Denver-Area Mechanic?

[toofless]

Sorry for the re-post to this introductory post but I thought I would try getting the request into a higher-traffic subforum.

I've searched the site (and the interwebs) but haven't found anything: Does anyone have a referral for a good Roadster mechanic in the Denver metro area?

Thanks for any input, and thanks to all for all of the great info on this site that I'm just starting to ingest!

-Toof

[guyatou]

You might PM Sean (user: ct06033 on here). He lives in the Denver area and might have a lead on a local shop that would work on a Datsun. I was in Grand Junction last week -- had I been closer to Denver I'd have happily helped turn a wrench with you. My best advice is to do as much of the work yourself that you can -- that way when something goes wrong on the road, you'll have a general idea of where the problem and solution my be.

[PBJ]

I'll try to reach out to some of the roadster group who are local to Denver to see if I can get you a recommendation.

[ct06033]

http://sportscarcraftsmen.com/ up in arvada seem to be the best in town. They specialize in roadsters and the owner has a 2000. I went to Jeff winters in town who is the name for datsuns but he wont touch anything older than a 240z.

I will say I haven't used them yet (planning to have them do wheel bearings soon) so I can't fully vouch but they are one of the only places in town ive found that have any experience with our cars.

[toofless]

Thanks PBJ and Sean/ct06033! I chose "Cars Remember When" to get things going on an assessment. They seem competent in a generalist way and I think they have some Roadster experience but we'll see. Just waiting for the full report now; there were many undisclosed issues w/ this sale but I don't think it's a total rebuild to get it to driver status. I still need to join the local Denver Roadster Group...just haven't plunked down my $35 entry fee yet. Will do that next as well as take the findings to Sportscar Crafting (while redacting cost estimates) for a second opinion before any work begins.

From what I already know about the situation I can do a lot of this work myself if I get/rent an engine hoist...lots of simple and obviously "while you're in there" work to be done with the motor/tranny out of the car. But, at the same time, I know that the project will suffer from a timing perspective (as will the woodworking projects that are constantly piled up, and my golf game) if choose to do it all myself. It's going to be a balance between cost and my desire to get it back on the street before the Denver driving season essentially ends in October. Heck, I can't even find the time to get my summer tires put back onto the Panamera!

Again, thanks for the advice...well received!

-Toof

[mraitch]

Suggest actually buying (Harbor Freight) hoist and leveller and maybe engine stand.

what problems are you facing

yup, you can probably do almost anything mechanical yourself - let us know for assistance.

[toofless]

I was travelling when I had the early call with the shop after they got it up on the lift, but here's what I can remember...most at least suspected by my quick inspection but some yet to be confirmed. The general advice was to get this stuff sorted out and then look at things like suspension once it's generally roadworthy.

- All hoses in the engine bay
- Both Intake and Exhaust manifold gaskets
- Possible hole in exhaust header (need to get upside-down to confirm...might be able to patch)
- Carbs need to be rebuilt - looking at ZTherapy as an option there to make sure it's done right the first time
- (related to above) check valve clearance before finalizing carbs
- Rear brake shoes
- Clutch (can't remember whether just cylinder, or plates/rebuild, etc...feels like the latter to me)
- New tires all around
- Brake master/slave cylinders (ouchies)
- Brake lines (I'm just assuming here given the behavior of the entire braking system)
- Radiator (basically complete replacement although this might be a decision based on shop time alternatives)
- Cam cover gasket
- Still un-diagnosed oil leak (front of motor...probably not the typical rear seal issue)
- Water pump (probable replacement...another ouchies)
- Synchro issue in 1st/2nd gears, at least (my own diagnosis...not yet confirmed)
- Ignition, just in general...might consider EI
- Compression test just for confirmation...will overbore if there are any questions there
- Motor mounts - both failed but not sure to what extent

I didn't hear anything about the cam or other internals related thereto, but we're not too deep yet and I'm expecting similar reports. I'd probably look at the hotter cams if there's any clear issue. At least we're basically rust-free and the interior, gauges, suspension and steering don't feel (to me) like they're a complete disaster. It's much-more of a project that I was envisioning, though.

Spirits are probably higher than when I took it in, even with the looming costs and esp. given (current) lackluster performance and concerns on a platform around which I'm completely unfamiliar. I can do all of this myself except for internal transmission work but, again, I doubt I have the time to get it done because I'm a relative novice and would need to spend a lot of time researching and making runtime mistakes in order to make sure it's done right in my own garage...my decision will probably hinge on availability of local shops' time to get it done in any timely manner.

[ACote]

Few easy things you could knock out would be the cam cover gasket. Just make sure not to over tighten the 2 bolts, very hand tight then an extra turn. Many warp and leak from over tightening. Could solve the front oil leak, could even give it a whirl before buying an new one to see if that's your problem.

And a good clutch and brake bleed, if pedals are squishy. Could install stainless steel brake lines before bleeding. A little tricky if you haven't done one yourself/dangerous if done wrong and driven(but still simple none the less), and definitely helps to have a buddy work the pedal. Rear brakes can be adjusted by the square peg on the back of the backing plate, with the rear jacked should be backed off then both adjusted to light contact on the drums. Too loose and you'll feel a few extra inches of give on the pedal, too tight and they'll drag while driving.

Compression testers are cheap and it's easy to check. I'll let someone else chime in with the best way to check with these cars.

If it's just a hose leaking coolant I would try adjusting the clamp first then replacing if still leaking.

Stuff like the waterpump/radiator and brake/clutch cylinders I would check for leaks, if none then leave for later. I'm unsure how bad your brake&cooling problems currently are.
Everything on this car is simple, just takes a weekend to learn and do, youtube always has tutorials that really shows how simple most of it is. This forum is great for questions and tips and most of us could walk you through it easy. Seems like a solid list on all the safety items, I would fix the leaks and get it braking and shifting safely then work on upgrades like carb adjusting and EI distributor.

[ct06033]

I was travelling when I had the early call with the shop after they got it up on the lift, but here's what I can remember...most at least suspected by my quick inspection but some yet to be confirmed. The general advice was to get this stuff sorted out and then look at things like suspension once it's generally roadworthy.

- All hoses in the engine bay
- Both Intake and Exhaust manifold gaskets
- Possible hole in exhaust header (need to get upside-down to confirm...might be able to patch)
- Carbs need to be rebuilt - looking at ZTherapy as an option there to make sure it's done right the first time
- (related to above) check valve clearance before finalizing carbs
- Rear brake shoes
- Clutch (can't remember whether just cylinder, or plates/rebuild, etc...feels like the latter to me)
- New tires all around
- Brake master/slave cylinders (ouchies)
- Brake lines (I'm just assuming here given the behavior of the entire braking system)
- Radiator (basically complete replacement although this might be a decision based on shop time alternatives)
- Cam cover gasket
- Still un-diagnosed oil leak (front of motor...probably not the typical rear seal issue)
- Water pump (probable replacement...another ouchies)
- Synchro issue in 1st/2nd gears, at least (my own diagnosis...not yet confirmed)
- Ignition, just in general...might consider EI
- Compression test just for confirmation...will overbore if there are any questions there
- Motor mounts - both failed but not sure to what extent

I didn't hear anything about the cam or other internals related thereto, but we're not too deep yet and I'm expecting similar reports. I'd probably look at the hotter cams if there's any clear issue. At least we're basically rust-free and the interior, gauges, suspension and steering don't feel (to me) like they're a complete disaster. It's much-more of a project that I was envisioning, though.

Spirits are probably higher than when I took it in, even with the looming costs and esp. given (current) lackluster performance and concerns on a platform around which I'm completely unfamiliar. I can do all of this myself except for internal transmission work but, again, I doubt I have the time to get it done because I'm a relative novice and would need to spend a lot of time researching and making runtime mistakes in order to make sure it's done right in my own garage...my decision will probably hinge on availability of local shops' time to get it done in any timely manner.

I didnt realize there was a local roadster club, do they have a site?

Also, I have encountered a lot of what you are seeing on my own roadster such as:
Replace radiator, ztherapy carbs, brake lines, syncro issues....

I would be happy to come by with mine for you to get some ideas/inspiration for your own. Also great to see another Roadster owner around town! Cant wait to see you on the road!

[toofless]

Technically it's a Z-car club but evidently there are some Roadsters mixed in: http://www.zccc.org/.

And yes, for sure let's hook up some time. Once I get the Roadster in drivable condition I will send you a PM!

[ct06033]

Ah, i was a part of them last year after randomly showing up to their car show at nissan boulder the year before. From the reaction I got, it seemed like I was the only one they've seen in a while. I didnt go to any events though so i didnt renew, if theres more there, ill try again this year and see what happens.

[toofless]

Just an update on a newly-procured SRL. I've had it in the shop at "Cars Remember When" in Denver. They seem like good generalists and I'm going to let them take me through these initial issues to get it to drive-able. Initially we thought the issues were manageable but they gave it a test drive and now the plan is motor/tranny removal plus a leak-down test at minimum.

Here's what I have ordered so far from three different sources. Datsun-roadster-parts.com got the biggest piece of the order due to pricing and consolidation, followed by datsunparts.com, followed by ebay sellers. I will definitely be doing business with Rising Sun Racing going forward but what I needed from them in this initial batch was limited and shipping/handling costs shifted that plan back to the bigger ordering source. In this weird world of Datsun parts, Rising Sun is great with the timeliness of communications, which is a factor that I value highly when I really need something.

The only change in the below plan is hopefully a swap for the timing chain rebuild kit with the "death rattle" washer fix, which will hopefully reduce costs by $300. I feel like this is the similar issue I always just lived with after I pulled the cams on a Triumph motorcycle that I maintained for many years that exhibited this same behavior/concern.

We're doing the EI conversion just to make things easier long-term by going with the Pertronix + flamethrower coil. Everything else is pretty standard. Will provide an update in a couple of weeks after the parts arrive and the work is done and hopefully (or maybe not?) I don't need to overbore the cylinders. They think it might be just rings but if an overbore is required, well, who's to say that's such a bad thing?

p.s. XTherapy is on a 3-month wait for carb rebuilds right now, just FYI. They would be my preference but I can't afford that kind of delay.

Fuel Pump
Water pump bypass hose
Gasket Set
Carb Rebuild Kit
Engine Mounts (Pair)
Tune Up Kit
U20 Timing chain, tensioner set, aftermarket
Clutch master/slave assembly - aftermarket
Rear Brake Shoes - Set
DATSUN CLUTCH HOSE
Coolant and Heater Hose Kit
PCV Hose
3-Way Emission Hose
Brake hoses
Fuel Hose
Water Pump
Electronic Ignition
Electronic Ignition - Coil
Radiator (3-row) + Fan

[akaloosey]

So sorry to hear about the immediate maintenance needs your car required. I actually had the BaT auction for your car bookmarked and kept checking in on it regularly. It's funny because you just assume that all these auctions have happily ever after stories. You never really here about what happens later on.

If it is any consolation, you are not alone. I find myself in a similar situation whereas I purchased a car that wasn't nearly as solid as was believed. I am working on brakes right now and have already caught onto a few things. If you have already purchased all your parts then no harm but if you are still gathering the parts you need you can send me a private message and I would be happy to share my findings.

Good luck to you.

[ct06033]

Yea, my 1600 seems like the previous owner had it just good enough to tool around town... since then, its been a never ending pit I just throw money into.

Most recently, 5 miles into a 3 day trip, my brakes completely seized front and rear. this led to attempting to rebuild then replacing the fronts, and replacing the rears and master cylinder.

Glad to see you are committed to getting it going again, Many people see what needs to be done and are scared away.

[mcdadeth]

U20 timing chain Rattle: I need to do this fix to my car. Can you tell me how thick the shim needs to be?

Thomas