dscott@red3 Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 Anyone doing any project work on Datsun Roadsters. IE swap or tunning R16 or U20 motors. I am eyeing a roadster that I am thinking about turning into a Civic/S2000 killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2003z Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 DeWayne, I have seen a couple of SR20DET swaps in magazines. The only real problem I know of is the leaf spring rear suspension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscott@red3 Posted November 7, 2006 Author Share Posted November 7, 2006 I have been combing the Roadster forums for info. It appears our friends at Nismo make "beefier" rear leafs. I am in the process of ordering a catalog to confirm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Maudlin Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 check freshalloy. One guy there has a sweet red SR20DET powered roadster. Look in the clssic datsun forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKWIKZ Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 You want to stay away from the U20. They are expensive to get into and parts are even harder to find. If you want to stay along the original lines, there is a motor Nissan used in some fork lifts called an H20. It is basically an R16 that is 2 liters. It bolts right in. A motor swap is a great idea though. I actually built the first SR20det Roadster in the U.S. about 5 years ago. I sold it a while back but still have fond memories of it. http://www.sdsefi.com/features/nov02fairlady.htm The rear suspension is not really the problem, it's the strength of the diff. I broke two rear ends in a short time. As far as sleepers are concerned, it is a ringer. My car was only running about 250hp but weighed in at 2040 pounds with a full tank. Guys at the local drags would say "cute car" as we lined up. When we got back to the pits I would ask them if the back of my car was still "cute". It only took one night of racing to find that only the big V8 cars would run me. And only a few of them were successful. It really was a fun project. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Ive looked into a few swaps and it seems that the KA24DE would be a great swap. very identical to the L engine swap, they are everywhere and they are still dirt cheap. check out 311s.org for a lot of info and know-how. also, CA18DETs seem to be a great swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slownrusty Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Mike Spreadbury at Spriso Motorsports is the SR20 Roadster conversion king. If you join the Roadster forums you will see his great work if you do a Search. He is a great guy too and a close personal friend. Yasin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OvErMiNd Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Never thought I'd see the civic and s2000 grouped together in such a manor... = / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nope Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 Ive got a z31 turbo'd ka24de in my roadster. Its pretty damn fun. I'm finishing up the volvo brake swap today, which I hope is worth it. datsunparts.com sells the stiffer, lower leafs.. as well as the matching competition front springs. All springs, shocks, poly bushings, and bump stops come out to about $1000 +shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest beebo Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 I've been semi-restoring a 1970 2000 and let me tell you, it will eat your money faster than anything ive ever seen. The u20 is a very expensive motor. the r16 is cheaper but rated at 96hp compared to the SU-u20@ 135hp and the solex u20 @ 150hp. weighing 2000 pounds it doesnt really need much to get it moving. from what ive read the sr20 requires notching of the crossmember and the ka24 doesnt. and both transmissions line up with the shifter hole. i think the ka24 automatic transmission is too wide for the trans tunnel. im trying to sell my roadster to get a newer car and another project z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscott@red3 Posted December 30, 2006 Author Share Posted December 30, 2006 I managed to get my hands on a rare Solex B Cam. Working on getting the rest of the Solex items to perform a upgrade. How much are you selling your roadster for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONGO510 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 FWIW, you can get misc. U-20 parts at a Nissan forklift dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest beebo Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 $9000 Neg. i tried posting it in classified but it got deleted b/c its not a Z. One in similar condition just went on ebay for 9950. and one in worse went for 8300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKWIKZ Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 You're a bit off on the fork lift parts. That motor is an H20, not a U20. The H20 is basically just a stroked R16. The H20 is still a pushrod OHV while the U20 is SOHC. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTHALOSISM Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I have a friend whos uncle collects the roadsters and he just swapped in a 3.5 from a 64 oldsmobile... after the exhaust manifolds were custom made there was less than 1/2 on each side of the engine bay. I'll try to have him send me some pics of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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