Newbie Datsun fan

[BigPaul]

I call myself a newbie but I am old age wise. Right now I am saving for a project car and really want to stray away from the typical cars that every other 50+ guy buys in the US. No Corvettes, Chevelles, Camaros or Mustangs wanted. I do love a convertible and want something with some performance. 

 

The Fairlady series caught my eye, the lines from the 1960's version are very cool. After searching a looking through craigslist, the classifieds and a couple of websites I noticed that there are always several Fairlady models with either bad engines or no engine. 

 

If you start from that point, without extreme modifications like moving back firewalls and fabricating transmission tunnels, can you shoehorn a larger 20 or 22r in one of those? Obviously some suspension and axle upgrades would be needed but I am thinking with some performance mods that would be a quick little roadster. 

 

Thanks for any information. 

 

Too bad I don't have the money now, just coming off major surgery and broke, going back to work the 20th. I saw a 1962 Fairllady for decently cheap on the Atlanta CL. 

[]2eDeYe]

Welcome aboard :)

 

I would suggest staying Nissan. Lot's of guys have successfully swapped a KA24 (stock in the 240sx and the D21 pickups) or an SR (imported JDM motor from the Silvia which is the JDM 240sx)

[BigPaul]

Thanks for the reply, would this be a little much?

 

http://www.jdmenginezone.com/engine-details/nissan/fairlady-z-300zx-vg30de-90-96.html

[racerx]

Welcome to Ratsun!!  Are you sure you want to put a Toyata engine (20r and 22R)? in a Datsun or Nissan?  Those are good engines but that's like putting a Chevy motor in a Ford Mustang!

[BigPaul]

No I'm not at all, just an example. This is going to be a long project, I want to do it right. Upgraded suspension, brakes transmission. If at all possible I also want this to fit under the stick hood or with a slight scoop modification. Nothing like pulling up to someone with a jacked up US Muscle car with loud pipes and smoking them with a little Datsun Roadster. Racerx look at the engine in my response post, would that be too much?

[bilzbobaggins]

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/65967-datsun-1600-roadster-q45-v8-swap/

 

^ v8 in roadster

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/69099-my-latest-engine-swap/

 

^newer efi 4 cylinder swap. It's a 411 but similar I believe

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/28644-project411-sss-r16-to-ka24e-swap/

 

Ka24 swap. Lots of work

 

Do some searching of ratsun. Go to google. Enter ratsun (insert what you want to find here). I think the L series swaps in these are even tough. Think it gets all up in the firewall and then there's wiper problems.

 

Good luck and welcome to ratsun

[banzai510(hainz)]

Corvettes? +50

 

say that again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Guys at work just laugh saying I drive my b210. Its a 510 they laugh

I say even a 40yr old Datsun is still a young guys car!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunatly Young guys don't have the expertice or money to maintain them and always be a poor /young mans car

 

You need to find a Washinton Roadster as they are common up here. GA might be a lot more money

 

 

saw one at the car show in Covington where I live and a old guy had a SR20 in there. Did a awesome job. Im sure he could get over 10K for that car. was that good

[bilzbobaggins]

Glad I just read banzai's post. Where in Georgia are you at? Should have been looking about two or three months ago. Was a smoking hot deal on one in Athens

[Lockleaf]

Sr20s make a great roadster swap. A company called Spriso motorsports makes a swap kit for them, making it much more reasonable. The guy who owns the company has done this swap repeatedly and could tell you everything there is to know about it.

[racerx]

Bigpaul, google scarab z, back in the 70s, scarab installed a 327 or 350 in a z. So its possible. But not sure if u can do that in a datsun roadster since u wanted a convertible. Ive seen vg swapped in 510. Anything is possible w enough money, time, resourcers and skills. It will boil down to how much money you got, skills and u need a garage to work on.