Rally Bluebird

[K_trip]

There were a number of 410 / 411 rally cars during the 1960's - driven hard - they held up well in desert sands as well as the mud and snow.

In February 1967 a Bluebird 411 SSS ripped through Ontario, Canada, to win the Canadian Winter Rally ... 101 cars entered the race, only 59 finished.

[K_trip]

This is what the previous owner picked up two years ago ...
http://autoditto.blogspot.com/2012/04/1 ... 1-sss.html

Here is what it looked like after installing Roadster springs up front and blocks in the rear.

[K_trip]

It had a lot of work done to it over the years, each owner making great improvements.

Then it was smacked in the front ...



... I picked it up, with plans to put it back on the road.

Over the last few years it has had: paint and interior done, the engine rebuilt, a roadster 5 speed installed, front suspension rebuilt, new exhaust, etc.

I could tell it was hit in the front before, there was damage on top of old repairs. Loads of bondo on the entire front clip, and a "rattle can" engine bay paint job was done to "freshen it up" at one point - but it's not looking too fresh these days. I don't plan on a wild restoration, like it's heading to a Barrett Jackson auction or anything. I will do "period correct" repairs to the inner fenders and the radiator core support, just like they would have done back in the 1960's. I'm on the hunt for another front clip, plus a few other hard to find RL411 parts.

The early RL411 was just called a 1600 ... later they started calling them SSS



So this one is an early unit, all SAE - no metric stuff on this bird. I will start with the basics, and get the car back on the road.
Wish me luck!

[izzo]

that thing is dope as shit dude. Isaw that one for sale. Can't wait to see this unravel.

[draker]

I saw this for sale so.

It's stunning!

[K_trip]

Thanks

All the impact energy was taken up in the upper part of the body, the all important lower part is fine. The radiator is toast, but the water pump - the entire motor - survived the crash. I've traced the wiring, and it's fine too. The damage you see, is the damage I need to deal with. It could have been worse. No one was seriously hurt, and the car wasn't reported to the insurance company - so it's not a salvage. Sometimes an old car is "totaled" just because the value isn't appreciated, then it gets the salvage label and it's devalued further ... I'm sure glad that didn't happen to this one.

[Laecaon]

That happened to my Saturn. Its a 95 that got crashed in 08. A new bumper/fender/hood/headlight resulted in the repair being more than the value of the car. Salvaged. It if was 8 years earlier it probably would have been fine.

Then my wagon, not reported. Still clean*.

Have fun with the car. It looks like a good candidate for being repaired.

[Gray]

This was owned by one of the guys in our Datsun club and has been on some of our fun runs. I was sorry to see it smashed, it looked like a great little car.

I'm really glad this is going to get repaired

[K_trip]

The previous owner had some killer tunes in here, but of course none of it was part of my purchase ... except the wiring



You can't see the pile of wires on the passenger side floors, but you can see the hole in the dash. At least it wasn't hacked up!
Neat little console (Honda I think) for the Fairlady Roadster 5 Speed upgrade, it has a pair of cup holders - which come in handy.
I was able to get YOM (year of manufacture) plates for this little guy - the trick was finding a legit DMV sticker from 1967 ...



PARTS THAT I WANT TO REPLACE - I REALLY DON'T WANT TO REUSE THESE


It was an effort unfolding the creases in the steel, which was needed to extract the damaged parts. What took me a good part of a day would have been banged out in a hour by a Rally Team, back in the day.







I still have a long ways to go, but at least I'm at a point where I can take stock of what I have - and get a good scope of work. Besides digging into the damage, I had to (for some strange reason) paint the Roadster air cleaner blue. I hope to score a correct air cleaner, as this one doesn't fit well, but at least it isn't the eye-sore that it was (a silly waste of time and paint). Parts are not easy to locate for this car, I'm learning that the hard way. So far I was able to get a glass fuel filer bowl and a proper fan (I painted the fan too). All of the hood latch stuff was spared, who would have guessed that?

[izzo]

ah hell man.

Looks like its ready for new body parts on the front and good to go. Good job!

[flatcat19]

You've got a good start. Even as it sits.

Most 411s I have seen are nowhere near complete as yours.


Watching.

[K_trip]

Looks like its ready for new body parts on the front and good to go.

Thanks

I think it will take twice the amount of time that I've spent so far, to get the inner fenders and radiator core support where I want them. But I've got time - locating parts for these cars isn't easy, that will prove to be the gating factor on this. The good news is - this car is rust free, and was built with amazing steel. I know it's recycled steel, as I've worked on vintage cars with virgin steel - and nothing compares to virgin steel - but the steel in this car is very close to that quality. It's just amazing stuff.

The brakes failed on this car, which caused the mess I'm straightening out. The new exhaust, and a missing spring retainer on the drivers side brake hose, was the culprit. No one has a listing for front brake hoses for a RL411. I located a PL411 brake hose, but it's 17" long. Someone suggested I use a PL520 brake hose, but that one is 15.5" long. I had to do some serious homework - got to do, what you got to do. I found a brake hose for a 1965~66 Ford Falcon (all sub models, all engine options) has the correct fittings, and is 14" long - just like my old hoses! Those should come in tomorrow, along with brake pads for a PL510 ... so with any luck ... this car will have brakes again this weekend.

[K_trip]

Not much of an update, but it's something.

First - the Falcon brake hose I talked about above weren't long enough to fit correctly, don't get those. I got the hoses for a PL520/521 (Napa 36737) and they look right...


... I started cleaning caliper pistons, which is a very important step to do BEFORE pushing the piston back into the caliper.

I think, now that I have the correct parts, I can get the brakes working again this coming weekend. That's the goal anyway

Parts for these cars are hard to come by!

I had the good fortune to hook up with a 410/411 guy, he's on a few forums and goes by gcmustang. He had the correct RL411 radiator I'm looking for, plus a few other parts - I'm stoked. Once I get my hands on these parts and install them, I should be able to start the motor again! That will be a big step forward. The folks into these cars are great, lots of help and advise, that and gcmustang had a lead on some new fenders for this car ... yes, brand new (never installed on a car before) fenders!

[K_trip]

I want to thank a few Datsun folks for their help and parts in saving this car...



Not only did MikeRL411 give me some great information about these cars, clued me into a part that I was missing I would have never know about, he also set me up with a hard-to-find gIass fuel filter bowl and a correct RL411 fan. Thanks Mike! I got a nice used grill from AZhitman - and the NOS fenders from RATDAT3 - thanks for everyone for all the help!

HOLY BLUEBIRD BATMAN -- NOS FENDERS





With these fenders I can get the last adjustments made to the inner fenders and the radiator core support!

[draker]

YESSS!!!!!!

Wow looks like a major score on those parts.

[RATDAT3]

Jeff, was great meeting you--although I think we interacted here before on NWD via posts...anyway, glad I could help keep that beauty on the road. Looking forward to the completion!

[71Goon]

Isn't that a 510 grille? I thought the 410/411 grille was the same height as the headlight bezels. An optical illusion maybe?

[izzo]

it certainly looks like a 510 grille lol

[K_trip]

Isn't that a 510 grille? I thought the 410/411 grille was the same height as the headlight bezels. An optical illusion maybe?

I think it's just an illusion, I know this isn't a 510 grill.

Here's a shot of my car - before I owned it and before it was wrecked.

The 410 grill is concaved, but it fits just the same, also some minor differences in the headlight bezels too.
This is the later 411 grill - which isn't concaved - I think I got the right one.

[K_trip]

Isn't that a 510 grille? I thought the 410/411 grille was the same height as the headlight bezels. An optical illusion maybe?

I think it's just an illusion, I know this isn't a 510 grill.

Scratch that comment about the illusion, I didn't know what I was talking about ... but it's not a 510 grill.

Thanks for bringing this up! There wasn't much left of the old grill when I got the car, and I don't know these very well. I'm coming up to speed, but they're different birds - that's for sure. I have been doing some homework, and it looks like there are shiny trim strips above and below the center grill section that I'm missing. Those are what make the lines of the grill and the headlight bezels fit, and now the hunt is on to find them.