What did you do TO or FOR your Datsun today?(Roadsters only)

[RCMike]

Not my Datsun, but after the years of finding parts, and restoring parts, running all over for body shops and machine shops, platers, polishers, etc, it is finally time to start building a car. Number 233 begins..


Stopped by Kevin's house on Friday and found this..


Started putting parts together..






Still assembling, parts leaving the shelf, getting bolted on the car..




So today we got to about here..


Still need a couple critical parts, but they are supposed to be on the way, or ready for pick up, in the next few days..

[Mainer311]

So much yellow zinc! She's a beaut.

[spl310]

Looks nice, but a lot of that stuff should be clear zinc (silver) rather than yellow to be correct. It's going to be beautiful when it is done!

[bakerjf]

That red looks beautiful - what is it?

[Curtis]

I plan to put 67 1/2 year seats in my roadster and was a bad boy and promoted scrapping of roadsters by buying headrests from McBoulevard. I will make a copy of them probably in aluminum and then sell them off. I'm thinking I will make at least one set with the bend in them like someone did to Greg Burrows headrests so they actually do some good.

[RCMike]

That red looks beautiful - what is it?

This is just red. The owner of this car did not see it as a '67.5 2000.. It was just the little Datsun his dad drove. When he brought the car to Kevin, he wanted to build a hot rod. Kevin talked him out of the candy yellow paint, and into a reasonably stock build. That included going to the body shop and picking a red he liked.

More work done.

Heater box built..


Interior going in..


Brakes built..


Block going together..


Head on..


Coming together..


Manifolds on..


We had hoped to have this done earlier in the week, but when we opened a working transmission to reseal and inspect, we found some massively chipped teeth, a broken bell housing, and some other problems. So I got to watch a transmission rebuild..


Anyway, transmission rebuilt, hooked up to the engine, primed, and spun by the starter.. ready for install..

On the hook..


And landed..


Hood on..


Now this car is back to the time consuming piece of the build, waiting for some parts again. We knew that there were still some parts to come, so there was a backup plan for this weekend. Time to get some work done on a different car.. Let's get this one in the garage for the rest of the weekend..

[bakerjf]

Wow - incredible!

[Gregs672000]

Like a TV car show episode! Beautiful car, wonderful job.

[ted heaton]

Correct Gas cap alignment.
A member finishing up a restoration sent this picture of his cap for approval.
Perfect correct alignment.
3 Gold Stars.

Not so correct emblems.
My 68 turbo roadster.
Hey, its a modified conversion so certain liberties are accepted,(at least by the Turbo Teds).
Same with the 63-67 side trim. I like it.

Ted.

[vorpal]

I managed to get 5 LED replacement bulbs installed in my gauge clusters today.

Which doesn't sound like much, however:

- I'm in Canuckistan, current temp is 30 deg.
- I've replaced turbos and installed 5 speed transmissions in my several 300ZX cars, and they have not been anywhere as confined as the Datsun roadster dash
- I had to remove and re-solder 2 of the sockets for the bulbs that had the wires pop off as I was pulling them for bulb replacement.
- the 5 LED 9BAS LED bulb towers twisted in fine, except for the top of the tach, which wouldn't twist in regardless of how I oriented the bulb. Worked fine by itself or the stock incandescent, but wouldn't twist in with the longer bulb. Need to order shorter replacement.
- Got the clock bulb replaced (scars on my forearms to prove), but no joy on the combination gauge. Can see the bulb and get a long needle-nose on it, but can't twist it loose. This one's a puzzler, as I don't see how I can remove the sheet metal and inflexible harness blocking the way. Any ideas appreciated.

Regardless,

Tach illuminated
Speedo (half) iluminated
Turn signals illuminated
Clock (nasty!) illuminated
high beam indicator illuminated

So partial success...

Cheers,

[C.Costine]

I managed to get 5 LED replacement bulbs installed in my gauge clusters today.

Which doesn't sound like much, however:

- I'm in Canuckistan, current temp is 30 deg.
- I've replaced turbos and installed 5 speed transmissions in my several 300ZX cars, and they have not been anywhere as confined as the Datsun roadster dash
- I had to remove and re-solder 2 of the sockets for the bulbs that had the wires pop off as I was pulling them for bulb replacement.
- the 5 LED 9BAS LED bulb towers twisted in fine, except for the top of the tach, which wouldn't twist in regardless of how I oriented the bulb. Worked fine by itself or the stock incandescent, but wouldn't twist in with the longer bulb. Need to order shorter replacement.
- Got the clock bulb replaced (scars on my forearms to prove), but no joy on the combination gauge. Can see the bulb and get a long needle-nose on it, but can't twist it loose. This one's a puzzler, as I don't see how I can remove the sheet metal and inflexible harness blocking the way. Any ideas appreciated.

Regardless,

Tach illuminated
Speedo (half) iluminated
Turn signals illuminated
Clock (nasty!) illuminated
high beam indicator illuminated

So partial success...

Cheers,

Despite being in a rush to get it done or at least drive-able again by June, perhaps I should consider putting some in while my gauges are still out?

[Mainer311]

Despite being in a rush to get it done or at least drive-able again by June, perhaps I should consider putting some in while my gauges are still out?

YES! Unless you're a contortionist and love being upside-down with your arms twisted in a knot while crap falls in your face, all whilst holding a flashlight in your mouth while you feel around for said light bulbs in completely hidden obscure and impossible to get to places, then replace them while the dash is apart.

[spl310]

Despite being in a rush to get it done or at least drive-able again by June, perhaps I should consider putting some in while my gauges are still out?

YES! Unless you're a contortionist and love being upside-down with your arms twisted in a knot while crap falls in your face, all whilst holding a flashlight in your mouth while you feel around for said light bulbs in completely hidden obscure and impossible to get to places, then replace them while the dash is apart.

Killjoy

[Mainer311]

Killjoy

After that debacle, I missed 2...

[Curtis]

Killjoy

After that debacle, I missed 2...

With all this harness building I have become quite good at building new dash light harnesses. I changed the way they are put together so they are more durable. The stock harness is something like 20 gauge wire. I use 16 and/or 18 gauge wire and eliminated some of the splices. Uses a bit more wire but will cut down on the countless broken wires I see. Yes I know the wire gauge is a little bit of an overkill but I don't want harnesses breaking down the road.

I have a layout for most of them with measurements for each wire length and splice point. I also found a piece that can used to replace the plastic contact for the bulb if need be. You don't have to worry about getting too much heat on it and having it melt. The plastic ones are only good for 2 or 3 soldering tries.