Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Moderators: notoptoy, S Allen, Solex68
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- Roadster Newby
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:45 pm
- Location: California
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: High Windshield-68-70
Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Hi everyone,
My name is Evan and I'm a total newbie when it comes to cars. I have been driving since I was a teenager but never really got into cars when I was younger, and have spent all of my adult life in large cities relying on transit and car sharing to get around.
I learned to fly single engine aircraft recently and became fascinated with the mechanics of the engine. I can't do any of the maintenance on the planes at the flying club and I'm no longer living downtown in a big city so I figured an older car would be a great place to teach myself how to maintain and improve an engine. After a month or so of research I decided a Datsun roadster was the car for me and began shopping for one (finding this community was a big plus and I'm excited to participate here more!). A 1969 1600 was listed on Craigslist close me last week and I'm now the proud owner of it!
The car runs and drives great for a 54 year old car with the original engine! My goal with this car is to make incremental improvements to it over the next year and get the engine run as smoothly as possible.
I have a couple tech questions about the electrical system and the engine, but I'll start new threads for those in the tech discussion forum.
Looking forward to getting to know folks here!
My name is Evan and I'm a total newbie when it comes to cars. I have been driving since I was a teenager but never really got into cars when I was younger, and have spent all of my adult life in large cities relying on transit and car sharing to get around.
I learned to fly single engine aircraft recently and became fascinated with the mechanics of the engine. I can't do any of the maintenance on the planes at the flying club and I'm no longer living downtown in a big city so I figured an older car would be a great place to teach myself how to maintain and improve an engine. After a month or so of research I decided a Datsun roadster was the car for me and began shopping for one (finding this community was a big plus and I'm excited to participate here more!). A 1969 1600 was listed on Craigslist close me last week and I'm now the proud owner of it!
The car runs and drives great for a 54 year old car with the original engine! My goal with this car is to make incremental improvements to it over the next year and get the engine run as smoothly as possible.
I have a couple tech questions about the electrical system and the engine, but I'll start new threads for those in the tech discussion forum.
Looking forward to getting to know folks here!
- S Allen
- Site Admin
- Posts: 4542
- Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 4:57 pm
- Location: Knoxville, IA(Lake Redrock)Emory, TX
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: Low Windshield-64-67.5
- Contact:
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Evan,
Glad you joined us. It looks like you scored a pretty nice Roadster. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have. Enjoy. Enter your car in the registry if you don't mind.
https://www.311s.org/index.php/roadster ... ntry-form/
Steve
Glad you joined us. It looks like you scored a pretty nice Roadster. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have. Enjoy. Enter your car in the registry if you don't mind.
https://www.311s.org/index.php/roadster ... ntry-form/
Steve
66 Stroker-Going Orange
67 SRL311-00279-resto project
Stock '72 240Z-Blue
2002 Ford F250 7.3 Diesel 2WD Hauler
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
2009 Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe
2013 Fiat 500 Abarth
67 SRL311-00279-resto project
Stock '72 240Z-Blue
2002 Ford F250 7.3 Diesel 2WD Hauler
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
2009 Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe
2013 Fiat 500 Abarth
- Habitat.pat
- Roadsteraholic
- Posts: 605
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2016 8:29 pm
- Location: Central Texas
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: Low Windshield-64-67.5
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Welcome! There is a lot of knowledge on this list and we are eager to assist. We all had to start at square one, so ask any questions.
Where in California are you located? There are many roadster owners out there.
Peace, Pat
Where in California are you located? There are many roadster owners out there.
Peace, Pat
67.5 SPL311 Stroker Restomod
Pat Horne, Near Austin, TX
We support Habitat for Humanity
A hand UP, not a hand OUT
Pat Horne, Near Austin, TX
We support Habitat for Humanity
A hand UP, not a hand OUT
- Gregs672000
- Roadster Fanatic-Site Supporter
- Posts: 9012
- Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:47 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Welcome! Certainly a good car to learn on. There are so many resources now for understanding how things work... YouTube can be a great source for things in general, 311s for specifics. Tools will be important and there are several general and a few special ones you will eventually want to aquire, first that comes to mind is a carb air flow balancing tool (best is the "snail" version, OK is a unisyn). I would obtain a copy of the manual and read through it... you don't have to understand all of it but it will create a clear frame of reference. Understanding that the engine is a conglomeration of systems that work together is important and helps you understand what's being accomplished and why. Being in So Cal will help make in person connections. Have fun!
Greg Burrows
'67 2000 #588
Tacoma, WA
'67 2000 #588
Tacoma, WA
- rwmann
- Roadster Fanatic-Site Supporter
- Posts: 703
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:11 am
- Location: Port Washington, NY
- Model: 2000
- Year: High Windshield-68-70
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Very nice, and you won’t need an FAA Airframe & Powerplant license to maintain and improve it!
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- Roadster Newby
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:45 pm
- Location: California
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: High Windshield-68-70
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- Roadster Nut
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2019 3:44 pm
- Location: Kitchener, Ontario
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: Low Windshield-64-67.5
- Contact:
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Play the newbie card as much as you can and for as long as you can. This is a great online community and can be a very useful resource on all things 311.
And no, I am not changing my online name.......
And no, I am not changing my online name.......
John
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- Roadster Fanatic-Site Supporter
- Posts: 1624
- Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:53 pm
- Location: Not Here
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: Low Windshield-64-67.5
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Welcome, very nice car to be starting with...
Spend some time enjoying the car for awhile, then figure out what you would like to 'improve'. If we have an idea of what the end game is, we may be able to save you a few steps and dollars along the way. Your budget is the limiting factor really....
For instance, ignition is the #1 improvement I would make on the engine. If it hasn't got electronic ignition yet, you have choices....base electronic dizzy, programmable dizzy, or programmable crank fired ignition - the last being the best, but most involved and expensive to implement. Costs can be kept down by junkyard hunting....
This article spells out the advantages of programmable ignition....
https://www.diyautotune.com/news/tuning ... 704dc5914e
Spend some time enjoying the car for awhile, then figure out what you would like to 'improve'. If we have an idea of what the end game is, we may be able to save you a few steps and dollars along the way. Your budget is the limiting factor really....
For instance, ignition is the #1 improvement I would make on the engine. If it hasn't got electronic ignition yet, you have choices....base electronic dizzy, programmable dizzy, or programmable crank fired ignition - the last being the best, but most involved and expensive to implement. Costs can be kept down by junkyard hunting....
This article spells out the advantages of programmable ignition....
https://www.diyautotune.com/news/tuning ... 704dc5914e
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- Roadster Newby
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:45 pm
- Location: California
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: High Windshield-68-70
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Love this suggestion! I was just thinking about posting a thread on things I should look into for projects to plan over the next little while and this seems perfect.Daryl Smith wrote: ↑Mon Aug 07, 2023 7:58 pm Welcome, very nice car to be starting with...
Spend some time enjoying the car for awhile, then figure out what you would like to 'improve'. If we have an idea of what the end game is, we may be able to save you a few steps and dollars along the way. Your budget is the limiting factor really....
For instance, ignition is the #1 improvement I would make on the engine. If it hasn't got electronic ignition yet, you have choices....base electronic dizzy, programmable dizzy, or programmable crank fired ignition - the last being the best, but most involved and expensive to implement. Costs can be kept down by junkyard hunting....
This article spells out the advantages of programmable ignition....
https://www.diyautotune.com/news/tuning ... 704dc5914e
I am enjoying the car -- especially now that my coolant leak problem has been dealt with! (viewtopic.php?t=37574). I'm curious to see what sort of difference the ignition improvements will yield. Right now I wish the car was a little less "fume-y", but I still don't really know how to articulate exactly what that means, and I'm not sure if this is just what a carbureted engine is like
- Habitat.pat
- Roadsteraholic
- Posts: 605
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2016 8:29 pm
- Location: Central Texas
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: Low Windshield-64-67.5
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Carburetored engines do smell more than injected engines.
For me, the biggest electronic ignition benefit is that it gets rid of the points so it’s more reliable. I installed an East Coast distributor. I’m not into racing so I didn’t go with higher performance distributor.
Peace, Pat
For me, the biggest electronic ignition benefit is that it gets rid of the points so it’s more reliable. I installed an East Coast distributor. I’m not into racing so I didn’t go with higher performance distributor.
Peace, Pat
67.5 SPL311 Stroker Restomod
Pat Horne, Near Austin, TX
We support Habitat for Humanity
A hand UP, not a hand OUT
Pat Horne, Near Austin, TX
We support Habitat for Humanity
A hand UP, not a hand OUT
- rwmann
- Roadster Fanatic-Site Supporter
- Posts: 703
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:11 am
- Location: Port Washington, NY
- Model: 2000
- Year: High Windshield-68-70
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
The East Coast electronic distributor is the former Gary Boone EI distributor, which I’ve used for almost twenty years, along with an MSD Blaster 2 HE coil, both with great reliability. Highly recommended. Ignition is key. No redundant magnetos...
- Gregs672000
- Roadster Fanatic-Site Supporter
- Posts: 9012
- Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:47 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Modern emission controls have indeed made a difference. It's possible that your carburetors are set a bit too rich. If it huffs blackish smoke then that's a good indication. The carbs are a wear item. Remove your spark plugs noting which wire goes where and take a look at the insulator (the little cone shaped part)... black is rich, brown/tan is right, white is lean. If the car had been idling for some time prior to when you shut it off last time you may need to go for a drive to get an "overall" idea of how it's burning. If the plugs are different in color then there's an issue with fuel delivery (1 and 2 are fed by one carb, 3 and 4 the other). They can also be unbalanced in their airflow, but that usually shows up as a rocking or unsteady engine at idle. Before messing with anything you need the proper tools... a unisyn and some understanding of the linkage/screws and what does what. Manual is in the tech wiki.
Greg Burrows
'67 2000 #588
Tacoma, WA
'67 2000 #588
Tacoma, WA
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- Roadster Fanatic-Site Supporter
- Posts: 1624
- Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 1:53 pm
- Location: Not Here
- Model: 1500/1600
- Year: Low Windshield-64-67.5
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
Have you checked your distributor yet to see if it is electronic? For the work that has gone into keeping it in the shape it is in, I would be surprised if it still has a points distributor.....
A few things that aren't in that article I quoted, regarding crank fired 'distributorless' ignition:
1) There are no 'wear' parts - no dizzy cap or rotor to replace.
2) Direct coil to sparkplug connection - shorter wires and no distributor so less losses in the system.
3) 2 coils (minimum) - more dwell time for the coils to charge to full power.
4) Accuracy - timed directly from the crankshaft and very accurate (current system I'm using can program to 1/10 degree) - Distributor works off a gear on the camshaft, which is driven by a chain from the crankshaft. 'Slop' in that system can vary timing by several degrees.
That being said....the car has a distributor. It works, and is the simplest way to keep the car working and running. An electronic or programmable electronic distributor is a big and worthwhile step up from a points dizzy. If you are just a cruise around, take it easy type of driver, you won't see much benefit from a distributorless crank fired system. If you are more into the performance end, racing, or just like to experiment, the changes will be noticeable over the whole rev range.....and you'll likely give up judging points at the classic car show....
A few things that aren't in that article I quoted, regarding crank fired 'distributorless' ignition:
1) There are no 'wear' parts - no dizzy cap or rotor to replace.
2) Direct coil to sparkplug connection - shorter wires and no distributor so less losses in the system.
3) 2 coils (minimum) - more dwell time for the coils to charge to full power.
4) Accuracy - timed directly from the crankshaft and very accurate (current system I'm using can program to 1/10 degree) - Distributor works off a gear on the camshaft, which is driven by a chain from the crankshaft. 'Slop' in that system can vary timing by several degrees.
That being said....the car has a distributor. It works, and is the simplest way to keep the car working and running. An electronic or programmable electronic distributor is a big and worthwhile step up from a points dizzy. If you are just a cruise around, take it easy type of driver, you won't see much benefit from a distributorless crank fired system. If you are more into the performance end, racing, or just like to experiment, the changes will be noticeable over the whole rev range.....and you'll likely give up judging points at the classic car show....
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- Roadster Nut
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2020 12:33 am
- Location: Hinesville, GA
- Model: 2000
- Year: High Windshield-68-70
Re: Total newbie: New to roadsters -- new to cars.
That's a neat Datsun! Nice score
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