Jcooper's 1976 Mazda b1600 Project

So it's been a few weeks but I've been reading a lot on various build threads on the forum and doing some research on emissions delete. But before I get too carried away with that- let me inform you of a recent find. 2 weeks ago I decided to head up to North Dakota to visit my brother. He lives in a little farm town called Deering, which is north west of Minot, N.D. Most people would say North Dakota has little to offer anyone..but I've come to enjoy the quiet nature of the northern prairie state. Well, there is this little salvage yard that my brother and I have poked around several time- usually because the man who runs it is very reasonable on prices and the vehicles that he has in his yard stem from 50s trucks to newer models. The place is called Swartwout Auto Salvage. Well, for awhile I have been searching for Mazda Hubcaps for my b1600, and haven't been able to find much online..or if I did they were $80.00 per hubcap. As luck would have it, I sourced an older Mazda b-series pickup and was able to score not only the hubcaps, but the chrome rim rings as well. All for a total price of $2.50. I also had my brother stop by on another trip and snatch the original rims and tires on the parts truck...all 4 for $40. Couldn't be happier.

But yes, I recently read up on emissions delete write ups on the forums and decided I'd go ahead and delete most of the misc emissions bulk, and run only the PCV valve, and vacuum line from the weber carb straight to the distributor (as I have read). What a difference. My state does not have strict emissions policy, but I kept all the old parts if I ever needed them again. I also ended up replacing the PCV valve as the older one had cracked and start up on the truck was iffy at best. Again, what a difference! Below are the before and after pics. For the rail that came off the exhaust header, I did have to locate some m12 x1.50 bolts to cap the holes. (and surprisingly finding those damn bolts was far more difficult that I had imagined...but i prevailed.) With that being said...I did order a Hurricane Exhaust Header from Australia for a pretty penny for the future.

More to come.

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Pictured below is the old PCV valve and the new one.

Confirmation email received today on Header- can't wait. And looking into investing in metal brake and other metal working tools to begin my floor pan construction. Initially planned on just laying straight pans in, but after further thought- I'm planning on bending out the small floor pan ridges that stick up in order to prevent flexing of the metal. Also, going to attack rocker panels when floor pans are replaced as mine are showing some evidence of rust-weakened areas and small holes. This portion should be fun. Original seat will also need repair as previous owner- for some unknown reason- cut out the rear seat supports for the seat back. You literally sink into the seat and end up looking like a small lady trying to look over steering wheel (and I'm 5'11.) I know a decent fabric place in town that will re-cover a seat as close to original pattern and color- all for a reasonable price. Trying to keep truck as original as possible in this aspect, so saving the seat will take time but will be worth it.
More pictures to come tomorrow, thanks for reading.

That's a sweet looking header!!!! What did that set you back???? There's a place in Minden Nevada called Automotive Component Engineering that does a header for our trucks as well....... He's only available thru email, so it takes a little bit of time to find out what shipping charges are on parts, but the prices aren't too bad....... I've been looking for the hubcaps, too!!!! Lucky dog!!!!

I purchased the header for roughly $201.16 USD. A little more than I was looking at spending, but I had the money and figured it would look cleaner and sound better than the stock header setup. The hubcaps were indeed a rare find that I'm still smiling about.

My whole idea on this pickup restoration is that I just don't see any of them where I live. I fell in love with the small 70's style Japanese pickups when I first rescued and built up a 1972 Datsun 521 (that I had to pull from a field). A lot of people thought I was wasting my time and money on the truck, but I enjoyed every dollar and every minute bringing that thing back to life. My biggest regret was letting it go before I was done with it. Then I found the b-series Mazda and told myself that this time I would see this restoration to completion. Though slow I hope someday to have a gem that inspires someone interested in these kind of trucks.

Below you'll see some of the photos I have on file of my old Datsun. Like I said earlier, I still see it driving around today and the new owner has taken off from where I had started- the truck looks amazing!

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Could you send me the link to where you're getting your header from???? I have always had a thing for the old 70's mini trucks, as well........ Got mine for $1200 about 40 miles from my house (guy trailered to my house, too!!!). Since then I've installed a Weber carb, resealed the engine, and lowered 2" all the way around..... Working on dong a 5 speed swap into it right now (trans came from a 1980 Mazda B2000)......