Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

twice for me, Head gasket, sat for 2 years first time it ran.
Dead battery the second time (was already bad)

reliable is something that you can take from point a to b with no problems.
Maitnince free is somehting that you don't have to work on...
Alvin you deff. came in here and started stuff with the new stuff...how can you even try to compare that?

If you keep up on maitnence then you won't have a problem. Just because your motor doens't have points, or even wires for the matter how can they compare?

I have driven my 73 plymouth everywhere, not even had a problem, its carb'd. I raced it every weekend, i drive it to the track, race then go home. No problems.

steve

well the one that i found the guy won't respond back, why does this always happen? i almost had a 300hp roadster (thats why i would do a swap) i can't make 300hp and still get better than 20mpg with a u20 or r16....atleast not yet.

Im getting a fuel pump as we speak (nissan) so i may keep it in there, it just sucks that i have to add $10 to every full tank for race gas (since the head was shaved twice. 230 psi on all clyinders...what stock 180? new?!?

is it a good price? pm me.

Steve

Steve,

If the overmilled head is the issue, why not buy another head from somewhere and swap it out. Heck, I have a complete 1600 in the garage still connected to the hoist that could solve the problem - probably quicker than a head job...

I could see doing that to build a stroker........Have an extra crank and rods? (u20)

Steve

not separately, but in a complete U20 I do...

I have only had trouble once, I could have got home on 2 cylinders I suppose,
the needle jet on the back solex blocked up, as they cant be pulled appart I had a hard time getting it freed up, but got it working so all was well.
I always carry a good tool kit with me...

Well, it got towed home, but it still runs, just no front suspension (not by any fault of mine.)

Will

Another "indestructible roadster" story:

I organised a run not long ago, a few days after finishing my H20 swap (yeah, I know, she was going to be original - but you can't beat HP!). So we went up and over a mountain, and she was overheating a bit by the time we got to the top.

A little while later the timing chain started to make a bit of a noise. Oil was fine, water was full, everything else seemed OK so we limped it home and tried to investigate the issue.

Turns out...the wrong dipstick had gone into the engine. This one was too long. Alan and I both thought the other person had topped up the oil after the engine swap - after all, it was reading full. Yeah, when the dipstick goes all the way to the bottom of the pan and bends over, it doesn't take much oil to read full - about 500cc in fact.

So Baby had done about 350km, up and over a mountain, with no oil. And apart from running a bit hot and the timing chain noise (both of which have gone now that we've filled her up!), she hasn't missed a beat.

Ruth

The '69 SPL that I had owned back in the crazy days of the 1970's had to be possessed. (':twisted:')
Twisted Evil

The car was used with about 23K miles on the Od.

While driving in the rain on the interstate, the windshield wipers arms just fell off and landed on top of the cowling at 60 mph. The capstan nuts had backed-off and were laying on the hood too! So in the driving rain, the wipers just dropped off! (':shock:')
Shocked

About a month later, while driving the same section of road I got stuck in a traffic jam due to some one else's misfortune. As traffic crept along, that stop/go thing, my clutch pressure plate/ throw-out bearing - did exactly that --- THREW THE BEARING !

So now I was the "Star of the Show" for everybody to honk their horns at !! People "vocalized" their appreciation of "Fine Japanese Cars' back in those days!

Ah Yes, Fine Engineering !!

I must have rocks for brains, or mid-life crisis, 'cause I bought another one !

RustyBucket wrote: I must have rocks for brains, or mid-life crisis, 'cause I bought another one !

Well, this ain't the Mensa Forum

My first roadster, back around 1983-4, seemed reliable, I got in, drove the crap out of it, maintained it very little and fixed the few minor things that broke, which were not many. Ignorance is blis.

I drove it everywhere 10 inch snowstorms, and out in the middle of nowhere late at night etc. This was in pre cell phone days, you were on your own. Never left me stuck.

What I failed to mention was that when I had to replace the clutch, pressure plate and the SPun throw-out bearing I also pulled the fenders off and leaded (EPA would love that !) over the cancer which I had sand blasted off.

Shot the car which "was" silver, with 5 coats of Porche silver and 4 coats of Ditzler clear coat. Wet sanded down a few coats and the then looked like a jewel ! Until some goof ran a red light and smashed my right front at the fire wall. Thought I bought the farm !!

Never seen skid marks that made a Perfect "L" 90 degree before that time. Hope to NEVER have that experience again, Thank You very much !! shock:

After getting a replacement fender and fixing the car, it always had electrical problems after that. I could never pin point what the cause was, and neither could a couple of shops that I eventually took the car to. Thought I had an electrical system by "Lucas - Prince of Darkness"

When the insurance company jacked up my rate (even with a clean record) it was time to sell the car. The "Disco Dude" that bought it put a trailer hitch on the rear and haul a dirt cycle with my Jewel. He eventually totaled the car into a wall.. Opss!! One less Datsun to restore..

Well, I am a Roadster lover, and have had very good luck with them...I bought you 67.5 Spl311 in California, and drove it out to Oklahoma two weeks later...I wasnt worried about breaking down...I drove a MG Midget out there and didnt make it as far as New Mexico. It had been sitting for awhile with front end damage from Hitting a full size truck..Needless to say, the roadster won....ha ha

But as far as the chevrolets go..I am a Technician for General Motors, and I will tell you this...Or quality has gone way up...Since the new generations motors have came out...Our Dealership has never opened one those engines up....We have alot of heavy use out here, Oil field, farm, recreation, you name it...

The bulk of our repairs are cosmetic or some crappy recall like tailgate cables...We do replace the occasional fuel pump...But all in all, Mostly Cosmetic stuff...I will say, I have owned many different kinds of Sport and Classic cars....And the Roadster is by far the most reliable and resonalbe bang for the buck...

So, Please people....Leave Chevrolet alone...Unless you are out there dealing with them everyday...Seeing what is sold and what is coming back....You dont have the information to make and opinion...hah a

We have several of our customers with better than 400,000 miles..Never been open...Hell, not even a starter....

New generations means 1999 and up

Well the car still hasn't let me down. I broke another 5th gear and got home in 4th. Its a big P.I.T.A., but it still got me back.

Will

OK, I'm in the club, do I get a hat? I was just driving along in heavy traffic, crawling in 1st gear, enjoying the fact the electric fan was keeping the temp between 185 and 200 on a hot day.. Rolled up to a traffic light, about 6 miles from home, and it sputtered a few seconds and died. I checked to see if I shut off the fuel pump by mistake, no, not that lucky.

Of all days, I left the toolbag home...I had 2 slotted screwdrivers, a pocket knife a really expensive Snap-on Multimeter and a bottle opener. After checking the usual 4 things, SSBB (suck, squeeze, bang, blow,) it looked like I was out of gas. Used the Snap-on meter's tach for the hell of it to see if I has spark, I did. A kind passer by offered to help, wanted to hold the coil wire by hand while I cranked it...I warned him it was 40,000 volts, he said "that's ok". He jumped about 2 feet straight up.Ignition is confirmed OK

Gas gauge was saying 1/2 tank, but they lie. I could see fuel in the filter infront of the pump, disconnected the output line from the fuel pump, turned on the switch and got a couple squirts of fuel, but when the line was reattached to the pump and I checked at the carbs, no fuel. OK, stuck a tree branch in the gas tank, looked like about an inch of fuel...OK, time to get gas. I was in the "nice" part of town, Gas station was 8 blocks away on the other side of the tracks. Walked over, got 2 gallons and walked back, put it in, still no good, would run a few seconds on full choke, but not stay running .

At this moment, a Ferrari drove by. Passed by an Italian car, that was embarrassing. Called Haggerty for a tow, they said 45 minutes
Half hour later, figured I'd try again. Got fuel at the carbs now, put it together, it fired up, ran like crap for 30 seconds and then right back to normal, running OK. Left it idling 5 minutes. Tow truck driver called, he was an hour away. I told him give me 10 minutes, I'll try to run it home and call him back. Ran over to the gas station dropped off the can and filled it, took 5 gallons total. Drove all the way home, running as good as it did this morning. Cancelled the tow.

Now I wonder what was the cause and when will it happen again.

Didn't fix anything, electrocuted a bystander and made it home...Overall a good day.