pope_face

Agreed, we need pics... put 'em up in the Trucks forum. As for the other parts, where are you located? A location might help you track down some of those... although I think parcel trays and good-condition steering wheels are at a premium, so you may have some difficulty in tracking them down.

I agree with this... I was looking into snorkel/off-road racing intake kits when I had my four-by, and I think most of the good kits were actually foam rather than cotton or paper. I could be wrong though, as this was some time ago. I agree with just changing the oil more frequently if you're super concerned about fine particles, but you could also look into other filters. I don't believe that you'll gain any noticable improvement with a simple filter change, unless you do other modifications with it, so a stock paper filter would work as well. There's a reason the company chose to use a particular filter, so although you may not gain any power, you won't lose any either. If you really want an aftermarket filter, foam is also a possibility... both HKS and Edelbrock have foam filters. Does anybody know the effectiveness of a foam filter vs a cotton filter?

No idea on converting the truck intake, but the sidedraft intakes are aftermarket. I was considering doing this myself, so I was looking into the intake and dual Webers. But, anything can be done if you've got enough time/money. If you're handy with a welder, I'd say the easiest way to do it would be to ignore the stock intake and just get a stock intake gasket... take it to a fab shop, have them trace it onto a sheet of steel, and then cut it out. Weld up some runners, then find a carb adaptor for whatever you want to use and weld that on. Bolt your carb on, and you're set to go. But... remember that the KA is electronically controlled, so when you get rid of the fuel injection you may have to fab a custom distributor. But, I could be wrong... the reason I wanted a carbed KA was to completely eliminate the computer controller, so if you're keeping the controller you may be able to use the stock ignition system. I think if you're going to go through all that trouble, you may as well go with ITBs.

^ What he said. If you're not too pressed to keep the 510 on the road you could pull off the wheel and take a close look at the body/suspension/steering, and maybe fix it yourself. If it's just a bent steering/suspension part, then replace it with one from a dismantlers or a parts shop. If it's the body itself, then you may be able to use a BFH to whack in back in line. If you need it done pronto, then a professional shop would be your best bet. Even if you do it yourself, you should probably take it in for a check and alignment afterwards.

I agree that the cheapest way is to tear apart an old wheel, but seeing how many people need replacement steering wheels I think the effort would be better spent in finding a way to recondition the stock wheels, rather than tearing them apart. Once you tear them apart, there's no putting them back together, and slowly they'll start disappearing. I'm planning on trying to recondition my stock wheel when I get the chance, so I'll let everyone know how that goes. The one other thing that should be mentioned is this: The stock 521 wheel sticks out pretty far... if you cut out just the hub and modify it to take an adaptor, then bolt an aftermarket wheel to it, you may end up with a steering wheel that sticks out even further than a stock one. If you go this route, make sure you take into account the amount of dish your desired steering wheel has, as well as the thickness of any adaptors.

Just modify the kit so the turn cancellation works... I think if you find a thin metal tube you could probably slide it over the original turn cancellation and just solder it on. Then just find something to cover the gap left over.

Very nice! I love the bit about having the Z car just fall into your lap... the same thing has happened to me with every car I've owned. Nice collection you've got there... are they all ongoing projects, or are you focusing on one at a time? Lets see pictures of the truck as well... Nice to have you folks here.

Nice... I like the colour. And I agree, get it done and enjoy it. You can work on it in the garage when it snows. Welcome to the forum.

I have nothing against political discussions or any "volatile" topics, but if I feel that I'm uncomfortable dealing with a particular subject then I'll ignore the thread. Debates are a great thing, but problems occur when people make assumptions about others based on one or two posts. Sometimes things get blown out of proportion... Some people prefer cars over trucks, some people like old-school versus new-school, and some people drive a blue car rather than a red one. It's just the way things are.

I think there was some talk somewhere on here about the use of Z-car brakes, but I don't know anything about Datsun cars, so I couldn't help you there. Search maybe? Just spend a couple days looking through all the threads and you should figure something out, or maybe someone can direct you to an appropriate thread. As far as the "best" brake setup goes, there's a reason for companies like Brembo and Wilwood. If you've got a stock or even slightly modified engine, your brakes should hold up fine. If you've got a high-performance motor, or are planning on putting some major power through the drivetrain, then you may as well go right to the good stuff. No sense in spending money now if you're just going to redo it later. I don't know anything about Troy Ermish or the Wilwood setup, but judging by the power in 69FJ's wagon I'd say if it works for him, it'll work for you.

Get a 5-speed. I don't know what the problem is, but now would be the perfect time to swap out the transmission. You'd probably spend about the same getting a 5-speed as you would fixing this one, so it might be something to consider. Other than that... I don't know. Maybe someone else has a suggestion.

The heads are interchangeable, but in this case a 2.0L block trumps a 1.8L block in terms of power and potential. I'm not sure which head is which, but if you've got a peanut head then take it off, get some work done on it, and put it on the L20B. Actually... while you're at it, see if you can get a machine shop to check the cylinders. If the cylinders in both blocks are good and just need a hone, then take the pistons from the L18 (assuming they're good), throw some new rings on them, and put them in the L20B. Both sets of pistons are the same size, but the L18 pistons have less dish in them, so if you mount them in the L20B with the peanut head you'll end up about 10:1 compression, which should definately give you some kick. Then, figure out your cam and carbs, get a 5-speed, and Bob's your uncle.

Bah, sorry... I spend too much time in the truck forum, so I just automatically assume everyone has a truck...

I thought the redline was higher... I suppose with some good head work you might be able to get it higher. Have you considered a 5-speed rather than your four-speed? And how fast do you really need to go? I know it's nice to say your truck will do 200+ mph, but how often will you go that fast? As long as you're happy with your highway speeds then work on acceleration. My J13 has 67 hp @ 5500 rpm... The speedo only goes to 100 mph, but I don't think it'll even do past 80. It's got low gearing in the rear though, so it's a pretty quick off the line...

I don't think I officially said welcome, so here it is... Welcome. Like I said in your other thread, it looks great... The colour is definately awesome, and the interior is super clean. Very nice.

I've never had a set of sidedrafts, but IIRC they're preferable for higher-performance applications due to the intake shape... Because the intake ports are on the side of the head, a downdraft intake has a bend in it to change the direction from downwards to sideways. This bend can slow down the air/fuel mixture and cause pooling at the bend. A sidedraft doesn't have that issue, as the air passes directly through the carb, then straight through the manifold and into the intake. I may be completely wrong on that, but that's what I recall to be the major difference between the downdrafts vs the sidedrafts. As for horsepower... I don't really deal with actual numbers. I don't really know how 100 hp feels vs 200 hp. If I'm looking at numbers I'd rather look at torque. But, remember that how the car feels is a result of a lot of different things, not just the engine. But... as far as numbers? On an L18, with that much work done to it, maybe 110 or 120. Maybe more, maybe less. It'll be a screamer though... you should be able to push it to 8,000+ RPM, depending on how well it's rebuilt.

Damn... any idea if it's possible to fab up a bracket and mount the compressor on the passenger's side? Or will there be belt/clearance/whatever issues?

Awesome 720... I love the frame right in front of the rear axle, looks like you certainly took the time to do it right. Are you going with a similar concept for the 521, or a static drop and simpler mods? Nice to have you onboard.

On a similar topic... I finally changed my transmission fluid today on my daily. The stuff in the bottle was great... nice and clear and pinkish red like cherry cough syrup (smelled the same too). The stuff that came out of the transmission looked more like prune juice... Dark purplish brown and murky...

Z-Train... I was hoping to use a KA with A/C in my truck... is it really that much of a hassle to install it? Is there another A/C compressor that would fit on the KA and not interfere with anything, or is it too much of a hassle? Sorry for the thread hijack...

I think the main issue with rebuilding the L is finding the parts... I talked to a shop about completely rebuilding an L-Series, and they told me it could be about $3000 for all the headwork (port, polish, new valves/rockers/lifters, more aggressive camshaft, etc), and then maybe about another grand or so to redo the bottom end... bore and hone the cylinders, turn the crank, new bearings, etc. All the gaskets would likely be another $200. The main issue was finding pistons and rods. I could only track them down at a dealership for about $150 per piston/rod/rings. Then, intake mani for sidedrafts would be a few hundred, plus two new Webers would run me about $500 each... In total, I was looking at minimum $6000 for a full rebuild... but, this was from a very reputable shop, and from this side of the border. Down there you could probably get it cheaper, and if you were able to source used or cheaper parts, or weren't planning on getting too much performance work done, it could end up cheaper. Swapping parts likely won't be too expensive, it's the machine work that'll kill you.

For $3000 you could probably get some very nice work done to the L... Find a peanut head, get it ported/polished... more aggressive cam, sidedrafts, maybe L18 pistons... You might be able to track down a 5-speed to replace that four-speed you've got. You'd have a pretty nice engine setup without all the fab work needed to put in a KA. Sure, a KA would put out more power, and parts would be easier to find, but I don't think that'll make it as fast as your WRX, so why compete with it? WRX for speed, 620 for cruising. I'm not saying that a KA would be a bad idea... I'm planning on doing the swap myself, although I'm mostly doing it because I need an automatic transmission, and the J-Series never came with an auto. But, just think about what you want from the truck. From your thread in the Truck forum, it sounds like you've taken care to keep it mostly stock, and I think it'd be a shame to replace the engine.

Cylindrical K&N... probably 4" diameter by 4" tall or so. Open sides, rubber top and bottom with a connector in the bottom. Slide the connector over the top of the carb, use a hose clamp, and you're good to go. Look around, there's a bunch of them around. If you want a decent one, K&N has cone and cylinder cotton filters that should work, Edelbrock makes a trangular foam filter, and HKS makes a "mushroom" foam filter. Just figure out the outer diameter of your carb opening and find the appropriate filter.

All of those are going to be in the range of several grand, and each have their pros and cons. The L will be the easiest, just because you don't have to do any fab work. You just have to redo the ENTIRE thing, and even then 200 isn't going to be easily attainable. Look at the 200+ horsepower L20B thread for some ideas. Read: $$$ SR will probably put out the best numbers with the least work, but parts will be tough to find, so you'll likely have to import everything, as well as fabbing up mounts and all. Again, $$$. The KA will be sort of a cross between the SR and the L... Easier to get parts for, but a lot more fab work than either two. You'll have to custom fab turbo manifolds and put together the turbo kit yourself. Finally... $$$. Mind you, this is just the basics you're looking at for the install and fab work... Like Peters said, you've still gotta think about what you want out of the engine. Just because they all put out similar numbers, doesn't mean they're all equal. Do a search... this question has come up many, many times. Look in the Engine and the Projects forums. Look at the Crazy Engine Combo thread in this forum. That should give you an idea of what you're dealing with. But, if you're serious about those numbers, be prepared to dish out a lot of money.

Hey Mike, do you know anything about oil additives? "Aftermarket" stuff, like Lucas Oil and the like... I knew a guy that worked for Audi and swore by it... he had a company car and used it regularly at every oil change. Thing is, I can't remember if he used synthetic or dino oil, and I've got no idea if it really works. Any input?