I've been searching for a daily driver for a while now. My Jeep (2004 Grand Cherokee Limited) was on the fritz since Thanksgiving and it took a lot of effort to get it running well enough to sell back to Carmax. Not that I have anything against my relatively short stint as a car owner of an American made vehicle, but it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling to not know when my car is or isn't going to leave me stranded next. I like being kept on my toes and all, but not by my daily driver.
Watch out for a future entry about Jeep issues, and there are plenty of them, but for now I'll skip ahead and show off the replacement.
Assuming I wasn't going to buy a new car with a warranty, which is the only reason I believe you should buy a new car, I wanted a car that I could work on easily considering space, electronics, and expense. It also didn't hurt that my 240z has many interchangeable parts to said daily driver.
I wanted to have space. Space was a big thing. Did I mention space? I was replacing a relatively large Jeep so the bar was set high. I didn't need the towing capabilities, but I wanted room as a road trip car, parts/bikes/pets/kids hauler, current and future as the case may be. I was initially looking for an early 510 four door. Datsun cars are becoming increasingly more rare, at least on the east cost, the 510 variants being no exception. Of the 510s, I had never even seen a wagon in person until I picked up mine. There are always a few 2 door 510s around, at least in the nearest city which happens to be Atlanta, maybe a 4 door, but a wagon?
A goon?
Another requirement was that the car be rust free. I was looking for another 240z. Another rust free car that I didn't have to deal with body work, holes in the floor, frame rails rotting, or suspension mounts barely holding on by their last leg. If it had an engine or not, a clean slate was a must. It's that much more difficult to end up with a clean rolling car if you don't simply start with one. Even if you replace the rust, usually the result is flat pans or weld seams where they shouldn't be. I wanted it to be without rust still with OEM parts, not used-to-have-rust but repaired, or worse yet,
"some cancer", as most for sale ads read.
As it turns out, my goon would not come with an engine, but no worries, Datsport makes a great install kit for SRs or KAs alike. Another requirement was that I did not want a project. I know to some this may seem to have been violated, but with the wide range of swap choices and pre-made parts available, buy and assemble should be the order of the day. This obviously is still to be proven, but I don't want to be building custom mounts or trying to figure out what struts fit what casings forcing what offset wheels.
I have my 240z for that.
Did I mention space and no rust were requirements? Another clean start? Another Datsun barn find? On the east coast for that matter? From my research, the wagon's are just like the coupe's but stretched a bit in the back. On a side note, the ignition is on the left side of the steering column.
Four clean doors for the daily driver and a fifth one in the back for getting groceries. That's what you do with a daily driver, right? She is a bit thinner than most newer vehicles sold these days, and sits a bit lower than most SUVs. I was impressed upon it's massive interior roominess with minimal exterior presence.
Interior panels and again, space. The previous owner said that the previous owner, and no, he wasn't talking in the third person, had several Datsuns of varying vintages, and after amassing parts over the years, let this one go with multiple sets of panels and fixtures. I have yet to go through it all but am pushing along with the 240z in order to get it out of the garage and this in before it snows, not that it looks like it's going to snow anytime soon, this being the lightest winter on record, but that's beside the point.
An interesting, new-to-me, solid rear axle that needs a bit of surface sanding. The 510 coupes came with an independent rear suspension, and maybe one day an IRS swap is in store. As stated before however, this isn't intended to be a project. Simple disassembly, clean, and reassembly. Also came with new shocks, minus a few leaf springs, a blocked sway bar, and dry rotted tires.
15" 4x114.3 wheels that will interchange with the 240z! Peeking out from the wheel fins are brakes from the 280zx suspension columns that I hear are a common swap for 510 coupes, and wagons apparently. The rear came with 240z drums.
Seats are in great condition and look super comfy.
Boxes and parts galore. Multiple headlights, grills, door panels, seat belts, and drive-shafts. Not sure why I need two, but I'll work with it.
