A Garage too small.... Old Grey

[Drakoe1]

So I figured it was about time that I finally posted seeing that I've had Grey for about 7 months now.... So like alot of bad, err, great decisions it started with Craigslist. Like normal I was on CL looking for datsun oddities that occasionally pop up in the area, and thanks too searchtemptest this area has been slowly growing. I found an ad for a 1970 Datsun pickup in southern indiana with a title going for $600. Called up my old HS friend in Indi and with a place to sleep I was off to check it out. Only requirements was that we talk about a future photoshoot... Can't fight those requests ;)

 

 

Still Trying to figure out what all I want to do with this truck yet. Not being a body man, or having too much skill welding yet it'd definitely going to be an interesting project along with the 510. As of now though thinking this is going to become the parts runner/rat truck due too its body. With most of that rocker completely gone I'm not sure how stable/long the cab'll last.

[oldskoolvws]

Proof of life?

[Drakoe1]

I swear everytime I pickup a Datsun it has too be raining, or just rained or something of the sort. The 3 hr drive over was through a decent rain storm, thankfully the seller kept me updated and luckily for me he had yet to get any rain. So when I pulled up at 8pm I was able to crawl around with out getting soaked/muddy. Overall not in too bad shape for a salt-belt resident.

 

Here she is at the gas station just after I picked her up.

 

And the next morning after a good night out with my friend.

 

 

And this is the worst side of the truck... And while you can't quite see it, but that  rocker is completely shot :(

 

Cool rollbar he just had sitting in the bed. Guessing it's from a 720???

 

 

 

And the comfy cruiser that made all this possible.

[Drakoe1]

First step was finding a semi/permanent home for her. Despite all preconceived ideas of a normal Trailer park, I somehow ended up in a Nice one... aka, no major yard art or project cars sitting in the drive so dropping this thing infront of my porch wasn't an option. Called up one of my old professors and he graciously offered up his back yard too store my yard art for me. And here's some photo's finally taken with a camera instead of my phone. This was back in the fall when I brought my friend over to check it out. He's slowly working on bringing a 74 Fiat 124 back too life so I knew he'd be into it.

 

 

 

And here he is reacting to the copious amount of corn in the hitachi

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a better look at the rotted rocker

 

 

And the rough interior

 

 

[INDY510]

Nice photos . .. . :cool:

[Drakoe1]

Thanks Indy!

[Rocket Dog]

I think I can help you with that rocker. 

 

[rgk93]

Nice photos dude. Can't wait to see the progress. Check out my ute on the 1st page of the project datto page.

Can't wait to see what happens with this gem :)

[mrbigtanker]

nice save. :thumbup:

[Drakoe1]

Oh man that rocker looks nice indeed

[dat77sun]

FACTORY DATSUN ROLLBAR! i got one too!

[Rocket Dog]

Oh man that rocker looks nice indeed

I'll ask the guy who is painting my truck if he can cut out the rocker panel. Just pay me for shipping and the rocker is yours.

[Drakoe1]

Sweet man! Thatd be awesome!

[Drakoe1]

Nice Dat77sun, Still up in the air on what I'm going to end up doing with that bar though... Since it's just sitting in there now could go either way yet, although I have always wanted a light bar

[Drakoe1]

Next was the move to her new home, I was able to score a nice 12x25 single car garage unit to work in.... Only issue... no power.

 

Her getting unloaded at the new home :)

 

 

Once situated in the new place was able too start assessing the trucks real condition. PO said his brother had driven it upto a year ago and then the trans went out. Got the trans rebuilt and then the engine started smoking so I called it quits and then it just sat in the PO's back yard.

 

Popped the hood and began to look around.

 

Under the valve cover didn't look too bad, really gross oil but nothing too alarming, definitely leaking from the valve cover though. Looks like sometime along the line some one broke off the front left valve cover bolt as he just had a plastic plug in there to close the hole.

 

 

And then I found what I'm hoping to have been the culprit of the "Smoking" champion spark plug with the insulator/electrode assembly pushed ~ 15mm or so back out of the casing. This is exciting as now I'm hoping that I'll be able too just do a tune up/ weber swap and be able to get her on the road. Tomorrow going to try and go out there and get the drive shaft off and try and turn her over to do some compression readings. I'll try and take a photo of the plug when I go out there tomorrow and do the readings.

[Drakoe1]

Well got off work and it was just plain dismal... Rain was pouring down and it was only about 40* something so I decided too just work on getting caught up inside the house. Hopefully tomorrow after work it'll be a little nicer outside as I'd really like find out if this engine's going to need pulling or not. Really hoping I can keep it in the truck for the time being.

[Drakoe1]

Weathers finally semi decent out, so hoping tomorrow after all the family stuffs to be able to go out and see if I can't get some favorable compression readings off of the ole L16.

[Drakoe1]

Ugh... "Next year'll be slower they said" lol.. Nothings slowed down at work at all. Still working crazy hours ontop of my weekend job so haven't been able to do much. Yesterday though I did put in my 2 weeks so come June I'm finally going to be able to get to work and start focusing on these cars :)

[Dirttrack510]

Cool truck, those are pretty hard to find in our neck of the woods. :)

[Drakoe1]

Yeah, def happy to have ended up with the 2 521's by some odd change of fate.

[Drakoe1]

Well finally back to just one job now so hoping to be able to begin really working on this truck, although now my fulltime gig is going into full swing and looks like I'll be working every Sunday until atleast beginning of July or so. Lol, just can't win haha. Luckily last weeekend was a holiday and I was off except for sunday 8-2. So not too bad. With the thought of a 3 day weekend I decided it was time to start working on this thing.

 

 

First had to pull the blue one out since my work bench is now in the way... Ah the 2 car shuffle, least these things are light I guess. And was much lighter after getting everything out of the bed. This thing is crazy light now that it has no engine or trans at all.

 

 

 

 

Well got around to getting under the car and hooking the drive shaft back up. And with that was finally felt better about trying to spin her over knowing that thing wouldn't be whipping around under the bed just incase it wasn't in neutral. Cranked her over and pretty much confirmed the PO's thoughts on her needing a rebuild. Compression was pretty terrible across the board. So now time to get her out and ready for the swap.

 

 

The amount of oil that seems to have blown out of the broken exhaust is also kind of forboding. Not really sure how that would even happen, but its all over the axle, frame and strut right there.

 

It truly was a beautiful day for this, 80 and the sun out. Also got to use my creeper for the first time... Man is that way better than cardboard!

[Drakoe1]

Decided like most things, it'll be a bit easier to work with if I clean it before I start working on it. So started off with clearing all leaves and dirt and crap outta the bed.

Found only a couple of 1/4" or so through holes in the bed so not too shabby.

 

Also took some time and took the L20B block on up to the house to quickly give it a once over with the power washer.

 

Finally tackled removing the radiator before calling it a night since it was starting to get dark and the mosquitos were starting to come out.

 

 

(Clocks and hour behind)

Overall a pretty productive day. Now just gotta wait till next weekend to be able to finish pulling the L16 out. Hopefully have the motivation after work during the week to get the L20B up on a stand and get to work cleaning her up and getting it ready for its new home.