Here's a rather irreverent look at Bob's 1972 backup 610 racecar. His primary car won the B-Sedan class championship that year.

2.0L 4cyl made more horses than my 2.4L 6cyl L24 does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgqmzJD2VoE


Frank

_________________
1970 240Z

I am one confused dude, even though I was there at the time.

The car is said to be a 1972 KPL-610, but the 610 didn't debut till the
1973 model year. Unless the confusion between the Japanese way of
doing business (year of production = year of registration) versus the
American way of doing business (Sept thru Dec production to get the
jump on the competition for the following model year), was still going
on like it did in the Z-Car from 1969-71.

I'm pretty sure the only sedans exported to the US for 1972 were the
1200 and the 510. (Yes, Datsun sedans, there were other makes too.)

If it is a 1973 (or 1972), in B-Sedan it wouldn't have had a L20B engine
unless one was retrofitted later. The 1973 & 74 610's (also 710's and
trucks) had a L18 engine. The L20B didn't come in till 1975.

The only thing I can conclude that would make any sense is that once
the 1975 car was built and this car became the backup, an L20B was
then built and installed in this earlier car as an upgrade "just in case."

Back in the day, I never thought to investigate what else was in the car.
I suppose it had the same close ratio 5-speed and 800kg clutch and
pressure plate as were used in the Z Car. It must have had the 4.10,
4.38, or 4.44 R200 L/S differential. And full Mulholland suspension and
F&R sway bar package. Obviously Minilites, we can see those.

~Rick~

You're right Rick ~ Adam says in the video that the enginebay ID Plate specifies a 1.8L engine to begin with, but the engine in this car is now a 2.0L with dual sidedrafts.

I think it's pretty cool that this Club has three active members who were involved with BSR back in the day ~ you, Vinny and Bob, of course.

It would make sense to me that Datsun would give BSR a car the year before it became commercially available, so Bob could establish a name for it before the dealerships received them. That sure worked for the 1970 240Z, which Bob got in 1969 and raced to fame. Why not do that with each following year? Mr K was a businessman, and he knew what made a car sell well.

_________________
1970 240Z

Who can read the signature on the dashboard? I don't recogniZe it as any of the BSR drivers I know of back then. (starts @4:50).

Frizzelle?
Newman?
Fitzgerald?
Forbes-Robinson?
Leitzinger?
Blackburn?
Sam Posey?
Bob Sharp?

_________________
1970 240Z

I guess we know where Adam got this car from:


http://bringatrailer.com/2008/06/page/2/

_________________
1970 240Z

Thats a real nice Datsun! Those 610's or Bluebirds were quite common here in the seventies (or so i've heard)

Looks like Elliott Forbes-Robinson, shown as E. Forbes Robinson.
We often called him EFR (pronounced Eefer).

This would be "period correct" for a 1975 or 76 car as well, since EFR
was hired to take over the driving after Bob broke his wrist when he
got cut off by a Camaro or Firebird in a Trans-Am race at Lime Rock,
I think in 1976. EFR was on the team for only a year or two; he
wanted to get back into Formula cars, so it became Sam's turn.

I notice that PLN and Scott Sharp aren't on Frank's list. The signature
wouldn't be either of theirs anyway, but I am trying to recall whether
Paul or Scott ever drove the 610. For sure Paul drove the 510; it may
have been his first ride, and we all know what he did after that. Just
estimating, but I think Scott would have been about age 10 around then.
He would have been too young for SCCA at the time, but I'm sure he
was practicing in go-karts and stuff, for when his day would come.

FWIW,........~Rick~

EDIT: Oops, sorry, PLN did make the list. I missed that the first time.

_________________
All Z Best,.......Kathy & Rick

1969 Z.CAR (#00013 10/69) 8/30/76
1969 ITSA.Z (#00171 11/69) 8/24/73
1970 OLD.Z (#06289 6/70) original owner
1971 510 2dr since 12/31/75
1969 1600 rdstr (our 160-Z)
1971 (#19851 1/71) sold
1975 75.Z (#01343 1/75)

Yeah, I put Paul on there, but considered Scott to be too young at that time. Bob tells us stories about when Scott came to him and asked permission to drive GoKarts when he was a kid. Bob remembered them as the lawnmower-powered, heavy, crude things of his own youth, which were more STOP than GO, and thought that was cute. He told Scott he could.

Many months later Bob actually got time to watch his son drive his Kart in a race and was shocked to see these lightweight twin-engine little aluminum hotrods hitting 90mph, only 2" off the deck.

If Bob had only had more time to research his young son's request, Scott Sharp might have become a lawyer or an accountant or something.

This 610 didn't get much track time (and no actual competition) until the mid-70s, when it got pulled out of mothballs and run in vintage races. It was more than 5 yrs old by then, and EFR did campaign it, now that you mention it! Thanks Rick!

When you and I were at Rochester this summer, I recall we looked into the 1969/70 240Z racers and saw this illegible signature there, too. You identified it as EFR's and I recall thinking he could have been a doctor with that scrawl.

_________________
1970 240Z

Hey Membership Director, time to contact Adam and get him to join the club. I'm sure he would love to attend an event and meet Bob personally!

Did you see the video of Adam driving the car in this past June?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ygpkisd ... re=channel

_________________
Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

Did it rezemble this?

Ummm.....Yes Al. Now that you mention it, it did.

Phil, I think you're right. I should contact Adam straightaway.

However, given his bombastic propensity for profanity and vulgarity, I'm not real sure how well this would match up........

Let me think about this awhile. I think my way around this is that he doesn't own a Z, or have anything to do with them.

Maybe I should wait until he has a Z, then contact him?

_________________
1970 240Z

Good points Frank, but he does own Paul Newman's 300zx.....

_________________
Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

Aaarrrrgggggh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7IsDG3k ... re=related

_________________
1970 240Z

Yes, and I also saw the all-red #33 510 he passed! ......memories.......
~Rick~

Here is pics of one beautiful Bluebird-series datsun from here. It's 4 door but it's still nice. http://www.minunauto.com/auto/24465