any intrest in reproduced fuse box covers?

[Eric Happy Meal]

My brother is working for a company that has the materials to reproduce them, but they want to get an idea of how many people would actually be interested in buying one. Maybe even the fuse box itself if there is enough interest.

 

Also, does anyone have a list as to what datsuns take which ones?

 

Thanks,

Eric

[Laecaon]

For what car? You dont even list a datsun in your car list...

[Tristin]

He owns a Datsun... he has a build thread on here.

[Eric Happy Meal]

For what car? You dont even list a datsun in your car list...

i registered here before buying my datsun.

 

 

Mine needs a fuse box cover, i talked to my brother about making one for me and his boss is considering making a run of them and selling. Possibly also the entire fuse box, but since im new to datsuns, i dont know if the covers are universal, or if each year/model uses a different one. Near as i can tell all but the s30s appear to use the same one? or at least the same cover but with different writing on them.

[Ranman72]

as always we all want to know a general price

68 510 is different then 69 through 73 not sure if the fuses changed locations through the years or not

[datsunfreak]

Mine needs a fuse box cover, i talked to my brother about making one for me and his boss is considering making a run of them and selling. Possibly also the entire fuse box, but since im new to datsuns, i dont know if the covers are universal, or if each year/model uses a different one. Near as i can tell all but the s30s appear to use the same one? or at least the same cover but with different writing on them.

 

FWIW, new fuseboxes for 510s are readily available and fairly cheap. Not sure there's much money in it?

[datsunfreak]

This guy sells new aftermarket ones for $79 complete: http://www.ebay.com/...5c1ec8f&vxp=mtr

 

Even with Kanji covers: http://www.ebay.com/...766c858&vxp=mtr

 

Also, OEM for $80: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATSUN-Bluebird-510-1970-1973-Niles-Fuse-Box-New-/221133232756?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item337c915a74&vxp=mtr

[Eric Happy Meal]

i did not realize how readily available the actual boxes were.

 

 

But these covers would be in the $10 range.

[thisismatt]

Glass fuses suck balls. I would never replace or prolong the life of a box using them unless I was doing a concours restoration. Just my opinion of course.

[Laecaon]

Glass fuses suck balls. I would never replace or prolong the life of a box using them unless I was doing a concours restoration. Just my opinion of course.

 

No kidding. I am about ready to switch to blade style. Maybe even mini blade.

[datsunfreak]

But these covers would be in the $10 range.

 

Then you'd likely sell quite a few. :thumbup:

[Tristin]

Yeah, seems like people always need a spare cover. Will there be options for both USDM and JDM covers?

[Boaty]

Okay so the general concensus now, is to make an affordable high quality fuse box UPGRADE.

So work with your boss about making new fuse boxes, with identical covers and placement - AND WIRING and plugs, so it's a direct plug and play replacement.

And make it use blade fuses. Even mini's would work, but I tend to prefer the larger blade fuses myself. Because I can replace fuses with circuit breakers, which I don't believe they make circuit breakers for mini-ATC housings.

 

Make one with ATC fuses. Identical wiring. Add-on circuits a plus. 14ga wiring. Good direct +12V in buss bar for hookup. High quality contacts. Heat resistant plastic/fiber reinforced perhaps?

[Boaty]

Here's a bonus idea.

Impliment a main fuse for the entire circuit so we can simply pull the fuse to kill power to the entire car at one time. Thus eliminating crappy fusible links and in-line fuses.

Make it use a MAXI fuse. ANL and MEGA fuses would simply be way too big. But a MAXI fuse would be fantastic. Make it built into the box itself.

[ggzilla]

Fusible links are morw reliable than fuses or circuit breakers. Thats one reason why.new cars use them.

 

JDM, USA covers differ . All Datsun models differ except 620 & 1200 but there are 3 differnt ones of those just for USA

[Laecaon]

Fusible links are morw reliable than fuses or circuit breakers. Thats one reason why.new cars use them.

 

Why are they more reliable? Because they are less likely to corrode.

 

I would say the main reason they are still used, they are super cheap to make.

 

But they are also a lot more cumbersome to have to change out.

[Boaty]

Yeah they are a PITA.

 

Although, that being said, they do have cartridge styled fusible links. That would be feasible as well.

I'll still take a fuse over a fusible link, for simplicity. They blow. Fusible links just get morbidly hot and melt, and if there isn't enough there to blow it instantly, they make a mess. Seen it a dozen times. If a load isn't presented to actually destroy the link as is planned, it just gets hot and melts stuff. Talking actual wire here, not the cartridge style links. But of course that is just my personal opinion. My fuses haven't failed me yet. Not have they caused a problem. Of course, everything I've upgraded isn't likely to have any problems, because what I do is very thorough.

 

Corrosion of course, does happen regardless of what you do. It's inevitable. Eventually it happens. Just like rust.

[ggzilla]

Yes fuses corrode too. So new cars put the FLs in the box. Every week here at.ratsun, guys have.fuse trouble, but rarely Fusible Link trouble, and that mostly from corrosion at the connectors

[Laecaon]

Yes fuses corrode too. So new cars put the FLs in the box. Every week here at.ratsun, guys have.fuse trouble, but rarely Fusible Link trouble, and that mostly from corrosion at the connectors

 

So if we replace the fusebox, we should expect another 30-40 years of no corrosion life? I have yet to even clean my fusebox, as everything is working fine.

[ggzilla]

only if you clean the terminal s too

 

My 1972 fuse box has never benn cleaned and still working well

[datsunfreak]

My 1972 fuse box has never benn cleaned and still working well

 

Fortunately on the 1200 (like most Datsuns) the fuse box is inside the car. A lot less likely to give corrosion trouble. :thumbup:

 

The 510 has the fuse box in the engine bay. Corrosion problems galore... :sneaky:

[datsunfreak]

And I also love the idea of a 510 fuse box that looks and works like stock but uses ATC fuses. I think you could sell a ton of those. :thumbup:

[Boaty]

If you made a nice ATC fuse box, maybe with a couple of addon circuits, with the same fuse cover - perhaps with seal or gasket of some sort... and it looked good, was plug and play, and was fully functional - with high quality wiring, I'd probably buy one. I'm really picky with my wiring though. Only if I'm tired and lazy and in a hurry do I ever half ass something. Picky to the point of, well, if I don't like the crimpers I'm using I will pass them on, or throw them away. I'm partial to 3M interconnects as well. I rip the PCV insulation off the terminals (barrel) and use that instead. Beats the crap out of the cheap aluminum connectors you find everywhere. And then, they usually get double crimped. If I can pull the insulation back on a wire before the wire comes out of one of my crimps, that's saying something. I don't stop there. The heat shrink has to be triple walled as well. Believe it or not, my favorite heat shrink is actually from Harbor Freight, marketed as "marine" heat shrink tube. Stuff is so tough it's literally a bitch to remove it some times.

 

Anyways I'm rambling.

 

Good wiring. Make it so.

[Draker]

If you made a nice ATC fuse box, maybe with a couple of addon circuits, with the same fuse cover - perhaps with seal or gasket of some sort... and it looked good, was plug and play, and was fully functional - with high quality wiring, I'd probably buy one. I'm really picky with my wiring though. Only if I'm tired and lazy and in a hurry do I ever half ass something. Picky to the point of, well, if I don't like the crimpers I'm using I will pass them on, or throw them away. I'm partial to 3M interconnects as well. I rip the PCV insulation off the terminals (barrel) and use that instead. Beats the crap out of the cheap aluminum connectors you find everywhere. And then, they usually get double crimped. If I can pull the insulation back on a wire before the wire comes out of one of my crimps, that's saying something. I don't stop there. The heat shrink has to be triple walled as well. Believe it or not, my favorite heat shrink is actually from Harbor Freight, marketed as "marine" heat shrink tube. Stuff is so tough it's literally a bitch to remove it some times.

 

Anyways I'm rambling.

 

Good wiring. Make it so.

 

This would be the correct way to reproduce a fuse box. I'd buy one.

[graveltrapp]

Why not just make a heavy sticker that was stuck over the worn off but pre existing covers?