Rosie. A 66' PL411's story.

[ZackTheImpaler]

So one day my girlfriend is upset that she doesn't have a car. So I sit her on a computer and decided that I wanted to teach her a trick. Go on craigslist, start going through random small towns and mispell datsun as many ways as you can.

 

I go the the olympic peninsula section, and type in datson.

 

http://olympic.craig...tson&catAbb=sss

 

 

$500!!

 

Girlfriend says "I've got that right now, let's buy it"

 

I say "OMG you have no fucking idea what that is, no way, that's mine right now"

 

I call the number, a gentleman answers. Doesn't seem too happy to be getting a phone call about the old station wagon. I try to not sound too excited, hoping that he has no idea what he has and I don't want him to ahve a clue. I also don't inform him his ad is mispelled. I say I can come right now, he says he is driving to laramie wyoming as we spoke and wouldn't be back for a week. I ask what is wrong, says the timing needs to be adjust, and the window is cracked.

 

 

 

 

 

But they have a replacement window to go with it :mellow:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decide not to tell anyone on here because I didn't want anyone to snatch it up. This wagon is MINE!!

 

He wasn't too sure on the model when i asked him. He said he though it was a 510. Didn't look like the 510 engine to me in the pic, but it was a 68 so it could have been. I say I will be in touch with him pretty soon on what I was doing.

 

So the next day I give him a call, and leave a message "This is zack, we spoke about picking up your datsun station wagon. I'd like to set up a date with you so I could show up with either a mechanic or a tow truck".

 

No call back.

 

I stop in portland on the 4th, and Skunk and Jassifrass were kind enough to let me stay at there place. I can hardly contain myself, and had to show them my find. In one glance he says "No fucking way...that's a 411". After alot of reaffirmation from them, I decided that I wasn't going to let up.

 

Two days later I call again. Rings and no answer. Two days later I repeat and nothing. I decide that I don't want to bug the old guy into blowing me off so I wait 4 more days. Long excrutiating days. But I wasn't going to give up. My gut instinct when seeing the pictures is that it didn't look right for a 510. Now this was confirmed I had to have it.

 

One more call, he answers.

 

I state my case calmly and clearly "We spoke a week or so ago, and I'm very interested in picking up your wagon from you." He says it isn't his, he posted it for his girlfriend. Gives me her number.

 

I get on the phone with her and she tells me all about it. "It's actually a 66, can't hold oil at all but we drive it around all the time. Come meet me tomorrow morning whenever!"

 

Enter Pumpkn210. I made him come with because he's handy to have around. And he is insured so he could legally drive said smoke machine.

 

We stay up all night talking about all the things we can do with Dottie now that we are looking at picking me up a daily. We fantasize about the condition it could be in, because the pictures left alot to the imagination. We talk about how pissed some of you will be that I got this and noone else did, and how most of you will just be happy to see it in someones hands.

 

Get up at 5:30, guzzle coffee, some bong tokes, and get on the road.

 

We drive and hour or so until we nearly emptied my gas tank. Stopped at a gas station in port townsend, and found the street we needed.

 

Me and dave take the corner, and lo and behold, on the side of the road, looking like a mini wagon made out of wax that someone left in the sun, was Rosie.

 

Before we called the lady to let her know we were out front we had already begun digging into the car. She has most her badges, one dent on the tail, original paint. All lights, and from what we saw most of the interior. Dave opens the door and promptly stuck his fist through the drivers floor. The floor mat is held there by dreams and wishes. Completely rusted through. I call the lady and she meets us outside. I ask her what she knew about the wagon. She tells me her partner bought it in 1980, and they've had it since. Came with the jesus on the dashboard she said.

 

We open up the hood

 

 

Dash? Try perfect. What's that?

 

Dave is in a hurry, so we pour a little oil in and start her up, ready for our trip back. We decide to have him drive so anything that was going on he could know immediately. We got a few blocks before I see him pull off behind me in a safeway parking lot. There was soo much smoke coming out from little Rosie. Poor old tired lady.

 

 

 

 

We run inside and buy oil. Burns oil? Try doesn't hold oil.

 

 

 

So in our better judgement, seeing how much oil is spurting from every nook and cranny of the engine, we parked her in the safeway lot for the night.

 

Where do I stand now?

 

At work, waiting for someone to call me about a flatbed trailer to get her towed the rest of the hour to my house.

 

 

Those are all the pictures that got taken, so hold your horses. There will be millions more when I get her to my house and start tearing in.

[erichwaslike]

sweet find, but u shood have let the gf have it..... please dont put blinkers like the 720 in the background has on it

[erichwaslike]

Dash? Try perfect. What's that? Original radio?

 

negative ghost rider, that is indeed not a stock radio, just a slightly period correct. in 66 there wasnt tape decks, they had 8 track tho.

[ZackTheImpaler]

The girl want's a b210. "The spaceship one" if you ask her.

 

 

Don't worry guys, this car isn't getting the same treatment as the 720.

 

and she has all her lights :)

 

sweet find, but u shood have let the gf have it..... please dont put blinkers like the 720 in the background has on it

[ZackTheImpaler]

That's why I'm posting pics for the R-teamn ;)

 

I will be no means act like I know everything, or anything about this car. I'm familiar with the Datsun legacy, and have alot of respect for it and older cars.

 

Please anyone who knows anything about, or owns a 411, let me know what you think I should know. I've been digging through the forums, and will keep doing that.

 

 

The engine is toast, we know that much. So we are already trying to figure out the swap to do. But first is getting her to my house.

It's going to be a small engine. I'm not rodding her out, just my daily.

 

The 720 is for the dumb nasty shit!

 

negative ghost rider, that is indeed not a stock radio, just a slightly period correct. in 66 there wasnt tape decks, they had 8 track tho.

[gcmustang]

Nice find, I have parts fairly close to you if needed. Cant wait to see more pictures

[erichwaslike]

well i own a 411sss sedan, and gcmustang also owns a plethora of these. mike rl411 has owned his since it rolled off the lot. check thru the 410/411 section and u will find a lot of good info and ppl

[DatWifey]

I told Dave last night, and now I'm telling you......... I'm envious as hell!!! <_< Nice find dude!

 

I'll be interested to see you guys put this together and getting her running top notch. :thumbup:

[ZackTheImpaler]

well i own a 411sss sedan, and gcmustang also owns a plethora of these. mike rl411 has owned his since it rolled off the lot. check thru the 410/411 section and u will find a lot of good info and ppl

 

I've been digging around that forum since I've been eyeballing this wagon. I felt comfortable knowing there is a experienced support team. I'm open for ideas too. I'm very interested to hear what people have done. Especially once I get digging in and find what is or isn't working!

[ZackTheImpaler]

I'm not known for being a slacker or a quiter, so I'm sure it won't be very long for her to be out and about.

 

Dave told me! Like I said, we were sitting up talking about who was going to be jealous and who was going to be mad!

 

I told Dave last night, and now I'm telling you......... I'm envious as hell!!! <_< Nice find dude!

 

I'll be interested to see you guys put this together and getting her running top notch. :thumbup:

[skunk]

hell yeah, iv been waiting for this thread. So happy that worked out for yeah, that wagon is sick as hell!!!

[MicroMachinery]

Sweet ride, man. Lovin' the red/black color scheme. That steering wheel looks nice.

[Wide14u]

ya you got a good one i think we are all jealous

[MikeRL411]

Contact Tana the Datsun Lady, Vindats 1. She might be able to fix you up with a RL411 front suspension wheel to wheel with disc brakes and a type R 1600cc pushrod engine with the SU carbs. Bolt in except for a "do it yourself" cutting of a hole in the left front fender liner and fab of connecting inch and a half downpipe to the resonator / pre muffler. Just might be cheaper than finding a non-basket case rebuilt J13 to swap out.

[ZackTheImpaler]

Thanks for all the support guys! Me and datdoug will be picking it up from the parking lot and put her in my driveway as soon as we can.

 

I like to get the car at my house before I think about a new engine :D

 

Buuuut...pumpkn makes an A14 sound pretty good.

 

The L is too tall correct?

[Z chopper]

ok after you snagged it from under your girlfriends nose, just how pissed off was she?

[ZackTheImpaler]

Piiiiisssseed.

 

 

Her words were "Oh yeah I forgot I'm just a woman, I'm good for cleaning and doing your laundry. Of course the man get's the toy"

 

I told her to shut up and change her tampon.

 

She works for me as a counter person in our tattoo shop, so she left for an hour to calm down.

 

She understands though. She was upset that I was right, that she didn't know what it was or how much money it was about to cost to get it running again. She thought she was just going to buy it and drive it :lol:

 

Well me and Dave got her about 4 blocks on her own free will before we decided it needed a new engine, so right about now the girl's happy the way things turned out!

 

ok after you snagged it from under your girlfriends nose, just how pissed off was she?

[ZackTheImpaler]

So massive thanks go out to Datdoug for driving in the middle of the night with me to a far away place to load this girl up .

 

Couple more OIC's

 

Sexy front end

 

 

She rode in with me as we backed off the trailer. Thanks doug for taking the pic, we love it!

 

 

Hi, I was here in the spare tire compartment.

[Wide14u]

the roof line is lower then your truck

[ZackTheImpaler]

I know!!

 

That's what I said when I parked it in the garage. It's amazing. I can't wait till we get a solid engine in, then slam the hell out of it.

 

the roof line is lower then your truck

[]2eDeYe]

Excellent score, very clean :cool:

[bananahamuck]

Very cool..........

[ppeters914]

I like to get the car at my house before I think about a new engine :D

 

Buuuut...pumpkn makes an A14 sound pretty good.

 

The L is too tall correct?

Correct. I have an L20b in mine. The PO who did the swap cut a hole in the hood to clear the valve cover bump.

 

 

Of course, the moron cut the hole too big, so filled it w/ a piece of hard foam.

 

 

That's just one of many issues w/ swapping in a L-motor. So many that I'm probably putting a R16 in mine. Will decide once I have it on the road.

 

Contact Tana the Datsun Lady, Vindats1. She might be able to fix you up with a RL411 front suspension wheel to wheel with disc brakes and a type R 1600cc pushrod engine with the SU carbs. Bolt in except for a "do it yourself" cutting of a hole in the left front fender liner and fab of connecting inch and a half downpipe to the resonator / pre muffler. Just might be cheaper than finding a non-basket case rebuilt J13 to swap out.

Tana has a front cross-member that takes the R16 motor mounts, but not the front disc setup. I vaguely remember a set for sale recently; just don't remember where.

 

Don't believe Tana has a R16 motor or sale, but they're a dime-a-dozen. She does have the correct SU's w/ tilted intake manifold.

 

That said, sounds like it just needs a basic rebuild, which would be the cheapest option.

 

No pics of the rear. Are the tail light lenses round+rectangle or just a single rectangle?

[MikeRL411]

assuming you mean my car,

 

 

Note that the stock air filter and filter assembly from the roadster will not fit. Both the filter and housing for the RL411 are an inch shorter than the roadster equivalent.

 

Because of the room taken up by the alternator, the correct battery is the type 53 size. Used only on the 1964 Corvair, the Datsun RL411 and possibly, just possibly, some later Nissan pickups. Special order, but available. Honda sized batteries are abput the correct width but shorter so may not have the same ampere hour ratings. The hold down shown is an aftermarket Honda unit, the Datsun factory unit is a piece of bent up wire and with the original type 53 batteries severe acid fume leakage destroy them quickly, it also ate the Corvair which is why this size was dropped.

[ZackTheImpaler]

OIC dump