510 noob project/educational thread

[HudsonMC]

Hello everyone. My name's Cole, and I've just started my own 510 project. I've been stalking Ratsun, The Realm, and the Bluebird List for a good while in preparation for this, and finally landed a relatively good deal. I purchased a '72 2-dr 510 which is mostly solid and straight, but completely disassembled. Fine with me, as body work is the first on my list :). It came with all the rest of the car, two L20B's, a bolt in roll bar, and a factory A/C unit. My ultimate plan is an E-Prepared SCCA autocross car. I hope to be at least regionally competitive with the miatas and civics.

 

I'm creating this thread to introduce myself and ask for help, so I'm afraid this is going to be a boring build thread :)

 

First, the car, crammed into my garage:

 

W

 

 

 

So alright except for the spot in the rear floor pan. The areas I'm going to need some help with are as follows:

 

This is behind the rear wheel well. This appears on both sides.

 

This is in front of the rear wheel well, and also appears on both sides; however the other side's damage goes a bit further up.

 

Alright, this is my first 510 and my first experience with body repair. So, please, let me know what I'm in for, and help me out :)

 

I plan on using these to repair the areas behind the wheel wells:

http://www.nissco.com.au/panels_info.php

 

and, despite the bad things I've heard about their fitment, these for the areas in front:

http://www.alfaparts.net/dat510.html

I've heard that their smaller panels fit much better than their full quarters, anyhow . . . right?

 

This may be a bad idea, but I really want to do this myself. So, I've borrowed this welder from a friend of mine. It's a harbor frieght 120 V MIG designed for flux core wire. WIll it work, or do I need to upgrade? I do plan on practicing a ton before beginning.

 

 

Mmk, so do I cut out the full area the patch is designed to replace, or leave a bit to weld to? Is it best to attach it with a series of small tack welds, stitch it, or a full length weld? I understand that the fenders are several layers thick . . . so I suppose I'll treat them with zerorust or something before covering them up with the patch panels.

 

So guys, let me know if I've left anything out, and thanks for your help. Have a good one.

 

-Cole

[INDY510]

MOAR PICS!

[jefe de jefes]

*Pulls up a chair*

 

I need to start patching mine up as well. Too hot though!

Good luck with yours.

[Sealik]

Can you hook up argon gas to that mig welder.....?

Doesn't look like it.....?

The metal is rather thin.....the gas will 'help' from blowing through.

Better yet.......do you have a buddy that's proficient in welding....?

Barter system ;) Watch and learn.

Then do the body work yourself.

You will save a lot of 'time' in the long run.

[izzo]

...

 

Or, do it yourself. Keep the heat down man, goto the junk yard and find a datsun or similar, chevy luv, ford courier or whatever. Buy the fender off it, take it home and practice on it. Once you find something you are comfortable with, test it on a small hidden spot of the car somewhere to make sure it will be ok

[metalmonkey47]

Looks like a real fixer upper ;)

 

I bet she's going to look beautiful when you're done!

[dennis]

cool project.

 

Turn that puppy down. Also only do small areas and then move on to another part or let the area cool down, flux core will warp the hell out of your metal or blow through.

[Yakuza]

sweet...looks to be a late 72 early 73, as the rear defrost was only 73, and that original dark blue was 73 only as well....keep the pics comin.. :D

[HudsonMC]

Can you hook up argon gas to that mig welder.....?

Doesn't look like it.....?

The metal is rather thin.....the gas will 'help' from blowing through.

Better yet.......do you have a buddy that's proficient in welding....?

Barter system ;) Watch and learn.

Then do the body work yourself.

You will save a lot of 'time' in the long run.

 

No, it's flux core only. I can purchase a welder and shielding gas from harbor freight, I'll just need more excuses to use it. It won't take a very large welder to do this sheet metal stuff, right? Little 120 V job should do it?

 

sweet...looks to be a late 72 early 73, as the rear defrost was only 73, and that original dark blue was 73 only as well....keep the pics comin.. :D

 

Yessir, it's a '72. I do like that dark blue.

 

I don't know what other pics I could show y'all, lol. I've got a transmission I need some help identifying, and I could show you pics of my storage area with all the extra parts I suppose. My garage looks like a Datsun parts warehouse that got hit by a tornado.

 

After I get the sheet metal taken care of. I'd like to get the thing blasted and coated with zerorust, POR-15, or similar inside and out. I really don't want this thing to rust away. I'll start putting it back together, and start saving for the topcoat and racing parts.

[HudsonMC]

Here's the transmission. I was told it's a 5-speed dogleg.

 

and my underdash A/C unit. Haven't decided what I'm going to do with it yet. Probably sell it. No need for it in a race car.

 

One of the L20Bs that came with the car. The other is missing an oil pan, pickup, and valvecover. The PO tells me this one has 5000 or 6000 miles on it since a rebuild, but hasn't been run in 10-15 years.

[datzenmike]

I like tranny pictures. :lol:

 

That's not a dogleg but it is a 5speed that will bolt to an L series engine. Probably from a 620 truck or 280z (not zx). A better picture of the passenger side of the tail stock fom the side showing the shifter and speedo drive would help. Not older than '77 :lol: nor newer than 'an '80. Looks to be about 31.5" long? (always hard to tell from a picture)

[HudsonMC]

Mmk, sprung for a welder and a bottle of gas. Been practicing a little, and dang, y'all were right. Works mucho mas bueno. I ended up with a small Lincoln, and love it. <br><br>I noticed another area that needs some attention on the car. The seam between the tail light panel and the rear valence is rotting. The rot doesn't seem to have reached the trunk yet, so I was contemplating grinding the seam back and butt welding the two panels together . . . sounds like a bad idea already. Pretty sure it won't work. Other options include finding a donor car in South Texas (yeah right), or the fiberglass panel from FutoFab. I've been reading up a little bit on fiberglass body panels, and I believe 3M makes some adhesives for this purpose that people seem to approve of, although I would love to hear y'all's recommendations. Also, how does the FutoFab panel attach? Just like the stock panel? How does one remove the stock panel? <br><br>I tried to find a thread where someone had documented their replacement in detail, but couldn't. If someone knows of a build thread that exists, please point me in the right direction.<br><br>EDIT: just to clarify . . . I'm talking about replacing the entire tail light panel and lower valence together using the FutoFab piece which includes both.<br>

[hang_510]

answered on the 510 realm

 

dunno about the 1/4s though... would think it is the same.

[HudsonMC]

Mmk, I'm starting to get into the repairs. I started with the areas in front of the rear wheel wells. I was really scared to start cutting, but it was easier after I started . Unfortunately, the rust I was aiming for continue up past the boxed in area of the rocker panel, so I'm cutting away a portion of the skin of the car above the rocker as well. I'm doing my best to preserve the doubled panel behind the skin, although I'm sure that will need to be replaced once I get a good look at it too. I've got a question though. What is the best way to seperate the seam along the bottom and inside the wheel arch? Should I go to town on it with an air chisel, or try and locate each spot weld and drill them out? Sounds like a dumb question, I'm sorry. I could not find a real hard and fast how-to for beginners on stuff like this.

 

As soon as I get the metal out, I need to find a zero rust retailer near me and paint it and weld in the new panel. I'm excited.

[dennis]

Did you forget to post your pics?

[HudsonMC]

Well, not really much to look at. The side of my Datsun with a couple cuts in it. The only thing holding the offending (rusty) sheet metal in is the pinched seam along the bottom of the car. If you'd like some pics or further clarification, let me know, and I'll snap some this evening when I get home.

[dennis]

Well, not really much to look at. The side of my Datsun with a couple cuts in it. The only thing holding the offending (rusty) sheet metal in is the pinched seam along the bottom of the car. If you'd like some pics or further clarification, let me know, and I'll snap some this evening when I get home.

 

Pics will let others help you since you do have some questions.

 

Also careful with an air chisel, you could damage some of the good metal. It is almost always a better idea to drill out the welds.

[HudsonMC]

Point well taken. Here some pics :).

 

First,here is the panel as it sits now.

 

Here is the seam along the bottom. I've already started drilling out a few of the spot welds, but the panel is not budging. I've found the spot welds to be pretty random, with some even right next to eachother. This is going to make the reattachment a little more difficult.

 

And finally, here is the new panel I plan on cutting the patch out of.