Jalopnik: Datsun

Look Out, Toyota Starlet! The '82 Sentra Gets 58 Highway MPG!

Murilee Martin — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:01:00 EST

Of course we realize that the books were cooked on that 58 MPG figure; the old EPA test had about as much to do with real-world driving as the image of Sea Monkeys has to do with real brine shrimp. Still, though, the '82 Sentra sipped gas through a cocktail straw, and entry-level econoboxes 26 years later are guzzling the stuff by comparison. Would present-day car buyers find this Datsun intolerably loud, cramped, and bouncy, pissing themselves in terror every time an Expedition loomed in their field of vision… and what's with the hand-cranked windows and lack of air conditioning? Yeah, a car like this would have no chance today, but let's see what happens when gas hits 10 bucks per!

Irishman Modernizes Classic Datsun 260Z, Hoping To Start New Stereotype

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Politicians and celebrities routinely get into trouble for referring to a certain stereotype about Irish individuals and inebriation; may this Nissan/Datsun 260Z 2+2 from the Emerald Isle start a new stereotype about Irishmen and tastefully modified automobiles. What began as tinkering with a navy blue Z ended up with a gray beast that captures the essential design elements of the Z fused with an aggressive appearance package. Featured over at the ZClub forum, Jay28's Z makes us want to start trolling Craigslist for one of our own. What's Irish for Tres Magnifique?

[ZClub via CarScoop]

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: The $19,000 RHD Datsun Skyline C211?

Murilee Martin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT

It's Nice Price Or Crack Pipe time again, which means you have another chance to pass judgment on a car seller's possibly overoptimistic price tag! Today's car is one you don't see every day in North America, no doubt about it; the seller brought this '80 Datsun Skyline over from the UK, so it's even weirder than the occasional JDM car you might encounter. It's in pretty good shape, other than a spot of quarterpanel rust-through; we're pretty sure the L28 engine was never installed by the factory in these cars, so either the seller has the engine wrong or it's been swapped. Regardless, many common-as-dirt 280ZX parts will fit. Thanks to Justin for the tip!

[eBay Motors]

Notorious Muscle Car Freaks Heading To 24 Hours Of LeMons With... A Datsun!

Murilee Martin — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Those of you who watch a lot of automotive TV shows are probably familiar with Year One's Keith Maney, who appears on My Classic Car, Dream Car Garage, American Muscle Car, Hot Rod TV, MuscleCar TV, Horsepower TV, etc. What you may not know about is Keith's insidious influence on this site; both yours truly and Andrew Stoy worked for Keith at YO (along with Driveshaft Through The Skull creator Walker Canada and military-vehicle expert commenter Clinto), and he's a bad, bad influence on anyone who might want to retain some semblance of vehicular sanity. Naturally, I figured he'd be perfect for the 24 Hours Of LeMons, and he agreed that building a car for next year's LeMons South race would be a fine idea. The initial plan was to use "The World's Rustiest '78 Trans Am," conveniently sitting in the woods behind Year One's Georgia HQ, but that's not what happened…

Unfortunately, the Rusty Bandit had the shop guys cut the one unrusty part off (the roof) and the rest went to The Crusher. Time for Plan B: a $300 '69 Datsun roadster. No engine or transmission, but another couple hundred bucks is all you need to obtain an S10 with an allegedly good-running 4.3 V6 sitting in the bed, and that's what Keith and accomplice Phil Brewer went ahead and did. A 39-year-old Detroit V6-powered rusty Japanese sports car- what could possibly go wrong? We'll let Keith describe his idea for the team's name in his own words

I'm thinking of a play on the father of Datsun Racing - Bob Sharpe. How about (not too) Sharpe Racing, with the finest rattle-can white paint job accentuated with lovely red and blue duct tape striping? Hell, in honor of the recently departed ex-Sharpe racing driver/actor, maybe we can find some Paul Newman masks and wear those. So many possibilities. We're planning of Sawzalling the fender and quarters (they're mostly bondo anyway) for massive tire clearance. Probably run 15x8s all the way around if that gives us enough brake clearance.

Miraculously Unhooned 1973 Datsun 510 Holds Still For Alameda Photo Session

Murilee Martin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EDT

While at the Motoring J Style show in May, I spotted an amazingly original Datsun 510 two-door parked in the exhibition hall. Turns out it was owned by David Swig, the guy in charge of the event, and now I've managed to get him to bring the car to the former Alameda Naval Air Station (where they now make absinthe) for some photos. The car was purchased from its original owner, who always garaged it and for many years drove it just once a month or so; this Datsun is solid Compare its condition to that of most 510s, which have spent their lives in glorious clouds of tire smoke and- all too often- wrapped around telephone poles!

Paul Newman Thinks The 1984 Nissan Skyline Is Terrific

Murilee Martin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Paul Newman did a lot of ads for Nissan in addition to racing their cars, and the association went far beyond the usual "big in Japan" deal in which foreigners make major yen for appearing in car ads, then flee back home. Nissan even came out with a Paul Newman Version R30 Skyline, which is featured in one of the trio of '84 ads here.

1971 Datsun 510

Murilee Martin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Today we're going to check out one of my all-time favorite Japanese cars, the one that started the whole hot-rodded Japanese machinery thing here in the US of A: Datsun 510! Sometimes I get asked whether irate car owners come running after me with a shotgun when they see me shooting their cars, but my experience with this Datsun was more typical; the owner came out to see what was going on, was glad that someone appreciated his car, and opened the hood and trunk so I could get better photos.

It's funny that the car known as the "Poor Man's BMW 2002" is now worth more than a 2002. In 1971, you could buy a brand-new 2002 for $3,275… or a Datsun 510 for $1,990. Both cars had IRS, disc brakes, etc., but the BMW had the power edge, with 114 horses versus 96. With the money the Datsun buyer saved, however, another 50 horsepower could be added, with enough left over to buy better wheels. Many did, and that's why almost all of the 510s have been hooned to death by now.

The original carbureted L16 is long gone, replaced by what appears to be a fuel-injected L20. I neglected to ask the owner what junkyard donor provided this powerplant, so you Nissan aficionados will have to help ID it for us.

I'm glad we finally have a 510 for Down On The Street, not least because Alameda is in the 510 area code. We've had a 411 and a 610, but the once-common 510 is a rarity these days.

First 300 DOTS Vehicles • DOTS FAQ

The '82 Nissan Silvia RS Turns Salarymen Into Racing Hoons!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Sold as the Datsun 200SX in North America, the Nissan Silvia for '82 didn't get silly roller-coaster ads in its home market. No, Japanese car shoppers learned that the Silvia 240RS was pretty much the exact same thing as the Silvia race car! Special bonus points to Nissan for including the FJ20 reference in the ad.

Datsun XLink Concept Envisions Datsun As A Lifestyle Brand

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:20:00 EDT

Though you may not see it at Geneva, the XLink Concept thesis project hints at what Datsun could be if resurrected by Nissan. The challenge for Benjamin Nawka at the Nissan Yulon Design Center at Pforzheim University was to create a compact car that utilized "fresh design language" and unique features. The result is a four-seater compact hatchback with a bold presence and adjustable winglets above the rear that feature lights and rear mirror cameras. Nawka considers the XLink to be "the first product of the new lifestyle brand DATSUN, whose re-introduction is based on the excellent image of the 240Z and other cars which were mainly affordable, reliable and easy-to-use." We see more of the Datsun 710 in this concept, but in a good way.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Though this is just a graduate project, it would be interesting to see Nissan use Datsun as way to launch a competitor to Scion and, possibly, Saturn in the USA. We also like the envisioned navigation system that not only lets you know where friends are, but also suggests random driving adventures — though that's probably the setup for an awesome lawsuit. [Benjamin Nawka via Carbodydesign via Carscoop]

PCH, Rear-Drive Japanese Sedan Hoonage Edition: Cressida or Maxima?

Murilee Martin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:40:00 EDT

Amazingly, a Chevy (well, Chevy/Buick) managed to beat an obscure, 40-year-old German microcar in a heads-up Project Car Hell competition, with a 57-43 split in yesterday's voting. Today we're going back to the common-theme idea; inspired by all the love for the DOTS Cressida, we decided we ought to do a Project Car Hell matchup featuring a pair of Late Malaise boxy Japanese midsize sedans, complete with luxury features, independent rear suspensions, and big inline-six engines. Japanese stuff isn't normally hellish enough, however, due to their boring reliability and tediously good build quality. In order make things more interesting, these projects are going to require massive horsepower upgrades. Boost, engine swaps, whatever it takes!

These days, the demand for the "four-door Supra" is so high that it's tough trying to find one cheap enough to serve as the basis for a project that's going to involve a lot of cutting and pasting. That doesn't mean it can't be done, of course- for example, check out this '83 Toyota Cressida, which has most of its parts and is priced at an amazing 350 bucks. The seller included "motor runs" in the "pros" section of the ad, but then we get the line "it's not getting any fuel to the injectors" in the "cons" section. Contradiction? Hey, it's a $350 Cressida! It's got some dents, it has no papers, and it's an automatic... but you'll fix all those things with a quick application of some 1JZGTE power. When you're done with that, you can install a manual transmission (and have fun getting the clutch pedal assembly for a LHD car), and when you're done with that you can work on the luxury features that "do not operate."

The Datsun 810/Nissan Maxima was quite a car, with specs quite similar to the Cressida but more of that funky Nissan flavor we loved so much back in the day. It's pretty much the "four-door 280Z," but that appeal means that most of the usable early-80s examples have been drifted or otherwise hooned into oblivion by now. We couldn't find one quite as cheap as that super-steal Cressida, but this '82 Nissan Maxima can be yours for only $1,200... or less ("any reasonable offer will be concidered"). Don't worry about the photos showing snow on the car, since we're sure it looks just as good now as it did when the photos were taken. The car has "Lots of new parts to include," which we assume means that they're sitting in boxes in the trunk (and possibly they're not so much new as new to this car), and "all in all this car wont stop running." You'll be all "no problemo, dude" about the rust, mostly because you'll be so busy installing this SR20DET/5-speed combo that you won't have time to think about anything other than your eternally bleeding knuckles and ever-shrinking bank account!

Project Car Hell, Co-Prosperity Sphere Edition: Nissan Fairlady Or Mazda Luce?

Murilee Martin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EDT

The low-miles AMC beat the NASA-built Fairmont in the Electrocutioner Edition Choose Your Eternity poll, though the Fairmont did make a respectable showing. Today we're jumping back into a pool of flaming gasoline, because there's no telling how much longer the smell of incompletely burned hydrocarbons will hover around our garages. After seeing a Datsun 610 in the junkyard and then the '78 Toyota brochures over at Japanese Nostalgic Car (thanks, SOS10), we decided to find a couple of Japanese cars built before they'd discovered focus groups (and airtight quality control) over there.

Datsun 280Zs are a dime a (rusty) dozen, but you don't see many mid-70s Fairladies in North America; it seems that those willing to go through the hassle of importing a classic JDM Nissan tend to go for the earlier models. Right-hand-drive, weird badges, and the utter impossibility of passing any sort of emissions test- sign us up! They're tough to find over here, but if you've got $1,200 burning a hole in your wallet you can buy this '75 Nissan Fairlady. Yes, just barely over a grand! You won't be able to just fire it right up, though; as the seller says: "It has been stored and has not been ran for a few years now and is looking a bit rough." See those tiny, blurry photos? Looks like a challenge, but it gets even better- those shots "were taken prior to storing so it looks a lot dirtier and rougher now." Using one of the Hell Project seller's favorite gambits, the Fairlady's owner wants you to know that this inexpensive- and totally easy- project has a "potential value of $40-$50k restored." Wow! It's like getting free money!

The early Mazda rotary wagons are pretty rare, but you can still find them. How about the early piston-engined Mazdas, though? When was the last time you saw a Mazda 1500 wagon? SoNaive found this '71 Mazda 1500 station wagon in Vancouver, for just $1,300 Canadian dollars. This was the "big" Mazda of its time, and featured styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro (the seller points out that "you may notice it looks like an alfa from the front," which may or may not be a very persuasive selling point in a wagon). The original 1500 engine is long gone, but not to worry- the seller "shoe-horned an '83 2.3 liter 200sx engine and 5spd transmission into place," which should work great as long as the shoe-horning was done with care. What could go wrong?

Doomed Datsun 610 Remembers When People Drove Small Japanese Wagons

Murilee Martin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT

It was Half Price Day at the local self-service yard last weekend, and I had my eye on a Porsche 928 that had been there the week before, thinking I could buy that purty Porsche intake manifold to hang on my wall. Sadly, the 928 had already gone to The Crusher, so I decided I might as well check for other interesting stuff... and, sure enough, here was a super-rare '74 Datsun 610 wagon. The L20B is still there, and so is the factory 8-track player. Well, the 8-track was there, since I felt compelled to grab it. After buying all those 8-track tapes for the Junkyard Boogaloo Boombox, I need a backup deck!

DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: Datsun 1000

Murilee Martin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Let's leave San Francisco and follow the route taken by gold-crazed sailors who abandoned their ships back in 1849, as we head up into the Sierra foothills and visit the Gold Country town of Placerville. Reader Parrish spotted this Nissan-built Austin Cambridge (sold as the Datsun 1000 in North America in the late 1950s), which isn't so much down on the street as outstanding in its field. Those of you who missed out on the Datsun 1000 PCH entry might still be able to head up to Placerville and make a deal for this car! Parrish's description after the jump.

I suppose it doesn't really count since I found this one out on delivery (I put in appliances for Sears), but here's a rare one for Placerville, CA, let alone anywhere: Nissan Sunny/Datsun 1000. Last registered in 1997, so it was running not too long ago, too.

1980 Datsun 210 SL Station Wagon, With Bonus Datsun Poll

Murilee Martin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EDT

The Malaise Era Japanese cars are just about all gone by now, and it's especially obvious with Datsuns. The Datsun-Nissan changeover happened during the early 80s, just as digital engine controls and less restrictive catalytic converters signaled the end of the Malaise Era and the beginning of the Turbo Mullet Era (feel free to start throwing that name around). Today we're going to look at one of the last of the rear-wheel-drive econo-Datsuns, sold during the crazy gasoline price spikes of the 1979 Energy Crisis. Yes, back when disco was king and the echoes of Jimmy Carter's Malaise Speech were still reminding us of the diminished expectations that lay ahead.

Malaise or not, the B310 Sunny (as it was known in Japan) got the job done. You got the gas-sipping 1.4 liter A14 engine and pretty solid reliability. It was crude by the standards we've come to expect in an econobox these days, but you weren't paying to haul around 800 pounds of sound insulation and fake wood interior trim.

Not only is this one of the last of the rear-wheel-drives, it's one of the last of the import station wagons; the Turbo Mullet Era was more about minivans and proto-SUVs than wagons.

I suspect this car has spent some of its life in an area with salty roads, because this isn't California-style rust (we tend to get top-down rust here, starting around the windows). OK, time for our Datsun poll! What's your favorite DOTSun so far? I'm including the '83 Sentra because it's got Datsun emblems in addition to Nissan ones.

Two-Tone Roller Coaster Of Malaise: 1979 Datsun 200SX!

Murilee Martin — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT

The Datsun 200SX for '79 didn't have TURRRRRBO power yet, but it packed a not-too-shabby-for-its-time 92 fuel-injected horsepower. Weighing just 2,268 pounds (about 650 pounds less than the '08 Sentra), the 200SX didn't feel particularly Malaise-y, and it even came with a Sky Roof! It wanted you to open it up and watch its moves!

Desert Runs In A Turbine-Powered Datsun 280Z

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:45:00 EDT

While the turbine-powered Porsche 928 we found on eBay was admittedly pretty neat (and ended up selling for a measly $7,150), the accompanying video didn't really prove the car's kerosene-guzzling potential to us. Not so with this turbine-enhanced Datsun 280Z. This baby proves its mettle with Knight Rider-esque high-speed desert runs. Over and over again. Aside from the repetitive cinematography, we do get a glimpse of some rad digital gauges straight out of the turbo-boost era along with a glorious turbine symphony. Mmmmmm, high RPM goodness. [Youtube]

PCH, Japanese Nostalgia Edition: 1969 Toyota Crown or 1959 Datsun 1000?

Murilee Martin — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:20:00 EDT

It would appear that our readers are Lamborghini purists, given the 82/18 shellacking the V12-powered Espada issued to the Chevy-powered Espada in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll. Either way, who would have imagined owning a genuine, almost-running Lamborghini for the price of a new base Camry? Project Car Hell beckons! As we say so often here: what could go wrong? Today we're going to leave PCH Superpower Italy and head to a nation not so well known for maddeningly difficult Hell Projects; yes, we're feeling so inspired by the vintage Japanese steel at the Motoring J Style show that we have no choice but to descend into the fiery furnace of Vintage Japanese Car Hell.

The Japanese have been building super-reliable, easy-to-repair vehicles with good parts availability for so long now that we tend to forget that at one time they built crazy cars. Cars that rusted to nothingness before your eyes, full of components and designs from Britain and Italy... while at the same time boasting amazing styling and features that fill us with yearning. Perfect PCH material, eh? Got to say, if this '69 Toyota Crown (go here if the ad disappears) lived a little closer than Florida... well, with a $1,750 price tag, we wouldn't be sharing this super steal with you readers! Now, for that sweet price tag you figure there's some work in store for you, and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the pushrod Land Cruiser engine that's replaced the original SOHC 2M unit. There's nothing wrong with the Toyota F, mind you... but a truck engine in this fine luxury sedan? The good news is that the junkyard is chock-full of Supras and Cressidas with M engines, and you'll have no problem adding entire stables of extra ponies, what with the vast assortment of aftermarket go-fast gear out there. The seller says "Body is good, interior needs love," but how hard can it be to find 40-year-old Crown interior components?

That Crown would make you feel like an early-70s Yakuza enforcer, for sure, but wouldn't it be cool to own one of the very first Bluebirds? Based on the Austin Cambridge and powered by an Austin-licensed engine, this 1959 Datsun 1000 (go here if the ad disappears) clearly shows its British ancestry. Come on now, a half-century-old orphaned Austin/Datsun from Fresno? You can't say no! And you shouldn't say no, in spite of the somewhat disconcerting statement "Car is in 'ruff' condition (yes it barks for attention). " It's "Mostly a complete car," and we're sure you'll manage to find a big stash of '59 Datsun parts without having to go to Japan, because that's how serious you'll be about this project! And, hell, might as well drop in an SR20DET while you're at it, right?

Bluebirds, Fairladies, Colts, And Crowns At The Motoring J Style Show

Murilee Martin — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:00:00 EDT

It does our hearts good to see Japanese cars from the days before most of the weirdness got focus-grouped out of Nippon's automakers. That's why I was eager to head over to Vallejo for the Motoring J Style show on Saturday and check out what DSwig and his crew had put together this year. The unseasonable rain made life miserable for the drift guys, but it was good news for me- cloudy skies make for easy car photography. We'll be taking a closer look at a few of these cars later in the week, but for now let's get an overview of some vintage and not-so-vintage Japanese iron.

America's Best-Selling Import: 1985 Nissan Sentra

Murilee Martin — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Overhead camshaft! Front-wheel drive! Computer-controlled carburetor! Life was good back in '85, because the cheapest Nissan was also the most technologically advanced (though we're pretty sure you couldn't get the futuristic "Door Is Ajar" talking alerts in the Sentra that year). And why don't car ads have voiceovers like the Nissan Guy any more?

1971 Datsun 1200

Murilee Martin — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:00:00 EDT

The little Datsuns of the early 70s are just about gone now, though a few still roam the streets of the Island That Time Forgot. We saw a '75 B210 last fall, and now we've got an even rarer machine in this early-70s 1200. I'm calling it a '71, but it might be a '72 or maybe even a '70; we'll need to rely on the serious Datsun fiends out there to nail down the exact year.

This car may spend most of its time garaged, but I see it on the street in my neighborhood from time to time. It appears to be an original, unrestored time capsule of an early Datsun. I'm hoping I'll be able to find the owner one of these days and ask him about this little jewel's story.

Known as the Sunny back in its homeland, the 1200 was cheap, got great mileage, and was way more reliable than its European and Detroit competition. And it has an interesting Japanese racing history as well!

Who knows, maybe this is the original Yankees bullpen car (though apparently the Dodgers had one too).

Project Car Hell: Dangel Peugeot Wagon or V8 Datsun Fairlady?

Murilee Martin — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Wouldn't you know it, the 60s BMW coupe beat the 80s one in our last Choose Your Eternity poll. Sure, the 633CSi is more complicated, but you might be able to find a parts car or three in your local wrecking yard... and where's the Hell there? Today we're going to return to the perennial France-versus-the-world battle for the All Time Global Project Car Hell JiggaChampion Trophy (which leaks rusty water and has to be jump-started), and- just because we love an underdog- we're going to let Japan take on the mightiest of PCH Superpowers!

We really dig the Dangel 4x4 conversions for the Peugeot 504, and we'd totally drive one... but we Norteamericanos can't get them, thus sparing us the ~~agony~~ joy that is French four-wheelin' action. Or so we thought, prior to Kleinlowe sending us the tip on this Dangel-ized 1981 Peugeot 504 wagon (go here if the ad disappears). As Kleinlowe says "check out the angle of the Dangel," and we have to agree there's something a little off about the extreme nose-high stance of this car. Does it have any engine, much less the turbodiesel the seller claims? And a station wagon! Reet! Best of all, the seller states "As far as I can tell this is the only one in the USA" like that's a selling point! Better brush up on your French Parts Guy slang, because you'll be needing it!

A diesel- even a turbocharged diesel- is just too slow for serious Hell Project hoonage; what's the point of wrenching for years on a project if you can't wrap it around a tree 50 yards from your garage? That's why you need a tiny sports car with a big rip-snortin' Detroit V8. But not a British sports car; ever since the Cobra, we've seen all manner of British machines getting all sideways and backwards with Ford and Chevy V8s. What you need is a Japanese sports car with a V8, and what better choice than this '68 Datsun Fairlady (go here if the ad disappears)? Just $1,500! What are you waiting for? It's got $6K in "professional chassis work" already, yet there's "much work left to do." We don't doubt it, and we also don't doubt that the 302/5-speed combo won't give you a ~~deadly~~ respectable power-to-weight ratio if when you finally get it running. Just be sure you understand that "this is NOT a running car!" and everything will be all right. Thanks to Brian B for the tip!

What's The Magic Word For '84? TURRRRRBO!

Murilee Martin — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Was there any word that summed up the 1980s better than TURBO? Turbocharging was a magical thing back then, with electronic fuel injection finally making the technology work pretty well for street-driven vehicles. Turbocharged cars such as the Mitsubishi Starion and Buick Grand National let everyone know that the Malaise Era was finally over, and Nissan's 200SX Turbo was packed with all manner of 80s-tech gizmos in addition to forced induction. As the man says: "Give me a turbo and I come alive!"

Engine of the Day: Nissan SR

Murilee Martin — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:20:00 EDT

How many engines can you think of whose names are known by millions of 20-year-olds who have never touched an engine in their lives? The SR20DET version of the Nissan SR series is such an engine, having achieved pop-culture status beyond that of many movie stars. Nissan has been making the DOHC-equipped SR for more than 20 years now, and it has seen service in the Sentra, Altima, 200SX, and many other vehicles. [Wikipedia]

1980s New Jersey Time Capsule: 19K-Mile Datsun 240Z Could Be Yours!

Murilee Martin — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Those of you who believed El Suburbanimo to be the ultimate New Jersey vehicle might want to reconsider after you take a look at this '73 Datsun 240Z. Back in the early 80s, with just 19,721 miles on the Z's clock, its owner decided some custom touches were in order. A little body kit here, some stripes and TURBO emblems there, and then the finishing touch: a small-block Chevy engine. It's awesome! BZR found this gem for us; make the jump to read his description. [eBay Motors]

Like a time warp straight out of the 70s, with every optimistic Malaise-denying piece on there. Every angle induces another "Oh my God" reaction, every feature seems like some unholy caricature of a kitsch utopia. Makes "Black Gold" look restrained and tasteful by comparison, and pretty much every other 70s special edition seem subdued as a result.

If you're featuring this car on Jalopnik (and I sincerely hope you do, it's too good to pass up), it would be a crime against humanity not to feature the skewed front bumper with "AWESOME" scrawled across the front (the only way it would be cooler is if it was backwards, like the TURBO markings on a BMW 2002) and the He-Man-inspired fantasy art on the hood scoop. Clearly the owner had a massive polyester-panted hard-on for shaggin-wagons as well as the beauty and majesty of the upcoming 1980s, a better time improved by TECHNOLOGY! Is it any surprise this car is from Jersey?

Oh, and it's got no engine. Natch.

Delicious Datsuns At The Z-Car West Coast Nationals

Mark Arnold — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:05:00 EDT

Our friends at Japanese Nostalgic Car recently went to the Z-Car West Coast Nationals in Silverado, California. As you'd imagine, there was quite a selection of tasty vintage Datsuns and some newer Nissans too. We just love the timeless proportions of a long hood and sloping back on the older Datsuns, so we've included a gallery of some of our favorites. If you wanna see more, there's plenty to check out over at Japanese Nostalgic Car.

Duct Tape Saves The Day For Vintage Racer's Datsun 510

Murilee Martin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EDT

A '68 Datsun 510 race car is a pretty good handling machine, but when you race in the sleet, rain, and snow of a Pacific Northwest springtime (as VintageRacer does) sometimes your car ends up taking an unscheduled detour off the track. Make the jump for VintageRacer's story.

Well, hopefully you'll have a better day at the 24hrs than we did (though we did finish up by running fastest lap in our group Sunday afternoon).

Saturday was a mix of rain, sleet, snow, wrong tire choice, and too much throttle in the wrong place....

A liberal application of dead blow hammer and duct tape later.....from a distance - you can't even tell... (but I've got a couple of weeks of sheetmetal and paint ahead. Fortunately no suspension damage) Gotta have it looking real good for the Under 2 litre Trans Am revival for next month.

The Denver Iron Keeps Coming: Early Datsun 240Z

Murilee Martin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EDT

Now that we've got two photographers out shooting Denver DOTSBE cars while out walking their respective dogs, we can expect to see plenty of vintage machinery from the streets of the Mile High City. Today we're going to look at a solid-looking 1970 or 1971 Datsun 240Z (Z experts, please help out on the exact year here) shot by Ejacobs, who brought us the late-40s International Harvester KB-3 last week.

Nissan Pickups For 1985: Major Motion!

Murilee Martin — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

After a decade of their vehicles getting vandalized by enraged Rust Belt residents whose local economies were failing faster than the mechanical components in a Ford EXP, Japanese automakers figured they'd better start working on the whole image thing; you know, associate their products with wholesome values from the American heartland, that sort of thing. Toyota went with the happy American farmers schtick in '85, and Nissan decided to break out a rodeo theme for their trucks the same year. The "Major Motion" slogan seems to have been a short-lived one for Nissan- anyone remember it?

Team Scuderia Punk Rock Chef Gearing Up For Altamont

Murilee Martin — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EDT

We're going to follow the exploits of some of the 24 Hours of LeMons teams that have members who comment here regularly, and today's team is Freds4HB's Scuderia Punk Rock Chef. They're going to be racing a 1977 Datsun 280Z, they're based in the East Bay, and apparently the "chef" part of their name is for real. I hope that means they'll be whompin' up eatin' vittles for all of us! These guys and Team Porcubimmer have really set the bar high for team logo quality, so the rest of us better start making nice with our graphic-artist friends. [ScuderiaPRC]

It's a Long Way To Empty In a 1980 Datsun 210

Murilee Martin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Red-blooded Americans normally don't give a rat's ass about fuel economy in their vehicles, but certain events in Iran made gas sippers such as the Datsun 210 look quite appealing. Every time you pass a gas station, you'll want to kiss your 210 (unless you're angry at it because there's no place to set your Big Gulp and the lack of 400 pounds of sound deadener means you're forced to hear road noise).

1982 Datsun 280ZX Turbo

Murilee Martin — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST

We've seen 240Z and 280Z so far in this series, but how about the Late Malaise 280ZX? I see a few of them in my travels on the island, but this '82 280ZX Turbo kept catching my eye. It's been in the same spot in the West End for several months now and clearly hasn't moved for quite a while. However, it has 2008 tags, so I'm guessing it hasn't been abandoned.

This one is very close to being a true beater, but it's not quite there yet.

The '82 Turbo's engine produced a respectable-for-Malaise 180 horsepower, 20 more than the Camaro Z28's 305-cube V8. And this one has some snazzy pinstripes! Do you suppose the owner of a car with the license plate MO GIGI has anything in common with MO REES across town?

And T-tops, for that true Malaise sensation. Do the Datsun T-tops leak as badly as the GM ones?

First 200 DOTS

Car Shopping? A Slow P.O.S. Might Be Right For You!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST

Truth in advertising is a wonderful thing, although we like the Datsun B210 too much to believe that "POS" is the right way to refer to one. The seller of this '78 Datsun B210 will let you have the car for $750, or the car with its SLO POS license plate for $1250. Thanks- yet again- to LTDScott for the tip! Note: the ad got taken down a little while back, so the link now goes to our screen capture. [Screenshot From Craigslist San Diego]

Pulsing Power of a Fuel-Injected Soul, Plus T-Tops: 1980 Datsun 280ZX

Murilee Martin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:45:00 EST

It's not possible to feel Malaise when you hear lines like "The pulsing power of a fuel-injected soul nestled in the lap of genuine leather... and, for the first time, an open cockpit to the sky!" Well, that was the hope of Datsun's ad agency when they added this ad to the "Awesome" series. But wouldn't you rather have the Black Gold Edition?

1974 Datsun Pickup Truck

Murilee Martin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

We don't want to forget the Japanese pickups on DOTS Truck Monday, and it's been quite a while since we looked at the '79 Datsun pickup (the '74 Courier was more recent, of course, but it has a Detroit nameplate). Here's a solid '74, with faded paint but otherwise in pretty nice shape. Will these trucks start getting obsessively restored someday, or simply driven to death?

Why the owner of this truck hauls around a bunch of rusty bedsprings is a puzzler. Maybe it's for passenger comfort when he takes it out on street-sign-shooting expeditions.

Got to love that Malaise Japan grille treatment. For the millionth time, why can't we buy truly small pickups any more?

That sure looks like an automatic shifter. Acceleration is probably on the leisurely side with that setup.

First 150 DOTS Cars

1978 Datsun 280Z

Murilee Martin — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

Six months since the last DOTS Datsun Z? What's going on here? Since they don't really rust here, I think the shortage of early Zs on the street has something to do with their hoon-friendly qualities; most of them were wrecked, blown up, or otherwise hooned to death. We know they can take a lot of punishment on the race track, too. I've found a few of the early-80s ZXs I might go ahead and shoot, since now I know we have fans of the Late Malaise Zs here.

I spotted this Middle Malaise Z parked just a few spaces down from the beateriffic Toyota AE86. Naturally, the first thing I thought was "track down the owner and see if he'll sell it for under $500," because this beast has 24 Hours of LeMons written all over it.

Of course, that was before we found the $100 Volvo. This 280Z has been hit, Bondoed, hit, Bondoed, and then hit some more. The owner finally gave up on the whole rear bumper idea, opting for a devil-may-care bumperless treatment. Now the big tailpipe serves as sort of an extra-traumatic parallel-parking proximity indicator.

You never know- maybe this car will continue to soldier on in its present condition for another 20 years before being crushed (or made into a LeMons racer). Or maybe it will be painstakingly restored and auctioned for a trillion yen in the year 2036.

First 150 DOTS Cars

Drooool! 1,410-Mile 1982 Datsun 280ZX Turbo Sells For $29K

Murilee Martin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:30:00 EST

When you hear about an all-original old car with low miles, you figure the clock's going to be showing something like 30,000 miles. But 1,410 freakin' miles on a 26-year-old 280ZX Turbo? Between the time we heard about this car and the time we started writing this post, a buyer sprained all his fingers punching the Buy It Now button and snared this time capsule for $29,000 (which is a deal, because the inflation-adjusted price of this car new comes to $37,169). Make the jump for even more photos. Thanks to FatBraff for the tip! [eBay Motors]

Oh yeah, and if you liked the '82, the same seller also had this 9,092-mile '84 300ZX Turbo, which went for $28,000.

1983 Nissan Sentra Wagon

Murilee Martin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

I've been trying to do at least one Japanese DOTS car every week or so, but after two Toyotas in a row (not counting the Plymouth-badged Mitsubishi), it's time for... a Nissan. We've seen one of the last cars Nissan made right before the Datsun-Nissan branding changeover, so now let's look at one of the first ones sold purely as a Nissan in the United States.

The Sentra nameplate replaced the 210 in North America; both were rebadged versions of the Sunny. Except for the SE-R, it's pretty easy to forget the Sentra has ever existed. That's partly because they've long been hidden in the vast shadow cast by the Corolla and Civic... and partly because they're such generic little transportation appliances.

This one is a pretty solid daily driver; these things are so nearly invisible that it's easy to forget you're looking at a car that's pushing a quarter-century in age. The '87 Civic 4WD wagon lives on the same block and seems much more of its time. Come to think of it, what ever happened to small station wagons? Cup holders, that's what happened! Cup Holder Bloat!

These plastic hubcaps sure are 80s, though!

First 150 DOTS Cars

1982 Nissan Pickup: One Heck Of A Hunk Of A Truck!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:30:00 EST

With Late Malaise-style 9.9% financing being hawked as a great deal (where's my WIN button?), the furrin-soundin' name "Nissan" replacing the old familiar Datsun, and an absurdly optimistic claim of 43 highway MPG (hmm... didn't crack cocaine first start getting popular about this time?), the '82 Nissan pickup presented a bewildering mix of pluses and minuses for prospective truck buyers... most of whom went out and bought Toyotas. Still, put a 20mm cannon in the bed and the simple, reliable Nissan pickup would fit right in any warlord's motor pool!

1973 Datsun 610: The Luxury Economy Car

Murilee Martin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:45:00 EST

We've seen a '73 610 Down On The Street, and it didn't seem particularly luxurious. Quirky Japanese styling, yes, but luxury? You did get a lot of stuff not available on Detroit's econo-cars of the era (independent rear suspension, for example), but Nissan was claiming only 25MPG for this thing?

Team DDT's 280Z Survives Day One... Barely

Murilee Martin — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:30:00 EST

Since we're looking hard at the Datsun Z as a potential Team Jalopnik car for the May race at Altamont (though the Renault Fuego Turbo is the current favorite, followed closely by the Dodge Mirada), we've been following the progress of Team DDT's '79 280Z with great interest. They spent much of Day One among the top contenders... but some penalties and a nasty wreck toward the end of the session dropped them down to #22 by the time the dust settled. Things looked bad at first, but Team DDT is made of stern stuff...

They managed to pick up five very thrashed 280Zs and 280ZXs for $500, including one that had already been used as a race car and had a cage ready to go.

So they built a universal electrical control panel that they can just switch- along with the cage- between cars as they destroy them. Smart!

Then there was a little mishap involving a Neon, the upshot of which was one Neon with the trunklid bashed into the rear seat area and one Z with the front end completely destroyed. Radiator, water pump- all of it crushed. Good thing they brought along a bunch of spares from the other four cars!

The fenders and hood won't be on the car for today's race, ensuring an extra-mean appearance.