Classic Datsuns and Friends

Transmission Removal - Car On Jack Stands.

2012-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

So thanks to my friend for lending me a breaker bar and a transmission jack/hoist. Wow that thing worked pretty awesome. It worked great with my socket wrench. Now that the transmission crossmember was removed (4 bolts and 2 smaller bolts near the center to hold the transmission in place), I used the jack to lower the transmission.

Now that the transmission was lowered, there wasn't enough room to simply roll it out so I man handled the transmission off the jack on to the ground and simply slid it out. Minimal mess and the shop-vac really comes in handy to clean up all the dirt that falls on the ground.

Front Steering Linkage and Suspension Removal 2-17-12

2012-02-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

In order to easily(yeah right) slide the transmission out, there was the steering link bar that was kind of in the way. Each of the steering link bolts were held on by cotter pins and then 40 years of dirt and grease made things a little bit of a challenge on top of that. My best tools for this job was a steel brush, pair of pliers, and a wire cutter wrench. The best way I went about it was to brush the grease off each bolt, then straighten out the cotter pins with the pliers and try to push it back through, and then use the wire cutter wrench to pinch the folded end of the cotter pin enough to lever and twist it out of there. Well got things unbolted and then also disconnected the control arms from the struts. Then I dropped the struts and springs and cut the rubber brake line(which I will need to replace later). I'm starting to think I can salvage the original brake lines and blow compressed air through the lines then polish the outside. The key thing is to SAVE EVERYTHING! So here are i-phone photos that I'm using until I can find our point and shoot digital camera.

*note to self - save the effort and buy a breaker bar. Some of those bolts were on so tight.

Jeremy Lin & the Knicks - Jeremy who?

2012-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

I'm not really into sports but last nights basketball game was pretty exciting. Valentines Day 2012, Jeremy Lin scoring the winning 3 pointer at the last part of the game was enough to propel the Knicks to a 6 game winning streak in their win over the Raptors. Some people say it's the Lin bandwagon. Oh well, and why not? He's an awesome role model and to be quite honest, Lin has got me excited to watching basketball again in general. From Palo Alto, California to Harvard, Lin has been pretty quiet player while playing the bench for the Warriors then having been traded to the Knicks this year, he's been on fire as a game starter. There's numerous youtube vids already posted of his story but I thought I'd comment on his performance. AWESOME!!

No Camera - No Bueno

2012-02-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

I properly named this blog post in Spanish. I know enough Spanish to converse and keep me alive in a Spanish speaking country but that's besides the point. For those of you that only know English - it's translated: "No Camera - Not Good".
My camera has been missing in action now for about 2 weeks and I haven't been able to take photos so I'll try my best to describe what I've been doing.
I've put off removing the rest of the dashboard for now and the front end of the car is jacked up off the ground sitting on 2 jackstands. I concentrated on removing the transmission and it seems like I can simply lift it out of there but I think I'd rather drop the transmission than lift it. Anyway, it's kinda sagging and there are some suspension components in the way. So I removed both front tires and this morning I was able to remove the front sway bar this morning and I'm planning on taking out the rest of the suspension later when I have some time. Being a father certainly takes up most of my free time though and it's not like I can hit the garage anytime but I'm trying to take my time and get things done right. Hopefully these parts will be powder coated pretty soon...AND I HOPE TO HAVE MY CAMERA SOON, so I'll keep posting and let you all know what's happening.

How To Love - Yeng Constantino (Lil Wayne cover)

2012-01-30T22:09:00.000-08:00

I really don't listen to rapper "Lil Wayne" but he did a song that was a bit out of his genre. Turn the tables and again very seldom do I listen to youtube covers. Most are poor quality home videos but I thought this was one that was actually pretty good. Yeng is a singer/guitar artists from the Philippines and a star in her own right but to see her doing a cover was pretty refreshing. Made me feel like she's still a down-to-earth person. Enjoy the video and the song.

Windshield Removal (front & back) 1-26-12

2012-01-27T00:23:00.000-08:00

So I had a little bit of time to work on the 510. Decided to try to work more on removing the dash. I did a little bit and then thought "hey"..."it might be easier to remove the dashboard if I take out the windshield first." So that has been my little project. It has to come out anyway if I'm planning on a full restoration, but I have to admit that I had another one of those 'uncharted territory' moments where I thought to myself, 'Oh man, what am I doing? There's no going back now.' So here are the pics that basically tell the story.

Back From Philippines - random pics

2012-01-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well we're back from the Philippines. Had a pretty cool trip. It's been a week, but I'm still recovering from jet lag. It hit me pretty hard, just not being able to sleep and at times waking up at 4am and so on. I think I'm back on schedule now.

Had a good time spent with family and friends as well as meeting new friends. Didn't spend too much time doing car stuff (as much as I wanted to), and I think we were only downtown Manila twice to go shopping at the malls. I keep hearing about 'Banawe Ave' but I still haven't made it there yet. Banauwe Ave. is a street section of Quezon City, Manila where someone would go for anything car related. Although I never made it there, I was able to take a few interesting car pics and I'll post some other pics as well.

I finally found 5 Kenmary Skylines but I could only afford 4 of them =(. I needed to get more money after this purchase. I was happy with the 4 though. NICE!!

I know that these aren't the greatest photos. I was armed with a point and shoot that gets a little lazy at times and when I want it to take a photo, it will decided to focus in and out and then flash red and its like it needs to do a dance before snapping a photo.

3rd world. This is it.

Our hired daily driver. A Toyota Hiace.

At the boat terminal waiting for an available banana boat to Boracay island.

This guy caught a fish and started cooking his lunch on the back of the small banana boat charter we used to get to Boracay.

A popped blister needed some TLC on my foot. Band aides just wouldn't stick so I made my own from my bandana.

ATV'n with my little one.

Mint Kit Kat. Tastes so good.

Boracay Island, Philippines.

Massive shrimp.

Roast pig. aka Lecheon(don't know how to spell it).

These guys are professional machete pig choppers. Check out all the meat they were able to get off that thing.

SM mall in Rosario, Cavite, Philippines.

Tagaytay view from horse riding place.

I saw this guy in his helmet. Just thought it was too funny so I had to get a pic.

There were times where I was pretty happy to make a trip to Jollibee.

Turkey in the Philippines?

Fresh Spring rolls and clamansi juice. Yum.

My camera was acting up and wouldn't focus right but I saw this dog in Tagaytay and he was nearly bald. It reminded me of the ugly dog contest that they have in the US. I think this dog could have been in the top 3.

Finally after we left the Philippines we stopped in Korea. I needed power to charge my stuff. I was so relieved to see them using 110(same as in the US) but when I opened an outlet at the airport, I was shocked to find this, I can't plug it in because the different prongs. =(

Trip To PI Preparation and Datsun Memorabilia

2011-12-20T01:19:00.000-08:00

Up until now, I really haven't been in the garage much at all. I want to get in there and remove the dash board but I'm super busy right now. As I type this, I need to be weighing the luggage. But, I wanted to make an update before my trip to the Philippines.

Utilizing some resources and hoping to save on cost, I'm taking with me some car parts to get chromed in the Philippines. California is so incredibly expensive and rare to chrome anything anymore. I hear of a guy in Oceanside that chromes but I don't know if I have the time or money for what it's worth. I'll wait till I save some money first and take my bumpers to get chromed there. For now, I'm just taking my grill, headlight surrounds, side pillar vents, and USDM licence plate lamps. I may not even get it done with my schedule but I think it's certainly worth a try.

The grill is obviously too big for the box so I will try to bring it as a carry-on item. The other item were each individually wrapped and placed in that plastic bag.

A local trip to Walmart and I came across some 510's being sold so I bought a few. I didn't buy all of them, just 3.

Here is a photo of some memorabilia that my friend co-worker left in my cubby box at work. He use to own a 510 station wagon, if I remember correctly. He told me he still had some Datsun material and I had to ask if I could have it. So I found it a few days later inside my cubbyhole box at work.

Below is the original hardcover Chilton's manual along with the factory user's manual!!!

The Warranty And Service Booklet along with the Datsun Dealer List!!! Simply Amazing!! I had to look up the dealers in Oregon where I believe my car is originally from and living in southern California, I had to take a picture of the dealer listings in California as well. (Click on photo to enlarge the picture.)

Update?: No Progress =( And Spotted A 510

2011-12-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

So, pretty much what the title says. I haven't been in the garage in about a month. Life has a tendency to get in the way but it's cool. I left off a few weeks ago trying to remove the dashboard. Some of that plastic is really brittle. I would be so mad at myself if I broke anything. I removed the glove box and wanted to take it to the Datsun museum in Murrietta, CA (about an hour from where I live) and have is signed by Mr. K of Datsun Japan and some of the original Datsun dealers in the US. Unfortunately that didn't happen because after doing research, I sadly learned that the museum closed about a year ago in early 2011. I had family in town so we made the drive to Temecula and did a bit of wine tasting for my birthday. Good times with people I love most - the fam.

SPOTTED A 510

Close to a year ago, I was at the mall and spotted this 510 in the parking lot. I had to pull over and take some photos. Upon a closer look, I saw that it still had the black vinyl top, reupholstered white suede interior, and it was a '3 on the tree' 3spd column shifter. Had to take some pics. So here are those pics I took.

S30 Valve Cover Project

2011-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

Took a trip to the junkyard and scored these valve covers. They both looked in pretty good shape so I'd thought I'd hone my skills. I didn't want to start working on it till I had all the materials. It was incredibly hard to find red wrinkle paint in my area. I think I went to every automotive shop in my area with no luck. I finally ended up ordering it online.
Update on the progress of my 510, well not much really. I was able to position the motor the right way on the engine stand at the end of October (about two and a half weeks ago). Currently, I've been shopping around for shops to blast and powder coat the engine. After that I'll take it to a shop to get rebuilt. I'm still working on the body and stripping it down. I'm kind of stuck on removing the dash at the moment. Then I'll remove the throttle linkage and the brakes lines. The brake lines are so seized up, I may have to simply cut them off and install new brake line tubing. The master brake cylinder looks like it's a mixture of dirt and grease.
I'll stop talking and start posting pictures of that valve cover now.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 7 (engine out!!!)

2011-10-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to cut corners on this build but the planned day came where I had time set aside to work on my car and I wasn't going to let it go to waste. I had an engine hoist (cherry picker) lined up but the deal fell through. Fortunately my buddy Kenny (a 240Z owner) was awesome enough to still make the drive down to my place and we were agreed to try to remove it by hand. He mentioned that he had helped removed his buddy's VG motor by hand (300zx motor) and that it was a 6 cylinder (bigger than mine) so he was under the impression it would go smoother than that.
He arrived at about 5:30pm or so and I had just brought home some pizza so we just fueled up on pizza and water and about 45 minutes later we headed into the garage. We started by taking the valve cover off (which I need to put back on). And I had planned to remove the head before trying to lift it. My friend simply wanted to lift the entire motor so we got started disconnecting the bolts that connect the block to the transmission.

The engine finally was shaken free from the transmission and resting on the cross member bar below. That didn't sit well with me and I got some wooden block to protect the oil pan.

Right about now we were either balancing the engine or scratching our heads (and our butts) and trying to come up with better ways to get some height on the engine so placing a jackstand was one idea to keep the engine raised but that proved to be in-effective.

After much wiggling, the motor finally broke free from the transmission and I positioned myself inside the engine bay to lift the engine onto the front support beam.

Kenny is a monster. I really appreciate how he came over when he could have been doing a million other things. Thanks bro.

This deserves a thumbs up. The engine was OUT and now resting on rubber tires in front of the car.

I hope this gets some likes on facebook. hahaha

Now here was another tricky part of hooking it up to the engine stand.

We just couldn't get any height with our previous ideas so this was another of my genius inventions. Things that didn't work was setting it on a foot stool, not high enough. 2 jack stands extended as high as they both can go with a wooden 2x2?? ... still not high enough. How about a microwave inside a cardboard box on top of the foot stool???... too high. So I finally came across wooden benches that I have in my backyard and we ended up putting the rubber tires to keep from smashing the oil pan.

It's a little bit bouncy but we were able to place two of the top hex bolts into the holes then just dragged it out of the way. Now I'm going to try to figure out how to bolt the two bottom two because I'm not sure about the position of the engine on the stand. That's why its just sitting there on the bench till I figure something out.

So there is what a 510 engine bay looks like without an engine. More engine bay cleanup on the way.

Shop-vac'd my area and cleaned the garage after Kenny left and time for shower and photo upload. That's a rap for the night. So from about 5:50pm till about 9:30pm was how long it took to remove. All in a day's work.

Random Picture - Poor 240Z (S30)

2011-10-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture I found off the Mazda forums. The story goes that this guy convinced his friend to buy a 240Z for a few hundred dollars but it wasn't until way after the purchase they found more rust than what was worth fixing so they took it as a loss and rolled it over before it was scrapped.

My thoughts: There are still a lot of good parts that are worth parting out to people that need them and they probably could have got back more than what they paid.

Such a sad sight to see - =*(

1937 Datsun in Japan

2011-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure what they are saying but the video displays a rare 1937 Datsun Type 16 Sedan or Datsun 16. Everything in the car looks original and complete but super rusty and really old. These cars had a top speed of 80 kmph.

Fun Fact: July 1911 the first DAT is the name given for 2 person transportation vehicles and the first vehicle produced is the DAT Type 1. After a series of mergers and name changes, 1931 saw the first "DAT Son" (Son of DAT) unveiled as the Type 10 around the same time, it was taken over by Nissan and the first car to wear the "Datsun" badge was the 1932 Datsun Type 11.

Can I get a reader to possibly translate or tell me more about it??!!!

Random Rides - Spotted in NorCal

2011-10-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

My sister spotted these two Datsuns around the Vacaville area of California.

(Thanks for sending them to me sis. PS. Can you buy me a wood grain and chrome Nardi steering wheel for my birthday?? just kidding by the way.)

This first picture is a USDM 4 dr Datsun 510 sedan. The chrome looks really shiny and no rust areas. It's a cell phone picture so you won't tell unless you're up close. I noticed the side molding found on early 510's and also the European versions(if I'm not mistaken). They even have the molding at the bottom of the doors. Looks like someone really loves their car (and they should).

Here's a 280ZX that she snapped a picture of. Also known as the S131. These models were the first to unveil a turbo charged engine in the Z line.

Door Sills And Headliner Removal

2011-10-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

I was back at it again today. Didn't feel like working on the engine or transmission. I figured I would take the headliner out today. I started with the removal of the door sills (weather stripping). They're all still in really good shape and I'm pretty sure I can use them again. After four doors were done, I unhooked the seat belts for both the driver's and passenger side at the top and started tearing away. Why am I not surprised?

The low sides of the headliner were lined with rat poop droppings. I have no idea how they climbed up there. Maybe they jumped? Maybe they used the lawnmower handle that was in the front seat that was high enough?? I just don't know. Either way, I was determined to remove it.

At this point I was inside the car, tearing away at what I could but, I was getting showered with rat droppings.

So there it is, minus the headliner. My shop-vac was working overtime and I had to dump it out afterward and clean the brand new filter I just purchased for it. There is a lot of work that needs to be done on the interior like the dashboard removal and after I pull the motor, I'll start with removing the windows and doors.

Japan: Datsun Bros Orange 510 Video

2011-10-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Found this video while trolling through youtube.
The video displays what looks like a screaming contest between the girl and the car. Pretty mindless but still kinda funny.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 6 (labeling & more cleanup)

2011-09-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Went back into the garage tonight and removed the passenger side horn. Once again, I used my drill to get those screws out to remove the horn. I didn't have to worry about the nuts falling out because they were attached to the frame.

Before...

.....aaaannnndd After.

Label, label, label. Much of the electrical is behind the dash so I started with the steering column.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 5 (headlights - wiper assembly)

2011-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

I had a few hours to kill in the morning before heading off to work so I was simply looking at what needed to be done. I went to work on removing the head lamps and housings. It was held together with 4 bolts on each one. The nuts on the inside of the engine bay were part of the frame and were stationary.

I still needed to get the windshield wiper motor out. Thought a good start was to remove the wiper arms.

Next, I had to remove the external vent cover underneath the wipers. Unfortunately things don't always go as planned and I ended up stripping all but one of the 5 or 6 screws that hold it down. Time to use my handy 14.4 volt Craftsman drill. This was my first time drilling out stripped screws so I'm such a newbie at it. All went well though and there was nothing to it.

After removing the vent cover, I found a field mice nest.

After finding that nest, I got a little sidetracked and took out my shop-vac and decided to clean up what I could. I took the shop vac to the engine bay and cleaned up a lot of debris. Everything looks much cleaner and I'm pretty happy with how it's coming along. I can pretty much pull the engine now if I wanted(except I need a hoist), but I'm still trying to get other stuff out of there before that happens.

*On another note - I was also able to remove the driver's side horn. Those screws are seriously no joke. I think they were put in place with a phillips head air wrench. Ended up using my drill again and drilled those bolts out. I think I may just get replacement horns. Now I need to remove the passenger side horn next.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 4 (engine bay cleanup)

2011-09-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Got into the garage last night and decided to try to clean up the engine bay a little bit. Here's what it looked like as I left it last time.

So this is where I left off when I stopped a few nights ago. I was basically labeling all the electrical wires. Wish I had white masking tape instead of blue but blue worked, just the same.

Here's a 2 min break I took to set up a youtube playlist on my computer for music. Good motivation when you're working solo.

Just another one of those moments where I got that feeling where I asked myself "What did I get myself into?" moments.

Front side signals out.

This thing was a pain to take off and it still is. It's the wiper motor. It's held together with 3 screws connected to the top of the firewall. The bottom screw was the one giving me the most trouble.

Well I ended up stripping it with my phillips screwdriver. It was out far enough that I took a pair of bolt cutters and was able to cut it off. Now I need to get the motor out and drill the rest of the screw.

I'll try to clean up more today. More pictures to come.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 3 (removal of alt, a/c unit, relay pulley, starter) Monday - Sept. 19, 2011

2011-09-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Monday Sept. 19th. Respect for the Elderly Day (in Japan).

These pictures are actually from a few days ago but I was able to make a little bit of progress before going to bed.

The A/C unit was pretty heavy. It took me a while but I finally found the bolt needed to remove it buried in grease on the other side. I'm happy it's out.

This is the debris shield. Keeps stuff from jumping into you engine (well almost).

Here's that relay pulley that was next to the front of the A/C unit. Glad that's out of the way.

Removing the starter.

There it is.

It's looking a little cleaner and I'm almost ready to pull the engine.

JCCS 9-10-11 Installment 2

2011-09-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hoshino Impul rims. Rare and very nice.

JCCS 9-10-11 Installment 1

2011-09-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, I made the trek out to Long Beach, California for the 7th annual JCCS (Japanese Classic Car Show). The show is normally a showcase for Japanese cars manufactured from 1986 and older. I believe this was the first year they opened it up for Japanese motorcycles as well. As in years past, there were a few newer cars on hand to showcase products from vendors. It was a cool time to just hang out with family and friends and meet new friends as well, with the common interest of classic motoring.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 2 - Manifold and Carb Removal

2011-08-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

So I hit the garage today with a few hours to kill and was pretty determined to remove the carb and manifold. I successfully had set out what I accomplished and then some.

It turns out that I didn't have to use a drill or angle grinder. Those two bolts that I broke were part of the manifold piping so that was a big sigh of relief.

Just thought I'd take a picture of the sized of the washer between the bolt on top verses the bolt on the bottom. Those washers are nearly twice or 3x thicker than the conventional washers.

I had only about 1 click for my socket wrench to work with. It was pretty crammed in that area.

The two 'hard to get' bolts underneath.

I just kept un-screwing bolt after bolt and on my last one the carb fell on my hand and I barely caught it then held it up and grabbed my camera with the other hand to take a picture.

I still needed to undo these wires first but I finally got it!!

Next was the manifold. That rusty thing.

I noticed this pipe with a screw sticking in it surrounded by what appears to be glue gunned together. haha

There it is, leaving all kind of rust piles in my driveway.

Then I removed the fan and the fan bell mount. Label labels labels.

Here's where I started to label these electrical wires I unhooked as well.

More labels and then I found this wire that is connected to the heater box. It was simply square knotted and not connected to anything else. Found it pretty weird but it starts behind the heater pulley. I'll have to research it's purpose.

These two hoses from the A/C box were such a pain to remove. But after about 20 min of trying to remove them and another 20 minutes of just staring at them, I just thought to myself, I'll be replacing all the hoses anyway, so I took my box cutter to them both. The first one was hard to cut. Then I went to retrieve my hack saw for the second one and it was much easier to remove than using a razor blade.

And there it is for now. It's slowly coming along, little by little.

Missed Opportunity - 1977 Datsun 810 Sedan (was) For Sale

2011-08-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

So last week, I've been eyeballing a craigslist add that I came across in my area. It was a 1977 Datsun 810 4dr sedan that someone was selling. The seller listed it for $500 obo and as running, but not good (to me, that's good enough especially for the price they were asking). After 2 e-mails that I sent to the seller, I received no reply and eventually the add expired from craigslist. I was soooo willing to go to the ATM and pull the cash out provided the seller has the title/pink slip for legal name transfer. UUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH NNNNOOOOOOooooooooooo. =(

Although I don't have any photos of the actual car that was listed, I did find a few 810's on the web and a few 710's and 610's and their brethren from Japan. The 810's were actually first produced in 1977 RWD(still badged as a Bluebird) and stayed into production which later became the Nissan Maxima. Then the Maximas became fwd in the 80's (a few versions later) and people thought they were great for snow, ...but anyways.

Here are some pictures full of WIN from a car that is largely underestimated and forgotten. Keep in mind that these cars were slightly different in Japan and also went by different names such as the Violet, Laurel, and so on. After 77 & 78 the North American market largely went on to produce these cars with square headlights.

Engine Deconstruction Pt 1

2011-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm finally getting this blog up to speed and I simply went in the garage last night and got busy with removing the radiator. I may need a new one but we'll see what the radiator shop says.

One of the main reasons starting this blog is not only to show friends and family progress on my car but also documentation. I could always come back and refer to the photos if I question where each part belongs. If you find the photos a bit excessive, please excuse me.

Crud and rust, everywhere in the hoses. This was just the beginning.

I had a bolt from the radiator fan shroud decide to come apart the unconventional way. Two bolts unbolted just fine. This one tore apart and the fourth and final bolt of the fan shroud was a no show(missing in action).

The fan shroud and the top radiator hose.

The hose on the bottom of the radiator connects to the block. I basically gave up on trying pull the entire hose off. I took my trusty box cutter and started slicing into the hose. Everything was just so brittle but when I opened the hose, it was filled with all this rust mixed with white powder. It's crazy what 25 years of sitting will do to a car.

I finally got to remove the four bolts that hold the actual radiator. After that was done, I simply lifted the radiator out of the engine bay. I think there was some work done on the radiator before. I know my dad's car was never wrecked but seeing all kinds of dents and indentations on the radiator was pretty disappointing. I feel like the radiator was taken to a shop before and wasn't really cared for after noticing dents on both sides of the radiator. None of the dents really line up to components inside the engine bay. Could I have done this when I was a kid??

More crud inside the brittle radiator hose at the bottom.

Rusted and busted hose connectors. =(

Dipstick hose holder and water hose (I really don't know the proper names for these things).

Taking out the distributor and distributor cap.

Removing more hoses that relay to the carboreteur.

More pieces that came out.

Then there's this thing I took out.

Alternator bracket/brace.

It was already midnight and I was getting tired but here's where I called it quits for the night.

ROAD BLOCK!!!

You can't expect everything to go perfect can you? How fun would that be if it did?

I felt like doing more and more but then when it came down to removing the exhaust manifold, the two bolts in the center gave way and snapped off.

I'll save this part for another day. For the meantime, I'll be charging the battery for my drill and perhaps buy another drill if needed. I'm wondering if my angle grinder can be put to good use in these situations. I may not need to use a drill after all. Haven't decided yet what I'll do. We'll see.

Sound Deadening Material Part 2

2011-08-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting in a while so I thought I'd update the blog with what I've been busy with. I finally got some time to start scraping up the last of the sound deadening material that was under the back seat and just kind of cleaned up the small stuff that I missed previously.

I never thought my wood shaver chisel tool that I bought 2 years ago would ever be used again but sure enough, it seems like my most useful tool for this job.

Started peeling back the leather and padding trying to get it all down to bear metal but these pieces were glued to the wheel well humps.

It's pretty tattered but if you read the writing on the bottom, these seat belts were manufactured by "Takata". Thought I'd take a picture.

So this is what it looks like after I called it quits for the day. I was able to vacuum the interior pieces and chips that I scraped off and this is the end result. The more I look at the original color, the more I like it. Mint green.

...and here's a shot of the rear of the car with the back seat out. Again, most of the brown discoloration is NOT RUST. Yaaayyyy!! It's simply a discoloration. There are some trouble spots in small areas here and there but overall, it looks pretty good.

Motor Union / 5&ADime ~ 8/14/11

2011-08-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

I was able to escape the confines of work and head downtown and see a few sweet rides being shown off. The show was put together by 5&ADime and was dubbed "Motor Union". It wasn't too too big but pretty much the only happening spot in town that day.

Scraping The Interior Floor

2011-08-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

Here is where I left off after removing the carpet. I got busy removing the sound deadening material to get it down to bare metal. I started my night, last night on the right side and worked my way to the back seat. Armed with only a flat wood chisel, I chipped away, little by little.

I was nearly finished with the front. Then I got to work on the back seat.

I wasn't able to run the shop vac because it was close to midnight, so I simply scraped up as much as I could by hand. The color doesn't look appealing at all but I'm just glad that there is very little rust that I need to worry about. It's actually looking pretty good and I'm pleased with the work I've done so far. I feel like I'm a baby step closer toward the right direction of a proper restoration. Using the wood chisel by hand and switching from left to right, made my thumbs feel like noodles after I was done. I don't think my thumbs ever hurt this bad. =(

Carpet Removal

2011-08-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Had a little bit of time over the last few days to work on getting the interior cleaned out. A buddy of mine came over and recommended we might as well remove the tail lights. "Sure. why not?" Kinda reminds me of a pumpkin with the light shining through. Still being really careful to save every screw and nut, while labeling everything.

A few days later, I finally found time to start removing the carpet.

I've never seen carpet pin tabs like these before. I saved a few for reference so I could possibly find them again if I needed to.

Decided to also save the rubber mat from the driver's side. I'm in hopes to either use the exact same one or either find a NOS replica.

Such a dusty mess. Dirty enough to turn my boogers black.

I found what I believe is one of my siblings baby bottles under the seat. That nipple looks fit for a mummy. Gross.

Now back seat carpet is coming out too.

Cleaned it up and vacuumed it with my shop vac. Floor boards actually look really good. You can see where I took a chisel to get the sound deadening material off. The color doesn't look good but that color simply seems to be a small film of rust that I can easily wipe away. I'm not done with the entire removal of the sound deadening material so I really won't know what the condition is for the rest of the floor panels. I'll be sure to post updates when I find out.

A little bit of the sound deadening material scraped up for the drivers side. Still a lot more to remove.

HHHmmm Interesting Dailys

2011-08-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hella (mostly) Flush CTS?? I Concur. =D

2011-08-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

510 At A Bosozoku Meet - Daikoku, Japan

2011-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Comi-Con San Diego 2011

2011-07-26T01:14:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics of Comi-Con San Diego 2011.

The "Back to The Future" display.

The entire toy car collection from the movie "Cars 2". Awesome movie by the way. I counted 3 S30's in the movie but sadly, I haven't seen a toy made for them.

This is Yoda. He'll mess you up if you try to mess with him.

MIB 3 display.

Kid Robot display.

A Sponge Bob dunny.

If you click on the picture to expand it, you will see everyone's attention is focused on one person. It's "Jaimie Chung" from the movie 'Sucker Punch' who made a guest appearance. She was on stage but I didn't have my camera out in time and I missed my opportunity for a quality picture. =(

A sharpie'd 2011 VW Passat.

Miss Wolverine??... and Tomb Raider girl on the right.

Awesome costumes.

To top off Comi-con I spotted this nice looking bone stock 240Z in the parking lot. Thought I'd take a picture.

Just a bit rusty.

Thailand Datsuns

2011-07-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to be the 1st viewer of this upload. These old school cars out of Thailand interest me and now even more because my sister and her husband are moving to Thailand. So hopefully I'll have a hook-up (sort of) with car parts over there in a few weeks.

Enjoy the video.

Slow Going

2011-07-15T00:26:00.000-07:00

So I had a little bit of cash in my pockets and I decided to score a few parts here and there and just start collecting different stuff I needed. Took a friend and fellow 510 owner's advise and also decided to get a little bit more organized and buy a clear plastic container to hold all the stuff I'm taking off the car. I've been pretty good at labeling parts with tape and a sharpie but keeping it all in one place would make things easier to find. The plastic bin set me back $20.00 USD. I'd like to take things a step further and organize my tool box but that's a full day's project by itself. Might need a bigger tool box with the tools I'm buying also.

Here's what I've done in the past few days but wasn't able to post it up.

My goal that day was to remove the interior carpet but to do that, I had to get busy with removal of the step panel thingy's for lower rear door sills (not sure what they're called). The carpet was installed underneath those lower aluminum door sill plates and I really wanted to take that carpet out but needed those door plate sills out of there first.

To remove the carpet, I also needed to remove the seat belts. Both the driver's and passenger side shoulder belts were attached to a small hook screw and needed to be disconnected before the carpet would come out. The above picture is the picture of the small pin I removed from the seat belt latch to disconnect each belt.

With both lower door step sills removed, I thought I would clean them up a little bit with a steel brush and some steel wool.

Well, I started tearing up the carpet but it's just one thing after another. Found out the carpet in the rear isn't the same as the carpet up front and it's laid over the rear carpet.

Problem: The front carpet is laid over the rear carpet.

Solution: Take out the front carpet first.

How to do it: The air vents up front below the dash and front step panel sills will need to be removed before carpet comes out.

So I had a little bit of time and money to put toward the build and figured I would invest in an engine stand from Harbor Freight. I checked online for coupons but I couldn't find any and I'm not a Harbor Freight member either. SSSooooo I picked up this bad boy for $69.00 USD. It's a 1000lb pound engine stand. The other one at the store was a 750lb pound stand but I wasn't liking the 3 wheel set up. I wanted to have 4 wheels instead of 3. I'm pretty excited about getting it but in the back of my mind, I wanted to paint it a different color. Perhaps if I have time.

Next up on my Datsun-To-Do list:

-Remove rear bumper
-Remove interior air vents below the dash and door sills
-Remove front carpet
-Remove rear carpet
-Remove seats
-Make another to-do list after that's all done.

Fuel Tank pt 2 and Back Seat Cleanup

2011-07-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

I've just been soOOOOOOO busy lately with hardly anytime to work on my car, let alone sleep, or eat a bowl of Life cereal. Redoing a condo on a time limit is seriously no joke and wanting to spend time just chilling with family from out of town had to be put off. I'm done though. Finally at 11:30pm I decided to get my butt in the garage. I missed out on one of the coolest meets of the season with Hako's and KenMary in attendance =(. I had to be elsewhere doing stuff I couldn't put off. *sigh*

As I said, I tried to cheer myself up by getting back into the garage. Here's some of the progress I made around midnight.

I was finally able to remove those two hose connected toward the front part of the fuel tank. I also took a minute to label one of the hoses and nozzle with a can of white spray paint.

^ Fuel tank 'OUT'!!

I was thinking what next and decided to might as well take the back seat out. Much to my surprise, it was a rats den. Lifting up the back lower seat revealed the worst infestation, I have ever seen in a car. It didn't look pretty. It didn't really smell too bad but I was more concerned for my health and the health of others. Dried rat poop is pretty toxic stuff and if it's inhaled, there are certain diseases that you're at risk of catching.

Before going any further, I went for my respirator and put on a beanie.

A moldy mummified field mouse.

The mummy mouse.

Here was the mouse droppings and eaten material I collected in a small trash can. I estimate about 4 pounds.

I wanted to hit it with my shop vac but, I don't know if my family and neighbors would understand at 1am. I was able sweep it somewhat and got down to the sound deadening material. I hope it's not bad under there.

Keep checking for more updates.

Rap For Your Soul

2011-07-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share some vids of some really good Christian rappers.

Yes, that's the same Jin from "106 & Park" , "Freestyle Fridays", and "Ruff Ryders" now holding it down for Christ.

I always thought Lecrae was legit. He's been rappin for a while. Thought this song was sick. Finally some rap that I'm not shy to bump when I'm with family.
Spiritually: I'm experiencing growth in my walk with the Lord and one way I'm doing that is seeking positive and glorifying music. I love rap and hip hop but these guys are proof that I don't have give it up entirely knowing that the messages are based on Scripture.

Nothing new happening with the car. Just been busy with working long shifts at work and taking care of stuff at home and other people's homes and Home Depot, and having family over, and Church and more interior painting, and Home Depot and BBQ'ing for family.
Nearly everything going on, except car stuff. How much more can I take. I had muscles hurting in my body.
I should be getting a little cash flow from my job, so more car updates will be on the way.

The 510 Fuel Tank

2011-06-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Went into the garage and got my hands a little dirty today. Decided that I would start messing around with the fuel tank and see how difficult it is to remove. Didn't quite finish the job as I needed to get ready for work. But took some pictures for you all to see what the job entails. I didn't expect to start on this until I found my Haynes manual but I jumped the gun and got started. I also ordered a new Haynes manual through the mail. Should be here next week sometime. The pictures kind of tell the story and I'm happy with my progress so far.

This was the cover wall made of cheap press board along with a tray at the top for storage. Decided to take it out and set it aside. Everything is so greasy.

The other side of the cover revealed either jellified gasoline or grease that made it's way down from the tray. Gross either way.

Started to WD40 everything but it wasn't as bad as I thought.

I found a crack on the main inlet hose. If you click on the above photo to expand, you will see how bad it really is.

Now I only saw two hex bolt on both sides of the tank. I removed those bolt and undid the piping and all this white powder residue came out but I was far from finished. The tank wouldn't budge.

I removed the back seat and took out another press board cover.

The front of the tank also had two more hex bolts which I removed. Then I removed another smaller line at the top(see photo number 4 top left side of tank) and also the yellow wire sensor line. The culprit of my frustration were these two little lines at the rear.

Trying to fit a screw driver for the upper one was a real pain. These two little lines just wouldn't budge.

Decided to take a break and label my hex bolts. Each pair are different sizes and I didn't want to return not knowing where each bolt goes.

Decided to leave the job for another time. I also want to paint one of the lines and it's connector so I don't get them confused. That's for another day.

On The Grind

2011-06-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Decided to work on the car a little bit. Got busy with cutting the exhaust off. My buddy Joe came over and helped with taking the exhaust piping off. The header is still attached but before I got busy, I decided to play around with my camera a little bit.

Decided to take the valve cover off and see how bad it was. It actually wasn't that bad under there. I have no idea if the timing chain is actually timed or not. I still can't find that Haynes manual.

The next order of business is getting that Haynes manual and trying to work on the brakes and get some stopping power. Along with that, I'd like to remove the fuel tank and clean it out.

Random Stuff Going On

2011-06-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Like the title says. I haven't been doing much. Just busy with work and home and church life. Here are some pictures.

Here's the latest t-shirt I bought from my church (Calvary Chapel San Diego) for a good cause. I love the design and the money raised is to help out people affected areas in and around Sendai prefecture to help out where needed. If you would like a shirt, please contact me through email classicdatsuns@gmail.com and I can send you more info and get you in touch directly with the seller or whatever.

Decided to doodle a 510 and go shakotan with some Work Equip 01 rims. Looks like a chopped Bluebird huh? eh, oh well.

Picked up a Japanese magazine specifically highlighting the 510 for issue number 1!! SWEEEETT!!! Everything is in Japanese but when I got home, I started seeing some Southern California owners that I've come to know, featured in the magazine with their photos surrounded in Japanese writing and car history(I'm assuming). How cool is that??

Not as expensive as I thought, I decided to pick up this 4" angle grinder. Paid about 25 dollars for it on top of a 2 year warranty from "Harbor Freight". My other option was the 4.5" angle grinder which was on sale for $12 but it didn't come with a blade and was less powerful. Planning on cutting my exhaust off because I stripped the only bolt holding it the the header(told myself 'way to go genius'[rolls eyes]). Everything is rust morphed solid to the header anyway and is crumbling away as I'm working on it at the same time. No chance in saving any part of the exhaust. I'll be sure to keep posting.

Assessment and Cleanup

2011-06-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of hours to put in today. Decided it's best to see where I stand on rust and repair-ability(don't know if that's even an actual word). I started with the shop-vac and just getting everything out of the car. From the pics you can see the front bumper, grill, a tire among other things just sitting in there. Decided to pull them out and suck up all the flies, wasps, dead mud-dobbers, and bugs from the dash board. I accidentally hit the rear view mirror so the plastic housing shattered into a million pieces. The mirror part stayed in tact though.

I stripped all the vinyl roof cover off the car. I think over time, it did more harm than good. Also removed the chrome pillar vents, labeled and taped the screws to go with them. I always felt it's a good idea to have stuff labeled. I'm not expert enough to simply memorize where things go and throw everything into a box.

I don't know why but I just wanted to Armor-all the back seat to see how it looked. Dreaming while cleaning. Doesn't look too bad though.

That's probably the first time I've seen the dash with no bugs!! Even as a kid, I always remember bugs being there.

Something needs to be done about that rust and those holes. A few of those tail light plastic surrounds need to be replaced also. Some of the plastic is broken and shattered.

After tidying the inside a little bit, I moved on to the engine bay with the shop-vac.

Decided there is no need or a 25 year old battery so I pulled it and decided to paint the battery clamp red just so I know which one is which. I'll probably replace the clamp and those lines anyway.

Took this out of the passenger seat. Also decided to clean the battery tray while I'm at it.

That brake cylinder looks like it's made of stone. I wonder how hard it will be to fix. Might end up replacing the whole thing. Those nuts and bolts don't look to good.

Some loose pieces just floating around engine bay. Decided to shop-vac all that dirt. Basically all hoses are dried crusty. Some even with holes and crumbles when i touched it. I'll see if I can still save the motor though being that it's all I have for now. I'll have put the car on jacks to remove the fuel tank and see how that looks like. That's for a later date.

I still can't find my Haynes Manual. I have no idea where I put it. I did buy one though. I don't want to drop the fuel cell without having it around.

The Car Is Here!!

2011-06-07T00:06:00.000-07:00

It's about time. The truck driver and myself were able to push it up into my garage. I'm pretty surprised we were able to roll it up my steep driveway. Not too bad either. Here are some pics of the offload.

As ugly as it looks, it's sittin pretty in my garage. It's fate is still to be determined and I'm still going to see how bad the rust is. I hope I don't have to part the car out to get my money back. I'd like to save this sentimental little car that I grew up with as a kid. I'll be sure to keep posting.

136 Miles Away

2011-06-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Truck driver is 136 miles away!! Just texted him.

Still Patiently Waiting =(

2011-06-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

I spoke with the truck driver and basically he told me that his truck was getting some repairs done. So now the new delivery date is either Friday 6/3/11 or Saturday 6/4/11. I'm still excited and basically am in no hurry. I don't really know where to start. I guess I'll figure that out when the car is in my garage.

ETA: UNK (most likely June 1, 2011)

2011-05-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

So I spoke with the truck driver and basically my car is still on his 18 wheeler rig. He is still waiting for other orders around Oregon. I'm a pretty patient guy so I'm in no hurry considering he did undercut all other shipping company offers by about $200 dollars. So I'm still waiting. Counting down the days. I'm just hoping that I can be here to help roll it off the truck. The only thing it functional is the hand brake and steering wheel. I hope he doesn't deliver it when I'm at work.

Stuff That Had To Be Done: ETA: 5/30/11

2011-05-28T00:45:00.000-07:00

Ok my recent time around the house has been pretty crazy. Here's a few pics of what I have been up to. The pictures should tell all but the captions should give more detail.

Changed out a broken sprinkler head to a copper top. Not too complicated.

Planted some veggies. Cilantro and Green Onion. Better than organic because organic still uses pesticides.

Cleaned my garage. Doesn't really look like it but it's clean. Installed shelves above garage door on the roof.

I saw this on the road but if I had this Civic, I think I would be smiling ear to ear every time I drove it.

This is 8th gen Civic SI Mugen edition. They were released in 2008 with only 1000 units produced. Rated at 197 horsepower this would be an awesome car to own. I can't find production numbers for 2009 or 2010 or 2012 for that matter but I can tell you that this is no ordinary Civic.

Here's a really mean looking Mini Cooper. This car looks so mad at the world. Complete with spoiler and front lip kit and rims. I wish I knew more about Minis to tell you more about them. This one just simply stood out from the rest of the Mini Coopers on the road.

One of the best years on record for that Bordeaux, France. 2005 Bordeaux. Had a little sip.

If you are wondering what ETA means in the title, I hope you stay tuned to find out. I'm going to have a pretty nice surprise for you all on that day.

San Diego - Out And About

2011-05-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

Just went shopping at the mall a few days ago but I had to snap a pic of this Sienna in black. I wanted my Sienna in black SSSOOOO SSOOO bad. Anyways, I don't see them in black all the time so I snapped a pic. Oh how I just want to bag or drop it and throw on some 22' x 9's among other goodies.

The Siennas are a USDM vehicle but I really see potential in someone that wants to go 'all out' with modding one with a VIP twist to it.

I was driving just a couple days ago and also snapped this picture of a 510. There is a driver there, but I photo shopped the driver out hahaha. Looks like he's rolling on some Libre rims also.

Datsun Meet on Thailand TV

2011-05-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Thailand is coming up in the car game not just with VIP styled cars but also with old school Japanese cars as well. Saw these videos and I had to share.

Whaddup Wednesdays San Diego Car Meet

2011-05-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

There are so many cars to take pictures of at these meets held about once a month. Mainly the ones that caught my eye are the old school rides. There are just too many pictures to take and post but here's a few pics from previous meets that I took photos of. There are close to about 200 cars in attendance at times. It's almost like a car show and for the most part people behave making it a fun time to just hang out, meet friends, share stories, drink boba, eat food, and of course drool at the cars that show up. Of the previous meets that I have been to, I once counted 4 Skylines (not G35's). Other honorable mentions include 2 Lambos, and handful of NSX's and I'm also a sucker for modded M3 BMW's and RX-7 FD's. I'll continue to keep my eyes peeled and keep you guys updated.

Random Non-Car Photo But 510 Related

2011-05-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Saw this in a parking garage. Thought I'd share it with you all.

Somebody Got It Right!!! =D

2011-05-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

I rarely see girls model with 510's so these pictures definitely caught my attention. Found these on a forum that I frequent. I don't know anything about the photo shoot the car, or the model. If you have more info(or pics), send me an email.

Random Rides - Frankenstein Edition

2011-04-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

I've lived and visited many places but living in southern California, I see all kinds of interesting stuff. Modding cars is nothing new but here are some rides that I thought looked better left alone and I managed to snap a picture of both of them. I don't know if they serve the purpose that each owner needs but looks like the owners just weren't happy with keeping them the way they were.

Snoop Dogg With A 510 Wagon (goon)

2011-04-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

I found this pic while surfing the internet. Apparently this was for the cover of one of his albums that dropped in March of 2008. I probably would have noticed if I was into Datsuns more back then.

Japan - One Good Pic Deserves Another

2011-04-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here's what happened to one military guy (Donnie's link: http://donaldjackson.teammnr.com/ ) stationed in Japan when taking pics of an old school S30.

"today I was in Towoda... and some bad assness parked next to me."

"lol while I was taking pics of it.. some lady was taking pics of my car ironically lol. She was a S13 driver and actually had some drift time under her belt. I spoke with her the best I could lol. Her Sw20 was clean."

"Also was at a stop light and looked over and seen to R30's, went to talk to the guy... seems as if these are for his own projects lol.. was not selling any parts of them."

Chula Vista Eastlake Meet 4/13/11

2011-04-14T00:41:00.000-07:00

Eastlake Chula Vista meet tonight. I caught about the last 45 min but was able to see a few rides before everyone left. Mostly Subarus and Mitsubishis but all rides welcome. Always cool meeting new people too.

That Little Brat

2011-04-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Ok so here's a joke that I hope you enjoy. I laughed my butt off but other people were just kinda like laughing at me rather than the joke. Anyway, I thought it was funny so I'll share with you all and then post pics of a Subaru Brat I saw for sale.

So a guy walks into a library and says (in a demanding voice) 'I'd like a Big Mac, large fries, and a drink!'. The librarian lady says 'SSSHHhhhhh. Sir, this is a library, I'm going to have to ask you to keep it down.' So the guy whispers back to the lady and says 'ohhh sorry, ok, I'd like a Big Mac, large fries, and a drink.'

Here's the little Brat that I saw parked on the curb. It's for sale too. Didn't get a number though.

This car is rust free which is pretty rare.

Not exactly the same car but, I read an article on Speedhunters that showcased a guy's Subaru Brat. Here's the link to the team's site. http://www.therustinthewind.com/

Here's another link to the Speedhunters article on the Brat.

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2010/04/13/event-gt-gt-import-reactor-drift-part-1.aspx

Here's a small snippet from Motormavens:

http://www.motormavens.com/2010/06/coverage-lone-star-bash-is-texas-drifting/

5 & a Dime - Bring Back The Brown (4-09-11)

2011-04-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

5 & a Dime clothing store hosted "Bring Back The Brown". The theme is for a push to bring the brown back to San Diego Padres uniform as a unique color for major league baseball (MLB) teams. There were tents around the corner selling brown SD shirts to show love and support for the Padres.

The weather called for rain but it was quite the opposite and it turned out to be a beautiful day in the sunshine followed by the baseball game San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers. Padres lost but we still had fun.

Nice roll caged S2K in the foreground with 4dr GC10 Hakosuka Skyline in the background.

Local NBC media was on hand doing their interviews.

Can't complain about our seats.

In The Shop You Go.

2011-04-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

So I took my buddy to drop his car(Nismo 350Z) off at the body shop for minor repair. The car in front of the Z is a 80's Buick Regal T-Type, Grand National, or GNX. Fastest American made car for the mid 80's. I couldn't exactly tell which variation this was because it was stripped of all the emblems. I got pretty excited because I use to own a Regal and found a deep respect for them. There were a few that came with V8's but most came standard with a V6. The turbo models were all V6 as well and they only came in 3 colors. Black, white, and grey except the GNX (the fastest and rarest of the turbo models) which only came in black.

Another car I snapped a picture of is this black old school BMW with wide body fenders. Everything on the car was clean (as in a little dusty but body and paint done flawlessly). I don't know too much about BMW's to tell you what kind this was.

The shop also was working on our friend's S14 240SX drift car with turbo KA motor also a little dusty.

VIP Hyundai Equus

2011-04-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

It's now arrived on US shores. The Hyundai Equus. People are finally seeing VIP potential in the Korean auto market. As a owner of a 2009 Hyundai, I do feel like I got a really good deal and I'm pretty happy. It's cool to see good things coming from Korea. Anyway I found this picture of a VIP style Equus that was unveiled. I love the styling of it. This car in stock form is enough to put a smile on my face but having a nice set of aggressive rims and a lower stance made me drool a little bit. Not really feelin the smoked lens' but I'd still drive it. The DUB and the stock version are pretty sick in my opinion as well. I also posted a stock interior of the rear reclinable heated seats.

So Much Potential Just Sitting In A Field

2011-03-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Saw this Datsun / Nissan 200sx just sitting in a small field. I see it all the time but never brought my camera until now. I didn't get too close as I had appointments to make so I was in a little hurry. But here's the pics.

The top end model of this style of 200SX is the 1.8 L Turbo reaching 120hp @ 5200 RPM. All other models came standard 2.0 L 4cyl reaching 102hp @ 5200 RPM. This is certainly an 85 - 88 model being that it's badged as Nissan not Datsun.

Too Close

2011-03-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this in the parking lot of the super market. Who parks like this and walks away??? No Really.

西部警察 (Seibu Keisatsu) Skyline C211 Turbo

2011-03-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

HOW DOPE IS THAT!?!? I found this video of an Japanese classic police show. The video showcases a bomb being discovered at the police station so they have to act quickly. Hot shot rookie cop takes the bomb and hops in his Skyline C211 2000GT Turbo then check his innovative GPS ver. 1.0(haha j/k that just what it looks like) for the best place to ditch the bomb!!!

Best assembly of classic Japanese cars, I've seen on film so far.

Drift Ready Widebody Nissan Y33 with RB26 (with full audio sound system)

2011-03-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

The video is a showcase of a beautiful wide body Nissan Y33 Cima (The Infiniti Q45 for those familiar with these cars in the West). The car has been completely done over and I'm not sure the specs or even if this is a base model or the grand touring Y33 but it's an early 00's model. The title says the owner dropped a RB26 swap and the video displays a roll caged interior with various parts stitched in black or dark grey suede complete with widebody and anime vinyl graphics. The interior is done up more for audio showcase than anything. I wished the cameraman could have filmed the engine. I would have loved to see the engine swap.

My personal thoughts:
I would love to see this car get some playing time rather than sitting on the bench screaming "put me in coach!!!"

Bob Bondurant Driving Video 1978

2011-03-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

I was browsing youtube and saw this video made in 1978. The video was uploaded by youtube user "BondurantSchool".

"Film made in 1978 by the Bandag Tire Company for The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. The School was using Datsun 240Zs, 260Zs, 280Zs and 810s at the time and was located at Sears Point International Raceway, today know as Infineon. In this film Bob Bondurant personally instructs three students in the Grand Prix Road Racing class. They will learn heel-toe down-shifting, trail braking, corner entry and smoother car control."

-the above quoted from youtube user "BondurantSchool"

Dubbed "The Fastest 60 Acres In America" the school, now located in Phoenix, Arizona, offers a wide array of driving and racing techniques for cars and kart with a long standing history in the automotive industry.
For more info check out:
http://www.bondurant.com/index.php
or call 1-800-842-7223(RACE)