Gas 1600

[garvice]

Started on the dashboard, but taking longer than i expected.
Using foamex board for the majority of the shape as it was free, easy to work with and will give that new car smell as it degrades over time.

The top section will be wrapped in a thin foam and black vinyl, the gauge surround will be painted black and have a thin acrylic sheet over it.
Still haven't decided what I will stick in the empty space to the right of the gauges or how i'll fix up the glovebox section.

The centre console part i started with some 2mm thick aluminium sheet but it was affected by the heat of the grinder too much, so stepped it up to 8mm aluminium and milled it out. Will probably paint it black and have a few countersunk screws through the front of it to hold it in place. Lost a bunch of photos, so don't have one showing the mount of the air vents, but they attach to that same bracket that holds the radio and controls.

On with the photos.
GAS1600_066_01 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_02 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_03 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_04 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_05 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_06 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_07 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_08 by Garvice, on Flickr

GAS1600_066_09 by Garvice, on Flickr

[MartyRX2]

Looks good. Is that the cluster from the donor car?


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[garvice]

Thanks mate, yeah that's the gauges, air vents and air controls from the altezza. The altezza has a different shape around the gauges though.

[Willy]

Awesome work! I’m amazed at your fabrication skills.

[garvice]

Cheers mate, it's all just trial and error learning though, nothing real special. Sometimes I do wish I'd spent a little less time making stuff pretty and just got the car on the road though.

[Sketchy]

Genuinely awesome mate, great to see some updates.

[tim510]

what heater/fan box you planning on using? My next 510 conquest is air con for my nugget

[garvice]

Cheers guys.
Tim, plan is to try and fit the altezza heater box in, but at half the size. It has a split down the middle that I've split it at. Still not sure it'll fit though. The fan is enormous though so might have to source a smaller one or cut it down and rebalance/rehouse. No AC though, that part of the box is even bigger.

[MartyRX2]

what heater/fan box you planning on using? My next 510 conquest is air con for my nugget

Group buy?


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[garvice]

Wow, almost another year has passed. Nothing much new on the 1600. I did buy and install another steering column/box last week. The 200b one I had in it was a rag jointed type that I had replaced with a solid coupling. Unfortunately I never spent the time getting it all lined up right so it was binding when bolted up tight (probably just needed some spacers on the dash mount). So it was easier for me to chuck in a uni jointed one.

Also started a metal fabrication business this year so the datsun has once again been left behind. Looking more and more likely it'll end up being finished by one of my kids, ha.

[Willy]

Metal fab business?.. awesome! I hope it goes well.

I know how you feel. Not much has happened on our GT40 in about 6 months

[garvice]

Cheers Willy. Yep, more to keep my own sanity than anything else. Still doing 4 days a week as an engineer but 1 day a week I'm dedicating to the business. Going pretty well so far but not trying to pay bills with it. Set up an Instagram if you want to see the things I've made so far. Www.instagram.com/gas_fab

[Willy]

Awesome. I’m following.

[garvice]

Cheers mate

[garvice]

Wow, guess I didn't work on the datsun in 2018!
Don't worry, I'm not dead. I had planned on working on the datsun on the days where my metal work business didn't have jobs, but the first time I really got to work on it was last Friday afternoon and today. I decided to tackle one of the last rust repairs, the drivers door.

Had to build a new inner skin and outer skin for the bottom corner.


GAS1600_067_ 01 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 02 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 03 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 04 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 05 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 06 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 07 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 08 by Garvice, on Flickr

Also found that the door had a dint that had been repaired with bog. Was a good 5 to 10mm thick, so I beat it back out and while I was at it, also welded up the mirror holes.


GAS1600_067_ 09 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 10 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 11 by Garvice, on Flickr

Then came an interesting job. The bottom support for the window was badly rusted away and I couldn't find the channel profile easily. So I made it from flat sheet and replaced the rusted one. Unfortunately I forgot to take many progress shots, but it was only 2 folds, some chasing for adhesive pockets and 2 reverse folds. Still, I did feel a bit like the binky guys making this from scratch.


GAS1600_067_ 12 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 13 by Garvice, on Flickr


GAS1600_067_ 14 by Garvice, on Flickr