When do you wave the red flag and declare that a car truly is just a parts car? I feel like many owners of derelict projects often assume no title means no shot at rejuvenation, and for many enthusiasts in title-essential states, this is true. But sometimes a parts car can still have a shot at redemption if it finds an owner that lives somewhere without stringent title requirements, so does a car like this 1969 Datsun 1600 Roadster deserve a second chance at living despite its lack of paperwork? The seller has listed the Datsun here on Facebook Marketplace and notes that it was in a barn for 30 years and has only been set outside for the last few; regardless, is it too late for this early Japanese classic, or are these becoming desirable enough that it should be saved?

The Roadster looks to already be missing some parts, like the taillights and bumpers, so perhaps the part-out has already begun. The Datsun comes with the desirable factory hard top, and I’m sure this seller has been peppered with requests to sell that separately. If he’s smart, he’ll make sure the whole thing goes at once rather than being stuck with an open-roof Roadster that likely has a tattered soft top. The body – well, it’s impossible to tell how good or bad it is, but the upper portions of the panels don’t look too bad. New Jersey can go either way in terms of how raggedy a car can be, depending on whether it lived near the shore or spent a lot of time in the snow.

The interior is a mess, clearly having been used as a mobile storage unit for some time. But the factory steering wheel remains in place, along with the shifter, and who knows – maybe there are some desirable parts still inside. We have no idea how rough the seats are, but I’d count on them being fairly trashed. The Datsuns were simple affairs inside, but I’m sure there are still some hard-to-find trim parts that are either still here or long gone based upon the storage arrangement. The good news is there’s still plenty of these cars out there for spares-raiding, but that brings up the question as to whether this should be used for spare parts or if it’s solid enough to justify saving.

The seller doesn’t mention rust but I’m sure the floors have seen better days. The engine looks relatively complete, but we don’t know whether it’s locked up. Despite being neglected for three decades and then some, I don’t see a ton of evidence that it’s been picked over left and right for spares aside from the parts I mentioned earlier, and who knows – maybe the bumpers and taillights are buried somewhere in that mess of an interior. The Datsun 1600 Roadster is undoubtedly a classic, but the rough ones tend not to get saved, title or not. Hopefully, the right decision is made with this one after an in-person inspection.