Charlie69's 66 520 Build

[Pacific coast Datsun]

"Cough" ...walkthrough on the 720...! Haha

[Charlie69]

Z chopper good idea.  I am looking into the 411 wagon as the door detail is much closer to the 520 door detail. Sorry I had to steal images from other posts as PB will not let me copy img.

 

 

 

[Charlie69]

With Darla I would need to buy Steroid's 720 motor home.  A shell would not allow her to stand up!

[Charlie69]

You are correct MIke, any direction!

[wayno]

You know it would be easier to turn a 411 wagon into a U411, than it would be to turn a 520/521 into a crew cab.

[Charlie69]

I  agree Wayno.  Just kickin ideas around at this point.

[wayno]

It was just an observation, a few folks have done that to a 510 wagon, I just don't remember where the photos are of it anymore, one was in Mexico.

[Charlie69]

I think Mark hit it on the head I am going to keep the cab stock until I find another 65 or 66 to work with.  I prefer the single headlights.

[wayno]

To bad there isn't an easy way to stretch the frontend to have the engine compartment room of a 521, but have the 520 single headlight front.

This is why I prefer the 521, more room in the engine bay.

[Charlie69]

LOL!  I am working on that.  Picked up a set of 67 520 fenders.  Have a 521 cab.  Just need a 65/66 radiator support, headlight buckets, grill, and hood.  As soon as I gather all the parts stretching will begin.

[Z chopper]

I was thinking the same Charlie69 grafting the the front section of 520 fenders onto the rear section of 521 fenders. Sounds simpler than it really is I am sure.

[wayno]

The only successful frontend stretch I have seen was done behind the front fender wells(between door and fender well), it was done to a 1968 521, the reason was that a V8 was installed in it, it was used to tow/haul a roadster racecar around.

The fenders/inner fenders/hood/frame were stretched in what I recall was one weekend.

I am sure I have a 35mm photo/negative of it somewhere, he is also the owner of this car below.

 

Sadly this car was rubbed really hard in a store parking lot, it was original paint, now it has a primed area. :(

[Charlie69]

That is a beautiful Datsun I would love to see pictures of the stretched 521.

[Charlie69]

I plan to cut the 521 fenders as far forward of the wheel well opening as I can.  The 520 fender will be as close to the front of the wheel opening as I can.

 

 

 

[wayno]

Your going to have to cut at an angle, or have a "Z" in it.

How are you going to deal with the hood, it has totally different lines, I would use 2 520 hoods myself if they measure out the same size as the 521 hood.

[Charlie69]

I am thinking of stretching the hood in front of the where the hood hinges bolt on.  I will use a 521 Cab and inner fender wells  I might have to cut and seam the inner fender wells of the 520 to the 521 to get the correct profile for the hood.   I plan on having a complete 520 cab to work with.  If you take a 520 fender a stand it up on the door end on your drive way and stand a 521 next to it you will see that the 521 is taller and from the door edge to the front edge of the wheel well measure the same.. the 521 fender gets its extra length from the front edge of the wheel well forward.  This is why I believe I can stretch the front end of the 520 to match the length of the 521.  I might find when I start to stretch the fenders I might have to Z cut them.  The hood will be a challenge of it own.  I want to use the late model 521  radiator support that allows the radiator to sit father forward.  This will mean I have to relocate the Hood latch section in the hood.

[wayno]

Why do you want to do this frontend stretch, you have already done everything to fit the L block into your ride, the cab is modified already.

Is this another project, the crew cab?

[Charlie69]

If I live long enough there will always be another project Wayno.   A 520 crew cab dually. You of all people should understand that!  LOL

[Bronzit]

I'm intrigued to see this. 

[ol' 320]

Charlie:

 

I thought that a 521 had slightly longer doors than a 520. If as someone said, the roof is higher in a 521, and if the doors are longer (i.e. bigger interior cab space, then it might make sense to with cabs to a 521 cab and the graft on the 520 rad support for single headlights, etc. Charlie, you look pretty tall and I just wonder if this would give you more comfort. I know this is probably all academic, as your brother will probably execute you if you ask him to splice that modified firewall and make other mods on the new cab ….

 

Daria should come visit and help me modify the behavior of my two micro weenie dogs. They are sweet but stubbornly obstinate and rarely behave. At least one drinks beer. They both did fit nicely in the 320, though.

 

Happy New Year, Charlie. Perhaps I'll finally get to meet you before the end of 2015. 

[wayno]

The 520 and 521 cabs themselves are the same Eric, they even use the same windshield, the only difference is the front core support area, fenders and hood.

The kingcab 521 I drove to your house was a 1969 521 cab with a 1966 520 rear cab welded to the back of it, they are the same, same doors except that the early 520 lock mechanism is in a slightly different place, that is the only reason the doors will not interchange. 

But the 520 engine compartment has less space, I believe that is why Charlie wants to extend the front of his second 66 520 build(his truck of choice), the L20b can be fit in there, but it is very tight, while the 521 engine compartment is roomy compared to the 520.

[ol' 320]

Well, I knew you would know. Charlie, I will say this…. After riding in Wayno's deluxe truck, I now have a new definition of s p a c i o u s legroom.

 

Chariie, I hope I live long enough to see your truck on the road. After following along on your build thread for years, I have to say one of the saddest things I heard this year is that you had misplaced that hand build wiring harness you made out of a rats nest of donor strands into your new custom harness. Did you ever find that thing? I hope you did find it. I remember watching the process your followed to build it, including the huge wall sized wiring guide you made for this thing.

 

Between that and the lousy son of a g** who started to paint this, and then reading about him literally rotting away and dying in the middle of your project, you need closure this coming year!

 

Please keep working on this and start posting more pics! 

[Charlie69]

Thank you Wayno and ol' 320 for all the kind words. 

 

I have not given up on my 520. 

 

I have been unemployed all of 2014 and took advantage of being off work to get some medical out of the way.  I hope to get some more medical done in the first  quarter of 2015.

 

After the medical is done I will probably go back to Northern Nevada to work and live a few more years.  The economy here in the Phoenix Metro area is bad still. 

 

I have been gathering part s for the 520 crew cab dually.  The problem I have where I live in Tolleson is the HOA is on me like stink on shit if I park in the street.  I have been cited 5 times in 12 years for it.  But I refuse to pay the fines as long as the neighborhood looks as bad as it does. 

 

Ol' 320 I hope to meet you soon.  I think I found my wiring harness for the 520, but I am not positive.  I am doing my best to make it to Canby in 2015.  I will need to drive my new 521 home after I win it!  LOL

 

Happy New Years gentlemen and may 2015 be blessed with good times.

[Charlie69]

I'm intrigued to see this. 

 Welcome to Ratsun Bronzit.  When I actually start the 520 crew cab dually build it will be in a new project thread.  I can hoard parts for the dually build but I do not want to start it until I get this build done.

[wayno]

At least you have some self control, I brought home another one, but this one should be a fast build, once I get the titles, I hope to have it on the road inside a month.

 Welcome to Ratsun Bronzit.  When I actually start the 520 crew cab dually build it will be in a new project thread.  I can hoard parts for the dually build but I do not want to start it until I get this build done.