1968 Datsun 2000 Roadster SVO Turbo
- • Fast turbocharged Datsun Roadster!
- • Ford SVO 2.3L I4 turbocharged engine
- • Professionally engine swapped and built
- • Five-speed manual transmission
- • Nice bright red exterior with tan interior and new tan folding canvas top
- • MSD ignition and manual boost guage
- • Omega Kustom gauges
- • Adjustable coil-over suspension
Did you know the Datsun 240Z was not the brand’s first significant sports car? These were the first Japanese two-seaters that could hold their own against MGs, Triumphs and Fiats of the period and we have one here at MotoeXotica Classic Cars that is pretty special and with a little secret under the hood!
This example has been completely gone through and built by a local Nissan Dealer and has many new parts. Finished in red, the exterior paint and trim are in good condition. The body remains straight, the engine bay is very tidy and the chrome bumpers fit tightly to the body. The Super Start battery looks good. The cargo area behind the seats is in very good order. Note the single reverse light mounted under the rear bumper.
This Datsun rolls on Classic radials, size 165/80R15 on Panasport alloy wheels. The wheels and tires are all in good condition. Under the front-hinged hood is professionally swapped Ford SVO 2.3L I4 turbocharged four-cylinder engine from a 1980’s SVO Fox Body Mustang and it’s mated to a Mustang five-speed manual transmission.
SVO engineers opted to pass over the production 5.0 liter V-8 in lieu of an updated, turbocharged, and stronger version of Ford’s 2.3 liter inline four, originally used in the Pinto and Ford Mustang II. The installation of the four-cylinder engine helped with weight distribution, due to the engine being installed perpendicular to, and behind, the front axle, thereby improving handling. Endowing the engine with an advanced, computer-controlled fuel injection system and an intercooled turbocharger system helped push power output to over 175 horsepower.
Inside, the car’s red bucket seats look great, while the matching carpet is in good order. A three-spoke steering wheels faces the driver and frames the black dashboard. To fit the radio in the center stack, Datsun turned it on a side, just as Chevy did in the Corvette in ’63. The dash is in very good order while the inner doors are in good condition, as is the floor-mounted shifter. A factory AM radio completes the interior.
By the mid-1960s, Datsun was delivering its Sports 1600 for less money than the MGB and the Japanese roadster included many standard items that were extras on the British two-seater – radio, heater, seat belts, tonneau cover, clock, locking gas cap and more. The introduction of the 1967 SR311 and SRL311 saw a major update.
Produced from March 1967 until April 1970, the SR311 used a 2.0 L U20 engine and offered a five-speed manual transmission, somewhat unexpected for a production car at the time. The first-year cars (known as “half year” cars) are sought as there were fewer than 1,000 produced which are unencumbered with the 1968 model year emissions and safety changes. For the 1968 model year the entire line was updated with a new body featuring a taller integrated windshield with an integrated rear-view mirror, a padded dashboard with non-toggle switches, built-in headrests, and lifting door handles. This version was first shown at the 14th Tokyo Motor Show in October 1967 and was developed to meet the new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. In the US the engines were also fitted with new emissions controls and the lesser 1600 continued as a companion model through the end of production.
Competition to this Datsun in 1968 included Alfa Romeo’s Spider 1600 Duetto, Lotus’ Élan S4, MG’s MGC and Triumph’s TR5/TR6.
Price: Auction
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Seller's other items: motoexotica
Location: Fenton, Missouri, United States
