My Rusty '73 620 Project

[eereii]

Hello, I figured I'd introduce my truck! Long, detailed post ahead, you've been warned. 🫡

 

On a whim I bought myself a pair of 620s from Oregon in July, a complete '73 and a frame/front end '76(?) to use for parts and a new cab. Originally the 73 was not running but would happily turn over, and so >$1000 (thanks to a parts-store employee discount hah) and two weekends later, got it running and heading down the road with all the power that little L16 has.

 

I picked it up from a small towing company who got it from the original owner's family's land where it had been sitting for allegedly 15 years (though it was last registered in 2000). News was the original owner parked it, then started working on it with his grandson, and never finished and it just sat. The odometer reads 85k which I'm prone to believe. It has that standard Weber carb on it (I'm bad with numbers and can't remember it's name now), but other than that looked stock. Tow-yard owner wanted it because he thought it would have had a 5sp, and the transmission was ready to be unbolted from the engine by the time I got it. Damn near everything but the engine oil was empty and/or dry.

 

So far, I've replaced/repaired the following: Ignition system (plugs, wires, coil, rotor, points (converted to 1 set instead of the 2), battery), fuel system (replaced tank, pump, filter, lines, carb rebuild), brakes (new front and rear shoes, repacked bearings, thankfully found the old rear hardware, new master & wheel cylinders, front and rear hoses, front and rear brake hard lines stolen from the 76), and hydraulic clutch system (replaced the master & slave cylinders and slave fluid hose), and driveshaft carrier bearing. It's also got a new thermostat, belt, and temperature sender, on top of an oil and filter change and coolant/trans fluid top-offs.

 

It came with a cute little chrome push bar I might keep, and some funky big rear bumper which I have already removed (after my photoshoot). My partner (who helped the entire time) found me some cute Datsun 200sx hubcaps that I put on some cheap wheels/tires from offerup to get it rolling. Surprisingly all the lights worked, including the ones in the dash, and once it runs it seems happy (though a bit rich). Its got some bad damage to the front valance, roof, and some nice holes in the floorboard and bed, but thats what the other truck is for. I'm planning on just body swapping after registering, and giving the remaining datsun to my partner to build something fun with the frame and old body. The dash is in good shape but the rest of the interior is rotty.

 

I had to park it for the winter while I went away for college, but before parking it we only had a few issues we couldn't fix.

One was that when parked for a long time (overnight), the fuel seems to drain back into the tank and you have to re-prime the pump. It is possible that the pump could be bad, it is a re-manufactured one from O'Reilly, and I bypassed the hard line along the body with a long strip of rubber hose (temporary for now, its just clogged), but I was wondering if it could be something else.

The second is that we can't get any temp readings. The sender is new, and my partner rewired it, but the gauge itself isn't giving any sort of signal when testing with a power probe, but neither are the other gauges that work (like the fuel sender). We tested an extra gauge set we found in the 76, but still nothing. Is there just something funky we have to test special for on the back of the gauge to see if it works?? I don't want an aftermarket temp gauge right now, and just want the original set working.

 

Either way, after the cab swap I hope to upgrade the radiator (cause the 73's is impossible to find, and I'll just use the bigger core support from the 76), get fender mounted mirrors, bucket seats, and lower it and get front discs. I would also love to put in any sort of sound system, as theres no radio left in there now. I live in the middle of nowhere and all the cool car stuff is an hour or more on the freeway away, and I would like to be able to get a 5sp in it for cruising. Not necessarily in that order!! Despite the rust, I'll be sad to get rid of the original color and decals.. so the cab swap will probably be later. I also need new weatherstripping and door window stuffs (like weather strips and sweep/felts) cause the tow guy stole them for his other 620. The parts truck has the glass though.

 

Any tips for lowering on the stock suspension type, or links to good conversion forums would be very helpful. I've been crawling this forum since I got the 620s, and I try to bookmark anything useful I find, but its always easy to miss something. I have yet to wash it, I just wanted to drive it first, so be gentle ^^;

 

Not pictured is the rust, but I can show it off if anyone wants haha

I will try to post updates when I visit home and have the time to work on it. Thanks for reading!!

[datzenmike]

ONE

Fuel returning to tank over night. The fuel once in the carburetor can't climb up out of the float chamber even if all the fuel in the lines do. There will be more than enough gas in the 32/36 Weber carburetor to start and run the engine.  Before starting take the air filter off and look to see the choke. Pump the gas a couple of times. What you should see is the choke flap snap closed, does it? This is not EFI so you have to step on the gas to set the choke before starting. Now try to start.

 

 

TWO

Do both gauges not work? If so it maybe the common power supply that is regulated to about 8v. The 10 amp fuse for the dash gauges also power the turn signals so if they work then the fuse is ok if not replace it. The 10 amp fuse is furthest away, closest to the dash on the right hand side. Find the temp sender on the thermostat housing and ground it withn the key on. The gauge should slowly move to the full HOT position. Does it?

 

 Five speed.

Will get some use if you drive on the highway, not such a good idea if in town all the time. Know that your 4 speed is 26" long and a five speed is 31.5" so your front drive shaft won't fit, but you can use the one from the '75.

 

Lowering

The front ride height can be adjusted by loosening the lock nuts and turning the rear torsion bars anchor bolts down. Extreme adjustment up or down will affect the tire camber tilting the top in or out affecting handling and tire wear so easy does it. In addition it will definitely toe the alignment in again increasing tire wear so the alignment will need to be checked. The rears are the easiest by removing the U bolts and slipping 'lowering blocks' between the axle mounting perches and the leaf springs but you will need longer U bolts. 

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Neat truck. It looks like the Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story.

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Love the truck!!!!!!!!

I would just lower it and just buff out the paint to bring soem shine to it and leave it as is with the dents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

cab swap why bother???????????????????roll it

 

tempp wire? make sue it has voltage out there. if not find where it went to. Mike said it goes to the inst panel. most times clean connections with do that.

maybe reseat the one in back of instrument cluster back behind panel where sppedo cable is