UPDATE 9/08/04!!! Page 7 has pics of the new paint job! Black Primer, but hey you can't complain, it looks BAD ASS!!!!! Please sign my guestbook...
UPDATE 5/22/04!!! PAGE 6 for pics of the new GRANT GT Steering Wheel!!!
Hey, hope you like the car! My name is Steve, and I live in Grants Pass, Oregon. This would be my first, and hopefully only car for some time to come. It'd take a LOT to pry it from my cold dead fingers, this car is my baby. I've put many man hours into fixing it up, as well as MANY countless hours of help from my brother. He usually gets stuck with doing most of the wrenchtime, and he's good enough to do it for free! Lucky me, he's an awesome guy.
Lets start with why I wanted a Datsun 510.
1.) The car is relatively safe, in the means that it handles great, and is quick to accelerate off the line. Easier to dodge stupid driver's, and much safer to avoid a road hazard. (Ever try dodging an elk going 65 mph, in a 4000lb car?)
2.) The car is AWESOME in the corners, even with stock (somewhat soft) suspension. The Datsun 510 came stock with fully independent suspension, front and rear, utilizing a Axle-shaft setup in the rear, with MacPherson struts up in front.
3.) The car looks good for a 30 year old Japanese juggernaught. You've gotta give it that. In my opinion, it looks much better than just about any new(er) car out there, with a few exceptions (350z, Solstice, RX8, M3, Maranello, heh.)
4.) The motors will last forever if you take care of them with a regular maintenance schedule. The transmissions are bulletproof, yet I will admit they aren't immortal. I just blew my transmission shortly before writing this!
Now, I wouldn't be much of a car fanatic if I didn't point out a few of the negative facts about the car.
-1.) The car is designed with a Unitbody, therefore a Crash-n-Toss vehicle. Unless one has enough money to spend to have the car straightened post-collision, the car would be toast.
-2.) There IS room, but not enough. The 2-door models will not suit any more than two passengers, without the rear-seaters being cramped and uncomfortable.
-3.) Excessive rear-end squat during hardcore acceleration. Every time you hit the gears, the rear end will squat down. This is common for (most) 510's, and it's ten times worse with stock rear suspension. During peak acceleration, excessive negative camber results from the rear of the car squatting, which hinders traction.
-4.) The car is noisy, Very noisy. Road noise is very loud, and noise from the tires projects up through the unibody, making it even louder. Engine noise is extremely annoying at times, but with some simple sound-proofing and rattle-reducer (Dynamat) this can be somewhat avoided.
-5.) The Datsun 510 is prone to dents, because of the way the metal is: Very soft. It's much easier to remove dents, but flat-panels are a B*tch, and the lightest of impacts (a rock from the car ahead of you, for instance..) will cause a ding.
-6.) The 2-door models are actually a fairly weak design, since the center of the car shifts a lot, as compared to the 4-door and wagon models. The 4-door has another door post between the front and rear, as the 2-door does not. This leaves a lot of that unibody to twist during cornering.
-7.) The stock seats offer little or NO support during corners, yet they are somewhat comfortable.
NOW! Lets move onto performance! >>> Check the next page...
