mellotrongirl

That's why I haven't taken the rustbucket '79 kingcab I have to the scrapyard, cuz the 5-speed still worked like a champ when the engine blew up and the rest of the truck wasn't salvageable beyond the knick knacks I was uble to unscrew from it. I figure the trans is worth about $300

You don't worry about losing you ignition key, since every other Datsun key will start it anyway...and quite possibly the keys from any other car you have...

I'm in the yardcare biz--and come across a lot of festering grass clippings and decomposing raked leaves. Lots of heat and gas! Might as well get a flexfuel steam engine that also runs on methane. If only I could keep the stench and weight down. I figure someday I ought to put it all in a big black box out in the sun & run a radiator/pipe system from it into the house to generate some warmth. I also thought of a solar panel on top of a vehicle that runs a little motor that slowly winds up a coiled spring that can be used as propulsion. At least a system like that won't weigh more than a few pounds, but I'm sure the sudden unbridled burst of energy would at the very least burn up your brakes.

But really, tho'...don't expect to do a conversion & turn right around and flip it for a profit--esp. in these days when a lot of alt.energy new vehicles are entering the marketplace. And if you keep it--it'll be a loooong time before you recoup the energy savings from all the time and expense incured in its creation; if you do at all. I did mine just for the rebellious independent spirit. I'm already losing serious range from an old and expensive battery pack, and little nickle-and-dime stuff is popping up here and there (leaky air brake pump, kinked throttle cable). I had a slow leak in one of the tires, and I wouldn't let the Les Schwab lot jockey just hop in and drive it. I also had to sign an insurance release form to drive it in to a service bay restricted area just to get it lubed.

Is the car lowered, or is it the weight of the batteries (ha! sorry...had to ask) My 620 has 20 6v flooded lead acid batteries...6 under the hood and 14 under the bed for a nice balanced ride--two extra leaf springs, lo-resistance tires, beefed bearing wheels & air-assisted brakes. Drawback--it's nearly a half-ton more than the curb weight of a conventional stock '78 KC, but it still accelerates & goes as fast as any gasser Someone else posted a YT video of their recent 620 conversion within the last month...no info on when it was completed or where it is.

I saw once on Oregon Public Broadcasting TV a car that ran on hydrogen and nothing else...it was powered from an outbuilding station on the property that had a solar panel on top that powered the system that separated oxygen from hydrogen in water, and the car was hooked up to rotating tanks as needed with quick coupler connections. I can see that as being feasable, but why not connect it to a tied grid system anyway during prolonged times when you're not driving around or cloudy/winter days when there's a lot less direct sun? You might as well think about bottling the pure oxygen and sell it to a medical supply or welder's supply store.

How often do you need to add water to the jar? With the stainless steel case, kind of hard to know when you need to refill

I love the 5-speed dogleg...get about 32 mpg; goes a little faster. Really handy along the freeway in hilly terrain, plus, for me in slippery winter weather driving with the poor traction 620's have over the rear wheels, a manual means more control and if your battery goes dead, you can always push start it. For me it's just more fun/sporty manually shifting As KC says--it's all in the driving. You should get slightly better mileage with the 5-speed over anything else if you're conscious of your RPM's, driving conditions, and you're not a leadfoot.

Mismatched engine to the car?!? Red flag right there...anything you need for the engine is going to be more problematic than anything you'll need for the rest of the car. You can't take it to the Honda dealer if it gets to be beyond your skills. I have an '88 same model, get 40mpg...had it eight years and it's a solid little car; 2nd owner...clocking in at just under 200,000. How's that transmission marriage? And even the backpressure from the exhaust system? Lots to think about...unless you know someone you can sell whatever engine is in it...ask him who worked on the car

'79 5-speed KC 620, Nothing '78 Longbed, also nothing '78 King Cab electric conversion, nothing '71 521...parts from the 5-speed I guess I coulda shoulda took a pic...

I still have this--pumped up the tires last summer & they're still holding 32psi, but I got lots of parts off it--mostly all lights, lenses and little stuff I was able to remove with a screwdriver set and a couple wrenches.

Wha....? Here we are nearly five years later (oops, almost said "down the road"...) You still have the truck? Well, I did something stupid earlier this summer. I've got a '71 521 that sat for four years. Best advice on this thread is to pull the plugs & put a little oil down in the holes & hand crank it to make sure the engine hasn't seized. Well--I put in a fresh battery, turned the key, and even though I heard the starter kick in, it wouldn't turn over. So I rolled it down the driveway and let up on the clutch & the rear wheels skidded. Yep, seized engine. Rule of thumb is you got to start them every few weeks and drive 'em around the block or whatever, or your little Datsun will develop leaks and die. All moving parts will morph into one solid mass.

Mouse around once you get there--was following up seeking more info on the '63 Bluebird sedan that recently reappeared for $5,500 in Vancouver, Washington on the Portland.craiglist mentioned on the Ratsun classifieds. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19630624&id=DPtjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-eUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4572,6878486

Saw this the first time earlier this summer...was the price and phone # the same? Yowzah, what a nice car. Looks like a miniature Checker cab.