Madness Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 (edited) This is my 1971 Datsun 521 I bought the truck a while back... October I think. Well kinda traded it. My buddy troy found the truck on craigslist and traded a busted dirt bike for it. I liked it but it wasn't the truck for him. I tried to get a price out of him for about a week and finally he said he would trade to to me for a 620... if I could ever find one in decent condition. Sure enough we found on in a junk yard that still ran, troy drove it home. Not to long after I started collecting parts and doing a ton of research, that's how I found this site. More of what everyone wants... (You've probably already seen them) Old interior. Looked like it had been re done in the last 10 or 15 years. The bad I'm going to try to do everything myself on this truck. Recently I opened a Mini Truckin magazine and noticed that not too often do people with show trucks actually do the work to them. What few pictures I have of recent progress Interior progress Blank panel Chalked and sewn suede 1/2 scrim... The machine I'm using Finished panel Gauge cluster. Metal flake copper needles. Clear coated gray plastic. Black metal flake trim. Grey glass. This is the first time I've ever done interior and it probably wont be the first time it will be my first time :rolleyes: This is turning out to be a really fun project. Edited February 19, 2009 by Madness Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Nice Truck. The truck looks to have a good body on it. The floor is repairable. I like the work you did on the door panels and the instrument cluster looks like new! Are you going to do the kick panels to match the door panels? Great truck and progress. Quote Link to comment
tyson Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 I bought a mirror just like that 8 years ago at a swap meet at Bandimere speedway, if I can find it you can have it for your pass side. I hope I still have it somewhere, it's painted baby blue but you could sand blast it for sure. Quote Link to comment
Pacific coast Datsun Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Yours is one of my fav. 521's on this site. It has a real old school look to it. The interior is clean too! Where did you find the high beam light covers ? Keep the pix coming. Quote Link to comment
nukeday Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 I agree with PacCoast. Very tasteful, retro and nicely done. Your door panels are really nice! Quote Link to comment
djlotus Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Amazing panels. I am digging everything about this truck. Quote Link to comment
Rubberman Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Madness, I luv your truck. That color is what I'm painting my KC 620, or at least close, Mtn. Fuji blue. Probably alittle darker than yours. I've got a question about your door panels, which look great, after sewing the panel, it doesn't look like the finished product. Is that plastic around the top and where the handles are? Can you go into more detail on getting to the finished panel. Thanks Quote Link to comment
dat521kid Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 madness i've told ypu berfore and i'll tell you again, i love your truck. the color the whitewalls and now the door panels. very sweet.. i would like a sideview mirror like that its sweet... i agree with mark, where did you get those covers? Quote Link to comment
Madness Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I really wish I had taken more pictures when I was doing the door panels. The outer "plastic" part is black sparkle vinyl with 1/4 inch headliner material behind it. I glued down the suede with the 1/2 inch scrim and tried to feather out the thickness... basicly. The 1/4 inch headliner material was cut with a half inch or so between it and the suede so I could have a nice flat spot to put my trim. Then I cut the vinyl to hug the suede and glued that down. Then I put my 3M chrome trim in that flat spot that I made which is actually pretty flexible. The 2 chrome pieces at the bottom of the panel I bought at a swap meet. Hope that kind of explains it... I bought the headlight covers on ebay (Classic Car Goodies) but found out that the shop selling was about a half hour from my house. You can go into any hot rod shop and find cool stuff like that. Im holding out on the kick panels for now. I might try to hide speakers in them and I need to do my body drop before I make a template. The white walls are actually port-a-walls that were shipped to me from turkey. :lol: In the picture they are just hanging from nails that I stuck in the bead. Hopefully tomorrow Ill be able to buy the tires I want. Im trying to find the shortest tire I can for the front (within reason) and the skinniest, tallest tire I can find for the rear (within reason). Its actually proving more difficult that I first thought. Bias ply would be cool... Thank you for all the compliments! Im off to work on the dash, and I have a 3 day weekend. Pictures soon! Quote Link to comment
72240z Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 (edited) This is my 1971 Datsun 521 I don't know what it is about these pics but I love them. That shade of blue with the white of the snow and chrome, the yellow lights/cover that match the mirrors and white walls. Can't put my finger on it but they are great. Maybe just really good balance. Edited February 20, 2009 by 72240z Quote Link to comment
79datsun620 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 where did you find that paint for the headlights? Quote Link to comment
dat521kid Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 i agree 72240 i feel the same way Quote Link to comment
Madness Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 wal-mart but I think its been discontinued. Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Madness, your 521 is freakin BADASS! I totally freakin am in love with it man! The mirror is totally trick and complements the headlight trim well indeed. Great job on that cluster too, and I love the Door pannels! I have red sparkle on mine. Quote Link to comment
Madness Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 red sparkle! picture! Quote Link to comment
pl521sss Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 This is my 1971 Datsun 521 I bought the truck a while back... October I think. Well kinda traded it. My buddy troy found the truck on craigslist and traded a busted dirt bike for it. I liked it but it wasn't the truck for him. I tried to get a price out of him for about a week and finally he said he would trade to to me for a 620... if I could ever find one in decent condition. Sure enough we found on in a junk yard that still ran, troy drove it home. Not to long after I started collecting parts and doing a ton of research, that's how I found this site. More of what everyone wants... (You've probably already seen them) Old interior. Looked like it had been re done in the last 10 or 15 years. The bad I'm going to try to do everything myself on this truck. Recently I opened a Mini Truckin magazine and noticed that not too often do people with show trucks actually do the work to them. What few pictures I have of recent progress Interior progress Blank panel Chalked and sewn suede 1/2 scrim... The machine I'm using Finished panel Gauge cluster. Metal flake copper needles. Clear coated gray plastic. Black metal flake trim. Grey glass. This is the first time I've ever done interior and it probably wont be the first time it will be my first time :rolleyes: This is turning out to be a really fun project. that is very nice work on the door panel. care to give more detail on "how to door panel". Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 red sparkle! picture! Check out page 3 of my build thread, they are about mid way down. Unfortunately you can't see the sparkle in the photo, but it is there! Here is a link. http://forum.ratsun.net/showthread.php?t=3648&page=3 Quote Link to comment
Madness Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I've been through your build up several times and I cant believe i've never seen that. It looks really good, I think the red is a lot more old school, the black just reminds me of bass boat. Does anyone know where I can get another set of non broken dash knobs just in case my hand crafted ones don't work out? And how often does anyone use their choke? Quote Link to comment
fisch Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Check with tdaaj on the knob replacements. I totally use my choke! My truck wouldn't start without it. The cable was stuck when I first got it, but I worked it free eventually. Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Im trying to find the shortest tire I can for the front (within reason) and the skinniest, tallest tire I can find for the rear (within reason). Its actually proving more difficult that I first thought. Bias ply would be cool... Don't know how I would get them to you affordably but I have 2 white wall bias ply 700 x 13 studded snow tires that might do in a pinch. Quote Link to comment
72240z Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Wrap them in brown paper and go to usps. Cheapo Quote Link to comment
mklotz70 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I love what you're doing with your rig......but I really love the door panels!!!! More pics of the process would have been cool!! Thanks for explaining it a bit. :) Quote Link to comment
Madness Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Thanks for the offer on the tires but I need 14's to use my white walls. I got the lower portion of the dash wrapped in suede tonight. It turned out ok with very few wrinkles, the only thing i didn't like was I had to put a couple of folded seams on the lower outside corners but I don't think much of it is going to be seen. I would be posting pictures if I hadn't forgotten my camera but I'll get them up as soon as I can. Oh and it turns out that I might just need the headlight knob. I relocated the hazard switch to where the choke was because the choke cable is a cheapo aftermarket one with an ugly pull knob... I'll hide it somewhere under the dash if I have to use it. Quote Link to comment
72240z Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Grrrrr making me JEALOUS!!!! The pics would be great. Can I have your opinion on how hard, easy, any pitfalls etc... it was to work the suede? Any reason you went with suede instead of something easier to clean/cheaper like ultrasuede? I have a very similar project coming up and you seem like you have this down pat so any insight would be great. Quote Link to comment
79datsun620 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 wal-mart but I think its been discontinued. dang that sucks,sweet truck by the way.i love those wide white walls with stocks,its just got that classic look:D Quote Link to comment
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