New to Datsuns '82 Diesel King Cab 720

[Thea]

My name is thea im new to datsuns i knew i wanted some 4cyl diesel truck and i found this in bend oregon and fell in love..

 

I picked it up In ok condition, it needed front end work which i got done, needed new back breaks and someone had put the wrong sized rims on years ago and the rims were getting worn through almost to the point of flying off... gave her a full flush, went stalking around junk yards for a combination switch as the turn signals weren't working only to find it was a short in the emergency lights and managed to rig something up with the help of a friend.

I have all the tools to fix the bit of body rust there is just waiting out the rain as i dont have a garage.

i was hunting through a junk yard for a tail light when i ran into someone who recommended this forum, seems like  a pretty sweet resource.

Im wondering how much of a gem Ive got here and some tips on a few things. as you can see from the front shot the panel behind and underneath the bumper has been through some kind of hell, it is all rusted out and crimped and i would like to fix it up, do i have to get a whole new panel somewhere or is there a easier way to go about it? 

and how hard are jump seats to find?

any tips on increasing mpg's?

I am really into restoring this truck to its former state...

 

thanks for taking a look!

T

 

[Thea]

[wayno]

Welcome to Ratsun  B)

 

So your the one I met at the sherwood PNP with the slipping clutch?

Did you find your friends wallet?

 

To fix your front sheet metal, just keep looking in the wrecking yards till you find a good 81 or 82 with a good front end and unbolt the lower sheet metal/panel from it and put it on your truck, you cannot use 83+ as the sheet metal is different.

Same thing with the jump seats, just look for a good set in the wrecking yards, remember to get the base and the side pieces.

You can also look in craigslist for someone parting out a 81-82 datsun 720, you might be able to use the 1980 sheet metal also.

You are likely going to get your best mileage going about 55mph, unfortunately I did not drive your truck long enough to guess if your engine was running correctly, I am fighting an engine right now, I can't seem to get it to go 70mph without flooring it, you should not have to floor it to go 70mph on level ground, but on a good running engine, I only get about 28mpg going 70mph, but I get 36mpg going 55mph, and I get 25mpg in the city no matter what with a proper running engine.

[JoeCool]

Cool truck! Sometimes wish mine were a diesel engine.

[darrel]

for more info on diesels this is a great source,  

 

http://nissandiesel.dyndns.org/index.php

[Thea]

Hey!

yeah my friend found thier wallet... thanks for the help at the yard...

i managed to find the part on the front i needed and fixed it up ther best i could though im no pro i think it looks a thousand times better.i am thinking about just getting and installing all new side panels as i think the truck was in a major wreck and it is all bent out of shape i want to get this truck as clean as i can. but i have a busy life so its going to be a slow going project.

Will keep yall posted if youre interested!

T

[Hyspeedz]

Nice work. Welcome to Ratsun. It's been a great resource for me. Good luck to you.

[wayno]

It looks a lot better now.  :)

Sometimes what happens is the front bumper gets hit, since the bumper is connected to the fenders on the outside corners, it bends the fenders upon impact, this is a common issue with the fenders on 720s.

What I have done in the past is to take that bolt out of the front corner plastic piece that goes threw the fender, that way if the bumper gets hit lightly, it won't bend the fender, but keep your eye on it, if it vibrates real bad and starts wearing the paint off the fender, then you might have to put the bolt back in.

Did you make it to your destination without any more clutch issues?

Have fun fixing up your datsun diesel.  :thumbup: