WOW someone should buy this Fairlady!

[gwoods]

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4023500989.html

[WDRacing]

As cool as it is, if I were going to spend 17k on a car I wouldn't buy that. I suppose if I collected old Datsuns maybe, but I don't really have much of a liking for them. Wicked small, slow and pricey.

When I think 63', I think Eldo.

[frapjap]

1963 gets me thinking about a much nicer convertible.

[Kompresshun]

You can't buy that for $17k though!

I'd pass on the Fairlady too though, considering I could buy something a lot more fun for the same money or less.

[BusyBadger]

Needs an SR swap.

[gwoods]

I like this car because of the history and originality, not for me perhaps for Hitman hes a Datsun collector. There is a 20k mile 2000 Porsche 911 vert in LA with the optional hardtop for 23k I would spend the money on it.

I'm interested in finding a 68. I found one last weekend for $950 and showed up to buy it hoping to talk the guy down to $500. When I saw it in person it needed everything and every single panel had rusted through. I offered him $300 for it which he turned down. Then I had him snap a picture so I could text my wife I bought it but paid $2000 for it and needed her to bring the rest of the cash LOL. Can you believe she called yelled at me and hung up? Got to keep the marriage spicey!

[AZhitman]

68's are fairly common, but there's no real reason to hold out for a '68 (considering there's almost zero difference from '68 to ''70.

67.5 and earlier are the true collectibles, and they don't have the goofy high windshield. You did well to pass on the one in the pic.

They're not a cheap car to restore, and rust = parts car in my amateur opinion.

[gwoods]

I read some of your articles about yours and advise in the Fairlady forum. The car was advertised as running 5 months ago but needed the carbs tuned. I had imagined I could swap its carbs for rebuilt ones from Z therapy. When I arrived that was obviously impossible this car had sat for years and the pictures were shot from odd angles to hide all the rust through spots. I still would have paid $300 for it got it running and drove it as a rustbucket. It was basically a very complete parts car because of the rust through on the body it was not a good choice for restoration.

I need the high windsheild I'm 6'3"

Aren't most of the 70's 2.0 motors that eat themselves

[Bubba1]

I like this car because of the history and originality, not for me perhaps for Hitman hes a Datsun collector. There is a 20k mile 2000 Porsche 911 vert in LA with the optional hardtop for 23k I would spend the money on it.

I'm interested in finding a 68. I found one last weekend for $950 and showed up to buy it hoping to talk the guy down to $500. When I saw it in person it needed everything and every single panel had rusted through. I offered him $300 for it which he turned down. Then I had him snap a picture so I could text my wife I bought it but paid $2000 for it and needed her to bring the rest of the cash LOL. Can you believe she called yelled at me and hung up? Got to keep the marriage spicey!

Amusing that your eyes appear to be above the top of the windshield. I'm surprised, being a straight line performance guy, that these little 85(?) hp critters appeal to you. they were certainly nimble cars in their day, but not exactly fast. I drove a few of them many moons ago. I still feel the MGB's/Triumphs of that era had more charm, but those little Datsuns always felt more likely (than the british Leyland cars) to start when you got in them. I thought it was a fun little car, but if I were buying one, I'd probably go with a later 2000 which had more pep. I don't recall hearing longevity problems with the bigger motors, but I do remember rust was a big contributor to their shortened lives.

[gwoods]

Yep they are I would need to wear sunglasses or slouch to drive it without risking eye injury.

I love old Datsuns, and I wish I had a running convertible to drive once or twice a week to keep miles off my Jaguar. My warranty that includes all maintenance but tires expires July 16th 2016 OR at 50,000 miles. I bought the Jag last September with 14,538 miles and somehow it has 31,500 on it a year later. At this rate I have a year and a couple months left before I am on the hook for repairs which frankly scares the crap out of me.

My Jeep meets all my needs for a 2nd driver but its still disassembled in my garage and with my 1 hour once a month to wrench on it the Jag will be long gone before the Jeep hits the streets. I have considered paying someone to finish it up but I hate to pay for something I can do myself. I'm the guy that replace his own attic air handler half of his home AC because I can. I'm the guy who rebuilt his own automatic transmission in his Hemi Ram.

Although the Jag handles fantastically and is a 4 second to 60mph, 9 seconds to 100mph rocket I would not feel like I was being punished driving a Datsun 240Z or a 1600 or a Boxster or a Miata or a 911 so long as it has a manual transmission. My budget for this car has dropped to $1000 because I put my Porsche money in the stock market last year on a long term investment.

A high miles basketcase Miata would be sweet, so would a 1600. If the guy selling this one would have came down to $400 I probably would be cursing the day I laid eyes on this car right now. I would have done nothing to perserve it cosmetically and everything to make it drive smoothly.

The 2000 supposedly is a mechanical nightmare and the timing chain comes apart and destroys the motor. The best deal is a SR20DE swap but that would be a waste on a car with this much rust.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I'm just waiting for Greg to go senile and have a firesale so I can take his roadster

I love that damn car.


All sorts of good things going on in that pic.

[AZhitman]

I need the high windsheild I'm 6'3"

Aren't most of the 70's 2.0 motors that eat themselves

Not necessarily. I'm 6'2" and fit fine. Of course, you won't want the stock seats, but they sit pretty low.

No, the 2-liter came out in 67.5 and was an option through the end of the model (70). They're a rarer option, definitely more finicky (and expensive to rebuild) than the 1600.

Lots of misconceptions about the Roadsters, which has kept their value beneath their British (and poorer-constructed) counterparts.

Ask James (smurf), Tyler (ADD), or James (greenblurr) how a Roadster performs with a stroker motor. No need for an SR20, she gets on just fine.

Realistically, a properly-tuned 1600 is peppy, and while it won't win a lot of drag races, it forces one to actually be a driver, not a pedal-stabber... It's abundantly clear (owning both) that Mazda used this car as the benchmark when building the Miata.

[gwoods]

I think alot of it depend on where you are tall at. I have a long torso and long legs. A guy thats all legs could drive it easier than me.

The 68 is going to have essentially the same rust proofing that the 69 and 70 has without the same turnsignal and emissions crap. I think in stock form a 1600 that is in proper tune would be rewarding to drive too and from work during Phoenix's 6 months of 70-80 degree sunshine days.

[AZhitman]

The 68 is going to have essentially the same rust proofing that the 69 and 70 has without the same turnsignal and emissions crap.

Actually, the corner markers are some of the only differences. Emissions crap started in '68, so the '68-'70 are essentially the same.

I think in stock form a 1600 that is in proper tune would be rewarding to drive too and from work during Phoenix's 6 months of 70-80 degree sunshine days.

Totally. Roll out our way one weekend and you can take ours for a long drive.

Hell, take Mama out to dinner in it... maybe she'll want one.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

But so help me god, if you wreck it, I'll personally fly out there and kick you in the shin.