If you chose an engine swap, what was your reason?
I’ve got a ‘72 510 that I’m currently in the process of reviving and I’m getting to the point where I need to make a decision regarding the engine. The L16 that’s in it now runs great and has just enough power to make “spirited” driving possible. Personally, I really love the period authenticity that the L gives the car. That, alongside of the lack of EFI makes the car feel more “raw” and a different experience from driving anything modern.
However, something with a bit more power would probably be pretty awesome to drive. It wouldn’t have to be anything crazy, I feel like ~200hp would be more than enough to completely change the experience of the car. With such a “low” power goal, the options I’m presented with are practically endless. Ultimately I worry about changing the “soul” of the car too much and just making it feel like something it isn’t.
So yeah, for those of you that have swapped your Datsun, what was your reason for doing so and what did you wind up going with? Do you feel like it made the car better? Worse? What would you do differently if given the chance?