My dad had a 510 he built from dirt. I remember long ass car rides out to the boonies so he could grab an emblem. The car was built with a potent motor he put together in the basement and went like hell. One of the rare times he let my mom drive it she rear ended a camaro. The old man was pretty crushed, so he fixed it up and sold it to a work buddy who drove it for 15 years before parking it. After that he put a 5.0 in a AMC Gremlin Levi edition.
The looks on peoples faces when that rusty piece of crap took off were hilarious.

There's a 78, 510 wagon on the grassroots motorsports website for $400 bucks in Dayton Ohio it's the uglier grill but the car looks pretty good for it's age.

my uncle in BC bought one new in the 70's (cant recall what year it was) and it was one of the first cars i remember really liking... we used to go out to BC every year. he GAVE IT AWAY about 5 years ago and i almost drove out there and killed him... i must have told him 10million times if he ever wanted to sell it to give me a call... he said 'oh it was all rusty..you wouldn't want it" ahhhgghghg! it needed a new floor in the trunk and some work on the bottom of the doors and a new exhaust...that's it... but then in BC i guess that makes it a rusty heap!

it was a really fun car..

These cars have actually been sought after for over 25 years. In fact, they were at the bottom of their popularity curve during the years they were being built and sold.

What made them so desireable in the late '70s/ early '80s was the combination of affordability and features found only in much more expensive cars--- like one particular car that starts with B and ends with W. : OHC engine, full indedpendant suspension, light weight, excellent "tossable" handling, "sports sedan" design, etc.

In 1980 a decent early-'70s 510 could be had for under $1000, while comparable used BMW 2002s started at around 4k. The 320i was relatively new at the time and commanded upwards of 10k used. New ones were over 15k.

Since the 510s were so widely available and cheap to buy they were also good candidates for engine swaps--- the Ford 2600cc V6 from the Capri was a popular choice. (The rotary hadn't yet won over the masses since the RX7 was at that time new on the market and the bad rep from the first RX2s and 3s hadn't yet dissipated, at least in the minds of the general public).

But I've noticed something: While decent 510s have become more rare (and therefore more expensive), solid older BMW 320i's and 318i's can now be had for under 4k--- or even under 2k. If your looking for a relatively rust-free rolling chassis in which to drop a turbo rotary this would seem like a good place to start.

510 in Ottawa
 

Hey i know where there is a 510 in the Greely area (just south of Ottawa) its red and its the only one the guy has. he has a dealership and all he carries is datsuns. hes got 1 240z too.

i've started to get a craving for a 510 again, in case anyone has any info locally.
my brain last night wouldn't let me fall asleep thinking about this.
even just getting a shell with the interior maybe, a bit of rust is ok, is what i would be looking for.

contact dave at Mazdees, he knows someone that has a project 510 forsale, its already been caged.

not looking for a race car project, but thanks for the tip i might give that a follow up.

i have a 1972 510 wagon swapping a 13bT in it this winter.

theres one for sale in sasketchewan

cool! i would like to hear/see how that goes. you are in NS = Nova Scotia?

can you PM me a link if it's on the internet, otherwise some sort of contact for the person selling it? thanks.

my uncle owned one since new in '71 (got it the same year i was born)... he lives in BC. i loved that car...

he GAVE IT AWAY because the trunk was rusting out a few years ago... i almost flew down there and killed him!

Aaron if you want a 510 as stated above theres a car dealers ship that has a few for sale off of bank street.

I saw 4 510s there in july.

I also know were one is. But its caged. Not sure what your project is. Street? Track?

Also a 210 or that is such a model too.

yes i live in Nova Scotia and this is my wagon the 13b T is going in.
link - http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2620169

Nice project...me want. Give use some more details :)

510's Eh!!!
 

I knew a guy who worked in the baggage department at Canadian Pacific Airlines in Vancouver who had a thing for 510's back in the mid 90's. Last I heard about the guy was that he had over 20 of them in all different states located in 2 yards. One in Edmonton area and one near Abbotsford.

He just used to drive around and buy up every car he could get his hands on in the Pacific Northwest. I will check with a buddy of mine in Colorado to see what the present status of this guys 510 horde is.

Heck if he is in financial trouble, it could be 510's for everybody.

Eric

well dad and i bought the 510 for a project car its from BC was here and repainted on the out side once original color. needs another paint job, its a very solid car. now its a stock L16 3 speed auto and it is getting weaker every time i drive it. in 1972 it was rated at 92hp too the crank. so probably lucky to get 50 at the wheels now. the inside of the car is mint some old lady had it, so it was hardly ever used. for the motor and trans we bought a 88 rx7 turbo car for the swap. should wake it up. going to make a 3 inch exhaust no cat, no resonator, and a FMIC and big BOV. so it will make lots of noise. allot of people don't know what a 510 is so they will never understand a 510 with no pistons. the 510 is under 2200 pounds so it should move:lol2: i will have a thread for it when get it started.

I don't want to jack your post but if your into 510's check out what I'm doing with mine......

https://www.rx7club.com/old-school-other-rotary-63/datsun-510-13b-tii-swap-690496/