Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Howdy everyone! Earlier this week I came across a Craigslist ad for a 1969 roadster 1600 that I’ve become entranced with. While I’ve been more or less a fan of the Datsun 240z like most people I’ve never really heard of its predecessor the roadster but I’ve really fallen in love. While researching different things I should look out for to see if the car was really worth the money and time I figured the best solution was just to ask directly before I go and look at it this afternoon.

https://siouxfalls.craigslist.org/cto/d ... 96191.html
(None of my photo attachments seemed to work so here’s the link)

The seller is asking 3,500 for the car. Since it seems that the engine only consists of the long block and the transmission and suspension could be in a questionable state I’m wondering if it’s worth that. Especially when considering the rust repairs needed in the trunk and rear fenders. (Which I can manage myself) as for getting the car running. I would like to preface that I don’t plan on keeping it exactly original or stock, I would like to more or less restomod It with parts from a Na Miata (engine swap/interior). I don’t know if this plan cheapens the cost to make it a driver, but it seems easier and cheaper to find Miata parts than original Datsun ones (especially here in the Midwest). Would this be a good idea, the budget isn’t strict but money isn’t exactly free flowing either. Any advice or tips would be fantastic thank you!

Maybe... you need to put your eyes on it, as the pictures just don’t show enough detail. Definitely has rust issues, but not really that bad. You need to get under it and look at the frame. Looks like most all the important pieces are there and in restorable shape. Grill and bumpers (at least the one you can see) look straight. Looks like all the trim and the side marker lights are there.
The pictures show a complete engine and he says that he got it running, so if a drive is possible you can evaluate the driveability. Complete 1600 engines are available and cheap and there are many engine swap choices.
If it runs and drives then the price is ballpark, however it’s a moving target. If it drives then shoot him an offer for $2500, I think that would be fair. If it doesn’t run, well than it’s a real crapshoot.
Check out https://www.datsunparts.com/ for an idea on the cost of parts, he has a pretty extensive list. Pay particular attention to brake, steering, and suspension parts, as they can be quite expensive. If you go for a full restoration you can spend a lot of money on rubber parts as well.
Old Z’s are nice, but driving an old 2 seater open sports car is a whole different experience. A much better one in my humble opinion