NotA510 620 long bed

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NotA510
Posts: 4
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 17:05

NotA510 620 long bed

Post by NotA510 »

I'm building a 620, have had her for 3 years now. She's a 1976 long bed, 4 speed, L20. When I bought the truck, it needed everything, said 19,000 miles, was pretty clean, til I got into it.

Here's where I found it, in the state it was in..

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Picked it up for $5000 I think, had a friend drive it home, because I had a broken arm at the time.. I didn't really know much about it, other than it was sweet, but ugly, worked okay. Few weeks went by, felt more comfortable driving it, so I took it out. Brakes didn't work, needed two rear wheel cylinders. At this point, I had only dealt with BMWs ( E30,36,46) so I was unaware of Rockauto having most parts.

Anyways, few more weeks went by, still unable to really work on my cars, so I had some friends do the brakes for me, went well. Then I ordered some 3" blocks for the rear, gathered some info, and a friend and I installed the blocks, and reindexed the torsions. Stock shitty shocks still.

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I also took off the heinous bed cover, camper hooks, rear crash bumper, front bumperettes.. pretty much everything I hated. So, tires sucked, they were original. So I picked up some Chev Rally wheels, my friend Mike Kohloff powder coated them black, picked up some of the cheapest tires available and sent it.

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Looked shitty at this point.. I left it, installed some gas adjust shocks, rode better, and I think I lowered the front more. Then winter happened...

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I was doing an engine build/restomod on my E30 at the time, so I spent all my time on the E30 for a while.

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Come spring, I moved the truck to my parents garage, to make room for my other cars at my place

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At some point I came across Mike Klotz (Bluehandsfab).. Great guy, great ideas.. I purchased a Nissan hard body ball joint conversion from him, which included upper and lower control arm, as well as inner and outer tie rods, with coupling. Very nice product. I had it all powder coated, again by Mike Kohloff. Purchased Belltech drop spindles, some new calipers, rotors, pads, lines etc.. installed everything, along with a 15/16 zx master. Worked well, had it aligned etc..

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I cut off the droop bump stops, and tig welded on some plates, which I dimpled with my dimple die set from TMR customs.

The truck had an oil cooler installed when I got it, the original owner had a factory drop in camper which he drove to Vancouver occasionally. It was installed poorly, probably in the dark at midnight with a blindfold on... no pictures tho. So I bought a new cooler, some -an lines, fittings, bent up a bracket, dimpled it.

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So, I drove it for a bit, and it sucked, leaked oil, back fired, but I loved it. I pulled the carpet when I got it, and there was some rust scale on the pass side floor panel. Removed it all, but I didn't coat it back, made some mats from rubber. No pics of that. Everything in there is original and mint.

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I installed this Nardi wheel, I got from someone from Vancouver, came from a Stagea.

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So some time went on, I guess a year ish.. wrapped up my E30. Here's some pictures.

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So fast forward to now..ish.. summer 2018, I picked up some new wheels from Love20bee on instagram.

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and I left it be for a while, til fall.

I decide I am done with the leaking of oil, back firing, horrible ride, etc..

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I guess I was also sick of the rust I kept finding, so I gutted the interior.. Big rust spot on the firewall... Sweet.

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Oh and I was sick of the sunroof... and the rusted out battery tray.

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A friend of a friend replaced the roof skin for me, replaced the battery tray metal, and fixed up the firewall. Did an OK job, kind of a d bag.

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I removed all the rust scale from my rain cowl... disaster, then POR15'd it, then seam sealed it.. Kinda see it here..

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Now it's all primed up, ready to paint and looks nice.

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That last picture is now. I have a bunch of other details to post.. engine, new suspension, brakes, stuff I've restored. Next post, kinda out of order.
Last edited by NotA510 on 03 Feb 2019 15:11, edited 1 time in total.
NotA510
Posts: 4
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 17:05

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by NotA510 »

I thought back and fourth between running a modern engine ( SR, Beams ), and I kind of still want to, but I ended up using the L20 and open chamber u67. A local shop in Calgary did the machine work on the engine.

We cleaned everything up, resurfaced the head and block, bored the block to 86mm.. ran 86mm flat top ZX pistons, resized the rods for ARP fastners. Rotating assembly was balanced, new valve grind, installed ISKY springs and retainers... I will be running a Steve Bonk .535 lift cam

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I haven't reassembled yet, I am just waiting to finish up paint, so I can have a nice clean work space moving forward.

I've recently picked up a set of Weber DCOE45s from a person on FB marketplace.. Came with a new Cannon manifold. I also have a older swan neck Cannon manifold, unsure what I will need to run to clear my brake setup.. read on..

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Valve cover, done by Mike Kohloff, wrinkle black. Oil cap from Number 7 which I got from Lonely Driver.

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My friend Jim Karst recently visited Ermish Racing and picked up a Nissan Comp style header for me, I don't know how well it will fit, but I am not running torsions, and I can just modify it at home.

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I am running a 280ZX transmission, with a Fidanza flywheel, Exedy clutch, etc etc.. no pictures doe..

For my suspension, I will be doing a 3 or 4 link in the rear, but not this year... So I won't talk about that.. But for the front, I will be running the Mike Klotz suspension members, with Beebani upper shock mounts and Qa1 coil overs.. No progress on that.. Will address soon.

Brakes... Z32 26mm calipers, Beebani rotors with adapters.. Izusu rear disc conversion.. Also Beebani.. Yet to come..

Mike Kohloff did the powder coating on the calipers.. Came out awesome.. I rebuilt them.

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Interior, nothing fancy... Undecided whether to use my OEM bench seat, or run my 914 seats. I raptor lined the floor and firewall, looks sweet.

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I think that's it for now.. I will update as I move forward.
Last edited by NotA510 on 03 Feb 2019 15:15, edited 1 time in total.
datzenmike
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Posts: 6080
Joined: 24 May 2006 12:40
Location: Van. Isle.

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by datzenmike »

Pictures are not showing on the first post here also.
"Nissan 'shit the bed' when they made these, plain and simple." McShagger510 on flattop SUs
NotA510
Posts: 4
Joined: 02 Feb 2019 17:05

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by NotA510 »

does it work now
greenthumb
Posts: 261
Joined: 19 May 2013 20:57
Location: Langley, BC

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by greenthumb »

Yep. For me at least.
Nice job on the truck! Love trucks...
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defdes
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Posts: 5050
Joined: 12 May 2005 14:45
Location: Vermont

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by defdes »

Great looking, beautiful project....I like that you reclaimed your roof, good move.
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Byron510
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Posts: 12658
Joined: 01 Jul 2003 23:06
Location: Maple Ridge, BC

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by Byron510 »

Nice project - welcome to the Realm.
You're lucky to have the factory tach... petty tough to find one of those.
Glad you kept the L20B.. good move, keep it classy. You have the hot rod E30 (past owner of an 87 E30is - loved every minute of it for 13 years).
I too had a long box - it was a 78, dually - built in the 90's. Miss that truck, but you just can't keep 'em all! And I'm afraid I don't have many decent photos of it (times before digital).
Anyways, keep us posted on your project.

Byron
Love people and use things,
because the opposite never works.
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Edm620
Posts: 137
Joined: 06 Dec 2017 20:44
Location: Edmonton

Re: NotA510 620 long bed

Post by Edm620 »

Your truck looks like it was in excellent condition when you picked it up. Got any updates to share?
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there"
Ugandan Proverb

76 620 Full custom/resto-mod
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