Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hello All!

I'd like to take the time to tell my story and join the group! I have to admit I should have started sooner but I have been busy with my build. I have two high windshield 1969 2000s. I bought my first about 9 years ago and began work on and off since then but this last year I dug my heels in and am on the tail end of my resto-mod. William

Welcome! Anxiously awaiting more details on your build and what your Restomod entails!

Welcome William. Glad you joined us. Make sure to share your progress on your projects.

Steve

Hello Notoptoy,
Nioce handle, haha! I bought the car from a mechanic, most of it stored in boxes. I was sold on it when I saw the nearly rust free and straight body. I know the purists aren't gonna like it, but I decided to go with the SR-t swap on a frame off restoration. I knew I was in for the long haul either way so I bought a plasma cutter and got to it.

At the time I bought this car I certainly didn't appreciate its automotive heritage like I do today, I cringe a little bit when I see this big cut out into the cross member now!
You all well know that Michael over at Spriso is indispensible when it comes to these builds, I rented his famous jig and installed the motor mounts as well as the 30 mm 300z calipers

Welcome! You are wise to go the frame off route. I started off with the intent to perform only a quick prep of rusty areas over five months, then get it painted. I kept getting gradually deeper and deeper and it stretched into five and a half years.

Mission creep...my experience mirrors C.Costline’s almost exactly. If one is going to do a frame off you MUST be dedicated to the project because I can guarantee it will take much longer and cost way more than you anticipate. Right now is the time to develop a comprehensive plan. While my project didn’t exactly wavier, the quality of execution climbed as my skills improved, as did my expectations.
It’s easy and fun to disassemble a car, almost anyone can do it, putting it back together again...well that’s a different story. notoptoy is good at (and wise) to suggest for first time owners to just get it running and bond with the car before diving off the deep end, and it is solid advice for about 80% of new owners. I hope that you are one of the 20% that has the wherewithal to see it to fruition, IT IS WELL WORTH IT!

Hello S.Allen, Theunz and C.Costine,

It's been a long time coming but the project is almost at its end ( I bet that's what everyone says no doubt! )....
After new ball joints, shocks and springs from Dean at Datsunparts.com ( thank you so much for your help!!) I put in a new swaybar.
My motor came in, a SR20-det S13 redtop with a 5 speed.
Once in the car got a new driveshaft from Shaftmasters. Rear end work was done by Spreadsbury at Spriso. I had to send in my old one to get chopped up along with the the new Mazda rear with lsd and calipers.

At this point, I realized that I needed help! It really seems like a gargantuan task especially if you are going at it alone. The project tends to languish if you don't constantly work on it.... I decided to send it to a local shop to help out once I had a roller ready; I found a great team that took me in and let me wrench on the car to boot!!!

This is the first time in 6 years that the car saw daylight, that was last year August. I had bought another roadster as a donor but as it turns out, I really didnt need many parts to do my resto-mod. So a car I bought on a whim ended up as two restorations!

They are multiplying. Seems only natural to most of us.

Steve

Yes Steve,
A Datsun purchase appears innocent enough at first, I was one of those who didn't know what he was getting into until it was too late! You definitely have to be committed in order to get involved in a project like this. Expect your time frame to be double or triple the amount you estimated; the same applies to the budget...

Once at the shop, we fitted the new C&R aluminum 3-row radiator equipped with a SPAL industries fan. Then came a top mount turbo manifold which had to be fabricated for this application. The location of the turbo on the stock set up falls right where the steering column goes so placing it above is required, plus it looks too damn cool!

Here's a cool shot you guys can appreciate:

Two Franken-mobiles side by side! The 300zx twin turbo has been swapped with a 2Jz-GTE and straight down pipe so its loud!


Another 300z twin turbo was in the lab while we worked....

Progress on new intercooler and turbo. Turned out my stock turbo was toast so we upgraded to a Garret GT2876R.


New Enkei Compe2 15x7 and 15x8 in the back fitted with Yokohama Flevas


New cut outs for full 3" custom exhaust

My new speed hut gauges came in and a local body shop mounted them to the dash because it wasn't exactly a bolt on application. I was pretty happy with the turn out. The yellow pops off against the black dash and at night the gauges glow green.

More progress saw more customers in the shop, this datsun chevy LS swap made 600 hp!
The size of that turbo!!