iCruZ Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 My guess is someone on this site might be driving a Chevy powered Datsun Pickup ? or am I wrong ? Just asking a general question for anyone who could help ? Has anyone put a 350 Chevy motor into a 521 ? I have a buddy of mine who is giving me his clean 350 motor with low original miles and want to put it in my 70 521 project ... Before I actually went through with trying wanted to see if anyone has done it so they could tell me what kind of custom fabrications they had to do to make it work.. that is if it could work ? Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 So some will be a dick sooner or later and ask you that search is your friend,blah blah blah.Yes it has been done if you google Datsun 521 you will get pics,I would post a link but I am to stupid to do it on my IPad so you are your own.And also if you start to hack up your truck go all the way through with it don't go half in and stop and try to sell it for 500.00 obo.lol And I hope you do it.welcome 1 Quote Link to comment
CGS1948 Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 My guess is someone on this site might be driving a Chevy powered Datsun Pickup ? or am I wrong ? Just asking a general question for anyone who could help ? Has anyone put a 350 Chevy motor into a 521 ? I have a buddy of mine who is giving me his clean 350 motor with low original miles and want to put it in my 70 521 project ... Before I actually went through with trying wanted to see if anyone has done it so they could tell me what kind of custom fabrications they had to do to make it work.. that is if it could work ? Herbert and Meek in Sacramento used to make a kit to do this. Being a life time engine swapper myself, I got some of their business when they closed shop many years ago. Yes It has been done. Because someone gives you a clean 350 doesn't mean it will make a clean swap and perform great on all levels. The stock Datto L16 weighs about 250lbs, and a SBC similiarly equipped weighs about 575lbs or so. 325lbs is a lot of weight to dump on the front of a 521. With aluminum heads, intake, hugger headers, aluminum water pump etc, you might get the weight down to 520-525 or so. A Chevy 4.3 V6 weighs about 450, and the Buick 3.8-4.1 V6 was about 90lbs less (a lot of folks used these). In this day and age a KA would give you plenty of power and torque, and keep it all NISSAN. But, don't let me stop you, do as you will. Oh, by the way, I had a '71 521 with a Ford 302, and C-4 automatic, went and handled nicely. What made it handle was that it was set back quite a ways from stock, obviously losing the heater in the process. The Ford weighed about 100lbs less than the Chevy... B) 1 Quote Link to comment
Farmer Joe Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 ive seen a few over the years. one has the rad in the back, the other had a ford v8 and a mustang 2 frontend. how involved do you wanna get with this? have you ever done a swap? do you have access and know how to weld? have tools to work on it with? honestly, so much if that is overlooked when doin a swap, and the shit gets left with no motor to rot. what kind of trans did you wanna go for? what kind of HP are shooting for? what kind of rearend will you use if it high HP? its totally do-able, theres just alot to it.. 1 Quote Link to comment
Rocket Dog Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Have you considered using a 720 model as a starting point? I'm just thinking that the whole king pin set up on a 521 might be a little twitchy with that Chevy V8. Quote Link to comment
EricJB Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Funny, I have googled every possible combination of words I could think of, relating to a drag race 521, and with the exception of mine and one with an RB something, they were all V8 powered. Everyone I know that has done that swap has regretted it. The torsion bars make things a bit tight, for starters. 1 Quote Link to comment
Spoona_Jay21 Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 not to saound like a dick, but.. Why? if you want a chevy, why didn't you buy a chev pickup? if you buy a nissan, keep it at least japanese, even if you did a rotary swap it would be reasonable, but a chev motor, #1: is too heavy for the little power you start with #2: done WAAAAYYYYY too much #3: kinda lame, be original man... anyways, this is just my 2cents and bullshit from the peanut gallery. Quote Link to comment
EricJB Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 ive seen a few over the years. one has the rad in the back, the other had a ford v8 and a mustang 2 frontend. how involved do you wanna get with this? have you ever done a swap? do you have access and know how to weld? have tools to work on it with? honestly, so much if that is overlooked when doin a swap, and the shit gets left with no motor to rot. what kind of trans did you wanna go for? what kind of HP are shooting for? what kind of rearend will you use if it high HP? its totally do-able, theres just alot to it.. And most importantly, how are you going to make it stop? Quote Link to comment
LeviGideon Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 And most importantly, how are you going to make it stop? I hear brick walls are the most forgiving braking equipment on V8 Datsuns. 2 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 The early 620 is similar to the 521 so much of whats needed for it will apply. This is not a simple swap because the v8 does not fit even close. To run a rad in the stock location the motor has to be mounted back IN the firewall. If you haven't done a swap like this pass on it. There are an infinite number of ways to fuck this up and only one or two to get it right. http://community.ratsun.net/topic/46970-v8-in-620/ http://community.ratsun.net/topic/28291-thailand-v8-datsun-620-build/page-6 http://community.ratsun.net/topic/35409-chevy-283-v8-in-my-74-620/ http://community.ratsun.net/topic/6833-1978-datsun-620-kingcab-project-bags-and-v8-swap/page-9 http://community.ratsun.net/topic/20797-v8-620/ Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Chevy engine in a 521? Cosworth Vega maybe. Quote Link to comment
K_trip Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 - removed - 1 Quote Link to comment
CGS1948 Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 You might find it easier and cheaper to start with a project someone started but didn't finish? :confused: This roadster is one example -> http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/3989576264.html IMHO - if you think that's too much to spend to start off with, you most likely have no idea what a project like this will really take. Sweet, I did a SPL-311-U '66 Roadster with 302/c-4 automatic back in '72 and drove it for 8 years that way, In about '80 I did a body off total restoration of it back to original. Neat car. 1 Quote Link to comment
CGS1948 Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 IMHO - if you think that's too much to spend to start off with, you most likely have no idea what a project like this will really take. Take the time and money you estimate it will take you to finish the project, and double it, works every time... :rofl: 2 Quote Link to comment
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