Introduction - '70 521 / '63 320

[nukeday]

Quick intro -

 

I'm in the Willamette Valley in OR, just outside Eugene. Grew up in San Diego in the 70's and my dad has had a Datsun truck in one form or another ever since. Currently he's got several 320's (6?), 520's (at least one), and 521's at his property on the coast. His toy is an extremely nice '68.

 

His name is Curt, perhaps some of you have had some contact with him in the search for a NOS 320 windshield...

 

I've got one too many projects and got caught up in a major layoff here in the area. My truck ('75 V8 Chevy Luv) is on hold due to funds, inexperience and a dissassembled engine. I need a truck to haul stuff to get my household projects done before the fall weather sets in. Insert dad.

 

The two trucks in the intro are actually not in my possession yet, but will be in the next week or so. The '70 has a title and is for sale as is, but is not a driver. My dad had some sort of deal worked out with a guy in this area to store/sell the trucks for him. My step mom put her foot down at something like 12 Datsun's on their property...lol..so these two ended up here in the valley. There were 3 actually, but the '68 sold yesterday. Did someone here buy it?

 

The '63 has some sticky paperwork, so is not for sale at this time and will not be parted out until further notice (or maybe never). I'm pretty sure my dad legally owns it, so for now I'm just going to try to get it put back together to drive.

 

I'll get photos up soon. I've been exposed to these trucks pretty much since I was 4, but never really got the bug. Hope to learn a few things here and maybe contribute some. It's likely that I'll try to help my dad liquidate some of the rigs on his property and possibly have the '63 for sale soon.

 

Please don't post in this thread about needed parts, I'll get to that soon. Dad and I discussed a heavy photo session at his place. He's 60 something so most of his 'inventory' is in his head, I'll try to get a better idea of what he intends to sell when we take photos. I do know he has a lot of stuff for these early trucks.

 

Hope to maybe meet some of you and exchange info, parts and experience. Thanks for being here ratsun.net :D

[808DA6]

Welcome! Can't wait to see pics.

 

-Brian

[Farmer Joe]

hey nukeday!

 

its Farmer Joe from luvtruck. lol

 

this has kinda became my home now since i have the 77 620 and since i sold the luv.

 

good to see a familiar person on here!

 

oh yeah, and you dont have to deal with fullashit over here either!!

[nukeday]

Hey Idaho! Small world. The Luv is smoldering away in the garage, and now my dad lays this on me. lol...

 

I need something to run for the next couple of months. Plans are in place to pick these trucks up Wednesday or Thursday. Apparently the E1 is sitting in the bed of the '63. According to my dad, he rescued it from a high school kid who was going to put in a 1600, and it ran fine before the engine was pulled. Uh, yeah. We'll see.

 

The '70 is on CL locally now, it's missing the tailgate, rear window, gauges and I don't know what else. It has a clear title and looks pretty straight, it may be a quicker 'put together' for my needs, but if someone here wants it, feel free to contact me. I'm not sure what the deal is with the guy who's holding them but he has to move and is losing his storage. My dad is a bit concerned about the rigs getting lost in the shuffle, and asked me to pick them up before they get scattered...

 

http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/797161830.html

 

Ultimately, they will both probably be for sale along with a field full of stuff he has out in Siletz.

 

Thanks for the shout out Farmer Joe. Anyone who's interested, this is where we 'know' each other from... http://forums.luvtruck.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15119

[nukeday]

Updated my avatar with a 521 I had in CA several years ago. Paid $100 for it, put in a carb kit and took a clay bar to it. Drove it for awhile, but it didn't do real well in San Jose traffic...ran fine otherwise. Sold it for $700 at the Berryesa flea market sometime in '93.

 

Do I have to have a certain number of posts before I can upload images?

[nukeday]

Just got off the phone with my dad. Anyone interested in a bone stock, unmolested, running, '64 NL320? It's baby blue, original paint and a complete runner. He said the starter is out, but he drove it to where it is now. Not sure on the papers, but he said he'll check on that. The tags are original issue from '63. (I think he said September).

 

He's got fewer of these left than I thought. He has three 320's now, one of them has a full bed of additional 320 parts, one of them is the NL and the other is a cab and chassis only. He said he'd consider a package offer on the whole works.

 

Apparently the '63 here in the area has a 510 rearend in it, and he had matching dog dish mags for it (6 lug front, 4 lug rear). I'm going over tomorrow to take some photos and make arrangements to pick the two trucks up.

 

I'll get photos as soon as possible!

[fisch]

Welcome Nuke! Man this sounds like a little Ratsun treasure trove! Alas being on the east coast doesn't help me in this matter.

 

Please take as many pics as you can though! Especially of the NL!

 

Hey maybe you will fall so in love with Dattos you will sell the Luv! Doubtful, but you never know, as your dad can attest, these Datsuns can be rather addictive!

[Llittle_Llama]

pics pics pics....and more pics!!!!!!

[nukeday]

I went over today to see exactly what was going to be involved in extracting these trucks. There are two here locally. The guy wasn't home, and had 3 or 4 boxers in the back yard. The little video clip shows my panic before I realized they were fenced in...lol..

 

The '63 actually looks like it will clean up ok. Not sure what the floors look like, I wasn't real comfortable hanging around and crawling around under the trucks. Anyway, here they are...

 

The '70..

 

 

 

 

The '63...

 

 

 

 

 

Once I get these over to my place I'll take more/better pics. Thanks for the interest folks...:)

[nukeday]

Since no one here really knows me, or my dad for that matter, I thought I should post a bit more background about our involvement with project cars.

 

I've probably owned in excess of 200 vehicles in the last 25 years (9 of which I wasn't even in the US). I've turned a buck on a few of them, but mostly I do it for my own enjoyment (frustration?) and to learn about cars I think would be fun to own. I really started wrenching on Rambler's at about 15.

 

 

I've owned pretty much every American marque post 1950 or so, and probably half a dozen euro's and several asian imports. My current rigs are the '75 V8 Luv project, a '00 Plymouth Voyager minivan, '85 Saab 900 Turbo, '89 Saab 900S, '76 homebuilt Pop Up trailer and the back half of an '83 Ranger long bed for a trailer. This changes pretty frequently, but I've owned the minivan for almost 2 years now. I think that's some kind of record...

 

I want to let everyone know that I've been around these trucks a long time, and I'm involved with Luv's also. I know that some of what we're looking to sell is 'rare' but doesn't usually command huge dollars. We're in with the spirit of that and while my dad would like to sell most of this stuff, he won't gouge anyone, but also won't give it away.

 

I'm basically acting as his internet portal, and since I'm not currently working, and he is, I have a bit more time to deal with this stuff. It's fun for me, and I'm already eyeing the '63 as a keeper...lol...

 

Just thought I'd get that out there early. I'm a straight up guy, an OK mechanic and I got most of that integrity from my dad. So that's who you're dealing with... :D

[mklotz70]

Love the Rambler!! :)

 

To answer your question on nwde about flat towing.....yes....if you want to take it across town, but I don't know that I'd tow it too far. When you go around a tight turn, the front wheels don't want to self center very well. You don't want to to it too fast either. I've flat towed 510's, 320's, and 521's. It's a ton nicer to use a dolly!!!

[nukeday]

mklotz70 - cross forum response, cool! lol...thanks for the info. I think I'll try use the bar that's actually mounted on the '63. I plan to put the '70 on a dolly. I usually wrap a bungee around the steering wheel a couple of times and slam the tail in the door to help with re-centering.

 

Do I need to load it backwards to keep from frying the rear end? I've got about 10 miles to go, but most of it is on the freeway.

 

There is no decent local access between me and this guy. I sort of live in the sticks, our primary access to civilization is via an onramp to I-5.

[dat521gatherer]

yeah when those little things grow on you it's hard to get rid of them. i encourage to keep the 320. but seeing as you've been through so many vehicles i fear that you will just get rid of it eventually. nice rigs. keep us updated.

 

i've been waiting for the right 320 to come along for a while now. i've even been buying parts and i dont even have one.

[jefe de jefes]

 

Do I need to load it backwards to keep from frying the rear end? I've got about 10 miles to go, but most of it is on the freeway.

 

There is no decent local access between me and this guy. I sort of live in the sticks, our primary access to civilization is via an onramp to I-5.

 

Make sure you have fluid in the differential and you should be ok.

I towed my 320 around 250 miles with no problems. I did remove my drive line though.

[mklotz70]

10 miles won't bother a thing.....just make sure you're in neutral. It would be a good idea to check the fluid, but I've towed a lot of rigs and I've never have...maybe I've just been lucky. I would keep the speed to about 45mph. You only have 10 miles....so it won't hardly change your time at all.

 

If you're going to keep one of the rigs...keep the NL....there's a good bit more room behind the steering wheel since the cab is longer. L320's are for parts! :) lol

[nukeday]

dat521gatherer - Thanks for the comments. You make a really valid point in short order. The Luv V8 project was acquired just to see if I could actually complete ONE rig, start to finish. If you follow the thread above, you'll see that I've nearly come to a standstill on it. The truth is, I learn more about myself by wrenching, than I usually do about the rig. And I'm still learning. Maybe the 320 you're looking for is in this thread? :)

 

jefe de jefes - After looking over the photos again, I think I'm going to try to borrow/buy another set of tires/wheels for the '63 before I move it. What's involved in checking the fluid in the rear diff? Know what size the plug is? Should I bring some 90W? Are they usually torqued to 8 gazillion ft lbs? Same setup on both trucks? No reverse threads or weird Mopar stuff like that?

 

mklotz70 - The Rambler is a '63 American 440 Sedan. 196 OHV straight six, bored .030 over, Lunati cam, 2 bbl Carter and custom intake, air cooled T-35 BW Auto, custom wound front springs and Gremlin front discs and sway bar. It became the casualty of a divorce and is now in some guys personal boneyard in Newberg. I spent $4 grand on an engine rebuild while I was offshore in Egypt... Give me a minute, I need a hanky.

 

Pretty much got the Rambler bug out of me when I finally had to rebuild a set of trunnions. They are evil. Classic Saab 900's have been my personal passion for the past 7 or 8 years. I went about 3 years without one, and I now know it's the one car I'd rather drive than anything else...

 

Back on topic: I have line on an almost new set of stock 14" 6 lug wheels and tires from a '78 Luv. This would be the 'universal' Toyota, Nissan, etc. modern day 6 lug pattern. Would they fit the '63? My Luv has a 5 lug Ford 8" rear, and the front rims are probably too wide to fit on the '63 or I'd just use those.

 

Appreciate the comments!

[nukeday]

??? :blink:

[420n620]

??? :blink:

looks like more spam

when is sumone going to ban their chit

[nukeday]

I love SPAM, just not the electronic kind.

 

Not sure where to post on the needs of these trucks. Still waffling around with the guy who is holding them, they are full of his junk in back so I can't take them until he gets them cleaned out.

 

So here's my list of stuff for these trucks:

 

521

-Has title

-Needs floorboard repair. Is there a thread out there on this?

-Needs rear window, PM me if you've got one please.

-Missing gauge cluster, PM me if you've got one.

-Needs tailgate

 

I think it's possible to make this one legal and driveable in short order, but I wont' know until I can really inspect it.

 

320

-E1 is out and in the bed, what tools do I need to reinstall it? I have a hoist, floor jack and hand tools. Will I need a pilot tool for the clutch? Any gotcha's on this I should be aware of?

 

That's what I know for now, my minivan just threw the serp belt, so my coin is evaporating quickly. Suggestions and direction are much appreciated.

 

I'm seriously considering selling the V8 Luv in it's current 'kit car' form. Anyone interested, PM me. :D

[LAYEDOUTB2K]

thats cool youre savin another 320. theyre neat little trucks. ive got 2 of them right now. if the clutch was never taken off you should need a tool to line it up. you can normally tell if its centered by looking at and measuring the clutch disk to see if its centered.

[ppeters914]

Just got off the phone with my dad. Anyone interested in a bone stock, unmolested, running, '64 NL320? It's baby blue, original paint and a complete runner. He said the starter is out, but he drove it to where it is now. Not sure on the papers, but he said he'll check on that. The tags are original issue from '63. (I think he said September).

 

That's mean to torture me like that. I want a NL320 bad, but SWMBO has put her foot down. She's even offered to buy me a new Harley if I'll get rid of one Datsun. :eek:

 

[nukeday]

My dad is two hours away, and is planning to be here Monday. Not sure if he's got a digital camera, but if need be I'll have him shoot a disposable and get a CD for it at Walmart or whatever. I know there is a lot of interest in this truck. Sorry I don't have photos yet, I got laid off and money is tight. Our minivan is going to set me back a big 'ouch', so dad offered to come here with his truck and get the local pickups moved to my place.

 

He did tell me that one of the 320's he has has a 510, or possibly a B210 rearend in it. The other one is a cab and chassis. The third, is the NL.

 

Thanks for the comments, I'll get photos soon. :)

[nukeday]

OK, it's on. I picked up the title to the '70 a little bit ago and inspected the '63 and all the parts. Apparently the '70 has had some 'unauthorized' parts removed. Not sure what happened, but it's missing all sorts of bits. The '63 does have a bit of rot in the corners of the rocker sills, otherwise, it's astoundingly clean.

 

Dad is bringing his 3/4 ton over and we'll flat tow the '63 after we rent and return the dolly for the '70. Pics tomorrow sometime, although the primary purpose of his visit is to help me design/re-engineer a roof support system for my room addition. I have a feeling he's gonna' run me ragged...lol...

 

I was looking at a $200 Toy pickup on CL, but if I can scratch together what the '70 needs for that or less, I'll drive it...

 

-ignition switch

-back window

-tailgate

-alternator

 

Not sure what else. I'd throw a weber on it if I had one, but I sold my 32/36 when I got the V8 Luv. Anyone have one for cheap? Or another recommendation?

 

I asked dad to shoot a disposable of the trucks at his place before he comes out. I'll scan them or get a disc made, if he actually remembers to take the pics. I'll call him in a bit to remind him before it gets dark, and also to see what he's got for the 521.

 

Please PM me if you're relatively close and have some of these 521 parts, I really, really need a truck (that runs...)

[nukeday]

Got photos from my dad's digital camera. Excuse 'Poncho' the goat, I was in a hurry get these uploaded.

 

Here's a slideshow, of the three trucks at his property. There are about 60 photos or so...

 

http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/nukeday/Dadsun%20Trucks/At%20the%20Coast/?albumview=slideshow

 

A few teaser photos...

 

 

 

 

The windshield for the NL is an NOS unit, never installed. Dad's wrapped it and hidden it away. The white cab/chassis has a Landau vinyl roof treatment with what looks like factory chrome trim. The black one has the 4 bolt (210?) rear and no engine.

 

Got the 521 and L320 over to my place, but it was too dark to get any additional photos. The engine for the 320 is in the back, and I may try to get it installed this week. Overall, it's in much better shape than the 521. No hassles with moving them, thanks for the tips on transport.

 

Dad's going to make a decision on the NL soon, but it's looking more and more like he's going to keep it and take everything he needs to restore it from the other 320's. It may be years, but at least you all know these are out there now. He asked me about the site, and he's considering a laptop, so he may join us at some point.

 

Enjoy the photos :D

[dat521gatherer]

nice. everyone loves pics. your gonna have a lot of fun with these trucks. but you already knew that.:D