Has your stock Roadster ever left you stranded?

[nats226ny]

Never had to be towed.....I did limp home a few times and even pushed my roadster about a half a mile on one occasion (back in the 70's I was younger, stronger and stupid) but I always made it back.

2 1/2 years ago I picked up a 69 2000 after running the car around locally I figured I'd make a run over to the beach. It ran like a dream on the way over but on the way back I got struck on the Robert Moses Bridge.......It took about 20 minutes of directing traffic so someone wouldn't hit me and my roadster before a cop showed up which allowed me to open the hood and have a look, after 5 minutes and a bad ground wire I was back up and running.............I still get this funny feeling every time I cross that bridge!

Gary

[PPCLINDL]

Red 1969 2000 on our way up to Reno on the freeway north of Bakersfield. Summer of 1973 if memory serves (yeah right, sooooo long ago). Through the upper timing chain. I now know it was the result of the infamous death rattle but had no clue then. We had to wait for a CHP to come along and call for a tow truck (no cell phones then). Bent some valves and eyebrowed some pistons, nothing really broken badly. rebuilt the engine and then sold the car shortly thereafter. It was a screamer like all 2000's but I knew the Datsun parts counter guy on a first name basis and he mine. Seems like the smallest part cost a minimum of $10 even back then.

We had driven it all over the US with nary a trouble up to this point.

Probably my most favorite car even with all the constant fiddling to keep it tuned to my expectations and I miss it to this day.

Scott Lindley
Bozeman, MT

[TWalter]

Stranded.... no, a little frustrated for a few moments... yes.

2000 -- had just bought the car, and took my wife for a spin around the block. Previous owner had rigged up an electric fuel pump. Well the pump slipped, shorting out the power lead to the pump... Thankfully there was an inline fuse installed. Replaced fuse, headed home.

2000 -- engine kept cutting out around 3,500 rpm. Wire from the distributor to coil (on the firewall) had an internal break. Pulling into a TXDROC event it died. Took a minute of trouble shooting, and installed a new wire.... fired right up.

2000 -- On I-5 between Shasta and Sacramento. Kept dying out. Just wouldn't run. No/little fuel to carbs. I could idle, but 2000 rpm max. Turned out the mechanical fuel pump had sucked part of a rubber hose (outside looked fine, inside was rotted). Disassembled pump, cleaned up the one-way valves.... replaced the bad fuel line.... made home.

2000 -- coolant loss. Soft motor mounts, engine with great torque. Taking off from a stop, engine rocked enough to cause the lower hose to twist, leaking coolant. At idle, reved in driveway, etc never had an issue. Took a while to find.

Over the years a few funny stories:

1600 -- looking over a friends car, I commented that they needed to replace rear axle seals, and bearing. Coat of dirt/oil on the brake backing plate was the give away. He made it almost home. Bearing seized 10 miles from home. oops.

I was in the Land Cruiser one year a few weeks after Shasta. Heading along I-5, we spotted a roadster passing us... with the smell of fuel. Hmm, while later we pulled into a gas station right after the roadster took off. Puddle of fuel at the pump told the story of a stuck needle and seat or bad flat. A few miles down the road, there was the the roadster on the side of the road, so we pulled over. Fellow had discovered the issue, and had a brass float with a split seam. Walked up, looked at the float, and walked back to the Cruiser. Pulled out the correct float, walked back and just handed it to him. Middle of nowhere on I-5... didn't say a word, but just back to the Land Cruiser and was on the road again. I still haven't a clue who the roadster owner was, but the look on his face was priceless.

Other time... battery flipped over and smashed a distributor cap. Duct taped most of the pieces together. Layered duct tape over the distributor shaft, and used a paper clip as a rotor. Car fired up and they made it home.

I had that center linkage (plastic ball end) piece sitting in my ashtray for some reason. You guessed it, DOA 2000 roadster on the side of the road. Fitted it into place, and off they went.

Most "issues" are well known. R16 transmission needle bearings, U20 timing chain, U20 #3 rod bearing. Somethings like the 'acidic plastic' covering on the front brake lines have long since gone away.

So with good maintenance, and paying attention to what the car is saying (yes, they do talk to me.... and like telling me their life history of former owners/mechanics) they are very reliable.

Tom

[rjb]

Only once - My daily driver was a true 65 G 15, stock, rolling on I-70 (70 mph) between Manhattan and Junction City, KS in the spring of 1977. I let up for an exit and immediately developed big miss complete with a loud clatter. I shut down quickly, rolled off to a safe place. After a few minutes, I tried to turn it over and it was obvious I had absolutely no compression on one cylinder. I removed the valve cover and found a loose rocker and valve stuck open. At least it didn't drop a valve. Found out after removal the head that one half of a valve guide broke slid down far enough to wedge the valve open. Fortunately the keeper held, the other half of the guide stayed put. Replaced the guide and the valve and have been fine for the last 30 years. - Only it is no longer a daily driver. This is my first post, I enjoy reading this board. Thanks

[mrhyde]

My first 2L roadster was purchased new in 1968. The first problem I had was a stuck throttle while doing about 80 MPH on I-5 between Portland and Seattle. It was caused by a broken return spring on the rear SU. I moved the front spring to the rear and got where I was going. The next day I purchased a pair of new springs and still carry spares in my glove box. I put about 18,000 miles on it in 16 months before it was hit and driving straight into a high curb while still moving around 35 MPH. That one had to be towed.

My second 2L was a used 70. It jumped the upper timing chain and managed to limp home where I repaired it for about $30, including an upper tensioner, upper chain gears, and a couple of valves along with the chain.

This year my third 2L quit in Medford, Oregon while driving to Shasta. I found the points had closed shut and reset them by eye. It pinged like crazy as soon as I asked it for power, so I set the timing by ear. It has never run so good. I need to record those settings.

[spl310]

This is my first post, I enjoy reading this board. Thanks

Welcome!

[FairladySPL]

About 25 years ago we found a neglected ’68 Solex sitting so long that it had settled into the dirt in someone’s backyard in Pennsylvania. It was a non-U.S. example, non-drilled cylinder head, and "Fairlady" markings all around, correct and original. The guy was ex-military and brought it home from overseas.

The claim of factory Solex was enough to commit to a deal over the phone. So three of us, loaded with a set of roadworthy wheels/tires and a station wagon, decided we would make a road trip from Maryland and go retrieve the thing, sight unseen.

We each had a few years’ experience with our own Roadsters, and there wasn’t much else to keep it from coming home under its own power, right ?

Confidence boosted further after we actually got it running (thanks to some ether, fresh gas, plugs/points/cap/wires), we drove it out of the backyard, got it on the pavement to put our tires on there, then rolled out onto some of the neighborhood streets for a few test drives. Brakes worked, not strong, but not stuck either.

Transaction completed, we got a few miles away and there was no turning back. It was late afternoon already, on a Sunday if I recall, and most of the parts supply houses would be closing soon. No big deal, it’s running fine, until it stopped.

Whoa ! look at that gas filter full of sand. That’s probably never been changed. So we hustled, in the chase car, to a parts house and got a generic filter. Swapped out and on our way again. For a few miles.

Huh ?

Turns out the gas tank was entirely rusted up, and now that our nice fresh gas had been sloshing around a while, all the sediment and rust was flowing nicely through the gas lines.

Quick fix? We took some gas line, ran it from a portable gas can that we brought, through a hole in the floorboard, up to the fuel pump. This became our gas tank for the ride home.

By the time we crossed the Maryland state line, I noticed on the on ramp that the car’s engine speed would go up but not the forward speed. OH, so that’s what a slipping clutch feels like. Okay, drive it more gently, don’t accelerate quite that enthusiastically.

The only other “failure� on this 150 mile trip was the rotted convertible top. The wind tore out the back plastic window, and we eventually just folded the frame and the tattered remains down in the well and pushed onward. It was twilight when we rolled in.

Years later, we called ourselves crazy for trying that.

[mgslayer]

Personally I'm glad you 3 were "crazy" and got the car. Many years later I bought it and was told the story. LMAO. I wasn't thrilled Pete was thumping me at the local Auto-X's in it, but I'm glad that many years later that motor has found it's way into my roadster.
Later
Mark

[my67ldy]

yes!!!!!!! the car was running good, but kept dying on me . i was having a gas flow problem, that is why the car had two gas fuel filters on from previous owner. and i kept changing them and where very dirty . i had the tank removed ,cleaned and lined. never had a problem sinced.
the mystery was over.

[Phred58]

Yes. Both events happened a loooooong time ago.

Event 1: The dreaded U-20 upper timing chain break and resulting broken cam cover, bent valves and newly dished pistons (2).

Event 2: Old style fan clutch came apart and deciding to launch itself into the backside of the radiator.

Misc. small events that I can't remember (it was 30 - 35 years ago).

Ol' dad started to get a little tired of calls to come and rescue his son and the roadster. It got so bad that I welded up a hitch that could be attached to the roadster without taking off the front bumper.

After spending a year and a half going through everything, I then drove the car virtually trouble-free other than oil changes, tune-ups etc. for about 60K while in college and afterward.

That durability convinced my dad to then buy 2 Nissans (an Altima and later a Maxima) which he commented were the first two cars that he had ever owned that never went into the shop the entire time he owned them!

[notoptoy]

Yes..... BUT, I think revving "enthusiastically" and speed shifting between first and second gear may have had something to do with it!
I of course was not driving, but encouraged my best friend to "get on it". He did, winding first gear way up getting onto the highway, then slamming it into second.........POP.....no go! We played it very cool, and coasted (we were going downhill!) to the next exit, where the traffic light was green, straight across into the parking lot of the local grocery store. We casually parked it, and went and got the tow vehicle! We never let on how disabled we were, and looked cool (though sheepishly guilty ) the entire time.

Turns out the reverse shaft had come loose - I got really really lucky it didn't blow apart the transmission. It was my first foray into a transmission. I got the book, and lots of parts (from Nissan $$$$$$!!!) and put it back together. Still works!!! And it's 10 years later. I 've now got a 5-speed in 10,000 pieces that will someday go into it!

[Kevin]

I've put about 25K miles on my 69 2000 during the last 3 years since I bought it. A few months ago, the nut at the end of the clutch cable broke off the attachment to the pedal. It took me about 20 minutes to re-attach the cable and I was on my way again. It's been very dependable and I've always made it home - Kevin

[spl310]

I've put about 25K miles on my 69 2000 during the last 3 years since I bought it. A few months ago, the nut at the end of the clutch cable broke off the attachment to the pedal. It took me about 20 minutes to re-attach the cable and I was on my way again. It's been very dependable and I've always made it home - Kevin

Clutch cable? Do you mean throttle cable perhaps? Good to hear you got it going though!

[Kevin]

No I meant clutch cable, incidentally my throttle cable is a $2 bicycle - Kevin

[shifty]

Cable operated clutch in a roadster?