Originally posted by Racer X 69 The first one is a Sports 2000, which came with a 2 liter OHC engine, and twin SU carbs. IN race trim it set the pace for its class.
The SP310/SPL310 (L for left hand drive) Fairlady/Sports 1500 was introduced in 1963, with a 1.5 liter pushrod engine, the first 300 having only one SU carb, the twin SU setup continuing thereafter.
The SP311/SPL311 Fairlady/Sports 1600 came in 1965, with a 1.6 liter pushrod engine, again with twin SU carbs.
Introduced in 1967, and produced through the end of the Fairlady/Sports 2000 run, the SR311/SRL311 was the first with a SOHC engine, iron block, aluminum head, twin SU carburetors. A performance option was available, Mikuni/Solex carburetors, different cam grind, gauges and a special license plate trim.
In 1968 emissions systems reduced power output slightly. The body and other items were revised slightly.
The cars were campaigned by John Morton, Bob Sharp and others. The sticker price was lowest in its class, but it won its class in C Production (Mikuni-Solex carburetors) and D-Production (Hitachi-SU carburetors), in SCCA racing on a consistent basis even years after production ended.
I have raced against similarly prepared cars with my Z, and they give it a good battle.
Thx for the detailed info.
Datsun/Nissan has brought out some great cars, with lots of potential for racing and rallying and I think that their early rallying success with the 510 doesn't get enough credit, IMO.
Back in '73 I was looking for a new car. It came down to the Toyota Corolla, Datsun 510. VW Super Beetle (yep back then I was a confirmed V-Dubber) and Ford Pinto.
I just didn't want a standard econo box, I wanted something with some sporting pretensions. At that time the Datsun 510 was well regarded for it's rallying prowess, something that always appealed to me and one of the reasons I had previous owned another sporting sedan at the time, a Volvo PV 544 with a B18 , twin carb (SU) engine.
Anyway, the SCCA at the time ran a racing class called Showroom Stock and one of the hot setups in the cheap, economy car competion was the Toyota Corolla, with the following options/deletions. It was the basic model with the 1600cc OHV Hemi 4 cylinder, 4 speed manual, carpet delete, with only rubber floor mats, radio delete, oversize tires (13 inch instead of standard 12 inchers), front disc brakes instead of drum brakes and a few other things I can't remember. It was a lightweight, big (relatively speaking) engine, good brakes, etc....little car that did well in this SCCA class.
So I got it, rather than the others. I regretted getting it, as although it was zippy....it rusted clean through within 2 years, had great difficulty starting in cold and wet conditions, a myriad of head gasket issues, etc. Within 5 years it became a field car for the farm.
My previous cars, particularly the air cooled VW that I had were very reliable, bodies didn't rust near as much, etc....and although they were not as zippy as the Corolla, much more reliable.
My big regret was that I hadn't gone for the Datsun 510. I don't know how it would of been rust wise, reliability wise and durability wise....but I wished I had got that.
I've never had a Datsun/Nissan but I'm the odd man out in our family. In the past decade there have been two Sentras, one Frontier Pro 4X truck, one Rogue and one Kicks.
Me, I've stuck with a variety of GM's....mostly because I can fit into them comfortably ...big guy, hockey injuries....and they have been very reliable and I like the powertrains. Also the GM dealer I use, is top notch.
---------- Post added 08-02-20 at 11:03 AM ----------
Originally posted by Parallax I see I'm not the only one fond of hyperbole.
"According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the highest temperature ever recorded was 56.7 °C (134.1 °F) on 10 July 1913 in Furnace Creek (Greenland Ranch), California, United States,[8] but the validity of this record is challenged as possible problems with the reading have since been discovered. Christopher C. Burt, a weather historian writing for Weather Underground, believes that the 1913 Death Valley reading is "a myth", and is at least 2.2 or 2.8 °C (4 or 5 °F) too high.[9] Burt proposes that the highest reliably recorded temperature on Earth could be at Death Valley, but is instead 54.0 °C (129.2 °F) recorded on 30 June 2013.[10] This is lower than a 1931 record of 55 °C (131 °F) recorded in Kebili, Tunisia [11] and is matched by a 1942 record of 54 °C (129 °F) from Tirat Zvi, Israel.[12] Recent[when?] readings in Kuwait and Iran have also matched the 2013 Death Valley record. The WMO has stated they stand by the 1913 record pending any future investigations."
List of weather records - Wikipedia.
Weather records.
All I know is the hottest day I've ever experienced was in Great Falls, Montana and the temp was 109 F....I know this to be true as I got the temp on my Timex Fishing watch when I was walking across a vast, black top parking lot to get to a book store.
When I got to the bookstore, I was perusing the magazines next to U.S. military serviceman, when an older man sidled up beside him and started whispering somewhat loudly to the serviceman, how he had done secret undercover work for a govt. agency.
I almost dropped the People magazine I was reading at the time as I started to listen in to the conversation, and then when the guy who claimed he was a secret operative said.....
Geez excuse me, I seemed to have gotten way off the subject here and I think that may be contravening a forum rule...sorry about that.
Last edited by lesmore49; 08-02-2020 at 09:04 AM.