Newbie questions

[jcard]

Hello all, I'm new here. I have a 1972 Datsun 521 pickup. It was my parent's car; I was there at the dealer the day they purchased it. I still have the little owner's book

and somewhere the bill of sale. It has at last glance some 156k original miles. It's been pretty much babied for the last 13 years since my dad passed and it was garaged

until two months ago. Sadly my garage space, while a 2 car garage doesn't allow two cars in presently. I will cover it during the scalding heat of summer. The old girl runs

quite well on the whole.

 

My dad had put on a small shell which is still on it. I plan to keep the truck as stock as possible. The only modifications I plan are substituting the vinyl flooring with carpet

( but I will keep the vinyl ) and I plan to add two after market gauges ( tach and oil pressure)  tastfully under the dash to the left of the steering wheel. Id like to add a double din nav-dvd-bluetooth system below the dash as well ( The original radio still functions but as it is AM only it isn't very useful. ) The oil pressure gauge is a mechanical type.

I have a steel '"tee" adapter to allow the use of the existing pressure light and my new gauge. The tee has original BPT male / female threads and one SAE male

section to accept my new oil pressure line. I'm planning to use copper tubing.

 

My first questions are these:

• Where and how is the best and safest way to tap into the instrument lighting switched circuit ( +) to power the new gauges lighting?
• Where and how is the best and safest way to tap into the switched power (+ ) for the tachometer?

I'm leery about just cutting and splicing wiring without being positive it's the best way. I will fuse everything practical. I'm going to use soldered splices

heat shrinked as I've read uncomplimentary things about the so-called vampire connectors.

 

Hopefully I've not bored anyone with my beginner questions. Just a point, in my past I've owned ( new ) 1973 Datsun 240z - retired after 296,000 miles in 1985

a 1981 Datsun 510 wagon - destroyed in 1988 in a rear end collision ( ~77,000 miles) and last but not least a 1967 1/2 Datsun 1600 roadster purchased in 1988 with an indetermninate amount of mileage as the speedometer wasn't functional but sold after 11 years with 160,000+ ( started at ~99,000) - I did a LOT of

work on this one! ) . So I'm not new to Datsuns....

 

Thanks for reading this.

 

Jerry

[datzenmike]

Welcome aboard Jerry. We have a huge 520/521 following here and I'm a past owner of a 5 year old '71 myself. Looking forward to some pictures of her. I know others will ask.

 

I have in the past simply used the switched +12 volt power source for the tach to run the lights too. So they are on during the day, so what? you won't notice it. This means you only need to splice one wire. Run a wire out to the fuse box and connect to the W terminal It will have a Blue/Red stripe wire on one end of the fuse. This is the 15 amp line for the heater and wiper and is only on with the ignition.

[wayno]

Welcome :)

[DanielC]

There are four wires under the ashtray.

You have a ground, an always hot, a hot with the key in run and accessory position, and a hot with lights on.

 

 

 

[laotsu]

There are four wires under the ashtray.

You have a ground, an always hot, a hot with the key in run and accessory position, and a hot with lights on.

 

 

 

fucking brilliant engineering that.

[jcard]

There are four wires under the ashtray.

You have a ground, an always hot, a hot with the key in run and accessory position, and a hot with lights on.

 

 

 

 

 

DanielC thanks for that. I took a peek this morning and I see wires as you mentioned although mine are slightly different in color. I can figure out

which one is which with a meter. Jerry

[mrbigtanker]

Jerry first off you own the finest truck in the world and you parents have good taste. Second post some pics of this truck inside outside under the hood under your hood.[just kidding]. Lets see it,Between Mike and the rest of us guys here there is all the help and parts if you need here to keep the old girl going.

 

Were in California are you located.So i can take it.lol

 

Ray

[jcard]

I'd like to post a few photos but as a new member I don't believe I'm allowed to yet right?

 

Jerry

[datzenmike]

You are totally clear and encouraged to do so.

[DanielC]

You do not host pictures on Ratsun, you have to use another photo hosting website.  Some use photobucket, as I do but I really not all that thrilled with it.   But I keep using it, because that is where I started, when it was not so much a pain in the #$$.

 

Then you paste the img code into Ratsun, and photos appear.

[jcard]

Here are a a photo of the old girl...not sure how to put in multiple images. Kept overlaying previous. I'll learn...

 

[wayno]

Nice truck, looks like it might have Datsun mirrors. :)

[Charlie69]

Dam that is a nice 521.  Dry it off and get it back in the garage!

[jcard]

[wayno]

Yep, they look like Datsun mirrors to me, is there a stamp between the upper ribs saying "Datsun"?

 

[Eomund]

Damn nice truck. Can't wait to see the interior and engine shots.

 

Oh, and just a note, you can post multiple pics by just copy pasting the code. If your using photobucket, just copy that code and paste it in a post. You can post pretty much as you want in a single post.

[Charlie69]

Buff the paint out and have the shell painted to match.  Throw some pin stripping on it and enjoy it.

[jcard]

Yes there is a Datsun stamp on the mirrors. I'll add more phoos soon. The truck is well used, nicks and dings acquired from my dad's use.

On the right side are several dings my dad did. He had a very large very stout workbench in his garage( he built it ) and had one or two

drawers out and he manged to scrap the side in a couple of places. I've considered have the damage repaired but it's all "character".

Sadly that workbench didn't survive my move, I wanted it as much as the truck but there was no way to move it under the time constraints

I had and little space to put it where it was going to go.

 

The bed has some rust, the cab is ok, dash ctacked but I have an OEM replacement I can put in. The vinyl seat upholstery seems intact albeit a bit dirty

but also mostly covered with aftermarket  raggedy seat covers- again I have replacement cover. I have the the original package shelf and speaker

but I recently removed them while trying to pick a spot to mount my new auxillary sound system.

 

The engine compartment is a bit dirty, come sommer I'll wash it out. My dad was a HAM and had a mobile 2 meter rig install so he ammended thge wiring a bit.

One last thing- the firewall had cracked and broken around the accellerator pedal. I bolted in a thicker plate to restore strength to the area.

 

Jerry

[wayno]

Cracked around the gas pedal mount, lead foot huh :lol:

 

That's what happened to me also when I had an L16, I was always floored, and I would push harder and harder trying to make it go faster, it's a psychological thing I guess.

[DanielC]

This is pretty common on 521 trucks.  If you adjust the throttle cable too tight, it puts torque on the firewall where the gas pedal pivot is.  You either need to loosen the throttle cable slightly, or adjust the throttle pedal stop up, so the pedal mount is not put under a lot of stress.

[wayno]

I just needed to quit pressing so hard. :lol:

This is pretty common on 521 trucks.  If you adjust the throttle cable too tight, it puts torque on the firewall where the gas pedal pivot is.  you either need to loosen the throttle cable slightly, or adjust the throttle pedal stop up, so the pedal mount is not put under a lot of stress.

[Charlie69]

Here are a a photo of the old girl...not sure how to put in multiple images. Kept overlaying previous. I'll learn...

 

after pasting the image code I hit the enter key 2 times and then copy and paste another image code.  This leaves a space between pictures.

[jcard]

Getting back to the wiring. First time I've had a chance to look at it since first taking a peek and my setup appears different. I'm assuming at this point, DanielC that you

put those bullet connectors on your wiring? What I see when I look through the opening are what seems to be the wires going to the heater control and one

going to the original radio.

 

The first three yellow/red, yellow./ green, yellow/ black( perhaps blue) and blue/white. Nothing visible that even remotly looks like your example.

 

I'll take on just about anything mechanical but I tread really carefully with wiring. I've seen what a car battery can do when not treated with respect.

Ain't purrty...

 

Jerry

[jcard]

Oh thank heavens for vintage connections!

 

I made a short intermediary cable between my wiring harness and the light control switch. integral to the connectors I

wanted to use I crimped in additional wires with bullet connectors ( vintage types of course) so now when I turn on

my lamps my new gauges' lamps behave like all  the rest...

 

My tachometer lets me see for the first time just what that little mill is doing.

 

All I have left is to run a copper oilline from engine to gauge and I'm happy.

 

I think I might switch to led lamp for all my instruments at some point. I bookmarked the thread here and I like

the brightness. After that it's building a sling to mount my new sound system under dash and put in the carpet

when it shows up and that's all the mods I plan to make.

 

And at no time so far did I have to fire up any milling machine or lathe...!

 

Jerry