The 510 Realm

Roger all of that, advice well received and much appreciated. I fully itended to install additional safety/rigidity to the chassis, seems like a must when you consider what it was built for.

I'm actually having one heck of a conundrum right now on a much more trivial issue. The power steering pump belt is squealing occasionally. It felt maybe a tad on the loose side so I've been trying to tweak the tension, I've been reading that there's a 14mm pivot bolt somewhere but I'm finding myself completely unable to identify it or find pics detailing its location. I've got a handle on the two 12mm bolts on the adjuster.

Purchase a slightly shorter belt. The tensioner is at its limits. One more thing "I wanted to do".

I was having trouble finding this thread. Glad you guys linked up. I just let Jamie drive sweet pea

Haha, quite a different experience, eh Jamie?

A stock 510 sporting original tires making a whopping 78rwhp vs one with a good suspension setup, big brakes, nice wide tires, and 330rwhp...... Not even close. I mean it's like comparing a model T to a modern corvette.

The "Sweet Pea" is a great cruiser though. As long as you keep it at or under 50mph. It's literally like a time machine... back to 1971, roll the windows down and just cruise the countryside, no radio to get in the way, just enjoy the ride. Like a small Cadillac, it's that smooth. Seriously though, that is one incredible clean car. I mean 17000 original miles? WTF? Great find for Brandon, he'll only make it better. I bet we never see another one as clean as his.

I see great fame in that 510s future.

In other news, shorter ps belt: check. I actually had to get a 4-rib to get the right length from any of the local parts stores and cut a rib off. No more squealing, though.

Donnie, been a while without update, hows the car?

Hey Jamie. Not much new to report. With grad school, I have not had any time to sink into the car yet. I did change the shift knob though to a wood one with a Datsun logo, felt like it needed a swap ASAP! I drive it occasionally, but I don't beat on it right now. It has a couple rust spots that I'm especially keen to get fixed (inside passenger front fender - bubbling along the rail is my top concern and there's a thin area with a couple holes on the front face of the rocker) which means I need to find time and space to strip the car down and do some welding.

Honestly, it may be a few years before this car starts to take shape. I'm actually in the process of looking to move and minimize expenses so I can "retire" from needing to work for money in the next decade (I'm still in my 20s). Sounds crazy, I know. But anyway, it means I will eventually have time to spend fixing things up myself but also that I do not have money for now to throw around to have someone else do it. I'm actually downsizing a lot of stuff (cars, house), but I can't bring myself to let this dime go so it's staying put right now. Gets a ton of positive attention when I scoot it around town -- from young and old alike (but mostly older folks haha), 510s in general basically do not exist in my area, not to mention fast ones. 'Took it to cars and coffee near my house and left the hood open, that generated a ton of buzz.

On a separate note, I do have two quick questions if you're up for it! The fuel pump has whined pretty loudly since day 1. Initially I didn't think too much of it, but I think I'll likely need to replace it. Do you have any recommendations on that? Which fuel pump is it running right now? Second, the boot on the driver's side of the steering rack has ripped. I know you said it was a Celica rack, do you have any more details on that that could assist me in finding replacement parts? e.g. which year celica it came from

The fuel pump whine is probably due to the fuel filter after (or just before, can't remember) the pump. Take it apart and clean it. That fixed it for me when it started to make some noise.
As far as the steering rack..... man it's been a long time.... I think it's from an '89 to '93. I do remember it (the rack) was mounted on the firewall of it's intended home.

Speaking of "leaving the hood open" can you post a pic?

Thanks, that's definitely enough info to get me started.

Do you mean a photo from when it was at C&C or just a photo as it sits now? Or do you mean a photo of the rack?

As it sits now. An under hood shot. From above.

The rubber bushings that isolate my fuel pump dried up and it made a terrible noise. Might want to check those if you have them also.

I'm guessing it looks exactly like it did when you last saw it... I can try to get a pic later today.

WxMan wrote:The rubber bushings that isolate my fuel pump dried up and it made a terrible noise. Might want to check those if you have them also.

I'll look into that as well. Thanks.