At $13,500, Is This 1970 Datsun 510 A Fabulous Find?

Today's Nice Price or No Dice Datsun is claimed in its ad to have never left California and still wears its era-correct license plates from that state. Let's see if its price tag makes it a blue plate special.

Last Friday was the first full day of spring, which means changing weather, leading many of us to start thinking about getting out of the house to shake off the long winter funk. Funk wasn't the word—although the pronunciation was adjacent to—the reaction many of us had to the $23,995 asking price for the 2005 BMW 330i ZHP we considered on this past Friday's spring fling. Arguably the most desirable non-M3 edition of the E46, and also in great apparent condition, that performance package saloon still couldn't muster much enthusiasm for its dealer-set price. Ultimately, we all dealt it a fatal blow in the form of a massive 93 percent No Dice rebuke.

While Friday's 330i didn't hit the mark, as far as value goes, there's no mistaking its mystique, something that BMWs of yore almost all seem to wear with aplomb. In the early 1970s, the Bavarian car builder's vanguard in the U.S. was the 2002, an engaging, driver-oriented two-door whose sporty nature presaged the hot hatches that would follow, eventually spelling the end of the party for many traditional small sports cars.

On the other side of the globe, Japan's Nissan was building its own small but practical car, marketed as the Bluebird in its home market and as the Datsun 510 elsewhere. Featuring a similar layout of a small, efficient OHC four-cylinder engine, independent suspension, and boxy styling—but at a substantially lower price tag—the 510 earned the nickname of the "poor man's BMW." The Datsun even went BMW one better by offering four-door and station wagon editions of its fun family car.

In fact, Datsun's U.S. lineup in the early 1970s was pretty much a hit parade. In addition to the 510, the company offered the 1200, the "Li'l Hustler" pickup, and the game-changer 240Z. Today, save for the 1200, all of these models are wildly collectible, with both the 510 and Z cars pulling astronomical numbers when flexing on the used car market.

This 1970 510 wagon isn't the most desirable of the model's lineup, but it's still a pretty cool and fun classic, nonetheless. It should be noted that while the 510 was touted as having four-wheel independent suspension—something considered very upmarket for the car's price class—that feature didn't extend to the wagons. In consideration of the wagon's greater lading, these have a live axle in the back, located by leaf springs. Yes, that's a sad trombone, but it's admittedly much more practical.

Craigslist

This wagon is claimed to be completely stock and rocking its original drivetrain. That's comprised of a 1.6-liter SOHC inline-four with a Hitachi two-barrel carburetor and a three-speed automatic with column shift. From the factory, the four made a claimed 96 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque, both gross numbers.

According to the ad, the engine has been rebuilt, and the car has an older respray. It also sports a cute-as-can-be vinyl roof, something you don't see every day. Claimed to be a one-family car, overall it looks to have been very well cared for. All the trim is intact, and aside from some loose rubber on a bumper guard, it all looks to be in great shape, as well. Full wheel covers dress up the exterior even further, as do the period-correct white wall tires and blue and gold California license plates, which the state had adopted just a year before this car was built.

Craigslist

The cabin features updated velour upholstery on the seats. Originally, that would have been textured vinyl. Considering that this car doesn't have AirCon, that was probably a well-considered change. There's also full carpeting on the floor and an additional rug on the dash, hiding a massive crack in the cap. That's something that happens to these cars all the time. Another issue; the steering wheel is missing its half-ring horn tooter, normally found in the lower half. That's probably not going to be an easy thing to replace.

Imagine living in 1970 and having an all-Datsun household comprised of a practical 510 like this and a sleek 240Z sports car for giving the middle finger to that practicality. You would have been living your best life. That aspiration could still be achieved, but it's going to cost a fortune as Z cars, and S30s in particular, have gone through the roof in terms of value.

This little 510 wagon comes with a clean title and is in what appears to be turnkey condition. At $13,500, it's not cheap, but it's a far cry from what a 240Z in similar nick could command. And if you still want that Z Car connection, you can take solace in the knowledge that the plastic grilles on the 510's hatch are the same ones used on the 240's back door.

What's your opinion of this 510 wagon and that $13,500 price? Does that feel like a deal for a survivor with the added benefit of a kitschy vinyl roof? Or is the wagon the wrong model to ask five-figures?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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