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The original L18 was never going to stay. Would it be a CA18DET, a KA24DE, or an SR20VE? Nope, it would be an F20C! Pic by John Paul Ellis.What would motivate anyone to put a modern Honda engine into a classic Datsun? I guess we could compile a pro and con list. On the pro side: reliable, relatively available, 9000 RPM redline, almost 250 HP. Stock. Con list: well, at this point the con list is out the window and forgotten. Nissan does not have a 250 HP four cylinder engine. Sure, one could be built but then you are taking a walk down an entirely different path. The 510 is a simple car from a simple time. The F20C engine, while not simple, is certainly more basic than a built or forced induction engine. In JP’s car the engine is stock. It is a reliable and fun engine, which, in a car that is about five hundred pounds lighter than Honda’s S2000, is going to be quite a powerhouse.
The shop that JP shares with a group of gearheads who all have their own car projects on the go is in rural Ontario. Great scenery, lots of space, and a very complete shop! Car wash service readily available to prep cars for photo shoots. This team, Works Garage, consists of Jeff Wybro, Dave Newberry, Dan Kittmer, and JP Ellis.John Paul would be the first to say that a team of people surrounded him during this build and offered advice and hands on expertise. While we were chatting I could hardly keep up with the names of interested folks. There is the group of guys who rent the shop space together and inspire each other to continue with their builds. Scott from Can-Alignment supplied advice and suggestions about the front end and Scott from Hitman Hotrods not only supplied advice but also parts to ensure that this Datsun would actually go in the direction that the steering wheel was pointed.
The suspension advice and suggestions worked, as far as this picture reveals. After initial testing at a track evening, JP took the car out to the final event at CSCS and put it through its paces. Pic by Mercedeh Ajamzadeh.The Datsun 510 was known as an incredibly agile and wonderfully capable car in corners. Combine that with modern hardware and powerplant, and this car is an incredible amount of fun on the track. It would be too simple, however, to assume that this stock powerplant could just drop into the five and dime. Motor mounts had to be adapted to work with the engine and the chassis. The cross-member, which has already gone through a few different variations, had to be built for this project. It was sectioned to fit around the S2K’s oil pan. With the engine in place, there is about two inches between it and the firewall. This is actually more room than the KA24 allowed.
The 15×8 F and 15×9 R Rotas and BFG Rival 225/45/15s absolutely fill up the wheelwell of this 510. After spending the last decade waiting to be revived, it's happy to be back on track where it has spent most of its life. Pic by Jeff Beech.The firewall had to be cut to provide clearance for the S2K’s transmission and the tunnel required significant modification, as the bell housing on the S2K’s transmission is bigger and the shifter sits quite high. Space was required for the shifter rod. The transmission tunnel was crafted out of sheet metal, welded in place, and it is waiting for carpet. This was already cut and installed once – but the arrival of the Honda drivetrain requires additional work. The driveshaft is obviously custom and it has a slip yolk built in. It is connected to a Subaru R160 differential. This required Subaru splines to be welded onto the Datsun axles. JP would be the first to say that tons of homework had to be completed on this project – and that a lot of luck combined with hard work allowed this drivetrain project to be completed.
Maybe plexiglass would be better than sheet metal and carpet? Because it is pretty amazing to look from the cabin into the engine bay and see that powerplant.
