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Billet dash control knobs.


mrbigtanker

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Matt asked about getting them made for the 521 truck guys. Datrod has agreed to make them. How ever I told him to find a cost for him to do them, and then take deposits and a minimum will have to be made. They will be pretty much just like the factory ones except billet and anodized.

 

Fan

Headlight

Wipers

Hazards will be in red.

 

Please respond if you want a set.

 

 

He will make them like the ones I got which are of 70's style.

 

 

These knobs will be as close to the stock knob as I can get. Only better. Cause made in America...

 

 

I will get to them this weekend and send MBT pictures first so we're on the same page.  Your price is better than I expected, so I'm definitely in for a set.  Are you interested at all in doing a run of heater control levers?  They tend to break, being plastic, so I'm sure there is a market as well, but they aren't round/conical like the other knobs.

 

 

The point is that we are trying to get quality, better-than-oem-but-styled-like-oem, replacement parts for originals that are old, plastic, & cracked/broken.  We're not talking about billet chrome flaming skulls here...

 

 

 

Here you go guys. This what they will look like minus they will be an exact duplicate of the 521/520 knobs. And Mike when you can find sets of these along with your Unicorns let us know. If you don't want don't buy. Matt asked me and I am trying tho get this going if the guys want it and John makes them. No money really to be made here. Just helping the community.

 

By the way Datrod made these for 510's This is in his Wagon.

 

 

Can we confirm that these will be pretty much exactly like the stock knobs in size & shape?

 

 

Sweeties let him have time to get it together and we will go from there. If he does it I promise you will like it.

 

 

And I might have to simplify the engraving on the knobs,

 

 

What's the cost difference between "just like original" vs "simplified" engraving on the knobs? I'd really prefer them to look just like stock - might be a deal breaker for me if they don't. I'm really not trying to be a PITA,but...

 

As for the cig lighter, I can send you mine to decide if you like, but again it is an early style engraving (I personally don't care too much about that discrepancy). I'd also prefer this to attach like stock. It would just need to be an 8-32 stud coming out, so all the knob would need is a centered 8-32 hole.

 

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All I can tell you is they will be as close to stock as I can get. Impossible for them to look original, First thing is they will not be concaved on the face like stock.

You have to realize they made millions of these things by injection molding plastic. Then did some kind of silk screen on the face of it.

 

I'm going to make a hand full out of aluminum. Whole different ball game. You can't get the OEM knobs so these will be a nice replacement. BUT NOT OEM!!!!!!

 

I'm not going to waste my time if they are not going to sell.

 

I guess I'm on the fence now. I really want them to be replicas of the stock knobs, but I understand not being able to do that without raising the cost considerably, possibly to the point you won't have enough buyers to make it worth the time. I'd be willing to pay more for them to be like stock, but I know others might not.

 

 

 

Let him make them. they will look just like stock but better.

 

 

What do you mean originial ? If thats the case I will tell him nevermind on them then. It was said in the begining that they will be very close and you insigated this idea or asked for them, so I will tell him to drop it. Its not worth the time and energy, besides if I need them he can make for me only. No loss. 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, though...

 

All I can tell you is they will be as close to stock as I can get. Impossible for them to look original, First thing is they will not be concaved on the face like stock.

You have to realize they made millions of these things by injection molding plastic. Then did some kind of silk screen on the face of it.

 

I'm going to make a hand full out of aluminum. Whole different ball game. You can't get the OEM knobs so these will be a nice replacement. BUT NOT OEM!!!!!!

 

I'm not going to waste my time if they are not going to sell.

 

I guess I'm on the fence now. I really want them to be replicas of the stock knobs, but I understand not being able to do that without raising the cost considerably, possibly to the point you won't have enough buyers to make it worth the time. I'd be willing to pay more for them to be like stock, but I know others might not.

 

 

 

Let him make them. they will look just like stock but better.

 

 

What do you mean originial ? If thats the case I will tell him nevermind on them then. It was said in the begining that they will be very close and you insigated this idea or asked for them, so I will tell him to drop it. Its not worth the time and energy, besides if I need them he can make for me only. No loss. 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, though...

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Matt its not a arguemnet, he was going to make them just like stock except the engraving would be more generic and it would not have the concave on the front, it would of been flat. If John still makes them I will have him post it. Maybe other people will want them. He just got all of sudden very busy which is good so he needs time to make one. 

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That's fine. Basically I was hoping for just like stock and that doesn't sound like it will happen, and I understand why. I know it's more difficult/time consuming/expensive. I wasn't asking for them to be done within any time frame, nor was I asking for them to be cheap (which I think I said a couple times). I may still be interested, just not sure, that's all.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Did this really die? I've been waiting for updates. I am definitely interested in a set. Of course, the closer to stock the better but, anything close to it will be sufficient in my book. Especially for something that won't crack over time, I'm not complaining. Keep this idea going! Many of us 521s will appreciate it! 

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They will be done in a week or so. I have them on the mill putting the hole in the side, Then off to anodize. For now I'm only making them for headlight, wiper and fan. I might do the hazard down the road.

Just have to see if you guys like my workmanship.

 

Pics soon. And prices.

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Datrod your workmanship has never been questioned.  You sir are a skilled machinist that have helped many Datsuns stay alive!  Are you anodizing them black?

 

Choke, hazard, and cigarette lighter knobs maybe in the future?

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Datrod your workmanship has never been questioned.  You sir are a skilled machinist that have helped many Datsuns stay alive!  Are you anodizing them black?

 

Choke, hazard, and cigarette lighter knobs maybe in the future?

So charlie i tried looking at the cig lighter but how does it come off?

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Charlie. Yes they will be anodized black then we will engrave a headlight, fan, wiper on the face of them. They will be killer looking when done.

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I was inquiring about these because of my NL320/L320, if you think good examples of 520/521 series knobs are hard to come by, a set of 320 knobs in good condition hardly exist.

I just tried a 521 knob on my 320 and the hole for mounting is to large, 320 knobs screw on to the threaded switch shafts, and not all the shafts are the same size either, it would be a pain to deal with.

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I was just asking about the cigarette lighter for other people, I do not smoke and I am shaving the ash tray hole in my 520 dash top.  I will look and see if I have a cigarette lighter knob around here.  I passed a bunch of my stuff on to flat cat a while back.  If I do find one Datrod I will PM you for an address to ship it to.  I will donate it to get you a sample to work with.

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