my 1932 datsun replica build

Thanks for the update. We all know how these things go. Hope you and your dad are still interacting on some activity

you've got mail

back in the garage, and glad I didn't finish welding the brake mount bracket together before. It looks like I need to lower the whole brake assembly an inch or two. I'm tempted to lower it a lot and then shorten the pedal, but I realize that would increase the amount of effort to use the brake.

I'll probably lower it as much as possible while maintaining the current pedal arm length.

JoeyM wrote: you've got mail

Got it. Return bounced back Good to see you are moving ahead.

Any status updates?

I was just thinking about this thread yesterday. +1 for updates

Totally bizarre I was also thinking about this yesterday.

Any news?

I found an American Austin engine, transmission, radiator and grille for sale locally for $300. http://appleton.craigslist.org/pts/5000326010.html

How neat would it be if you had some original Seven parts in your build? Or are the Datsun Type 11 scholars in the 'its an unique design' camp?

Grtechguy wrote: Any status updates?

+1. Went thru the thread about two weeks ago.

Hey Guys,

I'm here......was gone, and haven't done anything in ages. What passes for an excuse/explation is here. I was concentrating on reaching a career goal. I've done it, so I'm hoping that the upcoming semester will give me some garage time.

The plan is simple: I'm going back to the original firewall design, no box or pedal extension. I need to
clean the garage
put the engine back in
put the steering back in
do all the above so I can get actual tolerances when I design the brake pedal mount (for the third time)
* fabricate said mount * temporarily put firewall in place * remove engine, steering and brake pedal * trace and then cut holes in firewall * mount firewall

at that point I should have a finished body shell that I can get ready to paint. Then I stick stuff back in, run brake and fuel lines.......That plan should keep me occupied for many months, but it's roughly the order I think I'll need to follow

Year-later bump.

Amen.

I just ordered these 12 volt reproductions of VW semaphore turn signals. They don't look quite like the 1930s datsun ones, but they're close enough to work.

(I flipped the pictures of the VW turn signals so they would match the screen grabs from this video of the datsun)

in the future, I might even try modfying the lenses to have a more datsun-like shape.

I foolishly bought a fan and a radiator without checking to see if shrouds exist to mount that fan to that radiator. After talking to four vendors, I figured out that they don't, so I broke out the clamps, boards, and wooden hammers to bend my own shroud out of the A/C air handler skin

fan, radiator and the cardboard I'm going to use

cardboard model of fan shroud

bent metal shroud, but corners not welded and tabs not riveted* on

Not much to look at, but this is it - bent, corners welded, tabs in place, rattle canned black, and fan mounted.

[*] - because I still suck at sheet metal welding. I just haven't done enough of it to be good with the welder settings on thin metal

Glad to have you back Joey

Oh, and I finally put together the bits of the grill shell that Dad and I made ten years ago. The only new parts were the mesh in the grill and rattle can paint.

Always glad to see this pop up. Re-reading it is a good reset to the tiny little box that my projects exist in.

I also found out that the grill shape is off quite a bit. When I started this build, front photos of the 1932-1933 datsuns were hard to find, so I used this diagonal photo.

If this image (from here) had been available ten years ago, I would curved the top of the grill shell instead of peaking it....what I made looks like a mash up of a model A and a datsun instead of a purely datsun grill

....at least the metal embossing at the top went well.

Down the road a few years I might build a new, more accurate, grill and hood. Right now I'm more concerned with getting it on the road.

In reply to EastCoastMojo:

Thank you. I've been lurking for the past week or so. I had told a few folks that I'd make an update when it was moving under its own power, but that's not happening yet. :-/

mazdeuce wrote: Always glad to see this pop up. Re-reading it is a good reset to the tiny little box that my projects exist in.

Yeah, but your projects are YOUR projects. I am getting help. I just don't have the skills or time to do it all myself like GRMers are supposed to do. Part of it is due to the job change three years ago, part of it is personal, but the practical upshot is that the project had sat in the garage - untouched - for almost three years. At the end of last year I decided that I HAD to get it on the road, even if that meant having other people do stuff for me.

In January we took the car to mechanic who does my daily driver. He has mounted the brake pedal, run the brake lines and fuel lines, removed the 1982 datsun fuel pump I had mounted, and put a holley in its place. (Much easier to replace if I have issues.) Last week I sent the 240z carbs I'll be using off to Revtech for rebuilding and tuning. They had a Z car in the Aug. 2009 "old school" issue of GRM that was set up with stock SU carbs and an MSD ignition, which seems like a reasonable way to go with this project.

It is still my project, and I still fabricated the body, but getting it on the road is turning into much more of a team project.

Just saw this pop up. Makes me glad to see it moving forward. Makes me shake my head when I thing how fast the time went.

NOHOME wrote: Just saw this pop up. Makes me glad to see it moving forward. Makes me shake my head when I thing how fast the time went.

Yes, it has been years and years. Thank you, it means a lot that you're still interested after all this time.

There will be updates, progress is happening, but slowly. The stuff I just posted is everything since January.

I'm so glad to see this updated. There's no shame in getting help. I was almost giddy to see you having posted in this again.

Joey M, new to the hive thanks to MazD. Took a peak at this tread and it is now on my watchlist. Will start at the beginning shortly. At least you're back at it, my B/GT has sat untouched now for over 30 years.

759NRNG wrote: Took a peak at this tread and it is now on my watchlist. Will start at the beginning shortly. At least you're back at it, my B/GT has sat untouched now for over 30 years.

Thank you, that's very kind. If you don't feel like wading through 22 pages, here's a quick and dirty version

etc.

It is basically an attempt to use locost-style construction to make a 1930s-type body, powered by a datsun drive train taken from the blue maxima station wagon in the background of the first picture

759NRNG wrote: At least you're back at it, my B/GT has sat untouched now for over 30 years.

Then you totally understand