Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hey guys I'm Dustin. Just joined up. I've been looking for a fairlady for a couple years now. I'm about 3/4 of the way through a body off restoration of a 1963 karmann ghia coupe for my wife and my daughter is 15 wanting something as cool as the ghia to drive and I think a 1600 would fit the bill nicely. I've found one and I'll post it in the general forum to see what you guys think.

I'm 35 and work in the oil fields of the Texas panhandle and love cars and motorcycles of all kinds. I look forward to gaining some Datsun knowledge.

Dustin

Welcome, post pics when you get the ride!

Welcome Dustin,

You've found one of the best single marque forums on the internet. A bunch of cool people, owning cool cars, only too willing to offer help/advice/knowledge to anyone who asks for it, and sometimes to those who didn't (LOL).
Make sure you check out/browse the techwiki section - there are answers to questions you didn't even know to ask.

Your daughter is going to have one of the coolest rides in Amarillo -

Suggestion - don't start a new thread with pix - just keep this one going.

Hello from another TX roadster owner.

She is going to love the 1600. I would recommend you get her a late '69 or a '70 as they have the best safety features.

Cheers
James

Thanks guys. Here's the car I'm looking at 69 2000

Interior will promptly be returned to stock

Take a good hard look at the body, especially the known rust areas. The PO has removed all the chrome trim, how were the holes filled? the overspray in the engine compartment scares me a very little bit. Check the rockers, fenders near the door, and the rear fenders around the Arch. Otherwise it looks pretty solid!

Cool thanks. What is a ballpark value for this car. I'm thinking it needs interior to the tune of $1300 but not much else really that I can see in the pics.

Really tough to say without seeing it in person. There are several TX Roadster owners that may be able to chip in and help you determine a fair value.
The wheels tires look nice. I don't like the looks of the air filter, and the "re-sell red" paint with all that overspray makes me wonder about what they were hiding. It's also missing the rear reflectors. A "true" 69 should have teardrop markers on the front fenders, so this is either a 68 or the fenders have been changed - again a possible sign of damage. All I can say is don't buy it without a careful inspection!

Now, all of this is just from the pictures, this could be a great car and a reliable runner - so like I said, really tough to tell what it's worth unless you see it in person.

Welcome Dustin.

It may be a '68 registered as a '69. It has a '68 rear bumper (recessed plate light) and '68 rear panel (no plate lights on either side of plate).

What is the VIN?

Welcome Dustin from tx owner.

Your daughter is going to love this car. You just need to get a good base to start with. I agree with notoptoy that the overspray is unsettling. As I'm sure you know with the Gia, a little rust means a lot of work.
one thing I've learned from these guys is look for the least rust don't worry as much about the engine, it easier to find. Also there have been some good cars coming out of San Antonio lately. Might want wait for something better than the red overspray IMHO.
Good luck

Matthew

Thanks for the tips guys. Yea I have replaced pretty much the lower 6 inches of our ghia. Don't want to do that with this car. I found a really nice looking roadster on ebay. Gonna watch that one and grab it up if it stays below $3000.

There was a very decent blue 2000 for sale recently for $4,500. I think it might have even been in Dallas.

HTH
James

Welcome!

Any thoughts on 1600 vs 2000?

I'd say look for a 1600 due to lower acquisition costs and the repair expense of a U20.

Also, I've never seen a roadster without some rust unless it had been repaired. From the sounds of it, you have body repair skills and just want a solid car. Imho, it's almost worse to have a bondo buggy and have to fix someone else's "handy work".

One final thought: buy it and drive it for a while so you can assess the car and bond with it.

Good luck!