74' 620 Lower your standard build thread

[Soundline]

Do you have 'that friend' who randomly calls you out on shit that he knows he can handle you in?

 

I definitely have that friend. Fortunately he's in Florida. So I'm talking to him about my 620 because the dude does custom interior shit that is top shelf. So I send him a pic of my situation. He laughs at me and so we start peeling back the layers. I don't have all the pics because this devolved into drinking and FaceTime... but here's the gist.

 

"Take that $9 wal-mart seat cover off and show me the good."

 

What are we at a wet t-shirt contest, well whatever.

 

"Ah hahahaha you're fucked."

 

 

"Oh God, shut that light off and put a bag over both our heads."

 

 

"That's not that bad. Who the fuck wrapped your steering wheel? Helen Keller?"

 

Conversion continues to spiral until, under threat, he agrees to actually help. Apparently, this is not "that fucking hard" to fix.

 

The factory seat cover is in fact fucked, but, it's 43 years old. It's stitched vinyl "hog ringed" (not sure if this is a technical term, or just pan handle Floridian... seriously... not sure) over padded foam, over a burlap, horse hair, burlap sandwich. That's on top of a metal mesh. Some of which is broken. So I thought "fuck it, I'm out".

 

After a discussion about where gators shit, we came to the conclusion that "it's not that hard" to fix the original seat and recover it. I thought there was some 'magic bullet' to doing interior upholstery. "Hell no, I'd just cut that shit out with a razor. Trace it on new material. Then charge you $500 for the pleasure of me sewing it back together."

 

 

It seems the only 'magic' that would occur in his shop would involve him and my mom.... yeah... let that sink in.

 

In response to the drunken Floridian I decided I could probably do this shit myself. Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Post them up.

 

Who's the resident Ratsun interior guru? Lemme guess... its Mike. ;-)

[hobospyder]

hog ringed is a proper term. probably work better if you bought a pair of hog ring pliers and a whole shit ton of hog rings but here's mine that i did in an afternoon with no prior knowledge and using stuff that was already in the truck or laying around the house

 

 

 

 

you can see a couple hog rings (i think) in this picture towards the middle left of the upper half of the picture on the smaller rod. 

 

 

if you want to not have a seat cover, do it right and get the hog rings, that's what hold it tight. if you want to do it cheap like i did, use a bunch of string tied in random directions to pull something tight. 

[flatcat19]

I took some black HF moving blankets and zip tied them to the frame after pulling them tight

 

 

Hobo has been in my truck. Hard to tell is was a shifty fix.

 

I plan on recovering it soon with black canvas soon as the HF blankets are falling apart just sitting there.

[Soundline]

Yeah, I watched a bunch of tutorials on how to put your markers and anchor points on the fabric. Making sure you line those up is the key.i won't have the same finished product because I fucking hate vinyl. It just takes some patience and going slow on a sewing machine.

[flatcat19]

Yeah. Fuck that shit.

 

I just quickly covered to make it look like less ass so I could go to some local meet.

 

 

When I get to the point of needing my bench done right...I'll take it to a pro.

 

For now, it looks decent and I'm on the road.

[hobospyder]

Yeah. Fuck that shit.

 

I just quickly covered to make it look like less ass so I could go to some local meet.

 

 

When I get to the point of needing my bench done right...I'll take it to a pro.

 

For now, it looks decent and I'm on the road.

pretty much what's going on with mine right here

[Soundline]

I think I can piece it together. I have a knack for pulling shit together-ish and a few friends I can call in if I get hung up.

 

It won't be some shit that would win first prize at a fucking Audi meet, but it'll be done by me. That way I know where every little flaw is.

 

Changing the seat and carpet make an entire difference rig smell. Get all that ol' funk out.

[flatcat19]

Bumpity-do-da.

 

 

Do work.

[Soundline]

So... someone *cough* Gato *cough* got me prodded back into this.

 

After failing to make my 620 run properly to make it to Gatoland, I started trolling the fuck out of the Weber 32/36 carb threads to find out why my shit ran terribly. Turns out my vacuum advance was only marginally attached carb to distributor. I suppose that's important. So I hooked it up properly and went for a test drive. It still runs like its anemic. So I hit up the Gato father and found some shit...

 

 

Apparently not having your alternator tight can limit stuff....and make clicking noises.... while it chews on your fan...

 

 

When in doubt check the basics... you know, for things out of the ordinary....

 

 

Im sure this is absolutely not attributing to the "where does my oil go" problem... at all...

[flatcat19]

Lower case 'g'. Thank you.

 

 

Come over Wednesday to pick up parts. Measure that distributor pedastal the best you can. We'll compare them to the few I have around here.

[Soundline]

 

What's the difference?

 

These are all 79' L20B distributors... but... which one goes to my engine? Does it matter?

[Soundline]

Lower case 'g'. Thank you.

Come over Wednesday to pick up parts. Measure that distributor pedastal the best you can. We'll compare them to the few I have around here.

Sure, just text me with a time after 3p.

[Soundline]

Aaaaand..... my radiator is fucked... so I'll be taking it in to get it recored later this week. A cursory google search on here and for replacements shows me... that you just need to suck it up and actually have it professionally repaired.

[flatcat19]

I had mine done at American in Pasco. Really pleased with the turn out.

Charlie's on Columbia Dr. does great work too.

 

As far as the dizzy goes...you could buy another Datsun for those prices listed.

 

Hell. I've got an HEI original Nissan dizzy I'd sell for way less than those.

[Soundline]

I had mine done at American in Pasco. Really pleased with the turn out.

Charlie's on Columbia Dr. does great work too.

As far as the dizzy goes...you could buy another Datsun for those prices listed.

Hell. I've got an HEI original Nissan dizzy I'd sell for way less than those.

Yeah I'm gonna pull it tomorrow and go from there. I read the reviews on American, so I'll try them.

 

Text cash price.

[flatcat19]

Oh, my price will have been better than yours. Work discounts and all.

 

I paid $100 to have it boiled, tested, cleaned, and painted.

[]2eDeYe]

 

What's the difference?

 

These are all 79' L20B distributors... but... which one goes to my engine? Does it matter?

 

 

The first number is the 49 state version. 

 

The second number is the new number that replaces the first. This is the one you want

 

The third number is for CA so ignore that :lol:

[KoHeartsGPA]

I like factoids!

[Soundline]

Hmm... so.. driving today it would just... flood out and die randomly. Inconsistent with throttle pressure, gear, or speed. Just driving along and spudder, die, I'd turn the key to restart it and it would fire right up. Then randomly repeat this. I put fresh premium in it, which is when this started. So, I dunno. I'm gonna change out some parts I got from the gatofather, and then play with this some more.

 

I'll let you know what I find out.

[hobospyder]

check your fuel filter and float bowl. might be a good place to start

[Soundline]

Yeah, I'm thinking the carb needs a rebuild. It's an Italian made Weber 32/36, but they do go bad. Also there's some cracking on the fuel line around the connection to the carb and filter. I'm gonna replace that small section of hose and see what's what. I kinda think it might just be bad gas. But having it timed properly, new distributor that isn't some jerry rigged shit, plugs, wires that weren't "home made" all might help.

 

I notice that the boot on cylinder 4 keeps working it's way off the spark plug... so... I'm gonna deal with these things, then deal see if my random flooding clears up. If not, I'll drop my Made in Spain carb off for rebuild, and swap out the Italian one for the Spanish one.

[datzenmike]

Not rebuild. If the carb 'goes bad' it does it slowly. Anything sudden is likely dirt or water.

 

Take for a drive if you can and read the plugs. Black sooty is over rich, maybe flooding. Very light tan or white is lean and a blocked jet

 

I've had water get in before. (probably a fill up)  I drove the piss out of it for ten min and sucked it through till it cleared.

[flatcat19]

Have your car running...then quickly seal the opening, stalling engine.

 

This should suck the junk out of your clogged jet.

[Soundline]

I'll give that a shot tomorrow

[wayno]

I had a 320 that did that, I kept thinking I was low on fuel till I filled it up and it only took a couple gallons.

It turned out to be rust flakes plugging the fuel pick-up tube inside the tank, when the engine died and the fuel pump quit sucking, the fuel in the pick-up tube would flow backwards and clear the end, then it would start right up and run for maybe 5 minutes then die again, this guy that lived where my truck died yet again helped me by blowing air backwards thru the line and that cleared the tube area enough for me to drive all the way home maybe 10 miles, the tank had a shitload of rust flakes inside it when I removed it.

Also there is a screen in the Webers just under where the fuel line connection is, that can get a bunch of dirt/rust flakes on it and plug it up, then when the engine dies they fall off the screen and it starts right back up long enough to get moving before it dies again.