jon521 Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 This is my 1971 521 L16. I have had it for awhile now but i recently just started driving as my daily driver, and i finally got around to getting some pictures. I bought for $800 from the second owner, who probably never drove it. He said the original owners son had removed smog pump and the whole interior, which really meant the seat belts, the bench seat, and the radio. The guy i bought it from put the bucket seats in, but no seat belts. I had to flat tow it home. Once i got it home, i had to take care of some vacuum leaks left by the removal of the smog pump, along with a replacement of the intake gasket. so far i have put new shoes on the back, along with a wheel cylinder, put a weber on (which still needs to be tuned), replaced wheel bearings (which were a PITA to find), and new king pins. Also of course all the normal stuff, oil change, coolant flush, seafoam, etc. I really like this truck, being my first vehicle and my first datsun. I really would like to make it run better, carb needs to be tuned. I figured out my mpg, and i was getting 14 :( so i pulled my plugs and they were all black so i need to look into that. but over all this is a really fun little truck. In the future i would like to put a bigger cam in, maybe performance headers, go to a 2 in exhaust to a cherrybomb turbo, and definetly put a five speed in. Thanks alot, you guys have helped alot the guy i bought it from did lower the front with the torsion bars, but i still would like to do the back as well 1 Quote Link to comment
Rocket Dog Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Tight little truck. Seems like Oregon and Washington is the 521 enclave. :cool: 1 Quote Link to comment
DatWifey Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 Very nice! That's a clean little truck! :thumbup: 1 Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 That thing is in awesome shape. I love the color. Quote Link to comment
Z chopper Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 very nice truck Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 lloks good not hacked up under the hood. just lower it and give a tune up and rive it dont worry about the 5 spped but find one before the 4 speed goes. soembody hacked in a different clutch master cylinder. Better find the same one other wise bending it back to the stock location the line will bust. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted June 22, 2011 Report Share Posted June 22, 2011 That's a good looking truck, same color as my 71 till the sun changed mine to a orange color. Looks like someone stripped the dash pad off, looks better than a cracked one. wayno Quote Link to comment
thisismatt Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 That's clean, but the FIRST THING you need to do is get rid of that stupid bungee cord on the battery and replace it with a rigid mount, unless of course you're looking to set the truck on fire and burn it to the ground, in which case by all means proceed as usual. Quote Link to comment
Jayden71 Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Me likes!!!!!!!!!!! Nice score!! Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Thanks! wayno ya the top of my passenger front fender is orange, but only the top, and under it is red matt haha ya actually i was planning on burning it! but no seriously your right i do need to get an actual hold down haha Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted July 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 just a small update, dropped the back 3 inches today before: after: thats my buddy's mazda b2200, he gave me a hand puttin in the blocks. his mazda is a pretty sweet truck. 1 Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 his is lower you need to fix that :D Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted July 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 he torsioned the bars all the way out, he has 3inch blocks, and he has mono leaf springs (he pulled his middle leafs out). it looks sweet, but he bottoms out on EVERYTHING Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 he torsioned the bars all the way out, he has 3inch blocks, and he has mono leaf springs (he pulled his middle leafs out). it looks sweet, but he bottoms out on EVERYTHING I have the same issue, I have 3" blocks lowering my 521 in the rear, I took the rubber bumpers out and I am now bottoming out on the littlest things, it rides alright till I hit a speed bump, I am going to have to do something soon though. Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted July 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 I have the same issue, I have 3" blocks lowering my 521 in the rear, I took the rubber bumpers out and I am now bottoming out on the littlest things, it rides alright till I hit a speed bump, I am going to have to do something soon though. i took my bump stops all the way off too, but i was just going out cut them in half then put them back on. i still have lots of clearance tho. but your bottoming out with just the blocks? i havent bottomed out at all, yet. maybe notch your frame? Quote Link to comment
BEEBANI Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Glad somebody bought that beauty! That was on cl for a while. That looks like Lancaster Commons apartments? Holla at me if you need any local help, I'm in Independence and drive through salem twice a day for work. Thinkin that truck needs an altitude adjustment for sure! Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Glad somebody bought that beauty! That was on cl for a while. That looks like Lancaster Commons apartments? Holla at me if you need any local help, I'm in Independence and drive through salem twice a day for work. Thinkin that truck needs an altitude adjustment for sure! And some disc brakes. Right Bee? Quote Link to comment
BEEBANI Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 And some disc brakes. Right Bee? foe shoe! Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 i took my bump stops all the way off too, but i was just going out cut them in half then put them back on. i still have lots of clearance tho. but your bottoming out with just the blocks? i havent bottomed out at all, yet. maybe notch your frame? One thing at a time, I need to get it to the stage of safe/reliable daily driver, my 521 truck cab is sitting on a 1981-2 datsun 720 diesel frame, though I don't recall what rear leafs I am running. This is my project. Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Glad somebody bought that beauty! That was on cl for a while. That looks like Lancaster Commons apartments? Holla at me if you need any local help, I'm in Independence and drive through salem twice a day for work. Thinkin that truck needs an altitude adjustment for sure! ya for sure man i will let you know. im actually in keizer though, but you know, salem keizer same thing haha Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 One thing at a time, I need to get it to the stage of safe/reliable daily driver, my 521 truck cab is sitting on a 1981-2 datsun 720 diesel frame, though I don't recall what rear leafs I am running. This is my project. looks like you have done alot of work with this truck Quote Link to comment
Ken_B Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Nice 521, those look like mazda B-series bucket seats, how are the for comfort/cab space? Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Nice 521, those look like mazda B-series bucket seats, how are the for comfort/cab space? ya i was told by my friend (the one with the mazda) that they were mazda seats. I like how they fit the cab, the seat itself scoots forward/back, and the back tilts. i also took the head rests off. But im 6'2'' and i have them scooted back all the way and they work great for me. fairly comfortable too. im planning on putting a 620 rearhalf of a center console between the seats as well. hope that kind of answers your question. Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted August 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 so i have been offered an L20b for my 521 and i am considering buying it and putting it in. my truck burns alot of oil! i already bought valve seals but havent put them in. i was thinking that it would take about as long to do valve seals as it would to do the swap. what i was thinking was that the swap would solve my smoking problem plus more power. but the engine has sat for a year, and the seller did not pull it, he bought it from someone else. I trust the seller, really nice guy, and he says its a lower mileage engine. but for all i know it could need rings and seals, right? so i would be back to where i am now but $250 poorer and have a slightly more powerful engine. or it could be a great engine for all i know. opinions welcome on if i should keep my L16 and try to get it to work, or buy the l20b. and if anyone has put an l20b in a 521 before, how noticeable was the difference? thanks in advanced! :) Quote Link to comment
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