Diana,
I gotta jump in. As Datsunmike said, they ain't for
the faint of heart. It will require work and time.
If you are using it for regular transportation, well,
you probably need a backup for when it's "down", but
the upside is that as cars go, these are pretty easy
to work on, and quite simple once you have done some
repairs and understand the set up.
You must enjoy auto mechanic work to be happy with
this car, IMHO. If you do not enjoy learning auto
mechanic work, if you mind getting totally grimy, If
you mind having the car inoperable for weeks while
your parts are in the mail,....well, maybe you do not
want to keep it. You do not want to count on someone
else to do the majority of your mechanic work. (in
fact the ideal is that no hands besides yours ever
touch the car), but that comes with time, lots of
time.
But the thrill of driving it a couple hundred miles
with the top down and listening to the wonderful SU
and exhaust sounds, and the purring of that 35 year
old engine. The smiles, comments, thumbs up's etc
that you will certainly get....well these things make
the downside seem ,. well like the upside, because it
is all your handywork!
Mike Harper
'66 1600 (down for a head gasket replacement right
now)
Charleston SC
--- "Seal, Marc" <MSeal@datatec.com> wrote:
> Diana,
>
> I am a new roadster owner myself, got mine in March
> a 70 1600, I drove it
> home from Colorado (thanks agains Mike) as I go
> through it I find things I
> want to or have to fix, I grew up a Zcar, I love my
> roadster. It just makes
> me happy to drive it and once you start replacing
> things the more reliable
> it will become. They are fantastic cars, just give
> it time. Heck the parts
> for my GTO were easier to come by but by no means
> cheaper and it wasn't
> nearly as fun to drive and much hard to work on it
> also only got 4 mpg.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul [mailto:9laser3@bright.net]
> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 3:20 PM
> To: Diana Wilson; datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Choices...
>
>
> Most of us started as novices, either with a
> roadster or some other early
> sports car. Hang tuff. these little cars take some
> getting used to and a
> bit of time each spring to sort everything out.
> Even though I drove my 1600
> home the day I bought it, It underwent a long
> rebuilding process after that.
> And that process is still in motion now, five years
> later. Every year I
> rebuild a bit more. Fix something new that just
> broke, and I always try to
> add something each year to make it look better.
> Right now it is in my
> garage with a newly machine head and a valve job.
> Saturday I buttoned
> everything up and was ready for a drive. But it
> wouldn't start! Two
> friends later, about 10:00 that night, it started.
> not running real well,
> but it started. Ran for maybe a minute, and the it
> blew the new gasket on
> the thermostat housing out and sprayed everything
> with antifreeze. My
> fault! I used a bolt that was too short instead of
> getting the correct stud
> for the job.
> This years 'look good' project is a soft top. I
> have survived five years
> with out one (the last two year I had a hard top but
> I hate it!). One of
> these years I'll start working on chroming the
> bumpers and grill.
> So, enough rambling. DON'T SELL! Unless you
> really really really need a
> non-break down car. These roadster are too much fun
> when they run. A few
> unexpected repairs just make for lasting friendships
> and new stories!!
>
> Paul
> OROC
> BTW, So what is leaking?
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diana Wilson <goldenmaia@onebox.com>
> To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> Date: Monday, June 04, 2001 1:08 PM
> Subject: Choices...
>
>
> >Last night as I was looking at the lake under my
> car...(Lovely Lake
> Roadster,
> >how the sun twinkles off your darkened
> surface....ah, but I digress....)
> >I was pondering just why in the heck a novice like
> me got into a car
> >like this.
> >
> >Anyway, I guess I'm going to get the little critter
> towed back for more
> >work and it makes me feel very...ok.../extremely/
> edgy. I'm thinking
> >of marking this off as an unwise decision and
> selling him. Right now
> >he's not going anywhere...and I haven't decided
> what I'm going to do
> >but...I just wanted to share my
> embarrassment/frustration. ;P
> >
> >-D-
> >Tomorrow...sailing!
> >
> >__________________________________________________
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