new owner of SRL 311

[sleepyzzz]

hello everyone. i am a long time Nissan / Datsun fan and finally own a 1969 2000 roadster.
serial number 07634

last spring, while working down in Mountain View, AR i ran across my very first roadster. it was a beautiful car, and i fell in love with it at first sight and vowed that day to own one when i could. the owner was very kind in letting me look his car over,answering questions, offering to take me for a ride, but time didn't allow that. i lost his name and contact info, and every time i work that area, i look for his car, to let him know about the web site, and also that i found my own roadster finally.

i found my car on EBay. it wasn't my first choice. i really wanted Lou's car, and it turns out, was a much better deal. by the time i go thru this one, fixing and replacing several things not pointed out by the seller, i will have more money in this before its done than what i could have purchased Lou's car for. and all of you know how nice it was. but anyway, i do have a roadster, and i intend on making the best car i can out of it. and the wife will just have to continue looking at my old '74 260Z that i promised to finish, which is begging for a paint job.

i flew to Traverse City, Michigan and was picked up at the airport, and then taken for a short ride to a warehouse, where the seller had this car stored. he was selling off several cars in his collection, and didn't really know much about the roadster. it had been driven twice, in the two summers he had owned it, all of a hundred miles. it was purchased by him out of California and he had it shipped to him. we took it out for a drive, before i handed him a check, then i hooked up the garmin, punched home on the screen, and drove away.

the car got lots of looks on my 800 mile return trip to Arkansas. i even had a used car dealer try to buy the car from me, before i got home with it. i had stopped for gas, and ran inside to get a quart of oil. coming out i find him walking all around my car, checking it out. he tried his best to get me to tell him what i paid for it, and i just ignored him, as i added the oil. he asked several times for me to just tell him what i would take for it, and i finally told him that i had just flown to Michigan and bought it, and was driving it home.

the car made the trip fine, but i did have to add two quarts of oil on the trip. i have a rear main seal leaking, and smoke coming out of the tailpipe. i hope that putting some miles on the car will help with that. so far, i can't tell if it is any better or not. i fear that i will probably be pulling the engine and going thru it before too long.

for now i plan on changing out the distributor to the E 1 dizzy, and i hope that helps the performance. i have the solex carbs, b series cam,high pressure oil pump, and 7 quart oil pan and reading in the paperwork all of this was on the car when it was purchased new. at one time, it was raced, and then built for street driving by the original owner. the car has the locking antenna, and the key to release it. if any of you know a Jim Liles, who was a professor at Stanford, he bought the car new. and looking thru all of the paperwork that came with the car, he spent quite a bit of money having the engine balanced and rebuilt, back in 1989.

there was a black CA license plate, reading SRL 311 that also came with the car. at one time that might have been on the car. not sure if i can get away with putting that on the front but i plan on trying to. I couldn't believe it was available, but when i got online with Arkansas DMV, i found DATSUN available for personal plates and it is on the way to me.

i enjoy driving these ozark roads, and also enjoy sitting around car shows and hanging out. i wish i could say that i am good with a wrench but have to say most of the work done to my vehicles is taken care of by a good friend.

if any of you find your way to Branson, MO, i am just thirty miles south of there, and we really do have some great roads to cruise on. please send me a note, and if we can get together and do a drive, talk cars, and swap tall tales, i am all for that.

thanks to everyone who has been very kind in putting up with me as i pick your brain on questons with my car. i have been on the site for some time, and never took time to do a proper intro or post pictures of my car.

[S Allen]

Hey Butch-welcome to the madness. Keep driving that car before you tear into it. We will hook up next spring. It is a bit too cold to be driving the roadster down from Iowa to Missouri right now. Enjoy!!!

Steve

[sleepyzzz]

thanks Steve, i plan on driving this as long as the weather is nice every chance i get.
i will hold you to coming down next spring and show you some great roads that will have you pinching the seat as you drive.

[Linda]

Hi Butch,
Welcome to the list. You are in an absolutely beautiful place to drive a Roadster. I enjoyed Hwy 7 I think it was, coming out of Harrison. Must be stunning in the Fall too.
I think there was another guy recently from AR too who joined the list recently. From my experience it is very helpful to have some Roadster pals!
Hopefully you can post a pic of your car.
Enjoy.



Linda
68 1600

PS katybug 92 Bob from NW AR is in your area

[sleepyzzz]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw Linda, i live just two miles off of the square going out Hwy 7 south. that is a great road, but the pig trail is even better. you can ride down one and come up the other and make a great day out of it. then there are dozens of roads around the Buffalo National river, and we now have elk grazing in the valleys over at Boxley. come back with your roadster, in the spring, the dogwoods are really pretty. pictures are posted on another thread.

[Linda]

You know you are in Arkansas when there is mention of a pig trail!
I have canoed the Buffalo River several times and it is outstanding.
Wouldn't it be great if you could rent a Roadster when you travel to take advantage of great driving? Instead I usually get some boring piece of junk economy car...LOL
Hope you guys do a fun run and post some pics!

Linda
68 1600

[exit64]

Hey Butch,
Welcome to the small world of Roadster owners. Get used to the way people react to the car, because it will happen all the time. My Dad is from Melbourne, and my grandparents lived in Mt. View my whole life so I have spent a lot of time there. They lived just up from the lumber yard on the edge of town and about a 1/4 mile in front of the airport/ airstrip. I learned to swim in Sycamore Crick and used to jump off the swinging bridge with my cousins. The roads are perfectly twisty around there for a car like a Roadster. When I was a kid we had a collie dog whose favorite trick was to lean over the back seat of the station wagon and if you fed him before leaving my grandparents house. He only did it on the road leading to Batesville but he did it more than once so it must have been how crooked it was. Anyway, enjoy your car and don't be afraid to chime in on any of the discusions.
Mike
aka exit64

[LI Roadster]

welcome to the obsession

[sleepyzzz]

Hey Butch,
Welcome to the small world of Roadster owners. Get used to the way people react to the car, because it will happen all the time. My Dad is from Melbourne, and my grandparents lived in Mt. View my whole life so I have spent a lot of time there. They lived just up from the lumber yard on the edge of town and about a 1/4 mile in front of the airport/ airstrip. I learned to swim in Sycamore Crick and used to jump off the swinging bridge with my cousins. The roads are perfectly twisty around there for a car like a Roadster. When I was a kid we had a collie dog whose favorite trick was to lean over the back seat of the station wagon and if you fed him before leaving my grandparents house. He only did it on the road leading to Batesville but he did it more than once so it must have been how crooked it was. Anyway, enjoy your car and don't be afraid to chime in on any of the discusions.
Mike
aka exit64

yes i know that area very well, as i have walked that part of the creek fly fishing. the very best drive out of Mountain View is the one over the mountain to Melbourne. i would put that up as an all time favorite drive of mine. it is a small world. if you ever come back down give me a shout.

[Nick64]

Welcome Butch,

i enjoy driving these ozark roads,

I enjoy the OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILs , that about as close as i get to the Ozarks.
MAybe this should be put in fav roadster groups although don't have many driving songs. MAybe chicken train!!!

Anyway WELCOME butch!

[ppeters914]

Welcome. Great story. Nice double-score w/ the black CA plates and the new DATSUN plates. Amazing it was available.

Btw, I just learned who purchased Lou's car, so I'll get to see it up close 'n' personal when it arrives.

[dbrick]

Great story, an 800 mile drive home is a good shakedown. That California plate may be a VERY popular item if you ever decide to give it up.

[sleepyzzz]

Welcome. Great story. Nice double-score w/ the black CA plates and the new DATSUN plates. Amazing it was available.

Btw, I just learned who purchased Lou's car, so I'll get to see it up close 'n' personal when it arrives.

whoever it was got a really nice ride. yes i was really surprised that the DATSUN plate was available.

[sleepyzzz]

Great story, an 800 mile drive home is a good shakedown. That California plate may be a VERY popular item if you ever decide to give it up.

thanks Dave, but i think i will hang onto that SRL 311 black CA plate.

[dbrick]

thanks Dave, but i think i will hang onto that SRL 311 black CA plate.

Good idea.