New World Datsuns...

I got it mostly stripped down today. Also made a punch list and decided what I'm going to do about my battery.



I stared under the hood for quite a while dreading all the work that needs to be done.

saweeet

The after photo should be a lot better. I really wish the previous owner hadn't (poorly) spray bombed it dark gray.

This is just my .5 worth, I've never could understand why a person would go the cheap route over taking a little extra time to keep the original color in the engine bay. It shows more detail to the compartment and shows the engine off better. I understand bomb can paint is a lot cheaper but the final results are like night and day.
Are you taking the wagon, if finished, to the PSM in April ?

Well, I'm going to rattle can it again myself. Not original color either. Difference is, I'm actually going to do a nice job and use a color that makes the engine look nice.

Yeah, the plan is PSM in April.

DRIVEN wrote: ↑Tue Jan 22, 2019 4:53 pm How close is the nearest hot and cold water? I bet you could have it done in a Sunday afternoon.

I could. Nearest hot & cold is routed through the garage (floor joists overhead) going to various places in the upstairs living area. So roughly 16’ and down a wall. Through the exterior brick and soldering copper pipes would be the hardest parts.

Not sure how cold it gets at your place but washing a car in 38* with hot water isn't really so bad.

Exactly what I was thinking. It can get cold here but I guess that’s relative. Today the high is 40° with a low of 25° tonight. So, kinda cold for here but not really for Idaho.

I mentioned the idea to the wife last night and she’s all for it, but I have to put a mop sink in the garage too now.

So another small project has been added to the bottom of the list.

Also a handy addition.




I buffed the car out yesterday but took no photos. In the morning I'll yank the driver's side fender and throw it, the cowl, and the rear hatch in my wife's car. I've got to haul it and some other stuff to my brother then pick up the balancer this weekend. My brother is supposed to get keys to his new body shop on the 1st.

No new pics but I got the hatch delivered to my brother and he has the paint already, along with an aerosol can I'm going to do the valance with myself. Said he'll get the body work done this week and shoot it next week. He also worked over the LF fender while I was down there. It had been munched before I bought the car. I wasn't looking for perfection, just the best he could do without having to use filler and paint.
I got the battery and a few small parts ordered this morning. Tomorrow I'll go over and put a few items back together before I take it further apart.
Last night I did a SearchTempest search to try to get an idea of asking price. Sweet cheeba, guys are asking a lot for these! I'll price under market and hope for a quick sale.

Bring a trailer perhaps?

No, I learned Indy's lesson.

Somewhat productive day:
-Pushed on a couple more dents
-Drilled out my broken fender bolts and mounted it
-Reinstalled my marker and tail lights
-Scrubbed my door jambs and door edges
-Installed new mirrors
-Installed new fender emblems
-Hammered my pinch welds straight
-Removed the remnants of the old rocker trim

Not much progress. I did get the battery relocated. I ended up ordering the same one we used in my brother's '36 since it was so compact. My original intention was to cut a recess in the floor under the back seat but took the easy way out and just put it under the driver's seat. Plenty of room with stock seats at stock height.




There was a pair of long cables left over from my dad's Nautique project last winter so I was able to repurpose those.
The engine bay is still gross but the extra room from moving the battery will be really nice as this engineis noticeably wider than an L16.

What gauge did you end up using? Any issue with running the wires under the car to the battery?

I get that the fuel lines do the same thing, just big electrical cables doing that makes me a bit nervous, probably unreasonably so. I think I might copy this idea as I have been having a similar issue.

Probably 2/0(?) I'm guessing. It's really fine strand like welder ground lead cable. I didn't even think to take pics of them under the car. They run through a couple rubber grommets that are siliconed in place then are parallel but not together. Seems to be more than enough battery for a 4cylinder. Small too.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/DUI-5575A

Went over there to grab some stuff and snapped a quick pic of the underside.


With the driveline, crossmember, exhaust, and floor brace hanging lower it seems well enough protected unless you were to high center on something pointy in just the wrong spot.

After a week of dragging my feet and making excuses, I finally went over and yanked the drivetrain. Took almost an hour and a half. I'm out of practice. Now the real work begins.

Battery tray delete! I love 510 engine bays without batteries!

On the list. This engine bay is absolutely hideous.