Kingman Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Hey y'all, new guy here. I've got a 1976 620 that I purchased from the original owner. This truck has well over 400K miles on it and still runs amazingly strong - always starts up first crank. It's definitely not stock, either. List of what's on it now: L20b Twin SU carbs SSS head and cam Electronic distributor Headers 2.25" exhaust Oil cooler 1.5" lowering blocks Gauges from a Datsun roadster in a custom wood dash piece Reupholstered seats, door panels, and headliner Z-car 5-speed transmission Competition clutch Lightened flywheel Electric fans and 40% oversize radiator Single headlights 65W low 135W highs Intermittent windshield wiper relays Dual shocks in the rear, two air shocks and two standard shocks Dual fuel tanks Whatever wheels Now most of this stuff was done when the truck was only a few years old, including the paint job. It's been used as a utility truck it's entire life and I've seen it haul loads that would make a full size truck quiver. This truck won't die and I wouldn't hesitate to take it on a long road trip. It's in need of a restoration which I fully intend to do, at one time this was a show truck and was stunning. With it came new doors, brand-new never mounted tailgate, fenders, rear quarter panels, like-new dash, spare parts, poly bushings, higher geared rear axle, etc. Engine parts I need to purchase separately. They include all new bearings, high compression (flat top) overbore pistons, aggressive cam, massive valves, larger SU carbs, couple of different heads, higher flowing oil pump, etc. I plan on running the flat top pistons with a rebuilt SSS head for around 10-10.5:1 CR. The color on it now is Toyota brown with a lot of gold pearlescents. The paint on the inside of the doors is perfect and looks good, so I'll repaint it in that color and have the wheels redone. And definitely some disk brakes up front at least! Quote Link to comment
hellamikey Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Nice score! Also, I wanna see more of that 4x4! Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 i love that dash Quote Link to comment
Kingman Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Lol. '78, Dana 44 rear, Dana 35 front, Jeep transfer case, Nap-Z24, 5-speed transmission, GMC 1-ton disk brakes, 25 gallon fuel cell in the bed. All done on a drunken night 15 years ago by his dad. Good truck. It started as a 2WD automatic. Quote Link to comment
Wide14u Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 look at all that suspension on there Quote Link to comment
jesus620 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Really digging that wood gauge bezel. Quote Link to comment
Kingman Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 I like it a lot. It's made from plywood that's been burned and stained. The speedo doesn't work so the tach is hooked up as a substitute. It sort of works, it's about 10MPH off... and at 100MPH+ the needle is at like 3,000RPM after going all the way around lol. I have gauges from an Alpha Romeo that look very similar to go in. Quote Link to comment
hellamikey Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Lol. '78, Dana 44 rear, Dana 35 front, Jeep transfer case, Nap-Z24, 5-speed transmission, GMC 1-ton disk brakes, 25 gallon fuel cell in the bed. All done on a drunken night 15 years ago by his dad. Good truck. It started as a 2WD automatic. do want. so bad. my god. Quote Link to comment
Farmer Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 That dash is awesome. Both are nice 620's Larry Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Nice trucks, dig the 4x4 :D Quote Link to comment
dedrick Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 I love the dash! Welcome to another 76'er! Quote Link to comment
Kingman Posted July 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 She's a good bitch. Had to drill big holes in the bed rail, what a shame... Quote Link to comment
Kingman Posted October 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Spent all day trying to tune the SU carbs on the '76. Both floats went bad within 2 weeks, one right after the other. The rear float failed pretty hard yesterday so fuel was pouring out of the overflow right onto the header... in Portland rush hour traffic. I had to do some modifying at Baxters after limping it there to get the truck home without catching on fire. I couldn't get the carbs to adjust right at all no matter how many times I tried and it seemed to have a pretty solid misfire. Lots of backfiring (missing some arm hair lol) and confusing symptoms. I thought/think there's something wrong with the front carb as it was the hardest to get close. Then I pulled the plugs and saw that the NO. 1 cylinder park plug electrode got smashed somehow... not really sure what that's all about. :blink: The plugs are only a few months old, so this is recent. I went and got a new plug, and of course only one instead of a spare or two, like a dumbass. Then I made myself even more of a dumbass by getting in a hurry and cross threading the NO. 2 plug hole. So now I gotta fix that too. Hopefully I can get it running good tomorrow. 4 out of 4 plugs firing should definitely help things a bit. Damn Datsuns. Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 NAPZ motor look like a L motor to me with the 4x4? Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted October 13, 2011 Report Share Posted October 13, 2011 Love the rims on the 4x4, I have a few myself. Quote Link to comment
1lo620 Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 a survivor..ya..Cool looking dash!!! Quote Link to comment
Kingman Posted October 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 NAPZ motor look like a L motor to me with the 4x4? It's a Z24. Actually popped the valve cover off for the first time in 15 years and it was amazingly clean inside there, like new almost. Chevron oil does work! All of the valves were in spec (set to .010" previously) but I think the timing chain tensioner is what's been making a pretty decent rattle. The little truck was running perfect for about a half hour after I fixed the carbs and shit. Then it cut out and started misfiring suddenly under load but after a few minutes of idling it smooths out, until it's put under load again. It won't do any more than 40MPH at the moment. First time the thing has given any trouble besides the POS Schucks starters failing. Quote Link to comment
crackerjack69 Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 i love that dash X2, that dash is saaaweeet!! Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 i like this truck! i kinda like the 2 headlight setup, only if you have a grill to match.... Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Stock bore L20B, flattops, 219 head is 10.7 compression. Over bore is even higher. Quote Link to comment
broncosfan1 Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 It's a Z24. ... The little truck was running perfect for about a half hour after I fixed the carbs and shit. Then it cut out and started misfiring suddenly under load but after a few minutes of idling it smooths out, until it's put under load again. It won't do any more than 40MPH at the moment. First time the thing has given any trouble besides the POS Schucks starters failing. Sounds like the same symptoms as my 86 720 with z24. Turned out to be blown head gasket between 3 & 4 cylinders. Compression check should tell you if that's your problem. Good luck. Quote Link to comment
Kingman Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 i like this truck! i kinda like the 2 headlight setup, only if you have a grill to match.... Thanks. I prefer the two lights over four. Gives it a meaner look and makes it a little different than the rest. I've got a few grilles that would look good, but I'll have to do some modifying... or hell a nice fat intercooler would look good between the lights too... Sounds like the same symptoms as my 86 720 with z24. Turned out to be blown head gasket between 3 & 4 cylinders. Compression check should tell you if that's your problem. Good luck. Thanks man. I've been keeping an eye on it, no irregularities in compression, and at the moment it seems like it's just not getting fuel yet it smells rich out the exhaust. I guess the head is relatively fresh. If I barely use the throttle at all it runs "fine" but instant misfire and hesitation when I give it the slightest bit more throttle to accelerate. When I start it in the morning with 3/4 choke it runs silk for about 10 seconds then it starts to run bad. When it's warm it'll start first crank and idle fine, the problem is pretty much only when I drive it. I switched fuel tanks, no change. Damper oil is good but the rear piston seems to go up a lot slower than the front. Might be the issue? I'll probably put new rods in, maybe one of the check valves is bad. Revving it with no load makes it miss a little. If I drive it at like 20MPH in 4th gear, low RPM, I can give it a lot of gas and it doesn't sputter until the revs build. It's mainly so annoying because it suddenly started running like shit, not gradually. Perfect one second and the next it's shit. I'm tearing my Pathfinder apart and I need this as a DD for the time being. I also have to do work with it. I'm not good with SUs at all. Never messed with them before and I used an old original translated Datsun sports car service manual. Idle/revving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw88L5KYlgY Driving: *3,500RPM on the tach is about 26-27MPH* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0dOi9ou5h0 Quote Link to comment
jon521 Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Thanks. I prefer the two lights over four. Gives it a meaner look and makes it a little different than the rest. I've got a few grilles that would look good, but I'll have to do some modifying... or hell a nice fat intercooler would look good between the lights too... i believe this was a chevy nova grill? if i remember correctly he didnt have room for headlights, so he made it all grill. you could do somethings similar, just cut it shorter so it fits between your headlights. Quote Link to comment
Cethern Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Those carb's look to be Hitachi not quite a true SU they were more of a emission carb than anything else the 73 240Z got them and so did the 260Z's. Most ppl went and got the older 240 SU's there are a 3 bolt dome and a 4 bolt dome the 4 is said to be the better of the bunch because you can adjust it more. Syncing the carb's is not overly hard you should use the carb tool to get the balance right, When I did my 240Z I went and bought a video, or borrowed one just to make sure I was on the right path lol Good luck I'm sure you'll get it figured out. Quote Link to comment
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