1975 Datsun 620 - The "Branch" Manager

[GRJones]

It's been 4 years since I started looking for one and I finally bought one. It came with the engine in pieces so it had to be towed. All the glass is perfect and I'm very happy with the bed and condition of the frame. Will need new floors, rocker panels, and maybe fenders and a door but I have access to a welder to learn. In the market for a ka24e or a de but am also considering rebuilding the l20b that came with it. It's the successor to my Grandpa's hobby farm truck which was name The Branch Manager which would carry branches to the burn pile etc. So far I've stripped everything from below the bed. The gas tank was completely full of water but is in very good condition considering. Getting ready to wire brush everything I've collected.

 

 

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Nice find! Get the 4 speed with it? 

 

What's with the two bends in the bulkhead?

[GRJones]

4 speed yep. Cleaned out dirt and there's a gap at the center portion. there's a custom wire thats coming up on the side. Maybe they had something custom at some point. I'll have to bend it back.

[GRJones]

Really didn't want to strip off all the rubberized coating on my back.

 

[ggzilla]

yea the rubberized coating protects the bed, so best to leave it be

[GRJones]

I'm planning on recoating it. Just worried about hidden rust. 😬

[GRJones]

Purchased a ka24de that came with ecu, harness and 5 speed. Very improvised transport 😜 

 

 

Also 90% cleaned underside 

[NC85ST]

Didn’t realize that the ka24de was that heavy. Looks like it lifted the front wheels of that Forester right off the ground.

[GRJones]

12 minutes ago, NC85ST said:

Didn’t realize that the ka24de was that heavy. Looks like it lifted the front wheels of that Forester right off the ground.

Hahaha I lifted the front end for clearance and deflated tires. That would've been funny.

[GRJones]

Got it done before rainfall

[GRJones]

Rear frame stripped and painted. Getting a friend to press out the axle bearings. There was a small amount of water in the diff but is in great shape.

[ggzilla]

that 3rd member looks brand new

 

and the frame restoration looks better than new. Good on ya

[EDM620]

Now for some shiny new brake & fuel lines...

[GRJones]

Looking forward to seeing the alloy brake lines on the black. Picked up a door and d21 5 speed. Going to swap the bell housing from my 4 speed.

[ggzilla]

The factory brake lines are nickel-copper alloy. I reckon new lines would look great against the black frame rail

[EDM620]

19 hours ago, ggzilla said:

nickel-copper alloy

The NiCu lines are easily bent/shaped by hand. Steel lines are available in a range of colors but the steel is of course harder to work with.

[iceman510]

21 hours ago, ggzilla said:

The factory brake lines are nickel-copper alloy. 

 

Citation for this?  Other than some European manufacturers, I don't believe this is true.  Certainly not in the original build time-frame of the 620, unless you are referring to another vehicle.  I'm not trying to be a smart aleck, but I have never run across them as OE on vehicles built even into the late 90's.

[ggzilla]

Good question. It's definitely not nicopp, but a cheaper alloy. I thought I read that some years ago, but I made no citation. It would explain why Datsun brake lines don't rust out as bad as some others. I don't think it was the Bundy steel-copper brake tube, which was used in Detroit

[Rustbin]

If you end up with the steel lines you can use old V belt pulleys to get  nice radius bends in them.  

[GRJones]

Bought NiCu lines 🫡

[GRJones]

[GRJones]

Here's the custom dust covers from rubber tubing I cut and the fulcrum pin from an mg

 

 

First bodywork on the project. Found this door 30 mins away luckily which was in better shape than mine.

 

 

First time welding. Spray paint to hide the welds

 

 

Going with EFI so plugged unneeded outlets. Using the drainage outlet as the new fuel supply. 

 

 

The metal above the cut is warping so may cut out the whole frame wall.

 

 

More fun

 

 

Recently painted the front section of the frame and inner wheel well

 

 

Edited February 17 by GRJones

[datzenmike]

You still need the return line and tank vent line. That new supply fitting on the bottom is at risk of catching on something.

[GRJones]

Yeah that is one of my concerns. My pickup is plugged and I need a 3/8 outlet. I bought a shield wrap for the fuel line. Didn't want to weld a bung because I didn't want to damage the painted lining inside. Plan on running the vent up from the filler tube outlet

Edited February 17 by GRJones

[NC85ST]

The pickup tube is blocked? I ran into this problem years ago on a 521. I used a coat hanger or a really stiff wire and kept jamming it in the pickup until it went all the way through. That cleared the line and I never had another problem with it. Just a thought.