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Duncan's 71 "Oz" Goon


Duncan

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In August in 2010, I imported a wagon from Australia. After looking here for a long time and finding nothing that I absolutely had to have, I took the plunge and brought this one over from Oz.

 

It has dual Su's that were "Made in England" and had 4 bolt mounting plates on the carb. The previous owner decided to use them on the 2 bolt Datsun manifold. Obviously it hardly ran due to vacuum leaks, but I was able to find a stock manifold and got a Weber for it. It has a L20 with a std shift pattern 5 spd in it. I slapped a matchbox dizzy on it along with the carb, and it runs fairly well now. I drove it around for a bout a year while searching and collecting parts. Here's how I drove it for a year.

 

CnC1.JPG

CnC2.JPG

 

A little background:

 

When I was a kid, I had a pretty nice '49 Chevy 1/2 ton panel. I had put a small block Chevy in it, and changed out the entire drivetrain. I paid a shop $1000 to paint it (it was a SHITLOAD of money at the time) and I was so disapointed with the work, I ended up selling the truck over it. I vowed to NEVER have anyone paint ANYTHING for me again.

 

There was a bodyshop down the street from my house and I begged them to let me work there, even for a few hours a day for free. I swept floors, and eventually started pulling dents, sanding filler, and eventually spraying primer and paint. I ended up working there for a few years. It was a good experience, and I learned what I wanted to.

 

Here are my last two projects: '55 Caddie 2-door

 

cadtele.jpg

 

I did this one about ten years ago. I am an ex-professional guitarist and was working for Fender at the time, so of course I had a custom '55 Tele replica built, and I painted it along with the Caddie. It was in a few mags along with the Tele. I still have the Tele, but sadly, the Caddie is long gone.

 

The Pantera:

 

pant1.JPG

 

After doing my Caddie, my neighbor bugged the crap out of me for two years to help him do his Pantera. He helped me basically refurbish my entire house, and we painted his Pantera. The color doesn't come over on the computer very well, but it is '69 Camaro "Hugger Orange". The Pantera was very straight to begin with, but we spent 6 months of weekends doing prep which was tons of blocking to get it lazer-straight. It came out quite nice. Better than my Caddie, actually.

 

After we painted it, my asked me if I'd help him to the engine compartment and I agreed. He pulled the motor and transaxle and had damn near everything polished. I spent about 4-5 weekends just making patch panels and/or welding up holes in the engine compartment. We shot it in a single stage black, and here are the results.

 

pant2.JPG

 

He still has it. On occasion, he takes it out and every Pantera owner asks him about the paint. Seems that they are all red, white, black or blue. The car is Ferrari fast, but I'm a big guy and don't fit into it very well. It's awesome, but too small for me :)

 

BTW, The Caddie and Pantera were mostly done at home. The Pantera door jams and engine compartment were done in my driveway. The local Jr College had a auto body class we took, only so we could use their paint booth. It was a crappy booth and if we prepped my garage, it would have been nicer :) My point is, this can be done by do-it-yourselfers and you don't need expensive high tech equipment.

 

Okay, back to my goon:

 

I noticed that the fenders didn't line up at all. I also noticed that the bolts that hold the fenders on were empty, and sheet metal screws were put into the areas between the bolt holes to hold the fenders on. That made me a little nervous, so I held my breath and yanked the fenders. Fortunately, the area under the fenders had been undercoated and there was no signs of rot or rust. It looked like the captive nuts that are used for the fender bolts were gone, so I tack-welded a couple of nuts on there for a temporary fix.

 

fen3.JPG

 

to be continued..

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That's it Fucker!!!!! One fender shot. WTF

 

I had seen pics of your caddie. But not the pantera VERY NICE.

 

Just hold on, fucker!!! The wife's outta town for the holidays, and I had to feed the dog and drag my fat ass into the shower..

 

When I removed the fender, I noticed the bottoms were also held on with a sheet metal screw and not a bolt. I also noticed that the bottoms of both fenders were in bad shape. I didn't pay it too much attention, but I noticed that the fender to body / cowl alignment was pretty bad. But, I slapped them back on thinking I could get replacement fender bottoms that are sold on ebay Australia later on down the road.

 

Anyway, fast forward to 6 weeks ago, and I'm sitting here with a shed full of parts I have gotten and I knew I needed to get started, so I yanked the fenders back off and had them media blasted just to see what I was working with. It wasn't pretty..

 

fender1.JPG

fender2.JPG

fender3.JPG

 

That is actually stucco in the third pic. I had it leaning up against my house on my outside bench and you can see the house very clearly right through the fender. Good times! Someone has filled up all that rot with bondo and painted right over it. They must have used a whole can of it just on the fenders. I don't know what kept it all on the fenders as there was no metal to speak of. Also, please note the stellar welding when the added the lower piece to the one fender :) There's only a few holes in the weld bead...

 

With the fenders off, I noticed the lower section of the A pillars looked suspiciously good and painted nicely. I didn't take any photos of the "before" but they were also full of bondo over the cancer in the sills and lower A pillar area. I just started grinding, (actually, a wire wheel on a die grinder) and was amazed at how much bondo was in there. I have seen worse, but it was a little disheartening to discover. Nonetheless, I started cutting it out and making repair panels. Here's what they looked like..

 

Front part of rocker panel:

 

sill1.JPG

 

Lower side of A pillar:

 

sill2.JPG

 

Lower front A pllar:

 

sill3.JPG

 

On the sill area, the bad metal was cutout and I vacuumed out the sill and coated the inside with two coats of POR-15. The large patch panels were made of .075" sheet metal (don't know the gauge off hand, but it much thicker than the stock panels) and the back of the patch panels were coated with weld-thru primer, and I've never had one rust back through.

 

The lower A pillar has some crazy complex curves, so I cut out as little as I could and made three different patch panels to retain the shape in that area. The lower fender covers it, but there was so much bondo in there, that is why the lower part of the fenders (on both sides) didn't fit correctly. If you look at the third pic, you see the side area I mentioned above, and it does retain the shape in the lower area. I made cardboard templates and clamped the metal to broom handles, dowels, and various things around my garage to form it into the shapes I needed. It wasn't fancy, BUT IT WAS RATSUN STYLE!

 

Both sides were nearly identical and the repairs are almost mirror images of each other. I have since stripped both rocker panels and have them primered with high-build primer surfacer. I will add a pic later.

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Wow! The Cad and Pantera look awesome.

Looks like you need a whole can of bondo for those fenders :D

 

Jun,

Thanks for the compliments.

 

I knew the fenders were junk and didn't even want to try to fix them. By looking at the side markers and logo, I thought they would be a direct swap with a USDM fender from '68-'69. So, where does one get early fenders? The 510 Keeper, of course! I called James and made the trek up to Sacramento and picked up a couple of wagon quarters and a pair of early fenders he had. (and if you're reading this James, THANK YOU!) James saves a lot of cars from the scrap heap, and he and Victory are THE BEST.

 

One of the fenders I got from James was missing the inside panel that goes up against the A pillar to keep water out. I have NO idea why anyone would remove that panel, but it was done cleanly, and James gave me a scrap fender to pull it from.

 

Here's a shot of the inner panel I put back in. I cleaned and coated the under part of the fender with POR-15, and also coated the backside of the panel, as well. The edges of the fender were a little distorted and need some attention, so I drilled a couple of holes and plug welded it to the fender skin. I think there are 4 or 5 welds total, and the factory used 2, so I'm sure it will hold :)

 

innerfen.JPG

 

Also, one of the new/used fenders has a small bad spot, so it was cut out and replaced with .035"

 

fenpatch.JPG

 

one more thing. I can REALLY do some stupid stuff. I keep a trashcan right next to my bench. When I was welding the patch panel in the fender, it was over the side of my bench, and right over my trashcan! Well, of course it caught fire, and I took me a while to notice it. I had to drag it outside to the hose and douse it to put it out.

 

Don't be a dumbass like me, please!

 

fire.JPG

 

to be continued...

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I thought that once I did the fender repairs and added the inner panel, I would be good to go. Not so. Turns out the Aussie side marker light and logo are unique to Australian 510's. (Don't know about JDM ones)

 

The side marker looks like a '69, but it is apparently longer, and is placed back about an inch on the fender. I originally elongated the hole towards the back of the fender, but the front of the marker ran over the recessed body line and looked stupid. In addition, the holes for the logo are the same, but they are more forward and ran into the marker. arrgghhh.. The solution was to move the entire mounting for the light and logo back about an inch.

 

The first fender I did, I carefully measured and cut out what I needed. It was just okay, and the logo didn't sit well in the holes. I imagine that was due to drill drift and other variables.

 

The second one I did, I actually cut out the section I needed from the original fender, and used it as a template.

 

Here's a photo of the template: (put up for photo after the fact)

 

newfentemp.JPG

 

Here's a photo after the work was done. I moved the marker hole back and made a patch panel to cover some of the original marker hole. All the original holes are welded and ground off.

 

newfen2.JPG

 

Here it is with the marker and logo in their new home:

 

newfen1.JPG

 

I really wanted to keep the marker and logo since they are (apparently) unique to Australia. In hindsight, it might have been easier to source a pair of USDM marker lights from '69, but this turned out okay.

 

What I love about metal, is that the first fender I wasn't terribly happy with, so I welded up the holes and cut a template from the other fender. I am now happy with the results on both fenders.

 

Here's the driver's side test-fitted to the goon. It is SO much better than the one I took off. The panel gap is pretty damn consistent and matches the gap between the doors, and the cowl gap is much better, too. A lot of work, but I'm a happy guy. Now that the bondo is gone, the damn things fit like they should!

 

fenfit.JPG

 

fenfit1.JPG

 

fenfit2.JPG

 

Whew! I'm exhausted! I won't be giving so much detail as I go, but that's where I am today, 12/30/11. I don't know how fast I will progress, but I will keep you updated. It is easier for me to work on the car compared to editing these pics and posting here, but I will try.

 

Happy New Years! -mark

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Aussie 510s use standard fenders and standard side-light lenses (USA uses non-standard side-lights). The fender light is the same as the short B10 Datsun 1000 one (not the longer one).

 

I think there are no AUS-unique parts except for the light switch. Side lights are same as JDM, and front/rear same as EUR.

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Dang Mark.....lookin' good. Love that Caddy and the matching Tele. Gonna bring the goon to Williams next year?

 

Thanks Kelly.

 

Probably won't get the goon to Williams this year. I only have so many hours per week to work on it, and sometimes you just have to take a breather.

 

I may just come up in my truck and have a nice weekend in the mountains with some cool Datsuns. I think some more of my local buds are going to go next time, too.

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Woah just blew my mind with this one. That engine bay, wow! I am giddy at what might be in store for this thread.

 

Stay tuned Fisch. This dude is anal when it come to his cars. :o

 

Nice job Duncan. This is getting really good. More pics is more betta.. :lol:

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Fuck me..

 

I was working on getting the driver's side fender mounted today and was having a bit of difficulty getting the bottom to fit flush with the rocker panel. While checking it out, I discovered another bondo bog hole..

 

easy fix, but I was hoping to be through with this for (at least) a short while..

 

hole.JPG

holefix.JPG

holefix1.JPG

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This is great, Mark. Glad to have a build thread on your goon. And by the looks of your previous projects (and your Sunny) this Australian wagon is in great hands. At least now you will (reluctantly?) know every inch of it :D I will be watching.

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Thanks guys. I appreciate the kind words.

 

Phun w/ Phloors!

 

I knew I had a little issue with the floors on the passenger side. I imagine I will have the same with the drivers side.

 

What I didn't expect was to see bondo in the floors!

 

flr.JPG

 

They weren't too bad, really, but I couldn't believe the bondo.. I cut the bad stuff away and will make some patch panels for it.

 

flr1.JPG

 

I also cut away some select spots on the toe board and got it ready for new metal. (no pic) I

 

Ive never been too deep into an old Nissan before, and was noticing how they have different layers of sheet metal spot welded together with little to no protection between the different layers. I know they were an inexpensive car, and I see why they were prone to rust :(

 

Quick question: Does anyone have a good way to remove that glued-on sound deadener/insulation on the floors? That stuff is a p.i.t.a. I was using a chisel and a hammer with limited success, and was wondering if there might be a better way. Thanks!

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that's the way. Some people have used dry ice to freeze it. When welding up floor pans clean both sides. The undercoating catches on fire. So does the sound Deadner . Contaminates and welds come out like poop.

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Mark.

Did you try a scotch brite pad on an air grinder. I don't know if it will do the job for you but I've used it many times at the shop to remove crap before welding.

 

I also have a rubber like deal that we have used for deburring parts. If ya want I'll bring a couple to the Mo Valley meet.

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Mark.

Did you try a scotch brite pad on an air grinder. I don't know if it will do the job for you but I've used it many times at the shop to remove crap before welding.

 

I also have a rubber like deal that we have used for deburring parts. If ya want I'll bring a couple to the Mo Valley meet.

 

Thanks John,

Cleaning it prior to welding isn't too much of a big deal, it's getting that insulation / sound deadening crap off that is very tedious. Looks like my chisel-hammer-scraper method is the way to do it. I'll try some chemical treatments on the glue residue once I get most of it off.

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.

a few pics from the Nor-Cal meet on April 23rd 2010:

 

 

Thanks for the photos, Indy. That was a nice trip. I was going to bring my Sunny, but it rained on my day to travel up there, and the Sunny is a fair-weather car only. Maybe this year the weather will cooperate.

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