pope_face

Sort of off topic... But I was in Mexico not too long ago and I only saw ONE Datsun the entire time... Still, it made me happy, so I had to take a picture of it.

I wouldn't mind seeing pics either... what is an under dash A/C? Is it self-contained, or does it run off the engine?

Pac: I was looking through the pictures you posted and noticed the 'vert 620 and thought to myself "That's a nice truck"... Then I realized it was yours... :D Who's 521 is that? I'd love to see an interior shot...

Fisch: Nice guitars... Do you play all of them, or are a couple there purely as art? I tried playing guitar a while back, but just ended up playing basslines all the time, so I picked up an Ibanez 4-string to get some practice. I'm considering either upgrading my bass/amp for something a little nicer, or getting an electric guitar and another amp. I've started getting more into blues, so a six-string would be nice for that.

I see... As far as I know, they're both the same truck, save for some slightly different body styles. I think they switched to a different engine sometime in 1970 as well. Other than that... different fenders, different hood, I think most 520's had single headlamps and 521's had duals. Not sure about the other stuff...

Just out of curiosity, what was the parts truck for? Do you have another 521, or were the parts going to the 520?

That 521 is really nice, it took me a while to realize it was stretched too... It looks like it'd be pretty hard to do something like that... The cab ends at the door pillars, so there isn't much to cut and re-weld...

Those are nice seats... and I like how you've already got plans for your next Datsun... I'm the same way, but I can't even decide what I want to do with this one.

Alright, well everyone's posts are starting to sway my opinion... Interchangable parts would be pretty awesome, and it would be kinda cool if they made it an updated version of the original. The new Mini's look pretty nice on the inside, and they seem pretty zippy, but they're a bit big compared to the original, so as long as the sizing is pretty close it could work. As for Nissan vs Datsun 510, I think it would be cool to have the "Datsun" on it, but I think it makes more sense to call it a Nissan. But, I think they should call it a 511... just like the 521 is the next "generation" 520, the 511 would be the next generation 510 (even though they evolved over the years).

If you're not inclined to put the compressor outside right away, you might be able to get away with building an insulated box for it inside the garage, right next to one of the exterior walls, then just put one or two vent caps in the exterior wall to allow for ventilation and most of the noise to escape outside. You might be able to just enclose a space underneath your workbench and use styrofoam insulation to deaden the sound. Think subwoofer box that vents directly to the outside. If you put a little door on the inside of the garage you can have easy access to the compressor from inside, yet it's hidden and hopefully somewhat quieter.

The iPhone is pretty sexy... But, you could always convince yourself to get the iTouch... I was playing with one in the store, and I started surfing the net... I ended up on Ratsun... :D

Welcome to the board... I see by your avatar you've already looked around a bit... I'd say $1000 to rebuild the motor is pretty good, but it really depends on what you're planning on doing to it. Parts are getting harder to find for the L-Series, unless you get used ones. Just remember to find a reputable shop to do the work, preferably one that specializes in Datsuns. Most folks seem to do the carb and cam thing on the motors... that's probably the best improvement if you want to keep the stock motor. If you want to get something different for cheap, get a KA out of a hardbody... you probably had one in your old truck. The general discussion has a pretty fantastic FAQ thread... check it out, do a bit of reading, and sort out which direction you want to go. After that, we're here to help.

Start throwing too many in and Mike's comment won't apply... :rolleyes:

Well seeing as you're plumbing air in, you may as well try for some ventilation as well... If you're ever going to weld/paint/run the truck inside and you want to keep the door closed, then it's a good idea. I'd suggest bigger garage doors... I can't tell how wide those are, but they look like single doors. You might want to try the wide ones... I don't know if it'll make much of a difference, but the extra size might come in handy. Just out of curiosity, is 24x30 the largest you could fit size wise or square footage wise? If you could, I'd suggest going a little bit shorter and wider... My 521 is about 15 feet long, and if you put in those stairs you're going to lose about 3' or 4', which leaves you with less than 3' in front and behind the car to work on... Personally I prefer a bit more room than that, although at my current setup I don't have that luxury... Looks like a good build though. Are you doing it yourself, or are you hiring someone to build it?

Good luck... are you going to do a writeup on the install once you get it all sorted?

I agree with the above... There are a lot of nice cars on the road nowadays, but it's too much hassle to try to do anything with them. There's auto-repair courses offered at the trades college here, and they have complete courses (and I think even diploma programs) based entirely on one maker... The new Volkswagen "Rabbit" comes to mind as well... Personally, I love the old Rabbits. If I hadn't lost my job some years ago, that would've been my first car. But now it's gone from being a little econobox to a luxobarge... too many amenities, safety features, etc. Just not the same thing.

Home Depot will have the bolts... just measure the size of the squares in the bumper and compare it to the bolts in the store, then get a couple short ones. You'll probably only need about 1", maybe 1 1/2". Go with the stainless steel, and then get the nuts to match. You might want to get lock nuts or lock washers... I think one of the last things you want is your bumper falling off and getting dragged under the truck at highway speeds... Do you have the brackets on the inside of the bumper? The ones that go through the valence? Or is it just the bumper itself?

Alright, so it sounds like the general consensus is: Master cylinder: 10/16", 12/16" Slave cylinder: 11/16", 12/16" I suppose it makes the most sense for the MC to have the smaller bore, so I'm assuming the options are: A) MC: 10/16", SC 11/16" B) MC: 10/16", SC 12/16" C) MC/SC: 12/16" Does it make sense for both the master and slave cylinders to have the same diameter?

Oi, bah, sorry... My mind was all over the place earlier... I'll stop being an idiot and let someone else field the questions...

Oh, well that was easy... I'm assuming that's for the L-Series, correct? Assuming 1" of piston travel, and assuming my math is correct, then... 1(3.14159[(0.625/2)^2]) = 0.3068 cubic inches of displacement... Is that right? I can't tell if that's dead on or way off... Now I just need the slave cylinder diameter and the clutch pressure...

That is pretty sweet looking... But personally, it kinda scares me. I mean, 510's are a classy car, that's why we love 'em. Any Datsun is special, even if it's just for the reason that they aren't made anymore. It just makes it that much more fun to find parts for. If they start making the new ones... I just think it'll kill the original. Maybe not completely, but you'd get all these kids running around modernized 510's, thinking they're hot shit because they've got a look-alike, and then things could change. Skylines were cool, and now everybody drives them. If it gets to the point where the new 510's become the new Honda Civic/Volkswagen Golf/Mitsubishi Lancer/whatever, then people aren't going to bother drawing a distinction between the folks who have taken the time to restore and modify the classics and the kids who buy the new ones for looks... Maybe I'm just jealous. I want to share Datsuns with the world, but not too much. I like my Datsun for what it is, but the fact that it's a classic and it's mine just makes it that much more special. End rant...

Yeah, I think I'll have to talk to the mechanics one of these days... maybe get some better info... As for Lordco... I don't know who hires these people. I remember going in there to ask if they had a 12 volt vacuum pump, like diesel engines use to provide vacuum... The guy asked me why I wanted it. I told him I needed to power a brake booster, and didn't want to use the engine vacuum. He gave me a funny look and told me that the brake booster provides the vacuum to the engine, not the other way around... Voleurz: As far as the boosters go, I'd personally try to get the best one you can find... It's probably better to have too much stopping power than too little... But, as far as I know the amount of boost generated depends a lot on the diameter of the booster, so you might just try going to Lordco or a Nissan dealership and asking to see both boosters, and comparing the physical sizes... If they're pretty close, then you might get away with the 280Z one...

Alright, this question may be a little finicky, but hopefully someone can help me out with it... I need to know one of the following: What are the inner sizes of the clutch master and slave cylinders? Or, rather than actual sizes, what is the diameter and displacement of both? Also, how much pressure does the clutch plate require to fully disengage? Or, what is the diameter of the clutch slave cylinder, and what is the PSI required to fully disengage the clutch? Or, if nobody knows the above, then what is the pressure required to fully depress the clutch pedal? I'd prefer to know the pressure exerted on the clutch master cylinder piston itself, but if someone knows how much is required on the actual pedal then I'll take that. I don't care whether the answer comes in metric or imperial or both, and I don't really care which one of the above is answered. I'm looking specifically for information for the KA-E or KA-DE with a 5-speed manual transmission, or a J13 with the 4-speed, but if you've got info on the L or Z-Series engines I'll take that.

I went to a dealer to ask about the Z car clutch boosters, and no-one had any idea what I was on about... I'd likely have to go to a junkyard and either search myself, or look through service manuals... but, it'd likely be cheaper to get a brake booster... I could pick one up from just about anywhere. I was considering a motorcycle/bicycle hand lever mounted on the shifter, with the cable running down the shifter stalk and under the transmission tunnel... after that, I could either run it up to the engine, or maybe even backwards under the bed... there's probably more room to mount the setup there. All that I'd need after that would be an electric vacuum pump to power it... I found out that the clutch master cylinder piston(with the J13, not sure if it was the same for the L-Series) moves only an inch in total, from engaged to disengaged. I have about the same amount of throw on a hand lever... I just don't know how much force the master cylinder requires. If I knew that, I could sort out whether or not this would be doable... Sorry for the thread hijack, btw...

Like Lynch said, everything I have to say has already been said... but still, good luck, and hopefully things will get better.