Loren O's '65 320

[Loren O]

A customer of mine at Estacada NAPA told me about this "old Datsun truck" sitting behind the building he shares with another shop (also a customer of ours). I talked to the owner of the other shop,but didn't really get any details. Last week I was bringing some parts up there,& asked if I could look at it. We went out & looked. He told me he'd bought it about 5 years ago from a buddy,who had owned it for 12 years or so. Apparently it ran 5 years or so ago. He hed condidered putting the body on a jeep frame,but never had time for the project. I can buy it for a few hundred $,because he just wants to see somebody do something with it ,& he know about my other Datsuns.

I'm not finished resurecting the '72 521 I bought awhile back,so this will most likely be a back-burner restoration/semi-custom (for driveability,like brakes,webber carb,etc.) Are parts for these readily available? It's fairly complete,but it's missing a few things. There is a hole on the fire wall where it looks like a fan motor for heat would've bolted up. No radio,& whatever was in the location above it. I didn't see any trim,or emblems,no hubcaps,the bench seat has been replaced by bucket seatsat kind of thing. I haven't un-burried it from all the other stuff that has been piled in& around it,but I didn't see any obvious rust. What do you think?

[Eagle_Adam]

nope, its a piece of shit, there no parts around, and ill take it............

[Eagle_Adam]

congratz tho!

 

 

 

 

 

what are you doing with the ZX? 

[Loren O]

I don't know yet. It depends how much work/$ it takes to get it running&driving. If it's cheap &.simple, like I suspect,i might hang on to it for my wife to drive when she doesn't have to haul a bunch of kids . We have.a.Suburban for.that. It's an automatic,&she doesn't.drive a manual trans yet. Might be a fairly good daily driver,so I can do some much needed work on my Goon. If not,i could use the front struts,brakes,etc,&seats for my goon.

[wayno]

If most the sheet metal is rust free, then someone(you) should save it, they are not easy to find parts for at all though.

I see it is a late 64 or maybe a 65, is it column or floor shift?

[Loren O]

Wayno,I'm glad you chimed in on this! I was going to pm you. I'll try to get more pics but you probably saw the list of parts I'm missing so far,plus it may be missing the front bumper,&I'd prefer bumperettes instead of the ugly aftermarket bumper it has now I have a spare set of them,minus brakets for my 521,i might just make brakets & use them on the 320. Anyway,your advice on this would be much appreciated. Same goes for any of the rest of you who know these trucks. By the way,when we had the hood open,the paint on the firewall,&etc is a similiar darker green to my 521. My favorite color! Definately going back to that.

[Loren O]

Wayno,I'm glad you chimed in on this! I was going to pm you. I'll try to get more pics but you probably saw the list of parts I'm missing so far,plus it may be missing the front bumper,&I'd prefer bumperettes instead of the ugly aftermarket bumper it has now I have a spare set of them,minus brakets for my 521,i might just make brakets & use them on the 320. Anyway,your advice on this would be much appreciated. Same goes for any of the rest of you who know these trucks. By the way,when we had the hood open,the paint on the firewall,&etc is a similiar darker green to my 521. My favorite color! Definately going back to that. The tag on the firewall says it's a '65. It's a column shift.

[wayno]

320 bumperettes are different than 520/521/620 bumperettes, they are more rounded and smaller, but the 521 bumperettes will still likely look all right, anything looks better than them diamond plate and other bumpers back then.

I hope there is a front bumper somewhere around there, as they are hard to find in good condition.

So it's a 64 that was sold in 65, you are going to have fun with that column shift, it has a strange shift pattern.  :lol:

[wayno]

BTW, you are just going to have to use 520/521/620 hubcaps, as the 320 hubcaps are impossible to find unless you get real lucky.

 

What parts list do you speak of?

[Loren O]

Just the things I mentioned in one of the earlier posts here. it looks like some thing is missing from the passenger side firewall/back side of the dash near the fuse block. Something bolted up there at some point. The radio, & whatever was located directly above it on the dash are missing,as is the original bench seat (it has bucket seats now. ) I didn't see the front bumper,or any trim/emblems,but they may be burried there somewhere. i'd like this truck to at least LOOK fairly original, but may do some minor updates for driveability sake. How,if at all, interchangeable are parts with later Datsuns? For example,will a roadster engine,maybe transmission work in this truck? Maybe 411/412 parts,or am I going to need to find speifically 320 parts ? I'm used to my 510,where so mamy parts are interchangeable/adaptable.

[wayno]

Just the things I mentioned in one of the earlier posts here. it looks like some thing is missing from the passenger side firewall/back side of the dash near the fuse block. Something bolted up there at some point. The radio, & whatever was located directly above it on the dash are missing,as is the original bench seat (it has bucket seats now. ) I didn't see the front bumper,or any trim/emblems,but they may be burried there somewhere. i'd like this truck to at least LOOK fairly original, but may do some minor updates for driveability sake. How,if at all, interchangeable are parts with later Datsuns? For example,will a roadster engine,maybe transmission work in this truck? Maybe 411/412 parts,or am I going to need to find speifically 320 parts ? I'm used to my 510,where so mamy parts are interchangeable/adaptable.

 

No way, don't even think about roadster stuff, it's like corvette stuff, very expensive, but the A14/15 series engines out of the b210/210 cars fit fairly good, you can get parts for them, and they have way more power than the stock 320 engine, the J series engines(520/521) also work, some might basically bolt right in, but are harder to find parts for.

I would have to see it to tell you for sure what is missing in the dash/firewall areas.

The bench seat will eventually show up, but it will need re-covered, and the side trim, well that will be tough, I have never seen a complete set for sale before, I might have some of the badges, I would have to look, and there are a couple of them on ebay right now, Ted here on Ratsun has one of them for sale on ebay.

Personally I would try to get the stock engine running first, and if that failed, then go with an J series or A series engine.

This is an A15 series engine(210/B210) in my 65 320.

[wayno]

You have not bought it yet, have you?

Does it have a title?

[65L320]

The piece that it missing is probably the wiper motor. Hard to find! Just ask me lol

[Loren O]

You have not bought it yet, have you?

Does it have a title?

No, I haven't bought it yet,& no it doesn't have a title. The owner before the shop it 's at lost the title. I may be able to get a bill of sale from him,or something though. I had to do that on my 510 goon. I offered them a couple hundred $ for it,&.told them it would be awhile,at least until after.Christmas. He said that was ok.

[Loren O]

The piece that it missing is probably the wiper motor. Hard to find! Just ask me lol

That would make sence,i noticed that the passenger side wiper shaft (where the wiper arm would attach was missing. In the pic Wayno posted of his blue truck,the missing piece is located right behind where the coil is attached. How were you able to find one?

[wayno]

I would go talk to the DMV before buying it, tell them what your going to have for paperwork, and ask if you will be able to get a title with that.

Washington is a lot easier to get titles than Oregon, and they would make me wait three years for a title with just a bill of sale, that 3 years is for the legal owner to show up and claim the vehicle is his/hers, and take it home themselves.

[I'm BLUE]

Do you have a thread for the zx or pictures ?

[65L320]

If you search hard lol. The 320 people here on Ratsun are nice they will help out. I ended up getting my wiper motor from a member on here. I do have a few parts as well. I may have the side trim but I'm not sure what shape it's in. It's on my parts truck and it's covered up at the moment.

[Loren O]

Do you have a thread for the zx or pictures ?

I don't have a thread,or pictures for the zx, just the pics I posted it the "sightings" thread. I haven't bought it either,kinda the same plan as with the 320.

He's not in a hurry,& only looking to get his $ back out of it. It has a title,a new manual (owners,or repair manual,i didn't ask which) & honestly,other that the fact that someone painted the Iron Cross wheels blue,& that it's an automatic,it's a pretty nice car. I've never been that into the zx's or the early 300z's either,other than as donor cars for 510's,but if this one is repairable it would make a nice daily driver while my other projects are being worked on.

[I'm BLUE]

I don't have a thread,or pictures for the zx, just the pics I posted it the "sightings" thread. I haven't bought it either,kinda the same plan as with the 320.

He's not in a hurry,& only looking to get his $ back out of it. It has a title,a new manual (owners,or repair manual,i didn't ask which) & honestly,other that the fact that someone painted the Iron Cross wheels blue,& that it's an automatic,it's a pretty nice car. I've never been that into the zx's or the early 300z's either,other than as donor cars for 510's,but if this one is repairable it would make a nice daily driver while my other projects are being worked on.

 

It's a nice color on the car. The automatic's in these shift/snap faster than you would think they would ( doesn't feel like a slug..if you haven't had the pleasure of driving one yet). It's a comfy/cushy comfort ride as well at least compared to the earlier models. Congrats when you do.

[Loren O]

I've haven't driven a ZX yet. My Dad had a new 260z when I was a kid,& my Aunt had a couple Z's,nearly Identical to each other,both silver with wire wheels.

I've wanted one ever since,but never had the chance to buy one that wasn't trashed,or a.wireing nightmare. An old boss of mine had one of the supercar style 300z 2+2's with the automatic. It was a real nice car! I drove it once,but she was in the car,so I didn't get to really put it through it's paces. I drove a buddy's 280z 2+2 automatic from Canby to Wilsonville Nissan for a swap meet (i think he sold it that day,if I remember right.) It didn't seem up to par with any of the manual trans Z's I'd driven ,seemed kinda sluggish. Is $550 to much to pay for thi ZX? Any ideas why the idle speed took off,then idled down & died now there's no power at the switch.

[Eagle_Adam]

fuseable link? 

[Loren O]

fuseable link?

 

That's where I was going to look first.