Junkyard Gem: 1978 Datsun 510 Wagon

1977 was one of many years of Peak Wagon in the USA, a 12 months during which automobile customers right here may select amongst 47 completely different fashions of station wagon (the wagon depend for 1964 was 47 as nicely). The alternatives had been barely diminished in 1978, however we had been nonetheless within the Golden Age of Japanese station wagons right here at the moment. Toyota supplied Individuals three wagon decisions for ’78 (Cressida, Corona, Corolla) and Nissan was proper there with the Datsun 810, 510 and F-10. Right here’s a kind of all-but-extinct 510 wagons, present in a self-service yard close to Sacramento, California.

Nissan performed quick and unfastened with US-market Datsun mannequin names through the Seventies and into the Eighties, so at present’s Junkyard Gem isn’t associated to the enduring 510s of the late Sixties and early Seventies. This automobile is an A10 wagon, generally known as the Nissan Violet Van or Auster Van in its homeland. The unique 510 (primarily based on the interior designation Nissan assigned to the 1967-1973 Bluebird) was so successful in the USA that Nissan simply recycled the title for the model of the A10 Violet offered right here for the 1978 by way of 1981 mannequin years. Issues bought much more complicated with the 810 a bit later, when it developed into the Datsun 810 Maxima, then the Datsun Maxima by Nissan, and at last the Nissan Maxima.

The era of Violet after this one was offered right here because the Datsun (after which Nissan) Stanza, however don’t combine up the Prairie-based Stanza Wagon with the Stanza automobile! Ultimately, the Altima changed the Stanza and the Nissan Violet was no extra.

This wagon has correct rear-wheel-drive, like the unique 510, and it got here with a correct L20 1,952cc four-cylinder engine. This one had the cylinder head and all equipment yanked off years (in all probability a long time) in the past, however you may nonetheless see some bits indicating that costly ($580, or $2,765 in inflation-adjusted 2022 {dollars}) air con was put in.

The $250 ($1,190 at present) computerized transmission is right here as nicely. Base worth on this automobile was $5,759, or about $27,460 at present.

The manufacturing facility Datsun AM/FM radio remains to be there.

It seems that this automobile broke down a few years in the past and spent fairly some time deteriorating outdoors.

The six-digit odometer might be exhibiting 78,033 miles… or many, many extra miles. We’ll by no means know.

By the requirements of Seventies Japanese automobiles, the rust on this one isn’t so dangerous. Nonetheless, fanatics don’t appear to care a lot for the A10 Violet, so it was unlikely that this automobile had a lot likelihood of avoiding its junkyard destiny.

No one calls for extra from a Datsun than Datsun!


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