Mighty Mouse Engine Rebuild & Upgrades

[zed1]

Keep the momentum going, small steps lead to monumental progress!

Keith

[mhub91]

Stay tuned; I'm nowhere near the end of this little journey. We've put about 50 local miles on just local fun driving this week. Looking for little leaks and noises. Making adjustments and such. The original hood that is about as slick as a Wal-Mart sack full of pine cones will go back on for now but I have a pretty good hood that will be basically stripped and have a couple of little dents fixed then painted and swapped out. Rockers need replacing and top half of doors look like Al Capone savaged them with a 22cal Tommy Gun; from three or four sets of mirrors installed and removed over the years. The stainless door trims even have a couple of mirror holes in them. I'd like to choke the SOB who did that !! If someone knows a craftsman who can address that issue, send me some contact info. Will require welding, straightening, and buffing.

 

Rear axle will get ginned up/down from 4:88 to a 4:11 or 3:8X. He starts running out of steam at 40mph. I've got a set of decent original hubcaps that need clean-up and replating. And, I've got a pet-project in the way of a presto-chango grille swap system that will allow me to change from 63 to 64 grille in half an hour or less( I have a 64 grille that I had restored a year and a half ago hanging in the shop ). Heater and wiper systems will need going through. Seat is on the schedule for a new original style skin (wife had an upholstery shop twenty years ago and still has her nearly new Pfaff machine). Think I've got her talked into tackling it this Winter. Also have to come up with something in the way of floor covering. Lots of stuff on the schedule but now I can really get into an intimate relation with the little truck. Thanks for following, folks !!

 

Steve 

 

I'm curious about the grill swap. Or the grills in general.

 

Mine is a '65 but appears to have a '64 grill. I have heavy documentation on the truck and even have pics from the 70s... it had a '64 grill on it then. Are the grills easily changeable? The issue would appear to be in the marker / blinker lights.

 

Also, my vin is 000292 (or something very, very similar and very low, but I  don't have a pic or paperwork near me). Are the VINs in order? If so, how the hell do I have a '65 with a VIN of 000292? I DO have the original warranty booklet and all original owner info confirming matching number engine / chassis and VIN with dated signatures, so I know for sure there isn't some funny business going on with validity.

 

Sorry for the thread jack, but this thread gets a lot of traffic and perhaps someone can shed some light.

[wayno]

They titled them the year they were sold, so your 1964 was likely sold in 1965. 

The 1964 fenders have square turn signal indicator holes in the fender, but the 1965 grill will cover up the square holes and hold out the round turn signal indicator buckets/housings out far enough to not be an issue, but the round turn signal bucket will not completely cover the square hole in the fender when using an early grill.

I'm curious about the grill swap. Or the grills in general.

 

Mine is a '65 but appears to have a '64 grill. I have heavy documentation on the truck and even have pics from the 70s... it had a '64 grill on it then. Are the grills easily changeable? The issue would appear to be in the marker / blinker lights.

 

Also, my vin is 000292 (or something very, very similar and very low, but I  don't have a pic or paperwork near me). Are the VINs in order? If so, how the hell do I have a '65 with a VIN of 000292? I DO have the original warranty booklet and all original owner info confirming matching number engine / chassis and VIN with dated signatures, so I know for sure there isn't some funny business going on with validity.

 

Sorry for the thread jack, but this thread gets a lot of traffic and perhaps someone can shed some light.

[difrangia]

You're right, Wayno, back in the 50's and up into the 60's, seems to me, common practice was to affix title-date by year sold, regardless of manufacture year. At least machinery not built by major auto manufacturers. Also recall motor scooters in that period were, at times, title-dated in this fashion. Next younger brother & I had some pretty heady times on old Cushman and Vespa scooters back in late 50's -early 60's. I love machinery !!

 

Steve

[mhub91]

Very interesting. So, using this logic, would it be wrong of me to assume that since my VIN is very, very, low this truck sat around for a while before being sold?

 

I also have a floor shift, if that means anything.

[wayno]

Very interesting. So, using this logic, would it be wrong of me to assume that since my VIN is very, very, low this truck sat around for a while before being sold?

 

I also have a floor shift, if that means anything.

 

There are lots of 1965 L320s out there with 64 grills, I even heard of floor shift 65s with 64 grills, but you will never find a 1964 titled 320 with floor shift, all floor shift models were 1965 models.

[mhub91]

Ah, I see. Thanks!

[difrangia]

Got a little free time this past weekend and took a run at a couple of small items on the 320. First up was a proper shifter knob. A special little truk (at least to me) like the Mouse deserves a special knob. I had found a vintage 'Terrytoons' brass & enamel pin-back about an inch long on Ebay recently. I had made up a basic knob from a gray PVC scrap and and an aluminum scrap recently. Rounded up a yellow brass rod drop-off and made a shallow cup/disc and bored the shift knob for press-fit. Coated the bottom of the cup with black CA glue (super-glue) and plugged the mouse medallion into the glue after snipping off the pin and sanding flat. Finished filling the cup with clear epoxy and pressed into the knob. Now Mighty Mouse has a personalized knob of his own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also decided to wire in the third brake light in a reversible manner in case I decide that I don't want to keep it. As I'd posted earlier, the LED light is temporarily mounted on a simple sheet metal bracket and double-back taped to the panel above the back window. I ran the wires under the pinch weld where the roof cap spotwelds to the cab rear panel (about 1/4" wide tab) and secured it every five inches or so with strip-calk. My dad always called it dum-dum when he worked in the auto body trade. Continued forward with the wire under the back couple of inches of the drip rail over the door and into the upper rear corner of the door jamb into the cab and down the driver side rear corned to the floor and forward to the brake light switch that I'd mounted to act off the brake pedal lever. The only place it shows on the outside is between the top corner of the door and the back corner of the cab. Almost has to be pointed out. No holes were drilled and is completely reversible should I decide against keeping it. If I do keep the light, I imagine I'll make up a polished aluminum housing to mount the light unit. Anyway, heres the pics.

 

 

 

A very unique coolant overflow tank is coming up on the agenda quite rapidly. I'm enjoying the heck out of driving around town but realize that the rear axle ratio is going to need some adjusting. Low is like granny-gear and I'm always thinking that there should be a fifth gear as it starts getting winded at around 45-50MPH. I'm thinking a 4:11 out of a 79 620 pickup. I know that a member or two here have the 3:7? rear but that may be a bit high for my driving applications. Does anyone here have a 4:11 in their 320? If so I'd like to pick your head on what to expect as to take-off from stop and cruising speed. 

 

OK, it's out in the yard for me to take care of some chores.

 

Steve

 

Steve

[Lockleaf]

Sweet custom shift knob.

[mklotz70]

Love the shift knob!!!

 

For your light.....you could do exactly the same thing, but on the inside of the cab.....just make a sheet metal bracket that will hang the light from the top.....double sided tape to the interior sheet metal.  Just a thought.  It would still be reversible.  If you do a custom aluminum housing.....I'd still consider doing it inside and attaching it to the interior sheet metal.  If you didn't care if it was centered in the window or not, you could use the interior cab light mount to hold your bracket......maybe?  :)

[difrangia]

Thanks for the compliment and comments, Mike. Two pages back in this thread I did a test fit-up of the light with photo, both inside and outside the cab. I liked the outside better when I decided to hook it back up, but may still go with inside mount. If I mount it inside, I'll probably mount the housing directly to the window or at least against the window. Otherwise the light reflects on the glass and lights up the inside the cab in a weird red manner. I believe that the ones I've seen in more recent vehicles that are inside mount against the glass.

 

Also, your front disc update stuff is the bomb on this pickup. Your build thread on your NL inspired me on many aspects on this project. The front suspension is pretty snug, but I'll probably add your LCA bushing update when I get several more things out of the way. The 620 Longbed and 79 Festiva fishing car are crying out for a little attention that is moving up on the agenda. Also have several non-auto projects that need hammered on before winter.

 

Steve

[mklotz70]

You're more than welcome Steve! :)  Thanks for the heads up about the previous posting.  I try to keep up on threads like this, but I typically just get to pop in every now and then to see what's going on.  If you or someone you know has a 3D printer, you could use ninjaflex filament(flexible) to make a gasket for help seal between the light and the glass if you put it on the inside. :)  

I'm happy to hear you like the brakes! :)  I enjoyed that truck.  It's doubtful I'll ever get another, so I'm glad I posted it all online! LOL!  I can go back and look at it when I want.......which is much better than my memory these days!! :)

 

The bushings are my site.....and I can do red for you if you'd like.

Mike

[difrangia]

I decided to get the FIAT out today and circulate the oil, clean the shop-haze off the brake surfaces, and generally just enjoy a super nice late Summer-early Fall day. I just might be a little partial to red; no?  Is life worth living without TOYS ??

 

 

 

Also spent a bit of time over the past few holiday days roughing in the coolant overflow system. Our youngest daughter gave me a bottle of 'Crystal Skull' vodka for birthday last year. After all the vodka evaporated (actually I personally filtered it back into the environment), I first figured the bottle would make good shop decoration sitting on a shelf or hanging from the ceiling. It just sat on the work-table for a time and when I started putting the engine compartment back together in the NL, the skull just jumped out at me one day as a coolant overflow tank. I'd seen various beverage containers used for coolant tanks and this was a natural. Completely non-original but what the heck?? Took measurements on the skull and developed a flat-pattern for the bracket on the CAD program and wacked out a bracket from .040 thick steel sheet. A strip of spring steel for the retainer and a little time on the brake and now have a bracket pretty much established. The skull will be coated with white Plasti-Dip and a coat of P-D pearlizer spray. When the bracket is complete it'll go to Jet-Hot for the silver high-temp coating. Here's the raw materials and progress to date. More pics in a week or two. I've got a couple more projects crying for attention.

 

 

[zed1]

Very inventive, nice to get the vehicles out into the sun.

[difrangia]

Couple more 'Under Construction' pics.

 

 

[Charlie69]

I want one!  LOL

[mklotz70]

That's so cool!!

[difrangia]

Love those Clecos. 

[difrangia]

Just back off vacation & the B110 shift boot arrived while I was gone. Took a few minutes today to see how it fit on the floor-shift pan which has approx. 3 5/8" diameter hole. Prefect fit and looks like it was born there.

 

 

 

 

Ebay listing for the boot:

 

[difrangia]

Care package came back from Jet-Hot yesterday so today I riveted on the nutplates used to hold the base bracket and the skull bracket together. Also sent the screen for the hood air intake. Mounted it all in ten minutes or so. I designed the bracket up to mount in existing holes in the fender inner panel; no new holes. Still need to make a cap/plug with hoses to radiator and overflow. Here's some pics, raw parts prior to Jet-Hot coating in first pic:

 

 

 

 

 

[mhub91]

Hate to thread jack, but this.thread gets a lot of traffic.

 

Alternator went out on my '65...

 

Since these are Pos+ grounded, what are my.options for alternator replacement?

[difrangia]

Do you literally mean alternator went out or is it generator went out.

 

I guess there is such a thing as a positive ground alternator. 

 

If there is such a contraption, it's surely made by the British. 

[DanielC]

Alternators are short, and bigger around, usually have an aluminium case.

Generators are longer, skinnier, and are usually a steel case. 

 

If it does have a actual alternator, if you can find a local shop that rebuilds alternators, it might be possible to switch the polarity of the diodes in the alternator, and make a positive ground alternator. 

 

If you need to change the generator, it has to be polarized.  A generator holds a residual magnetic field, and does not use any power from the battery to start charging.  You initially have to touch a hot wire to one of the generator terminals, and that polarizes the generator field.  The exact procedure depends on how the generator, and regulator are wired.

[difrangia]

Snag of the year: Christmas in November !!

 

 

 

NOS door trims for the NL in original Nissan wrappers with part numbers and NOS mounting clips. Current trims have bullet holes (screw holes from some POS PO mounting mirrors). Will be getting back on Mighty Mouse in a month or so. Gotta get the greenhouse project up to a certain stage for winter use.

 

Steve

[Draker]

Who did you have to kill to get those? Amazing.