The Roadster is back!!!!
I've refrained from posting the gory details as they happened, since it
would have been too depressing for everyone concerned. Now, the story
can be told.
To recap for those who may have forgotten, the car is a '68 Datsun 2000,
predecessor to the 240Z, with which it shares almost nothing, and a fine
imitation British sports car from the period in which Japan could build
a better imitation of just about anything than the original. In this case,
they copied the funky carbs, difficulty of servicing, and difficult and
not terribly functional top perfectly. I paid $2500 for the car originally,
and it had perfect bodywork and new paint, and a lot of new parts (like
brakes.)
Anyway, when you heard from me last, I was trying to get the carbs (dual
Weber 45DCOE9s) working at idle and in the transition. I had just replaced
the needles and adjusted the float levels, and felt like I was really
getting somewhere. Then a rod bearing decided to pack it in. I talked
to several mechanics to get a recommendation, and then had the car towed
in to the chosen shop. They tore down the engine and told me, in so many
words, that it was scrap. Too many amateur and alleged professional
mechanics over the years. After looking at a junkyard engine and doing
a lot of soul-searching, I decided to go for a complete engine rebuild
with original parts. While it was out, I also had the transmission gone
through, and a few other miscellaneous things done. I had a good feeling
all the way through that the shop owner and I were communicating and that
they were doing a good job.
In the process, we discovered that the knock I had been hearing originally
was from valves hitting pistons (lightly) due to screwed-up valve timing.
Today, it was finally finished. The bottom line was $3900. How does it
work? Well, the carbs still don't work worth a darn, but I have some
ideas on that. Above 3000 RPM, it runs like a bat out of hell (amazing
what proper cam timing can do.) There is no valve noise at all - the shop
owner put several hours of his own time (at no charge) into getting the
geometry just right. The tranny is still somewhat vague, but at least
I know it won't break. I have a full set of instruments, including, for
the first time, an operable speedo and temperature guage. The fan is
now located properly. I have brakes! The rears just needed adjustment,
but I thought it would be a good idea to have the brakes professionally
inspected, since so many other things on the car had been hacked.
What does it still need? I must get the carbs sorted, and I have some
ideas there. Mark B, I'll probably be in touch if you are still in the
Weber parts business. I can't afford to be washing down the cylinder walls
because of an excessively rich mixture. The exhaust system leaks in front
of the muffler. It is a poor-quality installation back of the header.
Any suggestions for a good system with a nice sound and low back pressure?
I need to get the turn signals to work. I need to get an appraisal and
take some pictures, now that the car is worth real money. And I need to
put some miles on the car to break it in (ah, the difficulties we must
put up with :-)).
It's spring, and I'm excited!
Wayne
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