Carl Handratty Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 Hey all, Welcome to my build thread. I just put $200 down on a $600 1971 Datsun 521. The Wisconsin plate on it says 1998. The motor is free, the glass is crack free, the doors close perfectly even with the roof damage from presumably a tree, zero through rust on the frame or truck bed. Floor pans at the crease to the firewall and the rockers have some holes. Hood is kinked. The grille was in the back of the pickup (whew!) The tail lights on the seat were a surprise to find after seeing the rears installed one smashed and the other missing. I bought new 15x8.5" wheels for it already to get it rolling onto the trailer. My plan is to get the OG motor running if it has compression otherwise KA swap it. I am planning on leaving the peeling red paint job and moss and lichen on there as long as possible 🙃 SWMPTHG plates might be ordered when titled 😁 Tell me what you see on this truck!!! I think the back window is aftermarket. I think the Carb is aftermaket (nikki?) I think it has a header on the exhaust manifold. The bench seat may or may not be original. The radio and glove box are missing as well at the ashtray lid. no key 🫣 Anyway, I know us goons like photos so. HERE YA GO. Also I tried for 20 mins to put photos on this thread so you didn't have to go to my google drive with the drop. If you can tell me how to get them on this thread I'll update it. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oGe9HMhNkflRWjw9VrEB5ge8Iv8jviiB?usp=sharing 2 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 (edited) I think the guy should have paid you to take it off his land. keep us posted wires cut, no fuse box??????? I guess your good with a FLUKE multimeter. I know 521s but this would be too much for me. Edited January 28 by banzai510(hainz) 1 Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted January 28 Author Report Share Posted January 28 10 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said: I think the guy should have paid you to take it off his land. keep us posted wires cut, no fuse box??????? I guess your good with a FLUKE multimeter. I know 521s but this would be too much for me. HAHA. Yeah, well he did have 3 people offer up on the tailgate for a garage decor and a couple more who said they'll pay if he got a title. I'm...more robust you might say haha. And this is why I posted every photo I could haha. I didn't notice the fuse box was cut. Will likely just pull it all and do a painless kit. I like wiring. I also have experience with classics I rebuilt entirely a 51 Chevy Fleetline (slantback), 52 pontiac chieftain hardtop, and I currently own a 54 chevy 210. So I know what i'm getting into more or less. 🤪 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 (edited) Man if you lived closer I would have just sold you mine for 3K and runs. OK $2500 Edited January 28 by banzai510(hainz) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 Looks like a 620 steering wheel, the other one on the floor is probably from a 610? Carburetor is cheap knock off and from a different Datsun. The '71 didn't have a BCDD or an idle cut solenoid. Yes fuse box is gone. Fuel pump is not original but the spare tire is! Bridgstone 6:00 x 14 and 6 ply rating. If all four were original your kidneys would bleed from the rough ride. 111800 or maybe even 211800 miles on it. After market slider rear window. Seat looks very original condition. 1 Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted January 28 Author Report Share Posted January 28 Just now, datzenmike said: Looks like a 620 steering wheel, the other one on the floor is probably from a 610? Carburetor is cheap knock off and from a different Datsun. The '71 didn't have a BCDD or an idle cut solenoid. Yes fuse box is gone. Fuel pump is not original but the spare tire is! Bridgstone 6:00 x 14 and 6 ply rating. If all four were original your kidneys would bleed from the rough ride. 111800 or maybe even 211800 miles on it. After market slider rear window. Seat looks very original condition. I knew you’d be on here eventually Mike! Thanks for the knowledge as always! Why the heck would they cut out the fuse panel?? Ughh. That’s gonna make things more interesting. Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted January 28 Author Report Share Posted January 28 18 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said: Man if you lived closer I would have just sold you mine for 3K and runs. OK $2500 Hey that mirror looks familiar is my driver side mirror an og datsun part then? Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 I dont know Its what I use. I dont think I have holes on the driver side. Back then they had the old big canopys Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 Side mirrors probably installed by dealer. Rear bumpers were probably installed by the import dealer to avoid the 'chicken tax' of '64. Through a loophole, technically the truck was not complete and finished building in the US. The US installed bumpers were hideous while the original ones were... Not exactly the same the 620s were similar. 1 Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted January 28 Author Report Share Posted January 28 7 minutes ago, datzenmike said: Rear bumpers were probably installed by the import dealer to avoid the 'chicken tax'? Yeah thats definitely coming off. Would love some bumperettes but not sure i can find or afford them. Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted January 29 Author Report Share Posted January 29 46 minutes ago, datzenmike said: Side mirrors probably installed by dealer. Rear bumpers were probably installed by the import dealer to avoid the 'chicken tax' of '64. Through a loophole, technically the truck was not complete and finished building in the US. The US installed bumpers were hideous while the original ones were... Not exactly the same the 620s were similar. Thoughts on the taillights sitting on the seat. Doesn't have the orange I noticed. Year change type of deal? Or model? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 29 Report Share Posted January 29 The ones on the seat are stock all red with clear (white) reverse lamps used on the PL521 from Oct. '69. The amber taillights are probably from other countries (Europe) where they are used, might even have been 3D printed. My Canadian '68 510 had amber turn signals. Couldn't find my picture... 1 Quote Link to comment
Slow Loris Posted January 31 Report Share Posted January 31 On 1/28/2026 at 4:07 PM, banzai510(hainz) said: I would have just sold you mine Sidebar: umm hainz is your truck finally for sale??? Quote Link to comment
Slow Loris Posted January 31 Report Share Posted January 31 @Carl Handratty love the idea of moss and lichen as a paint job. Given the comparable top speeds of 521’s and large, shady boulders I don’t there’s a big risk of it falling off any time soon! 1 1 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted January 31 Report Share Posted January 31 Throw that 521 away Carl, just buy one of these be cheaper and cooler Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted February 1 Author Report Share Posted February 1 2 hours ago, banzai510(hainz) said: Throw that 521 away Carl, just buy one of these be cheaper and cooler That is a dope wagon. Haven't seen one available in the midwest. Problem is, what are they selling for? Wish I had more loot to drop on finished cars. Pay now or pay later type of deal for sure. $600 crusty 521 for hopes and dreams is more chewable than let’s say $7k for another seasonal car in Minnesota at the moment. Also building not buying is a must. The frame on that 521 is a lot better than the ‘96 T100 i’m driving right now so there’s hope. I have spent top dollar on my ‘54 chevy 210 so the point of this truck is to be patient with the parts acquisition and do all the work myself including rockers, glass n seals replacement, bodywork and paint. Things i wouldn't dare do for the first time to learn on my $35k chevy build. Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted February 1 Report Share Posted February 1 (edited) Im just here to help you save some money. To me a 521 is a $1500 rig and always will be. that is general good condition,driving. 3 yrs ago a I got a 91 and a 92 toyota 2wd pickups one 700$(267K miles) and one $1500(77k miles) 3 times better rigs and more reliable. no rust!!!!!!!!!! 521 is 3 times cooler!!!!!!!! my 510 is 5 times COOLer Edited February 1 by banzai510(hainz) Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted February 2 Author Report Share Posted February 2 On 2/1/2026 at 3:38 PM, banzai510(hainz) said: Im just here to help you save some money. To me a 521 is a $1500 rig and always will be. that is general good condition,driving. 3 yrs ago a I got a 91 and a 92 toyota 2wd pickups one 700$(267K miles) and one $1500(77k miles) 3 times better rigs and more reliable. no rust!!!!!!!!!! 521 is 3 times cooler!!!!!!!! my 510 is 5 times COOLer Hell yay brother I respect that. and youre right Toyota>Datsun for just about everything but cool factor. I’m seeing running Toyota mini trucks running 3ish grand about and Datsuns are all over the place in price. Even on the classifieds here. Some people charging 10k+. For me the price was right to get it home, figure it out later. But yeah man ill sure be paying for everything I touch in there. Maybe you’re right though, I get back from the crime scene and see it in a new light in the driveway and may go a different direction. Your pickup $2500…sounds good about now haha. 😆 love that 510. If I’m going small car id probably fulfill my dreams of a bmw 2002 or better yet 700 model. scheduled for Thursday to get this pickup home. Will post more about it then. Taking my backpack blower with to give it its first cleaning before it leaves the farm 😂 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted February 4 Report Share Posted February 4 (edited) the 3 cars I wanted in high school grade. German Capri 1&2 70-77 a BMW 2002/320i 77-79 Datsun 510. 68-72 Edited February 4 by banzai510(hainz) Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted February 15 Report Share Posted February 15 this thread is going farther down the list!!!!!!!! update. I think I know where its going Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 16 Report Share Posted February 16 On 2/2/2026 at 3:22 PM, Carl Handratty said: scheduled for Thursday to get this pickup home. Will post more about it then. Taking my backpack blower with to give it its first cleaning before it leaves the farm 😂 Well that's 10 days ago. Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted February 16 Author Report Share Posted February 16 Oh, I’ve got the truck back, took it apart and power washed it. I’ve just been deterred from getting posts up because I need to make an imgur accnt or whatever to add photos on here. Not used to that style of uploading compared to other forums. I’ll get pics up hopefully tomorrow. the Mosstun looks so much better after a couple hour bath 😆 Also, really considering using the original powerplant to get it back on the road even after 30 hours or research on 13b, ka24, sr and rb swaps. But I know a lot more about those engines now. Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted February 18 Author Report Share Posted February 18 Alright, I had to upload my iPhone HEIC pics to Google Drive, DL them, Upload those to a HEIC to JPEG site, DL them again as JPEG, Upload them to IMGUR then paste the link here. Am I missing something? What a PITA. Truck moving after 38 years parked. Only the back passenger tire was free. Once we got it home we banged on the drums until they came off but not without a lot of rage. Here it is after a painful trailering experience with 3 wheels locked up. Would have been impossible without the skid loader and forks. Some decades to remove. Finally scooped this out today. Was all a frozen ice block for the last two weeks but its been in the 40s here in MN the last 5 days. I think I'm going to keep the 1.6L or look for a 2.0L while I get the body ready. I had all these plans to replace it with a 2.4L but I kind of like the option of keeping it semi original. Driver floors need replacement. Driver door is likely a replacement. The inside is reddish orange unlike the rest of the green truck. power washed the truck, was hoping more red paint would be blown off. Power washed all of the grime off. cold compression numbers just turning it over. Haven't started the engine yet cuz the carb is thrashed and the plug wires are trash and broken. Not to mention my wiring harness is cut out. Cylinder 4 was super jumpy. Sometimes 20psi then the next time 40psi and so on. Either way, not super valuable numbers because the engines not warmed but there IS compression so that's hopeful. I'm going to rebuild it anyway. C2-3 I put oil in after the original test and they said more or less the same. C1 went from 0 to 20-25 PSI after a squirt of oil so that's better than stuck. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 18 Report Share Posted February 18 Better check the engine ID. It's right behind the dip stick handle. Might be an L18. The head is totally wrong for the L16 but they were used on the L18 and L20B. This would also explain the clutch fan as no 521 came with one and the silver block paint. Those are terrible compression numbers. Did you get it with the carburetor off? Rainwater may have gotten in over the years and rusted the valves and seats. Quote Link to comment
Carl Handratty Posted February 18 Author Report Share Posted February 18 1 minute ago, datzenmike said: Better check the engine ID. It's right behind the dip stick handle. Might be an L18. The head is totally wrong for the L16 but they were used on the L18 and L20B. This would also explain the clutch fan as no 521 came with one. Those are terrible compression numbers. Did you get it with the carburetor off? Rainwater may have gotten in over the years and rusted the valves and seats. The little tag says L16. Yeah compression is abso f'd. The carb was on it but was off for testing and the intake looks obstruction free from what I can see. All the plugs were out to allow easier turn over. Who knows why it was parked in the first place. Figured it would need the full treatment. Quote Link to comment
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