RR of the Day: 1972 Datsun 510 2-Door
Sometimes we look at the Flickr pool and our choice for RR of the day is blatantly obvious. This is one of those times. Flickr user "ZQPM1056" acquired this '72 Datsun 510 2-door four years ago and it's been a project car for him ever since. Sporting its original butterscotch brown paint, it channels Peter Brock with an aggressive, vintage BRE air dam, and features nifty bits like headlights from an E30 BMW M3. We'll assume that nighttime visibility is better now than at any other time in the car's 34-year lifespan.
Sixteen-inch Falken-shod Enkeis hide Wilwood brakes, and the car rides on a custom suspension featuring custom swaybars. The 510 also sports a limited-slip differential and is outfitted with very supportive Sparco racing seats inside, the need for which becomes obvious when you lift the hood. Nestled in the Datsun's engine bay is an immaculate Nissan SR20DET whose T28 turbo pushes 17 lbs. of boost. When you factor in the other mods, which include an AEM engine management system, new injectors, and aftermarket valve springs, and much more, according to the owner, you wind up with a vintage Datsun dishing out roughly 300 rear-wheel horsepower. That sounds like a lot of fun to us.
With his trusted dog Chino riding 'gun, ZQ rolls with the personal sense of satisfaction derived from knowing that he's done all the work himself since acquiring the car. A nice, clean and stock 510 would have likely gotten the call to be RR of the Day, but this car, with its fantastic turbo mill and tasteful appearance updatesPM1056, is a complete no-brainer.
Terriffic car, ZQ -- it is today's Reader Ride of the Day. Congratulations.
Follow the jump for more pics and instructions on how to submit your ride for RRotD consideration.
How to submit to RR of the Day:
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Even if your ride is sweet, it will not be chosen if there's not a lot of info accompanying it. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Oldford4x4 9:41AM (12/14/2006)
Wow, really nice. I am not a fan of non-domestic cars (partially the crazy paint/wings/etc) but this car is none of those things. Really strikes me as uniquely cool, like a mini- '64 H-M Fairlane500 (even has a c-pillar accent). Good color too.
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John P. 9:47AM (12/14/2006)
ahhh, I remember getting rides in my older brother's 510 and thinking how cool it was. Great car. they just don't make such simple pleasures anymore I think.
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mr 9:52AM (12/14/2006)
RR of the year. Hands down.
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syed 9:59AM (12/14/2006)
BRILLIANT! one of the coolest RR cars i've seen on here. Great choice, and great colour!!
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Phil L. 10:04AM (12/14/2006)
For some reason, keeping the original paint color adds a lot of authenticity to this car. And all of the visible mods on the car are functional.
Hmmm - no wipers? Well, I guess a car this light with 300HP wouldn't be much fun in the rain, anyway.
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Steve 10:04AM (12/14/2006)
Absolutely awesome car. Glad you chose it, autoblog -- I can't imagine you will find a better RR this week, so this one has my vote for sure!
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dreesemonkey 10:13AM (12/14/2006)
Definitely RR of the week right here :)
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Spaceweasel 10:12AM (12/14/2006)
Wow. What a great clean ride. Love the immaculate engine bay. Short wheel base + low weight x 300rwhp = crazy fun (with the emphasis on crazy!).
Good eyes #6. I wouldn't have spotted the lack of wipers.
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Steve 10:26AM (12/14/2006)
Spaceweasel, what do you think is going on... did they take the wipers off for the photos, or does he just use a lot of Rain-X? I don't think it's a (dry-track-only) race car because it appears there is no rollbar inside.
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JB 10:47AM (12/14/2006)
The 510 was the best damn handling car I ever owned - you could toss it into a turn and always be sure of what you would get out of it. Ate up those NH back country roads, as the salt ate it up.
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Richard Warren 11:02AM (12/14/2006)
These were/are great cars. The best that Datsun ever had. Fun to drive, tough, handle well, wayyyyyyy ahead of any Toyota at the time and maybe even now. Got my vote this week for sure.
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ZQ 10:48AM (12/14/2006)
It has wipers now.
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jb 10:54AM (12/14/2006)
Nissan ought to pull a MINI or New Beetle and put together a modern 510. Make it simple, basic, RWD with a tweakable 4cyl. and it will hit huge, probably on a global level. I wish I was an auto exec....
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John P. 10:59AM (12/14/2006)
12: yeah, a global car, in the 510 mold. RWD, IRS, simple non trendy design. and most importantly, Light weight, not like how fat cars are getting, (except lotus ofcourse)
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Ann 11:03AM (12/14/2006)
Are you kidding? C'mon this is an ugly copy of soviet VAZ which was the copy of FIAT. Though I remember some bucket won RR of the week over T-bird so I am not surprised.
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Marc 11:19AM (12/14/2006)
This 510 must be quite a rush to drive. My pick for RR of the Year!!!
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Anthem 11:38AM (12/14/2006)
#6 You don't need wipers in a car this light with that much fun under the hood. You can dodge raindrops!
Great car... easily be the best RR I've seen on this site.
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Adam Singer 12:08PM (12/14/2006)
Awesome car! My favourite reader ride so far.
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Dan 12:15PM (12/14/2006)
My first car was a '72 Datsun 1200 hatchback that was the same orange color. I had been looking for a 510 but a low mileage 4-speed 1200 came along first. What a fun car! Best feature was I could play boy racer and no one would notice. If I'd had a turbo engine like the RR I probably would have killed myself.
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Bruno 1:32PM (12/14/2006)
My first car was a rusty 356B. After it was crushed by a Southern Pine in '77, I got a 510. Great car, good performance, fun autocross car. Road trips to Road Atlanta, Sebring, Daytona(24, not 500). Back in the day.... where did it go?
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