Datsunrides

Hey all, car didn't sell at auction but made a deal after the fact and it was sold for what I was looking to get. The kicker is the car is on it's way back to its home, Japan. One less coupe in the states now. I delivered the car to the buyer in Sacramento CA (6 hour drive) and he drove it the rest of the way to Los Angeles. Definitely no trailer queen here, and with the original 1400 wet sleeve engine no less. Going to miss her but it's on to the next project.

When you are dealing with almost non existent cars, you gotta do what you gotta do to get what you need. I was set to drive from CA to OK to get a rusty GL coupe parts car that had a couple parts I needed and the seller wouldn't ship even if I was willing to pay. Got to AZ then had to head home due to a bad ice storm in OK. Ended up having to pay a guy to trailer it out to me.

Nope, Datsun 1200.

I will have to work on posting the pics. Too many MB to directly attach. The roadster valve is 5/8" x 5/8". That and have you priced roadster stuff lately? (have one of those in the garage also)

So, after around 4 years of doing nothing but home improvements projects to the old and new houses, I finally got around to doing a needed project on the old girl. At the time I put her back together, there was a coolant leak coming from the heater somewhere. Since it was close to the JCCS show and I didn’t want to deal with it right then, I just bypassed the heater. Fast forward to now and I got some time to address the issue. Doing some testing confirmed I had both a leaking heater valve and heater core! So out came the box and I first wanted to check the heater core. After getting it out and testing in a bucket of water while filled with air it turned out to be a small crack in one of the side tanks. A little heat and solder fixed that. The bigger problem is the valve. I know these are at this point basically non existent. I did have a spare heater box but of course that valve was also leaky. There are universal valves out there, but they are either cable operated or vacuum operated but the main thing was they all seem to be 5/8” connections where this car has 1/2” hoses. I know you can adapt the hose but I wanted to see if I could find a cleaner solution that would be as close to bolt on as possible, short of finding a NOS piece. Turns out the solution for me was in the garage next to the Subaru. A Datsun 1200 heater valve. While not a bolt on, it does have the correct 1/2” inlet / 5/8” outlet in a 90* configuration. Best thing is they are still readily available. Ordered a new one and swiped the one on the car to modify for the Subie. Here are the pics of what is involved in making it work in the stock location. Basically welded the 1200 valve to the Subie bracket.

Here are the hubs. Sending you a PM.

I have no idea if Loyale stuff interchanges. Give me a bit to dig them up and look at them and get a shipping quote. What is the zip?

If the hubs are the same as those for a 73' coupe, I have a set. The wheels bearings should be available at rock auto. I am also assuming you are speaking of front wheel parts.

Based on the larger pics it looks like the 71 is a new motor based on the look of the machined surfaces, but cant tell if small or fat case. Does it have the 2 rectangular ports on top of the motor like the 63? The 63 is harder to tell. The SOA sticker may mean new, but the condition of the cases and studs may mean rebuild. This is a later closed deck 1400. There is also what looks to be damage to the crank pulley from being dropped or roughly handled. (the busted crate is also an indicator) Of some concern is both engines are not sealed up and may need to be cleaned up inside before using. I'm going to shoot you a PM about the 1400.

I think we need the following info to more accurately give you an idea, -Are these brand new or rebuilds? If there are numbers such as .030 or such stamped on the pistons they are probably rebuilds. If they say STD they may be new. Any corrosion in the water jackets would signal a rebuilt motor. -Are these just short blocks? No heads? -Is the EA63 a closed or open deck block? May be interested in the EA63 BTW.

I’m heading up Friday morning from the roseburg area but probably passing by Corvallis on 5 around 10am as I’m hoping to not have to deal with Portland traffic.

Well, I still work down in the bay area for 6 months out of the year so not yet a "full time" resident, but hopefully in 2 more years. I do really like the pace of life up here. Totally different from the rat race down south.

2 1/2 years later LOL

Just purchased my ticket. Can’t wait!

Maybe by the time you are back in the game, I may be ready to part with my coupe. Doubtful, but maybe................... as I would probably only let it go to someone who has a passion for this model.

Same here.

Marking the calendar now. I've been trying to find time to show my coupe the last couple years and now that I'm in Oregon, I'm that much closer, assuming it's still going to be in WA.

Maybe I need to put my coupe on there with a crazy high reserve and see what happens...................... I mean I really like the car and all, and spend a LOT of time and money on her, but if someone were to offer anywhere close to what the Brat got, I wouldn't pass it up. My car has got to be way more rare than a Brat. More desirable? I guess that depends completely on the buyer. Probably a moot point as BAT does not just let you set your own reserve, you have to agree to what they think the reserve is. I tried earlier in the year to list my fully restored 66' Datsun 520 pickup there, but they would only agree to a 5k reserve. Ended up putting it on eBay with a 8k reserve and got 9k for it. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten more on BAT, but was not willing to gamble that it would only meet the 5k reserve. if they would have agreed to the 8k reserve, it would have been a no brainer.

Couldn't hurt to change the oil and I'd check inside the car where the cable hooks to the pedal. It is known to crack in that location and can cause the issue you describe.

Have a recently recored radiator from my 73' coupe for sale. Excellent shape. This should fit the EA62/3 and maybe the 1st of the EA71's? Lower outlet goes out to the left side, not toward the engine. Paid $270, sell for $220 + shipping.

I am contemplating building a 1st gen Brat, but I have a very specific way I'd like to do it. I would want it to be RWD only, no 4WD. I don't think the RWD in and of itself is a problem, but what about the front drive axles? Can I assume I can just leave the front CV's out and figure a way to hold the front hubs together? Also, being involved in Datsuns, I know those guys like to swap R160 LSD's into the 510's. Is that the type that is in Brats? (probably not LSD though). Is there a bolt in upgrade (if it is needed) as I plan to put a fairly powerful (250ish) motor in it. Also, would a EA trans be able to survive the power, or would I be looking for a EJ trans? Kinda looking to see if this could be a relatively simple deal, or if major upgrades (read $$$$) are required. By the way, my GL coupe is running strong and turning heads.

If you go electric, be sure to get a good one like a Spal. Avoid the cheap eBay fans. You can either mount them with the zip tie like things they supply with the install kits, or fab something yourself. Most subaru's have a spot in the radiator for a fan switch so if you don't have one, get one and wire it through a relay. Plenty of info out there on how to wire the relay. If your radiator does not have the boss, you can get a fan controller from Derale that has a sensor that gets mounted in the radiator,

Really the only sizes you need for a A/C system are #6, #8, and a couple #10. Usually the #10 go from the evap to compressor, #8 from compressor to cond, and the rest are #6. These are usually green or blue colored for 134A compatibility. I have got them from NAPA and also from auto A/C shops.

Small update. I was pulling parts down from my attic to start boxing stuff up for a planned relocation hopefully later this year and found a set of 13" trim rings. Cleaned them up, put them on the buffer wheel and installed on the car. I like it!