Rat Van Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Hello guys. I'm the proud owner of several 120Y's, 1 sedan and 2 1/2 VB210 Panelvans. I have pretty much owned datsuns since 1990. My first datsun was a 510 and several 1200's over the years and after 10 years of searching I found a panelvan. It was the first one for sale in Melbourne since I started looking and I scoured the wrecking yards with no luck but since 2003 I've had panelvan #1 in the shed but it is a bit flogged. I have since found another 2. The orange van is the Ratvan and is starting construction at the moment. Lots of gathering old school bits. I am mad on L series and into different stuff. I like doing things old school. Not rough, just different. The daily is powered by a mild L18 on LPG. It's fairly neat and I haven't been pulled over ever in it. The bare metal van is the first one I found. The orange van is Ratvan. On the trailer coming home after I quit the Nissan dealership. If you guys are interested I'll keep you informed on the project. It's finally starting to make forward progress. Quote Link to comment
datrod Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 I want one. That is way cool. can't wait to see it sitting on the ground. A two door goon :cool: Oh and welcome to ratsun. :D Quote Link to comment
denveratsun Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Would love to be able to follow the progress man...really neat car...I mean van.:D Quote Link to comment
420n620 Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 I wood love to see more pics of the vans and WELCOME to Ratsun. How many vans were made, are they rare like hens teeth ? :) Quote Link to comment
Phlebmaster Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Welcome to the forum! Nice rides :D Keep us posted on the progress. Quote Link to comment
pope_face Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 Cool, I've never seen the panel vans before... they look pretty neat. The daily looks super clean too. Any pics of the interiors on both? Welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted August 11, 2008 Report Share Posted August 11, 2008 :cool: did you make the 'panels' yourself? ive considered doing this to a 510 'panel' wagon Quote Link to comment
yello620 Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Those are very interesting, I have neverseen these cars as a panel van. I would also like to see the progress. You also have a set of wheels there that are interesting to me, never seen before. They look like our slotted mags, but ours always have the same number of holes as they have lugnuts. Yours have six holes and only four lugnuts. Do you know what size they are? They look like 15". Jason Quote Link to comment
Rat Van Posted August 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 To be honest I don't know how many were imported into Australia. They are a full import as they have no intrusion bars fitted to the doors saving abbout 25kg per door. All I have are rumours about numbers imported. Most people I have told about it haven't seen one or have seen one but it was 20 years ago. England got a few being a small van loving nation. No I didn't make the 'panels'. They are all ridgy didge. Straight from the factory. The bare metal van has trademark section cutouts for side glass for grandpa's who are scared of reversing with no vision. If you can't see it it won't hurt you I say. The panel van shares the same platform as the 2 door wagon but the window panles are not fitted and instead they have these flimsey thin panels welded in place. It's all a bit rough from the factory but it's light and cammercial only so good looks wern't an issue. The mags are my Achille's Heel. They are basically the same as your US Racing Rims. Only the dish isn't a deep, although you can get them fairly deep here for older cars. We call them Jelly Beans, like the lollies. Depending on the amount of holes we also refer to them as 'slotters'. I have the 6 slotters on the sedan in 14"x6" and I have a full compliment of 5 slotters for the Rat Van. 14'x7" for the rear and 14"x6" for the front and spare. Over here they were available in 4, 5, 6 and 8 slots. 5 being the most common and 6 beign the hardest to find. I'll attempt to take a few happy snaps of the bits and pieces I have laying around and a few before shots and post them up shortly. I see you gents have an ongoing love affair with the 620's and 720's. My dad had a 720 twin cab years ago when I had my first 510. On night we flat towed his mates F100 about 100km. When we turned up he said "What the fcuk are you going to do with that!" After we towed his truck home he couldn't live down the ribbing we gave him for his comments. This is the engine bay of the daily when I first put it together. Before I converted it to lpg. This is it's current setup which won't be there much longer. I am working on a twin su manifold converted to a plenum with a R31 skyline throttle body and lpg mixer. To go with some more port work and a bigger cam. This is a spare parts panel van which is now missing the bent front. Quote Link to comment
datrod Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 :cool: did you make the 'panels' yourself? ive considered doing this to a 510 'panel' wagon Hey hang. I have a panel 510 wagon. I'll sell it to ya. Quote Link to comment
hang_510 Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Hey hang. I have a panel 510 wagon. I'll sell it to ya. wheres the pix??? have i seen it? (does it drive? :confused: :lol: ) dont tempt me :w00t: i gotta get the current goon out of the garage first!!! Quote Link to comment
dattson510 Posted August 12, 2008 Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Hey Rat Van, Good to see you made it to the ratsun forums. Your comments on the datsun 1200 list are usually hilarious (or they make no sense)! I was stopped on the street in my B210 coupe and asked if I wanted to buy a wagon (van). The guy gave me his card and now I'm kicking myself in the ass because I can't find it.:mad: Welcome Quote Link to comment
Rat Van Posted August 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2008 Yeah, my missus is always telling me that the slang words I use confuse people sometimes. One of my favorite is the old classic 'Chuck a U'ey' Refering to a U turn. When typing for this forum I have to look back and make sure what I have typed makes sense. I have this old saying. "Never knock back a datsun." The memory will usually haunt you. Ironically, so will the missus for bringing home another bloody datsun! Quote Link to comment
Rat Van Posted August 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2008 I just realised i put up the wrong engine shot. The twin su's was the first setup I had. Then I went to a 32/36 weber setup. Then to LPG with a 55mm throttle body,. Now it runs a standard carby base with a impco 125 mixer. This is it's current motor. It's an L18 with a mild cam, A87 head, electronic dizzy, extractors, skyline stumpy 5 speed, 720 flywheel, h/d clutch etc etc. Thanks for the welcome guys. Quote Link to comment
Rat Van Posted August 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2008 I finally got around to getting some photo's. It's early stages yet and I am working on for a turbo setup for the daily . Trying to get parts together everywhere. I stripped out the engine bay and I have started on the crossmember for the L series in the van. And a shot of the shed. Stuff everywhere. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment
Guest jaimesix Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 I finally got around to getting some photo's. It's early stages yet and I am working on for a turbo setup for the daily . Trying to get parts together everywhere. I stripped out the engine bay and I have started on the crossmember for the L series in the van. And a shot of the shed. Stuff everywhere. What do you guys think? Nice work. Hope to see the final product. I like those vans and panel vans , as well as station wagons/ estates. We did not get any of those in B210 shape unfortunately. One question, what is that bottle bolted on to the strut tower??? Jaime.______________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment
Pedro Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 One question, what is that bottle bolted on to the strut tower??? Jaime.______________________________________________________ Washer bottle for the windscreen I'd say (if that's the bottle you are referring to). Quote Link to comment
Rat Van Posted August 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 The little white looking job with the right angle outlet is the fuel filter. Quote Link to comment
motavated Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 Was one of your cars made to run on propane or natural gas? EDIT! I looked up LPG and it is!!!!! What was your mpg with that set up? HP? A NICE!!!!! Quote Link to comment
lynchfourtwenty Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 that yellow one kinda looks like the car from mad max.. well the same gerneral shape anyways Quote Link to comment
irsa76 Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 I've threatened my wife that I'll buy a 120Y if I find one cheap enough. How much mucking around is it to drop an L series in them? I was told it wasn't exactly legal, might not be in NSW anyway. Quote Link to comment
lynchfourtwenty Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 theres a 120y on youtube with a sr20det in au. sure sure exactly where tho.. i dont see why an l-series would be illegal.. i mean that would just be retarded Quote Link to comment
Guest jaimesix Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 theres a 120y on youtube with a sr20det in au. sure sure exactly where tho.. i dont see why an l-series would be illegal.. i mean that would just be retarded Down under there are very stringent laws that govern CCs and engine modifications. There is a limit on what engine can be swapped into which cars, depending on year, make, model, original CCs, etc. In the US we care about smog laws, that is what makes our cars legal or not. Down under, it is engine inspections. Yes, I agree it sounds bad, but the motor nazis over there have those laws enacted. Same happens here, it is retarded to hold a 30 year old vehicle to it's manufacturer smog standards. If you learn about the law in the US, a car has to pass the smog test with the same flying colors it did when new, after 38 years! ( 1975 year models on...) At the same time, manufacturers are only compelled by law to manufacture and sell emissions and smog related parts for only 10 years after the vehicle in question hits the market. A Datsun B210 sold in 1976, saw emission related parts manufactured and sold at the dealers by Nissan untill 1986. It has been 22 years since Nissan stopped making any smof related parts, but the smog nazis still compell your B210 to pass the smog test, and they demand you to maintain the smof system in top shape, while there has been no parts available for 22 years!!! I think that is retarded, very much so! Quote Link to comment
lynchfourtwenty Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 wow, that sux.. im glad where im at in washington my 77 doesnt have to do emissions.. infact only things newer then 83 have to do emissions.. 25 years an older are exempt Quote Link to comment
Rat Van Posted August 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 Was one of your cars made to run on propane or natural gas? EDIT! I looked up LPG and it is!!!!! What was your mpg with that set up? HP? A NICE!!!!! The MPG at the moment is rubbish. I have to change a few things to make the engine more suited to lpg. I get around 17 litres to 100km with a little less power than when I had a 32/36 weber with the same engine and got approx 12 litres to 100km with at least another 10Kw. It has approx 55Hp at the treads. LPG in its natural state blends poorly with air so I need to modify my head ( I have another ported A87 in the shed) and a LPG specific cam and possibly a turbo setup if the $$$ allows. I should be able to tune it to get approx 15 litres to 100km but with near double the power by forcing the lpg to blend with the air and with only low boost. (around 8 psi) The engine conversion is legal as it meets all emission requirements being straight lpg and all the brakes come from a stanza so from the conversion point of view it is a stanza in a 120Y body. A bit like a transvestite but with more balls! The cross member is from a stanza and 120Y combined. I grind the mounts from the 120Y and drill the mounts of the stanza and re jig it up. With the new member I am going to drop the mounts bu 20mm so I have better bonnet clearance as well as nicer trans tunnell clearance. This is the crossmember from my sedan. I made it about 4 years ago in the old shed I had with lots more room. After I do the next one I think that engine mounts might become a problem to change. This is the lpg tank in the daily. 44 usable litres until I have to get out and push. The filler is in the origional position to neaten things up. Quote Link to comment
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