McKinney Motorsports Datsun 510 Dragster

If Tom Slick were to retire his trusty Thunderbolt Greaseslapper and replace it with something equally as versatile, he'd end up with a Datsun 510.

You remember Slick, the cartoon hero who appeared alongside George of the Jungle on Saturday mornings? Racing against the dastardly Baron von Ottomatic, Slick's car did duty as a balloon gondola, train, boat, snowmobile, submarine and, sometimes an actual racecar.

OK, so we've never seen a 510 in a submarine race, but we've seen them in almost every other kind of motorized competition. From road racing to drag racing to rallying; the venerable 510 has become a force to be reckoned with. This white drag car, built by Mack McKinney of McKinney Motorsports in Santee, Calif., is only further proof of the 510's versatility.

McKinney has specialized in engine swaps for the past decade. If the price is right, the guy will put just about any engine into almost any car. His current projects include a Nissan S14 240SX awaiting a turbocharged SR20, a Toyota Corolla GT-S with a Japan-only, supercharged four-banger, and a Mercedes-Benz 190E awaiting a monstrous Ford V8.

Mack started this project by installing a hyper-turbocharged SR20DET from a 1994 Japan-market Silvia into the steel-bodied 510. Before installation, McKinney beefed up the engine with a GReddy 1.8mm head gasket, custom 8.0:1 compression ratio pistons and forged rods. After installation, he added the huge GReddy T88-34D turbocharger, which has a span larger than an outstretched palm.

McKinney also uses a GReddy stainless-steel exhaust manifold, sewer pipe-sized custom intake piping, a Turbonetics/Spearco intercooler, a custom-fitted Infiniti Q45 throttle body and a GReddy intake plenum.

As if that's not enough, a 100-hp shot of nitrous oxide from NOS aids spool up and adds to power. The nitrous is controlled by an MSD computer, which turns on the juice at 3000 rpm and shuts it down at 6000.

McKinney runs about 30 psi of boost-although the turbo is capable of producing a whopping 60 psi. The compressed air is combined with race gas fed from a 5-gallon fuel cell though an Aeromotive 1,000-hp capacity fuel pump. The gas runs through an oversized aluminum fuel line, with steel-braided hoses on each end, to the Jim Wolf fuel rail and finally to custom RC Engineering 920cc injectors.

The conductor for this mechanical orchestra is an SDS stand-alone computer system. This innovative system allows tuning to the map without the need for a laptop computer, making it easier to perform changes at the track. Innovative Turbo Systems in Simi Valley, Calif., developed a special cockpit-adjustable, five-stage boost control, which serves a traction-control function. The boost control builds boost gradually, producing the maximum power possible in a particular gear, but without producing so much that the energy is wasted in tire smoke.

The transmission is the same five-speed that was attached to the engine. With the exception of a custom-built Clutchmasters dual-disc clutch, it remains stock. From there, the short driveshaft transmits the rotational motion to a Ford 9-inch rear axle. Inside the heavy-duty housing is a Richmond 4.88:1 gear set, which divides the power to the Currie race axles and twists the massive M&H drag slicks mounted on 15x14-inch Weld Drag Star wheels.

An Alston four-link rear suspension with coil-over shocks from Strange Racing and a set of Alston wheelie bars keeps the front wheels on the ground. The front struts have been shortened, with Tokico strut cartridges and Ground Control coil-over springs and the front brakes are 280ZX rotors and calipers.

From the firewall back, McKinney welded in a complete tube frame for strength that includes a fully tubbed rear end to accommodate the massive slicks.

The cockpit is all business. The driver sits in a Kirkley racing seat, and is held in place with Autopower safety belts. The driver is surrounded by a solid steel cage, which would look right at home in an NHRA funny car. The custom aluminum panels were all fabricated by McKinney, including the dash panel.

There's also a full contingent of Autometer gauges, including a steering column-mounted tachometer and a Simpson fire suppression system. The nitrous bottle is mounted next to the driver on the steel floorpan and all the heavy glass windows have been replaced with Lexan. The resulting package weighs in at about 2,000 lbs.

The stark white exterior is equally businesslike. The tail is elongated by a custom spoiler, which helps stabilize the car at the big end.

If this isn't enough, McKinney is planning another engine swap. A custom-built 2.2-liter SR20DET with up to 30 psi of boost and a specially ported Japanese head is on target to produce more than 750 hp. The stock five-speed will be replaced with a drag-spec Powerglide automatic transmission. With the engine in the car now, the 510 is capable of solid 10-second times. With the new engine, 8-seconds should be within easy reach.