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Dime, Quarterly: Tell us about yourself.
Matt Guzzetta: I went to the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. After graduation, I was hired by BSA-Triumph in England to work on new bike designs. When I moved back to the US, I took a 500cc Triumph powered streamliner car to Bonneville and met Don Vesco there, who had just broken the motorcycle record at 250+ mph. We later became business partners and had great fun with 15 years of Baja, road, and Bonneville racing products. I now design special tools and machines at a friend’s guitar company, which is more dang fun all over again! This gives me time to work on my own street toy, the 510-5.0.
DQ: How did you get into 510s?
MG: I owned a new 1966 Toyota Corona back in college. I sold it when I went to work at BSA Triumph. When I came back to the USA, I test drove a Toyota and a Datsun 510. I bought the 510!
DQ: How long have you owned this car?
MG: Since new, which is a long time.
DQ: What were your objectives for the car?
MG: I always wanted to stuff a small block Ford in the car as the motor is only about 17 inches wide across the exhaust side of the heads. As I was in the racing motorcycle business, I essentially wanted a four-wheel motorcycle, something with high horsepower and good acceleration.
DQ: What tuning style would you describe this car as (ex. old-school, street racer, autocrosser, etc.)?
MG: The car was built as a street sleeper, something to surprise BMW and Porsche drivers (which is great fun to do!) It is now a part time autocross car that also gets driven daily to work. I love it when someone gives me a thumbs-up or big wave, or asks if there really is a 5.0 under the hood. (I replaced the 510 emblem under the tail light with a 5.0 Mustang logo.) I have met quite a few local 510 drivers just cruising to work.
DQ: Who helped you build this car?
MG: The aluminum welding on the pedals and fuel cell filler was by Metaltek Racing. The motor was worked over by JBA Racing in San Diego. The transmission is a Tremec 5 speed from Saleen. They had a special deal, so I bought the tranny, bell housing, and flywheel all from them.
After getting all the dings out at home and filling in some stock holes, the paint was done by So Cal Paint in Santee CA. They took the car down to bare metal and then painted it “Cool Vanilla,” which is a Chrysler products color. They do really great work, but I wanted a sleeper, so I declined any stripes.
The exhaust from the headers back is by Ed Hanson’s Muffler Service in Spring Valley, CA. They’re probably the best guys for custom exhaust systems in the San Diego area. It is tight to the car and the 2 ¼-inch tubes come together to a 2-into-1 collector with a 3-inch tube into a Dynomax muffler that exits in the stock 510 location.
The 6 point roll cage is from Autopower in San Diego. It’s a perfect bolt-in fit. The seats are 1991 Honda Prelude with new upholstery by El Cajon Upholstery in (where else) El Cajon, CA, who also put in the new headliner. The motor installation, transmission sub-frame, Corvette rear end installation with sub frames, fiberglass end grain balsa-sandwich transmission tunnel, firewall construction, custom front hubs for Corvette bolt pattern to match the rear end, Wilwood brake system, aluminum brake and clutch pedals, cool ram air system with fiberglass replica of a huge Ford air cleaner, and wiring was all done by me on my back patio over the course of about 8 years.
DQ: What makes your car special?
MG: It is one of the very few 510s with a small block 5.0 Ford that actually handles. It has a 51-percent front, 49-percent rear weight distribution, which is actually better than a stock 510 (but with a total weight of 2700 lbs). The Corvette Posa Traction eliminates most of the normal problems of the stock rear setup. The 11.75x1.25 ventilated discs with Wilwood 4-piston calipers front and rear stop the car well. When I was working on the brakes, I called Wilwood and told them what I was doing. I took their recommendation and just purchased what they suggested. It works great! The suspension uses standard 510 uprights in front with coilovers and camber adjusters, Koni single adjustable racing shocks, front and rear, with Eibach springs all around.
DQ: What is your favorite part of the car?
MG: The torque! It is a blast on the autocross courses and in the back roads around San Diego. Hills do not exist. It is just like riding a motorcycle, but with four wheels. It has run more than 125mph with the old stock 1969 302. The new motor has about 120 more horses, so it does move!
DQ: Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car?
MG: A group of us go to the Pomona NHRA World finals and Winternational drag races, and I would frequent the vendors displays and asked what parts they would use if they were building the car. It took a very long time to put the car together as I only bought components when I could afford them. That way, the car was paid for before it was driven. I also added all VDO gauges, as I had some left over from our motorcycle business and I love their stuff.
DQ: What don't you like about this car?
MG: I wish it had been running long ago!
DQ: What would you like to change?
MG: At this time, specialty wheels and tires for autocross days. That will come this winter, so I can have more fun and greater traction at the race events. The car is under-tired for autocross; it is primarily a street driven “sleeper,” and flares with wide tires would give it away too easily.
DQ: What would you do to the car if money were no object?
MG: Nothing much, actually. Probably aluminum heads to get some weight off the front end (50 lbs or so), and add a bit more horsepower. The carb is still not exactly right, but the cam may be the culprit at low RPM.
DQ: What is your favorite place to drive?
MG: At our local SCCA Solo II area at Qualcomm stadium. It’s great fun with little risk to the car. I have a buddy who keeps trying to get me to a track day event, but the car is too modified to risk. It would cost a fortune to have someone else work on it if it got a bit bent, and the way I drive, it would probably get bent.
DQ: Technical Specs?
MG: Motor is a Ford 1998 Explorer 302 crate motor with GT40-P heads, mounted nine inches back from the stock L16 location. Ford Racing E-303 cam, heavy valve springs, Edelbrock air gap manifold, with Edelbrock (Carter) 600 CFM carb, MSD ignition, distributor, 6A controller, MSD Blaster SS coil, home made headers, and a modified Ford air cleaner to accept ram air. Transmission is a Tremec 3550 5 speed with Ford racing flywheel and clutch.
Front suspension is stock 510 uprights with koni single adjustable racing shock inserts, custom hub-brake disk adapter, Wilwood 11.75x1.25 brake disks with Wilwood Superlight IIA Calipers, Speedway Engineering splined sway bar with custom bent links.
Rear suspension is a 1978 iron Corvette Posa Traction rear, 3.55:1 ratio, the center section is solid mounted to the subframe, with custom CNC machined adapters for Wilwood Dynalite II calipers on stock Corvette 11.75x1.25 ventilated disks, with Koni racing single adjustable aluminum coil over shocks mounted to a subframe.
Wheels and tires are 15x7 Centerline Autodrag aluminum wheels, with Yokohama ES-100 tires, 195-60-15 front, 215-60-15 rear.
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