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                    [post_date] => 2013-09-01 21:49:28
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                    [post_content] => 
Background: 
By definition, most classic car enthusiasts have purchased more than one classic for their collection. Several have stories of buying an old car sight-unseen. Even fewer can say they bought the car sight-unseen and drove it home, and then there are the real rare birds - guys who buy a classic car sight-unseen and embark upon a cross-country road trip to bring it home.

Randy Lewis is a long-time car guy, Datsun collector, close friend of NICOclub.com, and some might say a little bit nuts... but he's doing exactly that.

What's better, is that we're going to invite the entire Datsun and Nissan community to join him for his journey!
The Plan: 
We'll be bringing you guys a fully-documented real-time opportunity to follow Randy on his cross-county road trip to retrieve a classic, unmolested Datsun 510 “barn find.” Randy will be communicating with viewers via email from the road, and updating us on his adventures frequently from the road.

Here's the coolest part: Randy has asked us to encourage individuals along the route to meet up with him on the road, run a section of the route with him, or just catch up for a meal and a photo opportunity. This is the road trip of a lifetime for Datsun enthusiasts, even if only participating vicariously!

Check the route - If Randy's going to be near your area, consider catching up with him, or just wave as he cruises by!
Meet The Car:
The car is a one-family, 1972 Datsun 510 sedan (PL510-366555) purchased new from Rothrock Motors in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. This car has been off the road in dry storage for over 16 years. It has just over 49,000 original miles, is factory original in every respect, and was undercoated when new resulting in rust-free condition.

                     

Meet The Driver:
A third generation “car guy,” Randy Lewis was born and raised in Detroit where he developed his love of automobiles at an early age. He has restored countless vintage sports cars. Currently he owns and wrenches on five Datsuns, including 1971 and 1972 240 Z’s, 1966 and 1967 ½ Fairlady Roadsters and the 1972 510. Randy’s also reproducing vintage Datsun parts off shore for sale to enthusiasts.

       

Randy began his professional career in automotive marketing, advertising, brand marketing and merchandising for 17 different automotive brands, and includes motorsports marketing for NASCAR, NHRA, and SCCA.

In the 1990’s, Randy worked with the legendary J. Mays, Ford Motor Company’s current Group VP of Global Design, to help visually position Ford’s domestic brands, Ford of Europe and Mazda. Currently, Randy is Production Manager at “Fine Sports Cars,” a world leader of remanufactured and sanctioned sports racing cars.
The Route:


•Day 1- Bethlehem, PA to Youngstown, OH via highway #80
•Day 2- Youngstown, OH to Indianapolis, IN via highways #76, 71, 70
•Day 3- Indianapolis, IN to Springfield, MO via highways #70, 44
•Day 4- Springfield, MO to Oklahoma City, OK via highway #44
•Day 5- Oklahoma City, OK to Tucumcari, NM via highways # 44, 40
•Day 6- Tucumcari, NM to Gallup, NM via highway #40
•Day 7- Gallup, NM to Phoenix, AZ via highway #40
The Schedule:
Randy and the 510 will depart Bethlehem, PA on Thursday, September 12. It’s anticipated the 2,500 mile road trip will take approximately 7 days (300-400 miles per day), with an expected return to Phoenix, AZ on September 18. Upon arrival in Phoenix, Randy and his local Datsun friends will prepare the 510 for its reveal at the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS), the largest all-Japanese car show in the country in Long Beach, CA on September 28, 2013. The 510 will be showcased there, completing its nearly coast-to-coast journey.
Sponsorships:
Sponsorship opportunities are being offered to help defray costs of the trip, and we'll be recognizing any and all contributors here on NICOclub. Interested parties can contact Randy Lewis at 602-312-4038 or email at: [email protected].

We'll be following Randy's trip from the minute he arrives in Pennsylvania, until he rolls onto the show field at JCCS in Long Beach, right here!

If you'd like to share the updates on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or with another group of Datsun enthusiasts, here's an easy URL to use: https://www.nicoclub.com/510roadtrip

If you have questions, comments, want to arrange a meetup, buy him dinner, or just want to wish Randy safe travels, here's the spot to do it: Datsun 510 Road Trip 

Enjoy, and check in often as we bring this old Datsun back to her new life in the western US!

Continue on to Part 2:  Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 2



                    [post_title] => Ultimate Road Trip: Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510
                    [post_excerpt] => Join us as we follow Randy on his cross-county road trip to retrieve a classic, unmolested Datsun 510 “barn find.” 
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                    [post_content] => While we're waiting for Randy to begin his epic journey, let's get to know the car he'll be driving...

The car is a one family, 1972 Datsun 510 sedan purchased new from Rothrock Motors in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, first titled 3/27/73. The dealership is still there and still selling Nissans. The car was originally purchased by an older gentleman (grandfather), whose eyesight eventually began to fail, explaining the two exterior driver’s side mirrors on the door and fender. The grandfather intended to pass the car to his son when no longer able to drive. Unfortunately, the son passed away before he did, so the car went to his son’s wife (daughter in law). She titled the car in her name 1/3/91, with the odometer showing 44,243 miles (less than 2500 miles a year). Reportedly, she drove the car infrequently. Her son (original owner’s grandson) drove the car while in college, racking up an additional 5,000 miles. Windshield stickers and rear license plate, show the car last registered in 1997, 16 years ago. Current mileage is just over 49,000.



I purchased the car from Dave Cziraky, who lived near the original owner and remembered seeing it as a child. In the east Datsuns quickly became rare sights as moisture and salt took their toll. Fortunately the 510 was rust proofed at the dealer. Dave remembers the car as a bit of a curiosity, as Japanese vintage cars became increasingly unusual. He recalled the car was well loved by the family, being maintained, washed and waxed regularly. The car lived in a single stall wooden garage most of its life. Dave acquired the car as part of a deal for the owners home, which he and his brother purchased to renovate. Dave’s a car guy but his passion is American muscle so he was willing to let the 510 go. He never transferred the title in his name.



I met Dave at a car show where my wife and I had our 71 and 72 Datsun 240Z’s in February of 2013. He was visiting a friend in Tempe, Arizona, who was there with his two English sports cars. Dave told me about the 510 asking if I might be interested. Though not particularly a 510 fan, I said I might and asked him to send pictures when he had time. Three or four months later I received his call from Pennsylvania asking if I remembered him and wondering if I might still be interested. After seeing pictures and asking lots of questions, we settled on a price, contingent on the car being roadworthy for a coast to coast trip. New tires and battery, a re-cored radiator, fresh fluids, belts, hoses and a tune up were all that was required. Road tripping a vintage car across the country has always been a dream. This time in my life, and a 510 that actually found me, afforded me the perfect opportunity to check this off my bucket list.



The idea soon grew beyond just bringing the car home. 510 owners are a rabid bunch so I thought it would be fun to let them participate. The idea was hatched to create a live road trip, on line, with progress updates and pics posted throughout the trip. NICOclub offered to host the trip, encouraging me to go one step further and seek sponsors. I soon realized a week on the road by myself would be a bit lonely so called another car guy from Detroit I’ve known for almost 35 years and invited him tag along. No doubt, good memories will be created regardless of the outcome.

Thanks for joining me on this trip, and I hope to see some of you along the way!
-Randy (Randalla)

Continue on to Part 3: Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 3

 
                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 - Part 2
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                    [post_content] => There's only two weeks left before I fly to Philly, meet my friend Dave, and embark on the 510 road trip, so it’s time to make final preparations and check and double check everything. I talked to the seller a couple of times this past week to make sure everything was in order mechanically. I had a friend gift me a used radiator which I shipped to Philly a few weeks ago to have re-cored to replace the original (the top tank was too far gone). The road trip car has an automatic tranny and the radiator I sent was for a manual, so we’ll be using an external transmission oil cooler (which should actually provide better cooling anyway). The radiator was repaired and put back in the 510 for its shakedown run late this week by the seller and his mechanic friend Scot.

Everything seems to be working fine, except the speedo cable, which broke while out for the test drive. No problem, I just ordered one up from Rock Auto and had it shipped direct to Dave so we will be able to calculate fuel economy via the odometer. We're not so concerned about the speedometer working, as I’m fairly sure with the 1600 and automatic I couldn’t exceed the freeway speed limit if I tried.

I’m also having Scot wire in an inexpensive triple-gauge pack under the dash to monitor oil pressure, temperature and charging to give us a little bit more precision than the idiot lights. I think that’s all that’s left to do on the car.

So on to the “fun factor.” I thought it might be cool to make the car as period correct as possible by ordering a couple of 1972 presidential campaign bumper stickers (Nixon and McGovern/Shriver) from eBay that I’ll affix to the rear bumper for our trip. Those should look great in the car photos and are sure to be a conversation starter, as if the car’s not enough on its own.



One crazy idea begat another, and that spurred the idea of picking up additional bumper stickers along the way promoting local establishments or tourist destinations. I remember seeing those on the back bumper in the "old days," as a way of bragging where you’d been.

I also thought it might be neat to design some t-shirts to commemorate the trip. I already had a t-shirt press and my wife Lisa is a graphic designer, so why not?

  

Of course the 510 has no air conditioning, so I have been closely watching daytime high temperatures along the way for the last couple of weeks. This past Thursday, 8/29, I started to worry just a bit. Going east to west the highs were as follows:

Bethlehem, PA 82 degrees
Youngtown, OH 90 degrees
Indianapolis, IN 95 degrees
St. Louis MO 99 degrees
Springfield, MO 91 degrees
Oklahoma City, OK 97 degrees
Tucumcari, NM 99 degrees
Gallup, NM 84 degrees
Flagstaff, AZ 79 degrees
Phoenix, AZ 99 degrees

We still have a couple of weeks to go, so I’m hopeful we’ll drop 10 degrees or so to make the trip a little more comfortable.

We’re still hoping to meet some of you along the way for drinks, grub or gab. Feel free to call me on my cell, 602-312-4038, to coordinate a meet up somewhere along the road. We’re optimistic we won’t need to call any of our Datsun brethren for needed assistance, but would welcome offers should the unexpected happen.

Looking forward to a lot of fun and loads of stories to share!

-Randy (Randalla)

Continue on to Part 4: Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 4
                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 - Part 3
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We woke up early this morning at 6:00 AM, exited to hook up with the guys (and gal) from ZROC in Columbus. The temperature dropped dramatically overnight and we thought it looked like it might be another rainy day, however it turned into a very nice day, with temperatures accommodating our lack of air conditioning. We left the hotel after breakfast, at 9:00 AM, with plans to meet the ZROC team by 11:00 AM.

The morning drive was uneventful, with none of the misfiring we encountered the day before. We arrived about 11:30 to a parking lot of Z cars and a Roadster (2-240Z’s, 1-Z32, 2-350Z’s, a 370Z convertible and a 1969 2000 Roadster, hope I didn’t miss anyone). 

       

The group was very hospitable, gifting me one of their club t-shirts and club window sticker, which immediately I affixed to the 510’s quarter window. The club’s Datsun guru had a close look at the 510, checking things out mechanically and proclaiming it fit to continue. After cleaning up a couple of electrical contacts, he was able to get both horns working again, leaving only the heater fan to trouble shoot.



The car is consistently running between 185 and 195 degrees, with 60 lbs of oil pressure. All the fluids have stayed full, though there are a few small oil leaks that will be attended to when we get the car home.

After spending time looking and talking about each other’s rides we moved inside to share lunch subs before hitting the road together for a 30 mile ride toward Indy.

   

While hanging out together, a guy named Roger stopped by after seeing all the cars grouped, intrigued to know what we were doing. In the course of the conversation I discovered he was very familiar with Datsun race cars and in fact had a NOS passenger front fender at home he would sell (mine will need some rust repair). Unfortunately we couldn’t arrive at an agreement on price, which I may kick myself for later. The fender would have fit nicely in the back seat for the trip home.

After leaving our new friends and heading south we noticed the car had become decidedly louder, so we pulled over at the next rest area to investigate. We discovered the exhaust pipe and muffler had parted company, now separated by a half inch gap. There was nothing we could do so we got back on the highway, continuing south to Indy. After gassing up on the way and calculating the fuel economy we discovered we are now averaging 26.5 mpg after four fill ups.

From Indianapolis we decided we would keep going to Terre Haute, IN before calling it a day. That allowed us to see the odometer roll past 50,000 miles as well as put 800 miles and three states in our rear-view mirror (Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana).



Continue on to part 6! Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 6



                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 - Part 5
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                    [post_date] => 2012-07-15 05:52:42
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                    [post_content] => Arrived in Philly on time last night only to discover my friend Dave’s flight had been delayed for two hours in Chicago. Dave Czracki and I headed to the bar at the airport Marriot for some refreshment. Dave finally arrived at about 7:00 PM and the three of us headed to Bethlehem, PA for dinner with Dave’s fiancé, Marie. We had a very nice dinner at a neighborhood haunt, totaling two bottles of red in the process.

This morning we met for breakfast at a local diner then stopped by to meet Scot (the mechanic who prepared the car) before heading to the garage where the 510 was stored. This was the first time seeing the car in the flesh and having an opportunity to really check it out. 



   

Fortunately the car was as advertised so we immediately began preparations for hitting the road. I brought a new speedo cable and installed it in about 30 minutes and we were off and running. The weather looked ominous and within five minutes the rain was coming down hard and we had no wipers…or so we thought. My first 510 lesson was that the on/off switch for the wipers was a pull, not a turn. We discovered that lesson after 30 minutes of peering through raindrops and contemplating what we were going to do all day without wipers. We ended up dodging rain nearly all day and encountered winds up to 40-50 mph through the mountains, which slowed us down to 55-60 mph.



50 miles into our trip the car started missing badly, acting like it wasn’t getting fuel. This went on for perhaps 10 minutes and then just as quickly it went away till later in the afternoon when it returned worse than before. Since the car had been off the road for so long we thought we might have a plugged fuel filter, so jumped off the freeway and swapped it out for a new one I had brought along. That cleared everything up and the car was now running better than ever. Believe it or not we even touched 80 mph at times, though that was really pushing the little 1600 automatic. The car really seems most comfortable at about 70.

   

About noon we fueled up and thought we’d check fuel economy for the first time and were blown away to see 28.3 mpg. The second fill yielded 24.5 mpg. We’ll continue to check fuel economy and report on it throughout the trip.

Last night we got a call from Jim, in Akron, OH who wanted to meet up later today, which we did on the east side of Akron. Jim met us at the exit with his very nice early 260Z and escorted us to our dinner spot, where there was supposed to have been a car show, but apparently the rain chased everyone else away. Jim graciously bought our dinner (thanks again Jim) and then led us to the local auto parts store to pick up a glass fuel filter with replaceable filter elements to keep a better eye on what’s happening in our fuel system tomorrow. We also bought some fuel system additive to clean things out. In addition to the 260Z, Jim has two Datsun Roadsters which he stopped to show us as we headed past his shop on our way to the motel.

  

Mid-day today we received three or four phone calls from members of the Z and Roadster Club in Columbus OH, interested in running with us from Columbus towards Indianapolis. It looks like we’ll meet up with them around noon on Friday.

We had planned to make it from Bethlehem to Youngstown, OH, but were on a roll so decided to keep going another 50 miles to Akron and meet up with Jim. We drove about 425 miles today. All in all it was a very satisfactory day, though we’re hoping for better weather tomorrow. We made it to the hotel tonight at about 9:30 PM and turned in soon after. The car garnered comments and smiles at nearly every stop and we received a number of encouraging comments for even attempting the trip.

Continue on to part 5! Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 5





                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 Part 4
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                    [post_content] => After breakfast this morning we headed directly to Midas to see what could be done about our rusted out exhaust pipe. The guys at Midas didn’t have a clue what a Datsun 510 was and misread the odometer, asking if the car really had 500,000 miles on it. We had to do a bit of educating and let them know they had added a zero to the mileage. After consulting together and scouting around the shop to see if they had anything as small as the stock exhaust pipe, they said the best they could do was weld the rusted pieces back together for $40. The drone yesterday, and the lack of back pressure without running through a muffler, made that an easy decision, so we gave them the OK to give it a shot. The weld wasn’t pretty, but after 30 minutes the car was quiet again and we were on our way.



The weather was perfect again today for a road trip but the temperatures are rising as we continue heading south. Around noon we jumped off the freeway looking for a spot for lunch and noticed the water temperature had spiked to 230 degrees, causing us to immediately pull over and look for the reason. After waiting for the car to cool down, we cracked open the radiator cap and topped off the radiator with about a half gallon of coolant hoping that was the cause. The car doesn’t have an overflow tank so we chalked up the loss of coolant to either the bleed off, from the overflow hose as the car cooled, or worse case, maybe a blown head gasket robbing coolant. Not seeing anything else obvious, we jumped back on the freeway headed toward Springfield, MO. Keeping an attentive eye on the gauge, it appeared the water temperature was back to normal.

   

We’d been talking about jumping on Route 66 for a few miles to take a break from the monotony of the e-way so we did so at the Meramec Caverns exit and decided to check out the caverns in the process.



Driving into the parking lots we noticed a group of farmers gathered around some vintage tractors and single lung gas engines. We engaged one of the older gentlemen in conversation, sharing our passion for mechanical things. He was as interested in our trip and car as we were in his hobby.

   

While there, I picked up a Route 66 license plate frame and Dave a Route 66 t-shirt. Heading back to the freeway, we stopped briefly for some photo ops with some old 66 landmarks as background.

   

Back on the freeway we headed to our final destination today, Springfield, MO, which would be our half way mark in terms of total mileage. After arriving, we began looking for a place to overnight and discovered motels in Springfield were at a premium, with many fully booked because of the large number of Marines in town for training. After stopping at three or four motels we finally found a room for the night. In the process of looking for someplace, we noticed there was a car show at the local Culvers so we checked in and headed to the show to rub elbows with the local car community. We were the only import car at the show and it was clear this was not Datsun country.



Tomorrow will be a short day with only a little over 280 miles to go to Oklahoma City. As it turns out, that will be fortuitous because it will be our warmest day to date with highs temperatures in the low 90’s. The short day will give me a chance to do some work on the exterior of the car, beginning to rub out the paint. Our cumulative fuel economy as of today now stands at 25.5 mpg.

Join us for part 7! Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 7

 
                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 Part 6
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                    [post_content] => We decided to do a little sightseeing today as we covered three states (Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico) in the old 510. Our first stop was the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK. We saw a billboard and decided, what the heck, let’s stop. Supposedly, this is the largest museum dedicated to Route 66 on the Mother Road. It’s a nice little museum that does a good job documenting the road from the 20’s forward to today. They also captured everything related to travel by decade apart from the road (gas stations, motels, diners, music, commercial transportation, etc.). This is definitely worth a stop for only $5.00 if you’re in the area.

       
 
Our next stop was for lunch at The Big Texan in Amarillo - a tourist trap for sure - with a shooting arcade, gift shop, their own motel and seating for maybe 500 people. We had a hankering for Texas Bar-B-Que so we both ordered up a brisket sandwich, which did not disappoint. 



   

After lunch we were back on the road on the lookout for Cadillac Ranch. For those who don’t know, years ago someone buried ten vintage Cadillacs nose-first with their tail fins pointing skyward. Over the years the cars have become a canvas for visitors who have made a practice of spray painting them colorfully. When we finally found the ranch, it was about a 50 yard walk from the road to get photos before continuing toward New Mexico.

   
 
The weather was really beginning to look ominous at this point, with very dark clouds, but we escaped all but some sprinkling. Soon after entering New Mexico we saw another billboard advertising a free car museum which of course we also decided to take in. This museum was actually a combination truck stop, 50’s diner, grocery store and car memorabilia museum. Seems a local businessman combined his business with his auto passion and decided to share it with the public. His car collection included about 30 vintage automobiles, most of which were 50’s era convertibles. I’d also recommend this stop.

   

By this time we were 40 miles from ending our day in Tucumcari, NM so we got back in the 510 to try to beat an approaching storm. We made it about 4:30 with plenty of daylight for some more detailing on the exterior of the car. You may be wondering why there was so little mention of the car today. The little guy has now actually settled into rhythm and there was really nothing to report. We are both amazed that a 42 year old car, that’s been off the road for 16 years, is making this trip so effortlessly with only minimal prepping. This is really a tribute to Datsun and the durability of the 510 model.

This evening I headed into town for dinner and to check out main-street. This was the first time in Tucumcari for me. The town sits right on old Route 66 and there are still many remnants of the old road (signs, old buildings, neon, etc.). It’s sad to see so many vacant and rundown buildings. It makes me wonder what this town must have been like when the only way west was through the middle of it.

    

Tomorrow we’re hoping to connect up with some of the Datsun community in Albuquerque, NM, where there is a sizable contingent.

I hope you're enjoying our updates from the road - If you're along the route, please hit us up tomorrow!

Thanks for reading - Join us for part 8! Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 8




                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 Part 7
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                    [post_content] => Welcome back!  Thanks for sticking with us this far!

Well, I guess I spoke too soon yesterday. We left Tucumcari this morning, after exploring the old part of the city along Route 66, and set off across New Mexico toward our destination in Gallup. The car started off running strong but about an hour out it started acting like it wasn’t getting adequate fuel again or it wasn’t running on all cylinders. It seemed to have lost the power necessary to climb the hills we were now encountering on I-40. At first we chalked it up to a bad tank of low 86 octane gas but after getting off the freeway and filling it again with premium, there was no change. In fact, we nearly got stranded in the middle of an intersection with traffic coming from all directions.


  
At that point we pulled into AutoZone and popped the hood to take a closer look. I also called my buddy in Phoenix, Doctor 510, seeking his advice. He thought we might have an ignition issue and advised us to check the point gap and disable the second set of points in the distributor to try and isolate the issue. I opened the point gap a little bit an in the course of examining the distributor noticed that one of the male/female connections had not been fully connected. We also tossed a can of dry gas in the tank just in case it was water in the fuel. We thought we’d solved the problem but as we started out on Route 66, instead of the freeway, we discovered nothing had really improved. We were 30 miles away from Albuquerque and decided to limp into town to enlist some additional help. 



As we neared town we passed by a small shop, Anton’s Auto Haus, specializing in imports, primarily German. We met Gene, who dropped what he was doing to come out and take a look. After a variety of questions he hooked up his emission testing equipment to see how lean or rich we were running. After leaning things out, raising the idle and advancing the timing five degrees the car was running noticeably better but still not the way I thought it should. Gene reminded me Albuquerque sits at about 6000 feet of elevation, which he thought might be impacting the way the car was running.  With the car idling I noticed air bubbles through the window in the float bowl, leading us to wonder if there was an air leak somewhere that was contributing to our problems. After slipping Gene $20 we got back on the road hoping to make Gallup.

Check out this gallery of awesomeness - If you're ever in the area, you gotta stop by!

           

Earlier today I received a text from a guy in Gallup wondering where we were. At lunch I got another text checking our progress, indicating he would be waiting at Love’s Truck Stop in Grants, NM when we passed. As we pulled in I was shocked to see Ryan, the head of our local club, Desert Datsuns, walking towards us with his camera. I had no idea who the texts had come from and was completely surprised to see him 350 miles from home. Great meet up! 

  

We did finally make it to Gallup tonight but more than two hours later than expected. We pulled into the Red Roof Inn but after talking with the front desk decided to try another motel. We got back in the car and … it wouldn‘t start, so we are here for the night wondering what we’ll face in the morning, our last planned day out.
As the pictures will show, we did actually have a chance to stop at another Route 66 car museum before our troubles began. Hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Ready to join us as we roll home to Phoenix?  Almost home - Part 9!



                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 Part 8
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                    [post_content] => We woke up this morning looking forward to making it home after seven days on the road, while spending our evenings in cheap motels. The car started right up but as soon as we put it in drive and headed down the driveway to top off fuel, the car quit, rolling into the gas station next door. There was no restarting it this time. Another call to Dr. 510 (6:30 AM his time) and we had several things to try, to begin eliminating potential issues. There were three things we thought could be the culprits.


 
After removing the air cleaner, we noticed the automatic choke didn’t seem to be opening fully, even when the car was fully warmed up. This would account for the loss of power and the recently declining fuel economy, since the throttle plate was never fully opening. But this wouldn’t likely contribute to the car stalling and not restarting. Nevertheless, I wired the choke fully open and replaced the air cleaner lid. 

Next, I unscrewed the bolt that gave access to the small bronze carb filter and float valve, to make sure there was no debris in them and that they were functioning properly (all good). 

Finally, we checked the points to verify the gap was correct. Doc had previously mentioned this was a common issue on 510’s, leading to all kinds of drivability issues. One of the point sets was gapped properly but the other one was nearly closed when it should have been open .020. After opening the points up and putting everything back together, the car finally started and ran with some power again.


 
Though we’d lost an hour fiddling with the engine, we were back on the road by 8:30 AM, headed to Flagstaff. We vowed not to stop until we got there; as neither of us was terribly confident we’d fully solved all the issues and did not want to risk trying to restart the car. We knew we’d be gaining more elevation, up to 7000 feet in Flagstaff, and were unsure how that might further contribute to the way the car ran. Fortunately, that also meant we would be heading for cooler temperatures which might somehow help offset the altitude. 

   

We made it the 185 miles to Flagstaff without incident, arriving at 11:30 AM. Being back in our home state was somewhat comforting; now knowing if we had any issues at this point, help was only a few hours away. We had lunch in Flagstaff, which was a beautiful sunny, breezy, 70 degrees. After filling the tank again we headed off “down the hill.”

   

Three of the guys in our car club, Desert Datsuns, told us previously they would like to meet up with us on the final day and escort us into Phoenix. We decided to meet at the “Sunset Point” rest area an hour north of Phoenix. It was great to see familiar faces and show off the new car before getting back in for the final hour home. 



We all arrived in Scottsdale, AZ about 3:30 PM, seven days and five miles shy of 2600 miles, from the beginning of our trip in Bethlehem, PA. Without the mechanical issues we experienced, I’m sure we would have ended up with an even higher MPG average than the 24.6 we ended up with. Still, that’s not too bad for a 42 year old car that I’d not had a chance to sort out. We added ½ quart of oil and ½ gallon of water to the radiator over the 2600 miles. 



The story is not over yet. We have a little over a week to prepare the car and drive it over to Long Beach, CA for JCCS, the Japanese Collector Car Show, on September 28th. That round trip will add another 800 miles to the 2600 just completed. That’s 3,400 miles in a little over two weeks. With all that recent driving the car will still have less than 53,000 original miles on the odometer and a lot of new stories associated with it.

Thanks to all who joined us on our journey, and I hope this inspires you to start searching for a classic Datsun of your own to restore, modify, or just DRIVE. 

Here's the finale of our journey - Cross-Country Datsun 510 Road Trip Ends at JCCS!
 


 
                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 Part 9
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                    [post_content] => The culmination of the 510’s cross country trip was the just completed leg of the trip from my home in Scottsdale, AZ to Long Beach, CA for the Japanese Collector Car Show (JCCS). You’ll recall, I arrived home from Bethlehem, PA just a little over a week ago on October 18th, giving me less than a week to clean and prepare the car for the show. I don’t remember working this hard for a car show. I spent over 40 hours in four days, with lots of late nights.

 

Many of the guys in our local club have male or female names for their cars.  During the course of cleaning my 510 the new name for this car became apparent. I’d spent most of my prep time on the outside of the car but the last day decided to focus on the interior. One of the first things I did was get my shop vac out and do the carpets, making sure to reach deep under the seats. As I was vacuuming under the driver’s seat I heard a “flump,” indicating I’d sucked up something larger than a coin or a gum wrapper. Curious, I decided to open the vac and take a look. Well, clearly the last owner, or driver, was a partier. I discovered a baggie of pot that must have been under there at least fifteen years. Too funny! So… the 510 is now named “Mary Jane” (slang for pot, for you youngsters). Some of the guys in my club commented it was a good thing I didn’t get pulled over on the trip, as I would have had a hard time explaining that one.

 

After all the elbow grease the old gal looked pretty good. This leg of the trip I had my wife along in a chase vehicle (BMW 740), in case we had mechanical issues. She’s partial to air conditioning when the temperatures approach 90 degrees. I also had several friends driving their Datsuns on the same route. Things started out fine, although I was still having problems with the car running smoothly at lower speeds and there was an occasional miss at freeway speeds. Nevertheless we made it nearly half way to Long Beach (Quartzite, AZ) before the car began running so poorly I had to pull over at a rest area to investigate. The car idled fine in neutral or park but as soon as I put it in gear it died. 



By now, I thought I knew exactly where the problem was, but adjusting the points again did nothing to improve things. By this time I was pretty sure I had an ignition issue that would require pulling the distributor and going through it. Unfortunately I didn’t have time for that so had to figure out how to limp it back and forth to and from Long Beach. About this time I got a text message from a friend, who was 30 minutes behind us, who said he would stop to take a look. We were both baffled by the symptoms but decided to raise the idle speed and dial in a little more advance to the timing to see if that would give us enough power to keep the car running when shifted into gear. That allowed us to get back on the freeway and continue west, though clearly we had only put a band aid on the problem. We arrived in Long Beach at the show venue about 4:30 PM, in time to get the car in place and everything set up for show day on Saturday.


 
If you’re a fan of Japanese collector cars and have never been to JCCS, you’ve got to add this to your bucket list. The weather was perfect for the show with temperatures in the mid 80’s and sunny skies. Along with “Mary Jane,” there were two nicer, original/stock 510’s and at least another 20 or so modified ones. Though we did not win any awards, we had a great time meeting some of you, who had been following the trip on NICO. The trip home was uneventful with the little car not letting us down.



Next weekend we’re heading to the Multi-State Datsun Invitational in Williams, AZ, a round trip of 350 miles. After that, I think it will be time to let “Mary Jane” (and me) rest and get acquainted with her new home in Arizona. 

   

As I reflect on this trip I can’t help but be impressed with the incredible engineering in our little Datsuns. I’ve now owned nearly 20, all almost 40 years old. These cars are durable, well built, fun to drive, easy to work on and continue to give those of us not afraid to drive them anywhere, immense joy. 

   

I have to think Mr. K must smile every time he hears another one of our stories as it is he that deserves so much of the credit for helping make them a reality. In just a little over three weeks, a 42 year old Datsun 510, which had been off the road for 16 years, completed a 3700 mile journey, barely missing a beat. 

Now, get out there and find a classic Datsun to restore, modify, or just drive and enjoy!  Thank you for following along.

Pop in and chat with Randy here: Datsun 510 Road Trip Chat 



                    [post_title] => Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510 - Finale
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Background: 
By definition, most classic car enthusiasts have purchased more than one classic for their collection. Several have stories of buying an old car sight-unseen. Even fewer can say they bought the car sight-unseen and drove it home, and then there are the real rare birds - guys who buy a classic car sight-unseen and embark upon a cross-country road trip to bring it home.

Randy Lewis is a long-time car guy, Datsun collector, close friend of NICOclub.com, and some might say a little bit nuts... but he's doing exactly that.

What's better, is that we're going to invite the entire Datsun and Nissan community to join him for his journey!
The Plan: 
We'll be bringing you guys a fully-documented real-time opportunity to follow Randy on his cross-county road trip to retrieve a classic, unmolested Datsun 510 “barn find.” Randy will be communicating with viewers via email from the road, and updating us on his adventures frequently from the road.

Here's the coolest part: Randy has asked us to encourage individuals along the route to meet up with him on the road, run a section of the route with him, or just catch up for a meal and a photo opportunity. This is the road trip of a lifetime for Datsun enthusiasts, even if only participating vicariously!

Check the route - If Randy's going to be near your area, consider catching up with him, or just wave as he cruises by!
Meet The Car:
The car is a one-family, 1972 Datsun 510 sedan (PL510-366555) purchased new from Rothrock Motors in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. This car has been off the road in dry storage for over 16 years. It has just over 49,000 original miles, is factory original in every respect, and was undercoated when new resulting in rust-free condition.

                     

Meet The Driver:
A third generation “car guy,” Randy Lewis was born and raised in Detroit where he developed his love of automobiles at an early age. He has restored countless vintage sports cars. Currently he owns and wrenches on five Datsuns, including 1971 and 1972 240 Z’s, 1966 and 1967 ½ Fairlady Roadsters and the 1972 510. Randy’s also reproducing vintage Datsun parts off shore for sale to enthusiasts.

       

Randy began his professional career in automotive marketing, advertising, brand marketing and merchandising for 17 different automotive brands, and includes motorsports marketing for NASCAR, NHRA, and SCCA.

In the 1990’s, Randy worked with the legendary J. Mays, Ford Motor Company’s current Group VP of Global Design, to help visually position Ford’s domestic brands, Ford of Europe and Mazda. Currently, Randy is Production Manager at “Fine Sports Cars,” a world leader of remanufactured and sanctioned sports racing cars.
The Route:


•Day 1- Bethlehem, PA to Youngstown, OH via highway #80
•Day 2- Youngstown, OH to Indianapolis, IN via highways #76, 71, 70
•Day 3- Indianapolis, IN to Springfield, MO via highways #70, 44
•Day 4- Springfield, MO to Oklahoma City, OK via highway #44
•Day 5- Oklahoma City, OK to Tucumcari, NM via highways # 44, 40
•Day 6- Tucumcari, NM to Gallup, NM via highway #40
•Day 7- Gallup, NM to Phoenix, AZ via highway #40
The Schedule:
Randy and the 510 will depart Bethlehem, PA on Thursday, September 12. It’s anticipated the 2,500 mile road trip will take approximately 7 days (300-400 miles per day), with an expected return to Phoenix, AZ on September 18. Upon arrival in Phoenix, Randy and his local Datsun friends will prepare the 510 for its reveal at the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS), the largest all-Japanese car show in the country in Long Beach, CA on September 28, 2013. The 510 will be showcased there, completing its nearly coast-to-coast journey.
Sponsorships:
Sponsorship opportunities are being offered to help defray costs of the trip, and we'll be recognizing any and all contributors here on NICOclub. Interested parties can contact Randy Lewis at 602-312-4038 or email at: [email protected].

We'll be following Randy's trip from the minute he arrives in Pennsylvania, until he rolls onto the show field at JCCS in Long Beach, right here!

If you'd like to share the updates on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or with another group of Datsun enthusiasts, here's an easy URL to use: https://www.nicoclub.com/510roadtrip

If you have questions, comments, want to arrange a meetup, buy him dinner, or just want to wish Randy safe travels, here's the spot to do it: Datsun 510 Road Trip 

Enjoy, and check in often as we bring this old Datsun back to her new life in the western US!

Continue on to Part 2:  Datsun 510 Road Trip - Part 2



            [post_title] => Ultimate Road Trip: Coast-to-Coast in a Datsun 510
            [post_excerpt] => Join us as we follow Randy on his cross-county road trip to retrieve a classic, unmolested Datsun 510 “barn find.” 
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"

We decided to do a little sightseeing today as we covered three states (Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico) in the old 510. Our first stop was the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK. We saw a billboard and decided, what the heck, let’s stop. Supposedly, this is the largest museum dedicated to Route 66 on the Mother Road. It’s a nice little museum that does a good job documenting the road from the 20’s forward to today. They also captured everything related to travel by decade apart from the road (gas stations, motels, diners, music, commercial transportation, etc.). This is definitely worth a stop for only $5.00 if you’re in the area.

Our next stop was for lunch at The Big Texan in Amarillo – a tourist trap for sure – with a shooting arcade, gift shop, their own motel and seating for maybe 500 people. We had a hankering for Texas Bar-B-Que so we both ordered up a brisket sandwich, which did not disappoint.

After lunch we were back on the road on the lookout for Cadillac Ranch. For those who don’t know, years ago someone buried ten vintage Cadillacs nose-first with their tail fins pointing skyward. Over the years the cars have become a canvas for visitors who have made a practice of spray painting them colorfully. When we finally found the ranch, it was about a 50 yard walk from the road to get photos before continuing toward New Mexico.

The weather was really beginning to look ominous at this point, with very dark clouds, but we escaped all but some sprinkling. Soon after entering New Mexico we saw another billboard advertising a free car museum which of course we also decided to take in. This museum was actually a combination truck stop, 50’s diner, grocery store and car memorabilia museum. Seems a local businessman combined his business with his auto passion and decided to share it with the public. His car collection included about 30 vintage automobiles, most of which were 50’s era convertibles. I’d also recommend this stop.

By this time we were 40 miles from ending our day in Tucumcari, NM so we got back in the 510 to try to beat an approaching storm. We made it about 4:30 with plenty of daylight for some more detailing on the exterior of the car. You may be wondering why there was so little mention of the car today. The little guy has now actually settled into rhythm and there was really nothing to report. We are both amazed that a 42 year old car, that’s been off the road for 16 years, is making this trip so effortlessly with only minimal prepping. This is really a tribute to Datsun and the durability of the 510 model.

This evening I headed into town for dinner and to check out main-street. This was the first time in Tucumcari for me. The town sits right on old Route 66 and there are still many remnants of the old road (signs, old buildings, neon, etc.). It’s sad to see so many vacant and rundown buildings. It makes me wonder what this town must have been like when the only way west was through the middle of it.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to connect up with some of the Datsun community in Albuquerque, NM, where there is a sizable contingent.

I hope you’re enjoying our updates from the road – If you’re along the route, please hit us up tomorrow!

Thanks for reading – Join us for part 8! Datsun 510 Road Trip – Part 8