74 620 Restoration Process

[Suspect]

I finally sold my Miata and using the money to restore my 74 Datsun 620 and finish build my LZ motor. I bought the truck off ebay and drove it in the summer for a couple years. I changed some stuff on it but all my changes are going to be redone.

 

 

When I was driving it

 

 

Today before I started to strip it.

 

Pulled Motor / Trans out

 

Pulled Headlights

 

Pulled Fenders, Hood, Bumber, Turn Signal Panel

 

Dented Roof

 

Roof Skin off a parts truck

[moparvwfreak]

looks like its gonna be a decent project. good luck gettin it done! :D

[ShootJoeC]

How hard was it to get that roof skin off?

[herculesinwyoming]

How hard was it to get that roof skin off?

ditto on the roof, mine looks worse than that, i found one but its 250 miles away

 

my roof has alot of body fillet in it like yours, i wonder if that was a factory boo boo

[Suspect]

I had a friend pull the roof skin off for me. It just drilled out the spot welds and used a saws-all to get what wasn't freed up. It cleaned up the edges where he used the saws-all.

[Suspect]

I'm going to combine this page with my motor page since they are going to eventually be in the same vehicle. This is the other page for reference ( http://community.ratsun.net/topic/18708-the-motor-im-building-with-the-help-of-ratsun-and-ebay/ ).

 

Z22 Block, NPR KA24 89mm Pistons, Reman Z22 crank, dogleg 5 speed tranny

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Str8_69]

:thumbup: :thumbup:

[Suspect]

Added some pics of inside the cab

 

[moparvwfreak]

i hate you.... your floors are ALOT better than mine..... :angry: :P

[Suspect]

i hate you.... your floors are ALOT better than mine..... :angry: :P

 

 

Oh I know all about rusty floorboards, refer to this page for my other truck..... http://community.ratsun.net/topic/19588-my-truck-is-falling-apart-literly/

[Suspect]

Cleaned the firewall with engine clean and a pressure washer

 

The bed I'm going to use

 

 

Cut the replacement battery box off my parts 73 datsun (same truck roof skin and bed came off of)

[Suspect]

Well alot of discussing is going on with the person helping me do this project. After looking both red bed and gray bed over, it would be easier to used the gray bed and the red tail gate. I also added a picture of the rims I plan on using. They are MB Precise 17X9.5" with 225/35/17 Hankook tires. Wheels $175, Tires $325, Centers $65, mount and ballance.... did it myself - Total price is ~ $565.

 

[Farmer]

Those are some nice looking wheels. Do you know what the offset is?

 

Larry

[lil89ram50]

where did u get them rims for 175??? i wnt a set if thats the price, or was it from a friend??? i need some 17's bad

[Suspect]

I bought the wheels on craigslist.... they originally were black wheels with polished lip. I didn't get centers for them and they were already stripped down to bare aluminum. These wheels are discontinued about 7 years ago so I couldn't get center caps for them. I was looking at the display wheels at discount tire and found some I thought looked good in my wheels so I bought them. I used some hand aluminum polish on the wheels about a month ago but they are not done yet. My camera makes them look better than they are.

 

I don't know the offset, just that they came off a Chevy Tahoe.

 

Here is some pics of them on my 73 while I was making sure everything cleared.

 

[Suspect]

Well some time has passed and I still haven't got any farther. Some of the money I got from selling my Miata went toward this truck. I end up moving into the city which is 35 miles from where my truck is (my dads). The guy that was going to help me with the roof and the rest of the body work moved to a different city 45 miles from the truck.

 

I decided to take my truck to a guy that re straightened the windshield frame after my rollover in my Miata. He told me that he would (if I pulled the windshield) install the other roof skin and have it ready to paint for $500. I guess thats not all bad. A couple days passed and I remembered another friend of the family that has his own body shop at his house. He usually won't do any work other than his own. He's a big Pontiac guy mostly GTO's. Anyways I asked him about my roof, he said that he wouldn't cut the roof skin off, he'd rather just fix the one thats on it. His price was $350.... and he'll be able to get to it in a week or so. My fingers are crossed becasue I want to get this truck done more than anything els. I hate having a truck I used to enjoy driving just sitting in pieces.

[Suspect]

I just got my truck back from my friends garage after he did the work on the roof. He called me earlier today saying that he broke my windshield trying to take it out. I told him not to worry about it, I have a few extras. He had to sandblast a spot on the roof top so it wouldn't have any issues later. He didn't install my donor roof skin, he just fixed the one on the truck. When he was demonstrating how much harder it would be to dent, he was pounding his fist on the roof. It didn't even buckle or give. Now that the roof is done, I can get to some body work that I can actually do myself. I have high hopes of getting this truck done this year but there is always something that holds everything back.

 

 

[dave71]

that looks really damn good..how'd he get it so tuff?

[Suspect]

that looks really damn good..how'd he get it so tuff?

 

He told me how but I can't remember the terms he used but it involved stretching the medal and remaking the shape of the roof again. I was impressed with how it came out but I had no doubts on his skills with body work. He took a 1500 pickup that was bent in half, must have been wrapped around a post or tree, put that truck back together in a couple weeks and it looked brand new.

[Suspect]

Update, Still the same but I just started some side work at an auto body shop. They told me that I could take my truck in and finish it there. This is a great opportunity to get it done this year. I'll probably take it out there early next week and start some work on it. The owner / boss at the body shop said as long as it don't get in the way and that if they need the space, that it could be rolled outside, they he has no problem with me working on my truck there. I filled in 4 days this past 2 weeks because they were short handed.

 

I should have more pics of the progress soon because I'm going to try to hustle on getting it done. Its been a long time waiting and wanting this.

[Andreas]

Love the speaker cab :-)

 

I just got my truck back from my friends garage after he did the work on the roof. He called me earlier today saying that he broke my windshield trying to take it out. I told him not to worry about it, I have a few extras. He had to sandblast a spot on the roof top so it wouldn't have any issues later. He didn't install my donor roof skin, he just fixed the one on the truck. When he was demonstrating how much harder it would be to dent, he was pounding his fist on the roof. It didn't even buckle or give. Now that the roof is done, I can get to some body work that I can actually do myself. I have high hopes of getting this truck done this year but there is always something that holds everything back.

 

 

[Suspect]

This is another project that has been sitting too long for my taste. I'm going to do my best to get it done this year. I really miss this truck already, it was a daily driver that I really enjoyed.

 

In a month, hopefully it will be a constant 45 deg + here then I can get some stuff done. I'm going to "with help" make rockers, patch a couple tiny holes in the floors, and make a battery box. After that I'm going to prepare the engine compartment and inside cab for paint. I really want to fell and hear the LZ23 motor I have built for it. The bottom end is all done, all new except for used rods. I haven't put the head on it yet, kinda still debating on using my A87 Open or try to get a hold of a closed chambered head. I also have a repaired 5 speed my my 77 620 thats going to be paired to the LZ23.

 

I have alot of work still to do, but I'm going to do it whatever it takes... I just want my truck back.

[Eagle_Adam]

looking good so far, im interested to see the battery box fix. Ive got that coming up on a friends project. Good luck :)

[Suspect]

Well I think I'm back at it again, hopefully I'll get some more done.  I'm tired of looking at it in pieces.

 

Towards the end of last year I bought some stuff for the truck, NOS Drivers fenders, Reproduction Passenger fender, Reproduction front signal panel, had rocker panels fabricated, plastic rear window louver, pair of rust free doors, 620 tachometer, and a few others I'm not thinking of atm. 

 

This weekend I'm sending the doors and fenders to my friend that did the roof to get the body work done and in primer ready to paint.  After that, its the front signal panel, rear louver, and hood.  I'm probably sending the cab and frame to some other guy to have sand blasted in, out, and under then have my friend fix whatever pops up in the floorboards and install the new rockers.  Right now I have just enough money to get the doors and fenders done, maybe the hood.  I'll know more this weekend.

 

As for the engine, I still need to find lash pads, springs, and retainers for the cam I have.  I would like to port and polish the head but idk if that is going to happen.  The bottom end is done, just need to relocate the L20b oil pan and pickup.  Planning on new oil pump, timing chain, water pump, and clutch kit.  I already have a few new alternators.  Transmission is still going to be the 5 speed from my 77 620.

 

I get some pics up asap.

[Suspect]

My friend is working on my doors and fenders in his free time, so far this is what the doors are looking like.  They were in pretty good shape, just one spot was cut out on one door and new medal put in.  My friend hasn't touched the fenders yet.  I hope to have some more money soon so I can get the cab, frame, and bed sandblasted.