Houseoffubar Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 (edited) Hello all! Very excited to pick up my New to me 65 320 Pickup tomorrow. it should be interesting, I have a turbocharged 5.0 mustang Cobra engine with over 500hp, a trans and soon to be narrowed 8.8 rear end, that will be going into it. obviously I would not do this to a nice truck, but mine has no floor to speak of, no trim, bed, or much else really. it does have a cool looking shell that is quite straight. the cab will get stretched a few inches to allow motor setback, and some degree of legroom. based on power and weight it should run mid 8’s at 167mph. I will be happy to get into the 9’s. should be a fun project. Hope it entertains😊 thanks to everyone sharing information here, I have already learned a lot about these cool little rigs. I will post some pictures as soon as I figure out how Edited July 24, 2020 by Houseoffubar Add photos 3 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 You just need to keep posting and after a bit you will be able to attach pics to you posts. Looking forward to seeing your parts and pieces. 🙂 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 Thanks! No carbon, titanium or billet parts for this build, all business and on the cheap, but it should be pretty cool, just based on the stylish little vehicle and much too big engine. other than a couple of motorcycles, I’ve never ridden in anything capable of nines, eights would be insane😂 Keeping my expectations low’ish, and hoping for some fun. 1 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 can't wait to watch this unfold 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 I'm just glad there's not much left other than a shell of a cab.... I hate seeing a good datsun get bastardized, but what your up to I dont mind... Goodluck... 2 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 My first question would be how much are you planning on stretching it? You have a couple avenues but anyway you look at it your in for a lot of work, I made a king cab out of my 1963 Datsun L320, it was a lot of work, didn't happen in a week or even a month, but I didn't want to burn out so I took lots of breaks. You could also extend it around 5 inches if you could find a set of NL320 doors, I used to know where some were in Vancouver WA, they might still be there, you see the L320 door is 33.5" while the NL320 door is around 38.5", they are basically the same door except for the length, if the cab is extended just enough to fit an NL320 door all you would need to worry about is the top and floor of the cab and the rockers, oh and shortening the box, 5" would likely be way easier to deal with than the 15 inches I extended mine. Here is a guy that extended his but did the extension in back of the doors. Here is a link to the thread about it. https://ratsun.net/topic/48350-datsun-1965-l320/ 6 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 19 minutes ago, wayno said: My first question would be how much are you planning on stretching it? You have a couple avenues but anyway you look at it your in for a lot of work, I made a king cab out of my 1963 Datsun L320, it was a lot of work, didn't happen in a week or even a month, but I didn't want to burn out so I took lots of breaks. You could also extend it around 5 inches if you could find a set of NL320 doors, I used to know where some were in Vancouver WA, they might still be there, you see the L320 door is 33.5" while the NL320 door is around 38.5", they are basically the same door except for the length, if the cab is extended just enough to fit an NL320 door all you would need to worry about is the top and floor of the cab and the rockers, oh and shortening the box, 5" would likely be way easier to deal with than the 15 inches I extended mine. Here is a guy that extended his but did the extension in back of the doors. Here is a link to the thread about it. https://ratsun.net/topic/48350-datsun-1965-l320/ The red truck is exactly what I am thinking! Not nearly as pretty as yours (it is sweet!) but easy and necessary. 2 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 Wayno for some reason I dont think it's going to be as nice and original looking as yours.... I'd almost like to see the nose stretched over cutting the cab up... Move the whole cab back on the chassis, You could still push the firewall around as needed for leg room and the motor but do the stretch in the cowl area between the hood and the windshield.... 2 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 23 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said: I'm just glad there's not much left other than a shell of a cab.... I hate seeing a good datsun get bastardized, but what your up to I dont mind... Goodluck... Yeah, I don’t normally mind cutting things up, especially if it is a nice job, but these little Datsuns are rare enough I would not think of it, if it were not so far gone. did I mention it was free? So obviously not a peach, and the owner had cut the core support out and stripped EVERY piece of trim, etc from the car. this made it a perfect candidate, and in my mind a lease on a new life, as well as a bit of glory perhaps?!😂 3 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 It's too hard to extend the hood/fenders, the hood tapers like the 520 hood, the 521 hood is different, I have seen one of them extended in front of the windshield to except a V8, they did a good job also, they used it to tow their Datsun Roadster on a trailer to the race track. It is nearly impossible to extend a tapered hood/fenders and have them look right, that is why I brought up the NL320 doors, they are 5 inches longer, nothing on the exterior of the truck would change except the cab top and rockers, the rest is hidden from sight and don't have to be perfect, one would not even know it was modified unless they were familiar with the Datsun 320. 11 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said: Wayno for some reason I dont think it's going to be as nice and original looking as yours.... I'd almost like to see the nose stretched over cutting the cab up... Move the whole cab back on the chassis, You could still push the firewall around as needed for leg room and the motor but do the stretch in the cowl area between the hood and the windshield.... 3 Quote Link to comment
Crashtd420 Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 I suppose there's really no easy way no matter how you do it.... I'm not a body guy or metal finisher, so I wouldnt even attempt this my self... I just like to see, do, and think of things outside the box... Even if it's a foolish idea sometimes it spawns a better idea or makes the person think a little differently about how or what they were going to do... 1 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 4 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said: I suppose there's really no easy way no matter how you do it.... I'm not a body guy or metal finisher, so I wouldnt even attempt this my self... I just like to see, do, and think of things outside the box... Even if it's a foolish idea sometimes it spawns a better idea or makes the person think a little differently about how or what they were going to do... Yeah, the way Wayno did his is a whole other level of complications. His made for a factory quality job, that is hard to ever see unless you know his little truck does not actually exist. doing a short stretch behind the doors is a couple day job, if you don’t count bodywork and paint. I will go this route, as I am counting on the mechanics of this old girl to draw the eye away from what could be more elegant 😂 2 Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted July 22, 2020 Report Share Posted July 22, 2020 (edited) I guess I think about this extending cabs thing differently than most, I want it to look like it was made that way from the factory, that way I don't have anyone saying it looks dangerous because of shabby work and suggesting it needs to be towed to the scrapper. I didn't even know how to weld when I did my 521 kingcab, but one doesn't have to know how to weld when dealing with sheet metal, you have to know how to tack weld which consists of aim, close eyes, pull trigger for 1/2 a second, open eyes move at least 4 inches and repeat several hundred times, of course you need to have the mig welder set/adjusted right, and the piece of metal being installed needs to fit, but if one screws up, so what, cut it out and try again, my 521 has two tops(makes it stiffer), I tried welding the top in instead of tacking it in and the metal warped, so I made another top and put that on top of what was warped, I think it worked out just great because the top has no flex, it is solid so the bondo/bondohair has never cracked, I did all the mods on it and sent it out to have the body work/paint done, it turned out nice, I did everything on the 520 kingcab ute, that is why it is white, i'm not so great at body work. The 520 top after tacked in. The 520 kingcab ute My 521 kingcab, my favorite vehicle to drive. Yes you can likely do a small extension in a couple days if you know what your doing and don't make a lot of mistakes and have to do stuff over, and the hole in the top is a lot easier to deal with if you can keep the curve that exists like the way that guy did on the red 320, you can see that gap in the top was over the door and not back where the sides were extended, that guy had a plan and it turned out alright, i don't like that sheet metal blind spot in the back corners, I want to be able to see when I change lanes, but my 1947 Chevy pickup had no windows there either, didn't like blind spot. Edited July 22, 2020 by wayno 6 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted July 23, 2020 Report Share Posted July 23, 2020 21 hours ago, Crashtd420 said: Wayno for some reason I dont think it's going to be as nice and original looking as yours.... I'd almost like to see the nose stretched over cutting the cab up... Move the whole cab back on the chassis, You could still push the firewall around as needed for leg room and the motor but do the stretch in the cowl area between the hood and the windshield.... A guy I knew back in the '80s that had a stretched 510 with a big block that ran 8's. He stretched the fenders. His name was Robbie Duarte and you can still find pics of it online. @Houseoffubar - are you going to build a custom chassis? Or try to use the stock frame? Struts up front probably? 2 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2020 Brought the old girl home tonight. I’m sure nobody has a title laying around they want to sell? 1 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2020 23 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said: A guy I knew back in the '80s that had a stretched 510 with a big block that ran 8's. He stretched the fenders. His name was Robbie Duarte and you can still find pics of it online. @Houseoffubar - are you going to build a custom chassis? Or try to use the stock frame? Struts up front probably? I think the stock frame rails will work well. I have a Ford 8.8 rear that will get a 4 link in the rear. I like the spindly front suspension For weight, but may build a different tube A arm setup with coilovers, as I am pretty sure the torsion bars will not appreciate a 500lb V-8 dropped in their lap😂 2 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2020 BTW, I weighed her on the drive home. 1,180lbs! I was a bit surprised it weighed this much so empty. 2 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2020 Not much to brag about, but my son and I stripped down our mock up engine and got it at least into the engine bay. the motor needs to move back about 7 inches, allowing it to also move down 4 inches. I don’t see any possible way of keeping the steering column, as the exhaust ports run right into it, that said, having a straight shaft, solid column pointing right at your chest is not the safest thing in a 170mph car😂 I have a rack and pinion that I believe will work, and a couple U-joints in the column will make the car safer. 5 Quote Link to comment
320 Newb Posted July 27, 2020 Report Share Posted July 27, 2020 Such a rad project! Have you see the suspension on this build? 2 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted July 27, 2020 Report Share Posted July 27, 2020 11 hours ago, Houseoffubar said: Not much to brag about, but my son and I stripped down our mock up engine and got it at least into the engine bay. the motor needs to move back about 7 inches, allowing it to also move down 4 inches. I don’t see any possible way of keeping the steering column, as the exhaust ports run right into it, that said, having a straight shaft, solid column pointing right at your chest is not the safest thing in a 170mph car😂 I have a rack and pinion that I believe will work, and a couple U-joints in the column will make the car safer. Check out my 320 balljoint conversion thread for pics on how to modify the original column. I wanted to keep the original column, but needed to have an open shaft to be able to run a 720 steering box, so I chopped, machined, welded it up. In the process, I pushed it towards the dash as far as it would go before my knuckles hit the turn signal stalk. You may also want to consider the 720 steering setup, as it all mounts on the outside of the frame rails, giving you valuable space between the frame rails. 1 Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted July 27, 2020 Report Share Posted July 27, 2020 Also, I assume you're running an automatic trans. If not, with your engine pushed back that far, your shifter will be in the bed. 2 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted July 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2020 Yes, I currently have a 5-speed. I will be looking to trade/sell it for an automatic (a sentence I never thought I would ever say!😂) 2 Quote Link to comment
garryk6 Posted July 28, 2020 Report Share Posted July 28, 2020 Selling my NL body with clear title. With both bodies you would have 4 front fenders and two hoods. I was going to do that fir the Chevy v8 I was putting in the monster Datsun. But it stalled now hopefully someone can use it. 2 Quote Link to comment
Houseoffubar Posted August 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2020 I picked up a smokin deal on a set of Centerline Pro stock front wheels and tires. Together the set is over $900, but I grabbed them off of OfferUp for $80 in near perfect condition! the rears are off my Dodge D150 and are simply the closest match I have at the moment. At 15x10 they will fit my planned 28x10.5x15 slicks, but I am keeping my eyes open for a match to the front. the Centerlines and Eagle race tires are insanely light! The tires feel like thick inner tubes with a bit of tread on them😂 3 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted August 13, 2020 Report Share Posted August 13, 2020 On 7/23/2020 at 12:01 PM, Houseoffubar said: Brought the old girl home tonight. I’m sure nobody has a title laying around they want to sell? WA State makes it fairly easy to deal with a lost title. I can give you some tips if you want to PM me about the title situation. 1 Quote Link to comment
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