new 1964 NL320 owner.

[Crazy Talk Customs]

Hey Guys.

 

My names Nic. I'm a new owner of a 64 NL320. I had been searching for one of these trucks off and on for a couple years and who would have guessed I found one right here in Minnesota. The truck had been on a farm since brand new. Its overall condition is in pretty decent shape minus some damage to the grill and driver side front fender. The truck hasn't been out of the barn since 89' I've slowly been doing some research getting as much info on these trucks as I can.

 

Thats what has lead me here. The original owner could no longer find the keys. At first I thought thats no big deal. Well as I'm learning more and more about these trucks that no big deal has changed. I'm trying to find original style key blanks so I can have new keys cut to the locks but have come up empty handed. I did look at www.keys4classics.com which seems like they would have the blanks I need but I'm not sure what version of the datsun keys they sell I would need. Any help would be greatly appreciated ...

 

My second thing is minus the fact that I dont have keys i do still have access to the backside of the ignition switch and can get the motor too turn over basically by hotwiring it. but, i haven't got it to fire yet. After looking at other pics of these trucks and their motors and crawling around under mine. I believe that I dont have an original motor in this truck. The 4 speed manual on the floor and where the oil filter is positioned is what makes me think that. Any of the experts on here able to identify which motor this is?

 

Now for the best part. The pics. No self respecting forum poster should post without pics. Especially a newbie. lol

 

Here you go.

 

Thanks for any help. I'm really excited to own one of these and get it back on the road.

 

[wayno]

Welcome to Ratsun, nice job with the photos, but we need more of them. :D

If I were to guess right now without anything but the photos you have supplied, I would say that you have an A series engine, like an A14/15, right below the #4 plug on the block would be a smooth flat spot with a letter and number, beside that(to the right) would be another raised smooth spot with the engine number, we would be interested in the first letter/number for engine identification.

Your wiring would be a nightmare to some of the guys on here. :lol:

I can't see the grill with the photos supplied, but it looks like a 63 grill.

I hope you have all the hubcaps like the one on the right front, as they are original to the 320, and very hard to find anymore.

Do you have a parts pile that came with the truck, like trim pieces, ect?

Are your taillights there?

Need more photos please! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Crazy Talk Customs]

Thanks Wayno,

 

I do have more parts with it. All the emblems, the side trim pieces and the hub caps, along with a few extra rims.

 

i thought the same thing on the grille from looking at other pictures. The grille doesnt go around the turn signals and the turn signal covers are round. The truck does have the tail lights and bezels and there in nice shape. The covers that go below them are a little beat up but nothing that cant be straightened back out.

 

I'll check on the engine code and post up some more pictures of truck.

 

Nic

[Crazy Talk Customs]

Wayno, I cleaned the flat spot on the block and it looks like the number is 106940.

[peanutbuttercups]

AWESOME TRUCK!! I'm totally jelly. I want an nl so bad, and a dime, and a bluebird lol. Good score.

[wayno]

This is where to look for the engine ID number, below #4 plug, just in back of the distributor.

This is an A14 block of mine.

[Draker]

One word... Damn!!

[Crazy Talk Customs]

gotcha wayno, i cleaned off the spot just in front of that. brb

[Crazy Talk Customs]

Wayno, its A13 on that spot.

 

Draker- Thanks, i was pretty excited when I found it. Never ceases to amaze me where vehicles will show up.

 

Peanutbuttercups- Thanks

[wayno]

I don't know a lot about the A13, other than knowing it existed.

I myself own a NL320, mine is a 64, don't ever throw away anything from that truck that is NL specific, you won't find replacements, if it's bent or damaged, fix it, or find someone who can fix it, them pieces below your taillights are going to have to be fixed.

How are your taillight lenses?

[Crazy Talk Customs]

after a quick google search I see they had two versions of the a13. The 1974 only version and the 1979-82 version. Is there any way to identify which version it is?

 

I knew when I started looking for one of these they were rare. Minus knowing that it needed to have good glass, doors, and tail lights and bezels I had no idea just how scarce any of the other parts were for these things. It doesn't seem to easy to find any parts for it, body, suspension, drivetrain or otherwise.

 

I'm definetely holding on to everything I have for it and keep trying to see if the owner finds any more things for it. Such as keys. lol

 

I figured the pieces below the lights would have to be fixed. And really i'm ok with that. It seems like a really good platform to work off of from what I can tell just crawling around on it. My first mission is getting keys. Tackling the clutch master and brake master cylinders. Both of them have no fluid and just flop around when I step on the pedals. Worst case scenario i'll have to take them out and rebuild them. But getting it to run is top on my list. The owner said it ran when it was parked in the barn. I've had the motor turning over but haven't got it to pop off. The rotor looks good. the spark plug wires look bad. The plugs look ok but are crazy old. i haven't had enough time to see if it has spark. And just hooking up a new gas line to the fuel pump and sticking it in a gas can didn't seem to yield getting any gas to the carb so we'll see what thats all about.

 

but I have to say i'm really excited to own this truck and can't wait to get it fired up and driving around.

 

Thanks for all the help so far. I posted the same questions over on nicoclub and didn't get a single reply, So i'm already way ahead posting on this site.

 

Nic

[Draker]

If you don't mind me asking.. what did you pay for it? (You don't have to answer)

[Crazy Talk Customs]

Draker I sent you a message,

 

Wayno, The tail light lens and bezels don't look to bad. A slight amount of pitting on the chrome but nothing that cant be redone later on.

 

I'll go shoot some more pics.

[wayno]

after a quick google search I see they had two versions of the a13. The 1974 only version and the 1979-82 version. Is there any way to identify which version it is?

 

I knew when I started looking for one of these they were rare. Minus knowing that it needed to have good glass, doors, and tail lights and bezels I had no idea just how scarce any of the other parts were for these things. It doesn't seem to easy to find any parts for it, body, suspension, drivetrain or otherwise.

 

I'm definetely holding on to everything I have for it and keep trying to see if the owner finds any more things for it. Such as keys. lol

 

I figured the pieces below the lights would have to be fixed. And really i'm ok with that. It seems like a really good platform to work off of from what I can tell just crawling around on it. My first mission is getting keys. Tackling the clutch master and brake master cylinders. Both of them have no fluid and just flop around when I step on the pedals. Worst case scenario i'll have to take them out and rebuild them. But getting it to run is top on my list. The owner said it ran when it was parked in the barn. I've had the motor turning over but haven't got it to pop off. The rotor looks good. the spark plug wires look bad. The plugs look ok but are crazy old. i haven't had enough time to see if it has spark. And just hooking up a new gas line to the fuel pump and sticking it in a gas can didn't seem to yield getting any gas to the carb so we'll see what thats all about.

 

but I have to say i'm really excited to own this truck and can't wait to get it fired up and driving around.

 

Thanks for all the help so far. I posted the same questions over on nicoclub and didn't get a single reply, So i'm already way ahead posting on this site.

 

Nic

 

 

A lot of the stuff is the same as the L320, suspension, windshield, all the body parts in front of the doors.

What I do to start the engine is fill the carb bowl with fuel, there are several ways to do it, but the easiest would be an electric fuel pump out of a gas can, then hot wire it by putting a wire from the positive side of the coil to the positive side of the battery, make sure the wire from the negitive side of the coil is connected to the distributor, then remove the dist. cap, and separate the points with a screw driver, it should spark, if it doesn't spark, then there is no power to the points yet, and you need to find out why.

After it has power to the points, make sure they are gapped correctly(they open and close when the dist. turns), then put the cap back on, make sure the spark plug wires go to the correct plugs, connect the battery cables to the starter and engine ground, pour a little gas down the carb, and hit the starter with a remote trigger, or whatever you can rig up, a wire from the starter solenoid will also work, it should try to start.

I did this one time, I was running the starter trying to get it to run, and I let off the starter trigger, but it kept turning over, I was stunned, I thought the starter was stuck on, and I was going to remove the battery cable to stop it, when I realized that it was running, and it wasn't the starter turning it over, I grabbed the exhaust manifold to make sure, and it was running, it was idling at about 500rpms.

Just make sure it has oil in the engine, you don't need water to run it for a minute or so.

This engine had sat for years, maybe 20 years or more.

BTW, make sure it is out of gear also, there is no need to drive it around yet. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[6l320datsun3]

All I think I can say is awesome find, since wayno pretty much covered everything. :P Like he said keep all parts though, he is right on the hub caps I was offered to sell mine ... not happening!

[KFunk740]

According to the identification key on keys4classics.com, I have the #232 key for my '65 L320.

 

I searched for a while to get a backup key myself. I ended up getting lucky and finding a few blanks in my grandpa's old collection of blanks (used to make keys back in the 70s).

[Crazy Talk Customs]

well let me ask this. Between the 63-65 nl's were there more than one style key blank? And if not would anyone that has access in the u.s. to get those key blanks be interested in sending me them. I'd pay for them of course. but I fear short of ordering one of ever key blank off of keys4classics site that i'm going to come up empty handed to getting keys made.

 

Also are there two keys for these trucks. one for ignition and one for doors?

 

Thanks

[wayno]

My door and ignition key are the same.

[6l320datsun3]

Just thinking of it my buddy told a ways back that his pre '65 bug key was the same blank as the datsun key for my truck. It does work since he made me a spare and I can start my truck and unlock the doors with it. I dont know if that helps but I know volkswagon stuff might be more common.

[Crazy Talk Customs]

heres some more pictures of the old beast

 

some of the spare parts it came with

[delariva]

Very cool little truck!

[merlin]

i likely have several of the right key blank just need to know which one and i'll look... anyone got a side and tip pic of the right key for his truck?

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

after a quick google search I see they had two versions of the a13. The 1974 only version and the 1979-82 version. Is there any way to identify which version it is?

 

Well this is only a guess, but judging from the pic, it looks like the water outlet in the front of the head is the early, simple outlet without all the added junk, so I'm guessing it's an ealry A13.

 

If that's the case, it's a small bore, long stroke motor. The A14 has the best of both worlds in that the bore is large and the stroke is short. http://en.wikipedia....Nissan_A_engine

[Crazy Talk Customs]

Alright guys, I scored a major find for myself. I was able to get the original ignition switch with key from a guy that was parting out a 64 l320. This takes care of my problem trying to find a key for this thing. but I can't figure out how to remove the tumbler. I've tried turning the key every which way and sticking a pin in the hole to remove the tumbler but have had no success. Anyone know the secret to it. I'm going to have the door lock re keyed to this key.

 

thanks

[wayno]

Take the ign. key and door locks/key to the key guy, let them figure out how to get it out.