James’ KA Powered Datsun 510
It was a beautiful afternoon when we had the pleasure of shooting and filming this feature with James and his 1971, 4 door, Datsun 510.
This car has a little bit of everything, from everywhere, kind of like a flea market, or a multi-family estate sale; this car has been built with hard work and creativity, and is something for a multitude of car enthusiasts to be ecstatic about.
The engine is a KA24DE freshly harvested out of a 1993 240SX, and the transmission is out of a 1985 Nissan D21 Hardbody with a Subaru 3.90 open differential. James managed to almost double the horsepower with this swap as these Datsun’s came from the factory at around 80 HP and James is pushing 160 HP sitting at the light weight of only 2100 pounds.
She drives like a champ, even after the swap and moving the battery into the trunk the 510 still manages to pull a near perfect weight distribution. That coupled with James's custom coil overs, a marrying of the original 510 suspension and adjustable coilover sleeves, really help plant this little Datsun in the bends.
James didn't forgo comfort and functionality either. He replaced the headliner and carpet, and took 1990 Toyota Camry seats to make the ride a bit more comfortable. But like a true sleeper, he kept the outside work to a bare minimum, who doesn’t love to see people’s jaws drops when a car just gets up and goes? During our ride along, Nic mentioned that the Datsun would be a perfect autocross car, James says he is planning on it and agrees it would be a total autocross killer. If and when James gets on the track, you already know the Tireside team will be there!
This car is a diamond in the rough; it is a work in progress, as most builds are (check out our past and current TIRESIDE builds on our channel!) This puzzle has been carefully pieced together over time, and we look forward to seeing the progress James makes moving forward! Check out James’ full feature video here.