[WagDatto]

My full build, with a few more details and pictures through it all can be found here: http://zilvia.net/f/...-ka-datsun.html

So.. My name's Sean, and I'm a lurker...

"Hi Sean!"

About two years ago, my older brother and I swapped a KA24DE into his 2 door, and it was a ton of fun, I learned a lot, and I got the Datsun bug! Before he started his project, the plan was to modify the 1972 Wagon he reacquired. He wanted a 2 door, though, so I bought this puppy for 700 bones.




She'd taken some abuse in her life, and needed plenty of work. Once we finally got some parts together for her, it was time for surgery. Out with the old, clunky L18 and 4 speed. The motor was on the last legs of its life, and a 4 speed... Need I say more? I'm one of the youngsters that has no respect for these old mechanisms.

I bought an S14 KA24DE from a good friend of my brother's, with the tranny. Met a buddy for MAF, ECU and harness, and called it a day! I started cleaning everything up and doing my homework to find what I needed to get this swap on the road.




While I was working for Fender Bender Intl (the truck guys will know what I'm talking about), I took advantage of the sand blasting and powdercoating services while I could. 280zx front struts, reversed crossmember, modified T/C Rods, Control Arms, etc, etc got a cleaning and coating to make it all nice and shiny where you'll never see it anyway. While the 'bay was empty, I sanded it down and used a spray can truck bed lining; the $3.00 NAPA version! Turned out really durable and looks great IMO, too!





I traded my old motor/tranny for a set of BRE front fenders, new valence with spook spoiler and rear BRE flares. The rear flares are still kind of a work in progress, as flaring anything with 4 doors is a pain and I dont want to deal with it yet. I sat the motor in and swapped on a candy apple red, powdercoated valve cover.





Then comes the part where my brother thinks his Hayashi's would better suit my 510 than his S13. Who am I to deny him?!




Fast forward a bit, deal with interior stuff that I didn't document too well, and wiring bits that my brother had to deal with. Shot of me installing Rabbit radiator.



Hmmm... Fuel delivery, what to do. 2/4 doors have a nice flat spot on their fuel tank which makes installing a 240sx sending unit/pump easy as cake. Wagon owners get the bone on this one. Screw it, stainless steel cell? Sure!


Marty bending up some brackets for it:


I wouldn't get my fuel cell for a while, though, it was put on the backburner when business picked up at FBI for the guys. No biggy, at this point, my car wasnt nearly ready for it yet!

Bandwagon guy, here, I guess. Loved the look of Ratsun LONG before I knew it was the Ratsun look. What's this? (PS. Not my idea to cut a giant hole in the hood for a 280zx scoop. But better than the subaru scoop that was on it before!)


Zoom out, show the hard work:





Exhaust. KA's like to breathe, from what I've read. Give them an intake and exhaust (2.5"-3" max for N/A) and they'll open right up with the powerband! Ebay headers worked wonders for my brother's 510 when we did it, so I got the same ones. Stainless 4-2-1: 2.5" outlet with a super-beefy flange. For those that read my posts before, the original output flange was hitting the floor of the car, so it needed to be cut short for exhaust shop to do the rest. Otherwise, the flange for the block will NOT bolt on correctly.

Also, I did have some steering box clearance issues. Muffler shop heated up my headers and bent them in a bit to move it all away from the steering box.





I attacked my old grille and headlight bezels (black paint) with some paint stripper, brillo pads and steel wool. Them things cleaned right up! Add in some new HID housings and ballasts, and I've got a fresh new look!



http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb86/essdeezy87/03-03-08_1320.jpg

Back to the fuel cell. Got it all welded up. Had a hole laser cut for the sending unit, and it worked out perfect. He added in a small baffle, too. Before anybody mentions it, YES I do have starving issues when I'm low on gas and it sloshes on harder turns. It'll be addressed at some point, but unless I'm super low, it's not a big deal. The filler tube was positioned so that it can use the stock rubber hose (after it got cut down!). The sending unit is directly under the stock viewing window deal in the cargo area, too.


http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb86/essdeezy87/02-27-08_1119.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb86/essdeezy87/02-27-08_1120.jpg

Short intake run behind passenger headlights. It's a tight fit, and using the mushroom filter was my only choice because of the materials we used. Fits perfect!

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb86/essdeezy87/02-28-08_1050.jpg

Finally got her on a trailer to take it to get exhaust done! The first run we had, they put on a custom Flowmaster (fart cannon SHAPE, which Flowmaster does NOT usually make!). However, once the car fired for the first time, we realized how effing loud it was! It later got swapped for a better muffler.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb86/essdeezy87/IMG_1027.jpg

The first fan is on (running two now because I thought there was a cooling issue, which turned out to be heater valve related.. DOH!) the radiator, intake is plumbed and exhaust is run... Starting to look like an engine bay!

Well, the time came to fire it up. Our whole check list had come down to putting gas in the tank and turning the key! We decided to try to video tape the first start. Wanna hear it?

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=HUXsU-SPbhY

Yeah, not so good. When I bought the motor from our friend, he had removed the distributor for some reason. Timing was off a bit. No big deal, we devised a plan to video tape it AGAIN after it fired and SAY we got it on the first shot!!

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tInc58JdaY0

GREAT SUCCESS! The timing was still a bit off at that point, so it was a little rumbly... But it ran! A quick clip of the old exhaust, though, and you'll understand why it needed to be changed:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=9e-Q-brvNAI

A little scary sounding, sure, but more impractical than spending all my time and money on a 40 year old station wagon. Oh wait....

Dynamax made the noisiness go away, and replaced it with a deep rumble. I dig it:

Revs
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=5S3CUvuoPU0
Slamming some gears:
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tklHh9dK0nE

So.. That brings up a fun story. Being egged on to go throw smoke from my "friends" on zilvia.net, my brother and I head out to the old shop to swing some donuts. I'm pretty fresh off the build, and know I've got some axle wrap due to the extra torque and 2" lowering blocks, but why not, right? At the time, too, I should mention, I had a welded diff because roadster LSD's are pricey and I'm broke.

We get out there, and I go first:
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=juNp4upgkAA

Mind you, after it broke, I was pretty sure I knew what'd happened.... So I look at smiling Mr. Camera Man (aka MY BROTHER) and he motions to do a burnout cuz he's filming and doesn't want to waste a shot. Why not, I rev and burn and know it's not quite right, which confirms that I broke an axle shaft.

This post has been edited by fisch: 15 April 2009 - 04:53 PM
Reason for edit: Title change request

[WagDatto]

Ah well, no worries. I've since taken OUT the welded diff until I get some suspension work done (still in progress, though much closer to putting on the new leaf springs now!!). Carnage pics of bent splines and shattered shaft:




After that got replaced, I'd been letting this wagon sit out front of my parent's house. We live in a nice neighborhood with nice people and nice cars. My poor wagon was 16 different colors of paint, it's noisy (still is, note the IS), and it smells (again, IS) like it's running just rich enough to backfire.. which it does. I felt bad, because they hadn't said a thing about it, but I knew they didn't like the way it looked. They went out of town for the weekend, and I set to work. My YOUNGER brother, this time, was the one giving me a hand. I wanted the BRE fenders up front because my stockers were hideous and just weren't cool enough for me. Plus, I had the rising sun hood to put on, and I love red/white cars. TWO TONE!!! I spent about 2 hours in the afternoon with my little brother, masking, unbolting, spray canning and cleaning up the look of the 'Goon. About $20 later, the car was presentable enough for me, and it looks about the same today.

BEFORE:

AFTER:



I finally got around to setting up a meet/greet/cruise type event, and got a decent amount of people to come out. Had a great time getting to know people, and taking some pictures. My older brother came to take some pics with his better camera, too, which gave me some of the better shots of my car that I have.






Following that, I attended one of the swap meets hosted by Gino. When I got there, I was stoked to be invited to park right out front of the action because, and I quote, "your wagon is hella clean, just park it right in front of the house." Put a smile on my face, thanks again if you're reading this! It was a blast, I got to meet a TON of cool people and pick up/get rid of some parts. All-in-all, the 'Goon received some love, people thought it looked good, and the fact that I made it from Sacramento to Lathrop and back was awesome, considering it was the longest trip it'd been on!!




Which brings us up to speed with now, I guess...

I got led around in circles at the leafspring shop I chose to use. They kept upping the price every time we talked, it took months to do a one/two week job, and I never got the bushings they promised. I'm just NOW getting ready to put the lower/stiffer springs on my car, though it was almost 8 MONTHS ago that I dropped the springs off at their shop. I settled for OEM rubber bushings that I literally picked up from Nissan this morning, though in the next month or so, I'll be getting poly bushings in. I've also been considering a panhard bar to keep the axle from doing its own thing, though we'll see what happens when the new springs go in.

Worth it? We'll see:


Also in the works are new shocks; front and rear. I'm stuck deciding whether or not I REALLY want the Tokiko Illumina's. Anything more affordable out there that still has adequate damping for someone looking for a bit of performance driving? KYB AGX's? Feel free to toss some ideas to me. Right now, the stock shocks on the 280zx struts and some cheap KYB's in rear just aren't cutting it for me. I use 300# springs up front, if that makes any difference.

I've toyed with the interior, too. I have 1992 BMW 3 series seats up front, stock seat in back, new carpet kit for passenger areas, and a custom (yours truly) indoor/outdoor carpet kit in the cargo area.




Oh, just a reminder for those that are swapping motors... REPLACE YOUR STOCK RUBBER MOUNTS!! They're almost 40 years old, and too much of a good thing can sometimes be bad (in this case, torque).

This post has been edited by WagDatto: 15 January 2009 - 03:36 AM

[Bob3]

NICE WORK! :thumbsup: I need to get me a Goon Soon!

[]2eDeYe]

Hi Sean

Nice goon, great story

[bonvo]

sweet looking goon man

[WagDatto]

Thanks for the words, guys, it makes building a car way more rewarding when you hear other people (who have been around the block a few times!) tell me I've been doing it right.

I have some plans in the works for this thing, though. I brought it up with inline4 last night, so I figure I'll spill the beans to the rest of you. KA24DE-R, anybody? No, not a typo, I don't mean DE-T, because that would be turbo. Nissan's "letter classification" R means supercharged. It's been done on a handful of 240sx's, and one datsun roadster auto-x car that I know of.

My horsepower goals aren't enormous, which is why I think the s/c would fit my build perfectly. Straight out of the box, people are getting 200-250hp, and with some modification and lowering compression, I'm hearing 300-350 before you run into issues. Instant boost, tons of torque and plenty of power should make a super fun ride!

Also, I mentioned it in a post above, but it's hidden between walls of text and photos, so I'll ask again. Shocks. I use 280zx struts with 8" 300# springs up front, and I'll have stiffened/lowered leafs in back. I want shocks that will not only feel good, but more importantly, work well with this setup. I've heard tell that Illumina's aren't all they're cracked up to be. What are people using, what are you using it for, and what are your impressions?

[WagDatto]

So I've started spending money again. SR injectors are on the way. I've got a guy who's going to sell me the Eaton m62 supercharger off an Xterra. The same guy has a new Fidanza 11lb flywheel and Unorthodox Racing lightweight crank pulley that I'm talking to him about. Less rotating mass means free'er revs and more powah! I've got to send money tonight for the SAFC Neo from a buddy of mine. Last thing on my list, i think, is an AEM Wideband to monitor A/F on the go, and a boost gauge to keep an eye on things.

This weekend, I'm installing my leaf springs (finally!!) and finishing up my alarm system so that I'll have keyless entry and working door locks!!! Pics to follow.

[mklotz70]

Hey Sean,
I see the hood on the wall....which confirmed for me that you're the guy that had the flamed, black 521 doing the 3 wheelin on youtube. I think it was actually on FBI's site? Anyway....we talked about you finding another frame....guess that never happened

Love the wagon

[WagDatto]

The guy with the hood on the wall is actually my older brother, Phil (the gen. manager of FBI). I'm the taller, more athletic brother, and he's the better looking one.

He has a bed in his sideyard, the cab in his garage, and the frame on a frame table at our buddy's house awaiting modification. The old frame WAS haggard, though. Dragged to the point of breaking in the front. Good times! It'll be a long project for him, he's modifying his Q45 VIP style, which he got from a trade for his SR20 RHD S13... which he got from trading his KA 510 2 door. And he got the 2 door because I bought the wagon.

Hooray for explanations, thanks for the love.

Phil roasting my wheels/tires, after I just broke my wagon.
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=GYq289bySQY

[mklotz70]

yep...Phil rings a bell I tried to hook him up with Pac's 521 for a frame at the time. That's been a couple of years now.

Cool vids

[WagDatto]

Alllllllright, so I FINALLY paid for a few things today. I've just kind of been waiting on a motor to be able to start mocking up the supercharger, and I think I'm going to pick up a motor this weekend from a buddy of mine. I have injectors, wideband, SAFC, and will soon have (hopefully by the weekend?) the supercharger, lightweight fidanza flywheel and lightened Unorthodox Racing crank pulley to help free up a little extra power and free'er revs.

I'm not really in a rush to get the motor dropped in, but I am excited to get started working! I'm just going to do a light refresher on the new KA to make sure it's kosher for boost. Better headgasket, ARP head studs, reseal oil pan, etc. Just a bit better than stock, right?

I did put the new leafsprings on, HOWEVER I lost the cable from my phone to PC link, so until I find that, I can't post pictures. If I don't find it soon, I'll email them to myself, which will be a big pain in my ass.

I got in the window visors (thanks dreamers_vault!) and put them on. I was worried that the wagon's cargo windows would make the visors look kinda funny, but I'm stoked. I think that it gives the car a new look, and I'm a fan! Again, pics will come. I can open my windows on the freeways without blasting the inside of my car with buffetting air now!

I snagged a couple of really small videos today driving back from my welding class, and the sound is good enough to get a feel for a good, hearty KA 510.

http://s208.photobuc...nt=MOV-0001.flv
http://s208.photobuc...nt=MOV-0002.flv

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Hey man kool thread. Just scanned all the pix & vids. Your wagon is coming out nice too.

[WagDatto]

Thanks! Body work and paint are kind of on the end of my list of things to do. I'd love to get it done, I just really only have time and money for small projects right now. Plus, I don't have another car to drive, so leaving it at a shop for a while isn't something I can get away with.

I think it looks fine for what it is, hell... maybe even a little BETTER than what it is! As far as how practical it is, I'm pleasantly surprise that I (knock on wood!) haven't had any major problems that weren't my fault besides a bad starter here and there.

[b210in]

great thread and thanks for the pics.

[Bleach]

"Hi Sean"

[WagDatto]

If there's one thing I LOVE about build threads it's the pictures. A well-documented thread about everything you did makes it easy to go back and figure out if it was wrong, improve it, or do it the same on the next one. Plus, it's how I learned a lot of what I've done, is by looking at OTHER people's threads and pictures and taking it from there. Just trying to pass that along.

Hiiiii, Bleach.

[fisch]

Nice goon man! I really like the rattle can job. Rock'n!

[WagDatto]

Hey, I'm not sweating it! Especially with body work planned for it, I'd be dumb to give it a nice job! I'll be fine spending $5 on touch ups when I get a scratch or it starts to fade rather than a few hundo for a cheap paint job.

[fisch]

Dood I meant it! I really do dig that paint. I like how the red travels up the airdam to the rising sun. I like how it comes up a little higher on the front fender. It balances very well. Very, very cool design.

[WagDatto]

If I'm honest, the fenders and lip are from a BRE car, I just filled in the stripes and carried them back and around the body line.