Fell off the wagon

[datsunaholic]

Been over 2 years since I drug another Datsun home. Been trying to be good and not acquire more, considering that I have way too many.

 

But my '76 KC has become completely unsafe- the only thing holding the cab on the truck is the 2 front core support body mounts and the steering column.

 

So when given the opportunity to buy this 1976 King Cab for $200, I took it. The truck last ran in Late January or early February, and has sat ever since. It has a tragic history, which is why it sat so long, and I don't have any keys for it (apparently the sheriff's department never returned them).

 

Anyhow, the battery is low, though it did dimly light the lights when I tried them. I'm going to try to get it running, then determine what I need to fix, and eventually get a 5-speed in it. I'll part my existing '76 KC into it, they have the same color interiors and the carpets in my blue ones are in better shape. Wiring is a little hacked, though nothing irreversable. There's a lot of rust, but nothing like my other KC. At least it HAS floors. It has seats out of something, I don't know what, that don't really fit right, and the truck was full of trash, cigarette butts, and "other stuff" that the cops really should have found and confiscated. And thw windshield is cracked.

 

On the odd side... it's still very stock enginewise. All the way to the air pump is still connected. It still has the factory radio. Has the original console. And it has all the hubcaps (they were in the cab, I put them on for the pics after cleaning out the garbage)

 

So onto the pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's after cleaning... I need to use a broom.

Edited September 20, 2009 by datsunaholic

[Charlie69]

Great score. Looks like a solid little truck. Swap the locks from your other KC. from the way you desribed the floors in your old truck it would be useless to lock it anyway.

[dat521gatherer]

great score. how many total now:D

[datsunaholic]

Well, it runs.

 

After charging the battery a couple hours, went through my pile of keys to see if anything worked in the ignition. Found one that kind of works if you jiggle it. After cranking a bit it lit off, wouldn't idle but revved up OK. Smelled gas so shut it off... it was literally pouring out of the carb, mostly the top cover and the float bowl face. Found stripped screws on the carb top, so I spent an hour or so changing carbs out. SInce I was out of weber adapters I stuck a new OEM Hitachi I had on. Took a while to build up fuel again, but it still lit off OK. Needs adjustments, but it runs and doesn't sound bad.

 

It does have electrical issues. Left turn signal only blinks the front light. Right blinks the front right and both rear turn signals. Hazard makes clicking noise, but none of the lights blink. And the dash signals never come on at any time. Brakes light the correct bulbs. Definately some hacking has been accomplished.

 

The truck has a CD deck under the package tray and it actually works... along with a full case of 80s CDs. Cher, Scorpions, Olivia Newton John...

 

No, I haven't driven it except to get it off the street and into the driveway. No front brakes, and expired tabs. Plus I haven't aired up the flat tires.

[Str8_69]

Nice find for $200! Which Scorpions cd was it? :lol::lol: Seriously, cuz everything after Love at First Sting aint that great....:rolleyes:

[Llittle_Llama]

Nice grab man! I would have done the same ;)

[datsunaholic]

Nice find for $200! Which Scorpions cd was it? :lol::lol: Seriously, cuz everything after Love at First Sting aint that great....:rolleyes:

 

Geez, you made me go out and get the CD case. I was almost hoping someone would steal it.

 

I was wrong. No Scorpions. It was Sting. Hey, I come from the Grunge generation. But I was right about the Cher and Olivia Newton-John.

 

We have...

 

Duran Duran "Greatest"

Barbara Striesand "Higher Ground"

Mana "Suenos Liquidos"

REO Speedwagon "The Hits"

Sawyer Brown "Sawyer Brown"

Madonna "Ray of Light"

Common Thread- Songs of The Eagles

Pat Benatar "Heartbreaker - Sixteen Classic Performances"

No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom"

Eurithmics "Revenge"

Pretenders "The Singles"

Bette Midler "Experience the Devine - Greatest Hits"

Divas "Live/99"

Divas "Live"

Brooks & Dunn "Waitin' on Sundown"

Rod Stewart "If We Fall In Love Tonight"

Olivia Newton John " Back With A Heart"

Sting "Mercury Falling"

Ace of Base "Cruel Summer"

The Prodigy "Music For the Jilted Generation" (this was in the CD deck)

Fleetwood Mac "The Dance"

The Best of Edwin Butler & Patti Jo

Cher "If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher's Greatest Hits"

Devotion - The Best of Yanni

 

and an odd Xtreme Music Sampler (marked "not for resale") with sarcastically great tunes from powerhouses like "Chainsuck" and "Sister Machine Gun"

 

 

 

Sadly, I actually already have 2 or 3 of those. I know 2- one was the first CD I ever bought.

[Str8_69]

Geez, you made me go out and get the CD case. I was almost hoping someone would steal it.

 

I was wrong. No Scorpions. It was Sting. Hey, I come from the Grunge generation. But I was right about the Cher and Olivia Newton-John.

 

We have...

 

Duran Duran "Greatest"

Barbara Striesand "Higher Ground"

Mana "Suenos Liquidos"

REO Speedwagon "The Hits"

Sawyer Brown "Sawyer Brown"

Madonna "Ray of Light"

Common Thread- Songs of The Eagles

Pat Benatar "Heartbreaker - Sixteen Classic Performances"

No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom"

Eurithmics "Revenge"

Pretenders "The Singles"

Bette Midler "Experience the Devine - Greatest Hits"

Divas "Live/99"

Divas "Live"

Brooks & Dunn "Waitin' on Sundown"

Rod Stewart "If We Fall In Love Tonight"

Olivia Newton John " Back With A Heart"

Sting "Mercury Falling"

Ace of Base "Cruel Summer"

The Prodigy "Music For the Jilted Generation" (this was in the CD deck)

Fleetwood Mac "The Dance"

The Best of Edwin Butler & Patti Jo

Cher "If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher's Greatest Hits"

Devotion - The Best of Yanni

 

and an odd Xtreme Music Sampler (marked "not for resale") with sarcastically great tunes from powerhouses like "Chainsuck" and "Sister Machine Gun"

 

 

 

Sadly, I actually already have 2 or 3 of those. I know 2- one was the first CD I ever bought.

 

Oh Gawd please tell me it was Fleetwood Mac and not Ace Of Base...:D I'd even forgive you if it was REO cuz he was old school B4 his 80's BS:lol::lol: (so what if we all secretly like "hungry like the wolf"):rolleyes:

[]2eDeYe]

Another stray? :D

 

Tragic tale? Do tell.. :)

[datsunaholic]

Sorry, I'll tell the tale face-to-face but not on the 'net. There are several folks here that know the story, though, and might recognize the truck either from seeing it around during the rather brief time the prior owner used it, or from the news photos. Several other folks know/knew the prior owner. The truck doesn't really have much to do with it other than it's what was driven to and was mentioned as being left at the scene. Heck, the first time I saw the truck was a picture in a news photo. Little did I know I'd end up with it.

 

 

On another front, I tried to transfer title today but was unable to. While I have the title, it's not signed by the owner, so I need to have the person with the proper paperwork (the power of attourney) go to the license agency. Well, at least we all know each other so it's not a big hassle, except synchonizing schedules. It was hard enough getting the schedules synced up to go GET the truck- I'd agreed to buy it a couple months ago. Fortunately now it's just 2 people and not 3 since it's no longer sitting on the property it was on since Feb.

[datsunaholic]

Finally drove it today. Aired up the tires, took it to the store, as well as put a couple gallons gas in it. Just enough to make sure it wasn't empty. Never trust the gauge until you'vre run a couple tanks.

 

It runs OK but stumbles all the time, like it has an intermittent miss. Notice it the most when maintaining speed. Probably the 7-month old gas + haven't change the filter, but I'll change the points out for a matchbox shortly. For some reason it won't idle, it goes into low idle all on it's own just fine, but press the gas once it warms up and it revvs around 1700 after that, and the throttle doesn't return to the stop. Choke is wide open, so something else it binding up the return on the fast idle cam. No big deal, I'll figure that out.

 

Figured out the weird turn signal behavior- apparently the left rear brake light weren't working so the PO just wired the right brake lights straight to the left. Probelm is, they're ALSO the turn signals. So I snipped the added crossover cable and tapped back into the cut-off original wire, and behold the turn signals and brake lights now work properly. Imagine that.

 

AND found out why the horn was disconnected. Any little bump makes the horn go off. I think there's a wire rub rather than it being in the horn pad as turning the wheel doesn't make it beep, but vibration does.

 

I still need to replace the shifter- the threads are broken off, and it's just not right shifting just the broken lever.

[datsunaholic]

Well, well... what a surprise.

 

I went to fill the tank... it was at 1/3 tank by the gauge (which I know can read lower as it did when I got it) and was at the pump and put 11 gallons in. First thought I had a leak, since it shouldn't have taken any more than 7-8, so looked under the truck...

 

No leak... it has one BIG aftermarket tank under there. Probably in the 18-20 gallon range, though I suppose it could be as small as 15 gallons. Either way, it's an improvement over the 11.7 gallon stock tank. I've seen these big square welded tanks before, but never actually had one. No, no pics, at least yet. Haven't seen daylight in a week.

[Z-train]

Well, well... what a surprise.

 

I went to fill the tank... it was at 1/3 tank by the gauge (which I know can read lower as it did when I got it) and was at the pump and put 11 gallons in. First thought I had a leak, since it shouldn't have taken any more than 7-8, so looked under the truck...

 

No leak... it has one BIG aftermarket tank under there. Probably in the 18-20 gallon range, though I suppose it could be as small as 15 gallons. Either way, it's an improvement over the 11.7 gallon stock tank. I've seen these big square welded tanks before, but never actually had one. No, no pics, at least yet. Haven't seen daylight in a week.

 

I have one of those aftermarket tanks.Made in SoCal somewhere.Long since gone.Bummer it won't fit my 78.