nathan_454 Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 I blew my knee out at the end of June of last year at work. (no surgery required, sprained MCL yada yada) was told i would be out of work for up to 6 weeks at the end of week one i was going stir crazy, I suck at sitting still. so, on crutches, in a full length knee brace I browsed craigslist for some sort of a "project" to pass my time. a quad, motorcycle, car, truck... I didn't care just anything to tinker with, and low and behold I found: a 1980 720 2wd longbed L20b 5 speed, not running, for $100 dollars. that's where it all began the previous owner stated that it ran and drove great up until it just quit one day. didnt overheat, didnt smoke, no noise. just shut off! so I rented a tow dolly and towed it home (interesting to load a non runing Datsun with two flat tires on a tow dolly and get in and out of a lifted dodge ram tow rig in a knee brace and while on cruches) the first step was to clean it up a little bit so a full wash job outside, and in, including under the hood was in order. Upon completion of that it was time to figure out why its not running, it came with a service manual so that was handy. Found the coil to be bad, put a new one in. wont run. more testing, found the matchbox to be bad. quick trip to the wrecking yard, new matchbox and VROOOM!!! right on!! that was easy! had her running! time for a quick trip around the block for a shakedown run. SHAKE SHAKE WOBBLE WOBBLE SHAKE SHAKE . stop sign coming up... brake pedal.... not stopping, CRAP. look both ways, clear THANK GOD! through the stopsign and flip around, back home. NOW! during this eventful test drive i noticed it seemed extremely low on power, so when i get it back i take a look at the carb, the secondaries are stuck shut. like really stuck, and it looks liek someone took a hammer to the carb (hitachi) ok i will research online and see what I should do about this (this is how i found ratsun) ok the brakes don't work. and the front suspension and steering is about as tight as a broomstick in a bucket of oatmeal. and the carb is FUBAR i can fix that, no biggie. Order up some parts from rock auto (every part in the steering, brakes, suspension by the way) and order a weber carb kit, and get it all put on trials and tribulations at this point to get it running......got it (with the help of ratsun of course) time for another drive, to the alignment shop this time! check brakes. ok, steering- yep have steering, check brakes again. yep still have brakes, ok here we go! it is about 2 miles to the alignment shop from my house. so i drive her down there. fairly uneventfull trip overall, drop it off, they tell me to come back tommorow to pick it up. so I do just that. and upon picking it up they mention that it has an engine oil leak. which i had noticed. i say ok and drive it two miles back to my house and back in the driveway. lets take a look at that oil leak.... timing cover.... ok easy enough. so i order up some more parts. and dig into the motor. replace all gaskets, make sure everything is ok. EXCEPT, I didnt drop the oil pan when i re-assembled the timing cover. thus tearing the head gasket when sliding the timing cover on. so now i have an even worse oil leak. damn take it all apart again, more new gaskets, including a head gasket this time, got the head milled etc etc. insert - trials and tribulations at this point. again. so i came up with this simple equation (wont run+frustration=heartache) but! (wont run+ratsun=RUNS!) got it running, again. go for a shakedown run. everything goes ok this time, drives ok etc etc. this was last weekend. so today - I thought i better check the fluid in the trans and rear end - it was F*CKED just like everything else on the truck lol so i replace it. and this evening i took my Datsun on a 100 mile run without a single hiccup! it drove great! no problems, no noises, everything went perfect! It was the most fun I have had driving a vehicle in a long time, I have two almost new rigs sitting in my driveway, and the smile that my $100 dollar Datsun gave me tonight was more then either of them have ever given me! just goes to show ya. hehe so that's my story. thank you Ratsun, if not for you guys/gals I would have probably given up on this thing along time ago! I didn't mention the COUNTLESS other things that i have fixed along the way to now. i dont think there is one square foot of the truck that i have not addressed an issue on. but it would have taken me all night to type all that out. I have been saving receipts and to date my hundred dollar truck has cost me a little over 1700 bucks. my girlfriend thinks I'm crazy, my co-workers think I'm crazy. but I'm happy, and that's what matters. P.S. my knee is much better now! Quote Link to comment
sinner720st Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 glad to hear all your good luck. any pics for this thread? Quote Link to comment
nathan_454 Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 ummmm i might have some of when i bought it, let me look Quote Link to comment
ZackTheImpaler Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Sounds alot like my story. I'm 3500 into my 720, and it runs like a new truck. I'm no mechanic so alot of it was done in the shop besides alternator,wiring, and some interior. I've had it for almost a year now, alot of people think it's crazy. But that's why we joined Ratsun, to not be judged :D Quote Link to comment
darrel Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Nathan has been banned because he never posted oics(pics). Quote Link to comment
nathan_454 Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 lol sorry guys, i will try to get some pics Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 I have been saving receipts and to date my hundred dollar truck has cost me a little over 1700 bucks. my girlfriend thinks I'm crazy, my co-workers think I'm crazy. but I'm happy, and that's what matters. P.S. my knee is much better now! g/f thinks that because it's $1,700 you didn't spend on her!!!!!!!!!!!! Fuck the co workers, they spend it in casinos and gym memberships. Tell 'em they're the crazy ones. 1 Quote Link to comment
nathan_454 Posted April 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Here is some pics the next step is going to be to get it all the same color. lol Quote Link to comment
NWOleman Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 good job man! don't worry what everyone else says just do what makes you happy! my woman thinks i'm batshit crazy too for buying a rig for 600 bucks (72' goon) that doesn't run then spending a bunch of money on it! i could've spent the money on alot worse stuff! Quote Link to comment
NWOleman Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 o and its oics not pics! it's a ratsun thing. lol Quote Link to comment
MicroMachinery Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Good job man, the truck looks awesome. Congrats on sticking with it. Quote Link to comment
bananahamuck Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 First time seeing your truck and ill have to say after meeting you I would have thought that it was a king cab , cuz man gigantor, you must look like super mario cart driving that around. But at least you can lift truck up with one hand and change tire with the other. and on a more jealous note I wish i could get my engine bay that clean........ Quote Link to comment
nathan_454 Posted April 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 hehe yeah, I dont imagine theres many ratsun'ers that are 6'6" and 3 and a half bills that drive single cabs! Quote Link to comment
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