Vehicle Description
1970 Datsun 510 - BRE Tribute - Set up for Autocross / Street Legal
- Built 1600cc with 4-Speed Manual (Please note: If you happen to
be viewing this 1970 Datsun 510 BRE Tribute on a website other than
our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen
some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to website
limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 195
photographs, as well as a short walk-around-and-startup video,
please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.) That (BRE-Brock
Racing Enterprises) team was so good, I don't think I was ever on
another team that was quite as good as that one, and I was on a lot
of great teams. - John Morton, winner of the SCCA Trans-Am series,
1971 and 72; interviewed by Andrew Golseth, Petrolicious, October
2016 That John Morton quote nicely sums up why the Trans-Am
competition BRE Datsun 510 has become one of a handful of cars that
define an era in racing. In case the 1971-72 Trans-Am racing series
is not fresh in the memory cells, an online search for Against All
Odds: BRE will bring up a terrific YouTube video of Morton's epic
1971 year. For any motorhead, it's 26 minutes well spent. That was
the year the red-white-and-(some) blue Datsun sedans became
motorsports legends. Morton's car wore Simonize livery, the number
46, and the bold racing stripes angling across its front flanks. If
ever there was a car that deserved a tribute re-creation, it's the
BRE Datsun 510. Offered here is just such a tribute, and a very
respectful-and competitive-one at that. This Datsun's conversion
was no simple matter of paint and decals. This is a
competition-crafted auto-crosser built to compete. John Morton
would approve. The car's paintwork faithfully replicates Peter
Brock's original design on the 1971 car: brilliant red graces the
grille area, hood, roof, trunk, and rear-end; the fenders and doors
are white. The missing headlight in the front grille on this car
does not match the original, but does provide additional
radiator-cooling. Competition over style. The sports sedan's decals
and door numbers reflect its current owner's wishes, but retain the
style of the original car. In one deviation from the BRE car,
exterior body panels on this tribute are free of damage (the
original car traded paint with BMWs and Alfas any number of times).
This car's lowered ride-height matches the original.
Panasport-style wheels stand in for the 13-inch Libre wheels on the
original, and wear Hoosier competition tires, strongly suggesting
the tribute is meant to perform, not just look mean. Inside, the
serious-business cabin is red-paint-on-metal throughout. It has
been stripped of all unnecessary trim, including all seating, but a
single professional Kirkey racing seat for the driver. The
floor-shifted 4-speed sits squarely... on the floor. A full
cross-braced roll cage with substantial side protection is in
place. A fire-suppression system, full complement of AccuMeter and
SW-branded competition gauges, beefy flip-switches, and a Momo
steering wheel speak to the car's legitimate competitive intent.
With a hopped-up 2.0-liter under the hood, Morton's 510 made about
190 horsepower; the tribute car retains its 1600cc engine tuned for
auto-cross competition. Shock towers are cross-braced. Adjustable
racing shock absorbers are mounted. Enhanced engine cooling is in
place. The car's undercarriage showcases the four-wheel independent
suspension (with added swaybars and adjustment hardware) that,
together with its low overall weight, helped give the 510 a
competitive advantage. In spite of its auto-crossing history, the
underside of this car shows no noteworthy damage. The
faithful-to-the-original condition of this 1970 Datsun 510 BRE
Tribute is presented in the more than 195 high-definition
photographs, together with a short walk-around-and-startup video
mentioned earlier, available at the GarageKeptMotors site. That
said, there is no substitute for an in-person, up-clos
