Red Returns: Bringing the '69 2000 back to life

[mtngoat]

Our success with firing up the palletized engine which had been kicking around my shop corners (and lugged across the state with home changes) for 30+ years immediately resulted in the desire to get our Datsuns rearranged so we could start cleaning up Red, which has lived in the RV shed for 20 years, stuffed with Datsun parts. This thread will be the story of it's rebirth. Old license tag shows it's last outings were in... '90!

 

After emptying it of stuff we dragged it out. Couldn't inflate tires...so old the sidewalls were all rotted. 

 

Then we got a look at the moss/mold/crud on the paint...

 

 

Edited August 4 by mtngoat

[mtngoat]

A very nice shop view for a couple of Datsun fanatics....

 

We put Red up on four fat oak rounds...why use up jackstands for who knows how long. 

 

Interior view also. We both hate the late dash, which is riddled with cracks and funky wiring...so we pulled it. We'll fabricate a custom flat dash, and probably pull all the heater system, these are summer cars for us. 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 4 by mtngoat

[Rustbin]

I'm definitely in agreement about the earlier dash. If I were making it I would not have the pad wrap around down to the bottom, I would have them as two separate sections, with the flat flowing between from side to side. Looks like an awesome project.

[LoboBlanco]

I'm excited to watch the progress.

[mtngoat]

Thanks guys, yes it will be interesting. I don't intend to strictly reproduce the flat dash, so we'll see what we come up with. Thinking about adding hinges to the top or the face of the dash so maintenance will be much easier, just undo a couple screws and the top opens up, or the dash folds down. Tired of dealing with that snake pit of crap you can't even get your hand into. 

 

So we'll putz along making cardboard patterns and see what looks best, or most workable, or both. 

 

Also need to figure out differentials, I think there's a 3.7 in our last donor rig. Red doesn't have a diff, if I recall the donor car's went out and I stole Red's, since it had a roached engine, hence I was driving the white '68 (now called donor!). 

 

We pulled both entire axle assemblies and have them side by side ready for a teardown. We'll pick the freshest parts and swap onto one axle, including, hopefully, the 3.7 pumpkin. Both brake hoses were roached, so we simply cut them to speed the removals up. i guess I'll need to learn how to assess differentials now. 

 

Blue '67 has the 3.9 and it's fine and all, but at modern freeways speeds it runs a bit high RPM for my taste. I want Red to be more of a cruiser than quick off the line, point and squirt. 

Edited August 5 by mtngoat

[banzai510(hainz)]

that blue roadster look like Tana's before she sold it years ago

 

personally I dont know how people can let a great car rot in the woods or where ever. They are simple cars to keep running

Edited August 5 by banzai510(hainz)

[mtngoat]

So, the axle assemblies. Presumably identical, somehow Red and White (donor 2000) are merely 34 serial numbers apart. Weird. It's likely they were on the same boat, and maybe even sold from the same dealership?

 

So remove the brake shoes, springs, etc, then unfasten the axle plate flange whatever and pull the axles. I recall spacers, are these identical or matched to something in the diff? 

[mtngoat]

Put the donor axle up on the bench last night, started tearing into it. Got one side off OK. Odd that they don't use the small shoe retainers like I have on the 510. Whatever. Brake lines have the plastic on them, word is to cut it off? Bearing on that axle stub seems solid, rolls smooth no clicks or ticks when spinning it by hand.

 

I apparently didn't drive this much after doing the last brake job, the shoes look nearly new, probly re use them. They're clean, unworn, and dry. No oil no grease. 

 

The diff itself appears to have very little backlash at the input shaft, which I would think is a great situation. Don't have it out yet, the other side has a frozen brake adjuster. So, pretty much the usual for Datsun drums unattended for a long time. 

[mtngoat]

The second brake adjuster was totally frozen and not enough threads showing to double nut the shaft. Had soaked the shaft in oil over night, did the vise grips trick, failed as usual. Then used a 1/4 socket with the drive end over the square bolt, to a 10mm hex bolt socket, then to 1/2 adapter, then breaker bar. Rounded the square shaft end. Gave up. 

 

We undid the adjuster retaining nuts, then used a wood block and kinetic persuader on the drum to simply force it off. Got lucky after a LOT of pounding, we finally got it to shift outwards and then got a bar under the hole in the drum to lever against the end of the axle stub. 

 

Thrilled to find the assembly had gear oil in it the entire time, and the gear teeth are perfect, no rust in there anywhere. Very little input backlash. It's pristine. And the cherry on top, it is in indeed the 3.7 ratio I'd hoped for. Now a gasket, and back together it goes. After cleaning up the axle housing. 

 

Weirdness: One side had one spacer/shim dealo under the stub retaining plate...the other had two. We paid attention to which side was which. 

 

What do those spacers do, exactly? 

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 07:35 PM by mtngoat

[banzai510(hainz)]

17 hours ago, mtngoat said:

second brake adjuster was totally frozen

is this a 510?

 

I had my dad weld a 12nn nut on that square cuase I was roundding out the square.

after this I always soak with PB blaster then apply anti seize on there or lithum grease and do it all the time so they dont lock up anymore

[mtngoat]

Nope, roadster, silly! But the adjusters look identical, and of course, his problem persisted across all my 510s, and my one Z car. 

 

That welding a nut on trick is a good one. 

Edited Thursday at 07:25 PM by mtngoat

[Rustbin]

Just to let you see how to fix the dash.

 

  

 

[mtngoat]

I'd love to see how to fix the dash. But...I don't see anything in your post aside from your comment!

[Rustbin]

There should be two links to YouTube videos, Search, Restore @workshopchidori . The first one came out 4 days ago the second 2 days ago. There is also videos of the work that was done on the Datsun 2000 roadster. 

[nicklp]

On 8/12/2026 at 6:09 PM, mtngoat said:

 

Weirdness: One side had one spacer/shim dealo under the stub retaining plate...the other had two. We paid attention to which side was which. 

 

What do those spacers do, exactly? 

 

 

The shims adjust the way the ring and pinion mesh. The pinion can be in or out or forward and back relative to the ring. It will wear excessively and make noise if it’s wrong.

Also if the diff. assembly is carried in tapered bearings, there can be shims to adjust bearing preload. 

 

Edited Sunday at 11:43 PM by nicklp
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