my ebay babies! 320(daily) + N320(project)

[MatFink]

hi all, new to the forum and to 320's. recently won these awesome wheels on ebay as a package deal. the 320 is registered and roadworthy, the N320 is seized but supplied with a spare running motor and box. no firm plans or directions for them yet, and since i'm inclined toward the ratrod look, not necessarily much to be done! so excited, they arrive in a bit over a week.

[twiztedintentions]

Looks like a great start, can't wait to see what u come up with! Where u located at??

[MatFink]

i'm in sydney, australia. :cool:

[burrito213]

nice!.... Datsuns are going to look saweeet in australia

[garryk6]

Don't know if you thought about it or not, but the NL and L chassis's are identical, except for one body mount on each side at the forward end of the NL bed. I rescued a running L320 for a complete clean original running gear. Then I took My very clean NL body, and took it off the heavily altered chassis, and set it down on the L320 chassis. It was pretty easy, and everything pretty much plugs and plays. You will have to use the NL gas tank, the NL spare tire rack and just a few minor other parts. After I had the NL body sitting on the L chassis, I cut off the welded body mounts from the NL chassis, and slipped them into place on the L chassis, tack welded them in place, then lifted up the body a few inches, and re-welded completely the bracket in place. That way you can use all the good front clip parts from the L on the NL, and have a pretty clean NL, and keep the rest for spares. Just a few ideas,

Good Luck,

Garry in Kodiak, AK

[FoxyRoadster]

I'd totally rat rod the one with the flat bed!

[MatFink]

Don't know if you thought about it or not, but the NL and L chassis's are identical, except for one body mount on each side at the forward end of the NL bed. I rescued a running L320 for a complete clean original running gear. Then I took My very clean NL body, and took it off the heavily altered chassis, and set it down on the L320 chassis. It was pretty easy, and everything pretty much plugs and plays. You will have to use the NL gas tank, the NL spare tire rack and just a few minor other parts. After I had the NL body sitting on the L chassis, I cut off the welded body mounts from the NL chassis, and slipped them into place on the L chassis, tack welded them in place, then lifted up the body a few inches, and re-welded completely the bracket in place. That way you can use all the good front clip parts from the L on the NL, and have a pretty clean NL, and keep the rest for spares. Just a few ideas,

Good Luck,

Garry in Kodiak, AK

 

cheers garry. so what was the reason for the swap for you-i take it your NL chassis was already modified and you wanted original? in my case if this isn't an issue, would the front clip parts from the L just bolt onto the NL?

[Zeke- Aus- Li]

saw these on ebay, so tempted to buy them, would of but i wouldve had to sold the 620!! u got a steal for the price! good luck with them? u ever need parts or a hand im from canberra. Zeke

[MatFink]

a steal indeed! cheers zeke.

[vindats1]

Good deal on your 320 purchase...have fun with them, Tana in Wa.

[MatFink]

the last few days have been SOOOOOOOO much fun! utes ended up arriving two days earlier than expected! couldn't have been timed better, as I'm moving house and the little truck has definitely proved itself a worthy vessel! sits comfortably on 60-65mph on the highway (not quite our highway speed here, but plenty fast enough for me). issues i've discovered so far include: a slight chip in the screen (a spare screen came in the parts provided); horn doesn't work; bit of dodgy bog work here and there - bottom of the drivers door, bottom of both guards, and a patch on the roof (nothing too serious, just been done poorly-will take it back and re-do in the next few weeks, after i decide on a colour scheme!); plenty of head room, but at a long-legged belly-kegged 6'0'', a few comfort issues to work around - where i would like to most comfortably have my right leg while driving sees my knee wanting to be exactly where the door handle is, and the window-winder nicely pressing into my shin. the stock steering wheel juuuuust rubs on my generous belly region. also can't seem to find a position that doesn't cramp my right foot on the throttle during anything more than a short drive. best solutions so far are switching to the left foot on the highway, and putting my right foot right up on the firewall and holding the throttle down with my heel. all in extremely happy tho, love it to bits. the NL needs a LOT of work, but we'll see how i get on perfecting this one and go from there.

expect heaps of photos in the coming days, but in the meantime i found this one funny:

 

my new bed.

 

[ninja philbo]

sic

[ppeters914]

Nice score.

 

Pete

[zenndog]

Nice trucks........Updates? I have never actuall y sat in an NL320 but someone may chime in here if I am right, isn't there a tad more legroom because the cab is stretched a little or is that an urban legend?

[MatFink]

hey all, haven't been by in awhiles....not much has happened to the trucks since i got 'em, i injured my back pretty badly and have been off work, with no coin coming in i've had to move back in with my old man for a bit. there's good and bad to draw from this...instead of dry and protected in the city warehouse i was staying, both are now on the front lawn. the flatbed has gone from part-time use shared with my motorbikes to full-time daily driver, as the bikes wreak havoc on my back(not that the ride in the ute is THAT much better, but you work with what you got!). so now i have more time to work on them, but no cash and nowhere to do it, good times.
what i have done to the 320 is get rid of those plastic fantastic hubcaps, and jazzed the wheels up a bit with some metallic blue touchup paint and some chrome dress rims. i'll give her a wash and take some photos when the sun comes out. :s
at the moment looks like my back issues aren't going away, so while i'm defs sad about it, parting with at least one of my bikes will mean more cash to spend on the datto.
i did notice you've got some u320's in the works zeke? keen to see how they're coming along.
not sure on the the legroom tip either zenndog, as there's no seat in the N! as the story unfolds after i spoke to PO further, they actually had three at one stage, and all the best bits went into the 320 i'm now driving. apparently this one had a ridiculously huge metal bed on it, they got the wood bed off the other 320 they had, scrapped the cab/chassis as it was too far gone, and turned the metal tray into a trailer. the bench seat in my 320 came from the N320, and apparently was the only reason they bought it...the guy had the seat for sale separately for 300, and when they asked about the rest of the car the guy said if they took it away it was theirs(and now mine!).

[wayno]

In my opinion there is no more legroom in the NL320 than there is in the L320, I have both vehicles. I am sorry to here about your back, I hope you heal soon.

[MatFink]

So i have been back for a browse fairly regularly, but pretty slack overall in the participation stakes! here's a few oics to say sorry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TENDRIL]

awesome score, did you win them in aus. or were they shipped to aus.

 

anyways and if you dont mind me asking what kida deal did you get>

[wayno]

That's a nice little truck, RHD column shift, is the transmission shifter connection on the passinger side of the tranny or the divers side(RHD), I am asking because if on the pass. side of the tranny, all the levers/arms would have to cross the transmission, and to me that would be strange.

[ggzilla]

NL320? The L prefix indicates LHD.

 

Should just be 320 and N320 on the under-bonnet ID plate.

[MatFink]

i'd say its on driver side, but i'll check and get back to ya.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

In my opinion there is no more legroom in the NL320 than there is in the L320, I have both vehicles. I am sorry to here about your back, I hope you heal soon.

 

The NL doors are longer. That would lead me to believe there is more legroom. Unless I'm missing something, which wouldn't be a first...

[wayno]

The NL doors are longer. That would lead me to believe there is more legroom. Unless I'm missing something, which wouldn't be a first...

 

All that extra room is in back of the seat, but as far as I can tell the rear window is in the same position as the L320 truck, so the seat(top of the back of the seat) will not go any farther back, but there is about 4 to 6 inches of extra room below the rear window, doesn't help my legs there though.

[selaga]

Mate,

 

Where in Sydney are you located ?

 

Cheers,

 

Sel

[MatFink]

I'm at Casula. I work in town though. if you do end up needing any parts i've got quite a few spares.

 

The tale of the tape(ok, i used my eyes and the distance from my elbow to the tips of my fingers) for me regarding length differences and legroom etc is as follows:

 

the chassis as we know are virtually identical bar a few mounting tabs. the NL doors ARE 5-6in longer. HOWEVER - if you view the gap from the back of the door to the rear window, you'll see its lucky to be about 3in for the NL, whereas the L curves back nice and deep, making up the difference. any legroom benefit is purely perception, the difference if any would be less than inch - and could be something as simple as having the seat slid all the way back (where the upright section is far too flat and uncomfortable - no thanks!). the only real benefit i see (besides stylistic preference), is the NL would therefore be easier to get in and out of for the overly proportionate lads such as myself. :)