You should never judge a book by its cover. This 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster might look quite sad, but it is actually a structurally sound classic. The owner commenced the restoration process, but this stalled some time back. He has decided that the time has come to move it on to a new owner who will be capable of doing the car justice. The little Datsun is listed for sale here on eBay and is located in Washington, D.C. The BIN has been set at $5,500, but there is the option to make an offer.

Despite the tired external appearance, this Datsun is a surprise packet. This photo is indicative of the state of the floors, which appear to be structurally sound. The owner provides some pictures of the trunk, and this trend continues with the pan. He had commenced the restoration process, but this stalled some time back. All of the vehicle’s underside has been cleaned and rust-proofed, including areas like the fender wells. The lower extremities like the rockers and quarter panels appear to be sound, with the only notable rust being in the trunk lid. However, it does appear that a replacement lid is to be included in the sale. There are a few dings and dents to be found, but none of these are significant. The seller is going to give the buyer a head start on this project because a substantial collection of new trim items are to be included in the sale. This consists of a rear bumper, side marker lights, badges, lights, door handles, and sundry other parts. The owner also says that the frame for the convertible top is in as-new condition. Putting all of this information together suggests that restoring this Datsun could be a straightforward process.

Under the hood of the Roadster is a 1,983cc 4-cylinder “U20” engine, which is backed by a 5-speed manual transmission. The vehicle doesn’t currently run, although it did 5-years-ago. The engine does turn freely, and once again, there has been some restoration work completed. The carburetors were rebuilt a few years ago, but have been stored away without ever being used. This means that they should still be in good condition. The front end has been fully rebuilt, including the installation of new Koni shocks. The owner has commenced the process of upgrading the brakes, but the buyer will need to complete this work. He purchased and fitted a set of expensive coated headers, but these haven’t been connected to the rest of the exhaust at this stage. All of this work suggests that once it kicks back into life, this engine would have the potential to produce more than its original 135hp. Potential buyers shouldn’t be fooled by the car’s tiny physical size, because it should still be capable of delivering a mid-16-second ¼ mile ET. We don’t get any decent photos of the interior, but it does appear to be complete. The owner has purchased new door trims, and I think that the seats might be okay. However, I suspect that a new carpet set, a dash pad, kick panels, and a console will all need to go on the shopping list.

When looking at a restoration project like this 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster, there are a lot of factors to consider if the project is to be viable. Two of these are the question of how complete the vehicle is, and how much rust is there to address. This car would seem to tick the right boxes on both of those fronts, which means that it has the potential to be a fairly straightforward project. This isn’t a muscle car, but the 2000 is a nimble little car that is fun to point down a piece of twisting road. They are a relatively simple car, which makes them a prime candidate for someone considering a DIY restoration, or for the person who is seeking a family project. There are currently 100 people who are watching the listing, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of them hit the BIN button. Are you tempted to beat them to the punch?