Return of Datsun?

tsi200sx · Feb 28th, 2003, 04:57 PM

I just got my new edition of Motor Trend in the mail, and here's a little blurb found under the heading, "Hear on the Road", in the News section:

"Carlos Ghosn is telling U.S. Nissan dealers he plans to revive the Datsun name."

To those of us Nissan enthusiasts old enough to remember Datsun, or even have owned a Datsun, as I did, this is exciting news if it's true, though I wonder how exactly he plans on doing it. Would they switch some current models (like the Z, which was originally a Datsun in the US), or come out with a whole new line of vehicles under the Datsun name, like Toyota is doing with Scion?

himilefrontier · Mar 1st, 2003, 03:09 AM

BRING BACK THE 510!!!!!2,000LBS,RWD A GREAT CHASSIS AND A KILLER 4CYL!I'd buy one,especially if it was affrodable!(boy do I wish I could find one cheap...) I heard this rumor a month ago(Datsun name one)from a guy at the dragstrip with a Gremlin.I guess it's true!

RiceBox · Mar 2nd, 2003, 05:43 PM

That would be WAY COOL.

foxxynx · Mar 2nd, 2003, 07:09 PM

I jst got back from mexico and there are soooo many Datsuns around there still !!!

himilefrontier · Mar 3rd, 2003, 02:19 AM

Yeah,and I can't even find a single early 510 anywhere I look! I even went driving through the rural areas trying to see one in someone's back yard with a dead engine(I would of course fix that with a SR20DET...) and still no luck!AAAGH!

tsi200sx · Mar 3rd, 2003, 06:52 AM

Here's a site about the potential of swapping a VG30 intoa 510:

www.vg30.com

zeno · Mar 3rd, 2003, 10:34 AM

I'd love to see the Datsun badge return, that was the true golden age of Nissan where performance and new technology were the top priority. I can't imagine Nissan having a full Datsun line of cars but a special anniversary Datsun Z car would be really cool.

SangerSE-R · Mar 3rd, 2003, 11:03 AM

haha, there is a datsun 510 for sale where I live, I want it really bad, I'm gonna make my dad get it lol. I want a new 510 to come out, I don't care about cost, I'll get it lol.

bahearn · Mar 3rd, 2003, 01:50 PM

It's all hooey. Datsun/Nissan/Infiniti, they're all just names. It's the company itself that makes the difference.

RiceBox · Mar 3rd, 2003, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bahearn
It's all hooey. Datsun/Nissan/Infiniti, they're all just names. It's the company itself that makes the difference.

But if they don't want to tarnish the Datsun name, they are going to have to build do nice fun cars. I'm thinking something like an S15 Sylvia but maybe a little smaller.

Shawn · Mar 4th, 2003, 10:39 AM

Sounds like a cool little rumor...we'll see where it goes

JustMe · Mar 4th, 2003, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tsi200sx
Here's a site about the potential of swapping a VG30 intoa 510:

www.vg30.com

Friend of mine did this. Spent quite a long time and a stupid amount of money doing a total frame up build on his 510. In the end he had a fricken fast, beautiful, road racer. Everything was built with auto X and road racing in mind. The only problem was no matter what he did with the suspension the vg30 was just too heavy for the 510. Car ended up gutted and parted out. IMO SR20DET is a better swap for the 510 and a lot easier

bahearn · Mar 4th, 2003, 12:20 PM

Quote:

But if they don't want to tarnish the Datsun name...

A big Bronx cheer to you.

Everybody has this warm and fuzzy feeling for the name Datsun. Sure, they used to market some fine cars, but not because they were trying to build a specific cache for the name. Datsun just happened to be the name for the company in the U.S. market. Were they have used Nissan back then, even though the cars were no different, you would not have the same feeling for the company because of their problems after they changed to Nissan here.

So, again, hooey.

Shawn · Mar 4th, 2003, 01:28 PM

The 510 is a rotary right?

There's been a couple 510's in SCC's ultimate street car challenge

Felonious Cat Stalker · Mar 4th, 2003, 01:32 PM

No, 510 has a piston engine. Mazda is the rotary company.