My first car
was a Datsun 510. I didn't realize just
how cool that was until later in life. I
mean I knew it was cool, I just didn't know how
cool. It ran fine when I bought it
but I didn't let that stop me from taking it apart and making it “better”. There are quotes around better because one
man’s better is another man’s stranded on the side of the road at night in the
rain after the clutch disc disintegrated for the third time in 18 months
swearing his next car won’t be an old Datsun.
This isn't to say the entire ownership experience with the 510 was
difficult, because it wasn't. There were
plenty of less frustrating, less dark, less swearing and more fun times.
I changed
and modified most things guys who do such things change and modify. Suspension, tires, exhaust, seats, paint…but
the piece de resistance was the high performance motor build and drive train
swap. If you are still wondering how
Datsun 510s are cool go hit up google and see for yourself. If you are wondering why built motors and
drivetrain swaps are cool, get the hell out of here. We don’t need your kind in these here
parts.
I learned an
awful lot of what I know about cars from working on that 510 and because of
this I have a bit of a soft spot for them.
Plus, they are just plain cool.
In light of these extremely valid and compelling reasons I've found
myself occasionally looking at 510s for sale on line. Which, let’s be real honest, is a rabbit hole
I needn't be going down right now as I’m firmly down the - build a car in your garage – rabbit hole. However…
I haven’t
been working on the kit car much recently.
Good progress was made through the spring. There was a weekend of productivity during
the summer where the chassis and frame were mated, which was a big step, but I have
since done, well, nothing. Life,
especially one with two teenage kids, has a way of taking free time and turning
into not free time. What is one to do
when progress can’t be made on a project due to lots of not free time? Research said project on google while sitting
in hotel rooms in North Carolina during weekend lacrosse tournaments of
course. This research presents one
problem.
I was one of
the first forty or so guys to order an American spec Exocet chassis. Only maybe a dozen or so of those guys are
sharing their builds in detail on line.
Of those dozen only two or three are farther ahead of where I am in my
build. It doesn’t take too long to go
through three build threads. I could
start looking at upgrade paths to follow once the kit car is road worthy but
part of the reason for building the car is to satiate my car hobby appetite for
years to come. Camshafts, intake
manifolds and mono tube shocks will come in due time. So naturally…
I’ve been
casually looking at older, cool, and affordable cars online. I’m not sure what makes it casual. But it is.
I assure you. Looking at classic
cars for sale on the internet is a meandering process full of justifications,
validations and occasionally good sound reasoning. I start by looking at Datsuns and end up at
Alfa Romeo, via Triumph. At one point I
almost had myself convinced the SPICA mechanical fuel injection systems of late
60’s early 70’s Alfas couldn't be that
bad to keep up. Besides, an Alfa Romeo
is probably the only Italian car I can afford to put in my garage (see, there’s
the justification I mentioned earlier).
But that’s the problem. To the
uninitiated and unfamiliar an Italian designed and built fuel injection system
over 40 years old can indeed be that bad.
It can probably even be worse, than what I don’t know, but worse.
To
complicate things further beyond that of marque specific fuel systems is the
year or so my track Miata saw street duty before becoming a track only car. It did everything the classic sports cars
mentioned prior can do only better. Except
maybe catch fire, leak oil and rust. The
Miata goes, turns and stops better than any classic Japanese, British, Italian
or German car I can afford. And that’s
stock. Throw a little “better” at it and
the gap widens tremendously, plus the clutch doesn't blow up.
So I've found myself looking at older Miatas for sale, which is crazy because I’m
building a kit car based on a Miata.
What’s wrong with me? In my
defense I am casually looking.
