Doner car

[Rusty gate]

Hi

just wondering I’m about to undertake a full resto on a 64 V320 and I was wondering if there are any vehicles that I could use for doners for electrical systems fuel system and the like

i was thinking from the 80s or 90s

thanks

 

 

[datzenmike]

They would all be negative ground. Electric high pressure EFI fuel pumps and none of the connectors would match something from 25 years in the past. If wiring, probably better to just wire it yourself. Can't be much wire in a 320.

[wayno]

Are you restoring it to keep it original or are you wanting to drive it?

To past your inspections you might not be able to keep it original over there unless there is a special category for vehicles that I have not even heard Australians talk about till the last 3 months or so.

The only vehicles that may have parts you could use on your V320 is other 320 trucks of the same era, I have also seen other V320s for sale on Gumtree like the links below.

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/maiden-gully/cars-vans-utes/64-65-datsun-1200-320u-flat-tray-ute/1212935180

Another V320, not sure if this one is yours but I don't think so.

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cairns/cars-vans-utes/datsun-v320-swap-xr6/1211856150

[Rusty gate]

Hi Wayno, I am planning on keeping her but I have a vintage tear drop camper that I would like to put behind her. So my thought process is this

I remove the original motor and replace it with a CA18det (or similar) and five speed for power and reliability 

therefore overcome the spare parts issues, around the negative ground and updating the suspension for ride handling capability and adding disc brakes. 

So my thinking was a similar size car to get a wiring loom and undercarriage parts. 

I hope I don’t get strung up by the die hards for thinking this way lol

 

[wayno]

OK, so there are not any other vehicles out there that would be an upgrade for your front suspension that will bolt on, but I have never seen a V320 front suspension either, I have no idea if the V320 got a front suspension like the Datsun Roadster or if it got the complete 320 truck suspension like my L320, NL320, and U320 did, I am going to assume that the V320 is like all 320s and that it has torsion bars and kingpins.

Your vehicle laws and how they work over there are not known to me, but it seems like you guys have to have engineers look at what you change, so I don't know how that works, there are not many ways to upgrade the 320 chassis, here is one way that a guy over here did it, but it still has torsion bars.

https://ratsun.net/topic/34698-320-balljoint-conversion/

I personally have converted over to balljoints on my 1971 Datsun 521 work truck which is basically the same as the 320 suspension, but it also still used torsion bars, I used 620 lower control arms, 1986 Nissan 720 spindles/vented rotor disc brakes and modified upper control arms, but I still used the torsion bars, anyway you look at it I suspect no engineer would put his name on what I did.

There are other ways also, but getting an engineer to put his name on it is another story.

 

 

[320 Newb]

Personally I'd keep it as stock as possible. Once it's not stock it's not stock. 

 

I'm ass deep in a full restoration and I've kept it pretty stock. I just finished all the suspension front and back. The center two tie rod ends were a little bit of a pain but 521 tie rod ends are the same length and taper. You can use 521 tie rod ends but have to have a machine shop shorten the center link. The outer tie rod assemblies are the same as 521s. 

 

For the motor I'd recommend swapping in an MG distributor with a side entry cap. They look stock and have available parts I'd also suggest a J15 carburetor because they also have parts, look pretty stock, and with a little modification fit the 320 air cleaner. 

 

For the fuel system there's an aftermarket sending unit that works if yours doesn't.

 

Just my 2 cents. 

[Rusty gate]

Thanks 320 newb, i hear what your saying and I would like to keep it original but, I have to think about reliability and ability to get parts. my plan is to keep all the original parts if some wants to put them back on they can go for it.

But at the end of the day the car needs to function 

[wayno]

You guys got the J15 engine over there into the 80s, I believe that will bolt right into a 320 using the E1 engine hardware as I have seen it done here in the US, maybe you could find one with a 4 speed on the floor, but you would need the 1965 Datsun 320 floor cover plate for a floor shift transmission.

You can rebuild just about everything on the older trucks as that is how they were made, they expected owners to fix and do the maintenance on these little trucks/cars back then, MG engines are basically the same, I figured out that I could use a MG Midget electronic ignition distributor with a Crane ignition system in my E1 engine, and it could even be wired positive ground, that is the way my L320 kingcab I made is right now, and it runs great.

 

[datzenmike]

Mexico got J15 in the '80s and there were five speeds available for them also so probably in  Oz too.

[320 Newb]

I'm running a J15 bolted to a 320 4 spd column shift, MG distributer, stock 320 air filter. It looks stock and runs great. Maybe later down the line I'll regear the rear end like a roadster and upgrade the stock brakes. But for a grocery getter it runs/drives great.