BrothersGarage - 1971 521

[BrothersGarage]

2 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

My stomach just did a backflip. Are you planning on re-installing floors in that cab? Where are the temporary welded in struts to keep the cab square and the door openeings even? Kinda too late now, but I hope you at least took some good measurements before you cut.

Nah, the red truck was bought specifically for parts and to replace a section in the drivers side floor in the green truck, however there was a post on the 521/620 Datsun Facebook group where people were complaining about not being able to get door sills / floor pans / or anything else like you can for 510s and 240s. I posted that I had one for parts and Gerson reached out to me and asked that I cut the bottom out like I did so he can get them remade like he does for the other Datsuns he supports via his website.

Like this for the 620 as an example:


From there he will send the red floors back and I’ll just cut the floor panel out for the drivers side floor as I intended, but I rather get some of the parts I have into the hands of professionals so that there are some parts being re-popped so people don't have to cut up trucks like this. 

Edited July 4, 2021 by BrothersGarage

[BrothersGarage]

So related to the floors. My bro has been cutting the floors out and installing with parts from KlassicFab - with the bros @redline208z youtube channel and their friend @bigl206 - so here's what hopefully anyone with the skill will be able to do to their 520/521 (and hopefully not setting their shit on fire lol). 
 

 

[BrothersGarage]

Just collectin' parts for the green truck at the moment, and made a trip down to Teds and snagged a rear sliding window from him. 

[BrothersGarage]

Haven't ever given the engine bay a good clean since owning the green truck here, and I was thinking about picking up one of those portable steam cleaners from harbor freight but I came across this one at a yard sale for $15



Came with a bunch of attachments so I decided to beat its ass with a pretty deep job. Sprayed everything down with a misting of simple green and got to work.



Becomes



Everything left is basically paint and rust - but it's a Datsun 🤣

You can see that I got most of the hood cleaned - so much so that it's reflective now. The rest I may have to give an oven cleaner treatment but it also looks like a layer of paint may be crispy so it may need a little buffing to clean up. Fenders all nice now and most of the firewall. Steamed and scrubbed out the front support so what's left is rusty spots. Passenger headlight and drivers headlight are rusty but I already have replacements that came with ole Blue that will go on this one - as soon as the screw removal kit arrives from Amazon.
 

Edited February 11, 2022 by BrothersGarage

[d.p]

Looks great man.

 

I always wanted one of those but cant seem to find that smaller version, is that a Polti garment steamer?  Looks like it. 

[Charlie69]

Nice work!  I use Purple Power and a pressure washer.   You have to be careful with Purple Power if left on to long it will remove paint.  This helps to control weeds also.

 

Purple Power

 

 

[BrothersGarage]

3 hours ago, d.p said:

Looks great man.

 

I always wanted one of those but cant seem to find that smaller version, is that a Polti garment steamer?  Looks like it. 

Appreciate it!

Yeah, this is a Polti Vaporetto garment steamer - and it did a hell of a job. Wish the neck extension was longer and it held more water but it came with a ton of great brushes and it lasts about 20-30 min under 'full steam'.
 

1 hour ago, Charlie69 said:

Nice work!  I use Purple Power and a pressure washer.   You have to be careful with Purple Power if left on to long it will remove paint.  This helps to control weeds also.

 

Purple Power

 

 

 

Thanks for the great tip Charlie. I usually hit engine bays with simple green and a pressure washer and it works well but this little green truck has a bunch of wiring that the previous owners have done and I didn't trust to survive the abuse, but I have some purple power and I will have to give it a try instead next time. 

[BrothersGarage]

Mail call today, got a locking glovebox door and matching keys for the green truck, and a carbon kevlar plug cover from Jblood x ICB motorsports japan for the blue trucks K24 GITD valve cover

Edited September 28, 2021 by BrothersGarage

[]2eDeYe]

On 7/4/2021 at 10:49 AM, BrothersGarage said:

Nah, the red truck was bought specifically for parts and to replace a section in the drivers side floor in the green truck, however there was a post on the 521/620 Datsun Facebook group where people were complaining about not being able to get door sills / floor pans / or anything else like you can for 510s and 240s. I posted that I had one for parts and Gerson reached out to me and asked that I cut the bottom out like I did so he can get them remade like he does for the other Datsuns he supports via his website.

Like this for the 620 as an example:


From there he will send the red floors back and I’ll just cut the floor panel out for the drivers side floor as I intended, but I rather get some of the parts I have into the hands of professionals so that there are some parts being re-popped so people don't have to cut up trucks like this. 

 

 

Those guys are doing the lords work and you are a saint 😄

[BrothersGarage]

2 hours ago, ]2eDeYe said:

Those guys are doing the lords work and you are a saint 😄

[Charlie69]

I actually go buy my local do it yourself car wash with a new to me truck on a trailer and degrease everything in the engine bay and underneath be for I bring it home.  I try to work as clean as I can.

[Snohomishdatsun guy]

On 9/27/2021 at 7:56 PM, BrothersGarage said:

 

Back at ya. Great work going on there. You should come out to my shop and give me some tips.....

[BrothersGarage]

Some great news - Gerson banged out the 520/521 floors

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVIdmmMgsDZ/

  

On 10/9/2021 at 10:12 AM, Snohomishdatsun guy said:

 

Back at ya. Great work going on there. You should come out to my shop and give me some tips.....

The tip is to pay someone else to do the dirty work LOL Man I'm jealous of that shop space!

 

[BrothersGarage]

Finally cut the Lonely Driver kill-switch key for the Green truck which I think I'm dubbing my little Grumptruck. The front half of her is green like Oscar the grouch and the back half is premiered gray like his trashcan so might as well run with it. 



Also got a new Subaru key cut at the same time to integrate the fob for the daily. 
 

Edited October 19, 2021 by BrothersGarage

[BrothersGarage]

Just fuckin stackin parts apparently lol 

Gerson from KlassicFab shot me a set of 520/521 floors for the one that I cut out of my truck, and they got here today.




Going to stick these on the 'holy shit that's going to be a bunch of work' pile. Likely to address once I've got ole Blue's suspension done and cab on ect.