Greengo - 1972 Datsun 510 4dr

[carterb]

After looking at two of my other rear drum brake cars, they have the spring arranged as Corey and I do.  I guess the instructions are wrong.  Maybe that's why we never read them.

 

 

[carterb]

Regarding the upper spring perches.  Had a bit of an a-ha moment and removed the front struts from Rice Wagon.  I remembered I had a pair of Experimental Engineering perches on there.

 

 

 

These are pretty cool how they work with stock 510 top hats and retain the stock bearing.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately Dave doesn't make these any more so I am going to use his concept as a starting point for a new - more compact design.

First step - gnireenigne!  (reverse engineering)

 

 

Next step - remove unnecessary material

 

 

I'm going to print one up for a test fit and then get a batch quoted at a machine shop.  Let me know if you are interested.

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

Got another night in the garage with Corey.

 

We disassembled his front suspension so we could get it cleaned up and ready for refurb and also to check the condition of a "flipped" crossmember I acquired with a batch of parts. 

 

 

I don't know who performed the flip but I was hopeful it would be a usable specimen.  When placed on the floor it had a pretty good rock to it - making me think it might be twisted a little.  My check was going to be lining up the flipped crossmember with the stock crossmember and seeing if the LCA pivots lined up.  Unfortunately they do not.

 

 

My guess is that we could probably run it and with proper alignment, we'd never really know it was off - but I think we may have a go at flipping the stock one - just for the experience - or possibly going to the CXRacing rear sump SR20 pan.  That's a pretty big investment though so I'm leaning heavily toward using the parts we have on hand.

 

Dirty work isn't it?!

 

 

Brusha-brusha-brusha!!!

 

 

[carterb]

I spent another night cleaning suspension parts last week.  I think I see light at the end of that tunnel.

 

Last night, I tasked Corey with doing some research on refurbishing wheels.  He's started watching YouTube videos on the subject and today, since all the equipment is out, we cleaned up his rims to make them nicer to handle as he/we start the refurbishment process.

 

 

 

I'm excited to see how this goes...

[carterb]

Finally got the top hats machined.  Going to use these low-rise versions on Rice Wagon and Corey will use the taller Experimental Engineering versions on Greengo

 

 

Progress has been embarrassingly slow.  Corey started working on his wheels again and hand sanded his fenders today in preparation for another round of epoxy primer - meanwhile I started on the rear crossmember.

 

 

 

Removed the inner pivots and modified the crossmember in order to receive a set of adjustable "Byron brackets"

 

 

 

Before welding them in though - We are going to be enlarging the exhaust hole.  A couple reference pictures show that the tube is about 2 1/2" long and 2 5/8" ID.  I have a section of 4" pipe to cut up and fit in its place.

 

 

 

The modification is pretty grinder intensive.  I couldn't find my Milwaukee so I used this generic brand unit that has been in my cupboard for 10 or 15 years.  A Christmas gift I think.  Anyway, it lasted for about 20-30 minutes before it started to slow to about half speed and billow smoke out of the motor housing.  Garbage now.  : (

 

 

Yay China!

 

I found my Milwaukee and finished the job w/o issue.

Edited July 3, 2021 by carterb

[carterb]

Corey sanded a couple fenders to prep for another round of epoxy primer and then started masking off his wheels for paint prep.

 

 

 

I took one to work for a test drive in the sand blaster

 

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

Only three to go!  : )

[carterb]

Wheels are all blasted and ready for paint. 

 

And now the exhaust hole is enlarged and ready for welding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lockleaf]

That technique for centering a hole saw is pretty genius.  Looks really nice.

[carterb]

Updates...

 

I had to move Greengo into the other garage (thanks Brenda) to make room for a shell Jeff and I were given to salvage parts off of in exchange for the removal of the floor and firewall.  Boy did that turn out to be a project and a half!

 

 

Worked on the crossmember some more.  I realized that once the exhaust tube is welded in, there will be no way to paint the outside of it - so I at least primed the OD before welding.

 

 

Now in place with forever glue

 

 

Then to the "Byron brackets"

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

Here is the rear floor section of the 510 I cut up after scraping away all the sound deadening from the rear seat pan

 

 

 

Thankfully it appears to be in excellent condition.

 

Then to figure out what exactly to remove and how to best accomplish this.

 

 

I'll prime the rear crossmember while I figure it out.

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

After removing the floor from that shell, I gained allot of experience cutting spotwelds.  This is only possible if you can actually see where they are.  This was difficult to figure out with Greengo due to all the rust damage.

 

 

It's like a black and white version of Where's Waldo!

 

 

This was only going to be accomplished from underneath, since the frame rail flanges had been protected by 35 years of road grime

 

 

 

This was much easier on the donor pan

 

 

Roughing out the cut lines

 

 

 

The center lines were just in case I decided to do it in two pieces - I figured that'd be more forgiving if I got it wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carterb]

I cut out the donor pan first.

 

 

 

Then set it in place in Greengo

 

 

This just gives a rough idea for final location since it doesn't sit down perfectly.  The contours mostly nest but the rear "firewall" doublers prevent it from going back fully

 

 

It was good enough double check my cut lines to make sure I was at least in the ballpark.

 

No turning back now!

 

 

I just turned Corey's car into a mobile honeybucket!

 

Look at how much sand was STILL in the rails from the blasting project. 

 

 

Fair warning here.  All that debris would have prevented water drainage for the rest of this car's life!

 

After vacuuming them out, I fit the replacement pan

 

 

I was amazed and relieved at how little final trimming needed to be done for the pan to drop into place - with a hairline gap all the way around.

 

 

Now for weld prep - another major job - so for now I'll celebrate the step forward by painting Corey's crossmember.