My First Restoration Project. Datsun 521. Japanse classic car in Thailand.

Vehicles are expensive in Thailand due to high taxation. When potential buyers search for a secondhand deal, they are often left 'still searching'- there just aren't any.

Slightly older cars that are still in good condition and low mileage might sell for around 750GBP/1000USD back in the Uk. For the same kind of car here in Thailand, it wouldn't surprise me if it was being sold for almost 10 times more!

I got to the point that I needed a car- it would be used for both work and leisure (ease of travel and taking trips). I have always liked classic cars and knew that most of them retain their value much better than modern cars do.

I found a garage that specialized in classic car restoration- specifically Datsuns. This seemed like the perfect choice to also transport my motocross bike around and still drive to and from work in comfort. The best thing was- it was super cheap by Thai standards and well below anything else on the market.

The photo above shows the restoration project 3 weeks in.

When I first made the call to check if there were any vehicles for sale, I was delighted to hear 'yes'. When I showed up to see the car I was about to buy, I was more than horrified- with a little excitement mixed in! The car that I had reserved over the phone was a rust bucket and completely dead. It also came with a 2 month restoration wait.

The photo above shows my truck, the first day I saw it. I was however reassured that if I wasn't happy with this actual truck- there were 2 more to choose from...

Well, I chose the one that came without trees growing out of it- besides these 2 red ones were different models and not as old or as 'classic' as mine!

The engine had already been taken out and we had a quick look at the chassis. As you can imagine they looked like they needed restoring.

I was hopeful- as any new car buyer would be and returned a few weeks later when the bodywork was underway. Dents were completely removed and rusty holes were cut out and plates welded in and sanded down. For smaller rust holes, I believe filler was used. The finish of the paint was near to perfect.

The interior was being restored on another site and I didnt get to see that until installation towards the end. The bench seat was reupholstered, the dash was- not sure actually- but it was done and the steering was re-molded or 're-resinned' since it was chipped and cracked.

The final outcome was quite amazing and great to witness the project from start to finish.

About 2 months from the start I was back after countless visits and was ready to drive away. The engine had been 'fixed' and was in full working order-so they said.

Not shown in the engine photo is the AC compressor/system, but it was added. In daily use, the AC had a continuous fight trying to compete against the heat of the engine- it never really got cold inside but did blow cold air.

Somewhere along the way the car had an engine swap and was running a 1.6 litre L16 engine (this engine was produced for models after 1972). I am not sure of the full history but it spent half of its life in Thailand after being imported from Japan.

The Datsun 521 was originally produced in 1971. Since it had been off the road so long and completely restored it had to be re-registered again. This process isn't a problem for foreigners living/working in Thailand so it all went smoothly and I even managed to get a matching model number licence plate - 521, at no extra cost :)

My Datsun 521 was always great fun to drive, but it came with its fair share of problems. I broke down numerous times but managed to fix them quickly and cheaply. A few nuts and bolts came loose from underneath while driving. The fuel pump sometimes stopped pumping and the carburetor had a mind of its own. Brakes seized in the middle of junctions and power steering was all in the arms! The lights only worked on full beam so dazzled everyone at night and the windows leaked when it rained- apart from that it worked just fine.

Not only did the fuel gauge not- never work, I had to guess how much fuel was in the tank. Calculating how many litres I filled up and how far I drove- or ran out of fuel, I worked out the car did around 14 MPG. To put that into comparison a Ferrari does 16+ MPG.

Another comparison to a ferrari was the paddle shift gear stick on the steering wheel. There were only 4 forward gears and some didn't always work. In fact I had one trip that was stuck in 4th gear for a 30 mile trip. The clutch was heavily used that day but still lived.

Top speed was 40 mph. After the carburetor was changed, I had a new top speed of just over 55 mph- but this came with more shakes and vibration.

The slowest car on the road, and the most noisy.

The Datsun was also too old for regular insurance! so I was left with the compulsory government insurance, that all vehicles are required to have here. It cost around 30-40 USD a year to insure but I think the cover was minimal.

I kept the car for about 1 year before selling it onto a collector for the same price I had invested in it. It was great while I had it but definitely not a daily drive- or a reliable one.

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