My '77 Bullet side build up

[Bullet_side]

My Datsun History;

I learned to drive in a '73 620 which is the one on my main pic. I built that one up and only wish I had a completed picture of it because that pic is when I am just getting started. (I guess I lost all other photo's) I have also previously owned a 510 wagon, '76 620 standard cab, '77 and '79 620 King cabs and a '82 720 king cab and did many different additions to them (especially lowering all the trucks).

I currently own a '78 KC and a '77 KC.
This is my '77 KC build up.

I bought this truck from stevensonDNL in late Aug. 2012 and have been working on it when I have time.

Here are pics of how it looked when I bought it. It's beat up and rusty but it's a king cab and that's what I wanted.



 

[Bullet_side]

The first thing I did was remove the interior, clean it up and started on the floor boards. It was a bit rusty under and behind the seats but cancered through in from of the seats on both sides the drivers side really bad.
I scraped off the flakes and washed the floor boards, treated them with Rust Doctor and laminated the front areas with fiberglass. I then painted the whole floor board with black brush on rustoleum paint.

 

[Bullet_side]

[Bullet_side]

[Bullet_side]

Next I removed the vent below the windshield washed, treated the area with Rust doctor and painted the area except for the drivers side hinge. The hinge had rusted up solid and snaped off when the hood was opened. For this area I ground the rust off, cleaned it up, drilled two holes and JB welded it with two new screws into place. It works great and it will hold forever with normal use.

Then treated and painted it as well. (I still have to take care of the hood side of the hinge)

 

 

[Bullet_side]

I then removed the hood, fenders, etc. found rust on the exterior fender wells, fire wall etc. here and there, I treated the rust areas painted everywhere on the exterior except the wheel well area in which I undercoated instead.

 

[Bullet_side]

I reinstalled the vent and the hood and started sanding and laying in bondo (shown is just the first layer). When that was done I pulled the vent off treated and painted the underside and primed the exterior. I also painted the exterior of the hood.

 

[Bullet_side]

I took off the fenders and put them aside because they were in pretty bad shape, found another set and started pounding on the passenger side, laid and sanded bondo, fixed a couple cancered spots and painted it up.

 

[Bullet_side]

The roof had a radio antenna (hole) and was rusty so when I finally removed the antenna and started sanding I realized the roof was really dented up. It took 12 hours or so of laying in 8 layers (first layer shown) of bondo and sanding it to get in OK shape. (I just don't have the patients to make it better and besides I believe bondo often shrinks for up to a year after application). Oh also I had to fiberglass the bottom side of the hole.

 

 

[The Taterhead]

Nice work so far. Way to get the ball rolling. What are the plans for engine/drivetrain & suspension?

[Bullet_side]

Gunna rebuild my L-20B (I love rebuilding those too) not sure about what pistons to get because it depends on the head i get (open or closed chamber). Possibly flat top z pistons. I need to get an A87 head and a lvl 2 cam, I bought an offenhouser intake already and have a weber 32/36 and an SS header. Need to get a 5-speed, I have 2 4-speeds and I need that 5th gear. Gunna drop the back 3" and the front either 4" or 5" depending on how it looks.

I know this is a big project, but I don't plan on ever sellin it so I want to do it right.

[Bullet_side]

Here's the drivers side fender, this one took a bit of time to get right. Before and after (both fenders shown but it is the right one). This one already had bondo but was way over done and totally wrong. What a pain.

 

[Bullet_side]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what i've been doing for a while. More rust and/or cancer killed, filled and primered. Man im gettin tired of bondo.

[jastrunk97]

Looking great! keep up the progress! :D

[Bullet_side]

 

(ABOVE) Doors Worked and painted (White paint on inside, primer on outside)!

                Hood hinges, door hinges and striker plates painted.

 

 

(BELOW) Interior painted white.

 

[Bullet_side]

 

Finally got the cab forward back together, removed all rust including rust all around the windshield frame. (except under the truck I'll save that for summer) Recoated (primer, undercoated everything, painted areas etc.) and had the pleasure of getting everything to line back up with parts from many trucks (what a pain in the ass!!!).

 

Movin on to the bed, tailgate etc.

[BigBlack620]

Is that white primer on the exterior or are you painting it white? Nice work bro! I hope mine moves along as smoothly as your build

[Eagle_Adam]

good lookn build, what did you use to repair the rockers? 

[JoeCool]

WOW! Good progress so far!

[Bullet_side]

Its white primer on the exterior and white paint on the interior. Need to have exterior painted this year.

 

The rockers were ground clean of all rust (that I could reach), I put ALOT of Rust Doctor on inside with several different brushes. A baby bottle brush through the holes on top of the rockers where the kick plates cover worked great because I could bend it in all directions to make sure I got it all. Added some screen inside the rockers with enough bondo to cover all the holes on both sides and around the cancer. No oxygen no rust.(The Rust doctor should take care of it but I didn't want to take chances).

 

Thanks Joe cool, I want it on the road this year. Its all about the funds right now!!

[Bullet_side]

 

 

Beds off .... time for more work! And maybe some color!

[cruznude]

Look, I'm not good at bodywork and how did you fill the holes where the emblems were? Did you fill all the seams also? How?

[Bullet_side]

For the emblems, I just took a screwdriver and put the tip in the hole and barely hit it with a hammer. Just enough to push it in slightly. Added screen like from a screen door behing the hole with bondo then added bondo to the front where you pushed it in slightly.

I have not filled the seams, dont think I will. I did do it before though, I had the seams welded and ground them down smooth until you couldnt tell.

 

Good luck!

[Bullet_side]

 

Took out the truck to pressure wash the frame etc. (also pressure washed the bed).

 

Bob tailin'

[DMC]

Dont think ive seen a glass patch in an auto that nice ever, nice work D!