Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hi All

I've been in the process of restoring a 69 2000 for a while. One thing that has bugged me ever since I got it is that the entire body of the vehicle is off by 1/4 inch. I've checked through DMV and had multiple shops take a look at it and none of them can find any reason for it.

I've mainly been focusing on the drivetrain and the engine recently but I'm nearly finished with those so I'm going to be onto the body soon and I was hoping that someone may be able to give me some ideas?

Where I'm working on it I don't really have the ability to take the body off but it looks like I may have to in order to figure this one out. Any thoughts would be very helpful.

What first tipped me off to this was that there was 1/4 inch less clearance on the passenger side. The only time you can see it is when the tires are on or if you bust out a tape and measure. It's the same front and back on both sides sans the 1/4 inch. It's almost like it was manufactured that. Is that possible?

It has never had odd tire wear or handling characteristics.

So the entire passenger side is 1/4 inch higher (or lower) than the entire driver's side. Yes? Not just one corner being off?

I've never taken the body off a roadster but I'm sure there are going to be some sort of isolators that sit between the body and the chassis. Rubber donuts, washers, whatever. Is it possible someone had the body off at some point and failed to put the isolators back on one side?

Before you go ripping the body off the frame, make sure it really is the body that's off and not the chassis. Instead of taking measurements from the ground to the body, take a few from the ground to the frame rail and the ground to a fixed suspension point like the mounting bolts at the top of the front A-Arms. That would show you if the chassis itself is sitting flat.

If it is offset to one side by that amount, it is actually fairly common. Take heart though, you can fix it! Just loosen all 14 bolts holding the body to the chassis and shove like a madman. You may need to jack the body up a little to break the seal with the mounts before it can be moved. Once you have done that, you can shove it around to where it needs to be and then tighten it down.

Oh, off a 1/4 inch laterally, not vertically? Crazy! Well, looks like Sid's got you hooked up with some sound advise.