1980 Datsun 310 GX from North America - Comments

The engine that came stock in the 1981 Model year of the 310 GX was actually a 1.5L. However, when my dad bought the car, the engine had been overheated so bad it seized up. So it was replaced with a 1.4L from a 1980 model year 310. After my dad drove it to and from work (about 40 miles a day) and on the occasional trip to my grandparents house, he finally drove the piston rings out of it. I got the car from him when I turned 15 as it sat in the backyard.

-Rebuilt the motor (1.4L)

-Replaced shift linkage (4spd. manual)

-Interior plastics are deteriorating.

-Parts are really hard to find seeing as how it was only manufactured for approx. 3 years.

-Replaced Speedo Cable.

-Replaced passenger side door handle.

-Various fuses.

-Front seats are more or less shot.

I just flat out love this car. My dad had it for the longest time before he finally gave it to me. He gave it to me in much less that street legal condition. We had a lot of fun watching him drive down the street, turn around, and then floor it, only to see how much blue smoke would roll out.

The car still has work that needs to be done, but I am perfectly willing and capable of doing it.

I can wait till I get it on the road. It is metallic brown in color... which isn't a very common color at all, let alone the fact that I have only seen 2 other 310GXs on the road in Salem Oregon. Both of which are silver.

It runs like a top and starts every time and handles like a beauty. Even with the 13" rims. Which I will most likely end up replacing for some good looking ones.

I've got a '82 310 GX and it was in very good shape, surprisingly as it's got about 200,000 miles on it which it drove without any, ANY issues, only an oil change every 3000 miles. That is until the engine oddly started to knock unusaully in the head and it lost all power and spurtled oil out of the exhaust! I am in the process of trying to figure it it's worth an overhaul. The 1.5 is odd in that it doesn't have replaceable cam bearings, so when the bearings get worn out, the cam is quickly destroyed and the only fix is a new cylinder head, an expensive part at around $220 along with a new cam that I have qouted from $100 to $175. I don't know why there is so much difference. If I do decide to go along with it I'd like to build the engine to be more powerfull than stock and any help in that direction would be really helpful. The car is well built and engineered under the hood it's very easy for the average DYSer to work on it, I just wish there were more of the little brutes!

Matt copperstatefence@msn.com.

Hey how r things doin? I am in the Marines and I was given a 1981 datsun 310 gx, and I am having trouble finding a place to put transmission fluid, where is that located. could you drop me an email and let me know. Dtrujillo26@yahoo.com

Thanx for the help, that is if you still check these comments..

Dante.

Actually that dark brown color was pretty common on those old Datsuns, but at least it held up better than the silver or that medium metallic blue, which seemed to fade as soon as the car was driven off the dealer lot.