Intro/build thread

[MTBiker_Boy]

Hey there, i recently bought my first datsun about 3 months ago now, and let me just say it is a riot. I absolutely love the thing to death, even though it is already becoming a money pit. 
 

Around about december i was looking for a second car, and my requirements were rwd, manual, cool, able to haul bikes, (i’m a huge mountain biker) and around 5000 dollars. I was originally looking at miatas, crown vics, older rangers, tacomas, and then i stumbled upon 3d magic mike’s instagram. Right then and there i knew what had to be done. Although i don’t quite plan on making a fully custom racecar with a datsun shell on it, i knew that a 620 would be my next car. (well.. truck) 

 

I searched for probably 4 months to find the right one, and when i saw it on craigslist i pounced almost immediately. I scheduled a time to come pick it up, and my friend and i drove down there with a u-haul trailer a week later to pick it up. The plan was originally to go mountain bike in a nearby state, but since it was raining at the time, we scrapped that and just got the truck.

TL;DR: i bought a truck.

https://imgur.com/a/un0ym1a

 

So far what i have done to it is remove the big ugly rear bumper, replace the ratty old mirror with the k1 auto parts one from amazon, replace the bad shift knob with an 8-ball one off amazon, because i’ve always loved the idea of the 8-ball shifter, did the door bushing shifter mod with these bushings (i did have to cut a slot in them with a hacksaw but damn it feels nice now.) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000C5I3ZC?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

and put silicone around the windshield gasket and to fill the voids to make it seal better from rain, since it will be stored outside. I would have bought a new gasket, but the windshield is cracked anyway so i’ll put a proper gasket in when i replace that windshield and/or repaint it. 
 

the last thing i have done was i got some jegs bomber seats from a guy on facebook, which i intended to put into the truck, but i ran into a bit of a hiccup in my plan. The bench seat was already removed and the previous owner put in come retro corbeau seats and when i went to take them out i realized that the sliders were welded directly to the floor, and i can’t reach the bolt to unbolt the seat from the sliders because the seat hits the rear of the cab before it slides far enought for me to reach the bolt.

future plans for the truck after i install seats will include ,in order(sorta), fixing electrical problems, fixing door locks, possibly electric/keyless entry, maybe rewiring it with a painless or similar kit, alternator swap, led headlight swap, guage swap/tach addition, fixing fuel guage, coilover swap, brake upgrade, sr20det swap, new wheels (probably te37 reps)

 

so i have a couple of questions for you guys; A. Are there any companies making seat brackets for the 620, or do any seat brackets for other cars fit with little modification? Basically should i grind the welds off and start new with new seat brackets or should i try to save the sliders?

B. Has anybody seen this side decal before? I haven’t seen any others like it, and  it’s a really strange thing to put on aftermarket, so my best guess is a dealer add-on. Thoughts?

C. When i was at cars and coffee, there was another guy who said his 620 had the exact same circular crack in the passenger side of the windshield. Does anybody have any idea what caused it?

 

[datzenmike]

Put the 620 and the year in your profile. It will save people asking when you ask questions. Looks like a '75-'77

 

 

A/ The bench seat has one slider on each side so if buckets then someone added the other two. No one makes them and unlikely they will work on any bucket that you go with. So cut them out and add custom ones.

 

B/ Factory stripes

 

C/ stone bruise.

[MTBiker_Boy]

Put it in my profile, it’s actually a 78, what makes you say 75-77? Also good to know about the sliders, i figured that they were aftermarket, i didn’t know the stock bench came with sliders at all.

[datzenmike]

My bad, I see you DO have a '78-'79 grill. Hadn't finished my first coffee. The '78 was first year with disc brakes on the front, electronic ignition, ball joint suspension, internally regulated alternators and first year for the W58 head. It was a good year.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Nice score! Hard to find a rust free classic in MN (I was born in Duluth, so I am familiar with midwest winters).

 

Those seats look like they take up a lot of leg room.

 

If CA did not have such harsh emissions control laws, the later balljoint/disc brake trucks would be more valuable here than they are.

[datzenmike]

Dick Bong has a bridge named after him in Deluth.

[MTBiker_Boy]

 

5 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Dick Bong has a bridge named after him in Deluth.

Well i had to click on THAT email notification. I have driven over that bridge a handful of times, never knew it had such an entertaining name.

5 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Nice score! Hard to find a rust free classic in MN (I was born in Duluth, so I am familiar with midwest winters).

 

Those seats look like they take up a lot of leg room.

 

If CA did not have such harsh emissions control laws, the later balljoint/disc brake trucks would be more valuable here than they are.

i actually bought it from a guy in oklahoma city, who bought it from a guy in kansas. I knew i would have to go south for one that was at least mostly intact, and i think i scored pretty well here. You can see the bed rust but the whole frame has had a POR-15 treatment, and the cab is relatively solid. 
The seats not only take up a lot of leg room, but they are also like 14 inches wide or something ridiculous. Fine for the ~150lb guy i bought it from, but i have wide hips so i am basically sitting on top of the bolsters, making it super uncomfortable and eating even more space. I took a hi-lift jack and put it sideways to spread the bolsters an inch or so, but even now It is really unpleasant to sit in. I end up sitting at near the edge of the seat, sort of slouched over, making it even more cramped. So anyway, yeah seats are a necessary change.

[MTBiker_Boy]

So first off, i now understand why people refer to their project cars as money pits, although at the same time, i have never been happier spending my money. The fuel pump, however, is getting on my nerves. Shortly after my last post, the fuel pump that came on the truck failed. There just isn’t any suction when you plug the inlet with your finger and then actuate the arm. Nothing happens. So i replaced that fuel pump with an identical unit i found at oreilly’s, https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/import-direct-fuel/fuel---emissions/fuel-pumps-tanks/fuel-pump-strainer/fuel-pump/83db8e3f0135/import-direct-fuel-pump/idf0/m20028/v/a/8234/automotive-truck-1978-nissan-620-pickup?q=fuel+pump&pos=2 which almost immediately started aggressively leaking around the threads, which i then sealed off with some fuel rated teflon tape, and then it worked for like 2 days when i decided to take it for a test drive, i didn’t even make it a couple blocks away until it failed again, in the same way as the first. I don’t want to continue to buy fuel pumps that last a week, i want one that just works. At some point i am going to switch to electric, but i don’t have the time or space for that right now. So does somebody know if i am doing something wrong, and/or link me a mechanical fuel pump that will work better?

[MTBiker_Boy]

Also, my center console is pretty beat up and ugly, so i want to get rid of it. I found this piece online, but i’m not sure if it is what i want. Will this cover the hole in the floor when i take out the center console, or is this for some other purpose?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N7CNHP5/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=A1WA2JZFJH9IO8&psc=1

[datzenmike]

, https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/import-direct-fuel/fuel---emissions/fuel-pumps-tanks/fuel-pump-strainer/fuel-pump/83db8e3f0135/import-direct-fuel-pump/idf0/m20028/v/a/8234/automotive-truck-1978-nissan-620-pickup?q=fuel+pump&pos=2

 

This physically looks like a stock pump, but could be Chinese knock off = (poor quality) The Nissan one is around  $100 so if $30 try somewhere else. Try classifieds for a good used one from a L engine.

 

1 hour ago, MTBiker_Boy said:

Also, my center console is pretty beat up and ugly, so i want to get rid of it. I found this piece online, but i’m not sure if it is what i want. Will this cover the hole in the floor when i take out the center console, or is this for some other purpose?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N7CNHP5/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=A1WA2JZFJH9IO8&psc=1

 

You should already have this or something similar to keep water and fumes out of the cab. Over top of this is the boot or black vinyl dress up covering that laces up. Once the console is removed you may find that there is a big gap in the carpet under it. Take it out and look but be prepared to put it back. Again try the classifieds for a better used one.

[MTBiker_Boy]

Alright ladies and gentlemen, i am back. The winter has died down here in MN, although i am sure there is snow still to come because it’s never over when you think it’s over. In any case, that means car show season is back and i need to get my truck back up and running.

First off, around november, i tried another fuel pump i got from autozone, but that was even worse than the orielly one for multiple reasons. After that, and as per @datzenmike’s recommendation, i found an OEM NOS fuel pump in the classifieds, and i just need @420n620 to respond to my messages😁.
Second, last fall i got some aluminum bomber seats off of some guy on facebook marketplace for cheap, and got around to cutting the old seats out (because if you recall they were welded to the floor). There was minor damage to the cab floor but they are already pretty messed up, so i’m not too worried. The only other thing is that the seat is like 4 inches offset to the outside because the seat bracket is hitting the trans tunnel, so i have to cut up the bracket to make it fit. Here they are mocked up, don’t mind the swiss cheese floor. 
Third, in response to this,

On 7/24/2021 at 2:13 PM, datzenmike said:

 

You should already have this or something similar to keep water and fumes out of the cab. Over top of this is the boot or black vinyl dress up covering that laces up. Once the console is removed you may find that there is a big gap in the carpet under it. Take it out and look but be prepared to put it back. Again try the classifieds for a better used one.

This is what i currently have under the center console. No rubber boot, just a hole the shifter goes through. I will look through the classifieds before buying anything off of amazon, but at this point looking at my floor, i’m not sure if plugging that hole is going to make much of a difference.

Fourth, when i was working on the inside of my truck, at one point i apparently closed the door a little too hard and got locked out of the driver’s door. The passenger side was fine, so i could still get in, and the interior handle worked, but the exterior handle didn’t. I took the door panel off and found this bar (vertical one)had fallen out, and the plastic bit holding it in at the top was broken. It works fine for now, because it hasn’t moved, but i’m worried that once it does, i’m gonna get locked out again. I’m sure i’m gonna hear the “Find an OEM one on classifieds” again, but does anybody else make replacements that aren’t 40+ years old? Plastic technology has improved a lot since then.

Finally, i have been doing a lot of planning over the winter, and i want your thoughts on my plans. 
Front brakes will be upgraded according to this post, with parts from multiple different hardbodies.

While doing that, i will be obviously be using D21 spindles, though i am not sure whether to use oem ones or drop spindles. I have 2 inch blocks for the rear, not installed yet, and i am going to lower the front to match, but i’m not sure whether it is better to use the drop spindles or torsion bars.
For rear brakes, i am going to wait for @BEEBANI to start taking orders again, and use his kit that takes isuzu parts. Hopefully i’ll order that with the coilover conversion kit.

After that is wheels time, and i am going to get some old jdm 3 piece wheels, or copy @darealjonb on instagram because his wheel/tire setup looks sick.

At that point is power time. I want somewhere around 300 hp, so i am debating on swapping in a KA24 (with turbo) or an SR20, leaning towards the KA because of the price, although the sr is appealing because of the weight. Or i could turbo to l20b, but i’m not sure how far i could push it, and i’m not sure if i should convert it to efi or do a carbureted turbo setup. Does anybody have a good write up on turbo l20b’s?

At some point along the line i am going to be rewiring the whole truck because it is a disaster, as well as redoing the interior (which is pretty much just the dash) but i am not sure when that’ll happen.

 

feel free to ask any questions or answer any of mine. Thanks! 🙏🏻 

 

[Crashtd420]

There is also a boot that actually seals the shifter to the transmission ...  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-NISSAN-DATSUN-240Z-260Z-280Z-280ZX-TRANSMISSION-SHIFTER-BOOT-NEW-OEM/162652567764

[MTBiker_Boy]

Yup, that’s what i was sayin datzenmike will tell me to find a used one but idk if it matters, looking at my floors.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Truck is looking good.

 

Have you tried flipping the seat brackets from side to side? So they fit under the seat instead of alongside?
 

If you want to plug many small holes in the floor, like quick and dirty. try using those christmas tree clips. Google it if you don't know what I mean. Once they're in, you can cut the tip off so they don't poke out as much. I buy them by the hundreds at McMaster-Carr.

[MTBiker_Boy]

Thanks, i think it’s coming along nicely as well!

 

Not entirely sure i follow what you are saying about the seat brackets. If i understand correctly, you are saying to swap the lefts and rights, so they brackets would appear to go in before becoming flat. https://www.amazon.com/Invictus-Mount-Bucket-Brackets-Black/dp/B07DPRSB2G/ref=asc_df_B07DPRSB2G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312061982315&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16812417632570500412&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1020086&hvtargid=pla-569746664151&psc=1#immersive-view_1649959231009
the brackets are these units, and they go down from the seat, outwards, and then go flat on the inside. So flipping them wouldn’t really gain me any space, best that would do is expose the mounting bolts, which admittedly wouldn’t be a bad idea. My idea though is to try to replicate these sparco seat brackets’ shape, at least for the parts that hit the tunnel. https://www.sparcousa.com/side-mount-aluminum-hd either that or cut out a bit of the trans tunnel, but i’m not sure how much space i really have to work with there, i’d have to take a look under the truck.

 

as far as the christmas tree clips, thank you for the advice, but i would rather weld in new floors than put more plastic in my truck, because i seem to have problems with plastic. Also i know that kf vintage makes replacement sheet metal for the entire floor, so when i get to the stage of the build where it is time to make it nice, i.e. repaint, removing dents and rust, etc. then i’ll start worrying about that.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Kirkey seat brackets are flat with a 90 bent on the bottom, so they don't jog in and out like the ones you have. They do have a wide flange at the bottom, but I cut them down to have a 1" flange, for saving space.

 

New floors would be nice. Have you ever done work like that before? It's fun, but take five times as much time as you think it will.

 

Where in MN are you? I was born in Duluth and moved from Roseville back in the '80s.

 

 

[MTBiker_Boy]

I’ve taken a look at those brackets, and they would be nice so there wouldn’t be any interference with the bracket and the seatbelt hole, but then i would have to redrill the seats, as well as i don’t think they would allow enough of a shift over, they would still hit the trans tunnel.

I haven’t done any sheet metal work to that extent, so it would definitely be a new experience, but again, that’ll likely happen after i‘m done with everything else, like sorting suspension, brakes, engine swapping, rewiring everything, a fuel cell, redoing interior, etc. which won’t be for another 5 years.

I grew up and still “live in” bloomington, but i am going to school in st cloud.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

The best replacement panels fit all the way to the rocker. I've used patch panels and I don't like to use them for a few reasons. If you can find floors that go all the way to the original seams/joints, that would be best. Be prepared to drill out hundreds of spot welds and buy yourself a seam splitter - https://www.amazon.com/Steck-20015-Seam-Buster/dp/B000JFJMJ6

 

Don't bother with a spot weld drill. They make too large a hole and often create more work than just using a 3/16" or 1/4" drill bit.

 

This is how I do it.

[EDM620]

If you can, pull the cab off the frame and put it on a rotisserie - much harder to weld overhead and in cramped positions, plus your human body will appreciate it

[MTBiker_Boy]

I agree, it is much easier to weld in a comfortable position. That being said, i think you guys are too focused on the swiss cheese floors. That project is 5+ years down the line, and there is much more to do before then. Right now i am more focused on getting the door locks fixed, seats fully installed, drop spindles or torsion bars for lowering the front, and turboing the l20b

[EDM620]

On 4/17/2022 at 9:04 PM, MTBiker_Boy said:

getting the door locks fixed, seats fully installed

Those are indeed more immediate fixes.

 

I pulled my seats out of a Sentra, some minor tweaks to the front mounts and made some pedestal risers for the inner rear corners. Get your sliders working right and enjoy.

[MTBiker_Boy]

I’m not installing sliders, just installing them as far back as possible. I plan on being the only one to drive it, and seat height/leg room doesn’t matter for passengers

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Yeah, I would definitely turbo the motor before fixing the floors.

[MTBiker_Boy]

Haha i mean i get that it may sound dumb, but i plan on doing all of the bodywork all at once when i have somewhere to take the cab off and can do a frame-off restoration. I’ll have it sent off for paint/repair etc. and at that point will be repairing rust holes.

 

Plus i don’t really see the rust as a problem because i have only driven it in the summer, so not worried about the cold getting in, and it’s a body on frame so i’m not worried about the structure of the truck, and it’s all had a por-15 treatment so the rust isn’t expanding. Idk maybe living in minnesota has desensitized me to rust, but i just don’t see it as a huge problem.
 

A larger problem to me is that the truck is boring with such a gutless motor. It is likely that there is something else wrong with it causing lack of power too, but i don’t even know where to begin. I’ll start looking into that once i get the fuel pump sorted. And supposedly that got delivered yesterday, so when i get home from college this weekend i can get it installed and have the first start up of the year!

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I get that. Stock L motors are not very impressive. But...turboing any L motor costs twice as much as swapping in a KA24 or SR20. Yes, I like to see L motors in old Datsuns, but the money spent to do a proper turbo build is huge.

 

I hate rust. The thing about rust that kills me is that if you can see it, that means that there's a much larger problem hidden under the layers. Just knowing what lies beneath makes me shiver. There's never an easy way to attack it either. Pulling the cab is definitely the best way to go. If you're going that far, you should consider having it blasted and powder coated too. I just got one back from the coaters which was done in a zinc rich powder that is super corrosion resistant. I've got another one at the coaters that I didn't want to remove all the seam sealer from (because it was in great shape), but it's going to upstate New York and I wanted it coated, so I asked, and yes, even the seam sealer can take the heat. They bake it to 360 degrees, instead of the usual 400 degrees.