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1964 Datsun NL320


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This is a really nice pickup, considering it came the ridgefield wa. area it is in really good shape from what I can tell, thumbs up for getting it on the road so fast, considering it sat so long. What size wheels/tires are on it? I see the passinger side door has no door key lock, it's weird/strange, I have one like that also, but have another one with the key lock on both doors.

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This is a really nice pickup, considering it came the ridgefield wa. area it is in really good shape from what I can tell, thumbs up for getting it on the road so fast, considering it sat so long. What size wheels/tires are on it? I see the passinger side door has no door key lock, it's weird/strange, I have one like that also, but have another one with the key lock on both doors.

 

14x7 +0 offset with 235/55R14.

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So an update.

 

I've been very busy with the truck. Friday and Saturday I worked on it a lot! I had to replace the clutch slave cylinder, brake master cylinder, thermostat, coolant bypass hose, and water pump. I also flushed all the rust and whatever was left of anything inside the engine. While replacing the theromstat both of the housing bolts broke off. I had to get one out with vicegrips, while the other I had to use an easy-out set. All in all, I got the thermostat changed and the overheating issue fixed. Then it started leaking large amounts of coolant. So I tracked that down to the water pump weep hole. Ordered it in, got it installed and problem solved.

 

So sunday I took it out and drove it all over the place. I drove it to Salt Lake City (nearly 40 miles) and it drove great until the battery died. I found out the hard way that the generator isn't charging the battery. So I left it at my friend's house. Yesterday (Monday) I called in sick to work because of a migraine. After taking some good meds and feeling much better I went down to figure out what was going on. I found out that the generator is not putting out any voltage. I figure that that is the problem. I am planning on pulling the generator and having it rebuilt and also taking in the voltage regulator just to be safe.

 

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!

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You got off easy on your T-stat housing! To get the long bolt out of mine I had to dremmel down the entire side of the lower housing! Many a ratsuner has cursed at what should be a 5-min job (changing the t-stat) being turned into a marathon! If there ever was a case for using antisieze, this is one! Anywhere these steel bolts are screwed into aluminum, the weird whitish corrosion seems to happen.

 

Wish I could be more help on the generator! Alas electrics are far from my area of expertise!

 

TstatHousing.jpg

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You got off easy on your T-stat housing! To get the long bolt out of mine I had to dremmel down the entire side of the lower housing! Many a ratsuner has cursed at what should be a 5-min job (changing the t-stat) being turned into a marathon! If there ever was a case for using antisieze, this is one! Anywhere these steel bolts are screwed into aluminum, the weird whitish corrosion seems to happen.

 

Wish I could be more help on the generator! Alas electrics are far from my area of expertise!

 

TstatHousing.jpg

 

I didn't even try to get the lower housing off. I figured that it would be the same story as the upper housing/coolant neck.

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The NL is a positive ground rig....unless yours has been converted. A Toyota Celica alt is fair cheap and puts out 65A....and it's small enough to fit. Not an easy swap since you'll probably have to make or mod a bracket and then do some rewiring. Would be a good time to do it. It would require converting to negative ground, but the only thing that will affect is your radio. If you're going to keep it fairly stock...no huge speakes, amps, etc.....then just put another generator back in. You might research how to polarize the generator.

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The NL is a positive ground rig....unless yours has been converted. A Toyota Celica alt is fair cheap and puts out 65A....and it's small enough to fit. Not an easy swap since you'll probably have to make or mod a bracket and then do some rewiring. Would be a good time to do it. It would require converting to negative ground, but the only thing that will affect is your radio. If you're going to keep it fairly stock...no huge speakes, amps, etc.....then just put another generator back in. You might research how to polarize the generator.

 

 

so how would i know if i have this the wrong way? the battery cables only fit one way. would the battery not charge if I have the polarity reversed?

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I am not sure. I think if they were hooked up wrong there is a chance of some stuff frying. Usually radios get it. (Though they can be converted.) My 1959 datsun has positive ground. The positive terminal goes to the engine block.There are websites out there that tell you how to reverse polarity. I don't remember it being very complicated.

 

Since your's is converted to a L engine, I wonder if your Uncle (or was it cousin) looked into that?

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As Fisch suggested, the biggest, and really the only issue, is with the radios. Everything else should operate normally. I've read up on it in the past, for my ex's Nash Metropolitan, and it was stupid easy to convert from pos to neg ground. Look it up, but I think all you do is change the battery cables, and the wires on the coil....plus the radio.

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I forgot you have an L series in there. Since it looks like you have a stock volt reg in there, it's probably still pos ground.

 

When you look at the schematic, the radio provides a direct short to ground through the antenna....so if you hook them up backwards, you will get a nice arc at the battery term. To be safe, unplug the antenna from the back of the radio. Other than the radio, the rest of the car will not notice the conversion. Generators have weak output at idle and slow speeds....alternators are much better for constant volts. Since you have an L...you could just get a stock Alt bracket to put one in....just check your clearance to the steering idler.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Quick Update.

 

Sent my generator to be rebuilt. Apparently, I need a new one.

 

Put new brake shoes. Front and rear. PITA.

 

I am currently waiting for my Offenhauser dual plane intake manifold to arrive.

 

I installed my Weber 32/36 carb that I purchased on here. Runs great.

 

I'm trying to source a decent street/strip cam to go with the carb.

 

Also looking for a header.

 

I plan on buffing and polishing chrome tomorrow.

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I would change it over to negitive ground and use an alternator, but that's just me. It makes things a lot simpler if you want to have a modern sound system.

It's too tight of a fit. I already tried to put an alternator. Plus, this thing doesn't even have a stereo or speakers.

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So this last week I did a lot of work to the 320.

 

Installed Offenhauser intake manifold which required me to go to the junk yard and find an exhaust manifold without an intake manifold heater thingy. This was a genuine pain in the ass. But, I did find a Matchbox electronic distributor and corresponding coil. So I installed it and converted it to electronic ignition. It runs so smooth now. I also took it to our local UtahNissans dyno day! It put down a whopping 57 HP and 75 lbs. of torque. Albeit uncorrected for altitude and temperature. So it should really be in the ballpark of about 80-85 HP and 90-100 lbs. of torque.

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  • 1 month later...

any hints or tips im going to put th L20 with 5spd extractors and twin su's into a 64 L320 :) ive never played with a 320 before so i have no idea where to start really lol

 

The L20B is even taller deck height than the L18. That may be a problem as my valve cover nearly comes in contact with the firewall right now. Also, SU's may hit the steering shaft that runs the entire length of the engine bay. But ultimately these are just speculations. Good luck

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  • 4 weeks later...

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