521 SoCal Daily

[Haggarnaut]

This’ll be my first post here, been browsing this site since I was 14 (2008ish) back when I got my first project car, a 1972 Datsun 521. Back then I didn’t have a lot of knowledge on these machines nor did I have the budget to revive my truck, so off to the next owner it went. Now I’m 25 and and have once again acquired a ‘72 521 that was stock and I added a few touches to it and it has been a pleasant little truck to drive. I recently installed a single Weber 38/38 and wow did it bring the life out of the stock L16. Saving up for a more freeway friendly transmission as I’m in dire need of the extra gear on the highway when cruising to and from LA. The L16 is a fun setup but will most likely go with a L20b or L18 for that extra punch to get up the hill out of the Valley I live in. Going to convert the front brakes to disc in the near future as well. 
 

[datzenmike]

Time rolls on, I've been with Ratsun for well over 13 years. Welcome. I owned a 5 years old '71 back in the day that never looked that good. .

 

Don't care for photobucket much. They spoil all their pictures with their logo.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Redeye on here make a little mount for the 5speed swaps.

i haven’t done a 5 speed as it too much work for me and ezer to use another car for long highway driving.i don’t drive freeway anyways to work
you should buy a Kia for work and wear that out.

 

i owned my 521 for 20 yearly and still learning.A 510 is a lot ezer to work on.The 521 are SAE body bolts and threads but metric on the motor bolts Start a note book and write all the specifics of some of these threads so you remember later

If your going to daily as I do with mine you better get spare now. Like a extra kingpin slindale and all associetated parts . Hydraulic part clutch master and brake and wheel cylinders

as for motors for rpms the smaller motors spin up higher which might be better and with a longer duration cam For the highway as the gear ratio is really low compared to the L20 but w the 5 speed would be good

knowimg what I know now I would just have L20sbut I didn’t want to throw these motors away and rebuilt these when I did.

 

I had a 38/38 and on a hill will stall out but after idle ran great but overjetted and plugs were black and the intakeIf you have a 210 Head it’s a small port and best to get a bigger heas later if it’s not already match port the intakes and the carb adapter so it a smooth air transition.

also get the thinner air filter as the carb adapter and tall filter will hit the hood.

 

[pidge]

I like it! Looks clean. Any info you can pass along on the lowering job? 
 

-Pidge

[Haggarnaut]

Just adjusted the torsion bars all the way down, realized it wasn’t low enough for my liking so I took the jam nut off the top of the adjuster and backed off the nut behind it all the way to the end of the threading and tack welded it on so it wouldn’t fly off bouncing down the road and cranked down the torsions again to get the look I wanted. Then I just put 3” lowering blocks on the rear with stock 2019 Mini Cooper tires all the way around with 15x6” wheels I got from a 1940s period movie car I was working on that we had a spare set of wheels for a stunt. 

48 minutes ago, pidge said:

I like it! Looks clean. Any info you can pass along on the lowering job? 
 

-Pidge

[datzenmike]

11 minutes ago, Haggarnaut said:

Just adjusted the torsion bars all the way down, realized it wasn’t low enough for my liking so I took the jam nut off the top of the adjuster and backed off the nut behind it all the way to the end of the threading and tack welded it on so it wouldn’t fly off bouncing down the road and cranked down the torsions again to get the look I wanted.

 

That is just retarded. Look up how to properly remove the torsion bar and move it a spline or two to give you a couple of more inches to adjust the nuts. You're risking yourself and others on the road if your tack fails and the nut flies off. Do right like everyone else.

 

Half way down page...

 

Left one is stock and has run out of needed adjustment. Right one was indexed and now has additional adjustment room to let down.

 

 

[Haggarnaut]

24 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

That is just retarded. Look up how to properly remove the torsion bar and move it a spline or two to give you a couple of more inches to adjust the nuts. You're risking yourself and others on the road if your tack fails and the nut flies off. Do right like everyone else.

 

Half way down page...

 

Left one is stock and has run out of needed adjustment. Right one was indexed and now has additional adjustment room to let down.

 

 

Might go that route, just cruising it before the big tear down. Haven’t had issues in 500+ miles with my drop but only time will tell. Beebani has a nice coil over kit to replace the primitive suspension so will go for that route once I’m back at work since my dad is a hell of a fabricator. Don’t see the point of going back and fixing something that’ll end up in the trash. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

If I was you any 521 trucks being parted out you better collect front suspension parts. Kingpins fulcrum pins Upper A arms ect…….   speedos  door handle window crank

[Haggarnaut]

3 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

If I was you any 521 trucks being parted out you better collect front suspension parts. Kingpins fulcrum pins Upper A arms ect…….   speedos  door handle window crank

Yes sir, been looking in the local classifieds and got my eyes on a 520 metal dash top as well. 

[Haggarnaut]

Just got my hands on a Nissan Hardbody so won’t be needing to daily the 521 anymore thankfully, so any keyboard warriors calm your man tits, the Datsun will just need to get me to the liquor store now. That being said I think I’ll let the drivetrain be for now. Got my eyes on a 1969 Hilux that’s 100% stock I might squeeze into by the end of the week. In case you haven’t noticed I’m just here for the mini trucks haha. 

[datzenmike]

Sell the 521 to another Datsun owner.

[Haggarnaut]

9 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

Sell the 521 to another Datsun owner.

Nah I think I’ll keep it, might just hack it up for a LS 6.0 swap. 

[datzenmike]

I knew you were a closet chevy owner.

[Haggarnaut]

2 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

I knew you were a closet chevy owner.

Nothing closet about owning 4 of them 😛 got 2 mopars, 4 Chevy, 2 Ford and a Datsun. Soon to have 5 once I hack up this one. 

[thelow620]

You in the AV?

[Haggarnaut]

2 minutes ago, thelow620 said:

You in the AV?

Closer to SFV 

[thelow620]

2 minutes ago, Haggarnaut said:

Closer to SFV 

Nice. I see you work for a picture car company. I used to work on a lot of studio equipment and build some trucks as well. Fun industry even with all the up and downs.

 

Nice truck BTW!

[Haggarnaut]

3 minutes ago, thelow620 said:

Nice. I see you work for a picture car company. I used to work on a lot of studio equipment and build some trucks as well. Fun industry even with all the up and downs.

 

Nice truck BTW!

Thanks! Yeah I hope all picks back up soon in the studios. Just trying to complete a few projects til I get back to it. Built a few old school BMX bikes (1978, 1976) while I’ve been off so been enjoying it at least. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

yeah try not to drive tha Datsun too much

I put over 200k mile(over 350K on chassis) on mine and its a lot of work trying to maintain it. Just wearing out. Been driving pretty mush 44 miles every day since 2000 when I got it.

i just got a 92 Toyota with 77k miles for 1500 so I figured I scored. Sun burnt paint but everything else is great, EFI   !!!!!!! new tires

[Haggarnaut]

11 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

yeah try not to drive tha Datsun too much

I put over 200k mile(over 350K on chassis) on mine and its a lot of work trying to maintain it. Just wearing out. Been driving pretty mush 44 miles every day since 2000 when I got it.

i just got a 92 Toyota with 77k miles for 1500 so I figured I scored. Sun burnt paint but everything else is great, EFI   !!!!!!! new tires

Yeah that’s the hardbody’s job now so the 521 should last me a while now without needing much done to it. Wanted something cool to drive to work but these things are just toys and don’t want to rack up miles on something I want to keep running when I want to go out for a cruise.