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Article by Mark Warner
Photos by John Roper
The Dime, Quarterly recently sat down with John Roper, a professional photographer and avid Datsun enthusiast living in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife and two kids. The topic of discussion was John’s 1972 2-door 510 and his passion for all things Datsun.
Dime, Quarterly: You run a local Datsun club in Fort Worth, right?
John Roper: Yes, it’s called the Tens and Twenties Car Club (www.tensandtwenties.com). We have a dozen or so active members.
DQ: How did you get into 510s?
JR: I read a feature story in Sport Compact Car back in 1992 about a turbo L20b 510. I fell in love with it at first sight. It took me another 3 years to find one for sale, but I’ve been hooked ever since. Now, a decade later, I’ve owned 13 different 510s.
DQ: What has been your biggest influence?
JR: Early on, I’d say Kelvin Dietz up in Oregon. I couldn’t believe how clean his 510s Smurf and Sid were. I’ve strived to emulate that type of workmanship.
DQ: Tell us about this car.
JR: I have owned this particular 510 for about three years. My objective was to have a fun to drive car with a nice, comfortable interior. It’s my daily driver and sees about 5000 miles a year.
DQ: What tuning style would you say describes the car?
JR: It definitely has that “old school” Japanese look. Lots of negative camber, stretched tires on wide, deep rims, fender mirrors, and a very low stance. I really like this tuning style. Some view it as over-the-top but I enjoy it.
DQ: Who helped you build the car?
JR: I personally turned every wrench on this car myself. I will probably have someone else paint it, but I plan to do the bodywork myself.
DQ: What is your favorite part, feature, or function of the car?
JR: It would have to be the Vintage Air A/C. It’s a must-have for Texas summers.
DQ: What don't you like about this car?
JR: That’s easy. I don’t like the condition of the paint. The plan is to re-shoot it soon.
DQ: What about that color?
JR [laughing]: A few years ago, I would have considered changing the color, but I’ll likely stick with it now when we paint it. I have owned three 510s in this color (Bamboo Tan), and my first one was this color, too, so I guess you could say I’ve developed a bit of a fondness for it.
DQ: What would you do to the car if money were no object?
JR: I would have someone like TSR or DGR do a really clean SR20DET swap.
DQ: Besides back and forth to work, where else do you drive the car?
JR: Everywhere. I take it to at least two autocrosses a year, one or two track days, and at least two drift days. As with most 510 owners, though, I’d say smooth, twisty back roads are the best place to wring it out.
DQ: Okay, now for the good stuff. Tell us about what lives under the sheet metal.
JR: The engine is an L20b with dual SUs. I’ve also installed a Nismo header and a 620 matchbox distributor. Internally, the engine has a Schneider .486 cam, cam spray bar, balanced bottom end, lightened flywheel, and a roadster clutch. The transmission is a close-ratio 5 speed.
DQ: What about the suspension?
JR: Up front, I have 280ZX struts with KYB inserts, trimmed 240Z springs, MOG camber/caster plates, 280ZX front sway bar with urethane bushings, Nismo T/C bushing kit, and DAMB bumpsteer spacers. In the rear, I installed ‘85 Camaro shocks, trimmed Dodge D50 springs, 240Z aluminum brake drums, and Savage washers to tighten up the crossmember.
DQ: What are those seats from?
JR: The seats are out of a ’98 Maxima. They’re leather 8-way power units. I also installed a Maxima rear seat in the back. The interior is clean and simple. I did invest in a nice stereo, however, which is a Pioneer CD player, with two Orion amps in the trunk, six Pioneer speakers hidden throughout, and two Kicker 8” subs.
DQ: That steering wheel isn’t a standard 510 piece, right?
JR: Good eye. The steering wheel is from a 240Z.
DQ: And the in-your-face chrome mirrors out on the fenders?
JR: They’re Euro fender mirrors. I also have Euro front turn signals, Bosch yellow fog lights that replaced the stock high beams, and blacked out window frames and grill. Oh, and don’t forget the SSS grill emblem!
DQ: The Konig Rewind wheels seem to really fit the character of the car.
JR: Yes, they do. They’re15x7 zero offset Konig Rewinds with 195/50-15 tires.
DQ: Besides painting the car, what else is in store for it?
JR: After it’s painted, I’ll be adding a set of Bluebird SSS Coupe taillights, Bluebird emblems, and a few other odds and ends. [laughing]: As with most 510s, it will never be “finished”. There’s always that next mod waiting…
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