New World Datsuns...

And here is my modeled box. I modeled it so I can get the final geometry closer. Volume came in slightly under what I need, at .345 cu ft, instead of .35 cu ft. If I had a way I would make it bigger... actually just came up with an idea while typing... and bam .352 cu ft. So slightly over actually. The change was making 1 wall thinner...

So what you see above, the top plate is merely there to look nice, and the hole is large enough for the woofer to fit in. Think, woofer recessed in top panel. That panel is 1/2", everything else is 3/4".

One thing I read about when I designed my first box was that doubling your face wall (wall that the woofer mounts to), aids to sound/construction/solidity. So I have tried to stick to that. That said, the top panel is not part of that double face in my design. There will actually be 3 layers of mdf for the top wall of the box, inclusive of the top 1/2" panel, since the woofer doesnt bolt to it.

So ignoring the top panel as its not actually the box, the pictures below are with 2 layers of 3/4" mdf as the top wall, and single 3/4" wall everywhere else. That resulted in the .345 cu ft volume. So the change was reducing one of two layers of 3/4"mdf on the top wall to 1/2" mdf, a 1/4" thickness change. And that resulted in the above stated .352 cu ft. This is nice as it will allow for a bit of internal bracing where I see fit.

Oh boy this will too fun to build... nearly nothing is square. The bottom half round piece is not perpendicular to the vertical piece. The bigger floor piece is not parallel to either the lower half round, nor the top wall. I will have to have my thinking cap on tomorrow while I build this on the fly.

Actually I messed up twice above... which means its actually even bigger now, well not physically bigger, but volume bigger... One I measured to the wrong side of the MDF, and that threw off the bottom being actually another 3/4" down. And the other is that I didnt factor in one wall. Basically what I have actually cut and screwed together, I isnt included in the draft.

But progress is progress. I quickly realized I needed more material, got another 2x4 sheet. And basically sat down and plotted the 3 odd shaped pieces. Ill probably just wing the rest of the vertical pieces.

The other thing I did today was fix the "OBC" (on board computer) button. Its a button that lets you cycle through different things on the dash. Also there are some secret menu things which are kinda interesting.

The button is on the end of the turn signal stock, and from years of use, one of the wires fatigue and break. I meant to take a picture when I first found the issue, but my phone was being retarded and wouldnt launch either camera apps (I think I have a major issue with my flash on the phone).

I do have to say, this car had the easiest to remove steering wheel of any car I have touched. Pull the air bag, undo the large bolt, and the wheel just comes off with no resistance.

Broken wire(s)


All better


Ready for reinstall!

whats this secret menu stuff you be talkin aboot

Secret menu is just extra stuff, like build date of the car, software version, instant gas mileage, instant speed. A few random things the car measures.


Cut the MDF above out. And screwed it together. Better idea what I need to do know.

Mudflaps! One one side of the car. Only had time to install them on the passenger side. Hopefully tomorrow Ill get them on the drivers side.

Saturn sure looks lonely.

So I discovered the car is "consuming" oil. In the 2k miles since I have had the car, it has dropped 2 quarts (of 7). Also I noted the low oil light did not indicate to me the issue (common issue). I think this relates to the slight bit of white smoke I see all the time, hot or cold, 30 seconds after startup or 2 hours cruising on the freeway, coolant is normal height and no oil residue and looks like coolant should, oil looks like oil.

Forum consensus is that Piston rings dont really go bad. Valve stem seals can, but no one ever attempts to fix them. Crank case ventilation(CCV) seems to be the culprit everyone points to. Also valve cover leaks and Oil filter housing leaks are common, but slow.

Im going with the CCV as that sounds more like my problem than valve stem seals.

So, I think I will be replacing the CCV system soon, and doing the oil filter housing gasket at the same time (roughly in same area).

Then further down the road, I plan on replacing the Vanos seals (Variable valve timing), which will entail the valve cover gasket. And finally if I determine its not too much of a headache, I may replace valve stem seals, but I caught loosely that the cams are a bitch to remove and many owners have cracked them to bad removal/install.

Oh hey guys, Like my spoiler?



Now its an air brake!



And that is why I like wagons.

I really want to put E90 cinnamon leather seats in my 710 wagon, but it's hard to find non-electric seats. The E46 brown leather seats look good too, but I'm worried both might be too wide for a Datsun. Do you think E46 seats would fit in a 510? Are they comfortable? The sedan/coupe seat rails look flat, but are wagon front seats different?

Would you dare try to wire heated/power seats into a Datsun? ... I'm just going to wait till I find manual seats

Laecaon » Fri Dec 26, 2014 4:32 pm wrote:Oh hey guys, Like my spoiler?



Now its an air brake!



And that is why I like wagons.

I knew who posted this before I seen his name, get it done attitude.

Indy510 » Fri Jan 09, 2015 10:13 pm wrote:I really want to put E90 cinnamon leather seats in my 710 wagon, but it's hard to find non-electric seats. The E46 brown leather seats look good too, but I'm worried both might be too wide for a Datsun. Do you think E46 seats would fit in a 510? Are they comfortable? The sedan/coupe seat rails look flat, but are wagon front seats different?

Would you dare try to wire heated/power seats into a Datsun? ... I'm just going to wait till I find manual seats

I'll measure the seats for you soon (tomorrow (or today when you read this, I have a later schedule than most as I work nights)? Im a little tipsy and may not remember).

As far as being comfortable, I like them, have no problems riding in them. With my 30 inch waist I can slide side to side a bit in them, so I want the optional sport seats but that is not for all. My seats are also real leather, and not vinyl.

Wire heated/power seats into a Datsun? You are asking the wrong guy, I would wire anything into my datsun, especially heated seats (oh one of the best inventions ever, but I live in Oregon where its cold right now and driving with the sunroof open and the heat cranked is fun), and power only if necessary (power seats only use power when being moved). So yes I would.

Cool, thanks!! ... No hurry, I was just curious. The E90 sport seats might not look 'stock' in a Datsun .. and the E46 sport seats look even wider than the non sport seats. I think they are too aggressive looking for a sleeper wagon.

I definitely want real leather, and not Volkswagen Leatherette Vynil .. I think a brown interior would look good in an orange wagon

Measured the seats. 21 inches wide. And from the floor in the rear, they are 37 inches tall, but of course height adjustment is probably in the middle.

Also. After driving the car for 2 months, I am still absolutely happy with the car. It behaves how I want, drives how I want, rides how I want, maneuvers how I want, feels how I want. Its smooth, confident, subtle, and while its not "fast" it has no trouble moving. Its what I want from a car, and now I understand why BMWs are the gold standard (yes I understand there are models which have their issues), why in magazine articles, cars are trying to beat the BMW in the class. I dont really care that it gets 21mpg (I drive over a significant hill every day for work) and takes premium, its other qualities shine through.

So far my only complaints/observations are superficial, like I wish the fog light button was actually a switch. And the same goes for the cruise control. I dont want a light on my dash telling me cruise control is on, also I dont want to have to turn it on everytime I turn the car on.

Let me put it another way, I would get another without hesitating.


I have metrics for cars. Like pleasurable to own, fuel efficiency, and functionality, and finally price. I say 2 of those have to rank high in order to like the car and to really be worthy of ownership. And of course each of these metrics have different scales based on different classes of car (like truck vs minivan vs large car vs small car) they still need to be taken into account. A Geo Metro is not nice, is not functional, but is cheap and gets excellent mileage, and that makes up for its other short falls. The Saturn got pretty good mileage (30+ in any condition), and I bought the car for $600, enough said.

Also, its kinda funny to look at the parking lot at work, and realize I am one of 2 (maybe 3) euro cars. The other being a MK5 jetta (My favorite gen for motors/drivetrain/suspension/interior, but not exterior), and the third being a company vehicle, a Sprinter Van, which of course are made by Mercedes.


But yes, I am itching to get the Datsun back on the road.

I guess that itch isn't close to bleeding yet.

I am sure it will be nice to get the wagon on the road again though, I am just used to you talking about something your doing to your Datsun, now days it's about other cars, and other peoples cars that you seem to be the lead mechanic now days.

Datsun was put on hold because of money. Between buying a new car, a camping trip, and Christmas, it kinda hurt the wallet.

I have received 2 things for the Goon this month, and am planning a third purchase, which will be the single largest purchase price of anything for the wagon.

Sorry Jacob, I didn't realize that you had gotten a BMW, and a touring at that.

My wife absolutely loves her E34 touring. However, I have put a lot of work into the car for her. It started life as a 530, but has now received a complete 540 drivetrain swap. Car got a wee bit faster. It is starting to show its age though at 233k, so she has kinda had her eye on a X5 lately.

Great choice in installing Powerflex bushings. They seem to be the standard in euro cars. Mine seem to be holding up great, did the front control arms and the rear subframe last winter, along with new bilsteins and new tires. Its like a completely different car now. Also built a fully adjustable rear subframe while it was apart.

Oh no worries Jason. I was just thinking of your 540 swap, and remembered you were having issues with it. It would seem you figured it out, so what was the culprit?

My mother really wants an X5 as well. Something about women and liking SUVs... As far as mileage, my car seems fairly young at 126k.

While I would love to go all out on this car (because its just so easy to), I think Im just going to stick to standard maintenance.


But they look soooo good lowered.

Laecaon » January 12th, 2015, 3:16 am wrote:Oh no worries Jason. I was just thinking of your 540 swap, and remembered you were having issues with it. It would seem you figured it out, so what was the culprit


But they look soooo good lowered.

I swapped another motor into it.. The motor that was giving me trouble lost compression. So I swapped it out. I tested compression when I first got it installed and had 190 psi -+10psi on all cylinders. Never fired, and retested it after way too many attempts to fire it and it only had 90 psi. A little oil in each cylinder didn't help either, neither did a lot of oil, nor 90wt. Pulled the motor and disassembled it to find stuck rings on all 8 cylinders. Not sure how I had the comp numbers that I did initially, but it sure explained why it never fired.

Ohhh, and night shift huh. I am still working night shift too. And local to you.