winning bidder, because he knew that my intent was to honor its tradition and keep it relatively stock. I had told him so when I looked at it. I knew the car would be a great candidate for a "sympathetic restoration". One where I clean everything up, replace any non-stock parts I could, and bring it back close to how it looked when he drove it off the lot in December 1970. Joe handed me the keys and we promised to keep in touch. as I've said before, I like cars because of how they can connect people, and I expect to carry Joe's story along with this car for as long as I am it's steward.
So now it is at home, ready for some love and attention. My plans include a basic light restoration:
- remove all interior and replace worn carpets, new stock seat upholstery, new dash pad
- new stock style steering wheel
- stock air cleaner element
- stock wheels and skinny white-wall tires
- new shocks and springs to correct ride height and make it a comfy period-correct ride
- clean up all underneath corrosion and 52 years of gunk
- rust removal and repaint of left rocker panel
- clean up engine bay
- remove non-stock parts (CB radio, extra horns, 3rd brake light, etc)
- find an EOM side mirror? (unobtanium these days)
- remove and clean-up engine, new head gasket and likely valve job and evaluate lower-end
- new brakes and brake lines, all OEM
- new rubber bits and bushings for suspension
I got her home and recreated the photo from my Mom's lawn in 1979 when I had my first 510. I just didn't park on the lawn this time.
Then I parked her in a place of honor in my garage and started making my plans. I'll update with a new blog post in the next week to show my first tear down and clean-up progress.
