The 1967 Datsun 1600 is also lovingly referred to as the Datsun Fairlady. The roadster’s nickname was inspired by the musical My Fair Lady. The cars are often considered the precursor to the Nissan Z-Series. The example at hand is said to have just 41k miles and is listed for sale on craigslist in Denver, Colorado for $10,000. Thanks to T.J for the tip.
The exterior appears to be finished in Pagoda red. It may have some orange peel in the paint based on the images, but overall, it presents very well. The frame and panels are said to be rust-free. Some minor restoration will be needed should the next owner want to make the car show-ready, but if they choose to leave the car as-is, it will still be a head-turner.
The interior is finished in black throughout and appears to be in great condition. A detailing service is definitely in order, but otherwise, no blemishes are visible in the photos. Straight out of the factory, the cars were equipped with a cigarette lighter, electric wipers, an analog clock, and a heater.
A 2.0L 4-cylinder engine sends power to the wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. The car is said to run and drive well. The seller is the third owner, and the previous owner was his father. It is said to have been garage-kept since the ’80s. This is a great option for someone looking for a classic Japanese vehicle with lots of life left in it. If you’re looking for something that doesn’t need a ton of work and has a significant group of enthusiasts around it to lean on when issues arise, this Fairlady might be for you. If you are ready to add this 1967 Datsun 1600 to your collection, reach out to the seller on craigslist before it’s gone
Looked at the listing and kudos to the seller for showing some “interesting” damage to the frame and floor pan, with a cracked seat bolt surround. Will need some attention, and maybe price should be adjusted for it?
Looks like a solid car. They are fun to drive and have plenty of power. Autocrossed against a couple of them over the years and they were competition of the highest order.
I think this is the 1.6 liter engine…? Hence the 1600 nomenclature. Wished it was mine…had a ’66, a ’67, a ’68, and several parts cars. Moved on from these, but wished I’d hung around a lot longer…
Seeing as the 2.0 liter engine was SOHC, I would agree that this is the 1.6! And I’m pretty sure “Fairlady” was the actual name of the car in its home market, a name that carried over to the first Z series.
Had a ’65 with the 1500; went thru the rod bearings inside of 9M miles and nothing said queer quite like Fairlady.
I spent the mid to late 80s watching one of these be slowly consumed by rust after the owner allowed the weeds to grow up around, and ultimately through, it. He refused to consider offers, never understood why.
Too bad seller doesn’t provide more pictures of the outside of the car. Needs at least one showing the full side profile.
Fun cars to own and drive… Close inspection illustrates this girl will probably need the “screwdriver test” for rust issues. Undercoat hiding rust beneath indicative of what see at the seat belt anchors, and a frame which appears to be degrading and had previous reinforcements at the usual area these begin to fail…. Rockers have had some additional work with skim coat now delaminating. A good project car, fairly priced for what it is, but these items should be attended to prior to operating.
Good example of how not to list a car. Filthy interior complete with tossed coffee cup, air cleaner hanging off the side of the motor and not a single full side photo. I wonder if the maintenance received the same level of attention.
I’ll paint any car, any color, for $29.95. Earl S-h-E-i-b.
It looks like someone answered the ad.
My sister had one in the 70’s it was a 1968 model. She had hers up to 125mph while in MO at college.
The 1600 was only good for about 101 mph. The 2000 however could hit up to 127. In any case, having spent a good deal of time in a 1600 in rally situations it was a car in which you could actually be going fairly slow but would feel like you were cheating death. They were built extremely light and could really take a jump when called on. Endless fun but more than a bit spooky at speed and when going sideways in a drift.