Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster.
Companies in Japan are quite interesting. In the 1950s and early 1960s Japanese products were often though of as cheap imitations of products made in Europe and the United States. Most of this was post-war bias and hostility towards Japan, because in reality what Japanese companies did was to take exciting products, electronics, cameras, watches, and even automobiles and improve them. They did this by adding increased precision in manufacture, more advanced technologies, and offered these products at a lower price than their competitors.
Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight, a 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster, is a prime example of this phenomenon, and while it might look a lot like an MG or a Triumph, was actually something that was a better car built with much higher quality and technology. This specific 2000 Roadster has also been further upgraded by its previous owner to make it even better that the original and, yet, has stayed true to the original idea the engineers had when they built the car, using later model and even higher quality Datsun/Nissan technology.
According to the listing, this 1969 Datsun 2000 roadster has had an engine swap from the original SOHC inline 4 cylinder to an upgraded SR20DE 2.0-liter inline-four mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It was the recipient of a frame-off rebuild and comes with front disc brakes, a sway bar, and a JVC stereo. Finished in red over a black vinyl interior, this restored Datsun also comes with a removable black hardtop. The seller states that this car is rust free, an important piece of data for anyone considering any early Datsun car. The car rides on 14-inch seven-spoke aluminum Minilite style wheels that are wrapped in 175/70 Firestone FR680 radial tires.
The interior of the car features an original two-seat cockpit black vinyl bucket seats, matched to the door panels, dash, lap belts, and new carpeting. Features include a clock, a JVC radio, a black roll bar, and a trunk-mounted spare tire. The instruments have been upgraded to Speedhut instrumentation that includes a 140-mph speedometer, an 8,000-rpm tachometer, and a combination gauge that shows the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, and voltage.
The seller listing this car for auction resides in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and goes on to state that this car’s updated engine is a fuel injected SR20DE twin-cam 2.0-liter inline-four with 165 horsepower. This, to me, makes this 2000 Roadster the perfect car to take on vintage rallies with the additional power and fuel injection making for a perfect combination. The car will be both more reliable as well as considerably faster. I bet this car is a blast to drive.
If you have always loved British roadsters but want something a bit different that is also more drivable, you should seriously consider this thoughtfully upgraded 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster.
The auction for this 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster ends Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery
