New World Datsuns...

Well I have it close now, it's never going to be perfect as I cannot or maybe I should say I will not remove the panel as I don't have one to replace it, I do have a left side NL320 panel but this is the right side I am working on.

I made the plate and installed it.




Here is the taillight assembly installed.


Here is the side from two different angles, it looks close now, closer than whoever the guy was that fixed it before in Australia when the damage occurred, there was one or 2 spots where the bondo was at least a 1/4" thick, the layer I will put on will be less than an 1/8" thick and I will use bondo hair(long and strong) and I likely will finish it with glazing putty.




I am actually out of mud(bondo products) right now, this has been a couple days where I made progress forward instead of backwards.

OK, I added the brace for the rear lower skirt.



But the fender panel was still moving to easily between the that point and the taillight half way up or down depending on how you look at things, so I made a brace and installed it, it is welded to the outer sheet metal but floats on the inner panel.



I got 90+ percent of the bondo off this back panel and I used a hammer and whatever you call them hunks of metal to take the dents out from the inside and outside, I used a straightedge on the other side to see what the body panel curve is supposed to look like and I have it close, but in the end it will likely take me 10 tries to get it the way I want when I start applying and sanding off the mud, I really have not done much in front of the fender well and back of the door, there is one dent that I cannot get to the back side, I do not know how thick the mud is in that dent, I found it by accident, I kinda wish I had not found it, ignorance is bliss, I could not even tell it was there until it was too late.



I am working tomorrow, might not do much tomorrow except tend the garden, the corn is coming up, but the slugs are coming out also, they have already fell 3 or 4 corn starts, but I planted another 50 seeds where corn did not come up.

It appears at this time that the Brooks OR show(ex Canby show/meet) is going to happen a little over a month from now, the venue is financially hurting from being closed for so long that they want us to come, I am hoping to be able to take this truck down there this year, but one never knows what is going to happen in that State.

I worked in this area a little this afternoon, I tapped away for quite a while making the body line around the rear fender well look proper as it has been hit on this side in several places.




After I stopped and looked at it I determined that the front part at around 2pm is actually twisted a little and I sanded too much in the one spot, so I will fix that when I have bought more supplies.

It is hard to get a photo of what the curve is supposed to look like.







This is the other side, it is wasted.







But I have this, it is not for a U320, it is for an NL320, but I might be able to use it to fix this side, I will worry about that once I have got the other side close.

I did some sanding and added more bondo hair. this right rear panel has taken a beating, the left rear panel might be worse.
I needed to take the work truck head to a place that likely will be able to fix it, that cut into working on this truck, I will try to get more done tomorrow.

I did a little this afternoon, but something like this takes time especially when one is not very good at it, I am using a straight edge and the other side to try and get an idea what it is supposed to look like, since it is 6" longer in back of the wheel wells than an NL320 I cannot really use that truck to gauge the curves, the straight edge helps me from sanding too much off like I normally do, a couple more days and the right rear might be close, keep in mind that I still have not even sanded much behind the wheel well and the rear of the panel below the trim line, but I can get to the back of that area easier, especially below the lower body line.



Below the upper body line where it is orange and dark gray just in back of the wheel well I have barely touched, and I have not even touched below that lower body line, I am doubting I will even have this in primer by the Brooks OR show, I just don't see me getting that far since I lose interest after a few hours of sanding and the doors, hood, fenders, and tailgate need to be started, but I likely will use the new tailgate I have, so sand it, prime it, and then paint it as it has no rust at all, it is new/has never been mounted on a truck.

Alright Wayno! Good going! I'm getting more done on the racecar today, hopefully I'll be a little more productive than yesterday.

I am getting closer to primer on this panel to see how ugly it is.




It has taken a month to get this far.

I lost interest in this when I realized I was not going to get it ready for the Powerland show/meet, I will likely get back to working on it when work slows down, I am still a couple weeks out but it is slowing down.

I might have figured out the photo thing, we shall see if this works, this is my U320 as it sits today.

I can't wait to see this thing driving one day Wayno!

Made any progress on the U320 Wayno?

I have done nothing to it since my last post, it needs the outside sanded and then painted again as I tried painting it in pieces and nothing worked out properly, I am waiting until it warms up before working on it again, basically I burnt out working on it for so long the last time.

I know a guy that would likely paint it for me for a reasonable price if he were still alive by the time it is ready, I hate sanding as I am too impatient.

Well I was wrong, I did a little after the last post, this is how it is sitting in my garage tonight.

Assuming we see each other at a Datsun meet in the future and you drive that, I want a ride!

I plan on selling this as soon as I can, when it is ready it is up for sale, so are my other 320s and my Mini, I do not drive any of them anymore.

Say it ain't so, Wayno! You got to keep at least one you can drive around for fun.

You think a small block Chevy would fit in the u320?

With enough time and money you likely could get one in there, but it likely would drive like crap.

Here is a 320 with a VG30 in it on Ratsun with photos I took, the guy is sort of local to me.

https://ratsun.net/topic/46269-30l-v6-l320/

wayno wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:58 pm I plan on selling this as soon as I can, when it is ready it is up for sale, so are my other 320s and my Mini, I do not drive any of them anymore.

I get it. I'm seriously considering selling most of my toys too.