1967 Datsun

Convertible

4 - Cyl.

Manual

SPL31104934

Gasoline

I have been really losing sleep on this one and after many weeks of back and forth and VERY regretably I am offering for sale my 1967.5 Datsun 1600 Roadster. This is a car that I was going to keep and enjoy for a long time. The ONLY reason that I am selling this car is that I am working 12hour days and have numerous home and automotive projects that also absorb my time and I simply never drive this car, I have driven it less than 1,100 miles in the 3 years I have owned it. I even built a special 5th car garage for this car and attached it to the side of my house. Background History On the Car:I heard about this 1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster over 6years ago through colleagues, but was so busy with work, automotive and home commitments I never got around to seeing the car. It came up from time to time in conversation but was more of a phantom in my mind. At the time I was under the impression that the car was stored in a garage and had not been driven in many years. I feared it would be in very tatty shape, mouse infested and really rough, and really I did not need another “project”…ahem..money pit, as I was already fortunate enough to own quite a few of those. In the mean time, I perused the internet, Datsun Roadster forums and eBay looking at these charming cars on and off, fuelled by my good friends Brian Holloway from Southern California and Mike Spreadbury from Oregon who are die hard Datsun Roadsters owners and restorers. Fast forward to the early spring of 2007, the owner of the car approached me and said that he and his wife would like to have their garage space back and wanted to get rid of the Roadster. The devil on my left shoulder kept singing “top down blissful verses to me”, the angel on my right kept shouting “RUN!”….well to give you some history I had just rescued a decaying 1978 Datsun 280Z that had been sitting in the Pine Forest for 13years a few weeks earlier and my garage was looking like some sort of Datsun bone yard (as I also have a 280ZX that I am piecing back together as well). Well the devil won the arm wrestle and off I went to see this Roadster. It was located almost 9,000 feet above sea level, about ¾ of the way up to the top of Pike's Peak in the Rocky Mountains. The drive up to see the car was spectacular but the roads were about as wide as the Datsun Roadster, and the ascent was very humbling not too mention the very bumpy non paved gravel roads. I kept hoping that the car would be “too rough”, “too rusty” and “too much” of a project for me to tackle as this point, making the decision easy to look the other way and let common sense prevail (does it ever?). I bit my lower lip, as the owner opened the garage door and there it lay covered in very heavy construction plastic (as the make shift car cover). We pushed it out into the glorious Colorado sunlight and the love affair was ignited, I officially said “goodbye to common sense”, to add to the desirability it was the earlier “low windshield model” as well. As I walked around the car with a thousand thoughts per second flooding my mind, the owner emphasizing that the car ONLY had covered 3200 documented and actual original miles since new and that the car was bought brand new by his mother in law in 1967 and was only driven 2-3 times per year and that was over to the mechanic at JC Penny and Sears (!) to rotate the tires and get the oil changed. The car was simply a summer toy for the mother in law, and upon her passing away had left the car to her daughter. I was in awe (understatement). I even found a hand written card in the glove box dated from 1984 that said next oil change at 4,000 miles! The original owner’s manual, factory supplied tools were all perfect and I even came across a spare set of points and a condenser that also lay in the glove box that were also bought in 1984. The car came with a few spare parts and even a custom made and hand stitched cotton car cover neatly folded in the trunk. I believe this could be one of the lowest mileage and original Datsun Roadsters in the U.S. The car was driven briefly around 2001 and that was the last time it had seen any asphalt. It was VERY original…it had the original brakes, original radiator hoses, original bias ply tires (that held air very nicely), original muffler and exhaust, basically original everything! If time and an automobile in my eyes and definition ever stood still, I was looking at it, as I ran my fingers over its very attractive lines. Well I just could not say walk away from the little Datsun, OK. OK I admit it I actually fell in love and consequently we struck a deal. A week later, the money was paid, I had the ownership papers (that were located several hundred miles away) and I went back up the side of Pikes Peak to fetch my little convertible that once hailed from the enchanting land of the rising sun. The first problem I had was a dead battery, the gas tank was bone dry, it needed coolant and a push on the brake pedal confirmed that the car had absolutely no brakes as the pedal and the floor contacted. So I raced back down the mountain to the Parts store, I obtained the necessary automotive fluids and an hour or two of bleeding brakes with the battery jumped and a cross of toes and fingers and “vroom” she coughed, spluttered and came to life….it was rough, it was smoky, it was very much a cacophony of moving metal parts but it was a concerto sweeter than Beethoven to my ears. The couple I bought the car from very were happy that the Roadster was bought by myself as they knew I would take great care of it, they made sure they received “visitation rights”. We said our good-byes and off I went down the very steep Pikes Peak decent. As I made my way down the side of this humbling mountain, I had my friend with his Toyota Pick-Up lead, should the 40year old brakes decide that they were not up to the task and I needed to use the truck as my bumper guard. I kept saying “OK the emergency brake is your friend” (and thankfully it worked well). Well, I made it down the mountain in tact, white knuckled and having a huge respect for modern brakes all in the same breath. The drive home was not bad, the twin SU carburetors were spluttering and had a few flat spots but the engine was running relatively well and I was able to keep up with traffic with ease. All the gauges worked, even the AM radio and the clock ! As a bonus, all the electrics worked as well, the lights, the wipers and even the horn. The next few weeks I drove the car once to twice per week and then realized that I had a few leaks to address. All the years of being parked had dried out the many rubber seals and components and it was time for replacement and much deserved TLC. The next few years I spent considerable time and money on the car, and replaced the following items: Replaced the rear brake shoes Replaced every single rubber brake hose with Earls braided steel lines Replaced the front brake pads and rebuilt the unique brake calipers Replaced the radiator hoses Replaced all the rubber gas and coolant hoses Replaced the air filter, oil filter and very neat fuel filter Converted the car over to Pertronix electronic ignition and removed the points and condensor Changed the 23year old oil and flushed the cooling system Changed the thermostat (which was a very sobering experience) Changed the valve cover gasket and checked the valve clearances Replaced the leaking clutch and brake master cylinders Replaced the clutch slave cylinder Rebuilt the SU carburetors Made a custom aluminum battery mount to hold a 12lb Odyssey battery Upgraded the wheels to classic ultra light 14" Revolution wheels that I bought directly from England (I even have a 5th as a spare) Removed the gas tank, boiled it, painted it and also painted the rails and fitted new foam Many parts are luckily still available. Many parts purchased from Dean at www.datsunparts.com I was not shy when it came to spending money on the car and did not cut any corners The Interior and Exterior On The Car: From the years of sitting, the paint had started to fade so I water sanded the car one night at 1am, when I could not sleep in my pajamas no less!! I started with 1500grit and then worked my way to 2000grit. As the car’s paint is original I wanted to see if I could revive it. I also did an extensive compound and several stages of buffing and polishing including using a clay bar. All the elbow grease has greatly improved the aesthetics of the paint, it is very smooth and shiny and the very expensive and rare factory chrome molding is perfect with no damage at all. In fact all the chrome on the car is in beautiful condition as well as the light lenses (no cracks). With all the attention I gave the car, it was transformed. The more I drove the car, the more it improved. The flat spots in the SU carburetors were all gone after I rebuilt them, the engine was responsive and very linear and converting the car to Electronic Ignition improved drivability, smoothness and overall performance. The transmission shifts very smoothly as well, engages every gear and reverse perfectly, I use Red Line 75W90 in the transmission and the rear end. The car did come with a few containers of lead additive which were in the trunk and I make sure and add it, when I fill it up with premium only. I change the oil every 3months and use Castrol 10W30 (20W50 in summer) and add Red Line Zinc additive as well for the tappets. I have removed the original steel 14-inch wheels with their bias ply tires and replaced them with a more modern 4 spoke alloy wheel from Revolution (14in x 6in). Please note that I purchased the very LAST set of 4 spoke 14-inch Revolution wheels from the factory they are no longer available, they had one set of 4 in black and a 5th wheel with silver spokes (which I bought as a full spare), they were machined to fit my Roadster due to the low positive offset and front tapered hub. Only 13-inch Revolutions are only available now. As a bonus my car with the 14-inch Revolutions was featured for quite some on Revolution's wesbite. I really feel it has added a more attractive aesthetic appeal to the car, and at the same time saves 7.5lbs per corner and I have fitted modern and slightly wider radial BFGoodrich tires (185/60). The new tires have definitely made a huge difference in overall drivability. I have recently replaced the rear shocks with adjustable KYBs. The factory wheels with the moon centers are included in the sale (5 in total) with the JC Penny white wall tires. The car drives really great, it will start easily after sitting for 3 or 4 weeks with no issues, the choke for the SU carbs works with no problem. The car warms up quickly and the engine temperature stays centered on the gauge and never runs "hot" and the oil pressure on the car is excellent. The 1600 R16 engine will cruise all day at 75-80mp/h with ease. I have enjoyed magical summer evenings in this car, which reinforces that the Datsun was worth the price and all the effort and improvements along the way. I have never owned a Convertible before and I have discovered a new view and respect of motoring with the top down. The car draws a crowd of admirers every time I take it for a drive, I either get the “thumbs-up” or a curious “what is it?”. When it is parked, I usually get one or two people who want to know about the car, or have a story to tell on someone they knew that had owned one in the 1960s or 1970s. One late evening tearing through my quiet neighborhood I had an older gentleman in a Volvo chase me, which I at the time thought it was for unnecessary speeding, and after he caught me at the red traffic light, offered his business card to me, should I ever be inclined to sell the car . The interior is in decent shape, no rips on the seats or any of the door panels. The dash top does have cracks which the previous owner covered with strips of vinyl and also the fabric behind the rear seats has deteriorated. The seats were "recovered" sometime in the 1970s and are supportive and comfortable. All carpets are 100% original and are faded. All electrics work on the car including the gauges, reverse lights, horn, wipers, original Toshiba radio, map light etc. The car does not have a hard top and the soft top needs to be completed recovered and refurbished and is included. The body work "flaws" on the car is a tiny dent adjacent to the right headlight smaller than a grape seed, there is a dent in the rear bumper (visible in the pictures) and the there is a tiny bubble in the paint under the rear left body molding. The previous owners that I bought the car from mentioned that the car had some minor paint work in the 1970s, most of the car is still wearing the original paint. There is minor surface rust in the engine compartment where the old battery leaked when the car sat for 10years. The original muffler from 1967 is also included and was in the trunk when I bought the car. All work is done at home by myself . All spare parts I have like the original belts, air filters, etc from 1967 that were on the car will be included with the sale of car. As previously mentioned the car comes with a custom hand made 100% cotton car cover. The car also has the original keys from 1967 and the factory Datsun "pry" key for the operational radio antenna. The car has been featured in a 4 page article in Classic Cars and also was featured by Nissan Sport on celebrating 50years of Nissan in the USA (see below). Why Am I Selling This Car? The ONLY reason that I am selling this car is that due to my job and other numerous irons in the fire. Otherwise I would absolutely keep the car, I love the looks of the car, one of the most aesthetically appealing and enjoyable cars to drive. I am setting the reserve at a fair price. I have nothing to hide on this vehicle – NO Hiden Agendas. I have described and photographed it thoroughly. The car comes with a clear Colorado Title. Any questions please do ask. Thanks and happy bidding! Onto the pictures of the car, no photoshop on the pictures all natural light and no "adjustments / enhancing of the photographs": Refurbished, Boiled and Painted Gas Tank and Straps: Custom made Tig welded aluminum (polished) 12lb Odyssey Battery Holder using all the factory mounting points: Featured by Nissan Sport on celebrating 50years of Nissan in the USA On May-02-10 at 15:44:44 PDT, seller added the following information: I would like to mention that the car has ZERO rust and spent its entire life in the dry arid Colorado climate.  The frames and floor are perfect.