My Life with Datsun’s, a Love Story

"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
02/14/2020 at 10:07 • Filed to: Datsun 240Z

First love

Me proudly displaying my first Datsun days after purchase (Spooky the dog)

In the summer of 1991 I was a newly licensed driver without a car and could recite the specifications of all the road test cars listed in the back of Road and Track. Of particular interest at the time to me were the Porsche RS America, the Lotus Opel Omega (Lotus Carlton) and the Nissan 300zx TT. I spent the summer working for my dad and has some money to burn to buy a car. I knew I wanted a sporty coupe being not that fond of “hot rods” or trucks. Found in the classified ads of the local paper was a red 1973 Datsun 240Z with chrome American Racing wheels. The car was located in Stevensville MT, we made the trip and I gave a guy $900 for a money pit.

My best friend Dan during a high speed run from Missoula to Agusta MT, photo taken withing 5 miles of the Unibomber’s cabin.

It was a rusty piece of crap but it was my piece of crap. Within the first few months I installed a new clutch, repaired the shifting forks, new tires, and new rear struts. The following year I replaced the cylinder head, did the front struts and a few other minor items. I drove and repaired that car hard for two years. Some of the highlights of driving that car were:

First cylinder head replacement.

Got changing out a starter down to a 5 minute task.

First broken transmission.

17 minutes Arlee to Missoula (31 miles)

First time going 120 mph.

Sliding through a row of 6 mail boxes on a glare ice at 40 miles per hour.

Hiding beer in the glove boxes behind the seats.

Scared a few girls, and thrilled a few friends.

I was young and dumb but by a miracle I survived that car. It was rusted, roasted, and put to bed the fall of 1993. The rust had eaten away the front frame so bad it would change alignment when I went over a bump. It was even more unsafe to drive than ever.

In 1995 my dad found another Datsun 240Z this one was blue, had some minor body damage and an automatic transmission. I drove it at college for one year and then tried to resurrect and restore it a few years latter but the rust worm had taken hold and I didn’t have the money, time, or experience to replace about 20% of the sheet metal. The automatic transmission was terrible on that car too, I might have pushed it a bit farther into restoration or possible race car if not for that terrible automatic transmission.

A new hope...

Fast forward to 2005. My dad came to Sacramento to help us replace our kitchen floor and hang out for a week. He had a lead on a 1970 original Datsun 240Z in Napa California. Within 2 days he’s gotten my wife and infant daughter jammed into the Isuzu pickup, driven to Napa, bought the car for $2,000 and two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! chairs for $40 (we still have them). I helped him arrange for trailer shipping back to Missoula Montana. At this point I had yet to set eyes on the white 1970 240Z car. He was raving how amazing the condition was and that it was all original down to the AM radio and floor mats.

My dad proceeded to spend the next year getting the 1970 running while racing his highly modified 1971 Datsun 240Z called Zerminator. The white car needed new brakes, some hoses, and a head gasket. Otherwise it was fine and a good daily driver. It was so good he drove it over 2,000 miles to California and back to Montana to visit us in 2010. He did not have one single issue with the car during that trip.

My Dads 1972 Datsun 240Z with a 2.5" exhaust mated to a 3.1L stroker engine. It’s a good way to die.

The history of the white Datsun: It was bought in November of 1970, driven from Bozeman to Napa and then served as the owners commuter from Napa to Novato. We have all of the original owners documentation for service at Nissan of Vacaville. The original owner did nothing to the car other than to drive it and get it serviced every 2,000 miles. Folks this is how you keep a car going for 50 years. Just do the regular service and fix things when they break.

The 1970 sitting in my yard last summer after a wash.

The original owner passed away around 2000 and his wife left the car in the garage with boxes stacked on top of it and actually stepped on the roof to access things, hence some of the body imperfections in the roof and fenders. Amazingly after 15 years of back in service much of the dents have managed to work themselves out. The roof is nearly perfect now and we have pushed back many of the indentations in the fenders.

I have had the car in my possession since May of 2019. I’m actually spending money on it and fixing up the mechanics and interior to make it a very reliable driver. I did the brake booster vacuum hoses, door jamb kick plates, and I have both heater hoses yet to replace. I have also replaced both stub axle U-joints and a rear wheel brake cylinder. Fast forward 6 months and I have driven it 1,000 miles over the summer into the fall. It now sits snuggly in my garage under cover for the winter.

Future Heap Owner getting the full Datsun experience

I haven’t felt this way about a car in a very long time. Maybe I just needed more vitamin Z in my life. The car is not perfect, it never will be. What it does for me is perfect.

DISCUSSION (10)

B_dol > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/14/2020 at 12:14

Great family history with the Z, and even better that you are keeping it alive for the next generation! I need to get seat time in one of these eventually (maybe not - protect my wallet)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > B_dol
02/14/2020 at 12:20

A Miata (if you fit) or a BRZ/Scion 86 would be a good modern day equivalent . The Datsun has much more engine noise and mechanical odors than either of those cars but the idea is the same, light weight, two seats, and an engine that revs.

B_dol > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/14/2020 at 12:48

My wife and I have been fortunate enough to own both an FR-S and ND Miata! W e more than understand and appreciate the ethos of these cars.

I also am a convert of the inline-6 cult, heading into year five of my BMW Z4M coupe with the lovely S54.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > B_dol
02/14/2020 at 13:01

Once you drive a torquey inline 6 it’s really had to like a car like an RX-8 or other small displacement high revving engines like honda 1.6/2.0's. I’m always like I thought this was a sports car? Where is the power?

feather-throttle-not-hair > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/14/2020 at 13:28

Awesome story! I didn’t realize the old 240z had its glovebox behind the front seat. I owned a 350z for over a decade and was always slightly annoyed at the glovebox being back there, at least it was tradition as it turns out.

Chariotoflove > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/14/2020 at 13:32

It’s a different kind of fun, and you get used to it, but you have to have some acclimation time. You can’t toggle back and forth between torque no torque a bunch. It messes with your head.

What I love most about this story is that your dad is an accomplice and compatriot. Bonding with one’s dad over love of cars or other things like horses (in my case, both) is special.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > feather-throttle-not-hair
02/14/2020 at 13:34

Interestingly my 1970 does not have the glove boxes behind the seats while the 72 and onward does. It’s a convenient place to store valuables as nobody knows there are gl ove boxes there.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Chariotoflove
02/14/2020 at 13:36

When my dad visited us in November the roads were dry and we took the white car out and ran it up to double digit speeds. He was driving. He is 72 years old.

Chariotoflove > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/14/2020 at 14:33

That’s awesome. My Dad still has his RX-8. He was the one who suggested I buy one. He’s 84.

vondon302 > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
02/15/2020 at 08:45

Great post.

Those chairs are pretty cool too.