So obviously this is not Eleanor but it is a close approximation of where I want to take this project…

I have been tinkering with her on and off for about 3 weeks now (time permitting).  She got some shiny new spark plugs, a nice new chrome air filter (which was found in the misc. parts in the back, of which there are a lot (thankee previous, previous owner)) and some other basic tune-up necessities.  A new fuel pump here, a new battery there and she still did not want to live.  Sure, she would crank for hours on end, but the result was only a cough/sputter and the smell of gas.  I checked the points and cleaned the rotor/cap and she was actually getting fuel and spark so everything seemed ok.  Why won’t you start you little…uh, vixen? 

 So I started looking at the clearly aftermarket ignition module.  It’s a small finned box that I was unfamiliar with.  Printed on one side is the wiring diagram (which amazingly matched up with the birdsnest of wiring I had unwittingly inherited.)  Interestingly though, the connector was reversible.  One way works for this application, reversed works for another.  Considering everything I had tried up until that point did not work I figured “heh, what have I got to lose?” and flipped the plug.  Holy sh*t!  She fired right up as if she had not even been sitting in the front of some dudes house, collecting dead bugs for 2+ years!  I just about pissed my pants.  To be fair she did act like she had just woken up out of a two year coma.  Coughing and sputtering and blowing smoke everywhere (ok, so that’s probably what would happen if I woke up from a 2 year coma too but I digress) but she was alive!  I let her warm up and get her blood circulating for probably 15 minutes before I tossed the f*ck-it flag on the field and hopped in to see what she had left in her.  A quick spin around the parking lot revealed the clutch seems to be ok though the tranny is a bit on the sloppy side (having never driven a datsun before I couldn’t tell you how good that is) but it wasn’t terrible.  She has an exhaust leak between the manifold and the muffler (which i’m guessing is the whole exhaust system) though the tone is actually pretty sweet and obnoxious.  The brake pedal basically goes to the floor before anything happens and I have a rather disturbing clunking coming from the front end.  Having said that, I have never been more excited about a car in my life, and I have owned, er… 20-ish cars in my short span on this rock.  Ear-to-ear grin when she came to life, lemme tell ya! So now that I know for a fact that she still has life, I need to plan a future for her.  The previous weekend I did a compression test.  All cylinders came back reasonably close to each other.  They varied from 105 to 125 psi which didn’t sound bad for a 40+ year old car until I realised that normal is up around 170-ish.  Actually, it still doesn’t sound terrible.  I am going to complete my tune-up and probably replace the head gasket and see where that leaves me.  With any luck I will be able to get her through emissions without any major surgery.  Once I can get her inspected and registered the fun will begin.  The car pictured at top is kinda where I want to go with her.  And i’m really diggin the white.  I think a very subtle suspension drop and either some 14″ panasports or something similar to those 4-spokes would look fantastic.  I’m undecided on the stripes.  I do like them on that car but i’m rather partial to a blue/orange Gulf theme or none at all.  I am not opposed to an engine swap in the least but if she runs then I would rather fix everything else first. Decisions, decisions…