Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hey All,

Here's the ongoing story of my 1967.5 SPL 311-14262 which I picked up unexpectedly a couple years ago at a local collector car auction. Wasn't planning on getting another roadster, but it sort of fell in my lap.

It sold originally on BringaTrailer in 2017 where it caught my eye with it's 'Ferrari Red' paint job, including (arrgghh) the bumpers and it's interesting side trim:





Not to mention the custom interior:



Sold for $ 6600.00 at the BaT auction: BaT Auction

Didn't think much of it after that. Then my phone rang late one Friday night a year later... it was up here in Canada, of all places for sale at a local collector auction for no reserve:





Can't miss those red bumpers... anyway, long story short, I registered for the auction and as the hammer was dropping for $ 6500.00, I put in an online bid for $ 6750.00.... sold!

K, now it's coming home:





Shoehorned in the storage garage for the winter:



Got the new garage built and it was time to bring it home:



In the new garage:





... where I can finally start into it. Car started and ran, although it grinds in every gear change and the electrical was bodged so badly i can't believe it ran.

As I've been digging into it, I've managed to fix a bunch of the previous owner's 'repairs' and have a bunch of pics I'll be updating as projects get finished and progress is made. This is the ongoing 'voyage of discovery' I'll be documenting of what I've taken to calling:

'Red Roadster Revival'

I like the optimism of a guy getting a second convertible in a city that gets some serious winter.....Brrrrr!
Not that keen on the red bumpers....otherwise, looks good. Have fun
Linda

Congrats on your good fortune. Easy enough to imagine the difference these would quickly make:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-Fairlad ... SwDNZcXA62

Jon

Linda, it's actually my third convertible up here... here's the old plate on my 1993 300ZX 'vert:

not the first 'repair' I did, but something had to be done with those red bumpers.

Off they came, got the paint blasted off them and with zero chrome shops left in the province (that were reasonable) a Z club member offered to powdercoat them:











He used Eastwood Extreme Chrome powdercoat. Not chrome shiny, but certainly better than they were. Price was me buying the powder for him, about $ 30.00.

Reinstalled:







They have more of a dull chrome look, and up close the powdercoat has a pebbly texture:





but the overall look is light years ahead of the red... i can live with a little less shine for the price...

The first actual 'fixit' repair...

Get rid of the horrible (in my mind, at least) Grant steering wheel:



Fortunately, in a jumble of parts in the trunk, i found this:



It was mouldy, filthy and caked with some sort of waxy gunk:



but an afternoon of metal polish and leather soap and conditioner got it back to reasonable shape:



From this:



to this:



Grant GT wheel is available...free to a good home... lol

That grant steering wheel is not horrible, it Hideous!! The stock wheel, however looks great.

I kind of like the look of the new bumper finish. Less to polish.

Cheers
Ray B.

The bumpers are a major improvement. They look great. The red bumpers were hideous. Also, agree with putting the stock steering wheel back on. Another big improvement to making it your own. That will be a sharp car once you get it sorted. Subscribed.

S

Both are major improvements!

This is what you should do with that old steering wheel...

"Pull!"
BANG BANG!!

Time to replace some of the missing bits...

Took an inventory of what was missing and called Ross @ Sports Imports... on the order: visors, a centre console and a 67.5 correct Toshiba radio... and a pair of Nissan stock fender mirrors, cause, you know:



The console didn't arrive looking like that, there was a little cleanup needed:



Did the best I could cleaning and sanding the the pitted parts before paint



Reassembly... missing a lock bezel, if anyone has one or a recommendation for a substitute, I'd appreciate it:



Radio was sent to get the Aurora upgrade that I did in my '69 stock radio as well, adds FM, bluetooth, USB input and 4 speaker amp for output.
Sent it to Bill the Radio Guy in Shelton, WA.

Before:





after:





Will be pulling the Sony aftermarket unit and installing in a bit... need to figure out stealth speaker installation locations. Have them in the headrests of my '69, no headrests on these seats.

installed the fender mirrors after having my wife hold them in different places on the fender as I sat in the driver's seat and judged where they worked the best, basically lined up with the front of the cowl grill: (and yes, that's a large laminated printout of Curtis's 67.5 wiring diagram in the back)

Time to get the vent windows reinstalled... just one problem, the old rubber stuff in the bottom of the metal holder had fossilized:



Scraped it all out:



Some sort of fossilized rubber, crumbling to dust. Looks like I need something thin, grippy and waterproof to hold the glass in the holder. Fortunately, I'm a piano repair technician and have sheets of rubberized bellows cloth for player piano restoration:



It's tough, rubberized on one side and the perfect thickness to hold the glass in the metal bottom bracket. Just needed to cut a pattern and fit it in:



traced one for the other side:



A little edge colour on the white side so it won't show when installed:



and fit the glass to the frame:




It holds it tight enough I can't pull it free easily... excellent:



Now, before they get installed, need to address the rattling side windows.
Looky here, no track guide whatsoever in the rear door tracks:



Easy enough fix:



And replace the front guide in the vent windows:





that's better:



Viola.. windows crank smoothly with no rattle:

Amazing transformation, wow

What paint did you use on the center console?
I’m restoring 2 of them a the moment and getting ready for paint
Thanks