Northcoastmike Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Hey All Just got turned on to this place and wish it was around in the early 80s when I built my 521. Getting any kinda info back then was like charging your cell phone with a blender! Nobody wanted to talk to you about cross parting unless you already knew the part number or what it came off. Anyways great to see all the good info and experiences out there. The Truck is a 1972 521, early body style. It was actually the second one I owned my first ownership began in 1975 at the age of 17. That one was pretty much stock except for a Crown Manufacturing turbo kit which I played with for awhile. And yes it made a huge difference. But that’s a story for another day. This story is about my second 521. It was totally stock and real straight, best of all rust free when I got back in 82 for 800 bucks. I tore it all the way down. If I could get it off it came off. Its all Datsun/Nissan except for the 79 Toyota front end, Jeep front leafs, and a Mitsubishi power steering pump and remote reservoir. I sandblasted the frame and painted it with Dupont Centari acrylic enamel black. Zinc chromate primer. Not before adding the front axel, dual front and rear shock, traction bar, and transfer case mounts. Color is the stock Datsun 502 Dupont Centari acrylic enamel white. All of interior non color areas and underside have been undercoated, including the inside of the doors. Removable hard top. The fenders are flared slightly only by the amount of rolling the original fender out and adding tubing along the edge. I replaced the tailgate latches with a door handle which is an exact match on the body lines. The bed has a new galvanized inner skin to protect the outer skin. The body was taken all the way down to bare metal, treated with Oshpo, painted with zinc enamel primer wet sanded, and toped off with the 502 Centari white which I applied like lacquer by painting and wet sanding painting several times. It came out very smooth no orange peel just smooth and very durable with the enamel. Originally it was powered by a stock 1600 (pictured) and ended up with a balanced L20B bottom and ported/polished L18 top with matched header. Drilled oil passages, 78 electronic ignition, and Weber down draft carb. 2 ¼ inch exhaust with a basic turbo muffler. Directed thru 77 5 speed, 81 transfer case, custom drive lines and 4:26 front and 4:27 rear to accommodate the original 11 50s and later 10 50s on the ground. I added the dual 510 brake master cylinder and Hurst proportional to accommodate the front disc brakes of the Toyota axel and stock 521 rear drums. 1984 Nissan power steering unit and column with tilt wheel. Mitsubishi pump with remote reservoir. Custom linkage. It turned out to be a great dune runner. NCM 1 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 nice.very very clean Quote Link to comment
erichwaslike Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 thats a great truck. im never a fan of convertibles but this one looks awesome. i love the tailgate handle and i think im gonna try something like that on mine when i start in on it. of hand do you have more info on what the Mitsubishi pump and res are off of? my dad is trying to get power steering on his truck to make it a lil more driveable and it seems like your setup fits well. any other shots of the mounting on it? oh and welcome to the forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment
DaBlist Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Very cool! Do you know what became of it? Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 that things badass :cool: the sharing of information has deff come a long way now that everyone has the internet :rofl: Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Thanks, it’s been awhile so I have to do some brain jarring. The reason I did not use the Nissan set up was because it would have to have gone on the right side of the L engine and there is already stuff there. So it need to go on the left side, and rotated 180 which put the Nissan unit’s reservoir upside down. I made a custom mount that attached to the block where the air pump would go. I had an 84 Plymouth Conquest (a Mitsubishi product) at the time which I believe that I got the idea of the remote reservoir for from. I can’t remember if I got the reservoir and pump or just the reservoir and adapted it to the Nissan pump. Anyways start with the conquest. Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 I still got it Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 When you do the tailgate be very careful about over heating it when the new section is added in. I ruined the my first attempt, it bowed like a bananna and had to buy a brand new tailgate. You also need to make custom linkage if interested I could post a pick of what I did when your ready.NCM Quote Link to comment
erichwaslike Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 yeah ive done a bunch of sheet metal work before. im not worried about it. im in the process of lengthening doors on a 411 and moving pillars to make a 2 door. im interested in what you did for linkage. i figure id try to modify a 720 or hardbody setup for width and just get the handle to work with it for simplicity. post up as many pics as you have and are able to, we wont ever complain about too many pics on here Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 When you do the tailgate be very careful about over heating it when the new section is added in. I ruined the my first attempt, it bowed like a bananna and had to buy a brand new tailgate. You also need to make custom linkage if interested I could post a pick of what I did when your ready. NCM I would very much like to know how you did the tailgate, putting the handle in position is not an issue for me, but the linkage and lock mechanism would very much interest me. 1 Quote Link to comment
Eagle_Adam Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 not a fan of convertables BUT you pulled it off nicely i still wouldnt have one but thats cus it rain in oregon...... alot the rest of the truck is AWESOME, welcome to ratsun Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Heres the linkage, the pivot bolt goes directly thru from the exterior replacing one of the stock handle mounting studs. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 So does the handle on the outside twist, or do you pull it out like when you open the door? Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Its just like opening the door, The handle is not on the right now or in the pic, but looking at the pivot mec pic the square slot to the left of the pivot bolt is where the lever on the handle came thru. It worked very well for many years just need to keep it lubbed with lith grease. Quote Link to comment
Jayden71 Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Pics of truck now?? Pretty please! Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 Pics of truck now?? Pretty please! :huh: Seems like there was something in the rules (number 7) about posting obscenity! :confused: :blush: Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted January 11, 2013 Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 :huh: Seems like there was something in the rules (number 7) about posting obscenity! :confused: :blush: there is? :confused: clearly a formality :rofl: Quote Link to comment
Jayden71 Posted January 12, 2013 Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 :huh: Seems like there was something in the rules (number 7) about posting obscenity! :confused: :blush: soooo.....no oics? :confused: :huh: :blink: :blink: :unsure: :mellow: :angry: Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2013 Okay, I'll try later today, but I have to warn the weak of stomach! :sick: Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Okay, I'll try later today, but I have to warn the weak of stomach! :sick: Here we be. In case your wondering, I’m hiding it from my wife under all that stuff. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 WHAT HAPPENED!!! :crying: :crying: How did it go from that to this, did it break or something? Is it salvageable? Quote Link to comment
socaldatsun Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I love your truck... Until I saw the last pics:( Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 That thing should have been sold a long long time ago. Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 I love your truck... Until I saw the last pics:( Thanks me to thats why I still have it!!! :crying: Quote Link to comment
Northcoastmike Posted January 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 Now see that’s exactly why I didn’t want to do it and should have stood on my right to stand behind Ratsun rule #7. Quote Link to comment
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