Fogdart

---SOLD--- Resized to 65% (was 1024 x 768) - Click image to enlarge More photos under posts by Fogdart in 320 discussions. Some info: '65 L320 J15 engine...Overhauled with maybe 1000mi. now. Niki carb w/ manual choke. Starts 'right now' and runs nice w/ steady temps at 170-180 F. Nipondenso alternator...60amp, internally regulated, single wire hookup 4 speed transmission (floor shift)...I didn't do anything with the tranny when I put it in. Its the original tranny with no synchros in 1st. Shifts fine with very mild synchro grind in 2,3 and 4 if shifted aggressively. If you shift gently, it's nice and smooth. All new suspension bushings and covers. Brakes...all four drums turned...new shoes...cyls all in excellent condtion. New upholstery on the stock seat Aftermarket heater with defrost. It'll pop popcorn on high! works great. All trim is in excellent condition. 8 stock rims painted to match the truck. I built the flatbed myself and mounted a 25 gal. fuel tank under it. Should give you pretty good range! Had a 2" receiver hitch laying around that I incorp'd into the flatbed...not that anyone would ever use it but it's there if you had a small, light trailer. This was a frame-off project so it's very clean inside and out. The bad: Still searching for a water temp sender. Gauge works fine but I have no sender. I've currently got an aftermarket digital temp gauge mounted in the glove box (and a voltmeter). Transmission isn't perfect...as mentioned above. Horn button on aftermarket wheel isn't functional but I mounted a cool rubber horn button on the dash in a hole that was there from it's previous life. Turn signal switch works as it should and cancels nicely when turning.

That's what mine is and they sure look identical. Zero synchro action in 1st. 2,3 and 4 grind a bit if I shift aggressively. Anyone rebuilt one of these or am I better off looking for a J series? Would be nice to have syncros in 1st.

Thanks for the info. This is the transmission and engine. Looks to be the original tranny, not the j series....is that correct?

I've got a J15 with a 4 speed floor shift in my 320. Transmission works decent but you gotta' shift gentle to avoid synchro grind. There seems to be no syncro in 1st...is that normal? Are parts available to rebuild these or are there other transmissions (dogleg 5 speed) that would mate up to the J15 without much modification? thanks...

Been working on this '65 L320 for about four years. Got the flatbed painted up and back on yesterday. Adjusted the front suspension, reset the toe-in and took it out for a drive this morning. Drives straight down the road at 60, stops straight and has decent power with the J15. Got it up to 65 and it would accelerate beyond that but the RPM is up there. I'm really happy with how it drives! Now to start using it! I took a bunch of pics this morning as I know this is the best is will ever look while I own it. I plan to use it as a driver now that its finished. I've 'lurked' on this site throughout the project and picked up some good info along the way so thanks go out to all of you for the 320 knowledge and 'lore'. Hope you enjoy the photos. These are very cool little trucks!

Thanks for all the info. I'll take a look at the dimensions after I get the flatbed back on. The idea hadn't even occurred to me before you mentioned it but I like it. I also like the looks of the 320 with a flatbed on it. Your 521 looks to be a real work rig...nice.

I'll check the data plate....hadn't thought of that. I do airplanes for a living....mechanic and pilot, thus the big hangar/shop. It's usually messed up with my projects and I have to push it all aside when I bring a plane in.

New guy here....I posted this pic under a different topic today. I hadn't looked at this photo for a couple years but it brought to mind a question I had when I bought the truck. I started sanding on it a bit right after I got it and the lettering you can see on the fenders and cab became more evident. It says "DATSUN 1 TON" on both fenders and above both doors on the cab. Don't know if this was a dealership truck a one time or what but surely these little trucks were never rated for 1 ton, were they?

Still learning this posting thing...sorry.

Thanks...I painted the engine, tranny, and engine compartment before I decided on a color for the exterior...basically used what I had from other jobs. Wish I would have waited as the engine compartment looks a bit ugly with the exterior color. My impatience strikes again. Went out and took some pics as it sits right now...no bed on it. I had a 25 gal tank left over from a boat project I so I welded up a rack and dropped that under the flatbed. How far will a 320 go on 25 gal? I'm sure I'll piss my pants before I run out of gas! Overkill, but I like to use what I have available and the original tank was not usable and wouldn't mount easily under the flatbed anyway.

I don't have any recent pics...Gotta' paint the flatbed and get it back on and then it should be good to go. Used my hangar door as a lift to get the cab on and off. Hate to admit it, but that was my wife's idea. Worked great. Few more early pics.... I'll get some more recent pics up soon. Wayno, yea...I ended up with one good windshield and one with a small chip so I'm good for a while. The frame was in pretty good shape. Truck must've had a good oil leak and lived on a dirt road for a while because the whole frame and suspension was caked in about an inch of oil soaked dirt. Seemed to have preserved the frame really well. Took several long nights of chipping with a screwdriver to get enough of it off so that I could wire brush it. I did use rust converter on it and then put a brush on, single part polyurethane over that. Hopefully, it'll last longer than I do.

Just testing the photo functions here...I'll post some other photos of the project on a new topic.

Sorry about the confusion...I tend to ramble. Usually better when I remain a 'lurker'. I'll probably just install a separate temp gauge until I can come up with the correct sender. I started with two trucks, both in rough shape. Ended up with a pretty decent little flatbed. I'll see if I can figure out how to post some pics under a new topic. My wife thinks it's "soooooo cute!". That just hurts, man!

Hey folks...been lurking for a few years while working on a 65 L320 in Molalla, OR. Close to being back on the road. It's got a J15 in it with a 4-speed floor shift. Anybody have a part number for a temp sending unit that would be compatable with the stock temp gauge? The temp gauge seems to want to mate to a positive coefficient sender (hot=high resistance, cold=low resistance). Most temp senders are negative coefficient (hot=low resistance, cold=high resistance). Anyway, after digging thru as many sources as I could find, I can't seem to come up with a compatable sender. Anyone know what the stock resistance range is supposed to be for the temp gauge? Mine reads: bottom of cold 44 ohms, hot (red line) 156 ohms. FYI...I ended up with two instrument clusters and both fuel level movements were 'needleless' so I pulled one of the temp movements out, flipped it and installed it where the fuel movement goes. The fuel level sender is a negative coefficient sender so when I flipped the temp movement to install it, the needle swing is correct (full vs empty). My tank and sender are aftermarket so I had to put a resistor in parallel with the sender to get it pretty close to accurate. I erred toward accuracy at the empty side so, hopefully, it'll at least keep me from running out of gas! Thanks in advance for any info. Fogdart.