I figured it was time for it's own thread (outside the carb recommendation one I started a couple of years ago), so here it is......my 1970 Datsun 1600 roadster with a Ford 289! It still needs a lot of work, but it does run & drive now. Unfortunately the rear main seal is leaking badly, so I won't be doing much driving anytime soon. It also needs brake & suspension work too, plus the seats and steering wheel are hideous, so plenty to do this winter. I plan on having it fully functioning by spring 2016. I'll also be restoring my Austin-Healey Sprite this winter, so depending on what happens the Datsun may not get done until the summer.
Here are some pictures and a couple of crappy videos. I don't have a way to mount my camera, so I tried holding it.....eventually I just laid it on the passenger seat. You can't see anything, but you can hear how wonderful it sounds while accelerating!
Here you go:
[This message has been edited by mrfiero (edited 10-02-2015).]
All those wonderful automotive toys, a beautiful storage facility... and a $5 camera.
The car sounds fantastic!
Oh, and you need to learn to post YouTube videos! Get rid of the URL.
It *was* a nice camera at one time, but it's 10 years old and parts are literally starting to fall off it. I've been procrastinating about getting a new one, but since it technically still works I just haven't brought myself to spend the $$. I tend to hold onto things until they just quit working altogether. Heck....I still rock a flip phone!
For some reason I can't seem to embed the youtube video. I have tried in vain to delete the URL, but nothing happens. I spent the past hour trying to figure that out and just gave up.
I love the sound too.....I can't wait to get it road legal!
It *was* a nice camera at one time, but it's 10 years old and parts are literally starting to fall off it. I've been procrastinating about getting a new one, but since it technically still works I just haven't brought myself to spend the $$. I tend to hold onto things until they just quit working altogether.
Will you please just step on that thing and put it out of its misery! No one's more frugal than me, but Craigslist and/or eBay are full of cameras for $20 or even less that'll shoot 1080p HD video.
quote
Originally posted by mrfiero:
For some reason I can't seem to embed the youtube video. I have tried in vain to delete the URL, but nothing happens. I spent the past hour trying to figure that out and just gave up.
Oh for heaven's sake, do I have to do everything?
< YouTube videos deleted from here now that they've been posted properly above. >
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 10-02-2015).]
Good grief! It seriously would not let me embed the stupid links. Crazy. Thanks for the help on that Patrick and I promise to look at some cameras this weekend.....can't promise I'll buy anything, but I'll look.
Very nice car and cars you have there. Nice building also. When Patrick sets you up with a new camera please do a walk thru and show off the whole fleet.
Very nice car and cars you have there. Nice building also. When Patrick sets you up with a new camera please do a walk thru and show off the whole fleet.
Thanks! I will be getting a new camera, but my old one still works, so I'll shoot a quick video of my cars today. I'm splitting the building with a friend of mine, so many of the cars in there are his.....I only have 5 myself, but I have my eye on a few other interesting projects so that may change.
[This message has been edited by mrfiero (edited 10-03-2015).]
Show off your inner 70's and take off the sheep skins.
I did just that yesterday. Partly because they look bad and partly because I found 3 dead mice who had been using some of the fluff from the sheepskins as a nest under the passenger seat. The seats themselves aren't really that bad looking, but someone, for some reason decided to build their own headrests and bolted them on to the backs of the seats. I'll have to take some pictures of them tomorrow.
Here are some pictures of the seats with the homemade headrests (they weigh a TON!). I am not sure if these are the original seats or not, but aside from the holes for the headrest and the blue color they are in nice shape. I will be getting them reupholstered in black vinyl or leather though, so none of this matters much.
I have to admit, those were pretty hideous head-rests. Glad to see the restectomy was successful.
They were the ugliest things I've seen on a car in a long time and they will never go back on the car! Even the stock ones aren't very flattering, so I'm leaving headrests off altogether. I will be recovering the seats later this winter....it'll make the interior so much better looking. I plan on removing the roll bar too. I have never like the looks of a roll bar on any convertible...they just ruin the lines of the car.
Here's a minor update:
I have no pics, but I put the car up on jackstands today to do some suspension work. The shocks are shot, so I'll be replacing them with some KYB's. I will also be installing new poly boots for the upper & lower ball joints....the original rubber boots have turned into a weird sticky mess. While I'm in there I'll check & bleed the brakes and make sure the calipers aren't seized. The car is pretty hard to stop, so something isn't right.
I'll try to get some pictures this weekend of what I'm doing. I always forget to take pics when I get busy working.
I plan on removing the roll bar too. I have never like the looks of a roll bar on any convertible...they just ruin the lines of the car.
Mike, the roll bar isn't there for looks! Do you really think it's a wise idea to remove this safety feature from a little convertible with a relatively big engine? Seriously man, I'd hate to see you get hurt if you roll the car!
Mike, the roll bar isn't there for looks! Do you really think it's a wise idea to remove this safety feature from a little convertible with a relatively big engine? Seriously man, I'd hate to see you get hurt if you roll the car!
I hear you....but this thing has such a low center of gravity I doubt I'll roll it. For the time being the rollbar is staying put. I may wind up installing a different one....one that looks better. I have some ideas about it, but it's not a pressing issue right now.
I tinkered with the brakes today....it seems the calipers are good, so I need to look at the pads. There aren't a lot of options out there, but there is someone making a performance pad so I'll probably get a set to see if it has more bite. If not then I'll have to look into a brake swap.
How much vacuum do you have? My car is sometimes hard to stop depending on where my RPMs are due to the cam I have installed. Slowing down I always down shift and keep the RPMs above 1500 so I have enough vacuum for the booster. Its usually not an issue unless I have to pump the brakes.
How much vacuum do you have? My car is sometimes hard to stop depending on where my RPMs are due to the cam I have installed. Slowing down I always down shift and keep the RPMs above 1500 so I have enough vacuum for the booster. Its usually not an issue unless I have to pump the brakes.
I have no idea on the vacuum.....I'll need to check that out.
I forgot an important piece of info, one that affects the brakes......there is no booster. My Bugeye Sprite originally had no booster either, but the previous owner installed a remote one.....I'm looking at the same kit to put into the Datsun. There is absolutely no room under the hood, so it'll have to figure out how & where to install it (probably the trunk).
Originally posted by mrfiero: I have no idea on the vacuum.....I'll need to check that out.
I forgot an important piece of info, one that affects the brakes......there is no booster. My Bugeye Sprite originally had no booster either, but the previous owner installed a remote one.....I'm looking at the same kit to put into the Datsun. There is absolutely no room under the hood, so it'll have to figure out how & where to install it (probably the trunk).
Well no booster will make it harder to stop haven't drove a car without one in 30 years
I'd love to get one of these older smaller cars like these but I don't think I'd fit to well in one . I might have to go check a few out around here just to be sure though. Still it's fun seeing them here!
I'd love to get one of these older smaller cars like these but I don't think I'd fit to well in one . I might have to go check a few out around here just to be sure though. Still it's fun seeing them here!
I don't know how big you are, but you'd be surprised at how much room there is on these small cars. The Datsun Roadster or an MGB or Triumph TR6, etc. are "big" small cars and you can modify the seat rails to get more room if you have long legs. You should check out a few and see if you fit!
Now for a minor update:
I ordered new KYB shocks and finally got them today. What a PITA! The front shock are stock Roadster parts and went in fairly easily. The lower spring perch bolts onto the lower control arm and I had to unbolt it to get the old shock out. Getting it back in was a little frustrating, but I finally got it in on the passenger side. I have to wait on the drivers side because the previous owner buggered up the lower spring perch and I need to get a new one.
The rear shock are from a 1970 Datsun pick-up.....same design as the Roadster, but an inch longer. The problem I had was getting the new KYB's in place.....the rear axle was in the way and they are super stiff, so it was very hard to compress them enough to get them seated. I finally managed to get the passenger side on, but it was an ordeal. The drivers side will be even more fun......the exhaust system was routed right by the top bolt and I have to remove the exhaust to get the stupid thing out! The joys of working on a modified car.
I then decided to install the new poly ball joint boots I bought a year or so ago. I bought them because the original rubber boots had transformed into a sticky, gooey awful mess.....I could not tell what was old grease and what was the boot! The uppers went in easily enough, but the when I popped the lower ball joints out of the knuckle I discovered that they were completely worn out. Lucky me Nissan hasn't sold these things in ages and no parts store carries them either. They do exist on eBay, but they're $128 apiece.
I have some pictures and I will add them later tonight. Right now it's time to eat and relax.
**edited to change the price of the new ball joints from $140 to $128....with shipping they're actually $133 each, so I was close.**
[This message has been edited by mrfiero (edited 10-17-2015).]
Two questions - Has that knuckle been repaired/welded, or has it perhaps just been ground a bit for clearance?
And that worn out ball joint... did you feel any play in the suspension while driving and/or while you tried to move the wheel (with your hands) with the wheel raised off the ground?
Two questions - Has that knuckle been repaired/welded, or has it perhaps just been ground a bit for clearance?
And that worn out ball joint... did you feel any play in the suspension while driving and/or while you tried to move the wheel (with your hands) with the wheel raised off the ground?
The pics aren't loading for me, so I'm not sure what specifically you're talking about. I looked at the pics I have stored in my computer and I think the area you are referring to is just where I whacked it with a hammer to unseat the taper of the ball joint. the knuckle is not cracked or welded.
I have only driven the car a few miles and the alignment is off and it generally did not drive well. I do not remember checking for play before taking the wheel off, but I've seen loose ball joints like this before and it's better to just replace them. To me it's money well spent.
I also discovered that the lower control arm "bushings" are worn out/loose. They aren't bushings, per se, as they actually thread onto the end of the shaft that mounts to the chassis but they are loose. This is the same control arm that had the damaged then repaired lower spring perch so I think something may have happened to that side early in this cars life. I'm buying a good used control arm and will just replace the whole thing.
I also managed to get the drivers side rear shock installed without having to deal with the exhaust system. It wasn't a PITA like I thought it would be.
This car originally did not come with a rack & pinion steering system.....when the big engine went it, the old set-up would not fit so a power Pinto/Mustang II rack went in. It leaks and is generally worthless and I think a nice manual rack would make more sense so I planned on swapping things over. After looking at how the power rack is installed it looks like it is impossible to remove! I think they installed the rack then installed the engine.....I may have to remove the engine to get the thing out again. Even then I'm not sure it will come out willingly.....the crossmember was cut & modified to get it to fit and new plates were welded in place to strengthen it back up.....this plate might have to be cut out again to get the power rack out and the manual one back in. I may have to live with the power rack for awhile.
I have only driven the car a few miles and the alignment is off and it generally did not drive well. I do not remember checking for play before taking the wheel off, but I've seen loose ball joints like this before and it's better to just replace them. To me it's money well spent.
I certainly wasn't suggesting you not replace the ball joint to save a buck ... I was just curious how obvious the wear was before you disassembled everything.
quote
Originally posted by mrfiero:
The pics aren't loading for me, so I'm not sure what specifically you're talking about. I looked at the pics I have stored in my computer and I think the area you are referring to is just where I whacked it with a hammer to unseat the taper of the ball joint. the knuckle is not cracked or welded.
The image of yours that I re-posted shows what almost looks like a welding "bead". The resolution of the image isn't good enough to tell if it's indeed a "bead" or if it's metal that's maybe been ground away. Hopefully you can see the image in my post if you clean your browser's cache. I can also see a bash from a hammer in the same image, but this other extended mark looks different.
[EDIT] I cropped and enlarged the area I'm referring to. Are you saying that's all hammer marks?
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 10-18-2015).]
I certainly wasn't suggesting you not replace the ball joint to save a buck ... I was just curious how obvious the wear was before you disassembled everything.
Sorry.....I misread what you wrote. The car didn't drive very well when I did drive it. The steering wheel was cocked to one side and the power steering screams a bit when you turn, etc. With so much out of whack I couldn't say what was worn out just by the short drive I took. As it turns out, all 4 shocks, the lower ball joints & lower control arm bushings were all worn out and sloppy. I think the steering rack is probably not 100% either. There's some play in the inner tie rods. I'm just not sure if I can replace them or not. I know removing the rack is a no go for now.
quote
Originally posted by Patrick:
The image of yours that I re-posted shows what almost looks like a welding "bead". The resolution of the image isn't good enough to tell if it's indeed a "bead" or if it's metal that's maybe been ground away. Hopefully you can see the image in my post if you clean your browser's cache. I can also see a bash from a hammer in the same image, but this other extended mark look's different.
[EDIT] I cropped and enlarged the area I'm referring to. Are you saying that's all hammer marks?
Hmmm......I'm going to have to look at that one in person. I think what we're seeing is due to lighting and the angle of the picture, but it does look odd. I'll check it out in a few and will let you know what I find out.
I just went out and looked at the knuckle....believe it or not, the area in question is just where I whacked it with a hammer.
I tried taking a picture, but my camera wasn't behaving. I never received that Kodak camera from the guy on eBay......it seems he fell off the face of the earth. I'm looking at buying another one though.....my old camera is getting worse every time I use it. Now it doesn't let it focus before the shutter snaps.
I never received that Kodak camera from the guy on eBay......it seems he fell off the face of the earth. I'm looking at buying another one though.....
I didn't realize that you had bid on one at eBay. So did you actually pay for a camera that you never received?
I might add that the Kodak model I suggested you buy was more for shooting video. IMO, a camera used for still images absolutely needs a built in flash (unless you take every picture outside in glorious sunshine).
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 10-18-2015).]
I didn't realize that you had bid on one at eBay. So did you actually pay for a camera that you never received?
I might add that the Kodak model I suggested you buy was more for shooting video. IMO, a camera used for still images absolutely needs a built in flash (unless you take every picture outside in glorious sunshine).
Yep....I bid on and won one of those Kodaks on Oct 3rd. It was supposed to arrive last Saturday, but nothing. I've e-mailed him but haven't heard anything back. I escalated things with eBay, but the most I will get is my money back. Kind of stinks.....I paid less than $30 shipped for it.
I didn't realize it didn't have a flash....I read that it takes stills and just figured it was set-up for that. I'll still get one so I can shoot videos though.....I can go buy a new still camera tomorrow.
Originally posted by mrfiero: Well, he did put a 260 into a Sunbeam Alpine to create the Tiger. I look at the Tiger as a poor mans Cobra and my Datsun is a poor mans Tiger.
I loved the Ford powered Sunbeam Tigers. Nasty little beasts.
Too bad they faded into obscurity. If I recall the story, Chrysler bought Sunbeam, and someone said, "No damned way we are putting a Ford engine in our Chrysler car" and ended the project. Chrysler engines were a bit too wide to fit inside the engine bay without some serious re-engineering, so it was the end of the line.
Love the sound of the 1600 with a 289. Made the sub woofer on my 2.1 computer speakers growl.
I loved the Ford powered Sunbeam Tigers. Nasty little beasts.
Too bad they faded into obscurity. If I recall the story, Chrysler bought Sunbeam, and someone said, "No damned way we are putting a Ford engine in our Chrysler car" and ended the project. Chrysler engines were a bit too wide to fit inside the engine bay without some serious re-engineering, so it was the end of the line.
Love the sound of the 1600 with a 289. Made the sub woofer on my 2.1 computer speakers growl.
I've always loved the Tiger too.....I've just never been able to afford one.
The sound of my Datsun is intoxicating. It doesn't have anything special for an exhaust.....it is a true dual, but just a homemade job with no-name turbo mufflers. When I get the suspension back together and my new video camera I'll make some new videos. We'll give that woofer a workout!
I got the new lower ball joints in the mail yesterday (very fast shipping!). I bought some new hardened bolts to install them since what was on the old ones were cheap crap. I got the passenger front all buttoned up, so as soon as I find a drivers side lower control arm I can get it back on the ground and take it for a spin. I'll be on the road again next week and won't be back for 3 weeks, so that won't happen until mid-November at the earliest.
Even though I want to replace the steering rack, it'll have to wait until a later date.
No one's more frugal than me, but Craigslist and/or eBay are full of cameras for $20 or even less that'll shoot 1080p HD video. 
. I might have to go check a few out around here just to be sure though. Still it's fun seeing them here! 
