Anyone want to buy new 320 vent window rubbers?

[320waco]

Did you ever make the 320 vent seals. I would buy a set if you have access to them. Please contact me via email at gcassetta58@aol.com or 802 922 3183

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Pretty sure they never got out of the idea phase. Too much investment, too small sales potential.

[wayno]

We have looked into this several times, either one of us has to take the chance of getting ripped off by sending a lot of money to a foreign country and hoping they keep their end of the deal, or give some company in the USA an AWFUL LOT of money to make the molds here, which so far has come in at $4000. to $5000. a mold side.

We had a member on here that dealt in rubber parts for a living, he sent samples to his vendors in China, they didn't even want to to them over there, I believe that is the closest we ever came so far.

I sent a set of gaskets to Jordan, the guy I was talking to thought his relatives in Jordan might be able to send them to other relatives in Syria who might be able to do them(a few years ago), but then all this shit hit the fan over there, what I could not understand is why they sent the samples back, that had to be expensive, but they did send them back to me.

I also talked to a guy in Australia about it that has had wingwindow gaskets made for other vehicles, he is an Ebay vendor, he also wanted a bunch of money, but he had screwed others over that I know in the past(long story), so I decided to not take the chance. this vendor has a history of taking money and then for some reason the parts appear on ebay before you who paid to have the molds made can get yours, they sell them out the back door in Asia where this Australian vendor has them made, they make them with your molds, and sell them for less money than it cost you to have them made, as you have the mold costs to deal with.

I suspect that the only way we will get gaskets for are 320s is with a 3D printer that can make rubber parts, but again someone is going to have to fork out a lot of money for the program/CAD? design.

[KFunk740]

OK, Wayno, I have some ideas for different approaches.

 

Remember that we couldn't get the Mazda/Ford gaskets to fit because of the shape of the metal/grooves around the window frame?  Well, the way Datsun made window frames can't have been only used on Datsun 320s.  There have to be other manufacturers that used the same style stamped sheet metal.  I'd presume a Japanese manufacturer, but maybe even British (since Datsun borrowed so much from them for the 320's engine).

Once we compare some bare metal frames from various manufacturers and find one that made the same style frames, then we could then do measurements of the other dimensions.  Even if they're not exact, it probably wouldn't be extremely hard to make a cut or two to shorten one and seal it back together with an epoxy.  Not perfect, but could be better than nothing.

 

Also, could we find something similar from a different Datsun/Nissan model and cut it down and seal it back together to the right size?

 

Or, can we just find a big supplier (say Year One) and find a guy at the warehouse to just look through the racks and see what they can find that looks similar?

[difrangia]

Viet Nam and Thailand re-pop a lot of stuff for the Vespa scooters and also do restorations that get exported to US. Some of the stuff that I've seen is of fairly good quality. Some not.

 

Possibly a hook-up with someone importing restored Vespa/Lambrettas from the Far-East would be an avenue worth investigating.

 

I also realize that there are probably way more Vespa survivors of almost any given model than 320 pickups left in the world.

 

Or maybe it's just a vodka induced daydream??

 

Steve

[zed1]

Datsunlandsocal (http://www.datsunlandsocal.com) recently ventured into making Nissan Patrol rubber parts. Perhaps they could assist you with 320 parts.

Keith

[wayno]

OK, Wayno, I have some ideas for different approaches.

 

Remember that we couldn't get the Mazda/Ford gaskets to fit because of the shape of the metal/grooves around the window frame?  Well, the way Datsun made window frames can't have been only used on Datsun 320s.  There have to be other manufacturers that used the same style stamped sheet metal.  I'd presume a Japanese manufacturer, but maybe even British (since Datsun borrowed so much from them for the 320's engine).

Once we compare some bare metal frames from various manufacturers and find one that made the same style frames, then we could then do measurements of the other dimensions.  Even if they're not exact, it probably wouldn't be extremely hard to make a cut or two to shorten one and seal it back together with an epoxy.  Not perfect, but could be better than nothing.

 

Also, could we find something similar from a different Datsun/Nissan model and cut it down and seal it back together to the right size?

 

Or, can we just find a big supplier (say Year One) and find a guy at the warehouse to just look through the racks and see what they can find that looks similar?

 

I think a Mazda gasket would work on a L320, as the doors/window frames are made of regular metal like the Mazda frame, and the rear upright could be welded into the L320 metal frame, but the NL320 has a stainless steel window frame.

The thing is that the Mazda seal is likely not available anymore either, so there is no point chasing this avenue.

In the end, it will likely be easier to just convert over to a one piece door window without a wing window.

[twiztedintentions]

I'm running Mazda rubbers on my truck, it's one of the few things that I'm not happy with, converting to a full window would be the best route I would also think, but I like the way wing window looks. The Mazdas are much smaller than the Datsun wing rubbers, I tried many different techniques to stretch them but in my case they had to go too far and it started to tear the top triangle corner. I actually used two pair to make one pair..

[wayno]

I have a Mazda rubber installed on a 320 frame of mine also, but in the end it split a little at the top and bottom near the back uprights.

I think it could work on an L320 if one was to weld in the gasket mount to the 320 upright, but it would be a one at a time thing, and a new set/very good set of Mazda gaskets would be needed, they would need to be pliable enough to stretch.

[KFunk740]

I still do have that set of NOS Mazda gaskets (that we thought were 320, were actually Mazda).  I was actually thinking of putting them on ebay soon, since it seemed like I could still get $100 to $200 for them, and hey, I like money.  

[twiztedintentions]

KFunk740. Do you have a set price for the Mazda rubbers?

[KFunk740]

Honestly, it all seems rather silly to me for anyone to pay that much for anything rubber, but I could use a chunk of cash of to help with property taxes and homeowners insurance due soon.  By putting them on ebay, I was hoping the Mazda/Courier guys doing restos might use them properly, if those kinda folks exist (and pay more), and I wouldn't feel as bad if they set their own ginormous price.  

[difrangia]

What Mazda are the window seals for?

[KFunk740]

Mazda REPU, B2000, and Ford Courier, I think.  

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Digging up an old thread.

 

I was speaking with a friend yesterday, asking him some advice on getting a 3D printer. We got to talking about its many uses and he told me that he uses his to make prototype parts for a cold air intake company. After they OK the part, he then uses the 3D printed part to help design and machine the mold.

 

So this got me thinking. I know some of you here on Ratsun have experience with 3D printers. Since a good portion of the expense of making new rubbers is in the prototyping phase, would someone here be willing to 3D print the prototype part? After a test fit, we could then send it off to someone like my friend and have him make the mold. With a mold in hand, it would be a lot easier to find someone who could pour the new rubbers. I asked my friend if his intake customer could cast the window rubbers and he said he'd look into it.

 

It's a lead...

[wayno]

One day this will happen, maybe this time, a lot of false starts, I even sent a set of decent wingwindow gaskets to Jordan, they were going to try and make them across the border in Syria, but then a bunch of shit went down over there and they sent the gaskets back to me.

[320 Newb]

Fingers crossed this is the time. I'm about to tear down my 320 to send it out for paint. 

[Marouk]

I'm still working on it...having started what must be over to 18 months ago now. Progress has really slowed of late due to 'distractions' in business (Google Fuji Xerox scandal if you want to see how the next wolf of wall st script will look).

 

I have scanned rubbers, revised the file, and even made a prototype mold. The rubber we tried to pour failed on us and with every excuse to avoid persisting on this - i have let the distractions win for now.  The rubber compound for pouring is the current block i need to research to move it forward. I'm trying to avoid high pressure injection to get the economics of low scale production - but i'm learning every aspect of rubber as i go. I'm well over $10K in for the scanner, print, and wasted attempts to date. I'll get there eventually if someone doesn't beat me to it. It isn't a commercial effort for me - rather i like playing with cars in my downtime and the problem solving it brings... and this is certainly testing my patience. 

 

No forecast on when it will be finished. I have time off over Christmas, but unless someone knows of a pour-able rubber compound and can point me to it sooner - that is probably the next window for me to look hard at it.

 

Cheers...Phil

[Conner]

I have made simple parts out of Devcon Flexane.  

 

http://www.devcon.com/products/products.cfm?family=Flexane%C2%AE%2080%20Liquid

 

There is an additive you can use to lower the durometer to suit your application.  

 

http://www.devcon.com/products/products.cfm?family=Flex-Add%E2%84%A2

 

 

[320 Newb]

I'm still working on it...having started what must be over to 18 months ago now. Progress has really slowed of late due to 'distractions' in business (Google Fuji Xerox scandal if you want to see how the next wolf of wall st script will look).

 

I have scanned rubbers, revised the file, and even made a prototype mold. The rubber we tried to pour failed on us and with every excuse to avoid persisting on this - i have let the distractions win for now.  The rubber compound for pouring is the current block i need to research to move it forward. I'm trying to avoid high pressure injection to get the economics of low scale production - but i'm learning every aspect of rubber as i go. I'm well over $10K in for the scanner, print, and wasted attempts to date. I'll get there eventually if someone doesn't beat me to it. It isn't a commercial effort for me - rather i like playing with cars in my downtime and the problem solving it brings... and this is certainly testing my patience. 

 

No forecast on when it will be finished. I have time off over Christmas, but unless someone knows of a pour-able rubber compound and can point me to it sooner - that is probably the next window for me to look hard at it.

 

Cheers...Phil

 

You my friend are a hero. Thanks for sticking with it! 

[mklotz70]

I have made simple parts out of Devcon Flexane.  

 

http://www.devcon.com/products/products.cfm?family=Flexane%C2%AE%2080%20Liquid

 

There is an additive you can use to lower the durometer to suit your application.  

 

http://www.devcon.com/products/products.cfm?family=Flex-Add%E2%84%A2

...so that's an 80 durometer?  Just as another option.....energy suspensions has a DIY kit for making motor mounts and I'm pretty sure it's 80 duro as well.  No clue if they have any different hardness options.  

 

Phil......I'm very curious as to what type of scanner you have.

[Conner]

That version is 80, yes. They have another one which I believe is 94. When I poured some air cleaner to carburetor gaskets I used the 80 and the additive to lower the durometer to around 60, which seemed about right for those.

[Marouk]

...so that's an 80 durometer?  Just as another option.....energy suspensions has a DIY kit for making motor mounts and I'm pretty sure it's 80 duro as well.  No clue if they have any different hardness options.  

 

Phil......I'm very curious as to what type of scanner you have.

For this I used the einscan pro (light scanner) with good results. Also have a faro scan arm for work that is more suited to laser scanning.

[mklotz70]

I'd love to see some examples of the results you're getting with the scanner.  I just googled it.  Nice to see that it's not $10k!  

[Marouk]

I'd love to see some examples of the results you're getting with the scanner.  I just googled it.  Nice to see that it's not $10k!

 

I'm on the run today (karting state titles this weekend) but will post up some images when home next. It's a good device the einscan ($6k locally) and while I can't use it to measure wear, I can use it for sizing and part replacement. The faro is $50k... but not necessarily ten times better. It's used for part wear management.