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I love Datsun 510s and have had the time, money and resources to do a full restoration on one at numerous times in my life, but never have. There have been issues with timing and other cars coming in the way. I find some other car to spend too much time and money on. I guess that’s a good thing though, as project 510s are considerably more expensive than they should be relative to what their concours-perfect examples bring in resale. Everybody loves a ratty 510, but it’ll be tough to get your restoration costs back in resale.
A Datsun 510 restoration can be a labor of love. Just don't expect to recoup your investment.For most people, however, the act of choosing the make and model of a restoration is an act of love. You fall in love with the shape, the sound or the smell of an old car and you just can’t help yourself. It’s not a cold and analytical discussion about values and return on investment. You see it, you want it, you buy it. Done deal.
Rust or Roses—Which do you see? If you're an early Benz guy, probably the latter. Passion is what it takes to turn one of these into a runner, let alone a show winner. As a matter of course though, the perfect project never comes along when we wish it so. So, you have to ask yourself—is it worth the compromises now? The answer may be no, may be yes and almost it’s always right on that sharp edge of who the heck knows?
While passion is what we might think will help see a project through to the finish, it’s actually less important than finding a car that fits into the rest of our life well. The frustration and depression that sets in when you can’t finish a project will quickly kill any starry-eyed passion you may have once had. In short, be realistic about your capabilities and resources when starting a project. If you’re living in a duplex with a one-car garage, you might not be able to do a ground up restoration on a basketcase. Start with something that just needs cosmetics or light mechanical work before you wake up your wall-mates with the sounds of angle grinders at 2am.
Are you known as “That Borgward Isabella guy” in your area? If so, you'll probably hear about more just as a matter of course. Good luck with that. Now, if you’re in the industry and are known as the Amphicar and Alfa-Romeo guy, you’ll invariably have folks coming out of the woodwork asking if you’d like to buy their one-owner barnfind for less than a cup of high-brow coffee. At least those are the stories we hear. It’s the stuff of legend that keeps us looking into open garages and Quonset huts in search of a familiar roofline or glint of chrome.
Someone, somewhere decided they wanted the world's nicest Mercedes Benz W123 Coupe. Awesome. 
