Durty Dave Posted October 29, 2017 Report Share Posted October 29, 2017 I've been lurking for some time - have had a love for Datsuns since a 510 infected me with the fever several years ago - but I finally took the plunge and bought a '74 620 yesterday. The front end/brakes need some work before it's road worthy, but those wheels, grille shell, bubble sunroof and stink-bug stance made it too hard to resist. I guess Ben (the guy I bought it from) raised the front end from where the PO had it, but I'm not sure if he just didn't re-align it afterward, if the king pins are wasted, or maybe a bit of both. Anyway, the front tires, though new, are already wasted on the inside edges, and it needs some brake work anyway. It's making me consider options for the swap to ball joints and disc brakes. I feel like if I'm going to do it, I ought to do it right once, and be done with it. Well, I guess the good news is that I bought it right, so there's money left to do some things. Let me know if there sre some pitfalls that I should be careful to avoid.-DD 3 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 29, 2017 Report Share Posted October 29, 2017 Welcome to Ratsun Dave. Good to have you here. Take some time and line one of the front wheels with the rear one behind it. Just sight down the front and back tire edges and keep trying until it lines up with the rear. Now go look at the other side. Likely the two edges are looking way outside the rear tire. If you can see that the front tire is turned in (toe in) then it's bad enough to need adjusting. Adjustment is quite easy and just requires an adjustable wrench to loosen the two lock nuts and a pair of vice grips to turn the cross rod they are on. 2 Quote Link to comment
Farmer Posted October 29, 2017 Report Share Posted October 29, 2017 Welcome to the rat race. Nice looking 620 3 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 I don't think toe is the issue as much as camber, but I can take care of all that soon enough, I installed new lock cylinders in the doors today, for all the good that they do right now - no rear window until a new seal shows up. I'd just like to be able to secure it at night. 1 Quote Link to comment
racerx Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Good start and them,rims 2 Quote Link to comment
A-ko Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 i loved that thing on Instagram, wanted it baaaaaad when he was selling it but i'm way too far away. That custom grille, stance, and those turbines are PERRRRRRFECT. 2 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 I don't think toe is the issue as much as camber, but I can take care of all that soon enough, Park level and use a torpedo level on the edge of the rims. They look good to me. 2 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 i loved that thing on Instagram, wanted it baaaaaad when he was selling it but i'm way too far away. That custom grille, stance, and those turbines are PERRRRRRFECT. Yeah, me too. I look forward to respecting Ben's vision, and tweaking it to my own. Pretty sure it will remain green in some form or another, and those rims and grille are definitely staying. Not sure about the bubble sunroof - he said it's a bit like sitting in a greenhouse in the summertime. I build/ride/show custom and vintage bikes, and this thing should come in handy for hauling duties. 1 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Park level and use a torpedo level on the edge of the rims. They look good to me. My brother runs a brakes/alignment shop, so it'll go up on his lift this week, and we'll find out exactly what issues it has underneath. Then I get to weigh the options... 1 Quote Link to comment
Farmer Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Reminds me of my old 620 3 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Welcome to Ratsun Dave. Good to have you here. Take some time and line one of the front wheels with the rear one behind it. Just sight down the front and back tire edges and keep trying until it lines up with the rear. Now go look at the other side. Likely the two edges are looking way outside the rear tire. If you can see that the front tire is turned in (toe in) then it's bad enough to need adjusting. Adjustment is quite easy and just requires an adjustable wrench to loosen the two lock nuts and a pair of vice grips to turn the cross rod they are on. Yes, welcome. It appears that the truck may have wheel spacers on the rear axle (the tires are sticking out more than the front...?), so sighting the front to rear tires won't help with toe. 2 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Yes, welcome. It appears that the truck may have wheel spacers on the rear axle (the tires are sticking out more than the front...?), so sighting the front to rear tires won't help with toe. Just wider/staggered wheels, but yeah. I'll get it on a rack and align it this week. 2 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Not too much to tell, but I did put a new back window seal into it on Sunday. 1 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted February 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2018 I've been plugging away slowly, driving it now and then, so not much worth taking pics of UNTIL YESTERDAY.I wish I'd taken pics. Went and grabbed a rust-free cab and doors from South L.A., loaded them in my buddy's truck, and made a few stops on the way home. For a couple hundred bucks, this was going to be my diamond-lane pass to repairing all of the rot in my cab in one fell swoop. My buddy dropped me off on his way home, and he was going to unload the cab at his shop the next morning.....and then I got the phone call. He'd been home for a bit, and then went out to get something to eat with the wife. They took the truck. Happy and full of grub, they were having a conversation on the way home. Driving on auto-pilot, instead of parking on the upper level as he had when he'd first arrived home, he drove down the ramp into the lower level of the parking structure.My "new" cab is folded nearly in half, and the rear window is blown out of his truck. I guess the only good news is that the areas of the cab that can be used as patch panels to weld into mine weren't damaged, so we're back to using my original cab, and more welding.Fuuuuuuuu- 2 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 13, 2018 Report Share Posted February 13, 2018 WOW, that sucks. :( 1 Quote Link to comment
abbylind Posted February 13, 2018 Report Share Posted February 13, 2018 That Murphy gets around..... 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted February 13, 2018 Report Share Posted February 13, 2018 Reminds me of that Gas Monkey episode where they dropped the truck cab off the trailer on the freeway. Quote Link to comment
hosestop@msn.com Posted February 13, 2018 Report Share Posted February 13, 2018 Hey Dave that truck was on Broadway in Whittier , I had watched it also ,time capsule , there is a 74 610 in that area also , good luck and looks like an AC leaked on roof for years ,so replace roof skin and you will have a nice truck. Quote Link to comment
Farmer Posted February 13, 2018 Report Share Posted February 13, 2018 I have a 74 cab that's is great shape. Cost ya 200 plus you cone get it Quote Link to comment
nl320what Posted February 14, 2018 Report Share Posted February 14, 2018 Leave the body paint as is, its good character and I see it as respect to the cars history. 1 Quote Link to comment
Durty Dave Posted February 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2018 Well, I drove it the 30 miles to my buddy's shop this morning. Didn't get much good footage, but I edited some of it (mostly time-lapse) into a short video: 1 Quote Link to comment
racerx Posted February 19, 2018 Report Share Posted February 19, 2018 Nice video. 1 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.