Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Edmonton (Canada) Z Club Spring Run Sunday May 26:

Getting blue '69 ready after winter hibernation:
14 cars, mostly Z cars from 1971 - 2020:
Steve and I represented the pre-Z car Datsuns:
Weather was cloudy and called for rain, we charged straight into it anyway:
Over shoulder shot of Steve:
Result? 2 hours of great backroad driving around local lake highways and a half hour of pouring rain on the return. Both of us got drenched. Mostly from stopping to put up the top in my case. Still, worth it!

I really like the slotted wheels on that car Rob, classic look.

The Elks Lodge #309, Car Club 11 O'clock, had a car show at the Mad Hatter Saloon in Cascade, Colorado. Just West of Pike Peak.
Had great time with a bunch of Great guys!

Aaahhh! All these nice pics are getting me excited for some decent weather and some road trips! I need to make up for last year's down time! Car looks great and happy.

Gregs672000 wrote: Wed May 29, 2024 12:11 pm I really like the slotted wheels on that car Rob, classic look.

Thanks Greg,

They're American Racing Ansen Sprint 15X7" The 0 mm offset pokes the front wheels out past the fenders a bit but they were the only offset available from the manufacturer so I have to run a 3 mm spacer. They don't rub on suspension compression at least.

Shakedown laps and 2024 safety inspection accomplished. Onward into 2025!

Slaying in Sora

On Saturday I took Sora around the block with my daughter (her 10th birthday party) and her friends. They had so much fun and asked for another ride. One even asked if they could take a photo with their phone.


Some endearing comments included
"is this a real car?",
"It smells like gas!"

...but the best comment was from a on-looker in the neighborhood:

As we drove down my street with the girls all laughing and enjoying the ride I saw a neighbor's younger (maybe 7?) daughter watching us from the sidewalk and she yells out "SO SLAAAYY!!"



At first I thought she said "So Slow!", then I thought she was referring to Sora as Santa's Sleigh...eventually the ladies corrected me.
"Slay" is a good thing.



Sunday visit to the shop, got a thumbs up from a Ferrari owner
It was a weekend with fantastic weather.

“It smells like gas”. Luv it . Said of every carbureted datsun ever !

Stopped at a local winery for a quick pic after getting gas. Another 100 miles and it's just the beginning of June. WEATHER HAS BEEN PERFECT especially for Western New York! Really enjoying the car finally after 10 years of work. Feels real good!

My wife and I just got back from our first overnight road trip of the past 2 years. We traveled about 3 hrs south of Tacoma Washington to Silverton Oregon to visit Silver Falls State Park and WOW, we were not disappointed! Nor was the car anything but freakin great. Again, I've had this car for 38 (?) years now, and I know it pretty well. This is the first long freeway drive I've done on this engine since I fixed the fractured piston pin that put the car down for much of last year. I will be very interested to see what the torque is on the dyno from 3200 on up... the car has never felt this strong. I admit, we traveled at a good clip, especially on the way home, and the car would just go. The speedo is completely out of whack after it got "repaired" but I can "technically" say that I pegged the 160mph speedo... Ha! Not really of course, not even close. I do know that by using a GPS Speedo on my phone 3500 is 70mph in 5th, 4000rpm is 80mph, 4500 90mph, 5000 100+ etc. The engine is in its happy zone on the freeway all the time, so there's never a need to downshift. Got 26mpg on the way down with a moderately heavy foot, but I have not filled up yet to calculate the return mpg. But man, it was nothing but grins today. I'm still buzzing...

Even more great was we got to see an absolutely fantastic park that I knew NOTHING about despite living most of my life in the PNW ... well worth the drive (about 200 miles one way for us) and I've gotta say, I don't know if there are too many places you can go to see 10 spectacular waterfalls on one 7 mile loop hike, several of which you can walk behind! Truly incredible. Anyone within 6 hrs would have a nice time at the park and the local town if done over 3 days. We did the overnighter and it was perfect for us at the 3hr distance. Stayed at a great, safe, quiet and reasonably priced place (The Oregon Garden Resort) and I had no worry about leaving the car open (I haven't a top). Really a wonderful spot and kind of secluded... room was great.

So, I took no pics of the Datsun Ya, I know... though as usual we had several folks come talk to us to share their own car stories who did. But here's a couple of the waterfall pics to get anyone close by interested. These do no justice to these falls. Maybe a future Oregon Roadster meet site? Who knows!

Gregs672000 wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 10:54 pm by using a GPS Speedo on my phone 3500 is 70mph in 5th, 4000rpm is 80mph, 4500 90mph, 5000 100+ etc.

Almost unforgivable to have no pics of the Datsun, but what a great trip! And I'm incredibly jealous of your cruising rpm. Six hours of freeway driving sounds like you have the most patient forgiving wife, or your seats are much more comfortable than mine.

polkadot wrote: Mon Jun 17, 2024 7:58 pm

Gregs672000 wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 10:54 pm by using a GPS Speedo on my phone 3500 is 70mph in 5th, 4000rpm is 80mph, 4500 90mph, 5000 100+ etc.

Almost unforgivable to have no pics of the Datsun, but what a great trip! And I'm incredibly jealous of your cruising rpm. Six hours of freeway driving sounds like you have the most patient forgiving wife, or your seats are much more comfortable than mine.

Gotta love Nissan for having the foresight to put a 5-speed in these cars. I have to say, my stock seats have been petty good for the 38 or so years I've sat in them (way better than my wife's 2001 BMW Z3!). I rebuilt them once. We have done 10hrs straight at warp speed in the past... may be a bit much these days with both our backs having been injured by other people who hit us (not in the Datsun!) but we were both pretty good when we got home. The Bilstein shocks have a good deal to do with that too! We often circumnavigate Mt. Rainier and that's about 6hrs or more. And yes, my wife is a trooper sometimes as her back is worse than mine. I got her a gell infused seat cushion and we both have seat warmers, but Advil is also in the glove box! It helps that we have had many good times in the car!

Wow. Greg those waterfalls are amazing. I've clocked the same RPM/MPH figures with phone GPS in my car, too. Now I just drive by the tach, no need to look all the way over to the left at the speedo. Inspiring trip - especially as I get ready to leave this morning on an 800-mile journey to Shasta by way of Tahoe, Truckee, and Burney Falls.

Have a great trip Erik! Adventure on!

Wife is out of town so I took the car for a 3.5 hours drive in 88 heat. Engine temp stayed stable whole time. Great fun. Drove along Lake Ontario from
Joseph Davis State Park