1968 spl311....at last

[jmotsch]

Hi everyone
My name is Joshua and I am a 25 year newlywed in Des Moines Iowa. A couple of years ago I got the itch to find myself a project car and my lovely wife gave me the go ahead to start seriously looking for one. I began daily searches on craigslist looking for something unique. I didn't know what I was looking for, but eventually I knew that I wanted some king of classic roadster. I began looking for Triumphs, Midgets, and Fiats. One day I came across a Datsun Roadster. I had never seen or heard of this car. I instantly fell in love with them and knew this was the car I needed to have. I came across several for sale over the year or so I was looking. I finally decided to pull the trigger and I bought a 1968 1600 in Kansas City, Kansas. I think it is a good first project. There is a little surface rust here and there and only one major spot where the bottom passenger door hinge rusted away from the car. The floors are solid including the trunk. It is not running, but I believe I can get it in drivable condition without spending a fortune. Has a hard top that is in fair condition. Also came with the convertible top and tonneau cover. The material on these are pretty rough though. One strange thing I noticed is the gas fill is inside of trunk as you can see in the pics. It has no emblems either. It was obviously painted at some point and I guess I am wondering if some work was done on it at some point. We just got more snow on the ground here in Iowa so I won’t be able to really dig into the project yet. For now I will be reading up on as much info as I can on this site and others. I appreciate any feedback you guys can give me.

[Bob2]

Ever Wings, NICE!!

I remember that car when it came up.

Bob

[notoptoy]

The car likely was white or yellow previously based on the engine compartment. Never saw a fuel filler in the trunk, so yes modified. I hate to say it, but the rust at the door is likely not the worst of it, still, I hope for your sake it is. You will likely need a donor portion of the body there. If those are truly Everwing fog/driving lights you'll want to take extra care with them, they are worth a small fortune. You might even consider selling them to finance some of the restoration.
Welcome to the addiction.

[peter]

And you want to buy them Thom, let say for 50$

[zippy67roadster]

Welcome to the fray! I agree with Tom take care of the everywings. I had a pair from a parts car when I was building my first one and sold them to pay for part of the restoration since I didn't like the look of them on the car. I hope the rust is contained to that area but think once you take the fenders off you will find more behind them on the bottom on the rocker end cap. Good luck and keep us posted!

[68DSU]

The filler in the trunk is probably a hazard so I would fix that soon. Also look to removing the smog stuff. The car looks like a good "learner". Welcome to the site of all knowledge and enjoy.

[jmotsch]

Thanks for the comments guys. The fog lights were definitely a selling point for me. I am currently working a second part time job to fund my roadster so selling my everwings is not out of the question. I imagine in a couple weeks our iowa temp will be above 40 degrees and i will start taking the car apart. At that time ill make decision on selling the fogs. I am worried about the rust hole by the door but i can just hope for the best. The fuel filler in the trunk really stumps me. Maybe the car was in an accident and they modified the rear end? Why else would you do it? Thanks again for the comments.

[Gregs672000]

I think it likely it was hit, but not sure why they would make the change. Look for crumpling or tears on the trunk floor.

Dude, hate to say it but that rust is very concerning. This is a typical rust point for these cars, but rusting out to the point that the hinge has torn cleanly from the pillar is, well, bad. There is no way it won't need a major repair there that will involve skills that I don't possess, like structural sheet metal fab and welding. It's a door mounting point that must be done right or the door won't likely fit or close right. I'm not saying you can't do this, but you're gonna need some help, and it may not be the only place, very likely not.

As a therapist, I think it is better for people to face reality so they can make good decisions. Dig into her, checking the floors better, wheel wells, rocker panels, etc. The car may become a parts car to help you make a more sold one better, or it may be workable and a big adventure. Make no mistake, this car like any other can become a money pit that drags you down and never gives back... We don't want that for you! But be not discouraged! My car had holes the size of softballs.

And yours came with the Wings! that was a good buy regardless I hear!

[mraitch]

Fuel filler in the trunk? Certainly not Factory and probably illegal - but just be careful filling up. Kevin D has a similar setup - cleans up the back end - I moved mine behind the license plate - your car - do what you want.
Ditto on the smog stuff - you will have to DO STUFF to the distributor - check on 311 for threads on this subject.
Good luck on the rust - but front fender removal is a MUST. Since you have to remove the doors to get at them, make sure you mark where the hinges are - makes realignment easier. And watch CAREFULLY for shims under the hinges.
The great thing about these cars is that YOU can do almost everything yourself (with a bit of help from us) - Great, knowledgeable community and a great number of vendors.

[jmotsch]

I am very excited to explore the car further and it may end up being a parts car to help build something better. I am aware of another roadster not two miles from mine. The man claims that it has very little miles on the chassis because the engine and trans were pulled very early in the cars life (still no engine or trans) He says it is a 1970 with no title. He wont show it to me until the weather improves but i peaked in a crack of his old rundown garage and sure enough there is a roadster sitting there. All of his junk piled on top including a wet Mattress. He is the type that always wants triple what you offer him but what do you guys think a fair offer would be based on what I've told you?

[fj20spl311]

As has been stated many times before, the Speedo mileage on a roadster is almost worthless....

Condition is everything.

If it's rusted in the floors from the shed leaking...check what it's going to cost you to repair.

On the west coast, it's a $300-$1000 car....if that. and you might not be able to give it away.....

[Roman]

Sellers always seem to price based on "restored value", yet never seem to factor in what it will cost someone to get that "restored value".

Somehow it seems that getting it there always costs more.

[jmotsch]

I agree with you completely and now i must convince him of that. Its looks like it has a good hardtop from what i could see but other than that it looked pretty rough. He basically has it in a homemade wood shed that just barely protects it from the elements.

[pebbles]

No title? Not worth anything. Move it for the guy for free. Now he is getting the good deal!!
Bonus if you can salvage a few bits off of it.

[Linda]

Strongly suggest you get with some local owners who can give you the speed update on what is involved. To me any car without major rust is the one you want.
Good luck,
Linda