Growing up in Utah, I didn’t see many Datsuns. However, my extended family lived in California, where my uncle owned a Datsun 510. He had heavily modified it for SCCA club racing at tracks like Sears Point and Laguna Seca. I always thought it was fascinating how an unassuming economy car could be transformed into a competitive race car. Unfortunately, he sold the 510 in the ’90s for a fraction of what it would be worth today. At the time, I was too young to buy it, but ever since, the idea of owning one has always stuck with me.
In 2024 I’d been getting bored of how good my 987 Cayman was. Then a friend sent me a link to this 510 for sale in Riverton, Wyoming. I had always wanted a 2-door 510 and was surprised at the reasonable asking price.
“We basically dragged this car out of a field in Wyoming”
I sent the owner a deposit, and a few days later I had my Cayman sold. I rented a U-haul and made the 5-hour trek to pick up the car.
My friend Joe convinced me to start shooting video of the build, and he posted it all on YouTube. There’s a complete playlist that includes most of the build from start to finish.
