Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

I bought a roadster in mid-October from the 2nd owner, who had it for a year sitting under a tarp. 2nd owner says the first owner was a lady who kept the car in a garage. Considering the state of the weather stripping (crumbled/gone) and the lack of rust and water damage, this seems to be true. Also, the front brakes don't work at all (made for a fun/scary test drive). I'm guessing the 1st owner got too old to drive a stick and chose not to fix the brakes. 2nd owner had good intentions, but work + fatherhood got in the way.

I'm new to wrenching, but curious, patient, and a fan of youtube and forums. So far, I've bled the rear brakes (mostly to confirm the lines are clear), failed to get any brake fluid out of either front brake, and used an entire roll of shop towels cleaning up brake fluid containment errors.

Having a blast so far. Looking forward to driving with those of you in Northern Calfornia! Had to move a lot of saltwater fishing gear to make space. I have used a lot of shop towels in the last 2 weeks. Also, using green painter's tape to mark hoses that have crumbled.

Welcome & congrats on the purchase!
That looks to be in pretty good shape. A little time invested in ‘turning wrenches’ to address the minor issues will make the ownership experience that much more frustrating … enjoyable

Again, welcome. There are a number of very knowledgeable members that I am sure will be adding to your welcome. My car, also a 1970 1600, was much like yours when taken on as a project. My path to getting it back into running condition has been a learning curve. What I would like to use the car for has mandated some of the decisions I have made, getting to this point. Bottom line, create a goal for you and your new car. Find a vendor that you can work with to obtain the parts you will need and set a budget for the time you can spend and the money the car will absorb.

The front brakes, offer a number of options to repair or replace. I will be diving into a similar repair very soon.

David

Congratulations and welcome!

That car looks great! Nice find.

Welcome, we're always here to help and enjoy your adventures!

Welcome to the Bay Area roadster owners club. I also have a 1970 1600 and I'm in Concord. I have some spare hoses and other bits. If you need something send me a PM.

I'm also the 3rd owner of my car - bought it '95 from the 2nd owner, my ex-girlfriend. I had gone with her when she bought it from the original owners around '93.

Welcome. I have just finished restoring a 1970 2000 and am down in Los Gatos. I may have a few parts you need and should introduce you to Mike Young who not only has extensive knowledge/experience but also A Lot of parts. PM me if interested

That looks like a fun project! Enjoy

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone. Funkaholik and PatS, we should meet up. I'm in Menlo Park.

Also, I've done enough work on the brakes that the car is drivable! (Well, stoppable.)

I also bought Scott Sheeler's Parts Manual so I can figure out what I'm looking at. There are a lot of sub-systems in that engine bay.

Really enjoying the wrenching so far.