Craigslist Find: 327ci V8 Powered 510

We've said it before and we'll say it again, V8 swapped 510's are absolutely insane... and we love them. We know it's wrong to completely overpower a short wheel base car with massive amounts of low end torque and horse power, but Pete Brock drives a V8 swapped 510. The Father of Datsun racing can't be wrong. This particular 510 has had an entire book of performance parts and mods thrown at it including moving the firewall and engine back, coil-over suspension, and full roll cage. You probably can already hear us whining about the automatic, but we really would love to see a 5 speed in this thing. Find it here, in Willow Glen, CA, for $6,000 OBO. The seller is willing to let it go without the motor and trans for less if you're thinking of swapping something else into the car.

1970 Datsun 510, 327ci Swap

Craigslist Find: Datsun 510, Roots Blown L20B

We're pretty sure that there were no roots style supercharger manufacturers for Datsuns, let alone the 510. Someone went through some pretty amazing fabrication work to stick a blower on this L20B and we like it. Aside from the crazy cool supercharged L20B this car has fenderflares (they look like they're from a MK1 rabbit), a welded diff, 5 speed trans(!), S2000 brake master cylinder, and slicks. There are some other cool parts in this build, but the car still needs to be finished. It looks like this car was being setup to be a drag car so there may need to be some fine tuning if you're looking to do another application. Brake lines, wiring, and new custom rear wheel wells need to be installed. Find it here, in Watsonville, CA, for an amazing $2,400.

Datsun 510, Roots Blown L20B

Craigslist Find: '73 240Z, L28et Swap

We've seen plenty of L28ET swapped 240Z's, but this one is not only a very clean example of the S30 chassis, it's also a great deal. Especially when you consider that it comes with a complete extra turbo motor should anything go wrong with the one currently in the car. We love the color combo and very traditional body as well as the super clean interior. The seller does mention that there is some smoking coming from the valve cover and there are some very small rust spots. This has got to be the best Datsun deal on the East Coast right now. Find it here, in Queens, NY, for $4,700.

1973 Datsun 240z, L28ET Swap

Craigslist Find: '64 Datsun L320 Pickup, Perfect Patina

We've seen the ad headlines more times than we can count, "Perfect Patina!" Then you check the pics and it's just a rusty pile once known as a car. This Datsun L320 is "Perfect Patina", the original paint has been faded and worn through by the sun in a very dry climate, resulting in the red-orange primer showing through. It's not a rust bucket. There are some maintenance issues that need to be addressed before this truck can get back on the road like the gas tank and rear trans seal need to be serviced. This little pickup needs nothing more than a drop, some wheels, and a cleaned up engine bay to be a stand out at JCCS 2013. Find it here, in South Central Austin, TX, for the very reasonable price of $1,750. 

1964 Datsun L320, Perfect Patina

Craigslist Find: '72 510 Roller

This 510 is a little more budget friendly than the last one we posted.  We'd like to see some more pics that included the interior and engine bay, but this looks like a fairly good deal at $3,500 with headlights and exhaust, or $3,200 without. The car has disk brakes all around and is riding on coil-overs. You could easily have this Datsun back on the road for under $5,000 with a decent set of rims. The world is your oyster as far as motors choices, so do some work and save a good amount of cash! Find it here, in North Orange County, CA.

1972 Datsun 510, Roller

Craigslist Find: '72 Datsun, VG30 Swap

This is one of the best looking 510's we've seen in a very long time. While it's hard to tell how straight the body is with the matte paint, the panels and lines match up nicely and look very straight for a 510. The motor swap doesn't look to be your run of the mill 300zx VG30, but one from a 90-95 Pathfinder. It could just be an intake manifold and distributor swap as there isn't very much info in the ad. The interior looks to have had some very expensive parts installed, but some panels are missing and we'd really like to know if the dash pad is crack free under that carpet cover. As mentioned before, the ad is really sparse on information, but this looks like it could be a very well done and complete car. Find it here, in Blue Diamond/Rainbow, NV, for $15,500 OBO. We sincerely suggest checking out this car in person and trying to negotiate the price based on your findings as it is one of the most expensive 510's we've ever seen.

1972 Datsun 510, VG30 Swap

Event: JCCS 2012, Part 7

As the Sun continued to rise the heat continued to climb to well over 100F', but there were still many amazing cars to shoot.

Craigslist Find: '73 Datsun 1200 Deluxe

Here's a very clean example of the 510's little sister, the 1200. These cars were smaller, lighter, and came with more economical motors, but they still retained the RWD fun of the 510. This particular car is in great shape and has a nicely appointed interior. At $3,200, this car makes for a nice alternative to a 510. Find it here, in Chicago, IL! 

1973 Datsun 1200 Deluxe

Event: JCCS 2012, Part 6

Quite possibly the coolest car Honda ever made.

Craigslist Find: '72 240Z

This is a great deal on an original 240Z. The paint is two years old, the body is straight/rust free, the interior is in great condition with a rare passenger foot rest, and the drivetrain is numbers matching. This car is an absolute steal for $4,500. The only draw back is that it's an automatic. At this price, you could still modify and put the stock motor and trans in storage until you're ready to sell the car. Find this fantastic deal here, in Eugene, OR.

1972 Datsun 240Z

eBay Find: '76 280Z Turbo

This 280Z looks great with real Watanabes, ZG flares, and a nice set of fender mirrors. The thin 240z bumpers help it out immensely and the L28ET should be making a good amount of power. There doesn't look like much needs to be done to this car, but the engine bay has mismatched paint, the AC is not functioning currently, and as usual with motor/trans swapped cars, the tach and speedo are non-op. The car comes with two extra motors, one of which is built to handle all the boost you could ever want. Find this solid built Datsun here, in Travelers Rest, SC, with current bid at $6,600, reserve not met.

1976 Datsun 280Z, L28ET

Craigslist Find: '69 Datsun 510, KA24DE Project

This 510 is definitely one we recommend checking out in person. We saw this car for sale a couple of weeks ago in Sacramento and now it's for sale again in Burbank. The current seller states that there is some rust and the car needs a radiator, but the KA is running strong. The car has coil-overs with camber plates as well as front and rear sway bars. This looks like it could be a good daily driver with minimal work if you're not bothered by rust. The seller is willing to tow the car 30 miles to it's next home. Find it here, for $3,000 OBO. We recommend checking the VIN with the DMV for backed fee's, that way there are no surprises when you go to register it.

1969 Datsun 510 Project, KA24DE, Suspension

Event: JCCS 2012, Part 4

Laser straight reflections are not easy to do on Datsun sheet metal.

Craigslist Find: '73 240Z, GNose, Blown SBC

The GNose is a polarizing look for the 240Z. It completely transforms the look of the car into something that you either love or hate. This car looks great with the BMW Sepang Bronze Metallic contrasting nicely against the bare carbon fiber flares. While the body is purely Japanese, the motor is a roots blown, all american small block Chevy. Seller states that the interior needs work, but makes no mention of brakes or suspension upgrades. The car is also running an automatic TH350 transmission. The seller has not listed a price but judging from the only trade he would like to make, (MKIV Supra) he's looking for a considerable amount for this car. We're not sure how much it's actually worth without seeing more pics of the motor, interior, suspension, and brakes. In this situation, it's best to contact the seller and feel out how much value he places on the car. If you're local go see the car before making an offer. Find it here, in Fresno, CA, make an offer!

1973 Datsun 240Z, GNose, Supercharged SBC

Craigslist Find: Slammed '69 510, KA24E

This 510 is low. So low in fact, that you won't be able to take it anywhere without first checking for speed bumps, dips, tree roots, pebbles, cigarette butts, etc...We wouldn't even consider restoring it the because the chassis and frame have got to have been scraped and dented into a fine art piece. That being said, we love this car. It's the lowest 510 we've ever seen. The paint/patina looks amazing and the KA24E means it could be a great daily driver. We would leave this car exactly as is and drive it as often as possible to places we're familiar with. Seller states that there are some issues with that could use addressing, like some wiring issues and the speedometer isn't functional. If you end up buying this car and having it shipped, please let us know if it will even make it up a flat bed trailer ramp. Find it here in Stanwood, WA, for $3,500 OBO.

1969 Datsun 510, Slammed, KA24E

Event: JCCS 2012, Part 2

The quality of Datsun 510's at this year's show was the best we've ever seen.

Craigslist Find: '66 Fairlady Roadster, FJ20

This little Fairlady roadster has had it's tired old 1600 swapped out for a FJ20ET, sans the E and the T. The motor has been stripped of it's fuel injection and turbo in favor of a set of Weber carburetors for ease of tuning. The car looks like a solid deal at $3,800 but there is some sort of fuel issue that needs to be resolved before the car can be driven hard. As usual with swapped cars, the speedometer and tach aren't functioning. This car needs a couple weekends worth of work to be fully functional again, but it does currently run and drive. Find it here, in Imperial Beach, CA. Special thanks to Dave for the submission!

1966 Datsun 1600 Fairlady, FJ20

Forum Find: KA24DET '73 240Z

The SR20DET seems to be the turbo four cylinder of choice when swapping motors into classic Datsuns, but the KA24DET has some perks as well. For starters, it usually has more low-end torque and parts are more readily available at your local scrap yard. So it does make sense to find one so well put together in a Z car, like this one. The seller looks to have built the motor properly as well as the suspension. There is no mention of a brake upgrade which we feel is necessary for an old car with this much power. Find it here in Santa Ana, CA, for $11,000 with wheels or $10,000 without, OBO.

1973 Datsun 240Z, KA24DET

Craigslist Find: RB25DET 240Z Project

Get a head start on your project for next year's JCCS! This car has already had the engine bay painted white and the RB25DET is ready to wired up. The car still needs to have the remainder of the body sanded and prepped for paint as well as assembly. The seller doesn't mention anything about an interior or if any suspension or brake mods have been done. The seller states that there is no title and the car will come with a bill of sale only. We recommend that the next buyer does their due diligence in checking the vin with the DMV. Find it here, in San Fernando, CA, for $4,500. 

Datsun 240Z, RB25DET Project

Event: JCCS 2012, Part 1

Yes, it's that time again. One of our favorite shows of the year has come at last!