Bringing a 1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster back to life in Upstate, SC
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:50 pm
Hey everyone,
This is my first post and introduction. My dad and I bought this 1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster in the early 90s in South Carolina. We drove it off and on up until maybe 1998. It has been rolled around and parked in a garage since that time. The license plate tells the tale. The car, then, was drivable but had issues. Here are some of the things that I remember about it as a driver:
1. I remember using the E-brake to augment the regular brakes, as they had very poor performance.
2. Second gear would grind every time, no matter what you did.
3. The occupants would be enveloped in white smoke at every stoplight/stop sign.
4. None of the original gauges operated on the dash.
I’m not sure of any history on the car before we got it. Using the resources, it looks like the car is a 1967, but the engine (possibly transmission) is from a 1965 1600. My original thoughts after learning this, were to go for the SR20 swap. However, in the last few days I am thinking that I need to get it running and drivable now, while figuring out what my long term goals and desires are for the car at a later date. My goal is to have it drivable and safe for the road by spring/summer next year. I am not a mechanic, so I have a close family friend that has agreed to help me. I am attaching photos, to assist in ascertaining/validating exactly what I have.
Several very nice folks have already provided some very helpful info and pointed me to this forum, specifically. Hopefully, I’ll be able to ask some pertinent questions after I get it moved and the project started. I guess we need to see exactly what we are dealing with first. Looking forward to having fun and learning!
Thanks
Sandy
This is my first post and introduction. My dad and I bought this 1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster in the early 90s in South Carolina. We drove it off and on up until maybe 1998. It has been rolled around and parked in a garage since that time. The license plate tells the tale. The car, then, was drivable but had issues. Here are some of the things that I remember about it as a driver:
1. I remember using the E-brake to augment the regular brakes, as they had very poor performance.
2. Second gear would grind every time, no matter what you did.
3. The occupants would be enveloped in white smoke at every stoplight/stop sign.
4. None of the original gauges operated on the dash.
I’m not sure of any history on the car before we got it. Using the resources, it looks like the car is a 1967, but the engine (possibly transmission) is from a 1965 1600. My original thoughts after learning this, were to go for the SR20 swap. However, in the last few days I am thinking that I need to get it running and drivable now, while figuring out what my long term goals and desires are for the car at a later date. My goal is to have it drivable and safe for the road by spring/summer next year. I am not a mechanic, so I have a close family friend that has agreed to help me. I am attaching photos, to assist in ascertaining/validating exactly what I have.
Several very nice folks have already provided some very helpful info and pointed me to this forum, specifically. Hopefully, I’ll be able to ask some pertinent questions after I get it moved and the project started. I guess we need to see exactly what we are dealing with first. Looking forward to having fun and learning!
Thanks
Sandy