Datsun – Gripshiftslide

The bird is the word :: Bluebird U

Grant — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 12:31:00 +0000

In the early 1960’s there was not a great variety of small cars available for the Australian market until the influx of Japanese imports that is. Datsun really lead the way at the time and for good reason! Their cars were ahead of the time in design and reliability. Launched in the 70’s the 610 Bluebird-U was a stand out model with all the ‘mod cons’ of the time.

This classic Bluebird has only been in Mitch’s hands for three and a half years. Lovingly restored bit by bit, Mitch knows every nut and bolt on this car. Taking just under two and a half years to fully restore Mitch has spent countless hours in the shed putting this car together night after night, weekend after weekend.

Why did Mitch get into Datsuns? “My mate had a Datsun Stanza and then a 1600 rally car I liked them and it just went from there”
Mitch had caught the bug. Datsuns are more than just a brand they are a style of their own.
An unloved Datsun can use as much oil as it does petrol! That’s not the case with Mitch’s Bluebird. The engine has received considerable attention and not only does it look immaculate but it also runs like a dream.

This L18 is putting out more than 110 horsepower at the flywheel. This standard engine is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. Rather than go for cheap power like an “SR20 for example” Mitch decided to keep the car original.

The engine bay is ridiculously clean and not a spot of oil or grime can be seen. You could almost perform surgery on metal like this. Mitch always makes sure the bay is looking fantastic and when it does get dirty he cleans it straight away.

Rebuilding this Bluebird from the ground up has cost some serious dough but to have something classic looking this good is totally worth every penny. The satisfaction that comes from building your own car is second to none. Mitch has done the majority of work in restoring this car! He knows every curve and every bolt in this machine.

Mitch did not simply buy a car and be done with it. He knew what he wanted and within a month or two he had found the right car! The Bluebird he had found was in what most would consider “good condition for its age” but Mitch saw more potential in this little Datsun.

The one surprising part of this build is its gearbox. With the standard box the car would be screaming down the highway at 4 to 5k but with new 6 speed s15 gearbox it purrs like a kitten.

Changing a gearbox in a car this old is no joke! It takes a lot of planning, research and dedication. Matching the 6 speed Nissan S15 SR20 gearbox up to the original bellhousing wasn’t a walk in the park but with some gentle persuasion and patience it all came together.

One of the major things that initially attracted Mitch to this car is its shape which takes many cues from different cars of the time. The Nissan Bluebird U 610 combines the best features from models like the 180b, 240z and many other memorable Datsuns.

This car is basically a Japanese car enthusiasts wet dream. The paint the wheels, the black interior, the entire package is just awesome!

One of the most striking aspects of the Bluebird is it’s unique paint job. It really helps set this car apart from the boring standard colours of the era. This particular colour blue comes from Fiat but it suits this car perfectly! If only Nissan had offered such a colour in the seventies.

Mitch wasn’t really into Datsuns until five years ago when the shape of the 610 Bluebird inspired him to go on a journey that till this day has not stopped. Originally he had planned for the car to be a daily driver but it soon turned out to a whole lot more special and soon became a weekend only car.

It’s quite obvious that Mitch takes a lot of pride in his vehicle. Not only does it get cleaned before it is taken out but it also gets a light clean when the car is bought home.

The interior of the car was kept relatively stock however some things had to change to keep up with the times like moving from the imperial to metric system. The ‘speedo’ had to be changed to work with the new gearbox along with the added benefit of being able to now read what speed you are doing without converting MPH to KMH .

One of the biggest problems with the restoration was a giant rusted out section in the parcel self that was almost the size of a human head! Mitch was thinking of patching it with scraps but the shelf had so many weird angles to recreate that it made the job almost impossible. Lucky Mitch soon found a donor parcel shelf from a Datsun of the same era.

The Nardi steering wheel adds a nice touch to the interior; giving it a sporty feel while being relatively period correct. As Mitch said “Sometimes I do wish I had a more modern project car but the hard work always pays off and I love the classics.”

Things on the outside haven’t been left untouched. There has been a fair bit of re-chroming and re-glossing of original plastics.

It is good to see that Mitch hasn’t stanced or slammed this classic Nissan; and has instead kept it clean sitting on 15×7 performance wheels all round. With just enough offset to give the car a traditional vintage look these wheels really help to add an extra hint of class and sophistication.

Shortly after this photo shoot Mitch’s diff let go and in true spirit he rebuilt it himself! The car was back on the road just in time for the Classic Japan Car Show where his car received plenty of praise from the the public. Mitch never stops working on the car and there is plenty more to come for this spunky blue Datsun.

Haunted Hills :: CCRMIT Christmas Break Up

Grant — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 10:45:13 +0000

It is Christmas break up time of year again and the CCRMIT club was lucky enough to score the haunted hills hill climb track for their end of year ‘come and race’ fun day. With a less than desirable weather forecast, things did not look promising.

On the drive out to the track I drove though several storms. Thinking all the rain and bad weather was behind me, I was confident that day would turn out just fine.

I had only been at the track 10 minutes when a great big cloud moved over the top of us all. Driver briefing was hurried up due to the pending rain. Someone from the crowd started a count down and yelled 30 seconds! 10 seconds! 5 seconds!

Bang! The rain hit like a crazy tropical storm and with the temperature at 35 degrees and drops of rain the size of 50 cent pieces it quickly got pretty humid. The rain didn’t stop for a good 20 minutes.

Once the rain cleared, a huge line formed as everybody wanted to get out on the track! Even though it was still really wet nobody wanted to waste a minute of precious track time.

Zac in his KE20 Corolla didn’t mind that the track was damp. He launched the car as if it were a dry day and didn’t hold back.

Many different cars were lining up to take this track on, including this Christmas modified Corolla. The mix of serious track cars and daily drives was impressive.

With an advan inspired paint job, this rare Levin was a real surprise to see on track. It was by no means the normal type of Levin you would see on the streets.

Haunted Hills is a truly beautiful track with long sweeping corners, perched on the side of a hill, this track has it all.

Out on track were a few Datsuns. This one was in great condition and I couldn’t believe how straight all of the classic cars were for being weekend track cars, they were all very impressive.

This Chrysler Lancer was thumping around the track and the boys were loving it! Not only is this car unique, it was the only car rocking the retro ‘poo brown’ colour scheme. I’m not sure if this was the 2.0 litre version but it certainly went like one.

A full rally spec Hyundai Elantra. This thing was flat out crazy with the driver entering corners at speeds that I didn’t think were possible on such a track! There was some serious skill behind the wheel.

After walking through lots of tall grass I found a spot to shoot from. It was just near a rise coming into a sweeping corner. Not 5 minutes after getting to this spot I see a Volvo coming over the hill and think to myself that he was going a little fast. Within a couple of seconds the car was on its’ side and it gently fell back down on all for wheels! I helped to push it out of the embankment and back on to the track.

Not everybody could keep their cars on the track in these challenging wet conditions, but I did see many spectacular saves that averted disaster on some hairy parts of the track.

Because Nissan! That is why there was some good drift action going on at the track that day.

Yet another clean S series Nissan running around the track. I was glad to see some of the more popular car types doing some track time rather than hard parking time.

A rally modified Stanza was cutting some clean lines around the track and always seemed in control.

After the crash, the Volvo made its’ way back to the pits. Tools were soon sourced to pull the radiator out and clean the clay blockages that had inundated the whole front of the car.

The line continued all day and the track was never empty. Some people didn’t even stop to eat lunch, taking every possible chance to get in some solid track time.

There were not many 4wd cars on track but this wrx was a great clean example of the perfect weekend track car.

There were a few rally style Hyundai Excels buzzing around the track. They are probably one of the cheapest and most fun ways to get into rallying and track events, with such cheap parts and being very easy to drive. This Ion sponsored Excel was one of the fastest and most daring of the bunch.

The best thing about the CCRMIT Christmas breakup, was the ‘come try’ aspect of racing. Some families were sharing a car between three siblings and pushing each other for faster times.

This very customized CRX had one of the best brake setups I had seen all day and the owner took good care of this car, both on and off the track.

Another standout driver of the day was Michael in his Datsun. He was linking corners and drifting with great speed and precision.

These very passionate club members live and breathe racing and rallying. From the track open to track close, not a moment was wasted. The enthusiasm and drive behind this club is very strong and I will definitely be attending more CCRMIT events in the future.
Thanks for looking,
Grant

Classic Japan :: Best On Show

Grant — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:06:29 +0000

November saw Melbourne’s 1st annual classic Japanese car show, hosted by the Toyota Car Club
of Australia, Victoria. The event’s proceeds went to BeyondBlue to help fight depression, with 120+ cars on display the show was a massive success!

All the cars attending were manufactured before 1986, some of the ‘modern’ classics had some interesting cosmetic mods…

The true classic of our generation, the Toyota Sprinter.

Nardi’s seemed to be the wheel of choice.

Cressida wagon with functional roof racks, does it get much better?

A few rides had some wild engine conversions…

Like this Datsun’s SR20DET engine swap.

Mustang design cues?

Some cars didn’t have much in the way of looks from the factory to attract the younger enthusiasts…

Carefully choose some wheels and some accessories and bam! your car suddenly stands out from the crowd.

While this is not everyone’s cup of tea, I think the owner did a great job fusing the classic and current styles together.

One of the more modified cars at the event was this orange KE70 Corolla, I think someone stole it’s suspension tho.

I kind of miss all the chrome trims of yesteryear.

The R30 Skylines are increasing in popularity with young modifiers, thanks to some beautiful examples popping up on the net.

There were more pride building cars in those days, unfortunately most Japanese car makers have lost their way…

With quirky cars and loads of character, becoming a thing of the past.

The interior of this Toyota Century stole the show, complete with a TV and electric windows – all factory fitted!

And it’s official now… every car is at least 11% better with fender mirrors!

Now a Trueno coupe is truly a rare sight here in Australia.

One of the few Mazda’s at the event, this Rx-7 may have been a bit too wild for most. We liked it a lot!

Rear facing back seat in a wagon… no wonder people stopped going to the drive-in movies, they stopped making the right cars to go in!

One of the most tastefully modded cars at the show.

This Datsun killed it with a perfect wheel choice and ride height.

A very subtle and clean Levin hatch, I hope some 90’s cars will be kept this clean over the next 10-2o years.

This may have been lost on some of the older show goers…

I wish there were more tough utes like this, a little rat rod influence goes a long way.

Just like the FJ Holden this Isuzu shares a large detailed red horn, this type of detail is just not seen anymore.

All I can say is nice paint!

“Dad can I have one?” This looks like an advert from the late 70s.

With so many cars fighting for attention, it was hard to concentrate on one car

Seat belts, who needs them? Wait, what?! They can save my life! I better read this manual to see how.

Datsun, the car of the 80s, 180b’s were so common! This was the first time I had seen one in the last 7 years.

This clean datsun 1600 was in show room condition!

Classic Japanese cars always pull the chicks!

The crown, what more can you say.. its awesome!

One of the most beautiful cars ever designed by Mazda.

If only cars came like this from factory!
Thanks for reading,
– The Grip Shift Crew.