Again, I stand corrected and I apologize again. I am only familiar with the motors that were here in the States, which are the A12 of 71-73, A13 of 74, A14 from 75 to 82, A15 from 79 to 82 and
the A12A from 79 to 82. We didn't get the 4-door, estate wagon or the Ute here. There is a lot going on in the rest of the world that I haven't encountered for sure. It seems unusual that they
made a different A12 block but it still used the same intake bolt pattern as the early A12 instead of the later pattern like the A14 and the A15. I did get a head once that had so much
compression that the guy took it off of his 1200 because he couldn't get gas with high enough octane for it and I have never seen another one like it. I picked up a 14 pound flywheel also
where most are 19 pound flywheels here. A friend worked at a Datsun dealers and he got me factory 13:1 pistons for cheaper than he sold stock dished pistons but he only had that one set. They
would not work with the high compression head. I assumed that the head may have been from a 1000 motor. Correct me if I am wrong and I probably am wrong but is the 1000 motor basically the
same as the A12 but with three main bearings instead of five?

Also, is anyone familiar with a car called the Griffith? In 1967 to 69, I was stationed in the Navy with a guy that had a Griffith with a 289 Ford engine. Now that was a running mother and as
cute as any car I've ever seen and small, I'd love one of them. I don't know anything about them either. I think they were an English made body but I am not sure. I'll search for them on the
web.

Mareo

Mareo, Do you mean the TVR Griffith? That was built here between 1964 and 1967 and had a 289 Ford V8 and was built on the earlier TVR Grantura III chassis. They were good for about
150mph! Only around 300 were built. If you search for stuff on the net use "TVR Griffith 200" or "TVR Griffith 400" if you want the 60's model as there is also a current Griffith
made by TVR.

TVR are one of the few British car manufacturers still going and have a pretty awesome product lineup these days like the Tuscan speed six ...here's a pic... http://www.b-link.co.uk/
talkingtvr/tuscan/tuscan01large.jpg.

Check out TVR's own site at http://www.tvr.co.uk or go to http://www.b-link.co.uk/talkingtvr/index.htm

Cheers,
Eddie

Here in the UK we had the A10 from 1968 and as you say it's the same as an early A12 but with a three bearing crank. Then we got the A12 with a forward mounted dizzy in the B110 and
early B210's with 12" wheels. The Later B210's with the 13" wheels got the later A12 with mid mounted Dizzy and the B310 got this as well as A14 and a15 engines. We never got any A13 or
A12A engines in any UK cars at all.

So basically there are three different A12 not counting minor differences like GX motors.

BTW the A10 has the same bore as an A12 so the pistons fit. The stroke is only 59mm and the rev like crazy!

Eddie

Thanks for the info, Ratdat. It is good to get information like this. I think I had a set of 1000 pistons once. They fit the bore but the wristpin was a wee tab larger than the A12 and the
wristpin hole was out of place. I got them with a box of parts including the very high compression head I mentioned in an earlier post. I always assumed it all came from a 1000 motor. I have
never seen one but I have read about them back in the 70's.

I just got a phone call from an old friend that had a foreign car wreckers yard through the 70's and 80's and he has a 1969 510 coupe that he said he will sell me for $200. It hasn't run for a
few years but it was his driver car for years. He has spun and lubed the motor and all every so often. He has been handicapped for the past eleven years and he hasn't driven the 510 since
then. It has the factory quad SU carbs and engine. I haven't seen the car in a few years and it was in very good shape then. It has been outside but under a shed. He says there isn't really
any rust on it. I will check it out tomorrow or asap. It is calling for 6 to 12 inches of snow in the morning. I want it.

Question for 510 mechanics ? ? ? ?

Is the 1969 510 1600 engine like the 1969 2000 roadster engine or was it more like the L-20 2000 of the 70's 610-710 cars. I have never been around the 510 motors very much and I don't know
them very well. I have had experience with the 69 2000 Roadster engines and the timing chain systems are very different from the later 2000. I would appreciate any info on the 510. It would be
very helpful just so I will know what to look for and were to look for it. I'll keep ya'll informed.

Mareo

Thanx for the TVR link, Eddie. The Griffith was a cool little machine that would do 150 MPH in the 60's. Very few things would run with it really. My 100 cubic inch larger tri-power
Pontiac GTO wouldn't even come close. At the time in 1968, it was definately the fastest thing that I had ever been in and still today, I have only been in four cars and two motorcycles
at a real 150 MPH.

Mareo, the pistons you had with larger pins may have been A12A pistons, they use a larger pin.
The 1600 in a roadster is different than the L16 in a 510.
It sound like your friends 510 may be a great find.
The North American '69 models had different lower frt. controll arms etc. & thus sat lower than the '70-'73 versions. They make a great handling
street/autocross car.
I'll bet you can find lots of 510 info on the web. Try this site for lots of Datsun info from the Pacific Northwest. http://www.nwde.org/
Good luck 510 hunting. I wouldn't hesitate picking it up for $200, I hate too say it, but 510's are in even greater damand than our blessed Datsun 1200's. (Though that seems
to be changing).

I think you mean dual SU's, right? The carbs in good running condition, alone, might be worth the $200, buy the car.

The 510 L-16 is like a L-20b with a 3/4" shorter block (basically a 4-cyl. L-24). The z-car or p/u 5-speeds bolt right up, or a roadster or Naps-Z one w/ a L-series bellhousing. An L-20b would
probably be a better street engine.

There is even a FACTORY EFI AND TURBO manifold. The Z-car R-180 diff will go right in too, though not really needed. Subaru used the R-160 diff throughout the 80's and LSD's were on most of
the AWD's, good cheap swap. Engine swaps range from "frankenstein" LZ-22, Z-18et's, rotaries, VG-30 or 33's, sr20de(t)'s, to Buick 215 and Ford 302's.

The 69 510's came with different grilles and dashes (the rectangular, sweeping speedo and metal knobs for headlights and wiper controls), most people switch to the later (70 and on) dash with
round gauges that you can get a factory tach for. The sidemarker lights are different on the 69 (the 68 didn't have the rear red one's and the 70-on cars got rect. shaped ones) and I believe
those are NLA, NOS ones are out there but real expensive. The 68-69 model also had METAL side vents (very desirable) with no exposed screws, can't steal'em. The taillights (unique to 69) and
front turnsignals are also slighty smaller than the later years (different lenses) and the front valence and taillight panel are different to match. I think the 69 used the roadster fusebox.

The 69 crossmember has a higher pickup point for the control arms than the 70-on (the 68 is higher still?), good for a lowered car. The 69 control arms (hard to get bushing for 69 arms) are
different from the later ones and you'd what to switch to them so you can use the Energy Suspension bushings; B210, z-car and modified 200sx arms work.

What makes the 68's and 69's lower is their shorter struts, 10.5" to the spring perch for 68's and 11" for 69's, the 70-on cars got 11.5" struts. Doesn't really matter as you can take the
struts off, put them on your 1200 and use 200sx (11" like the 69's and you can even use z-car brakes) or 280zx struts with vented rotor (this seems to be the hip set-up, you get shorter struts
and big brakes). People are also making rear disc brake brackets for 200sx or 280zx rear discs. The 69 steering arms are also different, you'll need to find the older tie-rods (Moog makes
them) or reem them out to fit the newer tie-rods.

The little parts are what's expensive and hard to find; taillight gaskets, trim peices, fuse box covers, weatherstripping, 69 dashpad are NLA. But the good news is there's probably more
available from Nissan for the 510 than a 1200.

Look for rust in the *strut towers*, *bottom of front fender right between door and wheelwell*, FLOORBOARDS*, doors toward the bottom, inside wheelwells, trunk, by antenea on a-pillar, under
the cowl, and under the rear window.

If you get the car you should get on the Bluebirds (510) list, lots of good info: http://www.dimequarterly.tierranet.com/maillist.html


The premeire 510 site and newsletter:
http://www.dimequarterly.tierranet.com/

http://www.dimequarterly.tierranet.com/tech/spreadbury.guide.html


More 510 tech:
http://home.att.net/~jason510/

http://kmhafer.homestead.com/datsun510.html

http://www.bryanf.com/

http://www.ozdat.com/ozdatonline/index.htm

http://www.pl510.com/

Good car I have two of them 68 and 70.Both are 4 door the 70 is an automatic
and,it hauls.Buy it!

Where are you located?
If you want to sell the cars I can put a message on the 510 list.
Daniel

the 1600 is the same as the L180 and L200 very simple engine but seems to get alot of ppl confused with timeing chain
and so forth