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[Bart-Barbara]

Making progress. Goes to shop this week for mechanical fine tuning. Here's where we are so far...

 

My link

 

[Bart-Barbara]

Sorry bout that... Will post pics this weekend.

AC pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bart-Barbara]

Here's where we are at one the month mark - mechanical & electrical sound but going to shop for AC charge and to straighten driveline. Spent the last two weeks (after work) straightening body. This weekend we finished a second block prime and sand. Almost ready for paint... Still have the lower panel to do but it must come off to get it right. Will work on it while it's at the mechanic.

 

 

 

 

 

[gcmustang]

looking good. Keep the progress and pictures coming. Love the AC. I want one. lol

[73dat]

love it looking good...... :cool:

[erichwaslike]

i love this thing. u are making way better progress than i cood ever dream of in a month.

[Bart-Barbara]

Thanks for the compliments everyone. We're having allot of fun, and we know not to take breaks from a project cause sometimes it's hard to gear back up. Barring any snags we should be done in another month or so... hope I didn't just jinx ourselves. lol

[AZhitman]

Thanks for the compliments everyone. We're having allot of fun, and we know not to take breaks from a project cause sometimes it's hard to gear back up. Barring any snags we should be done in another month or so... hope I didn't just jinx ourselves. lol

 

Oh WOW.

 

Do you know what I would give for that AC unit?!?!?!

 

Now I'm on a mission. B & B, if you think of it, I'd love to have more pics of that unit (all sides), as well as the other components. My 411 is done, and I can drive it year-round if it has AC.

 

Love the progress you;re making - good work saving another one!

[erichwaslike]

Oh WOW.

 

Do you know what I would give for that AC unit?!?!?!

 

Now I'm on a mission. B & B, if you think of it, I'd love to have more pics of that unit (all sides), as well as the other components. My 411 is done, and I can drive it year-round if it has AC.

 

Love the progress you;re making - good work saving another one!

 

no fair i called dibs first...

 

but if it ever comes up for sale im sure u wood get it over me, uve got slightly deeper pocket to invest into ur datsuns than i do

[hang_510]

welcome.

 

likin the progress!

[Bart-Barbara]

Never thought of the AC being that big a deal, we just used it. Now y'all got me thinking to see who, where, when and of course how did they squeeze it in. It's a Borg Warner compressor, Fridgette (interior) controls, condenser is mounted in front of the radiator and the hoses neatly wrap around and through the engine compartment. I'll do some research and see what I can find out and will send more detailed pics. Some fabrication is obviously needed to mount all that is required.

[Bart-Barbara]

Just shy of 8 weeks and this is where we are at. Not showing off, but keeping many of you that are interested in our progress and/or have helped with info and a few parts.

Two important discoveries -

1) those interested in the AC. Still researching but this was a all-pro install. If you would like more pics like routed lines, condenser, lower pulley, etc. will be glad to post. MOST IMPORTANT!!! If you choose do go with AC make sure it is a newer 134A or later. Ours takes the now that I know infamous R-12 refrigerant. Hard to find, and expensive to recharge.

 

2) We test drove it with the old tires, got on the the freeway for a short 1 mile on and off and thought it was gonna EXPLODE!!!! So we shopped, measured and found a set of 185/70/14 and were pretty comfortable with what we found (see pic) for 200.00. The tires are new and the rims a very clean (but not new). It now goes down the road just fine. BUT!!! They fit tight in the wheel wells and on tight turns or bumps the tires do touch. Interestingly enough, they do no damage to the tire or the body. The permanent fix is mounting a set of 185/60/14 which are the exact height of the previous tire 185/70/13.

 

Anyway here it is. We are going to drive it for a month or so before painting and doing up the inside. Oh, and as good as it runs and tight on the road, the milage of 71,000 just might be correct. Engine number, body stamp Vin.# match ID plate.

 

[Z chopper]

that looks great, I am impressed. do all 4 tires end up touching fender? maybe just change the front to 185/60/14 and leave the rears if they don't touch in bumps or cornering

[Bart-Barbara]

that looks great, I am impressed. do all 4 tires end up touching fender? maybe just change the front to 185/60/14 and leave the rears if they don't touch in bumps or cornering

Thanks for the compliment. My wife and I are really enjoying this project.

 

To answer your question, yes, all four do touch but not in a bad way (more annoying). The back wheels barely touch the wells (on bumps) but only on the tread portion of tire (no side wall and no sharp edges) and no damage. The fronts only touch if the front wheels are fully turned and on a curb, like turning into our driveway. Going down the road there is no rub on front and light touches on the back. It's not dangerous or that bad, but enough to get the right tires on it.

 

The tire shop shows the 185/70/14 at 24.2 inches overall height. The 185/60/14 is 22.4 inches

 

 

[Bart-Barbara]

Thanks for the compliment. My wife and I are really enjoying this project.

 

To answer your question, yes, all four do touch but not in a bad way (more annoying). The back wheels barely touch the wells (on bumps) but only on the tread portion of tire (no side wall and no sharp edges) and no damage. The fronts only touch if the front wheels are fully turned and on a curb, like turning into our driveway. Going down the road there is no rub on front and light touches on the back. It's not dangerous or that bad, but enough to get the right tires on it.

 

The tire shop shows the 185/70/14 at 24.2 inches overall height. The 185/60/14 is 22.4 inches

 

 

Correction on the size - 195/70/14 & 195/60/14

 

 

 

 

[MikeRL411]

Correction on the size - 195/70/14 & 195/60/14

 

If you still have, or get later, the original 13 inch steel wheels, P155/80R13 have very near the original sidewall tread height, a bit more width for road grip, and go along with the Sears Roadhandler Performance gas shocks I installed on my RL411. These radial tires and gas shocks give a great ride and look stock. As a bonus, the speedometer reads correctly.

[AZhitman]

Never thought of the AC being that big a deal, we just used it. Now y'all got me thinking to see who, where, when and of course how did they squeeze it in. It's a Borg Warner compressor, Fridgette (interior) controls, condenser is mounted in front of the radiator and the hoses neatly wrap around and through the engine compartment. I'll do some research and see what I can find out and will send more detailed pics. Some fabrication is obviously needed to mount all that is required.

 

Please and pretty please! :)

 

I'm a real proponent of 14" wheels on a 411. Better tire choices and load rating, and a 185/70 on early Roadster steelies fits nicely with no rubbing.

[Bart-Barbara]

If you still have, or get later, the original 13 inch steel wheels, P155/80R13 have very near the original sidewall tread height, a bit more width for road grip, and go along with the Sears Roadhandler Performance gas shocks I installed on my RL411. These radial tires and gas shocks give a great ride and look stock. As a bonus, the speedometer reads correctly.

The spare is the original 155/80/13. A bit of a problem now is that they are (the 13" wheels) slowing being phased out and the ones you can get are pricey. The other problem with the bigger tire is that it will not allow the spare compartment lid to fully close. the original tire will fit but is unrepairable, so I will try and find one. And the only reason I went with the mag wheels is to get something on it to smooth out the ride, until I can find stock hubcaps and then mount original tires of the stock rims.

[Bart-Barbara]

Please and pretty please! :)

 

I'm a real proponent of 14" wheels on a 411. Better tire choices and load rating, and a 185/70 on early Roadster steelies fits nicely with no rubbing.

 

I will take any and all pics of AC that will help get some AC is these old beauties. Coming soon... My mechanic believes this AC system is so clean it must have been some dealer type install. He said they would send a box of parts for the dealer to install as an aftermarket kit. Will try to find out more...

 

And yes, the 14" steelies are preferable but I'm planning on just finding a set of original hubcaps and have both sets to use for the life of the car.

 

 

 

 

 

[AZhitman]

B & B - I met a rep this past week at SEMA from the company that produced that old AC system... When you get detailed pics, he said they *MAY* have some parts still laying about.

 

Hope all is well and she's not eating up too much of the budget!

[danfiveten]

IF theres enough ac parts to go around that would be awsome if they had alot of old parts in stock. I just like how it looks. Makes me cant wait till i tear into the SSS and then restore the wagon im getting to.