Steroid Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 As a few of You know, I saved an NL 320 from a sad demise. It is missing a few items and I have questions about what direction I should take with it. Customize or restore? I have located a VERY complete 1964 L320. Everything I need is there. I am still dickering on price. One thought that I had was to simply lift the bodys off and set the NL body on the L frame. This would save a lot of time. Question # 1....... Is the L frame the same length as an NL frame? Question #2........ If the answer to question #1 is yes, are cab/bed bolt locations exactly the same? Observation of question that I had........ Going on NICO's VIN registry, it appears that NL's start with the number "6" in the 5 digit VIN number. Is this correct? If so, a person not noticing the "6" anywhere in the VIN number of My idea to set the NL body over would surely notice it was not an NL frame and VIN plate. Can anyone verify this? Question #3.5........ Are the rear bumper brackets on an L the same as an NL? Last questions...... Can anyone verify what years and why certain trucks had floor shifters instead of column shifters? Option? If so, different transmission correct? Ever any 320 automatics? If so, shifter location? Thanks guys!!! Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 1964-1/2 and 1965 had floor shift None had automatic Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Thanks GGZILLA. Is there a defining cutoff month that would identify column verses floor shifters in a 1964? Any other 1964 identifying features (grille, emblems, etc.)?? Production months are not on those VIN plates are they? I failed to mention earlier that I have the somewhat off triangular shaped front turn signals, not round ones. The base/bulb housings are there, just not the lens'. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi there Steroid, I suppose I could do some measuring tomarrow as I have both vehicles, and i'll look at the rear bumper brackets to see if there the same brackets, but as far as I know the L320s came with bumperettes, not full bumpers. I have no idea if datsun in japan ever sold 320s with step bumpers(my L320 has a step bumper) or any other full width bumper. As far as I know they were all column shift till the later half of 1965. The floor shift trannys are differant, might be the same as the J tranny??? I think your right about the frame number, it seems to match the vin. tag(car number), and all the NLs I just checked all started with a 6, I just checked 5 vin. plates, of which 4 were NL320s. wayno Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 By the way, while "surfing" today, I saw where a guy in Hesperia was supposed to be making lens' for 320s. Clauss Studios 17925 Ranchero Road Hesperia, Ca. 92345 760-949-6659 Did anyone on here ever contact Him or actually purchase any 320 items from Him? http://www.claussstudios.com/ Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 The 320 floor-shift transmission is nothing like the later J-series trans used in the 520/521. Totally different shifter, rear mounting, and transmission case. At least, all the 520 trans I've had are very different from the 320 transmissions I have. My L320 has a very custom rear diamond-plate bumper. A little odd looking, but period-correct. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 By the way, while "surfing" today, I saw where a guy in Hesperia was supposed to be making lens' for 320s. Clauss Studios 17925 Ranchero Road Hesperia, Ca. 92345 760-949-6659 Did anyone on here ever contact Him or actually purchase any 320 items from Him? http://www.claussstudios.com/ I talked about Greg Clauss in your "1964 NL320 want list" thread, I have talked to him about 3 or 4 times over the last month, he says he is busy and to call back in later, as i said I offered to buy 10 sets and he didn't even pause, he thanked me for my interest, and told me to call back in july i think he said. He also told me that the lense thing was something he did when it was slow as a sideline, and he was very busy making rubber parts right now. He said the mold he had is no good now, and he has to make a new one which is expensive and time consuming. I do not want to harass the guy, and piss him off either, i'll call back in june or july. There are some of his pie shaped front turn lenses on ebay right now. wayno Quote Link to comment
FoxyRoadster Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 I talked about Greg Clauss in your "1964 NL320 want list" thread, I have talked to him about 3 or 4 times over the last month, he says he is busy and to call back in later, as i said I offered to buy 10 sets and he didn't even pause, he thanked me for my interest, and told me to call back in july i think he said. He also told me that the lense thing was something he did when it was slow as a sideline, and he was very busy making rubber parts right now. He said the mold he had is no good now, and he has to make a new one which is expensive and time consuming. I do not want to harass the guy, and piss him off either, i'll call back in june or july. There are some of his pie shaped front turn lenses on ebay right now. wayno I've always wondered why someone in the datto crowd isn't remaking these plastic lenses we all need as they do have limited life. lol Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hey there Mike, I am unable to tell you anything about the rear bumper brackets as I have a step bumper on my L320 and the mounting bracket is part of the bumper. I used to have bumperettes on another L320 a long time ago, but don't remember what they looked like. I did some measurements on the cab mounting locations, all the cab mounts seem to be the in the same locations or very close, but after the cab, it is differant, it may be the same frame, but the way the box mounts to the frame on the L320 is differant than the way the box mounts on the NL320. The frames appear to be the same length, at least the wheels seem to be the same distance from the front to the rear. I suppose you could fabricate some mounts if you were to drop the NL320 on the L320 frame. Hope this helps. wayno Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Hi Guys. Thanks for the help!! With that wheelbase similarity, I will definetly now pursue the L320. I could simply re-weld the NL bed posts in the L frame!! By the way, My VIN # is: 4L320-60269 I am told that a member here on Ratsun DOES have that VIN plate. Yes. I would really like to put the correct one back on. Thanks ahead of time if it surfaces. :) Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Is there something wrong with your stock frame? It is really strange how they tag these trucks, my original NL320 I bought from mike has a 4-L32060XXX like yours, but the recent one I aquired says NL320360XXX, and i just noticed today that the lic. bureau screwed up and issued a title for my 1963 L320, they put down C320300XXX. Now I am going to have to have that fixed.:lol: :lol: Anyway, what is wrong with your NL320 frame? wayno Quote Link to comment
datsunaholic Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 The license agency screwed mine up 47 years ago... has my VIN as 1320xxxxx... Cheap (and some not so cheap portable) typewriters back then didn't have the number "1", you used a lower case "l", and someone forgot to capitalize it... Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 My frame is complete. There is even the funkiest spare tire holder I've ever seen!!! Just trying to figure a way around the issue of no VIN plate. Use the other truck's I was thinking. Also, I assessed the taillight situation. I have BOTH bulb housings. There is one broken lens. The lower pieces that are pressed sheetmetal(?) are gone from each side. If somebody could loan Me one, I could have a mold for those made and fiberglass ones made. I am missing the chrome lens "surrounds" on both sides. With that being said, Did I really luck out by the bulb housings still being there? I know We are waiting for lens' to be made but what about the chrome "surrounds"? One other observation. In looking at as many 320 pictures that I can find, both L and NL trucks, there seems to be a discrepancy on door locks. Some trucks only have one. Mine has them on both sides. Now, when I was building My 1956 Ford panel, I found that a few F-100s had only passenger side locks. I was told that years ago, to prevent drivers from being struck, that there was a law where You had to slide across the bench seat and exit Your vehicle from the passenger"s (curb) side. Interesting observation. Not sure what year that law changed in most states. Also, I saw only one picture of a stamped sheetmetal plate on a panel where the second taillight was. VERY RARE I was told. I never found one of those plates at Pomona or F-100 runs. I almost purchased a 1939 Ford master 2 door sedan before jumping back into 620s. It had factory one taillight. Any early Datsuns in the U.S. ever recorded having one taillight? Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 So your thinking about using the L320 title? I suppose a datsun is a datsun when they get that old. I never noticed the door lock thing before, two of my three 320s have only drivers door locks. I have 4 of them lower sheet metal pieces that you are talking about, not one is usable without some major fixing. There has to be someone closer to you that can loan you a good set, there is a left and right side as far as I can tell. You say you have one good lense? The surrounds are a problem, I just looked at one I have out, and they would be hard to fabricate and make look stock, and you know how it will go, someone goes threw the effort of fabracating a bunch of them, then someone else will dump 10 brand new ones out into the market. They will come out of nowhere like all these NLs have, they used to be rare. wayno Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 Hi Wayno, No problem on the condition of those metal pieces. I do bodywork and if it's rusted out, My welder guru can patch it!! If they are available (1 left and 1 right) I would be interested. I am considering an optional rear light idea. Think LED. I only need those lower pieces and, if the lenses are uniform (same lens left or right side) one to make a mold from. From there, I can drift into a totally custom piece with updated lighting. Maybe even make them available at a later date. Thanks for Your help!! :D Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 Hey Wayno, Is this Greg: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-1963-1965-NL320-Pickup-Truck-Front-Turn-Lens-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c193bfbb1QQitemZ120682445745QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_500wt_1182 ???? Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 Yes, that is Greg Clauss, he is the one that I have been talking to about making another run of NL320 taillights, keep in mind that I offered to buy ten sets from him, he did not even pause, he thanked me for my interest, and told me to call back later. I would not have been able to sell 8 of them sets to save my life, it would have taken years, if ever. But I tried. wayno Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 What do You think about His price for those front lens'? Thats about $35.00 a lens with shipping. How is His quality of work? Do they look like stock? Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Hi there Steroid, there is a new thread under the 320 heading in trucks, about his new ebay wins, there is a guy on there that says he put a NL320 chassie/body on to a L320 frame, maybe you should PM him with any questions about the swap. I bought a set of front turn indicators on ebay from Greg Clauss as extras in case I run that grill on another 320, my NL320 I bought from Mike K. had a set already on it. The oics. below are the front lenses Mike bought from Greg, the ones I received look new/oem. wayno Quote Link to comment
Steroid Posted February 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Wooo Hoo ! ! ! My VIN plate has been located!! It should arrive this week!! I now will NOT be moving the NL body over, but correctly registering it with it's original number!! :D Quote Link to comment
jefe de jefes Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Wooo Hoo ! ! ! My VIN plate has been located!! It should arrive this week!! I now will NOT be moving the NL body over, but correctly registering it with it's original number!! :D Did mark find it for you? I'm missing the one on my nl as well. Yours and mine came from the same location. Quote Link to comment
drew510 Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Wow, talk about a needle in a haystack. That is awesome! Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 That is great, I guess it is differant where you live, they don't look at frame numbers here, they only care about body tags. wayno Quote Link to comment
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