Little Miss Sunshine

[djlotus]

Didn't hesitate digging in did ya? Looks like that car is in good hands. Keep up the progress!

 

 

Also, let's see the omni.

[strang3majik]

Thank you again David...I'll do that with the fuse box, and those harnesses will be rewrapped and installed in short order once they get here :)

 

And, thanks guys...I'm trying the best I can...haha. Got the floor and trunk floor wire wheeled and painted with rustoleum black tonight, and while that was drying, I peeled a bunch of undercoating off and decided to take a look at the rear suspension.

 

While checking that out, I took a good look at the rear shock to notice something very familiar.....so.....up the back end of the omni went, sure enough, my 1985 Dodge Omni strut with a Skunk 2 coilover sleeve and spring on it pretty much plopped right in. Just have to trim the top of the strut hat and knock the stock omni bottom bushing out. So...needless to say, this car will have Dodge Omni struts on the back of it in the near future :D

 

Anyway, most of whats left I'm just waiting for parts to get here. I could drop the engine in, but, I'm in need of a throwout bearing :/ Rockauto a good place to get those? But, she'll be running soon. I'm aiming to have it at least idling and maybe moving under its own power by Wednesday.

 

But...pics are uploading...also added a little detail that I think adds to its Ratty-ness :cool: I didn't do a very good job, but, adds character, and for some reason looks like its been there since the 70s...hahah

[strang3majik]

As she sits now

 

 

My special mod :)

 

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

Nice clean seats

 

 

All new brake lines/clutch line

 

 

And, the Dodge Omni strut on a 510 :)

 

 

 

And since you wanted a picture of the Omni.... :P Most recent shot I have back in Oct...I have a 40k mile GLHS motor for it that was dynoed at 192hp/220tq on 14psi. Weight is similar to the 510 only its fail wheel drive...should be fun though :) I have all the original documentation and got it from the original owner in FL...she parked it cause the a/c quit working in 1994...lol You can see more recent shots of it in the background of the 510...its almost ready for paint.

 

[djlotus]

Nice

[Dirttrack510]

 

 

I remember when these were new. Hot Rod magazine did a race track test between this car and a 1965 Ford GT500 Mustang and the Shelby GLHS kicked the Mustangs ass on the race track, because it revved up so fast and out handled it so well. :rofl:

[strang3majik]

Its a fun car...and whats coolest about it is pretty much every FWD dodge's parts interchange.....so yeah, its got Minivan front brakes and Le Baron rear discs :) One guy on the Turbo-mopar forum has a picture of his Rampage doing an endo with this brake upgrade...hahaha But, got that one from the original owner, as I said. All the original documentation down to the window sticker and the temp tag she drove it home with. And, from what little I've driven it thus far (before I pulled the engine and started sanding it down) it handles very well. Has typical FWD handling problems, but is fun nonetheless. Not to mention its a 1 of 125 that came in that color and carburated (its the GLH, originally a high compression 2.2)...I'm keeping all the original stuff, just doing the turbo swap for more fun.

 

Sorry for the novel...but, As you can tell, from the Omni to the 510...I tend to have a soft spot for all things off the wall :P

 

Anyway...back to the Datsun...got A LOT done tonight...and am still buttoning a few things up. Got the floors taken care of and have the dash harness in...still installing the rear harness, then I'll do the engine bay and put the interior back in. I'm a late night worker, so...I'll try and get all that done.

 

But, the new harnesses are going in perfectly and are in great shape. Thanks again David!!! I may even try and put some power to it and see what all works in it :)

 

Once again...pics later. :cool:

[Dirttrack510]

Before I had the "Race Wagon" I raced with a Dodge shadow and it was the same chassis as your Omni, and yeah... Tons of interchangeable parts. I totaled that race car, I hit the wall at 70+ miles per hour in turn 4 of the race track. I hit so hard I broke the transmission in half and broke the ears off the block that the tranny mounted to, not to mention bending the crap outta the front frame rails. I was sore for weeks :o Here's a link to a photo of it on the track.

 

http://www.i55photos.com/2009-Racing-Season/Weekly-Show-5-9-09/UMP-DIRTcar-4-Cylinders-AARA/8160235_TdbCXt#!i=532679086&k=9wwLY&lb=1&s=XL

 

Here's a link to a pic of the "race wagon" on the track.

http://www.i55photos.com/2010-Racing-Season/Regular-Show-5-8-10/UMP-DIRTcar-AARA-Pro-4-Stocks/12116257_gQnLw3#!i=861322226&k=5MmmJ&lb=1&s=XL

[strang3majik]

^^^Don't bang that wagon up like that shadow...hahaha. But, cool! I know guys love those 2.2s for that stuff cause they're hard to kill.

 

Well, got a bunch more done today...still pecking away at it. Got sound deadening down on the floor and the rest of the harnesses in. Going to finish up a couple things and the engine will be ready to drop in :)

 

But...got all the electric hooked up, and...found a major problem...only the brake lights, radio, and buzzer worked. Couldn't figure it out...then I saw the plug beneath the steering column, but, it was unplugged before...didn't think anything of it.

 

Took a better look....freaken ignition switch is gone! Lol. The key part is there but the actual switch is not. Not sure why thats missing :/ But, hardwired, everything appears to work correctly. Nothings smoked, popped a fuse, or caught fire, so...so far so good...lol

[qwik510]

Pretty sure I have an ignition sw.

[strang3majik]

Let me know David...not sure where this one got to??? Kinda a random thing to be missing...lol

 

But, figured out a big part of my wiring problem...amazing what a good ground can do <_< I guess without the good ground, everything was trying to ground through other wires making it act funny.

 

But...got the interior almost buttoned up. Have to clean the mats, finish wiring the radio, and put the seats back in. But, sound deadening is in place and carpet in, and dash back together :) And, yes...thats Wal-mart auto carpet and a Conquest shift boot...but...whatever :P

 

Also, got the brake system about done...but, question, before I go damaging anything, do you pull these brake drums? Or the old fashion bang on the hub til they break loose method? Lol

 

But...here's some pics. Motor is being put together tomorrow...may even end up in it. Hoping for it to run thursday :D

 

 

 

 

:cool:

[qwik510]

Let me know David...not sure where this one got to??? Kinda a random thing to be missing...lol

 

But, figured out a big part of my wiring problem...amazing what a good ground can do <_< I guess without the good ground, everything was trying to ground through other wires making it act funny.

 

But...got the interior almost buttoned up. Have to clean the mats, finish wiring the radio, and put the seats back in. But, sound deadening is in place and carpet in, and dash back together :) And, yes...thats Wal-mart auto carpet and a Conquest shift boot...but...whatever :P

 

Also, got the brake system about done...but, question, before I go damaging anything, do you pull these brake drums? Or the old fashion bang on the hub til they break loose method? Lol

 

But...here's some pics. Motor is being put together tomorrow...may even end up in it. Hoping for it to run thursday :D

 

 

 

 

:cool:

 

Tyler,

 

LOOKING GOOD! Man are you making progress. There are threaded holes in the brake drums where you can screw in a bolt to help remove them. Get two bolts and use both holes doing a little at a time alternately to each bolt to get the drum to come off evenly.

 

I will see about the ing. sw this evening.

[denis.drc]

But, theres good and bad news...to start with the bad, from right at the fuse box to the ignition swithc, wires are burned. But, the good news, after unwrapping the harness, it seems the damage stayed pretty much to the one set of wires. Also, more good news is, these things have the easiest dash to remove I've ever seen. I probabaly had the thing down to the skeleton in maybe 10 minutes...and I've never done it before in one of these...hahaha.

 

Anyway, here's the scary pictures. If anyone has any advice or input, I'd highly appreciate it. If these wires are just to the a/c system that will never be back in it...i'll just rip them out and not even bother replacing them.

 

But...here you go...starting in the engine bay...

 

 

Now, inside...

 

 

 

 

Appears the radio was jsut sitting there...not hooked up.

 

 

And...after the unwrapping...

 

What I believe are the culprits (by the steering column) No idea what they're to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ugh. I hate electrical crap.

 

 

Funny, my 510's dash harness looked exactly the same...maybe even worse!

I ended up fixing it instead of replacing, just to save myself time lost during shipping....

Sounds like a few replacement units are available to you...JUMP ON THEM...wiring repairs are annoying when replacement parts are available and are CHEAP. :cool:

[strang3majik]

Wiring is all good now...everything works it seems...hahaha. All because of a little ground. :/

 

But...got the rest of the interior in...just need to find the home of the red wire with a blue stripe. If I apply power to it, the Charge light comes on in the dash, and the fuel gauge moves to about 1/8th tank...so...I have a feeling its supposed to have power...I just don't know where, its part of a plug??? Also...what about the green one? They're not on the diagram :blink:

 

Well, here's a pic and one of the interior :)

 

 

The red-blue one and the green one. The other one on the plug was the blue for the radio...but, I don't have a stock radio.

 

[strang3majik]

Well...new master cylinder installed...I think I need all new brakes though, and I think I just may due to full upgrade (rear disc, 280zx fronts) instead of fixing the original stuff. Everything else is new (hard and rubber lines, master cylinder), so...why not do the other stuff to. And, I think I can fab my own bracket for the rear conversion...that simple thing isn't worth $90...lol

 

The left rear drum was empty when I removed it (no hardware or pads), and both drums are toast.

 

But...tried bleeding all the others...right rear works...front brakes have fluid going to them, but I can't get them to work...I have a feeling they're clogged inside and froze. I loosened them up and doused them in brake cleaner till it came out clear...but...idk.

 

Anyway...massive clean of the garage last night...got the interior pretty much buttoned up (still have to paint the tops of the doors, rear part...etc. But...all is together. And...anyone know about that wire above? Its red with a green stripe...not red with blue as the picture makes it look...located behind the radio.

 

But...pics...

 

 

And...one from when I turned it around last night preparing to drop the engine in :)

 

 

Engine/trans will go in Monday night...hell, may even run :)

[skyblue]

damn dude. great progress. will be watching

[strang3majik]

Thanks!

 

And, well, today, made some good progress. I got the other side coilover sleeve and spring installed and tried once more bleeding the brakes like hell...turns out there was a huge air bubble in them, and now they all work beautifully :D

 

So...got the motor all put together, just a few more things, then, plopping her in tomorrow! :cool:

 

But, here's some pics from today when I pushed it outside...once the engines in, I'll see how low it sits and will figure out something for the rear.

 

 

 

 

[fisch]

Gettin closer! I actually like a bit of rake in a Datsun's stance.

[strang3majik]

Gettin closer! I actually like a bit of rake in a Datsun's stance.

 

 

Hahah...yea, I can't wait. And, as far as the rake, I like it to and it looks good how it its now, but, once I put the motor in their, its going to drop the front a bit...plus, I want the same look, just lower.

[strang3majik]

Well, was planning on having the motor in tonight and having it running tomorrow, but...theres a major snag...it is in the car...but...

 

With the driver's side mount bolted up, the passenger's side is a good inch or two away, the shifter is hitting the front of the shifter hole so hard it won't move, and the oil pan is sitting on the steering linkage.

 

I'm about ready to pull this motor out and put the motor up for sale. If I have to go modifying/buying a bunch of stuff, I'd just assume do an engine swap.

 

But...thats before I even get to the wiring. The alternator is internally regulated and the distributor I believe may be electronic, idk...so...I'm not even to that point yet.

 

But, yea. Went from being all happy that I was going to have the car running tomorrow, to frustrated that it may take another week or two.

 

Ugh.

[MicroMachinery]

Don't get discouraged. I'm loving what you've done to this 510. It sounds like you may have just ended up with the wrong motor mounts.. the engine came out of a truck, didn't it..

[strang3majik]

Don't get discouraged. I'm loving what you've done to this 510. It sounds like you may have just ended up with the wrong motor mounts.. the engine came out of a truck, didn't it..

 

I know...just kinda a big dent in the progress :(

 

But, I believe the mounts are wrong, yes, like I said, looks like the motor needs to go back a few inches, but, the pan looks wrong too. Not sure if that's what the L16 mounts would move it back or not...plus have a wider spread.

 

I believe I read that you have to change the pan and the pick-up, etc...I was just under the impression it was a direct swap...just that this motor was a little taller and needed a thinner air cleaner.

 

I really am thinking of just sourcing a KA24, though. If I'm going through all the trouble of getting a pan/pickup and mounts for a motor I wasn't planning on leaving in there anyway...might as well.

[strang3majik]

Well...hooked all the electric up to the engine...figured out a bunch of wires...lol

 

But, it turned over nice and all...so...I'm going to see about getting the correct mounts. If it moves the engine back as much as I believe it should, I think the pan will be okay...may need some "persuasion," but I think it'll work.

 

Either way, something needs to happen because the hood won't close with the motor where it is.

[strang3majik]

Well...tonights progress was good, but...yet another snag :/

 

Engine is in, picked up a pan and mounts from Qwik....turned out the oil pickups were exactly the same for some reason...so...engine is in nice and snug...

 

But, the dogleg 5 speed, the mount confuses me. Do I need to get a mount for something else? It appears the way they attatch is completely different...also...still the shifter is kinda far forward. Is that normal?

 

Anyway...here's a pic. Also, if anyone has the proper routing of all the heater hoses, that'd be swell :)

 

[qwik510]

Tyler,

 

Good to see you yesterday. Hope you had fun pulling parts from my 510 JY.

 

The dogleg should mount using the 510 trans crossmember I gave you. You may have to slot the holes to make aligning the bolts easier and as I told you, you will need spacers between the body and the crossmember to keep the angle of the tail shaft in line with the diff. As to the shifter location, it should be pretty close but it might sit a bit forward. Are you sure you have to shifter faceing the correct way. Maybe turning it around will give more clearance.

[yenpit]

Wow, what a transformation! I saw the car at Dave's in January, before you picked it up, when I dropped by for a visit. Keep up the great work!