Longest trip in your Datsun? How'd it go?

[IZRL]

Wondering what people's longest trip has been and how it went?

 

Longest trip I've taken is 40 miles round trip. Which is pretty much just the other side of town. I still haven't gotten it on the highway. At some point I might consider taking a longer trip (400 miles round trip). 

 

Being that almost zero parts are readily available anymore. Do you travel with spare parts? What spare parts do you carry? Also with the speed limit being 75-80 on most highways, you must be white knuckeling and ass clenching it the whole way. My truck's pedal to the floor max speed is 70. So it's happiest at like 60.

 

Edited March 14 by IZRL

[datzenmike]

2,800 miles from VI to southern Ontario and then back. Did this at least a half dozen times in the early 2000s in my '78 620. On one trip my gas tank imploded from a non venting gas cap throwing the gas gauge off otherwise uneventful. Over 3,000 kilometers (close to 2,000 miles) from home to Canby and back home through Calgary in my 710.  Three times at least. Uneventful.                                                                                                   

[thisismatt]

About 1000 miles when I first bought my 521 and drove it from Seaside, OR to Santa Barbara, CA.  Lost a lash pad and thought the engine sounded like it was going to die. Lights quit working because of the crappy glass fuse block.  Fuel filler hose was disintegrating and dropping small chunks into the tank causing the filter to clog and cut fuel to engine. Barely made it to an auto parts store for a new filter, changed it in the rain. Back was killing me so I drove most of the way with a 32oz nalgene bottle behind the small of my back

[Dguy210]

Used to do 100 miles a day on my B210 for years on end. Longest trips were 600 miles one way camp a weekend and 600 miles back. Commonly some small thing would have an issue but always very fixable (fuses, windshield wiper blades, weird noises, etc...). I also tend to carry a stupid number of spare parts though, pared it down over the years to an alt, coil, coil wires and spark plugs, couple of spare belts, some misc. wire, tape and fluids and whatever other random junk is in the trunk. I have at times carried a whole spare head and gasket seat and all the tools needed to change it. I throw the stuff that is still functional but changed with routine maintenance in the trunk (i.e. used caps, plugs, wires, belts etc... good enough to get home but not run full time).

 

But I'm also a bit paranoid and like being overprepared as that makes me more relaxed.

 

Biggest help of course is a AAA card with free 200 mile tow as then I don't worry about it as much anymore. 

Edited March 15 by Dguy210

[IZRL]

14 hours ago, Dguy210 said:

 

But I'm also a bit paranoid and like being overprepared as that makes me more relaxed.

 

Same here. I carry so many tools in my honda sedan that I could almost do an engine swap on the side of the road. All I'm missing is a cherry picker. I even carry one of those WWII military foldable shovels. I've gotten that car stuck in the sand multiple times and that shovel has gotten me out. My friends crack up when they look in my trunk. But then they're like "uuummmm i broke down, can you bring your tools?"

 

When I take a trip. I'll definitely be traveling with an assortment of spare parts and tools. 

Edited March 15 by IZRL

[MikeRL411]

Great Fallls Montana to San Bernadino Ca. Averaged 30 plus MPH. Retuned the engine when I dropped below 3000 feet altitude, On arriving in San Bernadino, I took my Rl411 to a local garage to remove the external tank heater.  The mechanic said that he had never seen one.  I had arrived in the right place!

  

[thisismatt]

1 hour ago, MikeRL411 said:

Great Fallls Montana to San Bernadino Ca. Averaged 30 plus MPH. Retuned the engine when I dropped below 3000 feet altitude, On arriving in San Bernadino, I took my Rl411 to a local garage to remove the external tank heater.  The mechanic said that he had never seen one.  I had arrived in the right place!

  

 

An RL411 or an external tank heater?

[MikeRL411]

2 hours ago, thisismatt said:

 

An RL411 or an external tank heater?

Engine tank hater [although this was the first Datsun 411 he had seen] but he specifically was referencing the heater.

[MikeRL411]

22 hours ago, thisismatt said:

 

An RL411 or an external tank heater?

 es to both questions.

[MikeRL411]

I had mounted the heater below the battery to get some use from the 300-Watt waste heat. it kept the battery warm during -40 degree nights.

[MikeRL411]

In Montana not Ca, 

[bottomwatcher]

I made several trips from West Palm beach to Seattle and back to Florida. About 6 trips from west coast Florida to The Columbia river gorge. One trip from Vallejo to Punta San Carlos baha Mexico and back. My balls were bigger then. Fuel filters are a must on the spares list along with belts and a decent selection of tools. Honestly if I were to do it today, I would if the parts were unknown millage  would slap in a Japanese water pump, a new not rebuilt alternator and fresh cap, rotor, ignition wires, hoses (all) coolant, vacuum ect, not cheap but cheaper than dealing with on the side of the road. Oh and V belts I go big and by load rated belts. Not automotive fan belts. These belts are rated for heavy loads such as lawn equipment and are much stronger and longer lasting than fan belts. My AAA gold card helps although I have only used it once on the datsun in 36 years. My other junk? Well it has come in handy.

[Z23T]

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I put many miles on my old blue 510 between Walnut Creek and San Diego. One time, when my motor was burning a LOT of oil, I actually put a spare short block in the trunk in case I needed it. I didn't.

[Duncan]

Dave Gonzales (ddgonzal) made a trip from the North East to California in his 1200 pickup.  He blew a motor somewhere on the way, and found a local guy who offered him an A14 motor. They swapped it in, and he showed up on time to JCCS with his blown up A12 in the bed. Pretty memorable trip, I'd say.

 

Dave is pretty tall, and I tried sitting in his Sunny pickup.  1000 miles must have been a miserable trip...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thisismatt]

2 hours ago, Duncan said:

Dave Gonzales (ddgonzal) made a trip from the North East to California in his 1200 pickup.  He blew a motor somewhere on the way, and found a local guy who offered him an A14 motor. They swapped it in, and he showed up on time to JCCS with his blown up A12 in the bed. Pretty memorable trip, I'd say.

 

Dave is pretty tall, and I tried sitting in his Sunny pickup.  1000 miles must have been a miserable trip...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More like 3000, no? 😁

[Socalman]

8 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I put many miles on my old blue 510 between Walnut Creek and San Diego. One time, when my motor was burning a LOT of oil, I actually put a spare short block in the trunk in case I needed it. I didn't.

Wow, San Francisco to San Diego is a far drive…

[wayno]

I drove from Vancouver WA to the area of Kissimmee Florida and back via Los Angeles CA both ways in my 1971 Datsun 521 work truck before it was my work truck, by the time I got back the dogleg 5 speed 5th gear was toast as I was hauling 4 or 5 hanggliders and all my flying and camping gear, that was too much weight for a car transmission, I converted to front disc brakes soon after that.

 

I likely put 8000 miles or more on that trip, I was at the Wallaby Ranch Hang-gliding Resort, I watched one of the shuttles launches while I was there.

 

My shake down trip for my just finished 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab SD25 engine was to Orange CA and back to Vancouver WA to pick up 20 windsheilds(19 datsun 320 and one 520, I likely put close to 3000 miles on that trip, did not have any issues with that trip.

 

Both these trips I was likely close to being floored most the way both ways, the Florida trip coming back I got close to 23mpg(drove slower), the CA trip I got 27mpg going as fast as the diesel engine would move me, it had 71hp.

[Socalman]

43 minutes ago, wayno said:

I drove from Vancouver WA to the area of Kissimmee Florida and back via Los Angeles CA both ways in my 1971 Datsun 521 work truck before it was my work truck, by the time I got back the dogleg 5 speed 5th gear was toast as I was hauling 4 or 5 hanggliders and all my flying and camping gear, that was too much weight for a car transmission, I converted to front disc brakes soon after that.

 

I likely put 8000 miles or more on that trip, I was at the Wallaby Ranch Hang-gliding Resort, I watched one of the shuttles launches while I was there.

 

My shake down trip for my just finished 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab SD25 engine was to Orange CA and back to Vancouver WA to pick up 20 windsheilds(19 datsun 320 and one 520, I likely put close to 3000 miles on that trip, did not have any issues with that trip.

 

Both these trips I was likely close to being floored most the way both ways, the Florida trip coming back I got close to 23mpg(drove slower), the CA trip I got 27mpg going as fast as the diesel engine would move me, it had 71hp.

What year was this trip made?

[]2eDeYe]

Did 600 miles round trip in my green 4x4 to powerland a few weeks back. 🙂

[Socalman]

What speed and RPM are we talking about on these trips? I find it interesting. 

[datzenmike]

12 hours ago, wayno said:

I drove from Vancouver WA to the area of Kissimmee Florida and back via Los Angeles CA both ways in my 1971 Datsun 521 work truck before it was my work truck, by the time I got back the dogleg 5 speed 5th gear was toast as I was hauling 4 or 5 hanggliders and all my flying and camping gear, that was too much weight for a car transmission, I converted to front disc brakes soon after that.

 

I likely put 8000 miles or more on that trip, I was at the Wallaby Ranch Hang-gliding Resort, I watched one of the shuttles launches while I was there.

 

My shake down trip for my just finished 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab SD25 engine was to Orange CA and back to Vancouver WA to pick up 20 windsheilds(19 datsun 320 and one 520, I likely put close to 3000 miles on that trip, did not have any issues with that trip.

 

Both these trips I was likely close to being floored most the way both ways, the Florida trip coming back I got close to 23mpg(drove slower), the CA trip I got 27mpg going as fast as the diesel engine would move me, it had 71hp.

 

Fifth is for highway cruise at part throttle to lower RPMs. It's not for sustained full throttle carrying a load. For carrying a load, climbing hills, driving into the wind and passing, forth should be used where the counter bearing is not used. Forth is straight through the mainshaft and it is well supported by bearings and no gears are involved. 

[Duncan]

18 hours ago, thisismatt said:

 

More like 3000, no? 😁

 

I wrote NE, but it was a Biden moment.  Dave was in the Northwest.  I believe he since moved to Hawaii.

 

 

[datzenmike]

9 hours ago, Socalman said:

What speed and RPM are we talking about on these trips? I find it interesting. 

 

Highway speeds of 60 MPH in fourth?

 

Cars would be lighter and carrying less weight so the gearing at or below 3.90 and smaller tires. In fourth about 3,200 RPM. Trucks are heavier with differentials above 3.90 and taller tires so just above 3,200. there are a lot of variables here. Larger displacement engines with more power would have a lower differential ratio. If equipped with an overdrive transmission, which range from 12% to 25% the RPMs would drop various amounts. If at 3,000 RPMs in 4th a 12% OD would be 2,640 a 18% would be 2,460 and a zx with 25.5% about 2,235. As I said a lot of variables but roughly around 3,000 on the highway.

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

11 hours ago, Socalman said:

What speed and RPM are we talking about on these trips? I find it interesting. 

Flat out at redline.

 

It's almost 500 miles from the bay area to San Diego and I made it one time in just over five hours. That's over 90mph average. There was a low cloud cover or high fog ceiling, whichever way you want to look at it, which meant that the entire way I could see in front and behind about 1/4 mile, but no planes could spot me, so I hit the skinny pedal the entire way.