first car!1983 Datsun maxima wagon

[CertifiedRustBucket]

Today my dad, and I bought my first car, an '83 maxima wagon(910). Under this thread, I will post pictures and updates on what is going on with the car for the next few months.The body of the car is pretty strait and paint is decent the car has ALOT of rust,but you ratsun guys like 

that stuff. The interior is all there and is cleaning up very good.The engine starts fairly easy considering it has been parked in the weather for the last four years.It has a few leaks here and there but a few runs to local parts place and it should be good. The car was an original Texas car and then the owner migrated to Wisconsin where it spent 20 plus years, The car was general well taken care of but the passage of time was not kind to it. The car was a daily driver so it bore the brunt of the winter abuse and this is very evident....

 

The current plans include a full clean up of the interior, access the extent of the rust, get the engine  back to running /driving status, brakes, then suspension. The engine starts and the tranny goes into first gear and reverse exceptionally well-no hesitation, the coolant looks fresh, power steering works,.

 

The issues with the car are ,extreme rust, rotted exhaust, leaking fuel line, non-functioning brakes, door lock mechanisms are seized, power windows need servicing, The good news is the wiring in the car looks like new and no one has messed with the car since it was assembled so very good start.  If the rust does not turn out to to be a structural threat....this will be a definite daily again. So stay tuned for updates and pics. This is also the second Datsun currently being worked on as my brother has an 82 datsun 210 under construction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When i first saw it.

 

 

 

 

 

You probably cant see it, but it has moss and dirt on the entire car

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At least it came with rims. lol

 

 

 

 

 

The previous owner did a pretty good wire tuck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We reached home pretty late so i couldn't really mess with it...I went to sleep like a kid on Christmas eve.The next morning i started cleaning it. Notice my bro's 210 in the back

 

 

 

The interior was DIRTY...but after a few passes of the vacuum the inside started looking really nice considering i didn't spend a dime on it yet. The only thing i need for the inside will be the center console

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for a few pics of the rust

 

 

And yes the sun roof works....praise the lord for PB blaster

 

 

 

 

If you want to drive with the sunroof open,you gotta bring a poncho and get a tetanus shot

[captaingamez]

awesome stuff man, I have an 84, is yours a 3 speed or 4 speed automatic? and what is it with missing consoles!??!, mine is gone too!!

 

glad to see this getting the restore it deserves, how bad it the underside of it? what did you end up paying for her?

[nismosilvia]

Sweet goon. Looks like a fun project. Do the 1984 console work in these?

[nismosilvia]

I can't even see how you could tell its wire tucked that things insanely dirty. Purple power, some of the Orange degreaser, steel wool and a scotch bright pad will help clean that crap off there

[CertifiedRustBucket]

I can't even see how you could tell its wire tucked that things insanely dirty. Purple power, some of the Orange degreaser, steel wool and a scotch bright pad will help clean that crap off there

Lol...i was just playing about the wire tuck thing.My dad does wire tucks and stuff like that on most of his cars so having a car this dirty in the engine bay is kind of weird for me. I will eventually clean up the engine and make it look all pretty.

[CertifiedRustBucket]

Sweet goon. Looks like a fun project. Do the 1984 console work in these?

I'm not sure if the 84' center console works but i'll look into it

[CertifiedRustBucket]

awesome stuff man, I have an 84, is yours a 3 speed or 4 speed automatic? and what is it with missing consoles!??!, mine is gone too!!

 

glad to see this getting the restore it deserves, how bad it the underside of it? what did you end up paying for her?

It's a 4 speed.The underside from what i see is in a pretty bad shape.It was parked in the snow for a while when it was in Wisconsin.I'll try to post some pics of the bottom. I guess the cool guys dont need a center console lol. 

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Awesome maxima goon man I almost got one before I got my 810 ill have to add it to the collection one day!

[captaingamez]

YES!, nice job saving her. that tranny is actually awseome. its called an L4N71B, In addition to the 4th gear overdrive, it also has a locking torque converter, which Is why it doesnt feel like quite as much of a slush box. do you have a one piece drive shaft in it too? I assume all the 4 speed autos came with one pieces, but im not sure.

 

anyway, the 4 speed auto is actually the one you want if you are trying to go for bigger power or a better tranny in the future, reason being? well, to accomodate for the L4N71B tranny, in late 83-84 they had to widen the entire tranny tunnel by 3 inches per side, so the tunnel is 6 inches wider than in the manual tranny, and 3 speed auto models.

 

problem is when you go to convert to manual, (like I did) youhave to cut and weld a plate to the automatic tranny mount to fit the 5 speed manual on the crossmember. its not very hard and I have fairly detailed plans in my build thread if you decide to do that.

 

but good luck, as you can tell I have a soft spot for the 910, as we barely even got it over here.

[CertifiedRustBucket]

its not very hard and I have fairly detailed plans in my build thread if you decide to do that.

   

 

 

can you link me to your build thread?

[captaingamez]

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/55587-1984-datsun-maxima-910-project/

 

there ya go

[CertifiedRustBucket]

the car is now for sale :(

 

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/3968126588.html

 

 

 

 

http://community.ratsun.net/classifieds/item/1010-1983-maxima-wagon/

[ArchetypeDatsun]

Ah man lost interest?

[CertifiedRustBucket]

I didn't lose interest,I bought the car with intensions of spending a little money to make it a comfortable daily driver. The amount of rust on the undercarriage is to much for me to spend behind it. Remember I'm a kid without a job,but I WILL get another datsun!

[Z-train]

DO NOT JUNK IT.I've been in Southern Az. for 12 years now and I've never seen one.And I've only seen two sedans.You'll be able to sell stuff off it.

[CertifiedRustBucket]

I really don't want to junk it.i don't need to get rid of it so if It doesn't sell I will be keeping it. I want someone else to enjoy this car.

[captaingamez]

aww that sux man

 

I hope someone picks it up that will do something cool with it.

 

I would but mine is already too much project.

[Raggleflaggle]

I feel you man. like, the lack of funds just makes you want to get rid of it... don't. there are plenty of dollars out thereto be earned, but nobody will ever pay you in unique datsuns. sure, maybe it won't be your DD. in all honesty i wouldn't touch anything with that much penetrative rust. (or DD an L-series, they're too much fun) the only way to get to it all would be a full teardown. :crying:  time to buy some rust converter...

[CertifiedRustBucket]

Thanks for your consideration guys, but I don't think rust converter will solve my problems lol.im still debating on selling the car.

[captaingamez]

it is a lot of work.

 

but 910s are very rare in this country.

 

thats why I am restoring mine. with a little luck, they will be as valuable as 510's some day.

 

maybe

[Raggleflaggle]

more so, just because of that fact. think, it's got an l series, so it has Z-level perfprmance upgrades, unlike most dattys. i agree, it is quite a bit of work. i've been back and forth with my own datsun. i will tell you that unless you find somebody who realizes what it is, it will never be repaired the way it deserves to be. be glad the important parts are all there, and the WIRING IS GOOD. dattys can be cruel about wiring. hold on to it. one day it could be the smokin'est little grandma looking car out there, blowing away camaros and shit.

[CertifiedRustBucket]

Here what guys.i will sell the car to anyone on ratsun for 500 firm.LOCAL ONLY.

[10psitx]

just to up date this thread....the goon will be sold to the junkyard this comming weekend for $350. if anyone wants to come get it for the same price please feel free to contact 512-767-0644. Bring a trailer as it is not drivable....brakes are rusted and seized. i hate to relagate this car to scrap but the HOA has decided its fate and fines will be forthcomming if its not moved. Some one please rescue it from the junkyard ....it can be road worth with some time, money and sweat...rusty but road worthy.

[Shawk910]

man that car had a lot of potential hopefully someone comes through for it 

[Raggleflaggle]

SAVE IT SAVE IT!