Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

So the hood was more work than i thought so i still have the passengers door to go. here is the hood primed befoer block sanding. It came out good after block sanding but i plan for one more round to make it perfect.

Lookin good. Body work always takes more than you think it will! The key (as you probably know) is to not rush it and try not to say "It's good enough!" unless it is a light color... it is never "good enough" on dark colors. I cringe now at the passenger side rocker on my black car. I think I just got burned out, or missed it, or said "I think it's good enough..." doh!!! Too late...

You are so right about that. I am forcefully pacing myself because I want it as perfect as possible when I’m done. Body work is not hard at all; the hard part is not rushing as you said and just doing the job right. I spent a few hours at night watching how to block sand before I did that and then watched how to properly spray primer and it really helps.

I do suggest to anyone doing body work, when you are ready to prime over Bondo and start block sanding that you use a real primer that you mix with a hardener and spray with a gun. It makes all the difference in the world. It is harder than "Rattle Can" primer and sands down flat better and fills low spots much faster. It also does not scratch or show scratches as bad after sanding. The Rattle Can primer just feels like it's falling apart when you sand.

What I have been doing:

-80 grit to cut down bondo and old paint
-Prime with good primer
-100 grit to block sand the panels flat
-primes again
-100 grit again for consecutive block sanding’s
-Lay your final coat of primer as smooth as possible!

I'm making some progress with the adapter plate.

Here are a few shots with he starter front cover remover. The plan is to bolt the starter directly to the adapter plate. I'm having all the features of the front cover machined into the plate.





Here is a shot of the underside of the motor where the starter is going to go.



And here is one of the back with the flywheel on.





I'm hoping to machine the adapter next week.

Did you consider the Audi/VW 1.8T and 2.0T FSi engines? Would they also bolt up to T5 using your adapter plate or is that VR6-specific?

I would have done a SR20det swap if i stayed with a 4 cylinder. I wanted a turbo 6 and the VR6 is the only thing i could think of.

All,

The VR6 swap has developed into a great business opportunity for me so I have place the car up for sale so that I can focus on other things.

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Well, there you have it. A nice running, driving 67 1600 that was taken home without being driven, disassembled, cut up for an engine swap and restoration, and then being offered up for sale. The odds are against this car ever being on the road again...

You saw that one coming, Sid.

I had hopes that it wouldn't but the sad reality is that the VAST majority of cars that are disassembled for restoration and engine swap never come back on the road. If it was a rough car that was really parts car quality to begin with, that is sad, but not unexpected. If it is a decent car like this one was, then it is extremely disappointing. Most folks lack the motivation to finish the job. And before anyone casts any stones at me for saying that, I am in that group right now as well.

Only the very dedicated and nuts pull it off.
I pulled my running, sorted, and drivable 66 apart in 2000 for "restoration". It turned into a parts car for my others, and is just now getting back together. And we are not out of the danger zone yet.

Restoring a car requires a lot of motivation and very clear dedication, and frequently if that motivation is not an overwhelming LOVE for Roadsters then something will come along and upset that. As he said, he did not lose interest, but another passion has come along and he needs to try and fund it. It IS sad, but life happens. While I have never considered selling my Roadster, even with my overwhelming love for the car and its rarity, mine has sat at times, bodywork halfway done, me with no desire to keep after it... it is a hell of a lot of work!!! Right now I have plans to pull the motor, do a clutch and main seal, clean up the engine bay, and do a crankfired ignition. I note that I keep saying to myself "We'll get started after the new year...". But it's cold in the garage, I'm not as young as I used to be, etc etc...

If I didn't love my car, I probably would never have finished it the first time, or the second... and now more stuff...

Well, I got a set and a half of doors, trying to find one worthy of restoring for my pride and joy. Thanks Ted for the door. Internal fortitude is what will finish an engine swap or restoration. I...personally like most of us here love being behind the wheel... wind in the face, the smells of exhaust, sounds of birds in the trees . Or roasting the rubber off the ass end of your whip that you drive like you stole....like me. Some folks just get in over their heads. The saddness is that it's the car that suffers in the end. Right now mine sits during off season with complete nose and doors + trunk lid off for dent/ding,rust repair + install LSD that was made up in summer driving season, as well as installing the Altama big brake kit up front. My plate is FULL! The insperation for completing all of the above in time for this summer is not only Ted's visit today, but wanting to be in control again of what I created. I can feel the difference of the rear end, I can see the difference of the countless hrs. of body work, I will feel at ease when I gear down and hammer brakes to save my ass. We all feel what we drive. I think in most any case, trying to improve performance before experiencing performance will leave one in the dark on performance.
My 2 cent.

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So what happened to the body?