720 noob here...

[Flatline1121]

So I got myself an 85 720 single cab short bed 2wd in a partial trade for my accord the other day. I'm on NiCoClub for my S13 Vert and got a ton of help so I navigated over here.

The gist of the truck.

Goods:
Ka24de swapped in already. Custom intake and exhaust using s14 manifolds. Frontier bottom end and s13 head utilizing the upper dizzy.
248/248 cams
Custom lower timing cover
Already lowered a bit. Tucks 205/55/16's on some 16x7 +20 5-spoke wheels.

Bads:
Need rod bearings
rats nest of wiring in the bay
Rusted out like crazy
Bondo on the driverside of cab and bed done poorly,
holes in the bed
Missing chunks out of the floor boards under pedals
Seat mount holes are gone,
Interior is non existent,
Passenger floor board is mostly fiberglass
Hood is dented to crap and rusted

And I haven't even had a chance to start messing with it so who knows what ill find.

What I'm wondering mostly is, how easy would it be to take a bunch of sheet metal and start cutting/welding/molding everything to something decent?

The driver side I'm sure was smashed in a little then bondo'd so I'd probably take all the bondo off and put a sheet there and on the bed. I'd have to do it to the other side as well because the bondo smoothed out the body flaring.

Or would it be easier to just wait and find a cab and bed in good shape and just swap pieces or whole parts over?

720's aren't exactly common in my area so finding one in good shape won't be easy.

To be completely honest, if I keep this truck for a while, it'll become a drift truck so pretty isn't gonna be a big deal. Solid and functional is thouugh.

[skyline084]

If you're just using it for drifting around than I would just start welding pieces in, and add some extra metal.. have some fun. Especially since you say the bed you're looking for is uncommon.
I would def. go through and organize your wiring, make sure everythings hooked up and nothings grounded out or anything stupid.
Just start replacing everything yourself.. use these forums to find parts and such.
If you're not familiar with this forum, go to nissan mechanical section and there's tons of info on these motors, including a tutorial section with some pretty good info.

[PEZi]

sounds to me like you got a decent idea of where you want to go with it... can't help necessarily... but i do have some parts for sale if you need them

partial-part-out-who-needs-t515522.html

[Flatline1121]

Ill probably just start welding sheets. I'm thinking about starting with the floor on the underside. Cut out everything that's falling off and weld in one that's an inch or two overlapping. Then lay one in the inside floorboard and make a metal sandwich.

Maybe use expanding foam after to fill in any space and solidify everything. My biggest issue is, besides not having a welder, the exterior on the driver side. Making that look good isn't gonna be easy.

I'm sure ill just dive in and leave the welded sheets bare and not clean up the welds. Maybe go for that rough and rugged look.

As far as the swap, it was done pretty well. Has an inline walbro 255 pump that has its own wiring so that's where a chunk of the wires are coming from. It'll run as far as I know. ran well enough to drive to a local meet and burnout like a man and kill a transmission. My buddy joe picked up a fresh trans and then spun a bearing or four.

I figure with a refreshed bottom end, welded solid axle, some meth injection and an xterra supercharger, ill have a sweet little drift monster.

[breadbox]

post up a couple shots of the truck. Sounds like an awesome start.

I would rather a Turbo over an xterra SC, but that may just be me.

[Flatline1121]

post up a couple shots of the truck. Sounds like an awesome start.

I would rather a Turbo over an xterra SC, but that may just be me.

bored at work so im posting some now.

and turbo would be cool as well, but i always associated s/c's to more rugged, angry vehicles. and i dont have the means or the patience to make this thing pretty, so rugged it is.

right now its kinda ragged:















lots of work ahead of me.....

[fastboatman29212]

OK, those pix are great. Gives us a better idea of where you are and where you need to go. Yes, you have a few issues to deal with, but nothin' money can't buy! LOL!!

Your truck looks like a copy of mine, exept yours is lowered. I like the wheels too!

Get your motor/drivetrain sorted out so you can drive her, then all the other stuff will come a little bit at a time. Of course, money is everything, if you need to save up before you can get busy on the drivetrain, then have fun doing the easy stuff like rust and wiring. A Nissan Service Manual is a real timesaver.

[Flatline1121]

i know it's nothing money cant buy. i usually just use a thread like this to think out loud and record my ideas. Of course constructive criticism is good. helps me stay on track and focus. hopefully ill have room in the garage for her to go. then i can yank the engine and make some decisions. sohc bottom end or new bearings. started her today. sounded terrible but ran.

im probably gonna yank the engine and start working on that. then yank the cab off and completely replace the floor and part of the fire wall. Chances are im gonna be doing me own wiring for the whole truck so i doubt ill have to worry a whole lot about getting a service manual. besides, this is definitely gonna be a drift truck for me.

i saw a magazine (S3) inspired me a bunch. had a 620 built to drift. awesome. s13 front and rear sub frames, sr20, no bed....uuuuhhhh

[breadbox]

i saw a magazine (S3) inspired me a bunch. had a 620 built to drift. awesome. s13 front and rear sub frames, sr20, no bed....uuuuhhhh

If you have everything for KA24DE wired up already, swapping an SR20det after that should be pretty easy.

There a youtube video with either a 720 or d21 with an RB20det, that looks fun and seems like it would still get good gas mileage.


Anyone know if Frontier bottom ends were girdled? I know 240sx KA's are.

[Flatline1121]

I don't think they are. Little bit of google research told me.

[breadbox]

I don't think it would matter to much. its not like they are high revving.

[flinterman2000]

If you start with the engine you'll need to have funds at hand. I'd start with the wiring or welding. They take a lot less to accomplish. As concerns fuel consumption, the Ka is the best for all round use. Both the RB and SR are guzzlers at high revs. Turbo are nice but SC'c provide boost from idle and the turbo's from about 2500. Its your choice.

[Flatline1121]

well to do the welding the way id like to, i have to pull the engine. i wanna just weld in 2 sheets of metal under the floor pans. have to lift the cab for that. as for the wiring, it's all done, just needs to be cleaned up. im working on getting enough wire to make a harness for everything and run it like a factory harness. plus, it'd be a million times easier to do it at my work because ill have all the wiring and tools i could need. but then i'd need the truck to run.

i have to get my s13 on the road first so it'll be a little while, but im hoping to make room in the garage soon then i can start gathering parts and do everything in one shot. or atleast a chunk of it. im gonna be making this thing a budget drift truck so ill get all the basics for that. Clutch, flywheel and pp, upgrade the whole braking system, weld the rear end, and solidify the suspension and steering.

should be a good start. maybe, while im welding the floors, just go ahead and put a cage together.

[breadbox]

What is left to do on the Vert?

[Flatline1121]

trying to troubleshoot it right now. did a 5 speed swap and an s14 ka and its steaming from the coolant overflow hose a little and spits fluid from there when i get on it. im hoping it's just building too much pressure from a clog somewhere and not a head gasket. it has okay compression. 160, 160, 170, 160 so i dont think it so. also has no oil/coolant mixing at all. gonna get one of those fluid tests that test for carbon in the coolant. also gonna flush the system. hopefull it'll turn out fine.

fingers crossed.

if that fixes up then ill be driving it soon.

[breadbox]

what radiator are you using? The answer better be aftermarket alu or the Original thick as hell Brass/copper. The plastic top thin ones suck and kill KAs in my opinion.

Yeah a clog or air in the cooling will do bad things. Also get a new Rad cap maybe.



You could try the ultraviolet test to see if you are leaking at all. Where you put dye in the coolant the reacts to UV and after adding dye and getting car up to normal temps grab a blacklight and see if anything glows.

[breadbox]

Also do you go to the Vert or 240sx general discussion part of this site often?

[Flatline1121]

I posted on there some. Not a whole lot of activity there.

But yeah, its the s*** stock plastic rad for the moment. I haven't found a better one for a decent price yet and I just want to get this thing on the road.

Even with that it never gets more than the second bar on the temp gauge. That's a new sensor too. It just keeps spitting fluid. New rad cap, flushed the system, filled it, gutted thermostat so I know that's not stuck. I even ran water through everything with a hose and the water came out clear.

I know its not leaking because I run it in the garage. I need to find a tester that tests for carbon in the coolant.

[breadbox]

The carbon test tell you if you have a blown HG, right?

I picked up a Brand new Mishimoto from one of the local motorsport shops for like $220. it thick and pretty sure its dual pass.

I'd call a local radiator shop and see if they can make you a radiator you would never need to upgrade and see how much that runs. Or ask if they can get you a good deal on an aftermarket one.

I hope your head gasket is okay though, thats what I'd be leaning towards next.

You can pm me if you have any questions, even though I have more SOHC experience than DOHC.

[CT720RAT]

Ive seen whole cabs brans new on ebay,

http://cgi.ebay.com/DATSUN-NISSAN-720-P ... 945wt_1070

expensive, but would make it easy. get some new fenders, and find a decent bed and you got a mint truck.

[Flatline1121]

lol, never would have thought to buy a whole cab new off ebay.... but i think the welding will do.

if a new rad doesn't rectify the problem then thats what im leaning towards too. i just dont want to spend a whole lot on a rad and then find out i need a HG and be out the extra $$$ i spent.

if it needs a HG its getting more than that. ARP head studs, cometic HG, dual exhaust cams or better. So id need all the dough i can get my hands on.

thanks for all the help

[breadbox]

you can put cams on later. I would say OEM over cometic.

[CT720RAT]

yeah i came across it the other day looking for some body parts.

[Flatline1121]

well i have the cams and id be pulling them to get to the head bolts. but if it came down to it id be having the head machined anyway so a cometic MLS wouldn't do any harm and would be better for boost later.

i might have a rad coming soon though. i just hope the guy can ship it.

[Flatline1121]

got the shell i had sold. so next chance i have thr garage is getting cleaned and the ka is coming out. im gonna see about getting the crank machined and get some bearing sizes. hopefully ill have her running before the end of january.

[breadbox]

got the shell i had sold.

Pics? If I understand this, You sold a shell and then later got it back? 720 or s13?

[Flatline1121]

Lol. Grammar>me.

I got the shell I had, sold.

The s13 hatch I had. Got a little extra $$$ now so I can try and get some work done.

[Flatline1121]

So, looks like I decided to leave my tool box at a junk yard a half hour away. Awesome. Hopefully it'll be there tomorrow when I call.

Sucks having very little tools. Now I don't have any at all...

[Flatline1121]

Well got my tools back. Threw a know good rad into the vert and didn't have an issue with spitting. Even ran it out to 5k and nothing. But unfortunately the rad did have a pin hole in it and a bunch of missing fins. but its still good news.

Also cleaned the garage out and the truck is now safely tucked away next to the vert inside. Can't wait to start turning some wrenches on this thing.

[Flatline1121]

ordered the rad. should be here in a week or so.

exciting....