pope_face

Good point, I didn't think of that... Oh well, I don't think I'm going to pick it up anyways. I guess I shouldn't be in too much of a rush... I've got plenty of time to work on this truck, so I don't need parts right now.

Ugh, I was going to make a whole long post, but it was so complicated... I'm one of those people that tends to drive a lot more than others, so for me fuel consumption vs cost can be a big issue. It's been mentioned that higher octane fuel can actually increase performance and fuel economy... The latter I've never really tested, although I agree with the former. However, because of the amount of driving I do, it might not be worth the extra few bucks when filling up as I have to refill the tank so often... Sometimes there's not much point for paying extra for something you don't really need when the benefits aren't that much greater and both last about the same amount of time. It's sort of like buying a combo from Burger King for $7 or buying a comparable one at a restaurant for $12. If you don't eat out much it's nice to get a good burger even if it costs a couple extra bucks. If you're on the road a lot and just need food, you can't always justify paying the extra cash...

Ecodes are Euro spec lights, correct? IIRC, aren't Ecodes not permitted in NA? I remember hearing something about having to swap lights out for DOT spec ones on cars imported from Europe...

Redeye: I just realized what you meant when you said "turnbuckle"... looks awesome... I don't think I ever would've thought of that myself... :D

Hainz: Are your lowbeams bigger than your high's? I can't tell if it's just the lighting on the small picture, but it looks like you're running smaller highbeams... Has anybody ever tried replacing the lowbeams with 7" lamps? I really like the look of the "fog" lamps next to the lowbeams... Would it be possible to take the stock 521 (or other model) 4-headlight setup and run single high/low beam lamps on the outside (using wires from both lights on each side to control high/low beam), then mount yellow fogs (Bosch 5.75"?) in place of the original high beams (wired to a separate circuit)? Hainz, I think I like your setup too much, hopefully you can forgive me if I copy it somewhat on my 521... :D Edit: Ok, looking closer I can tell both lights are the same size... Still, I like the larger outside/smaller inside setup, so unless someone can point out any major issues with that I'll see if I can do it...

Awesome... I love it when you make back your investment. As for the amount of work, it's really not that bad is it? Isn't that what sets the Datsun owners apart from the rest of the crowd? We could all get Civics and pour money into them and get other people to do the work for us, but then they're not really our cars, are they? Better to be smart with your purchases and do a bit more work yourself and end up with something that actually reflects on who you are. Like the Ikea commercial says: "You don't have to be rich, just smart." :D

That's a 620, correct? Possibly a stupid question (although one I can't answer until I get my garage), but would it be a similar procedure on the 521? And possibly a stupider question, but where do the bolts go? I understand what you're saying, and I can see the holes in the little "lip" on the inner fenders, just over the wheel wells, and it seems as if that's where you have it bolted together, but I can't actually see evidence of any bolts used to hold the whole thing together...

For those of you who haven't caught on already, I'm up in Vancouver, BC, on the other side of the border... This truck is already three hours away... I'm not really willing to go any further to track one down... the only reason I'm considering it is because it's the cheapest one available within a reasonable driving distance... Then again, I have to look at total costs... even if I could get the guy to sell it for $300, it's a 6% duty at the border, plus about $85 in order to "register" it for use as a parts-only vehicle... Not to mention six hours driving time, wait time at the border (both ways), gas for my truck (which isn't cheap even unloaded, let alone with a trailer one way and a trailer + 1000 kg of steel on the way back)... and that's assuming I get a trailer off someone for free, which is unlikely. Looks like I just convinced myself not to get it... Anybody else need it who's willing to sell a few parts for me? I'm still waiting to hear back from tdaaj on some body parts, but so far my truck is lacking one of the most important components: A drivetrain...

So would this be a bad idea, not due to compression ratios but due to shorter cam duration and smaller valves? I don't mean bad as in detonation, but would you lose power due to the above?

What is the definition of a rallye support truck? I'm assuming a truck used by a crew to haul tools/parts/whatnot to the car while it's on the course, or from checkpoint to checkpoint? I'm not well versed in Australia's terrain, but from what I know it's generally pretty flat with a lot of bumps... how much lift were you thinking, and how soft are you making the suspension? Are you putting quick releases on your torsion bar (I'm assuming there is one)? Alloys are nice, but if you're planning on doing anything rallye-related I'd suggest steel wheels... a little heavier, but if you hit a bad bump you'll bend the wheels rather than crack them. Bends can be massaged out, cracks can't. Plus, I think alloys are pricier... Are you going to be driving through a lot of soft sand and mud and whatnot? If you're sticking with mostly packed sand and bitumen the LSD should be more than good enough... You probably won't need the locker. Then again, I don't know how much LSDs are where you're at, but dropping in a used LSD as opposed to buying and installing a locker would probably be cheaper and easier... But, it all depends on parts availability... I don't know how many roo's or plants there are to hit out there, but I vote tube bumper with some sort of small pre-runner bar to mount your lights to... :D But... I'm half talking out of my ass. I wish I was more knowledgable on the subject, but the truth is I only know what I picked up in referance to my Explorer (which was supposed to be built into a trail rig), so I don't know how much it applies to you... I suppose it's more about the terrain and your driving style than anything else...

Cutting out the core support sounds like a pretty good idea, but I think Pac Coast has a slightly better setup... although it would require removal of most of the front end in order to pull the engine, but with the right tools it shouldn't take too long... Pac Coast: Do you think you could give a rundown on what had to be done in order to remove the entire support? I'm assuming it's mostly just cutting the support off and welding in brackets to the inner fenders...

Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you... it looks pretty good though. Maybe this is a little... finicky for your situation ATM, but have you considered converting it to JDM at some point down the road, or are you sticking with the non-North American Market look? It looks pretty good right now, but seeing as you already have the RHS you might not need all that much work to get it to JDM spec, and you might be one of the only folks Down Under with one. Then again, it sounds like your truck in itself is pretty rare... I like the rallye idea... I keep toying with the idea myself. I'm not sure how much of the flatdeck space you actually need, and I'm not sure how it would look with a "normal" interior, but if you're going for a rallye look you could consider getting a replacement rear made up to imitate some of the baja trucks... get the roll bar right behind the cab, shaped to follow the lines... get a custom flatdeck welded up so it's the width of the cab in front, and then narrows to the width of the frame in the back... get two more bars welded from the top corners of the roll bar to the rear corners of the flatdeck, either crossing them in the middle or just keeping them straight... then make little fenders/covers to cover as much of the rear wheels as is required by law, and you'd be set. Get an old jerry can and mount it to your bed along with your spare tire and you'd have a pretty neat little getup. I'm not sure how heavy your existing flatdeck is, but if you put jacks from a bed-mounted camper on both the decks, you might be able to swap from one to the other within half an hour if you really needed to. But, just a thought. :D

Thanks everyone... I've already got a '70 L521 that I'm planning on rebuilding, so that's why I was considering this one just as a parts truck... I figured I could use most of the parts off it in my rebuild. I didn't realize it'd been on CL for so long, so I agree that it seems a bit iffy. I suppose it's just the prospect of getting some work done on my truck that's preventing me from thinking clearly. But, I've got plenty of stuff to do that doesn't involve the front end anyways. I've talked to tdaaj and put in a request for some parts... I've just gotta see what he says. I did consider the parts truck he has for $100, but there's no engine, interior, hood, or grille assembly, all of which I could make good use of. I also could use both fenders, and the passenger's side on his is dented. Add to that some rust and a 5 speed I can't use, and it doesn't make too much sense for me to take it. There seems to be plenty of parts that someone will get good use out of, but for me it'll be a couple usable parts and the rest will just sit here gathering dust (rust?).

I don't mean to be a pain or anything, but there's a '72 521 on the Seattle CL right now that I'm interested in taking a look at... the only thing, it's about 3 hours South of me. I figured I may as well ask the experts what you think it's worth before I make the trek to see it... Link here... Is $500 reasonable, or am I jumping too fast into this? I'm planning on at least using the fenders, hood, and engine, and possibly the bench... I'm not sure what else I'll need once I start stripping my truck... So, questions, comments, concerns?

Hmm, I think I read that the Z wheels won't fit on a 620, and since a 620 hub bolts to a 521, they probably won't fit on the 521 either... but, I'm not exactly sure. If you try a search you might find it... Third post from the bottom... But, that's only for the 620, and as has been mentioned above, the 620 hub is 1.5" inches shorter than the 521... so you'll either have to shorten the column (in order to make the horn/turn signal cancellation work), or fab up a cover behind the steering wheel to cover the gap.

Interesting, I haven't heard of those... Then again, I do kinda like the idea of being able to control how fast the indicators... indicate... by changing the resistance. I've got xenon tail lamps on my DD, which seem to have a higher resistance than the stock 3050's, and the indicators now do a nice, lazy flash... I've always preferred the slow flash to the neurotic one... I heard about a guy that actually ran his flasher control through a potentiometer so that he could change the speed from inside the car... But, like I said, I'm a fan of the slow flashers, so I'll probably just play with the resistors until I get the speed I like... Does anyone know the resistance of the stock turn signal lamps, both front and rear? I don't think there'd be much of a difference between different Datsun models... Also, n00b question, but the total LED wattage in an assembly (as in, a single filament in a normal bulb) can exceed the wattage of bulb it's replacing without any ill effects, providing the wiring harness and alternator can support it, correct? Would a lower wattage have any adverse effects?

Brian: You didn't come across as harsh at all. We're all just being friendly here. :D Alright, I did a quick search, and realized the 521 adapter topic has been covered at least three times before... People have previously mentioned that the 620 hubs WILL work on a 521, BUT the 620 hub is about 1.5" shorter than the 521, and leaves an ugly gap when bolted to the 521 steering column... I wouldn't mind shortening the column, but I think it'd be just too much of a pain in the ass to try to find a replacement if I ever decided to go back to stock (not that I'd be able to find a wheel)... But, I'm sure there'd be some interest from other people, so I may as well ask... is there any quick and dirty way of shortening a 521 steering column (even just 1.5" to accept a 620 hub) that DOESN'T involve welding? Or, is there another steering column that would bolt in or could be modified to fit that would set the steering wheel back further? Or, one that offers tilt steering? I tried doing a quick search on it but came up with nothing other than the welding method... did I miss something?

Er... I'm not trying to argue with you or anything, but I'm just trying to clarify... From what I know, steering wheels have a certain amount of "dish"... I'm not exactly sure how it's measured, but I'll assume it's from the center of the hub to the center of the steering wheel ring... the part that you actually hold... So the distance of the steering wheel from the stalk would be half the hub depth, plus the dish... Now, if you take the stock hub, strip everything off it, mount an adapter to it, and then bolt another steering wheel to it, the distance from the stalk to the new steering wheel would be the depth of the original hub, plus the depth of the adapter, plus the dish of the new wheel... If that's the case, wouldn't the new wheel stick out further than the stock one, if the same dish is used? Again, I'm not trying to argue with you or anything, but I'm just trying to bring up a point that may affect some people who find the stock wheel too close... I'm pretty sure the new wheel could sit further back than the stock one, but only if the right amount of dish is used... Questions, comments, concerns?

Actually, it was me driving and a passenger, although she was holding some of the gear in her lap... not necessarily the safest route, I know, but it was the only "real" mode of transportation we had and the gig was only about ten minutes away... Pac Coast: Looks good... The caps won't interfere with the operation of the windows, will they? I can't tell, but for some reason it looks like the front cap will prevent the window from rolling up... but, could just be me. Have you decided what to do with the top part of the doors yet? Are you hacking the outside half off and using the big soft weatherstripping, or are you going with power windows?

Signal cancellation, pfft... my stock turn signal stalk doesn't work, let alone have cancellation... And just to clarify, does the stock steering wheel bolt up to the hub you have shown above, or is the hub part of the steering wheel?

Wow... I didn't realize they were so well made. Sounds like a great project, and would probably make a pretty good offroader if you kept it stock... Then again, I don't know what the terrain is like where you are...

The title basically sums it up... I'm looking for a replacement pair of fenders and a hood for my 521... I don't quite know how to discribe the fenders, but the part in front of the wheel wells doesn't come all the way to the bottom of the cab... I'm not sure if there's any more differences between model years or not... As for a hood, I don't know if there's any differences at all between years. Ideally I'm looking for one with the bit of chrome trim on the front edge, unless someone has a full set of the chrome trim or even a replacement grille... As for the engine... I'd prefer the 1600, but I don't really care all that much which one it is, as long as it's running (or rebuildable, but running is ideal), and doesn't have any major issues, and is carbed. I don't really want FI. This is more of a feeler though than an actual offer to buy, but if the right one comes along I'll take it. Performance parts that come with it would be greatly appreciated. :D Auto tranny... I know I need one, so I want to get one. Ideally (although apparently it's rare) I'd prefer the three speed w/ O/D out of an '83/'84 Maxima (L4N71B? I'm trying to get the number from memory), but if you have an engine with an auto tranny, I'd likely take both. That's about all I need for now... None of the parts have to be super perfect as I'm planning on redoing everything anyways, but I don't want to have to fix anything... and I'd prefer fenders/hood that are solid.. I don't want to be patching up rust spots... unless someone has a decent set in fiberglass... All I'm looking for is parts in decent condition for a reasonable price, somewhere in Southwestern BC/Vancouver Island/Northwestern Washington. Thanks.

Redeye: How much are you paying to get the cab and frame done? It's a couple hours from my place, but if it's as good as you folks say it is, I might have to make the trip myself.

Sorry, I should have clarified... My DD is an Explorer, and it has the O/D that engages only after 3rd gear, but no on/off switch... The Camry's O/D seems to affect all gears more or less equally, but it has the on/off switch... Thanks for the information though. I didn't know that most of the earlier L-series autos were only a three speed. I'll make sure to keep a lookout for one of the later ones.

Nothing really "vintage"... I've got an '86 Sony component stereo... tape deck, tuner, amp, and a matching '87 Sony CD player, although I'm only running the amp and tuner at the moment... I'm running a pair of Wharfdale bookshelf speakers (not sure of the year) and a pair of Saras cabinets off of that amp... the Saras were Cali made speakers from the 70's, and I've got BOTH original spec sheets (complete with separate serial numbers for EACH!)... I've got the Sony amp hooked up to a Yamaha amp as well, that I use to run a pair of Yamaha (I think) cabinets, and a pair of older Sansui cabs (not sure of the year)... I've got a Bang & Olafson LP player I use too, but that's from the '80s sometime, IIRC. Other than that... I've got another Sansui tape deck and an old Realistic 10-band EQ that I'm not using ATM... I've got everything from 1" tweeters to 12" subs... except for a pair of 8's... now all I need is a pair of 18's... :D I mostly just run my laptop through the setup, but it is LOUD... with the amps at half volume and the laptop at about 90% it's loud enough to make it feel like my heart's about to stop.