I used to drive this....How about you guys and gals

[olds442jetaway]

Hey CN.....my wife learned to drive on her parents 59 Chevy wagon. It was 3 on the tree and slso had the 348. Pretty fast car, but when we took it out to the beach, we didn’t have enough money for burgers, dogs, and fries cause the rule was bring the car home with the tank at the same level when we took it. That thing got 12 mpg if that. Even though gas was 29 cents a gallon, if we had 3 bucks between us it was a lot.

[olds442jetaway]

Omt those 510 Datsuns were great cars and in big demand today. Up north here most of them rusted away, but I never heard of an engine failing in one.

[olds442jetaway]

BR....my friend had a 76 Eldo. We used to take it over to Nathans in Hempstead. Made quite a few trips on the LIE and over to Lido Beach several times.

[olds442jetaway]

0MT....I never heard of anyone having engine trouble with a 273. I wonder if it was running hot or the carb was too lean. That would do it too.

[olds442jetaway]

CBK....my coworker and neighbor had the lemon yellow pinto wagon std shift. He never had any trouble with it and it was the family’s only car. One night a drunk totaled when it was parked outside their home. Thank God he, the wife, and the kids were in the house, but were just about to all jump in the car and head out to dinner when it got hit.

[Come Back Kid]

Wow Olds, that's scary! Thank God indeed...

[onemoretry]

Omt those 510 Datsuns were great cars and in big demand today. Up north here most of them rusted away, but I never heard of an engine failing in one.

Agreed. I had mine for four or five years, and put about 130,000 miles on it before moving on to my first Honda Accord. Other than a clutch replacement, I don't recall any major mechanical issues. But, it was a total rust bucket when I sold it.

[billryan]

My friend older sister had one of the first Japanese cars I saw in America. It was a Datsun hatchback with a bizarre transmission that looked like an abacus. Very different from the push button transmissions of the late 50s/early 60s.

[olds442jetaway]

I dont remember the Japanese transmission. It may have been a Datsun B210. I did have the other version you mentioned. My first car was my Grandfathers 61plymouth Fury. It had the push button auto trans on the dash. Very fast car. Unfortunately, I totaled it. The replacement car was a totally different car. A 1962 MG Midget that had been stolen and partly stripped. I fixed it up raced it and really enjoyed the car.

[Carcounter]

The Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant slant sixes had push button transmissions. Back in college, I had a Valiant that had no reverse. Had to make sure I parked in a spot that I could pull forward and did not have to back up. One night after having a little to drink, I dropped a friend off at around 2 AM and being unfamiliar with the streets in his neighborhood, I wound up on a dead end street. Had to put the car in neutral, cut the steering wheel to the left, then to the right and pull the car backwards several times to turn around.