Author Topic: Nissan 720/ Ford XB  (Read 10892 times)

Offline Davo J

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 475
  • Country: au
Nissan 720/ Ford XB
« on: March 30, 2010, 04:59:01 AM »

Davo

I hear talk of your show truck and see your avatar with a truck. Would you by any chance be able to post a picture of your show truck. Thanks.  :D :D

Cheers  :beer:

Don

[/quote]

Hi,
As you see from above I was asked by Don to post up a bigger picture of our show truck that I spoke about in Darren's shaper thread which is also in my avatar.
It started life as a Datsun 720 2wd that we bought for $750. Every thing from and including the bull bar to the tow bar was built and done by myself a home.
It is now been completely sand blasted inside and out and converted to 4wd with a commodore V6, custom interior, 18inch wheels, modified chassis for power steering, hydraulic tipper, custom tray, 500kg crane, 9000lbs winch, stainless steel tool boxes, etc, etc. We were able to order number plates with "1TOP720" on them as well.
It is also fully engineered, the engineer said a normal inspection took 20 minutes but spent 1 1/2 hours admiring it. He also said that on average there are 30,000 nuts and bolts in a car and I had touched every one.

I have heaps of pictures my wife took of the rebuild over the 3 years. It was not built for showing, only a work truck. That changed after a mate told us to enter it into the Ute section at a local show and we won. One show led to another and it has now won 44 trophies from 36 shows so far, we have had an offer of $50.000 it for, but it's not for sale.It cost us around $22,000 over the 3 years and only has 4500km on it so far.
I haven't posted in this section before, as I have never thought to put the truck on. If anyone is interested in the rebuild I will do a right up of it, with heap of photo's from start to finish.

Davo
 
PS
Don,
 At one show we were talking to some Canadians over here on holidays. They were very nice people, and said they had not heard the term "Ute" before.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2010, 12:59:03 AM by Davo J »

Offline Bernd

  • Madmodder Committee
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3688
  • Country: us
  • 1915 C Cab
    • Kingstone Model Works
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2010, 09:27:42 AM »
Yes, a write up of how you did that with pictures would be nice.

I've always admired people who could take something like that truck and turn it into something beautiful like you've done.  :clap:

Bernd
Route of the Black Diamonds

Offline dsquire

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2275
  • Country: ca
  • Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2010, 01:03:28 PM »
Davo

Thanks Davo for posting the pictures of your show truck. I agree with Bernd, it would be nice to see some more of the pictures as you built it when you have the time. From what I have seen so far it certainly looks deserving of the trophies that you have won.  :ddb: :ddb: :ddb:

Cheers  :beer:

Don
Good, better, best.
Never let it rest,
'til your good is better,
and your better best

Offline CrewCab

  • Madmodder Committee
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 851
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2010, 05:34:17 PM »
Yes, a write up of how you did that with pictures would be nice.  

and Me 3 ................. I'd enjoy reading a write up if you can get around to it Davo ...................... great work btw  :thumbup:

CC

Offline Divided he ad

  • WARNING: LIKES SHINEY THINGS
  • The Collective
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1950
  • Country: gb
  • Between Chester, Wrexham, ruthin & Holywell :-)
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2010, 07:53:01 PM »
Quote
At one show we were talking to some Canadians over here on holidays. They were very nice people, and said they had not heard the term "Ute" before.

I've only heard of a ute from 3 sources, Neighbours, Home & away and Kevin Bloody Wilson. Although some of the uses differ!  :ddb:    :lol:



Nice looking machine Davo  :clap: 


If you post more pic's I'll happily look at them too....   :)





Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Davo J

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 475
  • Country: au
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2010, 02:53:03 AM »
Thanks Guys,
I will do that, it will take a bit of time as I have to scan all the photos because, for us it was pre computer age.

I rebuilt an XB ford with all the GT options around 22 years ago just for shows. spent something like 6 months on the engine bay concealing all the wiring, welded and filled all the seams so it looked molded, 6 point polished roll cage, top loader gearbox with a vertical gate shifter, 2 600 Holley's hanging out the bonnet on a tunnel ram, etc. I went to a few shows and won nothing and to say the least I was disappointed. They were really common back then and unless you had a sponsors list as long as your arm to pay for all the chrome and interior etc you got no where.

I promised myself never to do another show vehicle again.
With the truck it's different, as I said, I never built it for shows. My wife always reminds me that it only started with a motor change. When we now go to shows it's different to every thing else there, I get all types of people looking at it. Some look at the fab side, other guys looking over the motor conversion, others the hydraulics, others the suspension, etc.
I have people asking for a business card all the time, after I tell them it's a one off done at home, they tell me to open up a shop and they will give me there business. I had thought about it a few years back, but with the injury to my neck, it would be impossible now. Also I could not count the number of times I have been asked to polish things for people, from truck bull bars and to small car parts. It's a hard slog polishing and I always say no, but I tell them were to buy the gear and how to do it.

Now the truck is finished, it doesn't really interest me unless I am making something for it. It was the project part I liked. My wife likes to go to the shows but I grew tied of it, and we haven't been for over a year. Days of polishing, early mornings and long days sitting in the sun doing nothing doesn't appeal to me. I would rather be home in the shed building something else.
To get some interest back into it I have plans on making a knuckle boom crane with a 1 ton/mtr capacity with a 4 mtr reach that will fold up on itself so it doesn't take up any more room than the one thats on it, also a stainless steel bull bar for it as the chrome was not put on very good.
I have also been thinking of making the tray removable and putting a hitch for a fifth wheel trailer so I can pick up more machinery. Those trailers have only become popular over here in the last few years as camping and horse carrying trailers. They have been in the US for a long time so there are plenty of plans out there.

Regards Davo
PS
As soon as can get to my other computer, I will upload some photos of the Ford as well.

Offline Davo J

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 475
  • Country: au
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2010, 12:14:33 AM »
Here are the photo's as promised. I cant find the pictures of the twin tunnel ram, but the bonnet scoop was put on to keep the rain out of the filters because they stuck out through the bonnet.
Davo

Offline Davo J

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 475
  • Country: au
Re: Nissan 720
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2010, 12:15:13 AM »
One more
Davo

Rob.Wilson

  • Guest
Re: Nissan 720/ Ford XB
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2010, 02:07:11 AM »
Hi Davo  :bugeye:  :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

thats got to be the best Ute , i have ever seen .  More photos Please  :D

Regards Rob

Offline Darren

  • Madmodder Committee
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3795
  • N/Wales
Re: Nissan 720/ Ford XB
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2010, 08:21:05 AM »
In the last picture it look bright with dark areas all facing the same way, what is that  :scratch:

Nice looking car, I always wanted to do up a big engined beastie, but not much point here in the UK as we couldn't afford to drive it  :bang:
I'll just drool at yours instead  :(
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Offline Davo J

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 475
  • Country: au
Re: Nissan 720/ Ford XB
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2010, 10:42:11 AM »
Good eye Darren,
That would be the side that some jealous !!!!!!! screw drivered the side while it was parked at a shopping center, right back to metal. At this stage in the photo we had repainted it (at home) and found different brands of paint are different colours. It was latter re sprayed in the other brand paint and all was fine. That photo was only from a club run for a BBQ lunch, not a show. Petrol was cheap back then you could afford to cruise. We owned that car for 7-8 years then sold it to my wifes son, he smashed it 3 times in 12 months and it went to the scrap yard not long after. :bang:
The little girl holding the baby and the baby are my 2, she is now 27 and the baby 19, makes me feel old.
Dave

Offline CrewCab

  • Madmodder Committee
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 851
Re: Nissan 720/ Ford XB
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2010, 06:53:12 PM »
The little girl holding the baby and the baby are my 2, she is now 27 and the baby 19, makes me feel old.

Your not alone mate,  :beer: ............ kids grow up pretty quick eh! ............ love the photo's that's a stunning looking motor  :bow:

CC