mrbigtanker Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Very good. 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 I'm anxious to see some updates too, lol Last time I saw the truck in person it was parked in a corner of the shop, looking forlorn and pitiful …. like an old dog at an animal control shelter, tired of being overlooked by the cuter, more adorable puppies. Sort of like Mr. Big's wagon project Or JRock's wagon Or Boardlin's 521 project Or Charlie's 520 project Or any number of Ratsun projects currently sidelined by their builder's life issues:) Still, watching this thread for updates is like listening to Carly Simon's golden oldie "Anticipation" Mr Big I am not holding my breath are you? LOL 1 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Mr Big I am not holding my breath are you? LOL Nope. 1 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 What about this truck. 1 Quote Link to comment
earlyvws Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Sunday Sunday Sunday. That's when I plan starting back on it. 3 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Ill be watching you. 1 Quote Link to comment
harlow426@mail.com Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 So to answer some of the questions above: I am doing a ball joint front end from a D21 also a 5x114 lug conversion. This is why I cannot buy the kits already made. In terms of where this is going. This will be a daily driver. I am looking to lower it about 4" just to close the gaps. The rim choice I made has changed some of the things I was going to do, but I like where it is going. I will be doing a full paint job body work not extreme just make it straightish. In terms of project this looks to be rather easy compared to what I am used to. I have been building my vws from scratch. My first car was a 67 Fastback.I had a 60' T-II three door and a 61'.Not many around. Wolfgang t-1 irs conversion/ Claudes' Buggies 1835 w/hemi cut heads(drop comp 4 van). Motor still brand new in boxes in storage....trans sitting in barn. Ended up selling b-4 finished. Still a 71 Westypop, 60-65-70 bugs in the family & couple early wabbits. Glad 2 see a fellow vee-dub guy has the datsun virus. 2 Quote Link to comment
harlow426@mail.com Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I just looked closer at the blu crew cab......I think it is the one I had!!!!!! Puncture in the front by emblem on drivers side? Truck come from Oregon with new "mill Supply" inner ouuter rockers in pkg? Wolfgang Irs Kit? Early(59)keyhole rear apron? Peach colored extra parts? I could b wrong but I think that is my old truck.......Bitchin' now/rusty when I had it. 1 Quote Link to comment
ol' 320 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 This is now going KA;) 2 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 The VW is going KA? 1 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 The VW is going KA? No silly the chevy Impala.lol No the Truck is going KA. Stay tuned. 1 Quote Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 at his own expense ? or ol 320? love the double cab even though 2 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 Ol 320 1 Quote Link to comment
ol' 320 Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 Joe is working hard on the swap to a KA, and I can hardly wait to drive this truck. I was so intrigued by the build thread and Joe's other posts that I made a special trip up to the Bay Area just to hang out and meet him. Originally I was going to buy his green 521, but my heart was always set on the grey truck. I've tried to buy several projects on here over the past few years, and I've probably driven more than 1,000 miles to check out several intriguing Ratsuns to make sure I knew exactly what I wanted. Those of you who know me also know I usually stick with classic race cars from the pre WWI era, with a few DD exceptions from the 60s and 70s. I can no longer do some of the heavy projects I used to after an unfortunate accident caused by a drunk driver, so I have been focused on car projects that are either done or mostly done. Hot rod Triumphs with 400hp swaps, vintage Lotus Elans, and the two more recent Ratsun projects I own: a KA-powered Roadster and a custom 320 that I drove about 6,000 miles before I realized I really needed a tad more room for those long, 5-plus hour drives. When you are 20 or 30-something, driving a 320 for 500 miles in a day is a lot more do-able than when you arguably have more grey hairs than there are total members on Ratsun ... lol! No one I know who stands over 5'11" - except Wayno, who is sort of crazy that way about 320s and 520s and 521s - would probably be happy with a DD 320 on l o n g trips! A 320 has a special look all its own. But I suppose one has to spend a bunch of seat time in one to consider a 520/521 "roomy" by comparison! So I sold the 320 to one of my best friends and began looking for a "bigger" truck. After about 3-4 trips to hang with Joe during Bay Area business trips, I struck a deal to buy Joe's green 521 and have him finish up a few things for me so I could DD it, But I made sure Joe knew if he ever wanted to sell the grey truck, I would appreciate a call. Of course, Mr. Bigtanker figures into this story. Ray has nagged me and nagged me to upgrade from an L-series to a KA or better. He knows I drive the wheels off my old cars, often up at high altitudes in the Giant Sequoias for my movie industry work. But after I made Joe swap out the grey truck's L16 for the Green truck's sweet little L18, I was afraid to push him to switch back to his original plant install a KA. But when Joe offered to do this about 10 days ago ... well, I am not stupid! How could I refuse? So here's the deal. We need a to source a few things to complete this project. Perhaps the moderators will indulge me those time and not make me move this post to the dreaded classifieds, because this is really a request for some info from others about their advice and experience with KA swaps. Cam Swaps? Joe has the internals all covered with this KA, with the exception of the final choice on what cams to install. PLEASE don't post here unless you have personal or direct experience about a setup. We have plenty of input from folks that are guessing or are armchair engine builders and swappers. I would really like toner from the knowledgeable folks who have built and run KAs, please:) This truck will be NA, and hopefully with custom A/C although packaging in a 521 is going to be a challenge. A smooth, reliable power band is more important than trying to chase top end HP. The Central Valley has about 5 months of temp over 100 degrees, and I plan to drive this sucker back and forth to Texas a few times to see relatives and attend some vintage racing events that are sort of my thing. Is it worth it to swap out intake/exhaust cams with a combo of S13/S14 cams, and if so, what combo have people tried that gave a noticeable improvement without losing the low end torque that makes a KA so desirable? I don't want to turbo this, and I want a tolerable idle that won't adversely affect a/c operation when I am stuck in traffic. Can/Am box I am playing email tag with Icehouse, but I've sold myself on the Can/Am box. I wish I could get him to fly down to the Bay Area and help us wire this puppy up, but there has to be someone in the Bay Area or who can make a trip to the Bay Area who can calm our nerves about wiring up EFI, and doing so in a neat, orderly way with all the wires tucked. It would be helpful to seek out some advice on the extra dod-dads and best practices to really get the most out of the Can/Am. Aftermarket KA intake The 240 sx manifold works very well on my KA roadster swap (I did not do the swap, I bought the car all done and it is a very neat swap indeed that has never faltered). But I think the stock manifold is sort of butt ugly. I had a nice custom aftermarket manifold on the Lotus which looked awesome, and I have seen some nice manifolds on a couple of KA builds online. Anyone have personal experience with an aftermarket manifold that performs well with NA that has some tight packaging? Alternatively, anyone have a really clean KA intake assembly all ready to bolt on, with the EFI already refurbished? The 240 sx manifold that came with the engine Joe started with is in baggies with a million odd-sized bolts and stuff and it might be nice to just slap a known good setup on and not have it puzzle this all out. After all, time is important here. Every time Joe is left with a few hours of idle time he buys another Datsun project:) ECU I don't want to become Mr. Bigtanker here and needlessly buy every known bling trinket on the planet - just because. We don't have an ECU yet, so we need to find a known good "auto" KA ECU or, if there is a simple, better bolt-in type aftermarket solution that makes sense, I might consider an AEM or similar. I am not NIS720 and I don't want to mess around with different tune profiles like some people do. I plan to run this NA with a/c for the foreseeable future. But like Mr. Big, I can be talked up into options if I can rationalize the benefits. Remember, I am the guy who spent the money to buy a 320 with a professionally installed ball-joint front end and a Rebello engine .... hah! And then, because I HATE electrical problems, I promptly spent a bunch of bucks to have the whole truck completely rewired with a 14-circuit modern wiring harness. My aching back stopped me from swapping in a KA or SR20 with a./c in this 320, but I did think seriously about this, and so I decided to invest in a wiring setup that was forward thinking, if that make sense. So the question is, do I want to go KA ECU or after-market ECU? I am not an electrically intelligent dude. I can wire a household lamp, but I am not the guy who wants to earn an electrical engineering degree or who wants to spend my last breathing moment hovered over a soldering iron and a Frankenstein project box full of diodes and electrical debris from Radio Shack. I would like to just have a project I can drive daily and enjoy maintaining. Please feel free to PM me if you have a spare KA manifold you think would work for me, or an ecu. And if you have a recommendation on switching out the intake and exhaust cams for the KA between S13/S14 choices, I would appreciate some feedback. Yes, I know there's search function, so let's not get snarky. I have read a bunch of threads and talked to several folks about some of this. My project ideas are simple in concept compared to the folks on here who are trying to get 300-plus HP out of their mills. Wayne, Mike Klotz, Redeye and a few others on Ratsun have been kind enough to offer advice on different subjects overthrow past few years. I'm grateful for my Ratsun friends and I would like to read what some of you have to say. Joe, I will try not to pollute your thread on this truck with too many comments as you finish the build. But there are a lot of folks who have been following this project and I would rather seek advice from folks who understand the quality level you are shooting for here. If this truck runs as well as it looks when its finished, I will be very, very happy! I told Joe, if I had sent a core truck to a restoration shop and had the money to pick any color options and features I wanted, I would not have changed much on this. Except the part where Mr. Bigtanker and I nagged Joe into removing the battery tray and a few things like that, this project has always been Joe's vision. I confess, I was one of the folks early on who bugged Joe to go KA. But at that time I never thought he would sell this truck, I just liked the way a KA swap drove! Now I just hope Joe finishes this truck before he restores the Z car ... And the 510 ... And the Hako ... And whatever else he buys this next week! The next thing you know he will be building a FJ20-powered golf cart for the kids to drive around JCCS. 1 Quote Link to comment
datson4life Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 My swap last year: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/47785-engine-bay-clean-out/page-42 Its not a hard swap, plenty of power with the stock internals, the stock computer works great, the automatic version i hear lets u revv higher, ill be glad to answer the questions i can, im doing another ka swap soon aswell 1 Quote Link to comment
datson4life Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 This is now going KA;) So the truck belongs to you now? Im confused 3 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 So the truck belongs to you now? Im confused Yes he bought the truck. And he makes me sound like a terrible person in his huge story. Talk about confused.lol Eric you rode in the red truck with the KA24DE was that not enough power for you, keep in mind it still had the 69 rear end which i think is a 4.87 or 4.88. So I would go just about stock except for of course a cold air intake and header and run the factory ECU and so forth, I went AEM because i did not know if my stock FJ ECU was any good and why bother finding out really. Big high volume fan pusher like in my set up in the central valley with A/C should be fine, the only thing is have Joe Foose make sure you get CFM going in to that engine bay, the grill is short not tall and you need to move air through there. I would say you will be fine, And also a Mechman polished billet Alternator pumping out 170 AMP's will help in that department. 1 Quote Link to comment
jrock4224 Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 those are the kindda pms i got from ol 320 ...... lol 2 Quote Link to comment
ol' 320 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Ray, you are one of my favorite persons on here.... you know that;) I did like the power in the red truck. In fact after driving that, I bought the KA-powered roadster. After I rode the roadster for awhile, I became sold on one in the right truck project. I also drove an SR-powered 620 some time ago with ITBs. Now THAT had enough power with JWR cams, but it needed a lot of other work. I also looked at wagons, and tried to buy Jrock's, but as he said he wasn't interested in selling anything. Then I started looking at 521s again. I talked to a guy about sawing one in half and adding four inches in the doors, and we nearly came to terms. Then I looked at a nice LS-powered early Landrover. Jrock, those have lots of legroom:) I didn't need a cherry E36 M3, a 320 truck, a KA roadster, a V8-powered TR6 AND a prewar racer, so I started selling stuff. I am particular about what I drive. I think the Prius will go to the wife (62 mpg is our best tank!), the 521 will get driven on nice days, the M3 may go, and I may start riding the bike to work ... lol. Ray, your truck has an amazing sound and winds up nicely. It's almost as satisfying to listen to as a prewar 1912 Buick with a lot of cam overlap that snorts and spits gas and has all of 6:1 compression! 2 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Good to see this thread is alive! Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Ray, you are one of my favorite persons on here.... you know that;) I did like the power in the red truck. In fact after driving that, I bought the KA-powered roadster. After I rode the roadster for awhile, I became sold on one in the right truck project. I also drove an SR-powered 620 some time ago with ITBs. Now THAT had enough power with JWR cams, but it needed a lot of other work. I also liked at wagons, and tried to buy Jrock's, but as he said he wasn't interested in selling anything. Then I started looking at 521s again. I talked to a guy about sawing one in half and adding four inches in the doors, and we nearly came to terms. Then I looked at a nice LS-powered early Landrover. Jrock, those have lots of legroom:) I didn't need a cherry E36 M3, a 320 truck, a KA roadster, a V8-powered TR6 AND a prewar racer, so I started selling stuff. I am particular about what I drive. I think the Prius will go to the wife (62 mpg is our best tank!), the 521 will get driven on nice days, the M3 may go, and I may start riding the bike to work ... lol. Ray, your truck has an amazing sound and winds up nicely. It's almost as satisfying to listen to as a prewar 1912 Buick with a lot of cam overlap that snorts and spits gas and has all of 6:1 compression! Thanks buddy I am more then sure Joe will have it all dialed in for you real well. I just wish I had yours and Joes money.. 1 Quote Link to comment
ol' 320 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Hah! Your're the Mr. Moneybags. We jus po folks ... 2 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Tell him post pics don't be hiding out on the truck or Eric you update please 1 Quote Link to comment
earlyvws Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Shit man. Been gone a min and this thread is blowing up without me. Pics come as soon as there is something to show. I got the call from the machine shop the head is done so I offered it to Eric. As I will not need a KA anymore. So where I'm at is: Cab coming off again. Building lower end of block Body working doors and lower valance Waiting for ARP head studs Tried picking up head but one man machinist not there when I go. Getting other small parts ready to paint, center caps etc. Getting stuff together for driveline. Well the main reason I sold the truck is after driving the green one I realized the grey one will never work for me and 2 kids. Having split seats not gonna happen. I got the wife the 240z so she can be the Baller at work. Plus I plan to drive the shit out of it. 2 Quote Link to comment
mrbigtanker Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Hah! Your're the Mr. Moneybags. We jus po folks ... Eric they shipped my alternator are you still wondering about it. If you are I will post pic and give you the contact if you want the one he made for me now has a part number. I might need your help putting it in because some of the asshats on here think i don't know how. Let me know though. 1 Quote Link to comment
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