Before we discuss this nasty little box-flared Datsun we must take a trip down memory lane…in their youth Rob and his good friend Tony both had Datsun 510s and enjoyed modifying and autocrossing them. Here are some pics of the box flare car before Tony transformed it:

 

Rob and Tony on the auto-x in Georgia. Yes, GO GA 510 used to be white and ran a turbo L-series!

 

Fast forward to 2011, Rob acquired the box flared Datsun from Tony with plans to get it running again one day and track-worthy. The car sat for a several years until Tony decided to visit us just a few weeks ago. Rob thought it would be a nice surprise to get the car running so Tony could drive it again and re-live his youth! Working late nights and on the weekend not only did the Datsun become road worthy, it got a new drivertain in the form of a Turbo L-series!

 

A few words about the car…Tony did all the work himself to create this car. It has a full roll cage tied into the front strut towers, 280zx brakes/front suspension, stock rear drums, ZX transmission with welded diff, Z31 hood scoop, fiberglass hood/trunk, plexiglass windows, and a completely gutted interior with custom gauge panels.

 

The Petty Blue paint was badly faded and surface rusted, especially around windows. We cleaned these areas up and simply rattle canned color-matched paint

 

Tony ran some 15×7 ARE wheels but Rob knew he could fill out those massive fenders with a more substantial wheel/tire setup. He found some old school Riken meshies in 16×7 and wrapped them in 225/50/16 Hankook RS-3s which now tuck nicely in the box flares.  We think it looks perfect. Don’t mind the negative 4 degrees of rear camber…penultimate member on the way!

The heart transplant only the box flared 510 could deserve:  Draw-Thru turbo L-series! This drivetrain  started out in Rob’s 510, made its way to Forbes’ and now resides in the box flare car:

 

More close-ups of turbo setup/downpipe in gallery! Note before/after engine bay shots. It was pretty gnarly before:

When Tony arrived from Georgia he was amazed to see his old 510. Then he drove it and the smile on his face was priceless.  We made him wash it before taking it out on the fun run 🙂

 

I was lucky to take the box flare for a spin. Driving this beast is a sensory overload. There is no passenger seat, window crank handles, sound deadening or any interior panels whatsoever. The welded diff and on/off clutch make low-speed sharp turns interesting(lsd on the way). But I forget all of this the moment I roll into the throttle and hear that semi-truck like hiss and whirl from the turbo…it is so addictive! I tried to capture this sound on video. Crank up the volume, enjoy, and please forgive the crooked quick-release steering wheel as I was very anxious to get in and drive!

 

 

Thank you Tony for keeping your Datsun in the family and we hope you enjoyed your visit to ZCG. The Box Flared 510 lives!