While I have modified my car somewhat, I understand what you are saying, which
is why I usually advise against non-reversible mods.
One of the problems with our cars is that in the beginning there wasn't enough
interest in the cars to make people care about maintaining them in stock form.
They appealed more to performance enthusiasts who had fewer qualms about
modifying the cars. I confess that I fall in that category (or did, at least). I
can "cop a plea" on this point by saying that my car was already modified when I
got it, having been a race car for the first year of it's life. But it's harder
to find an unmodified Datsun roadster than it is to find an unmodified Triumph.
A second problem is that Datsun didn't bother to document the cars very well.
Look at the difficulties we have had just finding reliable and verifiable
production volumes. And as soon as the 240-Z came out it seemed like Datsun did
everything they could to deny or at least forget that they had ever built the
roadster. This makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to determine just
what the original configuration was for any given year and model.
Third, the rest of the sports car community seemed to resent the Datsun (in a
fit of Eurocentric paranoia, I suspect). It became a bit of an orphan. Only now
is it starting to be recognized as the significant car that it is. And now more
people are showing an interest in restoring them to original condition. I think
that's a very good sign. But you will always find a lot of Datsun enthusiasts
who are more interested in "personalizing" them than in restoring them. Besides,
how interesting is it to argue endlessly about whether one car's hose clamps are
exactly original or not (don't laugh, I've heard that comment)?
Personally I just love to see ANY roadster back on the road and being loved,
regardless of condition or modifications. If you want to maintain your car in
original condition, by all means go for it, and I'll applaud you. We need to
have both ends of the spectrum and all points in between.
Gordon Glasgow
Renton, WA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of John Peak
> Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 8:34 PM
> To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> Subject: Originality (kind of long)
>
>
> Roadster list,
>
> Does anybody here care about originality? As a long time roadster owner, I
> joined this list in the hopes of connecting with likeminded enthusiasts.
> What I have found is people who see the roadster as primarily a platform for
> customization. Engine swaps, body mods, wheel and suspension changes seem
> to dominate what few technical threads I have seen. Please do not view this
> as being critical of what you are doing. I know that many of these cars
> have been spared from the crusher by your work. I just feel that something
> valuable may have been lost in the process.
>
> I bought my roadster when it was a relatively new car. I wanted a car that
> was built from the factory to perform well. I also needed a reliable car
> that was economical to drive on a daily basis. The roadster filled the bill
> perfectly. Over the years many cars have come and gone but the roadster
> remains (Actually I did sell it once and bought it back, but that is a
> different story). I love the car for what it is, not for what I can turn it
> into.
>
> When I was in high school back in the early 1970's, I owned a '56 Bel Air.
> I replaced the original engine and transmission with a built 327 and 4
> speed. I eliminated the side chrome and painted the car a solid color. I
> put on mag wheels and installed a custom interior. If the car is still
> around, I am sure that someone went to considerable expense to undo all my
> hard work and return the car to its original configuration. Sometime in the
> future someone may want to do the same with one of your cars. Will there be
> any reference that will guide them back to originality?
>
> I am currently restoring an Austin-Healey. Despite a considerable amount of
> documentation, there is still an amazing amount of dispute about what was
> original on any specific car. Given that the roadster has existed all these
> years in relative obscurity, I am afraid that any notion of what was
> original in these cars may be gone forever.
>
> I would like to preserve the originality of my car if for no other reason
> than because it is such an important part of my life. It has been the only
> constant for nearly a quarter of a century. If anyone out there shares my
> desire, please let me know.
>
> Thank you for your patience,
>
> John Peak
> '70 2000
>
>
>
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