Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

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Kev 1600
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Location: Wellington

Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by Kev 1600 »

Hi all,

This will be used to document the progress of my build. Thanks all for your time, hope you enjoy :)

PART 1:

Original discussions about purchasing the car started in February of 2018. The car was situated in Nelson with the original owner completing the majority of panel work and all of the rust work via Rodz Ridez & Restorationz - a high level restoration company located in Nelson, NZ.

The car was set to be sold as a bare shell, all rust removed, sprayed in primer. A good blank canvas to work my magic on. There is a little bid of body work required to have all the panels perfectly straight but nothing that requires the welder - this is all achievable from panel and paint work.

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Once I had my mind set on purchasing this Datsun I first needed to clear space in the garage. My 96’ Nissan Silvia S14 drift car was to be sold. This sold late March 2018, the day this sold I gave the owner a call with the good news to the unfortunate response that someone else had already put a deposit down and was purchasing the car - extremely let down at this point, no project car to work on and a dream shattered.

Early June 2018 the car popped up again on Trademe - NZ’s national trading website, this time at the other end of the country, in Auckland. This wasn’t going to slip through my fingers for a second time, luckily I have good friends in Auckland and sent one of them on a mission to come to an agreement on price (I knew the condition of the car prior to this), after coming to a fair price tag the deposit was put down and I found myself purchasing a flight to Auckland and transport for the car down to Wellington (9 hour drive).

9th June 2018 was a special day as it was the day me and my friend picked up the car, strapped it to the trailer, loaded all the parts and spares into the back of the van and started our long roadtrip home.

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The car was delivered into to its new home and for the most part work to the car was nill. First came the research, what parts I needed, what parts I wanted, and what work was going to have to be performed to fit said parts.

I eventually came to a decision, and a wise one at that. After much temptation with a 600hp build 13b I decided upon sticking to my roots (and using parts I already had available to me), a SR20VET motor. The motor uses a SR20DE/T bottom end and a SR20VE head. I chose the VE head over a DET head for a number of reasons (one being due to the fact I had one in excellent condition in my garage). The major reason I chose a VE head was because SR20DE/T’s achilles tendon are the rocker arms, at high RPM’s they have an unfortunate tendency to pop rocker arms.The VE head still incorporates the same properties of using rocker arms however Nissan have engineered this a whole lot better and have the rockers connected to a shaft the meaning they won’t pop off the lifters, ultimately means a higher revving more reliable motor. The VE head also has VVL, variable valve timing with lift control. This will be known while driving due to size of the cams I intend to use with this motor - yes it is going to be build, 500hp capable motor are the intentions, it will not be tuned to this (for now).

I envisioned the Datsun to be almost a Deep Metallic Blue, polished chrome bumpers, trims, locks, wing mirrors mounted on the doors, nice set of brushed 16” wheels, with black tinted windows. Simple yet effective. The interior very similar, all black, SSS cluster with electronic gauges, Nardi steering wheel, my go to Tomei shifter, classic style sport bucket seats, new carpet, speakers front and rear, with the remaining interior reupholstered to match and a custom centre console. The powertrain had to match the expectations of the engine and stock was not good enough in this case. Suspension needed upgrading, gearbox was not going to work which meant the driveshaft was out, diff and rear suspension were in need of upgrades. A total tear down and start from scratch was in stores for this beast. The car will be used as the weekend cruiser, family roadtrip car, with the occasional track use and goal to run a 10second ¼ mile pass.

With the motor decided I had to make the next decision what other parts were going to be used in the build. After reading forums, speaking to Datsun owners and doing research of the parts myself I decided upon using Datsport products throughout this build, Baz has a wealth of experience in his products and he’s engineered a product that’s tried and tested over the number of years he’s raced Datsun’s. No brainer!

I made my enquiries in July with Datsport and was directed onto Cam Lees at Solid Engineering and Mechanical, such a good guy. We discussed the intentions of the car and came to a final decision of the parts that would be needed for the build. Purchased from Datsport were the following items:

SR20 conversion + handling kit
Adjustable rear crossmember
R31 260mm rear disk brake conversion
R31 handbrake cable + Refurbished front handbrake cable
Boot latch
KYB mono gas rear shocks
Rear custom king springs 700lbs
SR20 Throttle cable + custom throttle pedal
Front coilovers + billet camber plates
280mm disks + R32 GTR front calipers
F + R braided brake lines
Steering box brace
Lock kit (ignition, doors, gas, trunk)
Upper + Lower bonnet latch
Transmission cover
L+R front retractable seat belts
DATSUN Trunk badge
Full Whiteline bushing kit
Hella semi sealed HI/LO headlights
Rear spring seat rubbers
R200 moustache bar
Custom SR20 Datsun 1600 radiator

There were slight delays with getting these items to my door but these were overcome, Cam kept me up to date, and in January 2019 a number of parts finally arrived, what a fucking great day that was!

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The work to the Datsun however during the wait did not come to a complete halt, items were purchased, other work was completed and I did loads of research on everything I could.

Wing mirrors were purchased, NOS tail light lenses, body gaskets, a Wilwood reverse swing pedal box, stainless nuts and bolts, glovebox lock, headlight buckets, new door handles, heater box (will be rebuilt and upgraded with a newer stronger blower motor), another Datsun owner Mohit has helped me source an R200 diff along with many other misc items. I painted a number of items in preparation of installing them, my go to is powdercoating but the heat would not have done these items well. Items that were intended on being reused were also cleaned and if needed remodeled to be either 3D printed or CNC’d.

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Image - right side to be restored

With a number of parts being received from Datsport the process of installing them started, note, through this process it will only be dry fitting, no final torque values, no final fitment, enough to however get the car rolling and on the ground to start the rest of the fitment process. The reason for this is due to the fact that I was going to pull the car back apart prior to paint, I refuse to cut a freshly painted car and knew that through installing these parts and especially come time to install other parts like the radiator and intercooler and other brackets I knew holes would be drilled and parts of the car cut not to mention the welding that was going to be completed through this process.

Currently I am in the process of building a bracket that will place my Wilwood Pedal Box (340-11299) in a similar to factory position, I also still need to weld my engine bay and fill in the holes I will not be using, clutch and brake masters being the biggest one due to the pedal box being a reverse swing with the reservoirs being mounted inside the cabin. I am also still doing research in how to strengthen the chassis, for the rear I am set on a triangular brace, front I have no clue. For whatever reason the bonnet mounting bracket was unstitched that got realigned and stitched back on very quickly.

The rear end has been mounted, including my R200 diff, this will be rebuild prior to final installation with a 1.5 way LSD.

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Next is to get the car rolling on wheels, motor and gearbox fitted, and send it up to Sinco Customs in Hamilton to start fitment of the custom top mount T3 manifold to suit the GTX3076r turbo and to also fabricate the downpipe, the rest of the exhaust I am able to fabricate. I have used Sinco for years and will continue to do so, their products are of the highest quality, the manifolds are made from 3.7mm steam tube with a 10 year crack free warranty you see why. From there the car will be sent up to Auckland to build custom stainless steel brake lines, unfortunately I will not be able to build these myself, LVVTA rules state they need to be built by a professional to align with cert.

Fuel wise the car will be run on flex fuel 98/E85. E85 as beneficial it is performance wise is a nasty fuel when the supporting mods nor maintenance are not undertaken. PTFE hose matched with AN fittings, Turbosmart fuel pressure regulator, Maddat 60L alloy fuel tank (integrated surge tank, 600hp e85 fuel pump and VDO fuel level sender).

PWR got the call in the intercooler department. IMHO cars that have big fuck off intercooler hanging out the bottom of the bumper look rubbish. My requirements for this was an intercooler that would be able to perform at the level the SR20VET required, was a high quality part and was able to fit nicely behind the grill. I was directed to the PWI78874 intercooler, 400x300x68 with 2.5” outlets, perfect.

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I took the time to restore the wiper linkage. Took it down to bare metal, removed all the old paint, painted it black and installed new gaskets and pivot boots. This won't be seen but I know it's not going to be rusting behind the firewall. A post on the Datsun parts Facebook page helped me locate an intermittent wiper switch OFF - 1 - 2 - 3, the pull type switch was replaced with the original Datsun 1600 knob which helps keep it original. Along with the upgraded switch I also needed to upgrade the wiper motor to one that supports intermittent options. I was able to source a wiper motor from a Honda Integra, this is a far more reliable unit than the factory one and has faster speeds.

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Along with restoring the wiper linkage I also took the time to upgrade the blower motor. This meant a trip down to the local wreckers, I was able to source one from an old Honda. I took the time to clean the fans, 25+ year old dust blowing around in a clean car doesn't interest me.

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I will update this with part 2 when there is further progress.
Last edited by Kev 1600 on Sun Jun 09, 2019 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Otodat
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Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by Otodat »

Awesome work, looks mint :thumbsup:
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classicdat
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Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by classicdat »

Great start and commitment, be great to see this at some cruises.
Datsuns from A to Zed
Kev 1600
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Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:46 pm
aka: Emanuel
Location: Wellington

Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by Kev 1600 »

Otodat wrote:Awesome work, looks mint :thumbsup:
Cheers mate appreciate it!
Kev 1600
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Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:46 pm
aka: Emanuel
Location: Wellington

Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by Kev 1600 »

classicdat wrote:Great start and commitment, be great to see this at some cruises.
Thanks! Definitely will. Won't make it to the cruise this year but plan is to have it running next
broke
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Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by broke »

Nice work, looks like you're not cutting any corners. You might want to look into a CV rear end if you haven't bolted everything in already, especially since it sounds like you'll be able to make some big HP numbers.
Kev 1600
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Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:46 pm
aka: Emanuel
Location: Wellington

Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by Kev 1600 »

broke wrote:Nice work, looks like you're not cutting any corners. You might want to look into a CV rear end if you haven't bolted everything in already, especially since it sounds like you'll be able to make some big HP numbers.
Thanks! Should push some decent numbers. I definitely will look into CV rear end. It will require some further research on my end to know what will work with my setup.
Kev 1600
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Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:46 pm
aka: Emanuel
Location: Wellington

Re: Kev's 1972 Datsun 1600 Project

Post by Kev 1600 »

PART TWO

Sorry about the delay - life gets busy (and was waiting for parts) but here we are. Enjoy!

Part two starts with mounting my PWR intercooler and custom radiator. Cam from Solid Engineering and Mechanical pulled through with a custom radiator setup similar to the old Datsport kit that is now NLA.

-Custom radiator 520x400x35 with turbo coolant drain
-Built in overflow tank
-16" 1469cfm spal fan
-Temp sensor
-Mounting plate
-Radiator hoses
-Billet filler cap
-Polished cover plate

This hopefully, along with a new genuine thermostat this should do the job and cool my SR within the confined space of the engine bay. I am planning to use Link G4+ Storm ECU to control my fans based on temps directly from the radiator. This will be wired to an auxiliary output on the ECU, the temp sensor will be wired through CAN-BUS to my ECU then gauge - more to come on this when I talk about my engine and electronics.

I started fitting the intercooler in part one, however I held off mounting this as I didn’t have the radiator at the time. Fitting them at the same time means the best possible fitment, whilst still allowing me to fit the grill without any trimming and having it nicely tucked within the space. It gives a factory look, yet to the well trained eye, a tough look. Rivet nuts were implemented throughout this process of the build, this gives a cleaner outcome, one that is both aesthetically pleasing but also functional and safe. They work much like a rivet, however, instead of installing a permanent fastener it is a permanent thread being installed. Below are photos of the install.

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Originally there was a toss up between using a digital dash (Link, Haltech, etc) or retaining the factory style, obviously the digital dash would provide more information within a smaller space, however I don't think this would suit the style of the car I am trying to build. In the end Craig - Tokyo-2u pulled through with the goods and I was lucky enough to purchase an immaculate 1972 SSS cluster. The sight of a SSS cluster is my style and the information this dash has the potential to display is incredible, I'm absolutely stoked with this purchase; paired with a set of Speedhut gauges this will look the part and will also provide me with the data I need. I will be running a 200km/h Speedometer, 10k Tachometer (yes 10k), Water Temperature, Oil Pressure, Boost, and Fuel gauge, the rest of the information will be controlled and managed through the ECU with engine safety parameters in place. The amazing thing with Speedhut gauges is that they are fully customisable; from dial colour, needle colour, font, tick style, bezel and window.

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I began researching appropriate parts restorers for some of my parts and made contact with several local restorers and wasn't entirely pleased. I turned to overseas services and got in contact with SSS Restorers on Facebook, they specialise in Datsun parts restorations. After such a positive initial interaction and fair quote I sent across my best set of C pillar side vents, a Deluxe badge, and also my 69 light surrounds. They were extremely easy to deal with and ensured my needs were looked after, shipping was easily organised and the items were on their way. Big thanks to Logan! Can't wait to get them back!

I also took this opportunity to restore my heater facia panel. The lettering paint was cracked and fading; overall it wasn't appealing to look at - it's all about the little details. The old letter paint was removed and new white paint was filled in on the letters; simply fill and wipe the excess. It took around 5 coats and then a final clean to remove any excess by using a q tip and hot water. Simple but effective.

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My S13 SR20DET engine block and crank were sent to the engine reconditioners; Kerry Lindsay got the call for this, he's built all my previous motors and will be building the short block for this one also. I asked him to check the condition of my block to ensure it would be usable for my build which came back in excellent condition so we proceeded to bore and hone to 86.5mm; my crank was also crack tested and polished. There are a few reasons as to why I selected an S13 block over a S14 or S15 block, mainly due to how easy the block would accept the VE conversion. S14 and S15 blocks will need the VCT oil feed and also drilling and tapping an oil pump bolt hole. The S13 block did require an oil drain hole blocked, I achieved this by simply plugging it with an o-ringed bung. CP pistons were selected and paired with Manley H Beam rods, ACL race bearings and a new SR20VET oil pump to account for the increase in oil pressure. The crankshaft I am using also is a 4cw crank out of a FWD SR20 motor, it provides faster revving while being just as strong.

A clutch has been sourced from Xtreme Clutch in Australia, it's a custom heavy duty organic single plate clutch paired with a chromoly lightweight flywheel and ARP bolts. I will also purchase an ATI super damper to assist in dampening engine harmonics. The crank is first balanced by itself, then damper and flywheel and clutch. Not a lot to discuss here but balancing will help reduce engine harmonics, especially at high revs keeping my motor healthy and reliable.

My VE head during this time was also getting some well deserved attention. Kelford Beehive springs, P12 cams, and new valve guides and seals from the Supertech catalogue. The P12 cams were a difficult find and has resulted in months and months of searching, eventually I found an immaculate pair in Sydney, Australia. They are highly sought after for turbo builds due to the profile of the cam and the fact they can support up to 800hp from factory. Unfortunately these have been discontinued by Nissan and are no longer available. Along with the range of new parts that the head received, a large number of hours were also put into the ports. It started off as cleaning up casting marks and much like other aspects of this build escalated into cleaning the whole port. All up over 30 hours were put into the port work; so much for a 'light' touch up. Whilst the shape of the port did not change a great deal, the overall finish of the port has drastically improved. I can sit here and explain what porting is and the benefits but there is too much conflicting information, it's best to research this yourself and draw your own conclusions. When the build is at a later stage I will also have the head flow tested. I'm not too interested in the max flow when the valve is fully open, however more of how much the head will flow at lower levels of the rev range.

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Image stock VE intake port

I also had a couple rear braces fabricated, these are to support the c pillars. From my research I have found the rear c pillars are a weak section of the car and with the power I intend to run are prone to cracking due to squat. I ran 3mm thick box tube from the strut towers along the bottom of the parcel tray and 1.2mm steel sheet that was folded along the edges to assist with bracing from the corner of the rear of the tub to the top corner of the rear quarter. These braces should hopefully eliminate this problem entirely by reinforcing and stabilizing the rear end.

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I have previously mentioned that I intended on using a Wilwood reverse swing pedal assembly instead of the stock pedal box. This idea was scrapped due to mounting issues as well as legality issues, the intended idea of having an updated pedal assembly with the master cylinders inside the car would not work. I have decided to revert back to the stock pedal box. I will strengthen up the existing unit to avoid flex and retain a brake booster and master cylinders on the engine bay. You guessed it, Datsport supplies the necessary parts I was after to upgrade this to suit my brakes too. Cam once again got a call with more items to send out, I ended up purchasing:

- Small can brake booster and master assembly
- Clutch master slave kit + braided clutch line - this is a shorter master to fit the restricted space
- One way check valve

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I am confident this will fit in the limited space I have as I will be using a Plazmaman intake manifold.

I took a trip down to the Sandblasters, then Powdercoaters with the remaining items that needed to be coated, all in blackkkkk! Instead of taking each item as the time came to install that part I compiled a bunch of parts and got them coated at once. If you're in the Wellington Region and need Sandblasting and Powdercoating my go-to's are Plateau Sand & Soda Blasting and Powder Surfaces, both in Upper Hutt, 30 second walk between the two of them.

Down to the Powdercoaters went my:

- Dash cradle
- Pedal box mount
- Pedals
- Handbrake pivots
- Bumper brackets
- Handbrake mount
- Steering column bracket
- Dash Vents
- B Pillar Trims

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Although the majority of these parts will not be seen I prefer to have everything done right the first time.

Next from here will be to start the build on my SR20VET motor. Stay tuned for part 3!

-Kev
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