Vehicle Description
This is the Datsun that established the company (now Nissan) as a
racing force to be reckoned with. This little car is a blast to
drive! Paul Newman started his racing career driving one of these
and they went on to dominate SCCA racing for years in both C and D
production classes.
This little Datsun was distinctly different from its British and
Italian competitors, and not what people expected to see from a
small Japanese company when it was introduced. Presented in a nice
shade of Gray, it leads the way up front with DATSUN in separate
letters just under a hood scoop with a chrome leading edge and an
accent line running back along the center. A grill of horizontal
lines is flanked by chrome trimmed headlights perched on the front
of the fenders and it's all underlined by a nice chrome bumper.
Datsun 2000 appears on the front fender and wheel well flares reach
out to cover the tires. The rear fenders curve up and over in a bit
of a fin ending in a triple taillight setup. Datsun 2000 appears
again on the trunk along with a gas cap and another sharp looking
bumper. This car also comes with a removable hardtop which is nice
for winter driving or just for a different look for your
roadster.
The Black interior of the car has plenty of room for full sized
drivers. The door panels are cut back yielding a bit of space for
elbows and knees and the leg room is generous. The leather wrapped
wheel feels good in your hands and the shifter for the 5-speed
transmission, which was a bit of an unusual feature in a production
car back in '69, is perfectly placed for spirited driving. The
seats have been reupholstered and are comfortable and supportive
with cloth centers and vinyl side bolsters. The dash is stock with
the tach directly in front of the driver (where it belongs), the
speedo off to the left and engine gauges off to the right. An
Alpine stereo has been added to the center console for your
listening pleasure sitting just above the choke cable. A center
console provides a nice armrest and a nice boot can be used to
cover the roof when its folded down.
One of the things that made these Datsuns so competitive in racing
is their 1982cc overhead cam engine that just loves to rev. It's an
inline 4 cylinder with a cast iron block and aluminum head and they
are tough and reliable. While the SCCA guys were able to hop them
up for production racing quite effectively, this one is wonderfully
stock. It has dual SU side draft carburetors and makes about 140
horsepower. The 5-speed transmission lets you pick your gear
effectively letting you keep the engine revved up if you wish and
sends the power back to a solid axle mounted on leaf springs. Up
front, control arms with coil over shocks and a sway bar keep the
front end planted and front disc brakes slow the car down quite
quickly for the next corner. The rubber meets the road through
165/R14 tires mounted on polished Fenton wheels all around.
A fun little car and an interesting part of Datsun (Nissan) racing
history. Come on down and check it out.