any 311s roadster folks?

[auggiemize]

Just curious if there are any Datsun 1600/2000 lovers on the board...yes I may be headed that way (selling the no-rust 914-4 project and the 76 Taiga 02 project..)...Supposed to go look at a 70 2000 tomorrow, but just a little more ferrous oxide on tonight's photo's than I wanted to see, so I'm sleeping in...but still looking...

Dave V. in NC

[jgerock]

Dave - July issue of Hemmings Motor News has a cover feature about Datsun Roadsters.

Watch out for rust.

[Kidasters]

Dave -

Did you buy the one that was on bring a trailer?

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/07/04/bat-exclusive-clean-1969-datsun-2000-roadster/

Pretty car, and it was local. I thought about going to look at it. Then I looked in my garage. Then I looked at the new carb that needs to go on the mini, which is not running (again).....then I cried a bit.

Ken

[roadhog0]

My dad had a hot 2000 while he was in college and for a bit after. He regrets selling it way back when. I almost bought a 2000 not to long ago as well for my first car before the 2002. I will probably own one someday!

[AndyS]

Taiga?????

[auggiemize]

No, Ken...I wish; what a beauty. That photo will help me sell my wife on the idea, tho...Both that and the one Jim posted have three things that I could see me in; white, red interior, roll bar. The one I was hyped up about was a one-owner 2000 that went for a run-like-you-stole-sumthin' $1600...handyman's dream, but it had more rust (thanks Jim) than I wanted to screw with...but sold to the guy behind me immediately...I just have to clear out a few things, but there will be room for a roadster, maybe...I think the clutch would be easier on my hip than the 914 is...so I be shoppin...and reading...and listening...

and, yes Andrew..Taiga...

Dave V. in NC

[KFunk]

I've got an old Datsun L320, close enough.

Parts can be found for most of these old Datsuns, just gotta know where to look. If you can find the right parts catalogs (even the original printed copies), and take the old parts numbers to your local Nissan dealer, you'd be surprised at the parts they'll actually get for you at reasonable prices.

[auggiemize]

I remember when you bought it, and I thought...I wonder what that puppy cost..and then I saw that what we used to call "beer can cars", for the not-so-stout sheetmetal, were actually headed the same direction as our beloved 02's, price-wise...so I thought, I wonder if 311s' are remotely reasonable...and there began the curiosity...

My older brother said of the 2000 back in about 1968, that it was the most overpowered car on the road for its weight, but not very practical, with the rag top (this said from the driver's seat of his 55 MGTF..)...and that's about when I noticed a little German sports car without a sports car body...and I was hooked. Never thought much more about 311s'. Until now. Lots of parallels with 1500's, 1600's, and 2000's. Great handling, nimble, simple, reliable...

I guess we'll see. I sort of hate to admit, that I actually bought an NOS part for a 311s last week from fleabay...maybe I can clone it into a roadster.

Dave V. in NC

[KFunk]

I remember when you bought it, and I thought...I wonder what that puppy cost..and then I saw that what we used to call "beer can cars", for the not-so-stout sheetmetal, were actually headed the same direction as our beloved 02's, price-wise...so I thought, I wonder if 311s' are remotely reasonable...and there began the curiosity...

My older brother said of the 2000 back in about 1968, that it was the most overpowered car on the road for its weight, but not very practical, with the rag top (this said from the driver's seat of his 55 MGTF..)...and that's about when I noticed a little German sports car without a sports car body...and I was hooked. Never thought much more about 311s'. Until now. Lots of parallels with 1500's, 1600's, and 2000's. Great handling, nimble, simple, reliable...

I guess we'll see. I sort of hate to admit, that I actually bought an NOS part for a 311s last week from fleabay...maybe I can clone it into a roadster.

Dave V. in NC

Ah, well great thinking then, Dave!

I should say its been an amazing 10K miles so far since I bought the truck in June of last year. No real problems except for the typical little stuff you'd expect from an old vehicle.

I don't know much about the roadsters, but I'm sure they've got to be great little cars. The trucks of the era like mine have engines that are actually authorized copy of MG engines, and that's probably the same case for the roadsters. So, you should get that MG feel in something that's a bit different than the norm, and maybe even better electrics.

Also, I'm sure many of the parts are likely interchangeable with other Datsuns. You've just got to do a little investigative work. Much of the mechanical parts on my truck are exactly identical to other later model trucks or some cars. You can get most of the mechanical parts at Autozone, you just gotta tell them the right make/model. For example, they don't list brake drums for my truck. But if I ask them for brake drums for a '70s Datsun 620. then they'll give me the exact drums I need for 30 bucks.

Anyways, good luck on your search. I found it much easier to get a good deal through forums, and not classifieds. I found my truck through the Ratsun forum, but I don't think there's a big roadster crowd there. There's a NICO Club forum too that has some stuff. I'm pretty sure there's a Datsun roadster specific forum I've stumbled across at some point, though.

Oh, and the rapid rusty decline of my Miata (combined with my girlfriend being afraid of riding on the back of a vintage beamer) has also triggered my interest in finding a vintage roadster as well. The Datsun roadsters crossed my mind, but I fear that I may have settled on going a far more stupid route...

[Kidasters]

another one for sale - crazy money though.

Pretty though ----

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/07/20/blue-chip-1967-datsun-1600-roadster/

[auggiemize]

You are right..way pretty. The 311s.org site and the BAT folks all had an opinion...blue color was too turquoise..etc. Sounded like our group (..."is that supposed to be Colorado?...). Dt'sun roadsters seem to be alot like 02's; sometimes, some colors look great, even if not period perfect, but properly done, and sometimes a patina'd original color looks even better...and no rust is the way to buy...should have bought the 2000 last week for $1600...live and learn, like most things...

Thanks for the heads-up,

Dave V. in NC

[jgerock]

Here you go Dave. I flipped my Hemmings Abandoned Auto calendar to August and see a Datsun Roadster sitting in Vermont.

[auggiemize]

Actually looks better than a couple that I looked at...

Dave V. in NC

[roadhog0]

Actually looks better than a couple that I looked at...

Dave V. in NC

I'll second this! I've looked at a couple pretty bad ones...

[jgerock]

Dave - there is a really nice one in the Grassroots Motorsports calendar (month of August). You can sort of see it in Marshall's newest post.