My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

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sycklash
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Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by sycklash »

Well, I purchased this 510 a couple months ago with the idea of getting it running and driving it as-is, after some needed mechanical work done such as new brakes/brakelines/clutch master cyl + slave cyl/etc etc.
Kept getting problems with small things a couple days ago and said screw it.
Ended up tearing out the mildly built l20b, and 5-speed so I could start getting the car ready for an SR20DET.
Here's a few photo's of what it was like when I was planning to drive it, as-is.

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Here's some of the progress I made yesterday.

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Current plans are to strip the car even more, clean it up, stitch weld it for strength, and figure what else I don't need under the enginebay for the sr20, so I can get a huge headstart on shaving everything.

When I bought the car, I ended up getting a few rare parts with it, which I plan on selling to help fund the parts to go with the sr20. This would include a mint set of dual-webers, original instrument cluster w/ tach, too many sets of fiberglass fenders, and I also plan on selling the l20b that came in the car, along with a spare one. The 5-speed is going to my cousin as he's buying my 260Z for a project.

Also going to have to tear my interior apart again so I can put the rollcage in, that came in my parts car.

Things that are going through my mind currently would be needing to find out what all I'm going to need for under the hood with the sr, finding an r180 rearend so I can tear my rear of the car apart,start doing bodywork, figure out what color should paint this so I can start daydreaming and drawing up idea's so I know what to do next year with the body.

I've been away working all summer on base barely being able to work on my cars when I got home, so now that I'm home progress is probably going to be fast(as long as the girlfriend doesn't get too needy.)

I should be ordering my Sr20 sometime next week(as long as my buddys buying my parts, and I get some money for my 260z), so stay tuned for progress!
Last edited by sycklash on 29 Sep 2014 13:21, edited 1 time in total.
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two_68_510s
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Re: My 71 510 budget build

Post by two_68_510s »

I like the way you control your expenditures! :wink:
Looks like a good shell, how is the rust around the bottom?
Joel

2 '68 510 2 door sedans
'95 240SX


“We will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal
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two_68_510s
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Re: My 71 510 budget build

Post by two_68_510s »

decoupage?
Joel

2 '68 510 2 door sedans
'95 240SX


“We will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal
sycklash
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: My 71 510 budget build

Post by sycklash »

The rust along the bottom is almost non-existant. First time I got under the car, I was amazed at how little rust there was haha. The only rust is where the rocker + the quarters meet, and the taillight panel. (and the supertrapp exhaust which was soon cut off haha)



Well this just happened to show up this morning!
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S13 SR20DET with only 75000 km on it.

Tore off everything for air conditioning, clutch fan and the exhaust manifold/turbo.
Currently working on cleaning it up and ordering all the parts needed to get it ready to go in the ol' datsun.
Ordered tranny crossmember and looking at ordering motor mounts right away too.

Starting saturday, it looks like we're going to start the tackling of getting everything that needs to be welded done on the car (Stitch weld seams, little bit of rust on quarter panel, fill in holes for side mirrors on the doors, fill in unneeded holes under the hood, and rear taillight panel).
Winter's coming so I'm putting my hatch in storage in our other garage which means I can make as much of a mess as I want without having to worry about my other baby haha(meaning progress will be quick)
Instagram: @Sycklash
sycklash
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by sycklash »

Sent the car off and got it back already!
Seams are welded up for strength, crossmember cut + reversed + braced, holes filled under the hood, holes filled for side mirrors on the doors(to make room for fender mirrors), and new taillight panel welded in!

Now my plan is to grind down the welds + use bodyfill to smooth everything over and then just block the hell out of it until it's smooth.
There's still some bigger holes that need to be filled, but I'm getting plugs to fill them.

Here's what the car looked like when I sent it away, with my pup Zelda not wanting it to go
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and here's what it looked like when I got it back today!
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I'm going to tear off the front suspension and everything too, so it can get properly degreased/cleaned + prepped for paint.
I'm going to need to order my FMIC + air-dam right away also, so I can make modifications for the piping and intercooler itself.
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two_68_510s
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by two_68_510s »

Yes! Looks like good progress. Nice to see it tightening up.
Joel

2 '68 510 2 door sedans
'95 240SX


“We will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal
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510wizard
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by 510wizard »

Since you're going thru all the trouble on doing the engine compartment right, you might get rid of the indentation where the battery tray was. I little cut here and there, some dolly/hammer work, welding and your good to go. Trust me,it's one of those," I wish I would done that before I painted it"
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JordanTr
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by JordanTr »

It looks like the front crossmember got welded in?
'72 2 door KA project | S14 Silvia RB25DET | S14 RB26DETT (sold) | '90 Audi 90Q20V (sold)
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okayfine
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by okayfine »

Yeah, I saw that, too. I could see how it might seem like a good idea to the welder, but you're probably going to want to be able to remove that at some point.

Then again, maybe not. And it's not REALLY in there, but you'd have to pull the engine to cut the welds in the future.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
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JordanTr
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by JordanTr »

I'd say chop em now so you don't have to mess up the paint in the future. Also, removing the crossmember and putting the engine through the bottom is much easier than through the top.
'72 2 door KA project | S14 Silvia RB25DET | S14 RB26DETT (sold) | '90 Audi 90Q20V (sold)
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two_68_510s
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by two_68_510s »

On that subject, what about "tacking" it after you are set up, just to freeze it in place?

Mine is powder coated so I probably won't do it, but I wonder if that little bit of stiffening would be significant.
Joel

2 '68 510 2 door sedans
'95 240SX


“We will either find a way, or make one.” – Hannibal
sycklash
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by sycklash »

It was done to stiffen it up since looking at it, there's not that much strength for the crossmember to begin with, so it was braced just to stiffen it up that much more haha.
If I were to need to cut it out, I'd just slice a hole down the middle, and hammer the two sides until it just breaks off from bending each side.
It's not that big a deal to me to do if I ever need to do so,I don't mind taking the harder approach and going over the top haha.

On another note, I'm trying to get ahead of myself and plan for the future, so I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for fuel cells. I've been seeing that everyone recommends not putting it in the spare wheel space, so I was wondering if there's any that I can buy to utilize the stock space well. Really don't want to do a custom job haha
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okayfine
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by okayfine »

Engine crossmember is bolted in the way it is so that it breaks/drops down so the engine can drop down in the case of an accident. So it is mounted weak on purpose. How much you care about that is up to you, just giving the reason it's only held on with four small bolts.

You could flange that plate bracket so it would still be welded at each end, but separated in the middle so it could be unbolted. I, like Jordan, stick engines in 510s from below.

As to fuel cells, no one makes one of an appropriate size. I've looked through enough Summit/Speeway/Pegasus catalogs and never saw anything good enough. I ended up making my own:
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Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
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okayfine
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by okayfine »

two_68_510s wrote:On that subject, what about "tacking" it after you are set up, just to freeze it in place?
If'n you wanted, you could drill the bolt holes for a 12mm bolt, some larger washers underneath, and a larger spreader bar up top to help spread the load.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
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Byron510
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Re: My 71 510 budget SR20DET build

Post by Byron510 »

sycklash wrote:It was done to stiffen it up since looking at it, there's not that much strength for the crossmember to begin with, so it was braced just to stiffen it up that much more haha.

Just some background experience;

I have ice raced 510's, rallied 510's and a few just got treated really rough when there were a dime a dozen. What always amazed me was how tough these cars really are;

Regarding the from X member mounts; never in all the abuse I have put past 510's through, did I ever have a problem with the bolts, or the areas in the unit body where the cross member mounts to. In fact I have folded up cross members (most recently on my very nice street car by hitting a very sharp pavement abutment in an unmarked constructions zone) and still had nothing move in the unit body.

My conclusion; The bracing from the X member to the body likely isn't necessary, because I’ve personally proven the cross member itself will fail long before the fixation to the bodywork.

Keep the posts coming though, work is looking good.

Byron
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because the opposite never works.
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