My "barnfind" Datsun 1600 pickup!

[Spiff]

Hi guys.

Thought I'd register here to show you what I stumbled across and possibly get some tips and help if needed. Who am I?

I'm a 28 year old guy, living in Norway and I have owned several datsuns before, including a 4x4 720 king cab, a couple of 910 blueys and I've owned a Datsun 280Z with a zx turbo swap for the last two years but I sold it this summer, the plan was to make room for a Z32 twinturbo 2+2(which I had before the S30) and regretted selling ever since.

But anyways last week I was going to check out a mazda b2200 nearby because I needed a car to drive to work, haul mc-parts, car parts, dirtbikes and everything in between, I mentioned to the guy that I had owned a datsun king cab a long time ago and he said "really? well I just happen to have one of those, rust-free". 

It was standing on a tarp, under a garden tent and had been standing there since new year, previously it had been kept in a barn/garage of some sort since 2000 when the owner past away. An old man who had owned the car since 1985! 

So I ended up buying both the mazda and the datsun!

This is a 82' 1600 singelcab long bed, it's got the round headlights and a bench seat, it's got the J16 engine and a 4-speed manual, rwd. 

This all makes it a little rare at least here in norway since most all I've ever seen have been 4x4 king cabs usually with the 2.2 or 2.5 diesel...

Not sure what to do with it yet, I got both cars really cheap and I was planning on flippin the mazda for a guaranteed profit, swap out the engine and drive train on the datsun and use the datsun for previously mentioned duties but I've gotten pretty fond of them both so now I'm thinking of keeping the mazda for the dirty work and cruise around in the datsun when the weather is good, keeping it stock with a drop and some nice wheels. Having an original stock car does have it's charm and it certainly brings a smile to my face(and probably others too) driving around like Old McDonald  :rofl:

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far I haven't done much to it. I bought a new battery for it, drove it an hour back home without problems and parked it.

Some issues are bound to arise when dealing with a car that hasn't been driven the last 15 years, first was the car stalled and refused to start after I got it home, traced that back to some connectors full of dirt and grease. Cleaned them up and now it starts everytime.

Second problem was it never got hot, I suspected a faulty gauge but decided to check the coolant system which turned out to be pretty nasty! I swapped the thermostat today and flushed the cooling system and now it's all warm and fuzzy ;)

Changed the battery cables and terminals, sanded down the grounding points and that seemed to breathe some new life in to it! At least it started a whole lot faster!

Rewelded the lower support on the seatback as It had snapped of on the original weld.

Next on the list is to change the oil, check/adjust valves, change sparkplugs and  wires and clean the carb.

There is the odd missfire when holding the throttle steady at slightly higher than idle rpms, and it afterfires every time I let go of the throttle, so I'm hoping a good tune up will fix this.

 

Future plans is to get the underbody threated so it doesn't rust away, this car is pretty much rust free and I wanna keep it that way. It's been painted some time, probably with a roller 'cause that's typically what farmers do so I was thinking a respray but I kinda like the weathered look too.  :cool:  :rolleyes:

Definately need to get the seat reupholstered.

Some JDM fender mirrors perhaps?

A tonneu cover for the bed.

[JoeCool]

Sharp looking truck!

[izzo]

Hory shet. That thing is clean and cool!

[Justin Berni]

Woah.. That's so weird to look at to me, so use to seeing the square lights, but this makes me want to find the parts for a round headlight conversion!

That truck is cool as hell.

[supererogator]

Very nice find.  You may want to change out your carb at some point, and vac lines always need attention, but that is a very clean looking truck you have there.  Good job.

[Spiff]

Woah.. That's so weird to look at to me, so use to seeing the square lights, but this makes me want to find the parts for a round headlight conversion!

That truck is cool as hell.

I'm still getting used to it myself, I've been debating myself this past week wether or not to do a square front conversion. But it's easily reversible isn't it? I think the round front is growing on me. 

 

Very nice find.  You may want to change out your carb at some point, and vac lines always need attention, but that is a very clean looking truck you have there.  Good job.

 Yeah, about that. These engines got no love, from nobody so I can't seem to find anything for it. But weber lists a 32/36 downdraft for the L16 engine, think that would be a good fit for this? would it be an upgrade? I'm not that familiar with carbs, I've always been an efi guy :)

[720inOlyWa]

That’s a cutie, just like it is....

[wayno]

I have a round headlight grill also, I converted it about a year or so ago, didn't like it at first, but I decided to look at it for a while.

Well I have grown to like it now, but my frontend is a little different than most, I have the rare thin bumper, I wish it had chrome corners though.

[Justin Berni]

If I had an earlier year truck Id probably try to do this grill/headlight conversion because im pretty sure the later trucks like mine have taller grills.. But leave it, it's so rad.

[Charlie69]

Beautiful find Enjoy!

[wayno]

Yes your 85 has a taller grill and marker lights, but you can convert over to the early grills if you want, you just have to buy everything to do it, and move the headlight buckets up to the other set of mount holes that are an inch higher.

But if you want to convert over to round headlights, you will have to make headlight bucket modifications, as the headlights are a strange distance apart.

If I had an earlier year truck Id probably try to do this grill/headlight conversion because im pretty sure the later trucks like mine have taller grills.. But leave it, it's so rad.

[Spiff]

Yesterday I had it on a periodic vehicle control, which every car needs to have every two years in order to be road legal. Last one on this car was in 2000 ;-)

It didn't pass but I kind of expected that, nothing to big just little stuff that is to be expected of a car this age that has been sitting this long.

Need to replace all four balljoints up front along with the stabilizer links. Then there's an oil leak from the back of the rocker cover so need a new gasket and the left rear indicator glass is broken so that needs to be replaced also.

Also had a good chance to check out the underside of the car and it actually IS rustfree probably thanks to an antitrust treatment back in 84 and no harsh use. So I will get it treated the same so it will continue to stay free of rust :-)

[Spiff]

Oh, I forgot. It also had NO rear right brake so the wheel cylinder most likely need to be replaced

[arizonajones]

Wow, great find. I think those round headlights look awesome. I'd swap mine if I had the budget (not cheap here in the US). Those white steel wheels are super clean too. Welcome to Ratsun!

[Gradyfest]

That is so sweet! I love the color, nothing modern is red and proud like that gem. Modern colors are dull and dark. I wish mine had one of those racks behind the back window. I don't even think that was an option on the U.S. version. Let me know if you get sick of looking at it someday. That test sounds kind of kool, like a better version of California's smog tests, but more like a mechanics diagnostic of what needs fixed instead. Like, thanks!

[Justin Berni]

You've basically convinced me to swap my front end just by posting this truck on here.

[banzai510(hainz)]

round lights look good.

To bad you have a J motor in there. SLOW or is this a A series motor?

[720inOlyWa]

Wayno, is there a photo link here somewhere to your 720s? That round headlight one with the thin bumper looks like it may be a severe cutie, and I’d love to see it- and your beaters too! Thanks!

[Justin Berni]

He was all his builds in his signature I think, I'm on the mobile version so don't know. I know he was his full build threads over at NWDatsuns website as well though. Wayno has some cool ass builds.

[wayno]

Wayno, is there a photo link here somewhere to your 720s? That round headlight one with the thin bumper looks like it may be a severe cutie, and I’d love to see it- and your beaters too! Thanks!

Here is a link to the thread on here.

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/42317-my-1980-datsun-720-diesel-dually/

Here is a link to everything afterwards.

http://www.nwdatsuns.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1013&sid=9d755e5bfbc4ebd4d811c4cab755003c

[Spiff]

round lights look good.

To bad you have a J motor in there. SLOW or is this a A series motor?

No it's a J16, and yes it is slow. Unbelievably slow. I might have a Z20E with 5speed transmission and all efi wiring on hand. That would be a great upgrade!

 

 

That is so sweet! I love the color, nothing modern is red and proud like that gem. Modern colors are dull and dark. I wish mine had one of those racks behind the back window. I don't even think that was an option on the U.S. version. Let me know if you get sick of looking at it someday. That test sounds kind of kool, like a better version of California's smog tests, but more like a mechanics diagnostic of what needs fixed instead. Like, thanks!

 

yeah, it's a heck of a hunk of a truck!  :rofl:

 

 

Here's the seat, I've sent some pictures around to different upholsterers to try and get a quote of how much it would cost me to get it all fixed up.

 

 

 

[Spiff]

As Vin Diesel once shouted; NOS!!!

 

 

Completely new(old) rear lenses and front indicators :) Something unique about breaking the seal on a package that's been left for so long, I get all giggity inside  :rofl:

 

Also got all the balljoints and stabilizer links but no pics 'cuz that's not as exciting as NOS parts  B)

[84720FourWheel]

Whats up with the lens shape? 

[Gradyfest]

Where did you score all the vintage NOS gear for your rig!?

[Spiff]

What? The bulge? Aren't all 720's like that?

 

I got them from something called the Datsun/pmc register which is a club/register for datsuns and pmcs here in Norway. They also have a heap of parts which they sell, acquired from dealers who sold out theyre remaining stock when parts got to old to keep in inventory.