mklotz70 Posted September 6, 2016 Report Share Posted September 6, 2016 I just went back and looked at the list of things that you avoided on the 720 by going with the d21 chassis.......it's starting to look more like a push time-wise. :( I hope the new direction will gain you back some of the advantage you had originally hoped for. :) 1 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 Still working away at it .!!!!!!! Just no time or energy for updates right now , will post an update later this week ....................... 1 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 Well the new direction is still a shit load of work !!!!!! So I am starting with a fresh sheet of paper , all the stuff that didn't line up or was just not going to work out got the Plasma Axe !!!!!! Channeling the frame and Z ing the frame in the middle to get the wheels inside the fenders gutted the torsion bars and cross member ,motor mounts cab mounts , also going to be scrapping the rear leafs . Was thinking of changing the name of the build to " The Daily Grind " Stay Tuned Still have to channel the back section of frame to just past where the cab mounts , I figured if I have to body drop the box , I might as well put the cab where I want it . I took a total of 2 1/2 inches out of the frame in the front. I know Wayno doesn't like all the pictures lol lol All boxed and readr for capping , still a long flatbar Fish plate to go on the inside of the frame rail I took 1 1/4 inches out of the frame rails , so I also lowered the engine and trans , had to make a new mount for the drivers side and relocate both mounting pads. next is a trans cross member and coilovers up front , ditch the radius rods , add an extra tube to the lower control arms. Well I figured if I was going to go to all this trouble it might as well be what I wanted , was just as well changing chassis as I found a very bad spot of rust on the old 720 , looked good from the out side , shit load of rust on the inside .............. 7 Quote Link to comment
2wheel-lee Posted September 16, 2016 Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 I'm diggin' this thread. Good work! Looks like you have a fairly low VIN Hardbody. If I recall correctly, the first year was considered as an 86-1/2, but I don't know if they actually had a VIN of 1987 for the first year of them. Either way, yours is still low for the year. Well the new direction is still a shit load of work !!!!!! So I am starting with a fresh sheet of paper , all the stuff that didn't line up or was just not going to work out got the Plasma Axe !!!!!!Channeling the frame and Z ing the frame in the middle to get the wheels inside the fenders gutted the torsion bars and cross member ,motor mounts cab mounts , also going to be scrapping the rear leafs .Was thinking of changing the name of the build to " The Daily Grind " Stay Tuned 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted September 16, 2016 Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 Beautiful! Not sure where you are going but as long as you have the direction all is good! LOL 1 Quote Link to comment
LTJ Posted September 16, 2016 Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 Wow! You have kicked the build up another notch! Loving it! 1 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 Update Trans cross member I used the piece I cut out to press in the flat bar , didn't work too bad , had to weld a bolt inside to stop it from spreading The center piece , it's on an angle so I snipped the flat bar in the stretched corners Still need to make a small pocket on the top passenger side for the brake and fuel lines to pass over, but I have had enough for today. 4 Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 NIce, fast work :thumbup: 2 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 Nice work! Be sure to make that a removable cross member. Much easier to pull engine and transmission together. 1 Quote Link to comment
mklotz70 Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 I love how you used the cut out piece to shape/hold the flat bar for welding!! .....and the fact that it's not just a half round with a piece of pipe!! Awesome! 2 Quote Link to comment
LTJ Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 Love it, nice work! 1 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2016 Update Trans cross member ready to weld in ( sorry Charlie ) I want the chassis as stiff as possible , there will be lots of room to remove the engine and trans together , I am making the front rad support removable also , so engine pulling will be easy . I decided to make a couple of cable ways in the cross member in case I ever want to run something else up the inside of the chassis , like air lines or what ever. I figured that now was way easier than later . Man o man I do like that plasma cutter made an extra notch in the top for the lines to pass by Will weld that uot tomorrow and then finish channeling the rear section of the frame. 6 Quote Link to comment
frank88 Posted September 20, 2016 Report Share Posted September 20, 2016 This thread is amazing. inspirational stuff 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted September 20, 2016 Report Share Posted September 20, 2016 Sweet work. As long as you can get the engine and transmission out that is all that matters. Quote Link to comment
LTJ Posted September 20, 2016 Report Share Posted September 20, 2016 Great stuff, good fabrication and some good looking welds! :thumbup: Luke. Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Update Welded out the trans cross member , and chopped the bearing hanger cross member out ,prepped and channeled the drivers side frame rail. Man I am tiered of grinding , also hate under coating now big time !!! Ah the open canvas .................laid out the channel cuts more tomorrow ................. 6 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2016 Oh just incase you were wondering .................I really appreciate the feed back , it helps to keep me motivated , I wish I had more time to cruise the site and look at all the builds , it's a great bunch of Ratsun Folks .............and quite a pool of talent , I am often humbled here. Cheers 5 Quote Link to comment
Atomic Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 Great community with a lot of talented people :thumbup: Keeps me going too 2 Quote Link to comment
dukerollo Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 Glad to see this moving forward. One of my favorite builds. The foresight that you are showing with the cable notches, etc. really sets the build apart. 2 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Update Channeled the rear section of frame under the cab , modified the fuel tank forward bracket , I had 1 3/4 inches between the floor of the cab and the top of the nose of the fuel tank. and the tank needs to stay flush with the bottom of the frame rails. also started getting the drive shaft organized ( to build support cross member ),Nissan is so cool , I took the flange off the 300ZX shaft right after the hanger bearing and swapped it for the D21 flange , direct bolt on .....so sweet. always some bad news, the 300ZX trans is 2 inches shorter than the truck trans , and the ford 8.8 differentials nose is a couple of inches shorter than the D21 Diff. I picked up a combination U joint , one half fits the Nissan yoke and the other half fits the ford yoke how sweet is that ,this means I can put the ford yoke on the end of the Nissan shaft and bolt it right on the diff. But I am still 2 inches short .was thinking of a driveshaft disc brake setup for the parking brake , that will take up 1/4 inch .... And I have already moved the engine back an down 1 1/4 inches , so it looks like a spacer is in order. 4 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 I'm one of those people that wants to read the end of the book before the start, just to know if I want to read the book. So that said, the box was too high, now you have lowered the cab, so now the box is even going to be higher, what are you going to do about the box, as I recall you didn't want to do a box drop? 1 Quote Link to comment
Jester Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Why didn't you just build your own frame. Probably would have been less work. Looks incredible though. Keep it up. 1 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 I'm one of those people that wants to read the end of the book before the start, just to know if I want to read the book. So that said, the box was too high, now you have lowered the cab, so now the box is even going to be higher, what are you going to do about the box, as I recall you didn't want to do a box drop? Hi Wayno , yes the box was about 1 1/2 inches too high , and the cab was also too high for the look I am after . I found that the D21 body is much longer from the mounts down by a few inches , so this is why the 720 body sat up like a 4X4 . so I figured if I have to body drop the box 1 1/2 inches it might as well be 2 1/2 or 3 to achieve the end goal . 1 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 I'm one of those people that wants to read the end of the book before the start, just to know if I want to read the book. So that said, the box was too high, now you have lowered the cab, so now the box is even going to be higher, what are you going to do about the box, as I recall you didn't want to do a box drop? Hi Wayno , yes the box was about 1 1/2 inches too high , and the cab was also too high for the look I am after . I found that the D21 body is much longer from the mounts down by a few inches , so this is why the 720 body sat up like a 4X4 . so I figured if I have to body drop the box 1 1/2 inches it might as well be 2 1/2 or 3 to achieve the end goal . I get it, if your going to do a box drop, then why not get the body where you want it first, then do the box drop. 2 Quote Link to comment
Fast720 Posted September 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 Yes Wayno , that's exactly what I am doing , channeling the chassis so I can drop the cab down farther , I am going to install the front coil overs next so I can set it back on the ground ( so I can roll it out of the way to pick up the cab with the hoist ), then I will set the cab back on the chassis and make new cab mounts , this will tell me how much to body drop the box. 2 Quote Link to comment
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