Datsun 1600 Special

[Doraemon]

Hey folks!

I've been reading on the forum for a while but now I thought it's time to make a thread about my car.

Like an other Dutch member on the forum, I had a big struggle to find a 510 in the Netherlands couple years ago. After looking beyond the Dutch border I found one in Portugal and took a flight to the sunny south to have a look at the car. Had a lovely test drive around Porto and decided to buy the car. After couple weeks the car arrived by truck in the Netherlands.

This car is a "1600 Special" which has been assembled in Portugal. Portugal had their own versions of the 510 including the "Special" version. Which is like a SSS but without the blue tinted windows and double carburetors. As far as I know the interior is made locally in Portugal.

Did drove the car for a while until the MOT expired and getting a new one failed.. Due being to busy with buying and working on our house had no time to work on the car sadly. After the biggest part work on the house was done and it was time to work on the car after couple of years at last!

The engine was leaking and engine bay was pretty tired looking (think it had an exploded battery in the past). And there were other problems which had to solve to get the car driving properly. Had the idea of building a CA18det engine in the car but dropped the idea. Since I didn't want to drive very fast and just want to have a nice cruising car.

So it was time to take the engine out and rebuild it and clean up the engine bay.


Edit... Will add more pictures later if I get the upload working. It seems some how to bother with picture sizes.

[Doraemon]

After the engine was out and disassembled I check all tolerances. And luckily everything was in spec! I only gave the head to the engine shop to make it like new. Gave the bores a fresh hone and painted the outside with engine enamel.

[datzenmike]

Odd. Look at the lower edge of the head between the #1 and #2 spark plugs for the head Identification. Normally it would have an open chamber 210 head. I've heard that there were very rare closed chamber 210 heads.



This is definitely a closed chamber head so it makes me wonder if you might not have an SSS engine but without the dual carburetors. Here's hoping you might have a 219 head. Could you also post a picture of a piston top. If an SSS engine these will be flat and not have a dish.

Congrats on getting this.

[MikeY]

Closed 210 sometimes had the number under the front timing gear inspection plate. drivers side.

[datzenmike]

I know the 219 did this but had A87 by the spark plugs. A87 came in closed for Japan use.

[Doraemon]

The head says A87 and the pistons have are shallow domed.

[Doraemon]

When everything was removed from the engine bay I started to look for rust. Only rust issue I found was the cowl for water drainage.

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After whole day pounding on a piece of metal I managed to get a nice curved piece that fitted. Not bad try for non experience metal beater

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[Doraemon]

Then started to remove all the paint and other stuff with a wire wheel and damn.. What a horrendous job it was.

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Fresh new layer of epoxy.

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And then the best part.. painting the color!

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[Doraemon]

Before and after

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Engine being rebuild with all new parts. And the oil pan and cam cover new layer of paint.

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[datzenmike]

The head says A87 and the pistons have are shallow domed.

Well larger ports and valves than the 210 head but lower compression (8.2) unless it was shaved.



Try to find a KA24E or KA24DE oil pump from a D21 Hardbody. The internal rotors are 13% longer and move more oil than the smaller stock oil pump so it builds pressure faster at low speeds. An old L20B I had hot idled at 17 PSI but 29 PSI with the KA pump. No other change. Not suggesting you pay a lot for one but if they are available in wrecking yards it's a nice little up grade.

[greenthumb]

Nice progress. Where in NL are you?

[Doraemon]

Well larger ports and valves than the 210 head but lower compression (8.2) unless it was shaved.

Try to find a KA24E or KA24DE oil pump from a D21 Hardbody. The internal rotors are 13% longer and move more oil than the smaller stock oil pump so it builds pressure faster at low speeds. An old L20B I had hot idled at 17 PSI but 29 PSI with the KA pump. No other change. Not suggesting you pay a lot for one but if they are available in wrecking yards it's a nice little up grade.

Thanks for the tip! Already got a new L16 oil pump. And KA24's are very rare here.

Nice progress. Where in NL are you?

Literally almost middle of the middle middle middle of the Netherlands.




Managed to find an overhauled short 5 speed gearbox. As far as I know that this box was from a Skyline/Laurel? Looked at the first four gears to see what the ratio was but seemed it looked very identical to the original L16 gearbox. Started to weld pieces of metal to support the old box to a metal table to make a jig. Then later I put the 5 speed in the jig to weld a new bracket. Later found out that I forgot the exhaust is also running next to it. So had to grind a bit of later.

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[MK510]

I think that European market cars have always closed chamber heads, i have seen 30-40 4-cyl L-series heads 210,219,A87,W53 castings and all closed chamber, open chamber is rare here.

[datzenmike]

Really nice, very strong. Made for the L28 six cylinder cars.

Do you know exactly what 720 truck it's out of???

[Doraemon]

Really nice, very strong. Made for the L28 six cylinder cars.

Do you know exactly what 720 truck it's out of???

Myself no clue. The guy who sold it to me said the box was used for Skylines or Laurels. Think he/was working at a workshop which overhaules gearboxes and had a Laurel project with a modern Nissan V8. So I think he had enough knowledge and is right on that one.