New Guy - 1969 521 J13

[521_69]

Im new to datsuns got the truck in a combined trade it runs well but I am going to ditch the J13 and 4 speed for something else, thinking about transplanting pretty much everything from a Mercedes 240d into it. Is the J13 and tranny worth anything to anyone?

 

 

Heres the truck.

 

[DAT510]

The J13 is a good little engine.

For putting around.

The drivetrain from a 240D? that'd be cool.

[521_69]

Yeah I am thinking about the front and rear suspensions all of it I dont know if I wanna do that big of a project or not I am capable of it, but I also know how long it would take, if I dont do that I will probably order a JDM CA18DET I am at a split but leaning towards the 240d ordeal. I gotta turn this stepside I got for a profit before I can start on this venture. Its getting there though I just have to finish a couple tweaks on the engine, toss a new bedfloor in it, and run it to maaco.

[wayno]

Welcome to Ratsun B)

There is a lot of new members this week in Vancouver, and they all know how to post photos, which is awesome. :thumbup:

The 240D is a diesel, correct?

I have a 521KC diesel I put together, I would like to see what you are talking about.

[521_69]

Yeah the 240d or a 190d which is what replaced it were Mercedes "compacts" they made em forever the engines are known to last a minimum of 200k and 400k plus is normal (they are pretty close equivalents to the SD-22 which I am pretty sure most you guys are familiar with). They are basically the German equivalent to the crown vic they use them as taxis pretty sure they made 240d's for something like 40 years in one form or another. The width of a 240 is similar enough to a 521 that moving the independent removable subframe type front/rear suspensions with 4 wheel disc brakes wouldn't involve "too much" work but alot more work than a simple RWD JDM swap, but the plus is that it would be something different and I really don't need it as a daily driver so time is not an issue. I can weld and fabricate metal at a professional level and am working on my mechanical engineering bachelors so what truly would interest me about the project would be the difficulty and fabrication... As well as a slight interest in home brewed bio diesel just more as a hobby than a sustainability thing... I would also incorporate a basic air suspension which would be cool the rears of the Mercedes are coil sprung so it would be extremely simple and depending on where the engine ends up sitting under the hood maybe a body drop to near"ish" the rockers. There are also versions of the motor that are turbo charged 5 or 6 cylinders but they would involve massive intrusion into the passenger compartment, the truck is small enough as it is, and the rest of the drive-train would be conceivably useless as far as using it in the truck. I would probably also fit the dash steering wheel seats and stuff just for cool points / nostalgia factor.

 

Here are some generic pictures of what I would be cannibalizing.

 

[521_69]

I like your diesel project looks good, I believe the bumper you were seeking may be from a 47-53 gmc stepside.

 

[wayno]

I like your diesel project looks good, I believe the bumper you were seeking may be from a 47-53 gmc stepside.

 

 

If you are talking to me about the bumper, I have a 47 chevy longbed truck, and that bumper is to wide for my narrow aftermarket stepside box, and I went and looked at the 46 bumper also, it isn't what is on that green 520 in mexico with the stepside either.

I used the 521 split bumperettes with the 47-53 chevy taillights, I think it looks good.

[521_69]

Yeah I think it looks good as well the bumperette things are cool I have never seen them on anything else before at least not on the back. The 47 GMC bumper I was reffering too was for a 47 GMC stepside the stardard bed bumper would, I imagine, be a mile too wide, did you ever figure out what was on the green 521? I like that bumper.

[wayno]

Yeah I think it looks good as well the bumperette things are cool I have never seen them on anything else before at least not on the back. The 47 GMC bumper I was reffering too was for a 47 GMC stepside the stardard bed bumper would, I imagine, be a mile too wide, did you ever figure out what was on the green 521? I like that bumper.

 

No, I never was able to find out what bumper it was, I asked the owner of that 520, but he didn't know either, as he told me it was off a 46 chevy truck, which it was not.

There was a communication issue there though, he spoke spanish, and I don't, and no one chimed in to help either.

They were all stepsides back then, at least the chevy ones were, that bumper was a more modern design, one day I will see one, I just hope I realize/notice what I am looking at.

[521_69]

lol thats a good point I forgot all about that. Well good luck in the hunt. Maybe ill throw up some pics of the stepside gmc I am working on till I get started on the datsun later.

[wayno]

This is mine.

I don't drive it much anymore, it used to be my daily driver work truck, till gas went over $3.00 a gallon. :(

[521_69]

I just realized you were from vancouver too. My wife and I just bought our first house over by lowes on 76th/500. The chevy looks familiar I feel like I have seen it sitting around the fort vancouver area industrial buildings parking lots or something not sure can't place it. I have lived in the area for 6 years I really have never even seen a 521 or knew what one was until this thing fell in my lap can't believe I havent ever seen one of yours tooling around. Ill keep you in mind for a reference any junkyards you know of that have any of these you havent already stripped?

[wayno]

I just realized you were from vancouver too. My wife and I just bought our first house over by lowes on 76th/500. The chevy looks familiar I feel like I have seen it sitting around the fort vancouver area industrial buildings parking lots or something not sure can't place it. I have lived in the area for 6 years I really have never even seen a 521 or knew what one was until this thing fell in my lap can't believe I havent ever seen one of yours tooling around. Ill keep you in mind for a reference any junkyards you know of that have any of these you havent already stripped?

 

 

Do you mean 76th and 503 out in orchards?

There is one in sherwood or; but it is already mostly stripped, what do you need?

There was a couple 521s in the 76th st pick n pull by you in the last year or so, but they don't last long.

The chevy was at the expo swap meet, and at a couple golf course parking lots in the last year or so, as I said, I have not drove it much over the last 10 years.

[521_69]

Yeah right there by fred meyer and safeway etc... I would like a front lower valance and a bumper if I can find straight ones even though mine are repairable it'd be desirable to find straight ones if not I will probably make new ones out of fiberglass. I will "probably" have a dump load of parts I wont be needing that are actually pretty good in this truck Ill put em up in here when the time comes. The motor and transmission are both certainly going they both work great, I will likely be rid of the dash as well not sure about that yet but I hear they are pretty tough to come by in good shape and the one in this truck is quite flawless the seat is gonna go.for sure I dont plan on keeping much of the truck really, but we will see how stuff goes what I wanna do and what my wife lets me do are usually two different things.

[wayno]

When I put the SD25 diesel in my 521 and I used the 720 diesel wiring harness, I integrated the 720 wiring into my 521 instrument cluster, it wasn't easy the first time, but I did it, I also use the 521 wiper motor with the 720 harness and have all the modes the 720 has.

I used the 720 tilt steering column in my 521, i used it because it got the wheel off my legs, but the biggest reason was the wiring, I used all the switches from the 720, headlights, turn signals, 4 ways, wipers, horn, I used everything that the 720 column had, and removed all the 521 switches except for the heater switch, it was just easier and more comfortable to use that way.

There were issues that had to be worked out, and the only one that I never figured out was the dash lights, I had to wire them to the ign. switch, so when the key is on, so are the dash lights.

[521_69]

Yeah that is what I am trying to avoid so I am planning to just put "some other entire car" "into" the datsun preferably one that has easily replacable parts at least ones that I cant make, like pistons, fuel pumps, and whatnot.