Waynos 1966 datsun 520 ute

[wayno]

From a distance it does, but not up close.
It needs to be sanded again and sprayed with one more coat on the top and hood, the sides are pretty good/smooth, just the hood and cab top need re-done.
I got impatient and just sprayed it when I should have stopped because of the wind, when I started it wasn't blowing, but it was when I finished.

[wayno]

I sanded and re-sprayed everything that needed done, I removed the hood and sprayed it hanging from the back of my trailer, that worked way better than trying to spray it flat.
The top turned out great considering it was flat, I had to sand and re-spray 4 other spots, all this lead to another issue, I have over spray in a few spots, the truck now needs to be cut and buffed to fix the over spray and the specs that could not be helped spraying outside.
I have never cut or buffed anything in my life, it seems to me that I could do it by hand with rubbing compound and I likely would not buff though any of the paint doing it that way, but I don't have a lot of time this week now as I have some work that needs to be done, I also would like to get all the glass in the truck before it starts raining.
I suppose I could hire someone that knows how to do it, I will think about it.

[DRIVEN]

Rubbing compound probably isn't going to help much. Typically a cut and buff starts with a soft sanding block (sponge type) and nothing more coarse than 400#. Lots of warm water with a bit of soap in it. You can work your way up to 2000# or even 3000# depending on how perfect you want it. At that point you can chase it with a buffer. It's work, no question, but it gives a much nicer end product.

[Laecaon]

What Jesse said. Wet sand/color sand.

[wayno]

When ever someone starts talking about sanding, then I start thinking that I will need to put another coat of paint on it, I am tired of putting paint on it, if it was on a rotisserie then I would consider it, but it is not.
My painter guy I used too use would just cut it with a buffer and then polish it(wax???) with a buffer, yet everyone else keeps saying sand it.
Well I gave up, it's all one color, it won't rust, so I have started putting it back together, I did the windshield(new gasket), rear slider window(had to use old gasket as I could not get it in with a new OEM gasket).
I then did the doors which I put new wing window gaskets in, and new Roadster window channel felt, I will make new rear windows again out of plexi-glass as the old ones look like shit already, I will need to figure out the window squeegee again, I need new squeegees as the old ones got primer on them.
When I buy a variable speed grinder/polisher and figure out what to do I will do it, until then I will live with it, it only has over spray in two spots, I am not going to spray the whole damned truck again for two spots, I will screw it up worse than it is now trying to put another coat on it.
If it bugs me bad enough I will take it to Macao and have them paint it.

[wayno]

Truck is on the ground as of today, everything needed to drive it legally is on it except the rear license plate, all lights work, but I did forget to fix the speedo cable while it was up in the air.
Oh, it has no interior yet though, not even seats, but it is on the ground.
I bought this Dewalt polisher on ebay yesterday, they wanted $295.00 for it at the paint supply store.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEWALT-DWP849-7 ... SwdzVXm627
I will make a new set of rear windows tomorrow, I already bought the plexi-glass, now I need window squeegees for the side windows, I don't recall what year 620 they come from.
I will next take care of the inner box sides, I planned on using a liner type material on it that has a crinkle type finish, but now I want the inside to be white also, now sure if them liners come in white though, but want it to be the same color.

[DRIVEN]

My brother has that polisher (or maybe an older version) and it's a very nice unit. You should be happy with yours.

On the bed, I'm not sure about the white liner. If they even make it, I would think it would look dingy over time. I think regular black would look fine. Are you planning to use it like a work truck or mainly just cruise it and occasionally throw something in the back?

[wayno]

My brother has that polisher (or maybe an older version) and it's a very nice unit. You should be happy with yours.

On the bed, I'm not sure about the white liner. If they even make it, I would think it would look dingy over time. I think regular black would look fine. Are you planning to use it like a work truck or mainly just cruise it and occasionally throw something in the back?

This truck was never made to haul weight, it actually has early Datsun Roadster rear leaf mounts which are nothing more than leaf spring material shaped into an "S" shape, if I put enough weight on it I suspect that the "S" could sag and let the leaf eye hit the bolts that mount the mount to the frame, it has 3 bolts that mount it to the frame, the shackle mount was made for a light/small Roadster.






As you can see in the photo below, it is at least a 3 inch drop at the rear of the leaf, so that is at least a 1 1/2 inch drop at the axle, 4X4 leafs is another 1 1/2 inch drop, 3 inch drop blocks, and using a front 520 leaf mount on the 720 frame got me another 1 inch, I dropped the back of this truck at least 7 inches total and still have a functional rear suspension with the frame notch.

It is a low Datsun that drives decently, I am not going to push this one, I have the work truck that will haul weight, this one was made too be low without using bags.
I just thought it would look strange with black bed liner, new trucks come with the bed painted the same color as the rest of the body just like the engine compartment, I regret to this day painting the 521 kingcab diesel engine compartment black, when I pull the engine in this truck to put the new one in, the engine compartment is going to get painted white also.
When I was first starting to prime this truck, I was using a HVLP unit I have, it was putting the primer down like a crinkle type of paint, I quit using it because it was to much work sanding everything every time I put a coat on, I was thinking about sanding the box insides, then spraying it with a POR type coating to stop the surface rust that is left, then using the HVLP to put on the primer and paint instead of using a liner material, this is something I have been thinking about over the last day or so, or maybe I could paint over the liner, I just don't know yet, have not got that far yet, I have been busy putting it back together.
Fact is I have lost interest in working on this truck, I just want to get it done and move on.

[Taterhead]

A buddy of mine had a spray in bed liner color matched (as close as possible) and it seems to have held up well.

But like Jess said, white may look dingy over time.

[wayno]

Over the last few years I have come to dislike looking at my trucks with different color box insides, I really don't like the red kingbab 521 diesel stepside box being blue on the inside, I made a cover for it and then ruined it trying to make it lighter, it was so heavy.
Now this truck has a dark rust color box on the inside, rust color , it's just plain rust , I just don't want a dark color in there.
I thought about making a cover, I also thought about taking the back half of a 510 wagon top and making a kind of canopy, but right now I just want this truck done, maybe in the future I will come back to it.

[DRIVEN]

Rust is the official Datsun color.

[Laecaon]

If you want the cheapest bed line option that is still good, look into the U-Pol Raptor Tintable DIY kit. Apparently you can tint it white.

Also there is Monstaliner, which is available in white.

[wayno]

I drove it around the hood today, doesn't seem to be any quieter than is was before with the sound deadening material was installed.
I need a 620 brake booster, not the super small one, the next size up, when I step on the brake the idle goes up because of a booster leak, and it doesn't work very well either, I have to press on the brake pretty hard.

[DRIVEN]

Surprises me that it's not quieter. Do you have all the interior back in yet? Carpet?

[wayno]

Surprises me that it's not quieter. Do you have all the interior back in yet? Carpet?

Yes the carpet is back in, but it is not very thick/heavy carpet and it doesn't cover anything in back of the seats, normally I have that back there covered with coats, rags, oil and water containers, umbrellas, the spare tire, jack, anything that I don't want in my way but that I want with me, but right now it is bare/void of anything.
It's raining today, I might install the Pioneer Super Tuner I bought from 510freak a while back, or I might just clean up a little around here, have not decided yet.

[wayno]

I bought this Pioneer Super Tuner from 510freak quite a while ago, it is now in my 520 ute, and it seems to work great, I also got seven 8 tracks from that era with it, but am a little worried it will eat them if I try to play them, but I don't care, I just want it for the FM radio.
I like stereos from this era, it has 4 wires, power, ground, left and right speakers, and an antenna, it's a no brainer.
I bent the heater levers at a 45 degree angle to clear the sides as I wanted in in the middle.

It looks decent.

The two smaller speakers are right side

I need to get a box for this one in the back, it's the left side.

I now have tunes, Wayno is happy, the truck isn't all that quiet, I will drowned out the noise with the stereo.

[wayno]

I am going to do the box before I do anything else, that way if there is more over spray, I won't have to do it again.
Here is how it sits in my driveway today.

[Taterhead]

Lookin good Wayno. Stereo looks good in there too.

[wayno]

I put POR15 on the box sides early this afternoon to convert the rust, now I need to pick a bed liner.
I still need to fix the cut outs I made in the bed before I put the bed liner in the box, I have been looking for a early 520 being parted out that I could cut the fender wells out of, but either they want to sell the whole box for lots of money, or I don't even get a response.
I might have to make something from scratch, I know it will not look right if done that way.
Before





After

[Justinberni]

What size is the speaker sitting in the back?
I've got some 6x9 boxes sitting in my closet that I use to have in a single cab 720.