This 1970 Datsun Fairlady 1600 roadster has been slumbering in perhaps one of the best places to find a long-forgotten sports car, northern California. I can’t think of a better environment to leave a car in storage for decades than the areas north of San Francisco and far away from the spray of the Pacific Ocean. This Datsun has supposedly been in a barn for the last 20 years and has a genuine 88,000 miles on the clock. As an unrestored car with reasonable miles, I think it’s safe to call this desirable roadster a survivor. Find it here on eBay where bidding sits at $3,000 with the reserve unmet.

The description notes that the Datsun was parked once a new car was purchased and this one was no longer needed. I started daydreaming immediately at having a lifestyle where I lived in the epic driving roads country of northern California and had a Datsun roadster as my daily; I would love to know what came along to replace this sought-after Japanese sports car. The listing notes that the 1600 comes with the desirable factory hard top and that the installed soft top looks virtually new with no signs of long-term use or damage. The body has been better days with its share of bruises and scrapes, but the patina is pretty killer. The wheels are totally period-correct and the chrome bumpers appear to be in good shape.

The worst part of the Datsun is the interior which looks like it belongs in a car that spent a lot of time with the top down. That actually makes sense if the previous owner drove this car as intended with the roof off, which meant the convertible top didn’t spend much time in the “up” position; of course, this also means the interior was left exposed to the ravages of the California sun. The dash, seats, and carpets will all need to be replaced, but between a decent aftermarket and lots of passionate owners (and plenty of parts cars still out there), the next owner should be able to revive the cockpit.

The engine bay appears complete but it doesn’t sound like the seller has made any attempt to start the Datsun up. The listing does sound like it was written by the previous owner’s heirs or someone who is otherwise not a car enthusiast; we don’t hear much about the engine or chassis components. Still, the pictures are compelling and indicate that this Datsun is not rusty and largely undisturbed, which are critical details for anyone considering taking ownership of a forgotten Fairlady. The seller has installed new rubber, which is a nice change of pace from sellers of barn finds that expect you to load it up with four very dead tires. Bidding is light at the moment, but I suspect we’ll see this Datsun go higher.