What did you do on your 510 today?

[bertvorgon]

Well, another non exciting day on the Realm and a small task for me, I started my car again.

It lit right off, so that was good. I see my fuel pressure is showing 4 PSI, should be 3.5.

I am going to put a new diaphragm into that Holley regulator , just for safety sake, and then re-adjust once out driving the car.

As I have a weird carb issue going on I am going to Overseas Auto tomorrow and getting a new power valve and jet. As the car sat for 2 years I am not taking a chance with anything with a rubber diaphragm in it. I will also grab a new accelerator pump diaphragm too.

Only a few more starts to go and then the season can begin in late April.

[bertvorgon]

Again, not much exciting, trying to get through those cold, wet days.

I was going through some picture files, looking for this photo, of a co-worker and friend (to this day). He is having a birthday tomorrow and wanted to send him this picture.

That was my 1972 510 that I bought when I got serious about slaloming. I took the turbocharged motor out of my 1972 wagon and dropped it into the sedan, the sedan motor, with mild mods, went back into my wagon.

My friend, Pete, is an amazing fabricator, quite like Andy at Specialty Engineering. Pete worked on some of the 60's nuclear submarines in England, as a specialized welder. He and his dad built trials motorcycles. In the late 60's, early 70's, he came to Canada as a factory rider for HONDA, riding trials. When that ended he started with me as our company maintenance man, built me some things for my 510. He then went on to run his own company in Kamloops, building custom side cars and other engineering marvels. A true motor head!!!

My 72' Sedan helped me with development's as I slowly upped the boost, experimented with a ton of different shocks, tires, spring rates and other top secret bits. It met an untimely demise on the Sea to Sky highway in 1977, thus beginning the Rolling Dyno and it's adventures.

[bertvorgon]

I started the car the other day, fired right up, cycled to 200F twice.

I polished up the aluminum in the engine bay.

I took the licence plate off and cleaned the old "insurance" date tags off, as we sure don't need them anymore.

As I found the DATSUN grill emblem badge in my basement, I decided to put that back on my grill. It was a bit tricky and took some radical thinking as to how to do it, as the original threaded screws had long broken off.

I find more and more, people do not KNOW what a DATSUN is. Had in interesting encounter the other day, when I had the garage door open. Will write a little story on that.

I did pickup the carb kit and few spare gaskets, so once I can actually drive the car, will be on that project in a blink.

Only one, maybe two more start ups and it's time for insurance. I want to make sure I get my fresh fuel before 510 Day.

[bertvorgon]

Another day of NOT what I did on the Datsun, but, the clean up continues in the Archives.

May not mean much to most but after 55 years of Datsun's, I have amassed a lot of bits and pieces of ephemera.

Only a hand full will recognize the ENGINE AIR decals, the beginning symbol of my journey into Turbo charging.

The Bob Bondurant brochure came from wanting to up my driving skills, back in the mid 70's. At the time I was a driving instructor for the Solo School at Boundary Bay. The prices for the course's seem so cheap then, compared to what they are now. The school was only some 6-7 years old then. Myself and another of the original Boundary Bay racers wanted to go. Needless to say we never did go and honed our skills as instructors ourselves, getting hours of seat time in other peoples cars on a weekend. Nothing like seat time!

The glove box books came from my 1969 Wagon and the 71/72 book came from my 72' Sedan. Brasso Datsun was one of the largest and original Datsun dealers in Vancouver. It was through them I bought my 1972 Wagon, via a salesperson named Andy Field, who introduced me to road racing and his B-Sedan prepared 510....Oh, God, I was hooked.

As I finish putting my "Race Album" together, it has been fun to see the history evolve, with all the dash plaques, tech articles and other misc events I went and did. Who remembers the Backcomb Hillclimb, Squamish Street race, Bellingham Gran Prix, Lethbridge race, Iona Hillclimb, and so many other events. So may other souvenirs of the time and events.

Enjoy.

[bertvorgon]

Crashing around in the Bert Vorgon Archives this morning and I came upon this BRAND NEW fuse box, in the original Nissan box.!!

Wow, what are these worth these days?

Do not even remember where I picked this up from.

I also found a full factory roll of window felt, must have been left over from my window
project a decade ago. That sure stopped the "buffeting" from the window.

[RONSLYCHUK]

Nice find Keith!

[bertvorgon]

Thanks!

It was buried next to my fire suit. I thought about trying it on...but...I was afraid it might have shrunk.....

I also found a re-built starter motor and 2 half shafts...win there.

I have a new, stock, Weber 32/36, with only 1 summer on it, so may think about selling that.

Found a few more things to go into my race album, that was kinda cool.

[gooned]

Pics wouldn’t load last night, today I see the fuse box, amazing…unobtanuim.

[iceD]

It's funny how many old race suits shrink in storage

iceD

[KiKiIchiBan]

Because I never actually want to complete and drive this car I'm thinking of jobs to delay the process... One of them was to completely strip the engine bay back to bare metal, prep and paint it. I was never happy with it and when I did the initial restoration didn't have the money to go inside the engine bay and with the engine signed up to the long term injury reserves list, I thought I'd get around to it.



97% of the way there and possibly the worst job to do on the 510 yet to date.

[bertvorgon]

I spent yesterday down on the Archives looking for my fuel tank "pump down" hose. It is an AN fitting with 5' of rubber hose screwed onto the threaded fitting. I had made this for the hillclimb, where I could pump down and empty my main tank, to lighten up the car for the race.

I now needed to make it 10' long, so I can pump the old Avgas out to be ready for fresh in the next few weeks. I can't move the car yet, so the hose needed to stretch from passenger side over the engine bay to my jerry cans. I will then run the car on my auxillary tank to move it and then re-fill.

I also finished up my Race album, here are a few things I came across. The NGK spark plug chart is sure a thing of the past now, who reads plugs anymore but the last of the hot rodders and racers. Another dying/dead art.

The picture of the B-sedan is Andy Field, the fellow who sold me my 1972 wagon and introduced me to racing, in 1972.

The engine tag is from my 1972 sedan which got wrecked, just as I had really started to get it working well. Thus leading to the Great Rolling Dyno, my 73'.

The car show pic is from the All Nissan meet in North Vancouver, showing Pete Robichaud as he raced the car the Georges K built, and is now in Malcom McQueens care. My car next to him.

I will be starting car one more time this weekend and next time it will be insured and out on the road!!

[bertvorgon]

The Knox poster I always did for our annual walk up the Hill, to scope out any road changes, etc. It really was an excuse for 12 hours of bench racing, and, the insanity of how intense the go-carts were. It got so the owner knew when we showed up, he would NOT let civilians be on there with us, so we could really race. He would also ask us not to damage the carts too badly..heh, heh. He was a good sport about it. The last time we went, he was not there, just his partner, who said..."he got under his car...with NO jackstands...and the jack failed...crushing and killing him!!! So sad. Never compromise safety!!!!!!!

Spark plug chart speaks for itself.

[gooned]

I very clearly remember that guy telling us about the jack failure, those long day trips were truly special…the “follow me” sign in the back of the Aerostar!

Also like the early 90s Ice Racing stint…you don’t realize just how fleeting the moments really are.

[bertvorgon]

Oh Yah, the sign. That was the time Dave Krulitsky followed us in his huge Chevy van. We had 14 people on that weekend I think.

That was when we had the BIG crash at the go-carts and Jaz got his hand and leg hurt, that was a pretty hard hit we all got into, glad I was in the lead...ha..ha...

Good memories for sure, having our camping spot in the back of our car pits.

Here are some pics... blast from the past

[bertvorgon]

Morning World!

So, on the 5th I ordered my tires...two came on the 11th...UPS seems to have LOST the other two!!!! ARG!!!! I have been on the phone 3 times and sent an E-mail to Tire Rack..oh, an "investigation" has been opened.....and how long will that be...oh, it could be weeks...WTF!!! The 4 where shipped supposedly at the same time, but, on the tracking it looks like UPS never entered the missing 2 right at the start. I sent an email this morning going...I need those tires, I ordered them in plenty of time for my first event of the season, being driving out of the garage. Well, I guess I am caught in a bit of bullshit here now.....

I did pump down my main tank of all fuel, ready for fresh, basically it took 10 minutes for 23 liters, 46 l, 20 minutes total. I made up a simple hose with an AN fitting and just screwed the 10' of 3/8" hose into it..no leaks.

Fired the car up, it does sounds like the valves need an adjust. Next fire up will be when it is heading out for a drive, likely insure sometime next week and then see how the weather is. I also need to co-ordinate getting fresh fuel into the car.

As I found my front grill emblem in the Archives, I decided to put it back on. I quite like it now, we have so many people ask what are these cars....? I just carefully siliconed it on, as the original mounting tabs were broken. It should cut off easily should I need to re-paint the grill down the road.