289 FATSUN Build Thread

[astro_ss_340]

My 1971 Datsun 1600 a.k.a 521

 

Got it for free from my in-laws neighbors on a farm.

 

Will be putting a stock 2 barrel 1968 Ford 289 into it with a 4spd automatic.

 

Put Chevy Rally rims on it with no mods.

 

Tires are 215/60R15's all around, will have 295/50R15's on the rear for drag racing.

 

 

 

This is her at home finally.

 

 

 

 

Washed her up and put the rally rims on it to see if I like it.

 

 

 

Got her into the shop and started doing surgery on her with the plasma.

Have since cut the hole symmetrically and removed more floor out of it.

Will end up cutting a lot more out to have a cleaner look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showing some leg with a 295/50R15 on it, have 1.5" of clearance on the inside to put a wider tire on!

 

 

 

 

Torched the box bolts, pulled the bumper off and cut out the spare tire rig today March 4th 2010....poor little girl missed me lol.

 

 

List of to do's

 

Engine mounts

Tranny Mount and crossmember

Drive Shaft.

Exhaust

Radiator(will be putting in box to fit a larger rad in and more under hood clearance)

Battery in box

New steering box with shorter column

Firewall and floor

Seats

Guages

 

and I am sure there is much more to do, but I am eager to just get it drivable

[astro_ss_340]

sat the engine in to see if I had cut enough out and just to get a rough idea. It will have to sit 3 inches higher than what it is now so that my exhaust will clear the frame rails. Right now the exhaust manifold outlets are right on the frame. Sorry for the poor quality photo.

 

 

 

 

 

I lifted the body one inch, use 1.5"exhaust pipe with a washer welded to each end. As you can see now the body is not right on the frame anymore.

 

 

 

 

Here is a pic of the rear with one fatty on it and the other side with a 215/60r15 which is what I will run on the road.

 

[motavated]

Keep at it. I want to see it completed.

[astro_ss_340]

Yes I want it done too lol. I am just going to worry about the mechanical stuff as I cannot afford to do the body now, if ever. So I guess it will be a "Muscle Ratsun"

[hang_510]

it will be a "Muscle Ratsun"

:cool:

find some '289' fender emblems from a 65-68 mustang for it!

[astro_ss_340]

could call it a "Fatsun 4800"

 

 

289 = roughly just over 4.8l

[hang_510]

+13 more CI and it'd be BOSS :devil:

 

 

 

fatsun 5.21

[elmerfudpucker]

What rear end you going to use? The Rat King was telling me about a h-233, it is about 3/4" longer on each side and you can get LSD and it is as strong as a Ford 9". Find one with the four link and you would be set! :D

[astro_ss_340]

whats a h-233 in?

[BACARDI_DWB]

cant wait to see this one complete! Keep the updates coming

[chiquapen]

it doesnt look like u need to do too much to the body. looks very solid! i'm jealous... :P

[astro_ss_340]

ya its solid but there is wrinkles in the box sides from it hitting stuff on the farm, grille is shot, needs a fender on the drivers side, but found a parts truck, the guy I got it from has another one hiding back in the hills! So thats my awesome news for the day, and once again.....FREE! has no interior, glass, engine or wheels, but hey its free!

[elmerfudpucker]

whats a h-233 in?

 

This is from DatsunMike's email to me for my rearend swap for my 720

 

"The 2wd 720s had H-190s in them. There were no H-190 LSDs offered by the factory. You can buy LSD units from Nissan Motorsports or is it Nismo? I forget. $600-$700 new. Similar aftermarket ones are about this price too.

 

The 4X4 Hardbody with VG motor used an H-233 with an LSD with the Sports Package Option. 5 speeds came with 4.375 ratio and automatics were 4.625 ratio. The Hardbody used leaf spring. Similar year Pathfinders with VG motor and automatic had LSD 4.375 with the Sports Package Option. Pathfinders used the same axle as the Hardbody but with 5 link and coils. Both had a rear disc brake option too I believe. Your 720 rims will fit.

 

I have a Pathfinder axle with disc brake and 4.625 LSD I'm sort of working on. It's massive and heavy and is about 1/2" to 3/4" wider on each side than the 720. The H-233 is slightly larger than the Ford 9".

 

Massive H-233 will handle anything a Ford 9" will plus posi."

 

When in doubt, consult the King Rat!!! :thumbup:

 

So I think It is safe to say the H-233 with fourlink would be just what you need!

[astro_ss_340]

More pics and I got a steering box today with the column...........FREE.....from my new free parts truck.

 

This is a final decision on how far back my engine is going to sit and how high.

 

Everything clears nicely.

 

]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is an example of my body lift below

 

[elmerfudpucker]

Looks like it is sitting a ways back. Is this due to fan clearance or weight distibution??? I would figure an electric fan on the front of the radiator would be easy fix. I would love to see this monster on the road regardless!! Heck I could donate a couple of tires to watch that smoke show! :D not to mention I see alot of chain from motor to frame to hold all that together!!

[astro_ss_340]

Thats for weight distribution (I want the front end to come off of the ground at least 6 inches) and so I can fit a bigger rad into it by sitting it back a bit, in doing so I will not have to put a rad in the box, thank god, because that would have been more to do to it, and less is better in this case. LOL there is only 6-8 inches of valve cover in front of the firewall! Don't worry I will take vids and smoke a ton of tires off lol.

[hang_510]

pony powered pick-up! :w00t:

 

F521

 

 

Don't worry I will take vids and smoke a ton of tires off lol.

youd be in big trouble w/o em! ;)

[astro_ss_340]

More pics yay!!

 

Got my tranny cross member done, engine mounts, swapped out the steering box, pulled the drive shaft and made a new steering wheel support. Its 1.5 inch exhaust pipe, and I will mount another one 4-6 inches above it and mount some aluminum in between for a dash.

 

Got looking at the dinky little drive shaft and I am going to make a plate that bolts to the rear end and then the bigger Ford drive shaft will then bolt to the plate, and will of course have to shorten the drive shaft as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[astro_ss_340]

Managed to start on a transmission hump, cut the rotted floor out and made a patch panel, gotta trim it a bit to fit and then weld it in.

 

Best part of the day was I found a nice aluminum rad for it. It's out of a early 90's v6 chevy cavalier, will work awesome.

 

 

 

here is a poor cell phone pic I took of the tranny hump before I started tacking it in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[astro_ss_340]

Fixed my hood and started on the rad supports, just need to make one more piece for the passengers top mount.

 

Both sides of the hood were cracked near the outsides just by the hinges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I have looked for a chunk of aluminum for 2 days to make an adapter. Said bugger it and made a drive shaft. The Datsun section slid into a 79 Ford T-BIRD drive shaft with minimal slop, so I put a 8 layers of masking tape (roughly 1/16 of an inch I think) Slid the baby in and welded her up.

 

I figure If the u-joint snaps its better for it to go instead of my diff.

 

 

I put my shoe beside it so you could see how small it is, I think its under 4 feet, never measured it lol

 

[astro_ss_340]

will have new rad hoses for race season 2011, this is just temporary to get this beast roadworthy

[F8d2blk1]

Thats a serious project. Goodluck and looks like it is progressing nicely.

[astro_ss_340]

thank you very much, there is still a heap to do to it, but I am having fun and thats the main thing