hey guys i have a 72 510 coupe ....just wondering if youve seen or heard of anyone stuffing an ls1 into one of these cars ...ive seen inline 6 motors in em along with countless amounts of 4 bangers and also a few 302 ford motors ....any info would be great ..even suggestions ....will be going through car soon could post a build up if maybe i can figure out to put a ls series motor in the little 2000lb rwd beast .....
i haven't heard of it being done, but i've got a datsun 1600 (i'm in australia), same car as a p510 but it's 4 door. i've got a nissan ca18det and i'd vastly prefer an LS1 in mine.
do it and write it up
Be prepared for some serious chassis reworking and moving that engine into the firewall with the driver seat further back.
Can it be done yes.... how will the car drive aside from in a straight line... unknown.
You will need box flares to have any chance of putting the power down and plan on a very very large project. This won't be a simple make motor/trans mounts and a custom driveshaft and you are done project.
Be prepared for some serious chassis reworking and moving that engine into the firewall with the driver seat further back.
Can it be done yes.... how will the car drive aside from in a straight line... unknown.
You will need box flares to have any chance of putting the power down and plan on a very very large project. This won't be a simple make motor/trans mounts and a custom driveshaft and you are done project.
id like to hear your logic on this theory. since the ls1 wieghs less than the all iron l20 that comes in that car, and since people have put rb's in there which are wayyyyyyy longer than a ls1 id like to hear your theory on why youd need to hack up the firewall and move the drivers seat back.
do it, mount it in, get a driveshaft, get a rearend that will hold the power. it IS that easy.
probably can be done...but I can think of tons of cars that look better than a small box. NO OFFENSE ANYONE. LS1Cobra...yours is a cool swap for sure...
Mike- If a 510 weighs 2,000lbs and you put a 480lb engine up front with a 150lb transmission, larger cooling system and other associated mods (ie stronger/heavier subframe) it simply will not handle like the original 510 could with a lightweight 4 banger. Pure and simple.
Don't tell me 4 cylinder engines weigh 480lbs either and the stock tranny in those cars weighed about 65lbs. I have had plenty of buddies with 510's and 2.4i Rebello motors in them and they handled awesome.
I'm simply stating if you want to retain the handling you should move the engine back as far as you can.
My car (FD) was 2700lbs originally and the stock 13B-REW was a lot closer in weight to an LS1 without a/c and p/s than this 510 with a 4 banger.
Listen to Mike the man. He must know because he is the drift masta!
well since you know everything, then explain to me how my ls1, with a supercharger on it, wieghed in at 68 lbs LESS than the iron block aluminum head 4 cylinder that came out....
now an iron head iron block 4 cylinder, must be the epitomy of lightweight. forget all the facts that aluminum wieghs less than iron, i mean its a 4 cylinder, even though its all iron it must be lighter.
when you obtain some common sense, come back and post in the tech forum. im sure the tranny wieghs more but add an aluminum radiator and remove some other crap, its not hard. if i said " i have a freind with a ___insert car here____ and pretended to know about it i woudl be lecturing anyone on every car forum with my justification being my freinds are GIVEN cars by manufacutrers so im smarter. thats dumb
Be prepared for some serious chassis reworking and moving that engine into the firewall with the driver seat further back.
Can it be done yes.... how will the car drive aside from in a straight line... unknown.
You will need box flares to have any chance of putting the power down and plan on a very very large project. This won't be a simple make motor/trans mounts and a custom driveshaft and you are done project.
why would you need to move the firewall and drivers seat back? the motor is still 4 cylinders long, and yes actual measurements in length are close. trans tunnel on the other hand is a different story.
well since you know everything, then explain to me how my ls1, with a supercharger on it, wieghed in at 68 lbs LESS than the iron block aluminum head 4 cylinder that came out....
now an iron head iron block 4 cylinder, must be the epitomy of lightweight. forget all the facts that aluminum wieghs less than iron, i mean its a 4 cylinder, even though its all iron it must be lighter.
when you obtain some common sense, come back and post in the tech forum. im sure the tranny wieghs more but add an aluminum radiator and remove some other crap, its not hard. if i said " i have a freind with a ___insert car here____ and pretended to know about it i woudl be lecturing anyone on every car forum with my justification being my freinds are GIVEN cars by manufacutrers so im smarter. thats dumb
um, yeah. its an l16. not an l20. and its iron block, aluminum head. stock trans is a stubby little bastard, and doesnt way much more then 65lbs as stated.
there are plenty of people running them with iron block/head ford 5.0's, and chevy 305/350/327 etc.
i think a ls1 would be a nice setup, but dont think its gonna bolt in. trans tunnel clearance, clearing the drivers side exhaust around the big heavy stearing box, and fitting an adequate cooling system would be the biggest challenge. but if you get that far, i would think you know what you are doing and can handle it.
ps, i have had 2 datsun 510's, both with done by me ca18det swaps, so i know my way around them, just a little. ls1 510 is definately in my future once i can find another one in new york, or i might get one shipped in from cali again. after my project im working on now is done.
thougth they were iron head, i stand corrected. but i seriously dont think that the ls1 will throw off the wieght balance that much. i know people swap ka's/sr's in these all day long, and in all reality other than width the ls1 isnt much longer. anyone who can weld and has a decent bit of common sense shoudl be able to knock this swap out imo.
i would just do a sr20 swap. cheaper, would fit better i would guess and there are kits already out for them to pretty much bolt in... but an ls1 would be pretty bad ass! Dooo itttt!
bryanf.com has the most amazing 510 ive ever seen. granted its a rotary, but the suspension work with 315's in a 510 is pretty amazing. there is also a 72 510 with a twin turbo'd chevy v6
If I can get it in a e21 bmw you can get it in a 510. Always loved those cars especially those Bob Sharp prepared ones that Paul Newman and others drove.
Headers are no problem (S&P), suspension no problem(AFCO). Just put a R200 LSD and modified half shafts and away you go.
I would hack out the firewall entirely and move the engine back behind the strut towers and essentially sit in the back seat.
__________________ 1983 BMW 320, 2000 lbs, front of engine behind front wheel centerline, 400hp ls1 t56, 3:23 "big diff" LSD.
"I want to go 200mph before I die but I don't want the events to be simultaneous"
you obviously have no personal experience with a 510. even the 4 cylinders have header/turbo clearence problems in them, cause of the size/location of the antiques steering box.
wow guys thanks for all this info ...to brewster240 how were the ca18det swaps ? fast ? ease of swap? thats the other choice i had in mind ...i know stock rated at 175 hp redlines around 8k
A very good friend of mine put a ZZ4 350 crate motor in a 510, and he always bragged how easy it was, he's in his 70's now, and lives just south of St Louis MO, and is a holey terror in his area. ALTHOUGH it's not the fastest car out there, it will shock ya the way it hooks and launches. Has a 350 turbo and is stock suspension car. I have seen it but never really eyeballed it hard. I KNOW HE WAS A GREAT FABRICATOR, was a bodyman his whole life. He alwasy bragged it was almost a bolt in with just making mount adapters.
I will be home in st louis next weekend, I will try to get pics if ya want. If a 350 goes in, so will an LS1!!mj
LS1 in a 72' Datsun 510 has it been done ? 
NO OFFENSE ANYONE. 
LS1Cobra...yours is a cool swap for sure... 
