One way to tell if your car has attained true classic status is how many reproduction parts are available. For example, it is possible to buy an entire 1967-69 Camaro bare metal body brand new and completely licensed by GM. JNCs aren’t quite there yet, but you might soon be able to buy new repro sheetmetal for your Datsun 510 thanks to Futofab.
Tail light panels are already in production and should be ready to go any day now. Rocker panels, front fenders and hoods will be coming next, and as you can see from these photos the prototyping process is already complete. The full list of planned 510 parts is as follows:
- chrome plated front & rear bumpers
- bumper brackets
- front fenders w/ and w/o side marker holes
- headlight buckets w/retainer rings
- hoods
- hood trim
- fender “eyebrow” trim
- lower grille trim
- front valance
- quarter panels
- tail panels
- rear valance
- tail light trim (retainer & overlay)
510 trunk floors and the outer drops are scheduled next for production.
In addition, Futofab will offer front and rear Datsun 240Z bumpers in both chrome and painted.
Parts for the 510 are getting harder (and more expensive) to find every day. These should be priced comparably to current used parts pricing, with the obvious advantage of being new. Some items, like tail light panels, are nearly impossible to find used.
Purists looking for a concours-level restoration may balk, but whether it’s good or bad, gone are the days of parting out whole cars. Almost any 510 is seen as worth saving these days, which is ultimately good for the JNC community as a whole.
Oh man I can’t wait for those eyebrow trims and the floorboards to be produced. I don’t have MASSIVE rust right now, but its only a matter of time….
Man I wish someone will do this to Mazda’s R100,RX2,RX3,RX4 panels are hard to come by as well..
You got that right! I need Rx4 stuff, BAD.
Futofab is a solid Company, and Dave Patten will take great care of you through the whole process. As per usual, my timing is off- I already have gone through the pain of sourcing all the sheetmetal I need for my car. Find, acquire, strip, straighten/repair, and now to the assembly. Glad to see these parts becoming available….
it is a good thing to have repros but some of the things that make jnc’s special is that you cant just open a catalog and build one. its frustratingly satisfying to finally acquire that one piece that youve been searching for years to find or to build the perfect factory correct patch panel.
John,
Thank you for the write-up. It has been a long time since Nissan supported our Datsuns with any significant amount of body parts. Being part of the reintroduction of new 510 body work is extremely exciting for us at FutoFab.
It is an almost unbelievable opportunity that we have been able to team with a manufacturer who has been reproducing quality aftermarket body parts since 1985. Their experience and depth of knowledge is being paid back in the quality and range of the products they are able to produce.
The parts are being made with 100% new tooling. All the sheet metal panels are produced in-house as is the tooling used to produce them. OE panels are laser scanned to produce the CNC programming used in making the tooling. Even the Styrofoam cores used to create the castings for the tooling are made in-house. The actual chrome plating is outsourced, but all the polishing and prep for plating is all done inhouse to assure a quality finish.
I toured the manufacturing facilities in July. They currently have three Datsuns that they are being using for patterns, both two and four door 510’s and a 240Z. The current focus is on making 510 parts.
On my way thru the main manufacturing facility to meet with the owner, in the corner of the assembly area was a brand new 1971 Dodge Challenger body and in the showroom was a 67 Mustang Fastback both shells were made with 100% new sheetmetal that they produced.
After walking past these brand new 40+ year old models to meet with the owner there is one question he asked that stays with me, “Do you think there is a market for a complete 510 body?”…
Dave Patten, Owner
http://www.FutoFab.com
No, thanks to you for getting this done! 🙂
Its all good. Anything that keeps more jnc’s on the road and expands the family of enthusiasts, is a good thing. The special ones that are all original or all-Nissan metal will still be special.
Wow great time to own a 510 for sure..
As Darryl said, FutoFab is a great Datsun parts source. I’ve relied on Dave for information and advice numerous times. Hats off to Dave! The only problem I have with reproduction car bodies is how the finished vehicle might be registered with the BMV. For instance, I’ve been to many car shows and seen (at least in Ohio) a brand new reproduction 34 Ford street rod with Historical plates sitting right next to a real 34 ford highboy that has been owned by the same person for 40 or more years! That just don’t seem fair to me. I’m all for the 510 reproduction. I would probaly be the first on the order list if the 510 body became avialable! Thanks Dave for FutoFab!
When you think about it though, that’s a good thing. If, for example, you had to register your reproduction bodied car as the current model year, it would also have to be able to pass safety and emissions laws designed for new cars, which no old car can do. If you can register it as an emissions exempt year then you need not have to meet 2013 standards with a 40 year old engine design.
It’s also important to see the body shell as a replacement part. Say you lived somewhere like New York where road salt destroys cars in a matter of years and you found a rusty 510 that was too far gone to save. However, you do have the VIN and title for that car. If the body were reproduced then you could save that car and keep one more 510 on the road, even if the original shell was no longer there. Now, you would know that it was not the original body, and you likely would disclose to any new owner that it wasn’t, but would you really care? Likely the new shell would be made with better quality control (as is the case for the new musclecar shells and the BMH shells for Minis, MGs and Triumphs) and rust prevention than original and would last longer too. The only time it would matter is if you were doing a 100% original restoration, which most old car owners don’t do.
I need this for the RA21/TA22 Celica. Sadly there just aren’t enough of these cars around to make it worth it. This is a great day for 510 owners! Very good to see some support coming for imports.
Ditto!
Could use some rear lower quarter panel parts for my AW11 😉
This is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully, one day there will be a full body frame and available crate engine as well with all the necessary parts to build a complete car. Count my vote as a “yes, there is enough interest.”
First off, thanks again Dave! This is a godsend for the Datsun community! I see that 2-doors and 4-door 510s are being used as templates. Are there any plans to use a wagon in the near future?
i need body part of datsun 510 front fender,hood,rear and front bumper thx .i’m from jakarta indonesia
this is awesome thanks FutoFab!
a whole body too? how much would that be…still, i’d save my pennies for one. to build a 1600 (510) without having to do rust or body work would be pleasurable. plus rust repairs aren’t cheap.
interesting comments about registering a new shell though with emissions. wonder how that would go here in Australia.
hy i just want to ask i you have body parts in stock 4 datsun 510 1972 like hood,doors quarter panels thks 4 your time hope you could help me!!!!
Hi, I need the r/h fwd and aft door panels for my Datsun 510(1972)sedan. Are these available yet?
How much would both fenders with side marker holes like the one in the photo will cost including shipping and handling to Malta Europe?
I need a driver side fender
If / when an entire 1968-73 510 Coupe or Sedan bare metal body becomes available,
I definetly would be interested in one or maybe two!
hacen envios a mexico
No hacen pero yo te las traigo, he traído algunas. Yo también ya tengo las mías.
Is there any chance FutoFab has the frame rails in the line up for reproduction for wagons? It sure is getting tough to find donors that people want to get rid of.
Jerry in Santa Rosa, CA
where can i get a catalog of your existing products?
I’m in need of a hood for my 68- 510. Can you help me out.
How much for front 1/4 panels for datsun 510
Looking for good and grill for a 1970 510 wagon. Also front and rear bumpers