Project 635 - 300HP RWD 620

[Edm620]

Nice to see your progress on 635

[Edm620]

Are you posting on Ratsun as well? I think lots of guys would follow your build there, site is more active on truck builds.

[DADZSUN]

Are you posting on Ratsun as well? I think lots of guys would follow your build there, site is more active on truck builds.

Not yet. I wanted a quieter environment to post updates as I work my way through it first.

Once I get a few more critical items sorted out and installed, and the truck is actually running, then I'll post a more condensed how-to thread on Ratsun.

[DADZSUN]

More great progress on 635. Unfortunately this meant (once again), that a few steps backwards were required to go forward.

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There is an order of operations when building from scratch, and while I've been quite good and predicting most of it, there has been a few fumbles. I like to think that it still provided valuable information on clearance etc...

While I spent quite a bit of time finalizing/welding the front cross member, the biggest visible update is the addition of a driveshaft.

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Ottawa Driveshaft set me up with a brand new CD009 yoke, R200 flange, and 3.5" diameter driveshaft.

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Next up was routing the exhaust aft of the twin high-flow cats. It became obvious that for a cleaner & more direct exhaust, I needed to remove the completed transmission mount and lower it.

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Here's a pic of the finished V1 of the exhaust. Both banks had flexpipes added then flowed into a stock 'high-flow' Y pipe. After the merge, the exhaust dropped to the lowest point of the truck, 8.5" clearance.

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Unfortunately it became apparent that there was now no room for a cross beam. I needed this beam to 1) replace the stock structural unit that was cut out and, 2) provide a mount for front of the 720 fuel tank.

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V2 came next where each bank was first dropped then later merged. You can see the 3"x2" cross beam being test fitted.

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Here's the latest setup. The fuel tank is now fastened. The front bolts to a bracket on the aforementioned crossbeam, and the rear hangs off a 3"x1" cross beam which also provides a battery mount on the driver's side.

I'm close to being finished with these items. The crossbeams needs a few more gussets, cleaning, seam sealing and paint. The exhaust still need hangers, cleaning and paint.

Next, I'll be heavily reworking the fuel tank for a baffled fuel pump setup, a new modern sender, and brand new braided lines/filters.

Slowly, but surely, I'm getting through my 'To-do' list. I'm still well on track to fire up the VQ by end of month. I'm hoping for final assembly by early winter and on the road for DD/weekend duties by early April.

[DADZSUN]

A couple aesthetic updates.

First up, I acquired a set of RX-7 3rd generation 'FD' wheels, 16x8 ET50. Yes, modification were required to clear the upgraded (to 2006 spec) front 320mm 2006 G35 rotors and caliper, and the front suspension upright needed a mm or two shave. Regardless, I'm stocked about these rims.

• At just 15 lbs (for the reinforced version), they're very light. With crappy tires they're still 15lbs lighter than the OEM G35 7 spoke wheel and tire,

• they have the high offset I need to combat the G35's extra 5" wider track,

• they are are strong,

• have a great simplistic look,

• are authentic JDM,

• they're CHEAP ($250Cdn)!

• they're a nice homage to my past love, a Montego blue base FD, production #79 (in the world!) built in Dec '91. I loved that car (12.86 @114.5 MPH on street tires and gas, back in 1993), but didn't like the shitty reliability so much...

On to the second change. While I appreciate the +10" extended wheelbase on my 620 'long bed', one aesthetic consequence is the extra long bed, which IMO, creates a disproportionate rear overhang. This past week I finally got around to addressing that.

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The first step was to ensure my mountain bike would still fit nicely in the shortened bed. Measurements were made, double checked, and the cut was done.

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It didn't take long to make that first cut and I followed a structural bar underneath so it was fairly straight.

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Once the tailgate and 'extra' bed was cut, I proceeded to make a second cut and remove 9.25" from the rear of the bed.

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I cut the rear tailgate off in a manner that retained the lower skirts. I then cut a slit near the rear (small arrow) so that the lower skirt could be angled down (large arrow) to pickup the lower body line running along the length of the bed.

Another variable I had to deal with was that the rear of the bed actually tapers, resulting in a 1/2" variance. To rectify this I cut a few inches of the lower wall from floor (small arrow), thereby allowing the walls to be slightly angled in 1/4" per side to smoothly meet the tailgate walls.

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Next, the bed's ribs needed to taper down to smoothly meet the tailgate (so as not to catch cargo as it's getting pushed into the bed). I cut small wedge off each side of each rib and then hammered them down to meet the tailgate. Welds in this pic have yet to be cleaned obviously.

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Overall profile is MUCH better IMO. Also, the bed's new length is still long enough that the 5th side hook (unique to long beds) doesn't look out of place.

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Up next I address the fuel tank to fire up the VQ. My son has been helping with bodywork which is awesome.

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Being a daily ride, I don't plan for this to be a show piece so just the large dents are being addressed followed by the stock orange/red single stage paint.

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[greenthumb]

Looks great to my eye. I agree, I always thought my long bed 620 looked a little awkward

[Edm620]

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I notice that you've opted for the KC gas tank instead of the one for regular cab. There are 4 different gas tanks for the 720 - KC/Reg cab, and 2WD/4WD. The biggest capacity is in the Reg cab 4WD tank as it is about an inch deeper.

I would like to see a pic of the full profile with the shortened box! I have a ways to go on my build but a shorter box is intriguing...

[DADZSUN]

FrameLatest.jpg (154.75 KiB) Viewed 327 times
I notice that you've opted for the KC gas tank instead of the one for regular cab. There are 4 different gas tanks for the 720 - KC/Reg cab, and 2WD/4WD. The biggest capacity is in the Reg cab 4WD tank as it is about an inch deeper.

I would like to see a pic of the full profile with the shortened box! I have a ways to go on my build but a shorter box is intriguing...

Pic posted below of the profile. While the box is shorter, it's still a full 2M/6.6 feet long inside.

I opted for the largest tank possible for my constraints, 21Ga. I had to shave approx 1" off the top to build a flat surface for the baffled internal pump and to clear the bed, so maybe 20Ga? The longer front portion tucks under the cab nicely. I'll have a full fuel tank update later this month.

[DADZSUN]

With a full-time job once again, progress has slowed somewhat but I'm still very confident this truck will be ready for DD duties this March.

I'm still fighting to gain every inch of cabin/leg space on this build. I recently chopped 1.5" out of the dash's depth to create a sense of more space and to allow the steering wheel (mounted on a modern collapsible/adjustable length electric column) to be pushed in an additional 1.5".

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Welding/epoxy is not complete but the initial results are *very* nice and make a noticeable difference when sitting inside. That lost space will not be without consequences... I'll have to source a smaller/aftermarket heater/blower. I have plans for a really neat idea that will provide heat & AC for my build.

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Even though the space/leg reach is getting closer to the 510, I'm still going to have the Miata seat's upper rear backrest thinned out by an upholsterer to gain another 1 or so of rearward seat travel.

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In the meantime, body work is progressing. Unfortunately the driver's door window mysteriously shattered while cutting out rust & welding in replacement metal. Thankfully a Facebook request has come to the aid and several Datsun guys messaged with replacement glass.

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The 'bobtail' is now getting attention as is the rest of the body. The aim is to do a decent job and let the painter do the nitpicky stuff.

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I'm quite pleased with the profile - note that the bed is no yet correctly mounted in the pic and will eventually sit 1-1.5" further forward. I plan to lower the front another inch and the flares will create a further lowering effect once installed. The front worn tires on the FD wheels are tiny 205s, so a larger tire will also fill that front wheel well gap too.

[Edm620]

Ah that's the profile pic I was looking for. With the regular cab the shortened box looks really good!

[JordanTr]

Love this build!! Can't wait to hear a handling report. I think that multilink rear end is just the best!

[DADZSUN]

Love this build!! Can't wait to hear a handling report. I think that multilink rear end is just the best!

Thanks Jordan, I can't wait to see this 'truck' will perform with modern sedan setup.

[DADZSUN]

It's been quite busy since the last update. I've had a couple customer S30s come through for some basic upgrades, and DatsunRestomods.com CV axles continue to move at a steady clip.

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Since my last update I've managed to get my 280z project on the ground (first time in 12-18 months?) which required finishing the coilover suspension, and while I was at it I replaced all the bearings front and rear.

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After that I played musical Datsuns to get 635 closest to the wood stove (winter is coming!) and have a full 40' of room to breakdown the chassis as required.

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I then tackled the VQ35DE fuel system, starting with change from returnless to return-styled fuel setup. This involved new fuel rails from Ross Machine Racing and braided lines. With this setup I can now run a regular fuel pressure regulator.

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I continued the fuel run to an external/washable fuel filter mounted on the inner frame rail under the cab.

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The fuel tank was then heavily modified to work with a non-plumb fuel sender (11" max, hence the recess), and the Tanks Inc baffled fuel pump setup. Final finishing and paint has yet to be done.

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Next I addressed the upper intake manifold. My reverse upper plenum idea didn't work due to the aftermarket fuel rails, and the fact that the throttle body would be hitting the hood. So I reverted back to the original plan which unfortunately meant more upper firewall cutting. I'm not too concerned as there already quite a bit of work to be done there anyways and I'm confident it'll look fine once done.

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I still have to relocate the steering shaft (1" left and need a double UJoint) and install the Tilton pedals, so the firewall will be addressed once the they are both done and the seating setup is finalized.

In the meantime, I plan to modify the front frame rails to run the G35 width right to the front instead of tapering back to OEM. This will be a cleaner steup and allow the stock VQ35DE radiator to fit.

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I'm pleased with the progress and my plan for spring running is comfortably on track.

[Edm620]

Looking good!

[DADZSUN]

I managed to get a bit of work on 635 mid-November before the Black-Friday DatsunRestomods.com sale started... needless to say this project will now be on pause right up to Christmas.

The good news is that many fun parts will be coming during the holiday break. BC Racing Coilovers, Tilton pedals, Speedhut gauges, Vintage Air heater, new steering wheel, and finally some tires.

I struggled a bit on deciding which tires to use. I do want/need some stick for the power & light rear end, but many hardcore summer tires have a warning to not use < 5C due to rubber compound issues etc. I decided to get the best 4 season performance tire on the market, enter Michelin Pilot Sport AS4. They've got great reviews, nice and meaty (225/50R16), and apparently reasonably capable. Worse case I'll grab another set of cheap FD rims with summer-only tires.

Nice to see a 6.5lbs weight savings per wheel, although I was honestly expecting a bit more...

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Next, rather than sourcing a specific-sized aftermarket radiator that may, or may not provide sufficient cooling for the VQ, I decided to widen the front frame rails to fit the stock setup. It took a lot of cutting but eventually I got it and the front rail/frame is a lot cleaner too.

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Clearance is good too! The lower radiator rubber nipple cradles are done. I'll fab up some removable ones for the top two rubber nipples to hold everything in place.

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The rad does flare quite a bit outside the stock 620 opening, but thankfully doesn't interfere with the headlights.

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I grabbed my new grill and original bumper to get a feel for the front and how it fits. I do have a new lower valence which also clears and tidies up the front.

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Overall, the truck is taking shape. I have another 2 weeks of full-on Datsun Restomods fabrication, and then I'll throttle down for a month to really push on the truck. The interior/firewall will be getting lots of attention once the Tilton pedals and Vintage Air heater arrive. Hopefully by the end of January the bed and cab will be off to paint.