Home » Do It Yourself And Save: 1972 Datsun 510 Wagon vs 1973 Plymouth Duster

Do It Yourself And Save: 1972 Datsun 510 Wagon vs 1973 Plymouth Duster

Sbsd 9 11 2024
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Welcome back to Shitbox Showdown! All right, so the modified cars are going over like lead balloons, so today we’re going to look at a couple of cars that still need all the work done. Let’s see if you all think you can do any better starting from scratch.

But first let’s wrap up yesterday‘s choices. A Ford Taurus is never going to be anybody’s first choice, I imagine; it was the “fine, whatever, I’m in a hurry” choice of rental counters everywhere for a long time. And it’s the last car you’d expect someone to do a full-on custom job on, but someone did – and most of you hated it.

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Personally, I like the Tamaro; it reminds me a little bit of the custom cars in Baz Luhrmann’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet, one of which I’m pretty sure is based on another mundane car, a Chevy Celebrity. It’s different, and I like different. Would I choose it over a perfectly good stock Taurus? Maybe. It is cheaper, after all, and the air conditioning has already been fixed.

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(Oh, and I do apologize for putting the poll in the “wrong” order yesterday – it “read” better to list them in the order I did, which was the opposite of the order they appeared in the article. Didn’t mean to cause confusion. I won’t do it again.)

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Now then: it’s after Labor Day here in the US, school is back in session, and the weather is about to turn unfriendly towards classic cars. It’s time to start thinking about projects, especially if you’ve got a hole in your garage that needs filling. So today we’re going back to my old Portland stomping grounds, always a likely place to find project cars, to look at a couple of potential time-killers that you could probably at least have drivable by Springtime. Here they are.

1972 Datsun 510 Wagon – $2,000

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.0 liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed manual, RWD

Location: Salem, OR

Odometer reading: unknown

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Operational status: Ran out of oil years ago, parked ever since

Datsun had been selling cars in America for ten years by the time the 510 debuted, but this was the car that really caught on. Dubbed the “Poor Man’s BMW” by enthusiasts, the 510 was praised for its good handling and road manners. The sedan version featured a semi-trailing-arm independent rear suspension, but this wagon makes do with a more traditional solid rear axle on leaf springs.

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The 510 originally used a 1.6 liter L-series overhead cam engine, but this one has a 2.0 liter engine out of a ’78 Datsun pickup. The story goes that the seller swapped in this larger engine, gave it to their step-son to drive, and the ungrateful little shi – I mean, inexperienced young operator – ran it out of oil and caused a rod knock. That was nineteen years ago. The car hasn’t turned a wheel since.

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This car is obviously going to need a lot more than just an engine overhaul or transplant, though. The interior is trashed, and will need to be completely gutted and redone if you want it to look like anything other than a mess. It doesn’t have to be a true restoration, mind you; you could make custom door cards, and install whatever seats you want.

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The Achilles heel of 510s has always been rust; most of them have long ago rusted away or been crushed. This one has some rust, to be sure, but it’s not terrible. In fact, if you wanted to, it could probably be ignored. It’s otherwise straight and intact, and it wears a nice set of Z-car alloy wheels.

1973 Plymouth Duster – $2,000

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Engine/drivetrain: 225 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, three-speed automatic, RWD

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Location: North of Battle Ground, WA

Odometer reading: unknown

Operational status: Disassembled, engine ran before disassembly

The Duster was the sporty version of Plymouth’s A-body Valiant, a role filled by the Barracuda a few years earlier. But by 1970, the Barracuda had moved to its own platform, the E-body, and the new Duster became Plymouth’s entry-level sporty coupe.

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A wide range of V8 engines were available, but the basic engine was Chrysler’s good old Slant Six, and that’s what this one has, along with the ubiquitous Torqueflite automatic. The seller also has a newer 360 V8 they’ll include for an additional cost, but personally, I’d rather just keep the Slant Six. Obviously, as far disassembled as this one is, it doesn’t run at the moment, but it sounds like it did, before this project was started.

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It looks like the seller disassembled the car in preparation for body and paint work, but everything is there. The seats will need reupholstering, and it will probably need new carpet as well, but the rest looks all right, from what I can see. It just needs to be put back together.

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A good chunk of the bodywork is done, and the seller says there is no rust-through, only some minor surface rust. A little more work, and it’s ready for paint. Painting a car isn’t cheap, but it’s a cheap car, so there’s no reason you couldn’t try to do it yourself. Grab a Harbor Freight paint gun, and give it a try.

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These strike me as two different sorts of project car. The Datsun is more of a tinker-as-you-go project; swap in a good-running engine from another pickup, maybe even a newer NAPS-Z engine, get it back on the road, and fix up the other stuff at your leisure. The Duster, by virtue of already being torn down, is more of a proper restoration project; you’ll need to spend some time on it before that first drive. But they’re both worthy projects, in my mind. Which one can you see yourself working on?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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Spencer Cook
Spencer Cook
1 month ago

Just dragged the Datsun home!

67 Oldsmobile
67 Oldsmobile
1 month ago

I vote for the Datsun,because of the wheels and the fact that it is already complete.
Duster would be a fun project,but I don’t have time or space for that.

Hugh Crawford
Hugh Crawford
1 month ago

Those big boxes of Duralast in the Duster photo, no wonder he never completed this project. That recumbent six is slow and long lasting without meds.

Datanerd
Datanerd
1 month ago

Duster, but I’ll swap out the leaning tower of (not much) power with the 360.

Brau Beaton
Brau Beaton
1 month ago

Properly restored, I think the Datsun will be a better car to daily drive, and with the prices on classic JDM cars rising will become more desirable as time goes on. Tough call though as that year Duster (with a V8) is one of my early teen wish list cars with parts being cheap and plentiful.

Geekycop .
Geekycop .
1 month ago

Can’t I just have both? Datsun for me and Duster for my daughter? Paint the Datsun black and put a SSS head on a rebuilt L20b, and a nice coat of mopar pink and white interior on the duster.

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
1 month ago

Hell yeah to the Duster!

Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
1 month ago

Datsun for me as that engine with the manual will be more economical and fun than that Dodge with the slushbox. Also the Dodge is in pieces while the Datsun isn’t.

Last edited 1 month ago by Manwich Sandwich
1913Jalopy
1913Jalopy
1 month ago

I’ll take the Plymouth along with the 360. A guy with a hot-rodded Duster was always cruising my hometown when I was a kid in the 80s/90s, and I’ve loved them ever since seeing that car.

Boulevard_Yachtsman
Boulevard_Yachtsman
1 month ago

The Old Man had a burnt-orange ’71 Duster with a 318 and three on the floor. Claims he ordered it that way for cheaper insurance. He’d be thrilled to see this Plymouth project show up in my garage for awhile.

XLEJim700
XLEJim700
1 month ago

I’ve already written about my ’72 Dodge Power Wagon with the slant, and my sister had a ’71 Duster with a slant as well.

I’ll be polite and say that she had little interest in vehicle maintenance, and I wasn’t always around to pull a dipstick or drain moonless-midnight-colored oil. But that Duster motored on like it was part of the badass contingent chasing Mad Max on that desolate highway.

She had it for years, and when it came time to sell, I handled the transaction. The buyer was a new driver, and I set up the road test on a busyish city street. She slid behind the wheel, stared at the dash, pondered the key, and said, “Do I just put that pedal to the floor?”.

I kept my cool and suggested that we switch seats and I’d show her an acceptable procedure. I don’t know who her driving instructor was (Dale Earnhardt?) but I think I made an impression. She wound up buying the car, and if it survived my sister’s curating, there was a slight chance it survived this woman as the new hot shoe!

ReverendDC
ReverendDC
1 month ago

Wagon = win, even though it’s a Nissan…

Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar
1 month ago

Seeing they are both solidly in “project” territory, I’d rather have the finished 510 than a 6-cylinder Mopar coupe.

Balloondoggle
Balloondoggle
1 month ago

I always hated the way that 6 cylinder Plymouth engine sounded. Put the 318 in it and I may be more interested.

Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
1 month ago
Reply to  Balloondoggle

Yeah… I recall the sound of them reminded me of my mom’s sewing machine.

Jon S
Jon S
1 month ago

I’ll take a pillarless coupe over the rusted unappealing wagon.

Gubbin
Gubbin
1 month ago

Voted Datsun out of loyalty and love for little wagons, but how about a 2-for-1 deal and get this 510 4-door sedan with extra parts?

Andrew Wyman
Andrew Wyman
1 month ago

I’ve found that Datsun before in my marketplace searches, and I will definitely go for that.

Clark B
Clark B
1 month ago

The Datsun, if only because it’s all still in one piece. If it was a car I was intimately familiar with (air cooled Beetles in my case) I wouldn’t mind buying one disassembled. But I know nothing about 70s Plymouths and wouldn’t want to learn by trying to piece together someone else’s project.

Frank Wrench
Frank Wrench
1 month ago
Reply to  Clark B

Yeah, my thinking too. I almost (should have?) bought a 66 Mustang Fastback project, 289, 4 speed, that had new floorpans, all rust repaired, and was ready to reassemble. Family had a bunch of 60s Mustangs, assured me the parts were all there and seemed like nice decent gearheads. But they were moving down to NC so I passed on it. I knew nothing about Mustangs but I still kinda regret it.

Cerberus
Cerberus
1 month ago

Had a couple S30 Zs. I’m more than done with Datsun rust and what you see on the outside is the top of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, Oregon plates be damned. I always kind of liked the Dusters and as much as young me would call old me a wuss, I’d probably keep the bulletproof 6—it’s not like it’s going to be all that fast with a 360, either, and it’s a cruiser either way. Seeing the 6 is also a lot more rare as everyone swapped them for 8s. To top it off, it’s a pillarless hardtop, which is one of the only body styles I like better than wagons.

Lockleaf
Lockleaf
1 month ago

Speaking of a NAPS-Z swapped 510 wagon…. get out of my backyard Thomas! I indeed have a 1971 510 Wagon with a 1982 Z22 out of a 720 pickup in it. I even have a spare Z24 laying around I think I might rebuilt to slap in to it. Even the entire wiring harness was taken from the truck and retrofitted in to the Wagon. Loves me some Datsun.

It wasn’t a blowout though. When it comes to domestics, I’m basically Mopar or No Car. So the Duster is tempting as well. But Datsun wins.

John Crouch
John Crouch
1 month ago

510 All the way, Lot’s of support for that iteration. I Owned a 72′ 4 door manual-put a BRE suspension on it, sway bars, better exhaust. A fantastic car, put over 200K miles on it. Simple to work on, started every day, rewarding to drive-no contest.

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