1971 Datsun 510 - Jay Leno's Garage

1971 Datsun 510. The Tonight Show's prop master Greg Elliot stops by with his speedy ground-up restomod - a collector's car in the making and so much fun to drive!

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1971 Datsun 510 - Jay Leno's Garage

Jay Leno's Garage

[hngrypanda]

All of "US" car guys need to be more like Jay. Just love EVERY car for what it a purest. Beautiful car.

[bodeghost]

My very first car that my Grandfather helped me purchase by saying, 'whatever money you earn this summer over your time off from school, I'll match it for your first car!' There was an important stipulation, he couldn't afford more than $750.00. So, off to work I went & earned that $750 in the summer of 1981 & with Grandpa's matched $ I found a completely 'CHERRY' 1974, 510 WAGON WITH A/C for YUP, $1500.00! I CHERISHED THAT CAR & because of the respect my Grandpa bestowed upon me, teaching me the 'value' of a dollar "earned" I simply had to repay he & Grandma SOMEHOW even though they insisted NO! So, I devised a scheme... True story: EVERY SINGLE WEDNESDAY (after school & through the summers) I would pick them up in "OUR" car & take them grocery shopping. Grandpa ALWAYS needed to divert the shopping experience to, and I swear, EVERY WEDNESDAY FOR EASILY 6 years that I owned that car, he needed his Quart of "hand-packed" chocolate ice-cream from "Thrifty" and Grandma got Pistachio & with every Wednesday visit there, he'd buy a 3-pk of cassette tapes for his love of recording anything he found worthy of recording off the TV or Radio. We'd then go to H.Salt Fish 'N Chips where the 3 of us would each get the "London Special" and a NEW bottle of MALT VINEGAR REGARDLESS OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLY HELD OVER FROM THE WEEKS PRIOR! 💚 I NEVER allowed them to pay for the ice-creams, cassettes nor dinners over those 6 years so as to somehow give back to them what they, GRACIOUSLY, gave to me. Half of my very first car. I kept that thing spotless where it sadly took me & Grandma to lay my Grandpa to rest and then ultimately many flowers to their side-by-side resting place. I've never married nor had any children of my own & have struggled just to stay afloat like many of us do. I unfortunately had to sell my beloved car to make rent way back when but vowed to one-day, somehow, buy that vehicle back. Obviously not the exact one but nonetheless it has to be a DATSUN 510 WAGON. Through over 30 years of installing tile & still chasing my music dreams the ole body has been breaking down. Forced to leave tile yet I still sing & play everyday for my Grandparent's with whom I love & miss so very much. I know that someday when I can scrape the bucks together and find a 510 Wagon, it'll be like "home" once more & the smell of Malt Vinegar will assuredly be present. Sláinte Chugat Grandpa & Grandma 💜🍀💜 & thank you Mr. Leno & your incredible friends 510 story here! It delivered tears & smiles. Thank you all for reading my little rant as well but thought I'd share a great 510 classic! Love & Light to you all indeed! 💚 🍀 💜 🍀

[CoastalAutoReactionCAR]

The way Jay interacts with his “employee” shows how classy he is.
Treats him as an equal not like a lot of famous people!

[TangoGolfCharlie]

That car is prettier than most cars today.

[xlex.the.menxce]

Sweet Jesus, this guy did this car RIGHT! So clean and tasteful. 0% rice. Love it!

[sxduranable]

Brings back so many memories. My dad had a 67 when I was growing up and was always asked if he would consider selling it. Unfortunately, he was in a car accident and the car had to be towed. Now as an adult, I'm hoping I can give him this car someday for his birthday. Hope to find a good deal maybe in the next 5 years.

[gp]

Hey Jay, thanks for featuring the 510. The 1972 510 was my first car. They're so much fun even with a stock motor and just a little suspension work. I used to let my mom drive it from time to time. People would approach her at the gas station offering to buy it! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[christiansmith]

Only Jay-can have $2mill Bugatti 1-day and 1970's Datsun the next. Love you JAY

[wordreet]

This Datsun is proper, a real quality modified build. This car would sell for big money in Japan. 160 bhp and it weighs less than one ton? Major fun!

[Doward]

Jay seems like such a great guy, all the money and cars in the world and he treats his guests and their cars with the utmost respect. Love it.

[johnboleyjr.]

I used to have a '77 Datsun B210. I loved that car so much. I would love to get at least one more Datsun again.

[MAHGlie]

That's a beauty. I had one in high school, back in '75. I lived in central America then and there were lots of dirt and gravel roads to play on and it was a blast playing rally driver. Such a fun car.

[demetricklouis]

"I like it when people use the mothership parts." You and me both Jay.

[modenajon]

I went to Japan about 10years ago with Shin Yoshikawa and The owner of Datsun Magazine. I also had dinner with Mr. Katiyama. I can verify that the story of Nissan changing the name to Datsun in case it failed is true. The Japanese are ashamed and embarrassed if something fails and when Mr. K wanted to bring Nissan to the US, Nissan thought for sure it would fail. In fact, their were many people who wanted him to fail. Well it didn't. In the end Mr. K became a cult hero in the US and still to this day not many people know him in Japan. Fascinating story and an honor to meet him.

[BradFalck-mnpc]

My first car when I was 17 was a 510 and they were so simple even I could change the head gasket in my driveway at home, I miss it so much

[elle]

I owned a 1970 something Datsun B210 hatchback in the late 70's. I loved it...it was bright orange...

[Benagiser]

In addition, Not sure about the US but here in Australia it was always great to grab these older cars 1600, 180B SSS, etc because you could find a wrecked 240K or 200B and strip out all the good parts: brakes, swing arms, diffs, gearboxes, seats, shocks etc and make your little P510/1600 into a real performer for very little money. Great Show Jay.

[marcoavillalobos]

I do not know much about cars, but looking at your show I have learned a lot about cars. I am from a very small country called COSTA RICA... Here they love japanese cars, and I am A faithful lover of the 1971 240Z.

[gordonwallin]

I had one of the first 2-door 510s in Canada- BC actually. Mine was $2100 and it weighted 2100lbs on a truck scale. I rallyed it, and draged it=16.7, sec 1/4 mile. NHRA record for K stock for one month. Best car I ever bought. Sold it to my sister to pay for my college. I set the redline at 6000RPM and my sister never shifted below the redline; you'd hear her screeming away down the road in it. What a car.

[daddyone]

Greg found his happy place. And aren’t we lucky it does spread from line to line on the road. And it’s a pleasure to look at.
Brilliant work.