pope_face

Alright, hopefully nobody will have too many complaints, but this isn't for the Datsun, it's for my new daily. I would join another forum specifically for them, but to be honest I don't really want to... I like it here... But, on to my actual thread... I've got a '93 Volvo I picked up a couple months ago that's now my daily. My other cars had nice paint, but it seems as if the clearcoat on this one is mostly gone... It's red, and I know that red has the worst reputation when it comes to fading, but I'm fine with that... however, it seems as if the car has some sort of fine powder covering it. It makes the whole car look like it has a satin finish, but I can rub it off with my fingers and it leaves my hands red. I took a cloth to it once, and it pulled off the powder and left the paint nice and shiny. Now, I'm not planning on repaint it... it's not really worth it for me as I'd rather put money into the Datsun... but I don't want this powder all over my car. If I take a buffing/polishing machine, can I buff off all the powder and leave the paint as-is? Or will it come back unless I apply another clearcoat? Is it even possible to re-apply a clearcoat, or will it require a full repaint to get rid of this?

Well, hopefully it'll work out cheaper than Too Intense Restorations... I was considering getting all new rubbers for the cab, but they're a bit pricey...

I like the seller's name... easydeath... :blink:

LayedOut: I never really considered that... it's a useful tip though. I might have to look into that. Actually... if I went through with that it would allow me to have a mid-engined KA... there's a lot of Nissan Access's for sale up here for pretty cheap... cheaper than a 240SX or hardbody. I'd just be stuck with a four-bolt pattern rear and a 6 bolt front... Redeye: Do you know any more about these elusive "adaptors"? Are they just motor/transmission mounts to rotate the engine, or do they actually replace the stock axles with a driveshaft? Figbuck: I know what you mean about the time and money... I've got the former, but not much of the latter. Still, I'd like to do something with the truck to make it my own, even if it is just a KA... As for the EV, I think it is pretty ratsun... The technology really isn't very common, so I don't think there'd be any kits available for 30+ year old Japanese pickups, especially ones that were only made for three or four years.

How are you planning on getting back from California? Will it not make the trip, or do you just not want to drive it back? What about renting something with a hitch and getting one of those U-Haul vehicle dolly trailers. It'd probably cost roughly the same to rent a car for a couple days as it would for both of you to fly back...

Yeah, I'd get it shipped... Or, maybe one of the Ratsuners down there might be willing to help out doing a bit of work to it, just so you can get it back up here. I think selling it should really be a last resort... it's a nice looking truck.

I'm not sure about a big block... I just read yesterday that gas up here might go up to $1.45 a litre by the summer... so that's about... $5.50 a gallon? I'd like to actually drive the Datsun at some point... not just stare at it... =P I think electric would be the best in the long run... for me and the world... but only if I could find a power source that would last several hundred km without a charge. Redeye: I actually was considering the VW diesels... one of the TDI's. Was the Passat rear-wheel drive? Midnight: A KA is still the likeliest possibility. I've already got plans for it if I go that route, but I'm trying to see what else is out there. Bacardi: I did consider motorcycle engines... But, I was told that they wouldn't work due to the gearing or power output or something of the sort... maybe I'll look into it again... Figbuck: Thanks for the links... I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I'll try to check it out. Like I said, electric would be great if it would last a while... I think most conversions only last about 100 km per charge.

Hahaha, alright well looks like everyone's got a completely different opinion so far... Dave: What kind of conversion is the methane? Is it a completely different engine, or is it based off a gasoline engine, sort of like a propane swap? I know there were a couple pictures floating around of an electric 521... that'd be awesome, but the more I think about it the less practical it seems. I'm the kind of person that does a few long trips... I think if I need to charge the car for several hours every 100 km it just won't work. I'd love a hybrid conversion... especially if I could convert it to run on propane or natural gas... but I don't know of any rear-wheel drive hybrids that I could pull an engine and tranny from. The MR2 swap would be the coolest... does anybody have any idea what would be involved in doing something like that? Would I have to completely redo the whole frame in the rear to accomodate it, or would it be mostly welding in new mounts and getting things connected properly?

Alright, engines aren't cheap, but I still want to do a swap. Luckily, I've got a daily, so I don't need the Datto up and running anytime soon, so downtime isn't too much of a concern. However, I'm a little stuck on what I want to do. I'd love to do something like a mid-engined, rear wheel drive hybrid/electric 521, but that would be a serious undertaking... anybody have any input on the feasibility of making a mid-engined 521 and/or any hybrid/electric engine suggestions (front or mid, and preferably not too pricey). Oh, and a poll, just cause they're cool.

Find someone in Australia or Japan? That's really the only way to do things I think... unless you find it for stupid expensive on Ebay. I think Irsa and Fly are from Australia... you could try talking to them. BTW, I don't think getting a whole front clip shipped over would be the best way to go... at most just get the exterior panels and modify them to fit.

Hey... always a pleasure to have more folks around. Now you just need to find those pictures. Any idea what you want to do with the 620 once you find one?

For which model? 510, 521, 620? There's a thread on the 521 decals in the Trucks section.

Awesome, no point in getting these done then. How's the Ratsun stickers coming along?

Cut into the hood... =P I'm considering doing an engine swap and running carbs, but I think they won't clear either, and they're side-drafts. I'll probably have to cut into the hood, but it'd give me a reason to make a scoop.

Oi... I remember my 19th... or, actually I don't remember, which is the problem. Never again... I hope.

Teaser pics? Are you planning on making a novel? :D Looks good... that's one clean truck... By the way, any idea where that tonneau cover came from? Home-made or modified from another truck or is it a one-off? Any idea who made it? Welcome to the forum... any more plans for it, or are you keeping the rest of it pretty stock?

I think the general concensus is that you can lower it as much as you want if you re-index the torsion bars... although, I've yet to even look at my suspension, so I have no idea how much you can lower it before reindexing or what the procedure is... there was a bit of a write-up about it though...

I know, a bit of a dead thread, but I asked a guy I know about the DATSUN vinyls shown on the first page... He said that depending on how many get made, it'd be $20-$25 a side... so $40-50 for both. Is that too much? Redeye, any estimate on your cost for these, if you were to start making them?

One of the PO's cut off the tailgate hooks on my truck, so now I've got three neat little square holes at the top of my tailgate... poor hooks...

A little late, but I'm with the Rustoleum idea too... I've heard that getting a normal can of the stuff - not the spray - and using one of those small foam rollers works really well... I just can't remember if you have to thin it or not. But, I think it's cheaper than spray and you won't start kicking up all sorts of dust and whatnot... I've actually got to do the same thing... I'm debating between re-chroming all my parts, or sanding and painting them, and I don't think I can afford re-chroming... How about some before and after pics? :D

Awesome... I suggest this goes into either the FAQ or the How-To or something so it doesn't get lost...

Yeah, keep the green... I don't think there's all that many folks that still have the original paint on their trucks, and even fewer with green. It's a nice colour. As for it looking like crap... I think you'd either have to try really hard or really neglect a 521 for it to actually look like crap. I think it's gorgeous. :D How much did you pay for the truck? Any interior piccys? And welcome.

I've been to Overseas Auto... they're pretty cool, seem to know what they're talking about. Just because I happen to have a card: 1.604.879.6288 or http://www.overseas-auto.com Or... Specialty Engineering, also up here... they seem to be a little bit more on top of the Datsun scene... 1.604.521.9232

Redeye: What are you making them with? Normal decal material or something different? I know that some decal shops use a silverish material... that might be kinda cool. BTW, I remember there was a discussion a while back about the Datsun vinyls/decals/whatever for the bottom of the 521's... the stripe with the DATSUN cutout? Have you considered getting into that, now that you've got your cutter up?

Datfish: How much are you using for each door, roughly? About 9 feet? Have you run a garden hose over it to check for leaks, or not yet? Awesome work on the research though... Now if only you could work the same magic for those 521 squeeges... :D