Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

An 1800? Datsun didn't make an 1800! I know that.

Our Datsun started life in 1968 as a 1600. Sometime between 1968 and 1992 she got a U20, a 5 speed transmission and some new badges put on the fenders. So can we refer to her as an 1800?

The car came from the SF Bay area, in 1993 it was brought to SE Wisconsin. The previous owner drove and spent some time improving small things here and there. The car was last driven 10 years ago in 2008.

My daughter has decided that she wants a fun summer car so we have gone in together to get Dottie running and back on the road. We picked the car up for an even $2k. I think that was a good price. It looks like we should have it on the road for less than $4K overall.

There is a folder here with pictures of bringing the car home.

This past couple of weeks we have gotten a few things done.

• Drained and removed the fuel tank. It had about 3/4 of a gallon of fuel in the bottom. The tank is in Milwaukee getting cleaned.

• Motor turned with a wrench but the starter solenoid would not engage. After verifying all of the voltages, we pulled the starter and it is off getting rebuilt. (While writing this post I got a call that the starter is ready. New solenoid and a good cleaning for $80) Does someone have a clear picture of “the triangle” that can be removed for better access to the starter? I found the TSB but I’m still not clear. Is it the angled body brace that can be removed?

• We pulled the driver's seat and started cleaning the vinyl. It will clean up nicely. We did find that the seat slides are in rough shape. My daughter found a set of slides for both seats for $100. They should be delivered today.

• Under the carpet, the floor pan is in good shape. Small surface rust near the plug on the driver's side. I will probably hit that and repaint before we put the carpet back. It appears that this car has been 3 different colors. The evidence suggests it was originally red, then blue and now white. #Merica!

• Removed the master cylinder and front wheel cylinders. The master cylinder is clean and wet inside without rust except for the first inch. I took it over to be hot tanked and honed.
  Wheel cylinders are about the same as the master inside. A lot of rust on the outside. I will be rebuilding these as well.
  Most of the brake lines have been stubborn. I will have the replace the transfer and crossover lines. Does anyone have a source for the lines between the master cylinder and the proportioning valve? I hate to buy a whole kit, when I only need two lines.
  Any recommendations for the proportioning valve? It was still wet inside. I’m not sure how to rebuild it. Anyone have a source or should I just use it?
  Any recommendations for painting or preserving the wheel cylinders?

The goal this weekend is to get the drums and rotors off and over to be machined. What are the max tolerances on stock brake equipment (rotor and drum)? I also want to get all of the wheel cylinders cleaned up and ready for re-assembly.

I am very grateful for this community already. Because of y’all I found Rallye Industries.
I was able to get everything needed for a tune up and to rebuild the brake system shipped to my door. Thanks again.

~Justin

Here is a pic of my triangle. I cut the stock out and made an aluminum plate that bolts in its place.

Steve

How cool! Sounds like you got a great deal. Keep the pictures rolling in.

not even sure why the 'triangle' was ever in place. must be an earlier thing soince I have had 4 '70 and nothing.

2K + 4K - way to go - often advice is to buy best you can afford, but this sounds like a great deal and of course a good bonding thingie.

if you keep old brake hard lines, remove the rubber coating - tends to rust. replace ALL soft lines, including slave with stainless, done and dusted - I had a teeny leak in my slave line, undetectable till I used cell phone to watch as I pumped.

If you go stainless on clutch - get JT68 line - 'work of mechanical art' AND to me more importantly, it has a lot of flexibility in the joints, just makes replacing way more easy - I have always had to remove the cylinder to get it lined up without putting too much strain on the rubber hosing. He probably has all brake lines too, but that is conjecture on my part.

Is JT68 a person?

I’m still a bit confused by the triangle removal for the starter. Please look at the picture. Is it A, B or is it already gone?

mraitch wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:02 pm 2K + 4K - way to go - often advice is to buy best you can afford, but this sounds like a great deal and of course a good bonding thingie.

I didn’t mean $2K + $4K. I meant $2k + $2k = 4.

The seats slides we received were in worse shape than the ones we have, they are being returned. Any advice on cleaning the old seat slides? Anyone ever hot tank them?

One of the members on here, John Ostrom in Calgary, just recently replaced his roadster seat slides with some aftermarket sparco slides that fit with virtually no modification. If you private message him, he can probably send you part numbers... I believe it was around $100 for the new slides and he had them installed in an afternoon...

Stovebolt Captain wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:12 pm I’m still a bit confused by the triangle removal for the starter. Please look at the picture. Is it A, B or is it already gone?

Steve's pic shows it is "B" that is being referred to.

Stovebolt Captain wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:17 pm The seats slides we received were in worse shape than the ones we have, they are being returned. Any advice on cleaning the old seat slides? Anyone ever hot tank them?

I bead blasted mine, welded in some new mounting studs, painted them, and then hit them with a little WD 40. They look and work good. They're not really designed to be taken apart, although some have done so, but the bead blasting was able to completely remove any rust and free up the little balls they slide on. Notice I said bead blast, not sand blast, as there is a big difference in the smoothness of the finish. Will have to say, mine were not badly rusted to begin with, but were still seized.

dynaguy wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:47 am

Stovebolt Captain wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:12 pm I’m still a bit confused by the triangle removal for the starter. Please look at the picture. Is it A, B or is it already gone?

Steve's pic shows it is "B" that is being referred to.

The B in my picture is a brace that is a thick as the frame. Is this really the part that is to be removed?

I think you only need to cut a 1.5" D X 4" radius in it.

http://www.classictube.com/catalogsearc ... model=2000 Roadster&cab=&ton=&duty=&drive=&box=&engine=&ymm_cat=Caliper%20Inlet%20Lines%20%26%20Transfer%20Tubes

http://www.classictube.com/catalogsearc ... model=2000 Roadster&cab=&ton=&duty=&drive=&box=&engine=&ymm_cat=Brake%20Line%20Kit

They list kits, but I got individual lines from them a few years ago.