So, Why did you buy a Roadster?

[redroadster]

Interesting question
I think it may have been the v8 sunbeam alpine that a neighbor drove by my home when the road was empty and I was outside 3 or 4 times .
I think I did scour the paper for one of those back in 92-93? then decided to try for a Datsun Roadster, luckily finding a good clean one . The Datsun dealer I worked at just out of high school had a emaculate one on one of the used car show rooms . A red one

I worked on some 311's back then in the shop.
When I got mine going in 94 I got a kick out of many a guy stopping me in a parking lot , in his 40's -50's seeing mine and getting a deer in headlights look starring at it, after he told me he had one in college.
then saying "if that car could talk "
kind of like me and my 72 2D 510

[70-1600]

Long story of my love affair with Datsuns...

My first car was given to me by my dad -- the "family" '69 Datsun 510 4-door. I drove it around in high school, tearing around the streets and in the mountains between San Jose and Santa Cruz, CA. It was given to me after I graduated high school, I immediately put a set of libra wheels on it, painted some black accent stripes on it, and drove the bejesus out of it. I then picked up a '77 620 King Cab - sweet little truck! I had both, but the 510 blew a head gasket due to overheating, and when I went to have the head re-built it was cracked; oil and water mixed throughout the whole head, too. So I found an older Datsun pickup (I think a '72?) that was totaled and the guy sold me the whole engine out of it for $300. Hauled it down from Chico, CA in the back of my 620. Between the two engines I pieced together a running L16 and was back on the road again with the 510. I was amazed it fired up on the first crank! Love those L series motors, they are solid. Sold the 510 (wish I hadn't) and kept the 620. Picked up a new '78 Pontiac Firebird (with a V6, base model) as a second car for the family. When the 620's carburetor fell apart I put a nice Weber downdraft on it and took off all the smog crap. I think it boosted the HP on that L20 by about 15%, or at least it felt like it. Loved the way that little Lil' Hustler ran! Kids started coming into the family, so sold the 620 (wish I hadn't) and got a Subaru wagon. Then sold the Firebird (glad I did) I picked up a 720 King Cab pick up, but didn't like it as much as the 620 King Cab...so eventually sold it to go after my dream car...a Datsun Roadster.

In high school there were a couple of guys who had Datsun roadsters, a guy with a MG-TD, a guy with a MG-A, etc. I even drove around an Austin Healy Sprite for a month during the warm August days and two-a-days football practice. So I was hooked on a rag top. I put the 720 King Cab up for sale and I poked around in the want ads (remember, this was 26 years ago - pre-internet!) and found my '70 1600 listed for sale by the original owner. Went and took a look, test drove her, fell in love....and the rest is history.

She was a daily driver for a number of years, then about a monthly drive, then a few times a year. Made some money in the internet boom and started putting some money into her. Had the engine pulled and re-built around '98 as I recall (have to look at my records). Then neglected her a bit with 3 kids into sports and all. Now the kids are out of the house, and she's back on the project list!

Would be great to add a 510 and 620 into the family along side her, maybe even an early 240Z (my brother had one that he sold...wish he hadn't, I should've bought it off him). Then I'd have to build a bigger garage... Datsun love is in my DNA....I can't shake it. Maybe I should see a therapist...

-jt

1600.jpg

[sleepyzzz]

nice story JT and no therapist is needed, just nice long drives in that roadster.

[Gregs672000]

I'm a therapist, and owning a Datsun Roadster is both therapy and a need for therapy!

I have also owned and loved a '73 620 PU... learned everything automotive on that truck. Went through 3 engines, multiple cams, downdrafts, special intake manifolds, and finally SUs, MSDs, lowering, swapping in 5 speed transmissions, paint... you name it. I too wish I had never sold it, and will sometimes look for it on Craigslist... not that many '73 620s.

[DatsunMax]

Here is my story of the Datsun Roadster.


Many years ago.. I don't remember exactly. I remember seeing one driving on the street. Never saw it again.
Fast forward... about 11 years ago when my than 5 year son came down with a medical condition. One of my friend suggested i should do some bonding with my son. He suggested that we should restore a car together. As i was looking for a car we were also busy going to many different medical appointments.

Finally, He told me he saw a Datsun Roadster at a towing company with a "For Sale " sign on it. Asking $1500. The story behind that was some guy was restoring it but did not have a house and parked the car on the city street for many days and the city towed the car. He never claimed the car and as days goes by the storage adds up and the towing company send him a notification if he does not claim the car they will sell it. He never came.

I bought it! The car was parked at my friends up in Sacramento, California as we were still going to many more medical appointments. Finally, My wife said since we are facing a dilemma why not just sell the car.

We sold it for $1500 the same price we bought it. A week after the sale. we went camping up in lake Camachi and swing by friend's house and the car was still there. My wife bought it back for $2000.

Now, I have been working on and off with my son. Total frame off restoration. Half way there.

The moral of the story is that i should have just saved my money however long it takes and buy one that is already restored, WHY!!you might ask.. SO I can drive it now with my son!! when I am driving on El Camino and see a Roadster drives by and I just wish mine is done now!! That is the story of my Datsun Roadster.

[twistin]

Wish you luck with your son and the car.

[Alvin]

we're here to help! And isn't that time spent getting the car running quality time with your son?

[DatsunMax]

we're here to help! And isn't that time spent getting the car running quality time with your son?

Yes Alvin. You are right that is quality time. we need your help to restore our hardtop. please us..

[JpRdster]

Well here is my story...........
I am now in my mid 40's and in full tilt mid life crisis, so instead of getting a young Blond with more cushion than a padded Dashboard of a 1970 Roadster, I started studying small Roadsters on the Internet. I always was sold on the British cars but we are all well aware of how good Leland did wiring, this is my weak point . I came across this cool little car that looked a lot like a Brit car. It had what I was looking for, long Hood kewl hood scoop, and more lines than a voluptuous woman and with a lot less headaches . I have never even seen a Datsun Roadster before? Apparently they were a good build but the issues lie in the Body which is my strong point . It was imperative for me to find one in the Mid West and that's what I did, had it shipped over and I could not be more pleased with my purchase, yellow Blond Roadster named "Dottie" and my wife likes her too, I think this is going to be a good relationship.

And they lived happily ever after........

[SPG1600]

My first car in was a 69 VW Bug Convertible. It was cool to me at the time. It was painted two-tone like a Hebmuller. In 1979 I was 19 and moved to FL with the car. Had it down there for a year, and then it got rear ended and totaled. From then it was practical, to and from work vehicles. In 87 I bought my first new vehicle, a Toyota Van. I'm on my 4th van now (story for another forum). In 98 I'm back in MA on a trip with my wife to an orchard in NY. I spot a funky car at a yard sale and stop to look at it. It's a 64 Skoda Felicia. Right, what? I pretty much dismiss it...not practical, I'm not much of a mechanic with no money. So, off to get some fruit. On the way back it was still there. Settled on $650 and made the 30 min drive home (returned plates next day). I thought the transmission was a mess, as the seller never informed me the shift pattern was a reversed "H". It's been a fun unique car over the years. Okay Roadster. Last August I was in a town 45 minutes away and I stopped at an Auto Garage. They fix up classics for resale and you never know what they might have. The car had no emblems but I guess I'd seen one online and guessed it was a Fairlady. Although I wasn't sure who made them. The guy said he had just brought it out of storage and was getting it ready to sell. I test drove it a few days later. Wow! I realized I was missing the "sport" in "sports car" with the Skoda. I was hot for it, but knew the wife would highly object to it. I've got 2 80s Vans, a 60 Skoda parts car, an 01 Audi Allroad with a bad tranny and air shocks and a 53 Austin A40 Sports covertible in the driveway/yard. Is that a problem? Anyway, we settled on a price and I sold the Austin to justify the purchase. It was time to let that dream go. Now the Datsun blew a head gasket. Looking forward to getting it going soon! I guess the "convertible bug" got in my blood.
Shaun

[len62]

My first was a new 69 SRL. I was just out of college, and was looking for a car that was fast, agile, and affordable. The first few months I had the car was really fun.. my TR and MG friends would bust my chops about buying 'Such a Cute little car', or 'Does that come in a man's size'. It was so much fun embarrassing them all, when the 'cute' little car consistently out ran them all. Great car
My second was a 69 SRL I bought when I turned 40. It was the typical emotional purchase, and since I was driving my kids to every imaginable team practice/game, it made sense to enjoy the ride 'Roadster style'.
My current is a 67.5 SPL. After a medical scare, My wife and I realized if we wanted to get another
Roadster, we better bite the bullet and get one while we still have the flexibility to get in and out of
these 'Cute little cars'. I was looking for another SRL, but when we saw this low window beauty, which
was tastefully maintained it's entire life....we jumped in and haven't stopped smilin yet.

[spl310]

Wow Shaun, you collect some unusual stuff! Welcome aboard!

[Gregs672000]

I really love these stories and encourage you all to keep on writing!

[Vince V]

Well, let’s see. It’s about 1966 and I am a sophomore in high school living in Port Chester NY, which is a border town to Greenwich Ct. Just over the state line in CT are all the car dealers including Bob Sharp Datsun. As a note there was also Luigi Chinetti Ferrari, which at the time was the owner of NART a Ferrari F-1 team. As a newly licensed driver, in my 1959 Karmann Ghia, me and my friends would go to Greenwich to check out Bob Sharps and NART race cars. It also happened to be on the way to one of the first McDonalds in the area. (21 cent cheeseburgers). Living in Port Chester, there were a couple of Roadsters and I like most of you just fell in love with the car the first time I saw one. I was so obsessed, that I would sometimes follow one around town just to look at it as it drove in front of me.
Well, fast forward about 30 years (wife, three children, work) and my brother in law who at the time was a Nissan mechanic mentions to me that he knows a guy who has a Roadster and wants to get it out of his backyard. So we go and take a look and there it is sitting on four flat tires, in weeds up to the top and the last DMV registration is 1983. Needless to say the car is a mess, the engine is frozen and there is the usual rust. I hesitated and the owner says just give me $50 dollars and take it away. Take it a way I did, and began a 10 year ground up rebuild of the Roadster. I register the car in 2005 and have been driving it since.

[Vince V]

PS. the guy in my avatar with me and the roadster is Bob Sharp.