Thoughts on doing a Datsun Roadster (Page 2 of 2)

P71 - Trust me, it has that much power and only cost $500.

"My point was more along the lines of no one needs an SR20DET in a roadster for any reason, I can't use the power."

Here, I fixed that for you.

"That is one of the things I love about the Roadsters. It takes about 100K of car for other drivers to beat it..." A statement made about his own car. He runs a 1:49 at Laguna Seca in his. This is from someone who has raced Shelby GT350s, GT500s, 427 Cobras ect."

You clearly have spent too much time with people who are racing vintage cars.  I know it's hard to believe but there have been quite a few advancements in suspension and engine technology since they designed the Datsun Roadster although leaf springs do continue to be used on ox carts all over India.  I would venture to say there are quite a few cars that cost under $10000 that would leave any stock engined Roadster in the dust on any track using comparable tires.

"That said, I bet a stock roadster with a U20, SUs and a B cam would go pretty well and be just fine on the course filled with rolling chicanes."

I say bring one.  You can blow by all those pokey BMW's, V8 Volvos, and such.

I think a roadster would make a bitchin Lemons car. There are enough that pop up as major projects on Craigslist ect for under $1k that it could be done, and done well. It might not look pretty but it could get the job done and turn some heads doing it.

They have a trophy for that kind of car.  It's called the IOE.

Kent,

Thanks for the complements. We will have to do a track day with the roadsters at some point. What car are you racing Lemons in? There are a couple vintage guys who have shown interest in doing a roadster, the trouble is only two of use are in the bay area, one is in San Diego, and none of us have time to build a car.

As for my being the ultimate Datsun roadster anti-engine swap person, yeah, I'm guilty as charged. I don't like defacing a rare car. The only way I'd build a Lemons roadster is if I found one that was totally beaten and the body only had one place left in the world, the scrap yard. (As in way too far gone to rebuild.) The frames are pretty hardy, so, when the Lemons car is retired, another body could be sourced to replace the mess that the Lemons car would be.

As far as hanging around too many vintage racers, well, the whole reason for me racing Lemons is to get seat time so I can go race vintage. Yes, modern cars have IRS and disks at all four corners, big deal. There are still a few that use leaf springs and rear drum brakes as well (they tend to be American). Yet some how, those get put in the fast category even if they really aren't that fast.

Now, if you want to put a Chevy V8 in your Volvo, have fun. If you want to put a Ford V8 in your Volvo, again, have fun. Heck if you want to put a Mazda 20B in your Miata, that might actually get my attention, but it better be turbo charged. However sticking a RB26DET in a Mustang would have me looking for the Skyline that the RB came out of (who cares about the mustang.) I don't like opening the hood of a vintage car and seeing something modern in there (In the case of American V8 powered cars, it doesn't matter, its still more or less the same engine, just with more mess attached to it.) They look the same and sound the same. If you are swapping an engine into a modern commonly seen what ever, have fun, there are millions more like it. In the case of the roadster specifically, stop and think; when was the last time you saw one on the street? The registry only has 1909 cars listed, and that is world wide. Sure there are lots that are "unknown" but the total number is still likely less than 3000. Thats all the 1500s, 1600s and 2000s combined. My point is, don't ruin an uncommon/rare car for the people who will get it after you. A vintage car is just that, vintage. If you want a modern car, buy a modern car, don't take a vintage one and try to make it modern, it just ruins the car for someone else when you are done with it.

Back to the lack of size, well, its pretty much the same size as a Miata, early MR2, MGB, Honda Civic, Fiat, or Alfa Spider or a BMW 2002. I see an awful lot of Miatas and civics running around at Lemons races. Size is not an issue.

Will

Hey Seamus, check out www.311s.org There is more info there than you will ever want to know. There is also a very active forum on there. I'm SLOroadster over there. My first thought on the V6 is cooling, 2nd is transmission. I've seen SR20 powered roadsters puking their guts out all over the paddock at Thunderhill at a track day in July (big mess, all I could do is laugh). The stock engines if healthy will run where they should all day long even with the stock radiator. I don't know how well a V6 will cool in there. The exhaust will likely burn your feet. Even with ceramic coated headers, I've melted my shoe on the transmission tunnel. The transmission is your other issue. What one is in there? The stock 5 spd is a very good transmission, the smoothest shifting one I have ever felt. It does have two possible issues however. The first is a press fit 5th gear. When this one lets go, you end up with 5th gear acting like you are in neutral, and the other issue also involves 5th. On some boxes, the mainshaft nuts come loose and you loose both 5th and reverse. This one is a ticking time bomb. The just neutral 5th is not a big deal, you can safely race on the other 4 gears. The 5th/reverse however has floating gears just waiting to jam and explode.

The stock suspension is pretty good, you want to keep the stock rear springs (better yet find some stock '66 rear springs, they have a better spring rate) and a set of comp springs for the front. You might be able to just cut a coil, but it might blow your front roll center. The brakes are great if you get some race pads and shoes for the rear. If your ball joints are bad, well... you are looking at $450 for each new one, upper and lower. Used ones can be found sometimes. The rear end is a solid unit. They rarely have issues (but I have had one spiral fracture the axle housing. Not sure how or why.) The brake master cylinder is also stupid $$$. They don't seem to go bad often however. There is a brake brace that you should pick up that will reinforce the fire wall where the master cylinder mounts. Almost all the 67.5 and later cars crack here. The brace moves the pedal load onto the mounting flange for the steering column.

If you want' shoot me a PM with your email and we can talk off forum.

Will

MELTED YOUR SHOES!! Yikes! An August race in Thunderhill could be interesting in this then!! I've seen posts for homemade cool shirts.....anyone done cool socks!!

Will,
thanks for the info...plenty for us to digest in there. Appreciate the offer of advice, I'll take you up on that and PM you on here and fill you in on the current set up.

This was a bit of a case of the "buy first, think later" gene kicking in here. Could be some serious dangerous home made technology brought into play here!!

Thanks again
Seamus

Seamus,

Keep us up 2 date on your progress.  Remember, this isn't vintage racing, it's Lemons.  A completely outrageous engine/tranny setup with a great theme FTW!!!  Maybe some kind of grill master theme for the tranny tunnel?