Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hello everyone,

My name is Ruben Aerts from Belgium.
I'm new on this forum.

I have found a black '67 for sale that i'm interested in.
I have a volvo amazon at the moment and know a lot about those cars. Buth not that much from the little datsuns.
So that's why i'm here

The owner had the car for 25 years and I presume 1 owner before him.
He is asking 8000 dollars for it. (and costs another 2800 dollars to ship it to Belgium)

Mechanically it looks very sounds (couple of bushings and seals), only major problem is bodywork.
Is has a 5-speed underneath because the 4-speed wich is included was broken (1st and 2nd gear)

Is the price good?

Kind regards,

Ruben Aerts

p.s. here are 2 videos

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21A ... 76&o=OneUp

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21A ... 76&o=OneUp

Ruben,

Overall it looks like a pretty solid car. The crack in the hood is pretty normal as that is where there is lead. There are usually similar cracks around the trunk area as well. Rockers tend to rust as well. I would ask for a close up of both front fenders where they mount at the bottom towards the front of the rocker. That area tends to rust out and can leave you with flopping fenders worse case. The soft top latch is not a show stopper as they are available. One of our vendors had reproductions made. The interior and gauges look very good. The rear end seal is not a big deal either. I would say that is a fair price but plan on spending to get it made correct. Especially the body work/paint. In the video all be it pretty short the car sounds mechanically sound but one never knows for sure until you have it in your possession. You could ask the seller to provide you with some compression numbers on each cylinder. You have several roadster gurus in your neck of the woods. Richard Klimmert has a shop in the Netherlands. Here is his link Datsun Roadster

Oh, a couple of more places to check for cracking. One is on the outside right below the wing windows on the doors. Folks tend to use the wing window as a door handle and that puts enough stress on that area to crack it. You should not use that wing window as handle. Another area for cracking is in the trunk. The way the gas tank is hung to the truck floor has been known to cause cracking. Another vendor makes a bracket that attaches to the frame which eliminates the stress from the weight of a full tank.

I am sure others will chime if but those are my initial thoughts.

Steve

Welcome Ruben, you've come to the best place for help and information. I would be very wary of that car. Michigan is one of the worst areas in the United States for rust and this car shows signs of significant rust. The seat covers are not correct and the door cards may not be either. Without being able to do a personal inspection you would be taking a huge risk. I think you could do much better. This car, in my opinion should be no more than $5000 and depending on the extent of rust much less. Keep looking!
PS there is a post a few up from yours about a 1600 on BAT (Bring A Trailer) currently bid at $6000 wich looks much better.

This could have been a summer only car. I would want to see an under car pic. Then contact a local mechanic for a compression test and pay with Paypal.
Richard in the Netherlands might know or have a car in Europe for you.
Good luck
Linda

Ruben, I can see from the pics that this car is in just about exactly the same condition that my early '67 was in when I bought it. I spent hundreds of hours cutting rusty metal out and welding new in. I should not have put the time into the hood that I did. My hood looked like yours, and it took a lot of time to cut it apart and put it back together with new metal. I should have bought a used one without rust. You can get after market rocker panels. You will need those as well as bottoms of front fenders, floors, and rear arches. You will also need to fabricate many parts, such as the rocker panel caps front and rear on both sides. If you can't do all this yourself plan on spending a good $5,000 to do all of this correctly. A good point is that it has had recent brake work so perhaps the brakes which can be expensive are good.

H Reuben.
Welcome to our addiction. You'll find lots of knowledge here and a passion for these fun little cars. You'll also find its hard to justify them on a dollar basis so "is it worth it" is hard to say from some pictures.
That's especially true since most of us in the USA have little idea of the market value of a roadster in Europe.
I suspect your seller has set his price based on an optimistic view of US market pricing. You've highlighted some of the obvious issues, you can assume there are at least 4 times as many that you can't see.
If I was interested in buying the car, I would show the seller the comments above and ask him to reduce the price by about half. Be prepared to walk away if he balks or, if you really want "that" car, attempt to negotiate a more reasonable price.
Dan

Hey Ruben welcome to the club!

Not much more I can say that others haven't already stated. I was just going to add that it seems pretty expensive when you factor in the shipping of the car. So with that I would say it is not worth the $11,000. At that price there should be no rust. I purchased my 67.5 for around $8k and it is a California car with no rust.

Just remember : #1 concern will always be RUST - this is the most important thing to look for over everything else and I'm sure most will agree.

Hi Guys
thanks for the info!

As Dan said, they are quite valuable in Europe.
I know a yellow '66 for sale in the us for 6600 dollar and in europe (without hardtop) for 19500 euros (21500 dollar)

I really was looking for an early black model with red interior and this is the only one i found over the last 1.5 year that was within my budget.
Found a 67'5 2000 in the same condition and he asked 24000 dollar ( could'nt afford it...)
Also I had a really good feeling about the seller

The good thing is, I have experience in restoring cars. I'm actually a volvo guy...
I repainted my 65 volvo amazon last year (picture before respray) and rebuilding a '68 duett ground up for my dad at the moment (trailer was delivered as an option). see attached pictures

So...
I bought the car! it's now on the boat on it's way to Belgium! Will be driving the car as is in the beginning.
Once I have collected al the parts I need and have a bit more time I will start the restoration .


thanks for all the good advice. And I will come here a lot for help!!

greetings,

Ruben Aerts

The Duett and trailer combo has a really cool look. Loving the well thought out two-toning and matching hubcaps.

Good luck with your project and keep us posted on your progress.

Steve

Wow, the Duett and trailer is really cool! If you were to pull in ANY campground in the US you would absolutely be the main attraction. You could park beside a million dollar motor home and and still all eyes would be on your rig. The Amazon is cool as well. The Datsun should fit right in with your affinity for the unusual. Not to mention, that's a beautiful dog.

Welcome Ruben. Be sure to take some pics when you drive in the countryside in Belgium. Richard in Amsterdam should be very helpful for parts and I think he has a Datsun meet every year too.
Just think, if you had a BBQ to have some owners help with your car , you could supply some really good beer
Linda

Good for you Ruben. Congratulations on the purchase.
I'm sure you'll enjoy the car for years to come.
Keep us posted once you have car and weather permits you to take her for a drive.
Dan

Man I just love meeting new and different people from around the world who love Datsun Roadsters! It just somehow warms my heart to imagine this new family member (Ruben) falling in love and working away at his new baby, learning, facing challenges, fixing her ills until she's back on the road and creating smiles once again. We all know how long that can take sometimes ("oh man" say many, "do we!") but we also know the journey is well worth it!

Welcome to our Family! This is better than Ancestry.com... you now have Roadster DNA in your body (or is it an infection? Addiction?)!. Keep us posted on YOUR adventure. We're here to help!

Welcome, hope this roadster is everything you expect and want. I am crazy jealous over your trailer (The Volvo is nice too)