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Bottomwatchers 720


bottomwatcher

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Well here are a few pics now that I can post them. I have owned the truck 31 years and have driven cross country multiple times. The last long trip was on a trailer from south Florida to Maine where I spend my summers. FL had become so crowded it wasn't fun to drive anymore. Maine is country roads almost no traffic and plenty off offroad so i am really enjoying it again.AFPfhTn.jpg8PFjmrh.jpgoqd4GGk.jpgFuKUc0W.jpgB9P0l7M.jpgSAfkVkv.jpglQ2GFh1.jpg

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  • 7 months later...

Well went back to Florida shortly after those posts so the old girl hibernated in the shop over the winter. We just made it back to Maine on the 4th and until this morning I only got to drive it 15 mins because of dealing with neglected property crap. Today it snowed all day, meaning snow day! Uninterrupted shop time so I gave the datsun some love. Namely a back up camera. Why a back up camera? I drive old shit besides the datsun and installed a back up camera on my ancient silverado duramax and it paid for itself the first time I backed up to a trailer. Holy crap that was easy not getting out 15 times and still smashing your license plate. I also fixed back up lights, detailing, ect. Nice to work out of the weather. Anyways here's some proof of progress bXr2Bd1.jpg3GRtHQ2.jpg

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Thanks Lockleaf. 32yrs now. I did get a chance to do a little road trip with it. After about an hour it was obvious the drivers seat was shot. I replaced them 20 years ago but the foam was gone and I felt like I was sitting on bare chainlink fence. I am sure if I dared to look my ass would look like a cross between a Burger King burger pattyKyUgYuH.jpg276BDwi.jpg and a waffle. Sooo of to my buddies junkyard and a 2002 altima is the donor. Swapped them today and just took an hour drive and It is a pleasure to drive again. Let me answer before some asks, this is not bolt in. There is welding involved, only about a minutes worth but not safe without it. The bonus is these are power seats that adjust in all kinds of ways. The downside is it was the kind that had the memory function and the wiring harness is a fistful of multicolored spaghetti. The FSM has you looking for wire colors that do not exist. I tried earlier and later FSMs the final solution is not there. I even went back after I was done, FSM is wrong. Anyways cut down the spaghetti and everything works as intended. Here's some pics of the festivities. Tomorrow is console armrest day.

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Todays festivities was to replace the drivers side non working seatbelt. The drivers side seatbelt only useful function was to avoid tickets. The rewind function had stopped taking up slack and it easily unspooled to the end in any conditions. So since I added the maxima seats and they have integrated seatbelts i figured why not fix this right. It only took a little trimming of the mounting bracket and enlarging a hole and it pretty much bolted up. Seatbelts with a 150k miles less and 20 years newer feel good! Passenger side gets done tomorrow.dnjgqhn.jpg

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Well the tailgate closed the other day and would not open. This meant removing plastic bedliner from tailgate and metal inside skin while the tailgate is up. A few blows from the impact driver and I got out all the screws. There was extra clearance from the handle to the release mechanism. I figured it was just wear so I welded a small steel spacer in to close the gap. Tried it a few times and it worked fine. Put the inner skin and bedliner, shut the tailgate and or course stuck again. Repeat initial steps all over again. This time the problem was obvious in the second pic. So pinched the crack shut and welded it up. Works fine now but tomorrow is another day! If your tailgate won't open make you check for cracks.tLWX2xS.jpghGENpU9.jpg

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Today's problem was to fix the rough idle on a the k24e. When starting, especially cold the engine had a rough I'dle with no codes. Sooo the internet search turned up this would most likely be caused by a dirty idle air control valve. So after some investigation it turned out. Wait for it! A dirty idle air control valve. We have a winner. 1/2 of a can of carb cleaner later it runs perfectly.YPjaxE9.jpg9dW9M3Q.jpg

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On 5/14/2020 at 7:14 AM, bottomwatcher said:

This mornings project. I now have an armrest and actual drinkholders! It is a hack but with that transfer case lever there doesn't seem to be an elegant solution. QalQ5CY.jpg

I've considered this same mod but never done it for the reason you describe.  But it occurs to me it might be possible to put another bend in the tcase handle so it will pass through a parking brake lever opening.  Thoughts?

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Lockleaf. I have a spare transfer case and was looking at how easy it would be to reindex which isn't an issue but my current trans case works so smoothly I decided not to mess with stock. There are always trade offs. I did this center console mod and thought really how often do I use 4 low? Then of course I was cutting trees the next morning, snagged one and the Datsun was the only vehicle that would fit down the trail. I used 4 low to unsnag the tree and drag it until I could cut it up. There may be a better solution but every time I make one mod it takes 3 to make things work smooth as stock. Much smarter folks than me designed this stuff. So I know anything can be done but at this stage for me stock= reliability. Of course this is coming from someone who swapped in a ka24e but it is an all stock 24e. I think some black felt will clean up the installation and having a real armrest really adds to the pleasure of driving. I have been taking a lot of hourlong solo road trips lately. Social distancing, but enjoying the scenery.

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  • 1 year later...

Been a while. The 720 hibernated over the winter and I was greeted by pissed out coolant all over the shop floor like it was an angry Cat. Anyways been dailying the old girl to the sawmill,dump,hardware store marine supply ect. Today the local transportation museum was holding a show and they really don't care if they are show vehicles they just need old shit to show up to prove the salted roads haven't killed everything. Sooo the old truck got a wash and I actually applied wax. I swore the truck shuddered as the wax was applied because it hasn't received that type of treatment in years. The Wife wanted to stop and kayak at a lake that was on the way so we threw the kayaks on the roof. Plus the kayaks are lipstick on a pig. My Wife built both kayaks herself of which I am immensely proud and tell anyone that will listen. Kind of like launching a steinway piano though. Gotta watch out for sharp things and rocks. Anyways We all enjoyed a day off together. Stopped at a waterfront microbrewery on the way home. Maine in the summer is disneyworld for adults.

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Fantastic truck! I am hoping to do a ka24de swap on my 4x4 also, did you make the oil pan and pickup for your swap? Would love to see pictures if you have any. Looks like your Ka was from a car, I hear the crank girdle can make it difficult to fit. What wheel setup are you using, I have 7" wide 16" dia wheels with -38 offset on mine currently and the wheels look to be similarly placed as yours. 

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Truck Ka. 1995 they seemed to have worked out timing chain issues by then. 240sx intake and ecu. I am not sure I would go this route now. That manifold was only offered 89 to 90 so you would be looking for 30 year old parts. Offset on the wheels I am unsure of 31x10.5 will rub at full lock. 2 inch body lift and 2 inch Jim Conner suspension lift and fender/body trimming. The oil pan is a cross of the original z pan and the kae. I had a shop weld it up because I suck at welding. Also running the C series trans after sending 4 B series to the scrapyard. 16 years going strong and holding up the the Kae. Is the truck fast? Nope and I don't try to drive it that way. It pulls just fine up the local hills on the country roads. The old Z 24 would be screaming in 3rd gear and still losing speed if I still had it. It isn't cheap to swap there are lots of details. Redeye's mounts and Icehouses can AM box makes it easier. If there are specific pics you need let me know. 

12 hours ago, Logical1 said:

Fantastic truck! I am hoping to do a ka24de swap on my 4x4 also, did you make the oil pan and pickup for your swap? Would love to see pictures if you have any. Looks like your Ka was from a car, I hear the crank girdle can make it difficult to fit. What wheel setup are you using, I have 7" wide 16" dia wheels with -38 offset on mine currently and the wheels look to be similarly placed as yours. 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well I was looking for a small trailer for a small sailboat I have been restoring and came across one for sale while biking. The caveat was it came with a "free" boat. Well it was a datsun sized tow so I grabbed the Wife and picked up yet another boat. This one is to far gone to save but is now yard art. Datsun used for installation.

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