DATSUN 62O CHINOOK BUILD

[MIKEYRULES]

Just copped this RARE piece of machinery from Oregon. Love this girl. Flew to Portland from Los Angeles and drove it back with no problems at all. This thing is clean besides a lil patina.

My plans are to color coordinate the interior to my liking a lil more, take the carpet out add more cheap wood flooring. 15x10 wheels and fender flares in front. Flexible solar panels to charge the coach battery and run fridge. Take out big propane tank and convert to lil coleman green ones. Swap Grant steering wheel for a Nardi. FBSS airbag suspension so i can level out camper in style. Engine swap to either a KA24de or Sr20det when stock motor dies.

 

[PirateMcGee]

Awesome! I was eyeballing that one. Looks super solid! I look forward to following the build. I would go KA24de over the sr20 just for the low end grunt.

 

[skibum315]

Very cool ... I'll be watching this. I think it's awesome to see some of the older stuff getting some love around here.

I've not spent much time around 620s ... is the engine bay big enough for something like a VG30 or 33? Or even a VQ? I know it's not strictly needed, but I'd think with the camper, every little bit would help; and even with the KA, you'd still be a bit pokey ... or do you sacrifice the top end and get around it with (very) deep axle gears?

 

[veilside180sx]

KA is probably the best fit in it. Torque comes on sooner with the extra displacement. (I've owned plenty of SR's & KA's)

VQ or VG would be a really tight squeeze & a SBC would be easier than those

 

[Mr.510]

I'd VG33 swap it. Any four is going to hate it's life dragging that around and the mileage is gonna suck. I produce a bolt-in VG620 conversion kit. Zero modification to the cab or frame is needed. There's info on the swap and the parts I produce in this video. I'd like to find a Chinook body like that to swap onto a V6 D21 4x4.

 

[skibum315]

Awesome ... that's what I was hoping someone would chime in with! The fact that you've even got parts to facilitate it is just gravy.

... and I'm really enamored of your idea to put a Chinook body on a late(er) model chassis ... there's a fella here on the ExPo forum who did just that, but used an 80-Series cruiser he chopped into a chassis cab; pretty cool, actually.

Cheers.

 

[MIKEYRULES]

Thanks guys!!

Really falling in love with the little 4 speed tranny and engine on this thing. Its pretty quick and only weighs 3400 pounds. It would be awesome to have it a lil bit faster tho. Going to keep stock rims for now and throw on some 14" BFG AT's. But my first priority is to add solar to run fridge, used the propane and started smelling a leak.

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

Swap in a Supercharged VG33 or a make a VG34 to put in

 

[Sly tuna]

Too awesome. I've got a couple 620's myself and have been looking for one of these.

 

[hansrober]

Very nice, cant wait to see your progress! I think you have a winner there!

 

[MIKEYRULES]

Heres a lil picture update from the last time i posted.

Decided to take the Datsun with 2 of my friends to Burning Man. Made it as far as Fresno and blew up the clutch.

Still got it there.

Fixed the clutch, driveshaft carrier bearing, some new u-joints and got a detail.

Back to zero.

Ebay pickups.

Camping in Johnson Valley.

Drawing a friend made.

 

[MIKEYRULES]

Been road tripping/ camping almost every weekend basically. This is my daily driver now.

SF

Malibu

Fairfax

Dumont Dunes

Wind Wolves Preserve

14" General Grabber At2 just installed.

Back at it again with the soapy detail.

Popped the top to clean the canvas and discovered a stash spot for beers.

New Parts already installed.

Buying a weber rebuild kit tomorrow and taking it up to Yosemite next week. I really wanted a Toyota Chinook so i could convert to 4x4 but I'm glad I got the Datsun. Saving up for an Sr20det swap soon, I don't want to go KA no matter what anyone says. Already got the best datsun swap guy to do it. About to have the fastest and maybe only JDM chinook in the world lol. The car right now is ridiculously slow up the grapevine but i have no problem keeping up/ drafting behind semi trucks. It just takes forever to get anywhere.

 

[JWP58]

You should go SR20VET, vvl and turbo...then you'd be the cats meow.

 

[xovrlnd]

The SR would be sweet in that! I swapped one into my old 240, but after it let go I sourced an RB20 for basically pennies, I'm not going to lie to you, I REALLY liked the RB better. Power output is extremely similar plus it is much more reliable. the SR becomes a headache over 350whp.

 

[Bigfnhammer]

Damn! a 79 king cab 620 is one of the only trucks i regret selling, such a classic shape. that look like a wicked project!