Thank you for the welcome.
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:28 pm
Hi guys,
Normally, when I join a new group, I try listen more and speak less, until I learn the local customs and protocol. But it appears customary to introduce one’s self (and ones car). So here goes…
I live in San Diego, and work in the local film and print production industry. I’m in my mid fifties. I have an early ‘67 1600 which I originally bought in 1978 when I was in high school. I fixed it up a bit, rebuilt the transmission, did a little (embarrassingly bad) body work, painted it, and fell in love with it. It worked well and looked pretty good. But it was an “investment†with some buddies. So I swallowed hard, and we sold it at a modest profit.
I became kind of a Datsun Roadster specialist — by high school mechanic standards – working on other peoples roadsters out of my mom’s garage. I came to own couple of other roadsters, and parts cars, but none that I liked as much as that first car. A year or so later, I was looking for parts at a local junkyard, that sometimes got roadsters and they told me that they had just gotten a new one in that was in “cherry†condition. I looked at it, and indeed it had a bunch of parts that I could use. But then I noticed – wait a moment – this was my old car! So I bought it (for a second time) from the junkyard and gave it some much needed TLC. I drove it, in rotation with a few other clunkers, all through college.
In time, the other clunkers got sold off or scraped. But this car was special – kind of magic. It got retired to the back of my mom’s garage and covered in junk. I always thought I’d come back to it. I moved out, started a career and a family, decades passed and my sainted mom (she’s the best) finally evicted the car. I moved it to my smallish garage and rebuilt the motor. But it still had other issues, so it stayed unused. Then I moved to a place that didn’t have a garage. So an old high school buddy – who also has a soft spot for the car – took it in. Or, rather, let me put it in his driveway. Aaaand, I finally wore out its welcome there. He’ll still let me keep it there, but it’s got to be running. A reasonable requirement.
So now I’m trying to bring it back. I don’t have a place to work on it, so I’m paying other people to do it. It’ll never be a show car. But I just want it to be like it was when I was in high school – or maybe a little better. I’m happy with the three main bearing 1600 motor. And four speeds is plenty for me. It’s going to need a lot of money and work and, I expect, I’ll be needing a lot of advice.
Perhaps I’ll chime in from time to time on other people’s problems – to pull my weight in the group. I’m far from an expert, but I know roadsters better than any other car. Even after all these years, I could probably identify on sight out of context, 97% of the parts of a 1967 roadster. Thanks for letting me join. Photos will follow.
Normally, when I join a new group, I try listen more and speak less, until I learn the local customs and protocol. But it appears customary to introduce one’s self (and ones car). So here goes…
I live in San Diego, and work in the local film and print production industry. I’m in my mid fifties. I have an early ‘67 1600 which I originally bought in 1978 when I was in high school. I fixed it up a bit, rebuilt the transmission, did a little (embarrassingly bad) body work, painted it, and fell in love with it. It worked well and looked pretty good. But it was an “investment†with some buddies. So I swallowed hard, and we sold it at a modest profit.
I became kind of a Datsun Roadster specialist — by high school mechanic standards – working on other peoples roadsters out of my mom’s garage. I came to own couple of other roadsters, and parts cars, but none that I liked as much as that first car. A year or so later, I was looking for parts at a local junkyard, that sometimes got roadsters and they told me that they had just gotten a new one in that was in “cherry†condition. I looked at it, and indeed it had a bunch of parts that I could use. But then I noticed – wait a moment – this was my old car! So I bought it (for a second time) from the junkyard and gave it some much needed TLC. I drove it, in rotation with a few other clunkers, all through college.
In time, the other clunkers got sold off or scraped. But this car was special – kind of magic. It got retired to the back of my mom’s garage and covered in junk. I always thought I’d come back to it. I moved out, started a career and a family, decades passed and my sainted mom (she’s the best) finally evicted the car. I moved it to my smallish garage and rebuilt the motor. But it still had other issues, so it stayed unused. Then I moved to a place that didn’t have a garage. So an old high school buddy – who also has a soft spot for the car – took it in. Or, rather, let me put it in his driveway. Aaaand, I finally wore out its welcome there. He’ll still let me keep it there, but it’s got to be running. A reasonable requirement.
So now I’m trying to bring it back. I don’t have a place to work on it, so I’m paying other people to do it. It’ll never be a show car. But I just want it to be like it was when I was in high school – or maybe a little better. I’m happy with the three main bearing 1600 motor. And four speeds is plenty for me. It’s going to need a lot of money and work and, I expect, I’ll be needing a lot of advice.
Perhaps I’ll chime in from time to time on other people’s problems – to pull my weight in the group. I’m far from an expert, but I know roadsters better than any other car. Even after all these years, I could probably identify on sight out of context, 97% of the parts of a 1967 roadster. Thanks for letting me join. Photos will follow.