Just For Fun...Let's build my Prep/Mod Datsun Fairlady!

[Sebastian Rios]

So the family went to our local Bob's Big Boy (boy are they cashing in on nostalgia!), an lo and behold, I see 3 nicely restored/modded Datsun Roadsters (there happened to be a oldies car show going on).
One was a full restoration 65 1600, one was a later model 1600 with a SR20DET (JDM 240sx) swap (totally awesome!), the other was a 2000 that had been converted to fuel injection.
It got really got me thinking about my poor old '69 1600. It's probably in pretty good shape, original Cali car with the black plates still, but a 69 1600 isn't all that desirable really.
See pic for example.


So if you were to take this car autocrossing, what class would you choose, and what are the major mods? Could it be competitive anywhere?
The first time I see it listed in the prepared category is DP, is that right? I guess I don't understand how to read the prepared allowances, because it seems like they start at GP...

Let's try to have fun here, maybe try a budget build, and maybe a full build. Be warned though...If it looks too appealing, I may have to sell off Shauna's Miata and the civic and the Subaru.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

XP, normally aspirated SR20D. You'll probably still have to ballast it to meet the weight minimum.

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

These use to be hot cars in CSP....

[Aaron Goldsmith]

Let's try to have fun here, maybe try a budget build, and maybe a full build. Be warned though...If it looks too appealing, I may have to sell off Shauna's Miata and the civic and the Subaru.

Budget Build Prepared

[Chuck Fowler]

use the body work to re-skin the miata

[Earl Merz]

DM with a F20C or EM with either a turbo 13B or an SR20DET. A 4G63 isn't a bad choice either.

[Sebastian Rios]

What is the first level of prep where I could ditch the solid rear axle and leaf springs? Mod?

Aaron: Yeah budget is silly, forget that...So what would you do?

[Aaron Goldsmith]

What is the first level of prep where I could ditch the solid rear axle and leaf springs? Mod?

Aaron: Yeah budget is silly, forget that...So what would you do?

Take it for weekend drives up the coast, it's about summertime

[Max Hayter]

I'll help you build it if you let me codrive it!

[Bob Beamesderfer]

What is the first level of prep where I could ditch the solid rear axle and leaf springs? Mod?

Aaron: Yeah budget is silly, forget that...So what would you do?

Prep, I believe. Tom Elam did that with his RX-3.

[John Coffey]

Danger Will Robinson, Danger! Project car black hole! I can find you half-a-dozen hybrid Roadster swaps that are dead in someone's garage or backyard within 50 miles of your house. I put a KA24DE in a Roadster for a customer. Its still being built (by the customer in his garage) 3 years and $15K later.

Get yours running well, fix the small problems, get it detailed, and sell it for $5K to $10K. Use the money to build a CS Miata.

[Sebastian Rios]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I really should just get it running and drive it, or sell it; anything would be better than letting it continue to rot on my side yard (at least it has a hard top and a car cover). I just have a hard time because it has so much sentimental value.

[Max Hayter]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I really should just get it running and drive it, or sell it; anything would be better than letting it continue to rot on my side yard (at least it has a hard top and a car cover). I just have a hard time because it has so much sentimental value.

Sell it, and put the money towards your ESP WRX which you will let me codrive!

[Tom Denham]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I really should just get it running and drive it, or sell it; anything would be better than letting it continue to rot on my side yard (at least it has a hard top and a car cover). I just have a hard time because it has so much sentimental value.

Sell it, and put the money towards your ESP WRX which you will let Tom Denham codrive!

Great idea Max thanks

[Jason Rhoades]

Get it running and do a mild STR prep, or STS if it has no limited slip.

Leaf springs and solid rear axles aren't the end of the world when the surface is smooth. You can do a panhard in ST and Hypercoil can maybe make you some composite leafs. Not that I've looked into building a live axle ST car or anything...

[John Coffey]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I make my money building things for people who lose touch with reality. I just want to give you the standard warning I give everyone else. If you want, we can build something very similar to Chris O'Donnell's DM Lotus Elan, just with a Japanese flavor. Sushi vs. Fish and Chips.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Chris O'Donnell's DM Lotus Elan....

My drooling might end the state's drought.

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I really should just get it running and drive it, or sell it; anything would be better than letting it continue to rot on my side yard (at least it has a hard top and a car cover). I just have a hard time because it has so much sentimental value.

Must have some serious sentimental value if you let it rot in the yard. :unimpressed:

[Keith Brown]

Danger Will Robinson, Danger! Project car black hole! I can find you half-a-dozen hybrid Roadster swaps that are dead in someone's garage or backyard within 50 miles of your house. I put a KA24DE in a Roadster for a customer. Its still being built (by the customer in his garage) 3 years and $15K later.

Get yours running well, fix the small problems, get it detailed, and sell it for $5K to $10K. Use the money to build a CS Miata.

a guy up here has a 2000, built for DP, had the car ready to go over the winter in 2005, 2006 rule book came out with the new minimum weights for DP, and he gave up... never even ran the car. My question, is how do you know if the car is any good or not if you NEVER run it?

[Sebastian Rios]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I really should just get it running and drive it, or sell it; anything would be better than letting it continue to rot on my side yard (at least it has a hard top and a car cover). I just have a hard time because it has so much sentimental value.

Must have some serious sentimental value if you let it rot in the yard. :unimpressed:

God, I feel so guilty!

[Earl Merz]

Awww man Coffey comin' in with a dose of reality...

I really should just get it running and drive it, or sell it; anything would be better than letting it continue to rot on my side yard (at least it has a hard top and a car cover). I just have a hard time because it has so much sentimental value.

Must have some serious sentimental value if you let it rot in the yard. :unimpressed:

Seriously... even my 1965 MGB that's been in the family since February 23rd,1973 is tucked safely away in the garage waiting for some TLC(mostly the money part of TLC).

[Todd Victoria]

You shoulda brought this up earlier I had a KA24 sitting in my garage that I
pretty much gave away a few months ago.

[Daryl Slawnikowski]

Here's a link to a 1969 Datsun1600 & Fair Lady. II have looked at these on occasion when I searching for Scirocco parts. These cars are about a mile from my house up in Apple Valley. If ya need I could snap some other pictures if you’re looking for any parts.

I also just found a Triumph GT6+ up the Barstow area if any one is interested. In rough shape but looked complete, no title just a bill of sale ~$400-500, but I'm sure that’s negotiable

http://www.24towit.com/sales/avy/dats.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This vehicle is located at our Apple Valley Yard
14043 Pioneer RD
Apple Valley, Ca 92307
Phone# 760-658-5715

[Steve Lepper]

I have a very early (3-main bearing, iron head) 1600 Roadster and a few boxes full of old Datsun Comp parts, and have thought about the same thing. On the plus side, for a Prepared car you don't need to worry about all those unobtanium interior and trim bits that you can't replace... if that stuff in your car is in good shape you can sell it for decent $$$.

The chassis is a mixed bag: on one hand, the frame is pretty tank-like stiff (I think Datsun used some of the same frame parts under their pickup trucks) but, being body-on-frame, the car is heavy. Having had the body off mine, I can tell you that the body by itself weighs about as much as a complete MGB shell (which of course has the frame built in.) I don't think you could lose enough weight through simple parts removal (dash, etc) to get to a reasonable weight: maybe if you can cut out door inners, inner fender panels, etc. Leaf springs aren't a big deal: you're going to be running slicks so you're going to need so much spring (compared to stock) that they basically become trailing arms, plus these cars have a single traction bar on the upper right side of the axle. Also, fittting wide tires on these reqiures serious fender cutting, so there goes your nice paint.

For the engine, my 3-main block is a better choice for auto-x as it revs much faster (less bearing drag and rotating weight) that the later 5-main. (We road raced an early MGB and Elva Courier for several years so I've got a lot of experience tuning both 3 and 5 main engines.) The 3-main engine is good for 7500 rpm: a 5-main engine will turn 8500, (with proper valvetrain of course) but you give up a lot down low to get it to breathe up there.

[Theo O.]

I used to have two of them...sold one earlier this year, I miss the little lady

Anyway, I'm putting a SR20DET in the other one this summer...if I ever get time.

http://osifeso.us/racing/datsun/