datsunfreak Posted July 6, 2019 Report Share Posted July 6, 2019 If you don't know what a "Dajiban" is, look at this, or watch this and/or this... Ever since seeing those things, we have been obsessed with buying/building one. Since Tim recently sold his Econoline van, we figured now was as good a time as any... So about two weeks ago I get a photo texted to me from Tim's potato phone saying "I just bought this"... It had been parked for at least a year (or more), so he had it towed to the shop. We put in a fresh battery, and oddly it fired right up and ran fine. 😄 Thankfully it was low on gas (which probably was a bit stale anyway) so rather than drain the gas we drove the two blocks to the gas station and filled it with 93 octane. That short drive showed us the tires were dry rotted, hard as rocks, and not very round any more. So we got some 17x8s and some 255/55-17 tires for it... Drove it around a bit today and she does very nice... Up next is more low of course... 😎 And today Tim also got some more racecar seats for it... 7 Quote Link to comment
Spoona_Jay21 Posted July 7, 2019 Report Share Posted July 7, 2019 This excites me! Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted July 8, 2019 Report Share Posted July 8, 2019 Moar low and purple would be awesome! 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 (edited) Tim found some OEM replacement mirrors for it since his were toast... Neither of us were fans of the crappy stock air bag steering wheel so it came out. Well, 90% of it did. We kept the clock spring and the metal center of the wheel, then added some locator pins to it... Then took a Grant 3-to-5 adapter and drilled two holes in it for the corresponding locator pins... Then we swapped this wheel on. May be a temp, may be permanent, we shall see... Next we took out the stock seats to see if the stock bases would work with the aftermarket sliders. Drilled a few new holes and in they went. Whole job took less than 30 minutes... Tim had also taken two exhaust tips and welded them together on an angle so we could see if this will work... 😃 Up next, exhaust, and build a pedestal for a B&M ratchet shifter... 😎 Coming soon, more low, and some skids... 😁 Edited July 14, 2019 by datsunfreak 1 Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 You guys are making quick progress but it needs some Minilite style wheels like the ones in Japan to complete the look!🤔 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 2 hours ago, goes2fast said: You guys are making quick progress but it needs some Minilite style wheels like the ones in Japan to complete the look!🤔 Watanabe (or Koenig Rewind) wheels would have been my first choice but, even though the kitty for this project was pretty well stocked, I couldn't quite swing THAT much moolah! Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted July 14, 2019 Report Share Posted July 14, 2019 24 minutes ago, dimlight65 said: Watanabe (or Koenig Rewind) wheels would have been my first choice but, even though the kitty for this project was pretty well stocked, I couldn't quite swing THAT much moolah! Those are both rip offs of the original Minilite wheels from the 60s. I have seen 15X8 copies for around $220 ea. Quote Link to comment
DaBlist Posted July 15, 2019 Report Share Posted July 15, 2019 I love this. If you're asking, no purple please 1 Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted July 15, 2019 Report Share Posted July 15, 2019 10 hours ago, DaBlist said: I love this. If you're asking, no purple please I just read your roller coaster quote quote, true until your body is as beat up as mine, then they cause too much pain to be enjoyable. I prefer a smooth ride on steel at this point in my life. 🙂 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 15, 2019 Report Share Posted July 15, 2019 On 7/13/2019 at 10:27 PM, datsunfreak said: May be a temp, may be permanent, we shall see... That horn button is Yasiin Bey a temp! Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 15, 2019 Report Share Posted July 15, 2019 15 hours ago, DaBlist said: I love this. If you're asking, no purple please We're not... but thanks for playing! 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 (edited) On 7/14/2019 at 12:18 PM, goes2fast said: Those are both rip offs of the original Minilite wheels from the 60s. I have seen 15X8 copies for around $220 ea. In a 5x5.5? Plus, do you know how low this thing has to be to make 15s work?!? 😃 We were thinking the 17x8.5s, but they are the wrong bolt pattern. Add to that them being a -10 offset, adding adapters would make them a -35 or so, also known as waaaaay too gangster for this ride... Edited July 16, 2019 by datsunfreak Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted July 16, 2019 Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 1 hour ago, datsunfreak said: In a 5x5.5? Plus, do you know how low this thing has to be to make 15s work?!? 😃 We were thinking the 17x8.5s, but they are the wrong bolt pattern. Add to that them being a -10 offset, adding adapters would make them a -35 or so, also known as waaaaay too gangster for this ride... I haven't checked what bolt patterns are available but they are probably out there if you look. Quote Link to comment
125 CSL Posted July 16, 2019 Report Share Posted July 16, 2019 This looks interesting. I like the primer gray, reminds me of something out of Mad Max. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 On 7/16/2019 at 9:34 AM, 125 CSL said: I like the primer gray, reminds me of something out of Mad Max. It's actually the factory color. 😄 Surprisingly common too... Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 9 minutes ago, datsunfreak said: It's actually the factory color. 😄 Surprisingly common too... More of a battleship grey than primer grey. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) 9 minutes ago, goes2fast said: More of a battleship grey than primer grey. That wasn't the best example, as it's a respray. 😁 Edited July 18, 2019 by datsunfreak Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 Better example... 2 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 This afternoon I dropped it off at the witch doctor... er, I mean transmission shop, to see if the "chicken bones and voodoo" levels were right and in proper alignment with the stars and whatever else makes a damned auto-tragic work. Hopefully we'll have it back for Saturday. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 Tim got some metal and proceeded to make a thing... Far from done, but I think you can see where it's headed... And we acquired the makings of a homebrew cold air intake... 2 Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted July 18, 2019 Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 Is that shifter mount sturdy enough? 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted July 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2019 27 minutes ago, goes2fast said: Is that shifter mount sturdy enough? 🤣 Maybe? 😂 It will get some speed holes to lighten it up a bit before install... 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 I picked up the van from the witch doctor today. It appears I do need to get the transmission rebuilt. I'm going to hold off on that until we do a few more things to it though (lowering, zorst, shifter install etc.) I sat in it and tried out the shift pedestal... yeah, 18" is too tall and it sits too far back. I played with it a bit and I have an idea which ort to work and be fairly cool. If we cut the bottom at ~45 degree angle, the shifter can be mounted forward enough to get it in the neighborhood of the steering wheel (same zip code at least). This puts the Hurst pistol grip is in a nigh perfect spot. So, I'm thinking about talking to the transmission dude about a full-manual, reverse-pattern valve body installation while he's going through the thing. The reverse-pattern VB would make it shift PRN123 and then we'd have a switch for 4th/overdrive (and maybe a switch for converter lockup, but I'm not 100% sure of the necessity of that [as in: it may be necessary to do that because... voodoo?]). Or we might put in a used unit from John's work and not totally destroy my resale value. I haven't decided. Quote Link to comment
Duncan Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 3 hours ago, dimlight65 said: Or we might put in a used unit from John's work and not totally destroy my resale value. I haven't decided. Does Texas have a safety inspection requirement? Just wondering if you might run afoul of any government entities when selling the Dajiban with the airbag removed. (The aftermarket wheel looks loads better, IMHO) Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 20 hours ago, Duncan said: Does Texas have a safety inspection requirement? Just wondering if you might run afoul of any government entities when selling the Dajiban with the airbag removed. (The aftermarket wheel looks loads better, IMHO) Well... that does bring up an interesting point. The short answer is: I don't know. The long answer is : IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII doooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn't knooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. But if I were to assume I've already killed resale, I might as well gopher the full-manual, reverse-pattern valve body, right? In for a penny, in for a pound. Thanks for enabling me Duncan! Quote Link to comment
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