My wifes new 78' Long Bed.

[FauxRoux]

Hi all, thought i would introduce myself.

 

After a bit of searching I finally found the wife the truck shes been hoping for (after my father in-law threw a rod in the 67 bug I built her. :pirate:).

 

A pretty clean 78' 620 Long Bed. 127k miles and with minor tune-ups/fixes is driving strong. Some minor surface rust in expected places and that grey spot at the front of the window was brazed as it looks like the lack of window felt and the weight of the mirrors was helping minor rust start to tear the sheet metal

Im pretty sure the reason we got it so cheap was that the heater valve was dumping coolant in the passenger side floor and the terminals from the battery were in need of a good cleaning as she would only start on every 4th try. I guess the PO just didnt want to deal with it or something. No idea. But after a vinegar bath I replaced the O'rings and old hoses and we were good. They had even replaced the starter and battery pretty recently before I came along.

 

 

 

So far I am loving this little truck. Its a breeze to work on and my wife is reaping the benefit of my latest project. I fear I may have acted reckless this time in getting her a truck though.... she is some breed of magpie woman and is now able to bring even larger random shiny shit home. :sweat:

[datzenmike]

Hi Faux, welcome to Ratsun. I see you like to get in there and fix stuff yourself. Owning a vintage car will agree with you both. Nice introduction (and with pictures) wish all were like this.

[distributorguy]

Great looking truck (wife's not bad too).  I especially dig the classic pinstriping and the "General Lee" wheels.  The door panels are factory brazed to the window frame.  I believe the flux from the brazing process lends to rust in this area, but obviously additional brazing has its consequences too.  Please keep posting pics as you continue making updates!!!

[datzenmike]

My '78 was cracking right where the sash? meets the door skin. (there is a factory weld there) It's from years of flexing when shutting (slamming?) and opening the door.

[FauxRoux]

My '78 was cracking right where the sash? meets the door skin. (there is a factory weld there) It's from years of flexing when shutting (slamming?) and opening the door.

That makes sense. The weight of the mirror makes the window framing shutter pretty hard at the window when closing (I need to replace the window seals all the way around). Unless the guy who did the factory braze was super sloppy (which I cant imagine is the case) someone touched it up as its pretty messy and not painted...I'll get a pic of it soon.

[FauxRoux]

Great looking truck (wife's not bad too). I especially dig the classic pinstriping and the "General Lee" wheels. The door panels are factory brazed to the window frame. I believe the flux from the brazing process lends to rust in this area, but obviously additional brazing has its consequences too. Please keep posting pics as you continue making updates!!!

Much appreciated and will do. I usually try to record my projects, whatever they be. And yeah...having a wife who supports ones hobbies is worth its weight in gold....if you can belive it she's getting her masters in librarian... (something or other )..so she can run a national archive...fuckin hilarious.

[FauxRoux]

A few more pics for the car porn collectors out there.

 

 

Bench seat could stand to be reupholstered.

 

 

 

 

[distributorguy]

You can see the factory braze under the paint (horizontal) where the window frame meets the edge of the door skin.  That "add-on" is pretty crude.  A TIG weld would have been far more ideal,  but "use what ya got."  Other than the dash being a little rough, looks like a fantastic truck!!!  

[FauxRoux]

So the wife went to work and after 5 min on the freeway reports a "chunk" noise and loss of acceleration followed by spluttering acceleration and limping to work then home on side streets.

I check it at home and idles fine so I drove it around the block and experience the same sputtering, lurching... broken up by the occasion normal acceleration if feathered just right.

So I figure check the fuel line and find this...

Also the lines were all cracked. When I pulled the lines off the filter it completely detached on the inside. I replaced the filter and lines.

 

Unfortunately the spluttering though better....is still present.

 

So I move on thinking maybe some of that crud and rust made its way to clogging up the carb? So I take off the air cleaner and find this hidden in the back out of the corner of my eye...

 

 

 

 

I got a little leak...just to the right, halfway up the cable  there's a little puddle...

[Lockleaf]

You found ... nothing? :)

[FauxRoux]

You found ... nothing? :)

sorry....edit fail :poop:...I fixed the pics/post

[FauxRoux]

Any suggestions would be appreciated....I know a bit about VW's but im new to Datsuns.

[Ranman72]

check all the vacuum lines for cracks 

try blowing air back into the fuel tank from the supply hose in the engine bay (possible clogged fuel line )

also check all fuel lines for brittleness or cracking  

good luck the truck looks great 

[distributorguy]

So the carb is double gasketed with orange silicon added.  I'd probably start there...

[FauxRoux]

Yeah...So you guys think a rebuild is in order?

[distributorguy]

Pull the carb to replace the base gasket.  By doing so you will find all the bad hoses connected to it.  If you want to crack it open, clean out the debris, and set the float height/drop it might be to your advantage.  Good "day project" for the weekend or if you're handy a good evening project once you have the gasket set.