New Guy Here With an Old 320

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

What did the radiator shop say about the radiator cap?

 

Teaching my kids that slower drivers are actually more dangerous seems counterintuitive to them. Slow drivers tend to be unpredictable, I explain, which makes them less safe on the road.

[Kev250R]

18 hours ago, Thomas Perkins said:

My dad had a 70 Chevy Truck with the 6 banger and 3 on the column.That is what me and my brother learned how to drive with.That was back in 76.I also remember that we would have to pop the hood and adjust the linkage cause of the reverse.First was down and in,second was up and over up.third was down and reverse was up and over and up.He would get mad when we grinded the gear when we messed up and hit reverse trying to go into second.And we just had a Am radio.It had a bench seat,and we never used the seat belts.When we went on vacation to North Carolina,all 4 of us were in the front seat.My dad had empty coke bottles in there so we could pee.He only stopped for gas.We had sandwiches to eat.My dad was from Lenoir,North Carolina.My brother and I were the foosball champs there.We never lost.That was the game to play in the 70's.

Sounds like your Dad had a 'Stovebolt Six' in that '70 Chevy.  Those were in-line's though they used a large V6 in some trucks of that era as well which from what I hear are rather rare but some are still out there.

 

Getting used to a column shift manual has been fun, but after a few miles it actually wasn't too bad.  I'm anxious to drive it again now that I've tightned-up all the linkages.

[difrangia]

Early 60's Ford (and probably a bunch more vehicles of that period) brake light switch works. I changed mine to a mechanical switch (same switch as our 620 'Bulletside' pickup) on the brake pedal arm. This is the hydraulic actuated switch that I used till I did the conversion.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2022 by difrangia

[Kev250R]

6 hours ago, difrangia said:

Early 60's Ford (and probably a bunch more vehicles of that period) brake light switch works. I changed mine to a mechanical switch (same switch as our 620 'Bulletside' pickup) on the brake pedal arm. This is the hydraulic actuated switch that I used till I did the conversion.

 

 

Yep, that's the same one I have!  The one on my 320 looks like it was changed not too long ago.  I may also be switching to a mechanical switch though as I think those are arguably more reliable.

[Kev250R]

8 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

What did the radiator shop say about the radiator cap?

 

Teaching my kids that slower drivers are actually more dangerous seems counterintuitive to them. Slow drivers tend to be unpredictable, I explain, which makes them less safe on the road.

Honestly I forgot to ask them about the radiator cap.  I'll be sure and bring it up next week when I go back to get my radiator though.

 

That's very true about slower drivers.  I've been teaching my GF's son to avoid rented motorhomes and U-Haul trucks since most of the time they're being driven by people who previously who have never driven anything larger then a Honda Civic!

[wayno]

This is what I did on my U320(RHD), I made the bracket and added the switch, it needs to be done in such a way that when the brake pedal arm hits the switch it does not bottom out on the switch as that will deform the switch end and eventually the switch will jamb and the brake lights will stay on all the time, I have a bumper above the switch as you can see in the photo below.

 

 

You can see in the photo below that I disconnected the wires from the stock pressure switch, ran them behind the coil, and then connected another set of wires to them without modifying them so they can be put back to stock if desired, I ran them wires to the switch I installed, everything I did is reversable.   

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by wayno

[Kev250R]

7 hours ago, wayno said:

This is what I did on my U320(RHD), I made the bracket and added the switch, it needs to be done in such a way that when the brake pedal arm hits the switch it does not bottom out on the switch as that will deform the switch end and eventually the switch will jamb and the brake lights will stay on all the time, I have a bumper above the switch as you can see in the photo below.

 

 

You can see in the photo below that I disconnected the wires from the stock pressure switch, ran them behind the coil, and then connected another set of wires to them without modifying them so they can be put back to stock if desired, I ran them wires to the switch I installed, everything I did is reversable.   

 

 

 

That looks great!  That's probably the route I'm going to end-up going.  I had some help last night (I needed someone to step on the brake pedal so I could test continuity on the pressure switch) and I was able to verify that my switch is not working.  So adding a mechanical switch will be on this weeks agenda.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Pressure switches are antiquated. The fact that they rely on pressure to activate the circuit begs the question - what pressure? If too high, then your brake lights might not come on unless you're making a panic stop. The brake lights in my 1957 Land Rover do not come on unless I am hard on the brakes. Not ideal at all.

 

If your brakes have air in them, the pressure switch might not activate. Are the brakes bled?

[difrangia]

Another version utilizing the switch from the 1978 620 'Bulletside' pickup. Added LED 3rd brake light above rack window. Note the adjustable rubber bumper. It's been about seven years since I did this but I think the bumper stop was already there.

 

See and be seen; drive very defensively !! I've got a plastic right foot, a number of broken ribs & a collarbone, a partial scalping, and crushed and several cracked or crushed vertebrae as testimony. And that was not from just one incident. Evil Knievel wannabe ??

 

 

[Kev250R]

9 hours ago, difrangia said:

Another version utilizing the switch from the 1978 620 'Bulletside' pickup. Added LED 3rd brake light above rack window. Note the adjustable rubber bumper. It's been about seven years since I did this but I think the bumper stop was already there.

 

See and be seen; drive very defensively !! I've got a plastic right foot, a number of broken ribs & a collarbone, a partial scalping, and crushed and several cracked or crushed vertebrae as testimony. And that was not from just one incident. Evil Knievel wannabe ??

 

 

I like it!  I took a quick peek under the dash of my 320 earlier today and it appears that I have a similar bracket so adding a mechanical switch should be no problem, I like the third brake light.  I agree with being seen, especially in a small vehicle.  I rarely drive my Manx 'Buggy on the freeway because it just feels too small, even if I install it's sand whip I'm always afraid that someone will change lanes over me.

 

Sorry to hear about all the injuries!  BTW Nice Bug in your photo, it looks like it could be a '62 or '63?  I'm finding it comforting that folks who are into early Datsuns seem to be into early VW's as well!

[Kev250R]

Not much to report on the 320 this weekend, my GF and her son were at my house all weekend plus I got called into work for a couple of hours on Saturday.  I still managed to do an oil change on the 320 and my Toyota P/U, cleaned the frame for the grounds on the Tailights, learned that the reason why my turn signals aren't working isn't because of bad grounds (which is what the PO said) but because the lights are disconnected and the bulbs are missing!  Had to laugh when I found that, thankfully I'm at least a week away from being able to drive my 320 again so those issues can wait for now.  I have a busy week ahead of me at work so if I can get the Radiator back and installed and make the brake lights work we'll call it a win.

 

Here's a pic of the gear-pattern for my gear box.  It's hand-drawn and stuck to the dash with masking tape, but I'm thinking about turning it into a decal!

 

[thisismatt]

The arrow is pointing to the passenger side of the truck, though 🤔

[wayno]

1 hour ago, thisismatt said:

The arrow is pointing to the passenger side of the truck, though 🤔

 

You may not have known this but you have to pull the shift lever out towards the passenger side to get the lever to drop in towards the dash so you can push it down into gear, but I do not know if that is why the arrow is pointed that way, it may mean reverse is closer to the dash.

[Kev250R]

10 hours ago, thisismatt said:

The arrow is pointing to the passenger side of the truck, though 🤔

I noticed that to, I'm thinking of adding "Not drawn to scale" to the bottom of the note LOL!

[difrangia]

11 hours ago, Kev250R said:

Sorry to hear about all the injuries!  BTW Nice Bug in your photo, it looks like it could be a '62 or '63?  I'm finding it comforting that folks who are into early Datsuns seem to be into early VW's as well!

 

No intention to hijack your thread here, but since you mentioned the Bug and U'r into AC VW, it's a 64. Good estimation on the VW year model. It's actually a 64; and assuming that U'r deeply into VW culture and know that 64's were first year for metal sunroof, my dad & I changed the top skin out with a 62 canvas slider roof in 1990. The 58 - 64 roof skins are interchangable due to window sizes and top contour.  I had acquired several Bugs in late 80's and just had to have a fabric roof Type-117 and couldn't locate one that would meet price, condition, and proximity that suited me at the time. I acquired a 62 top-clip in Tulsa and we scheduled a surgical procedure. The Bug is currently on stands in the man-cave with rebuilt trany and 1600 dual-port nearing a first-start. Love that VW 'Thing' of yours. Type-3 'Notchback' with a sunroof is one of my attainable dream-cars; unobtanium list includes Hebmuller & Fridolin. The FIAT lists have even more candidates on them. 

 

 

[thisismatt]

2 hours ago, difrangia said:

 

No intention to hijack your thread here, but since you mentioned the Bug and U'r into AC VW, it's a 64. Good estimation on the VW year model. It's actually a 64; and assuming that U'r deeply into VW culture and know that 64's were first year for metal sunroof, my dad & I changed the top skin out with a 62 canvas slider roof in 1990. The 58 - 64 roof skins are interchangable due to window sizes and top contour.  I had acquired several Bugs in late 80's and just had to have a fabric roof Type-117 and couldn't locate one that would meet price, condition, and proximity that suited me at the time. I acquired a 62 top-clip in Tulsa and we scheduled a surgical procedure. The Bug is currently on stands in the man-cave with rebuilt trany and 1600 dual-port nearing a first-start. Love that VW 'Thing' of yours. Type-3 'Notchback' with a sunroof is one of my attainable dream-cars; unobtanium list includes Hebmuller & Fridolin. The FIAT lists have even more candidates on them. 

 

 

 

That's a lotta mullets in one pic

[320 Newb]

1 hour ago, thisismatt said:

 

That's a lotta mullets in one pic

hahah

[difrangia]

2 hours ago, thisismatt said:

That's a lotta mullets in one pic

 

Well, it is/was OKlahoma, dude !! None of the critters in the pic are me, but I might have had one too 30+years ago. Some out-of-town friends that happened by that day. One of them little fellers is now a doctor and the other is a district attorney. The VW is still just a 'Slug-Bug'.

[thisismatt]

2 hours ago, difrangia said:

 

Well, it is/was OKlahoma, dude !! None of the critters in the pic are me, but I might have had one too 30+years ago. Some out-of-town friends that happened by that day. One of them little fellers is now a doctor and the other is a district attorney. The VW is still just a 'Slug-Bug'.

 

Just let me deflect from my no-mullet failure of a self.

[Kev250R]

11 hours ago, difrangia said:

 

No intention to hijack your thread here, but since you mentioned the Bug and U'r into AC VW, it's a 64. Good estimation on the VW year model. It's actually a 64; and assuming that U'r deeply into VW culture and know that 64's were first year for metal sunroof, my dad & I changed the top skin out with a 62 canvas slider roof in 1990. The 58 - 64 roof skins are interchangable due to window sizes and top contour.  I had acquired several Bugs in late 80's and just had to have a fabric roof Type-117 and couldn't locate one that would meet price, condition, and proximity that suited me at the time. I acquired a 62 top-clip in Tulsa and we scheduled a surgical procedure. The Bug is currently on stands in the man-cave with rebuilt trany and 1600 dual-port nearing a first-start. Love that VW 'Thing' of yours. Type-3 'Notchback' with a sunroof is one of my attainable dream-cars; unobtanium list includes Hebmuller & Fridolin. The FIAT lists have even more candidates on them. 

 

 

No worries about the thread hi-jack, old VW's have been a part of my life for the past twenty years, although it looks like you have me beat by a few years with that clean'64!  I love that you changed it over from a metal roof to a canvas slider!

 

I'm also a member of the 'my VW is on stands club'.  My VW Thing has been on stands behind my garage since last October due to a major front end failure (super-long story but the short version is I snapped the passenger-side Spindle deep in the woods in Utah, had to be towed out, had the Spindle welded, then borrowed a trailer to get it home and since then have gone down the rabbit-hole of upgrading everything in the front end).  I'm hoping to have it back on the road in the next 30 days, but I keep finding new ways to delay that (parts delays, wrong parts, bad parts, parts which had to be customized, etc.)

 

One of my friends claims I bought my 320 to keep me busy while I'm waiting on parts to get my VW Thing back on the road LOL!

[Kev250R]

On 3/13/2022 at 10:56 AM, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Pressure switches are antiquated. The fact that they rely on pressure to activate the circuit begs the question - what pressure? If too high, then your brake lights might not come on unless you're making a panic stop. The brake lights in my 1957 Land Rover do not come on unless I am hard on the brakes. Not ideal at all.

 

If your brakes have air in them, the pressure switch might not activate. Are the brakes bled?

I'm not a fan of pressure switches either, although you bring-up a good point about air in my brake lines.  I know I need to bleed them, I hadn't considered that may be causing the switch not to work, although now that I think about it that would make sense.  Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[Kev250R]

On 3/12/2022 at 8:11 AM, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

What did the radiator shop say about the radiator cap?

 

I spoke to the Radiator Shop Monday morning.  I'm going to have them modify the filler neck so I can run a more modern Radiator Cap.  What PSI have you had good luck with?  I was thinking something around 10 PSI but this is un-charted territory for me so I'm open to suggestions.

[320 Newb]

Would this radiator cap work for a 320?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161838801102?fits=Model%3A320|Make%3ADatsun&hash=item25ae5820ce:g:2vAAAOSwsB9WBl9r

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

12 hours ago, Kev250R said:

I spoke to the Radiator Shop Monday morning.  I'm going to have them modify the filler neck so I can run a more modern Radiator Cap.  What PSI have you had good luck with?  I was thinking something around 10 PSI but this is un-charted territory for me so I'm open to suggestions.

I would think 10 psi should hold.

1 hour ago, 320 Newb said:

Would this radiator cap work for a 320?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/161838801102?fits=Model%3A320|Make%3ADatsun&hash=item25ae5820ce:g:2vAAAOSwsB9WBl9r

The 320 cap had a longer reach than the newer Datsuns. Sounds like he's going to have the shop solder on a modern filler neck, so yeah, that cap should work with the new filler neck.

[Kev250R]

11 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I would think 10 psi should hold.

The 320 cap had a longer reach than the newer Datsuns. Sounds like he's going to have the shop solder on a modern filler neck, so yeah, that cap should work with the new filler neck.

Yes, that's exactly what the shop is doing, in addition to replacing a very clogged core with a slightly larger one.  I'm hoping to have it back by Weds or Thurs, I'll post pics when I get it.

 

What's funny is that Radiator cap on eBay looks just like the one my '93 Toyota T100 uses!