Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hello my wife and I are restoring her grandpas 1967 Datsun 1600. Was sitting in his backyard for a little over 10 years. Never done something like this, we are in our mid 20s so I will try not to annoy anybody thanks.

Annoy away, welcome and enjoy the process!

Welcome! You'll find that this community is very patient compared to other places.
Looks like you've got lots to work on. You'll find lots of help here.

Good luck! We're all enthusiasts here, I'm sure you'll find a lot of support.

Thanks guys.

Welcome! Your journey will be rewarding!

Congratulations! I have a '67 as well. It hadn't been driven in 15 years. I advise you to bleed the brakes today!!! there is not a moment to lose! There is water in the wheel cylinders which will soon ruin them. You may be able to save them saving yourself a lot of money. Another way to save is to pre-lube your motor prior to trying to start it. The rocker arm assy. is particularly sensitive. Don't ruin it running it dry. Don't ask how I know.

"Never done anything like this before..." Let the education begin!

First off, welcome to the 311 family! We take good care of the folks here, are a mature bunch with a lot of passion that rarely gets out of control . There are NO stupid questions. We encourage people who are new to the car to read through the tech wiki and other threads when trying to learn or solve problems, but nobody here will ever flame you for posting a question or asking for help even if it's obvious to us. Second, you have your work cut out for you! Hopefully the car is not super rusted, but even if it is it can be repaired. My car was a wreck 30 years ago and I knew nothing except some mechanics, and I learned a lot on my car, building my first engine for it and doing body work, etc. However, restoring a car from this point is not a walk in the park, and having a WRITTEN PLAN makes a big difference between those to start and those who FINISH. You need to ask yourself what you want from this car, what level you want to take this car, and then what your budget can afford. We are EXTREMELY fortunate to have a great bunch of vendors and a long history of support from Nissan so parts remain available though increasingly expensive as time marches on.
So, start as you have done with cleaning things out and assessing how much rust there is in it. I believe the wiki has a list of what to look for and where when inspecting a car. Your gonna need tools, space, time, dedication and money, but we all think these cars are worth it! There may be some folks local to you who need nothing but an invite and a smile to come see what's what and to provide some guidance. Welcome!

Welcome to the SPL experience! Once "under your skins" it may never let go. Best of luck with your challenge, it will prove to be worth all the effort.

Welcome, congrats to you and your wife. I've had some great family bonding time restoring mine and looking at the photo's you've already jumped in and started soaking bolts and using bags to mark parts. Like Greg mentioned figure out what you want 1st. It doesn't have to be about value or a concourse resto, but instead what level you want to take it to for your enjoyment and taste. The 1600 is such a solid little engine that just wants to run for you so I imagine with the help from this group you will have no issue getting it running. With all that's available on the internet now, this forum, our amazing vendors, and resources like google and YouTube you really can complete almost any automotive task with a little research, some tools, and no fear of trying. Enjoy the Ride!

v/r
Buddy

You and your wife will enjoy it, here is my wife learning how to work on the car.


While I supervised

Love it Bossbob! Those pics are so fun to reflect on after the car is done. Perfect supervisor pic too... sideways with a beer...

Watch out ,when it's done she may jump in the driver's seat and say come on let's go

Thanks guys my wife and I really appreciate it.