1968 Datsun 510 Sedan (Project Datto)

DMendis · May 13, 2014

The bluebird badges looks awesome ! Please dont apply pop riverts machan. I personaly hate drilling and riverting the badges. May be that is the only way to protect from thieves, but it spoils the badge. Cos I have been searching for my Sprinter badges for months as they were broken at the rivert points when they remove for painting and now i cannot find them in the market. May be I should try repairing them and chrome plating. Please update with the progress and I might also go for a chrome plating. Your bottom one will look nice if you do a chrome plating (and you might need to repeat the black paint job)

Crosswind · May 13, 2014

On 5/13/2014 at 2:51 AM, DMendis said:
The bluebird badges looks awesome ! Please dont apply pop riverts machan. I personaly hate drilling and riverting the badges. May be that is the only way to protect from thieves, but it spoils the badge. Cos I have been searching for my Sprinter badges for months as they were broken at the rivert points when they remove for painting and now i cannot find them in the market. May be I should try repairing them and chrome plating. Please update with the progress and I might also go for a chrome plating. Your bottom one will look nice if you do a chrome plating (and you might need to repeat the black paint job)

Just stick some pop rivet heads to the badges using double side tape

Komisiripala · May 13, 2014

On 5/13/2014 at 6:33 AM, Crosswind said:
Just stick some pop rivet heads to the badges using double side tape

that is fcuking brilliant! no i'm not trolling that's an excellent idea!! at least it'll deter them from trying. these badges mean the world to me!

Komisiripala · May 13, 2014

work moves on at a snail pace. the tinkering has moved on to the face now. the most important bit!

JFLanka · June 18, 2014

Any updates Komi..??

Komisiripala · June 18, 2014

not much bung. deen's is proceeding with the door cards. was ironing out the details with them. i've given an ultimatum to indika. and an incentive. let's see how it goes. i depserately need the car now, but i'm not that desperate as to rush this. fingers crossed, i'll see some progress towards end of june. we are just 3-4 full working days away from a base coat. these people are so damned lethargic men...

Komisiripala · June 25, 2014

work is progressing. today i get a call saying "mahaththayo grill eka aran ennako apita moon ahadanna bae eika nathuwa!"

so despite running a temperature and having the shits, i set out plstidipping the grille:

here's the end result: quite pleased, and therapeutic too

Jaliya48 · June 25, 2014

Most impressive!

Supra_Natural · June 27, 2014

On 6/25/2014 at 5:34 PM, Jaliya48 said:
Most impressive!

Jaliya, why is your signature pic some dudes in school ties?

Komisiripala · June 27, 2014

I see a gear gate...

Jaliya48 · June 27, 2014

On 6/27/2014 at 6:37 AM, Supra_Natural said:
Jaliya, why is your signature pic some dudes in school ties?

It's a 5 speed pattern, no dudes or ties there!

Davy · June 29, 2014

The grille has come out nicely! Well done Komi!

Supra might have to clear his browsing history. Probably an old file with the same path as Jaliya's signature being pulled up by the browser.

Komisiripala · June 29, 2014

All thanks to you men! Tinkering work has sped up. This is getting better by the day! Can't wait!

Komisiripala · July 3, 2014

TINKER: [ˈtɪŋkə®ˈ]

an elusive mythical creature who, seen here in his natural habitat, conjures up shapes from bare metal to complete a vehucular carapace for a host entity. rarely seen at work, this wonderful, yet lazy, selfish, boorish creature is known to collect cash advances for services rendered and disappear for days on end with no notice. its absence is known to cause cardiac and cerebral haemorrhaging in the host, leading to complications if he does not return within a month.

following photos are a very rare capture of the tinker hard at work. a sight not seen in these locales for nearly 3 months.

Komisiripala · July 3, 2014

anae uncle, kiyana devaaleka-ta wadinnan! magae car eka iwara karala deepan ko!

ferrarif50 · July 3, 2014

Ha ha ha

Rumesh88 · July 3, 2014

On 7/3/2014 at 2:29 AM, Komisiripala said:
anae uncle, kiyana devaaleka-ta wadinnan! magae car eka iwara karala deepan ko!

This is a quite normal thing with these guys. Better the guy longer it takes (if it is something to do with their perfectionist attitude I don't know). So take a deep breath and if that is not enough take another one, keep your composure, keep reminding yourself that patience is the key.

MasterDon · July 3, 2014

On 7/3/2014 at 5:09 AM, Rumesh88 said:
This is a quite normal thing with these guys. Better the guy longer it takes (if it is something to do with their perfectionist attitude I don't know). So take a deep breath and if that is not enough take another one, keep your composure, keep reminding yourself that patience is the key.

Actually.Just cos a job takes a long time it doesn't always mean the end result is better.Some people are just lazy.From what I see the Datsun here only requires a straight forward tinkering job not needing any special imagination or talent.Should be a weeks work at most.....And it has been dragging for months no?

Siripala, try making a scene with the garage boss and see if it speeds things up...Or give the tinker guy a bottle or some cash.

Edited July 3, 2014 by MasterDon

Komisiripala · July 3, 2014

This was the result of me making a scene. And cash. Work is progressing.

Hoonigan · July 3, 2014

Good to see the man back at work Is that the light I see at the end of the tunnel?

The Don · July 3, 2014

I actually see my car just behind, and seemingly the bodywork complete! Aney uncle, can you please fit the two fenders and paint the damn thing, so we can move on to fixing other things

Komisiripala · July 3, 2014

Had to steal him off yours. Your work is largely done.

Davy · July 4, 2014

This place is starting to look like the AutoLanka body shop. Glad work is going ahead Komi. And I believe this is the first time I'm seeing The Don's Mirage. Expecting a few surprises there too.

The Don · July 4, 2014

On 7/4/2014 at 5:40 AM, Davy said:
This place is starting to look like the AutoLanka body shop. Glad work is going ahead Komi. And I believe this is the first time I'm seeing The Don's Mirage. Expecting a few surprises there too.

Yeah, sadly good body shops are rare, and my usual place did not want to take the job as they don't have a tinker with the necessary skills. Plus they have messed up the repair of the fenders so it was time for a change.

I've resisted all temptations and Komis persuation in doing anything funky with the Mirage. The thing is slowly becoming a museum piece with very few in the country so "modifying" it would be a crime against the automotive world.

The car needs some work to bring it back to former glory. Sadly while I was away the car has suffered in a number of ways. The main issue was body rust and shoddy repair of kocks all around caused by my father who just isn't as good a driver as he once used to be. I might have to find a care taker for this one as well. The roof panel was complete replaced with a fabricated panel and the results look good. The two wings have hopefully been straightened and re shaped, and the front lined up.

Once the body work is completed and painted, I hope to start work on the interior. The seats need to be re upholstered and the interior plastics replaced. I might buy brand new parts as even some of the used parts I've found and replaced with had bits broken.

The engine has decent grunt, but its probably time to get it cleaned up internally and perhaps to a stage 1 upgrade, but keeping original parts.

Thats the plan for that one.

Edited July 4, 2014 by The Don

trinity · July 4, 2014

On 7/4/2014 at 9:21 AM, The Don said:
Yeah, sadly good body shops are rare, and my usual place did not want to take the job as they don't have a tinker with the necessary skills. Plus they have messed up the repair of the fenders so it was time for a change.
I've resisted all temptations and Komis persuation in doing anything funky with the Mirage. The thing is slowly becoming a museum piece with very few in the country so "modifying" it would be a crime against the automotive world.

The car needs some work to bring it back to former glory. Sadly while I was away the car has suffered in a number of ways. The main issue was body rust and shoddy repair of kocks all around caused by my father who just isn't as good a driver as he once used to be. I might have to find a care taker for this one as well. The roof panel was complete replaced with a fabricated panel and the results look good. The two wings have hopefully been straightened and re shaped, and the front lined up.

Once the body work is completed and painted, I hope to start work on the interior. The seats need to be re upholstered and the interior plastics replaced. I might buy brand new parts as even some of the used parts I've found and replaced with had bits broken.

The engine has decent grunt, but its probably time to get it cleaned up internally and perhaps to a stage 1 upgrade, but keeping original parts.

Thats the plan for that one.

Interesting, so where's the thread on Mirage resto?