Ken P has been a Datsun roadster owner and enthusiast since the early 90’s. He’s an original member of the Bay Area Datsun Roadster Owner’s Club (BADROC) and owns this highly modified 1969 2000 Datsun roadster, affectionately called “DATSTER”. Ken brought his car to ZCarGarage to get tuned, but let me share a little history with you since it has a special place in my roadster heart.

 

I met Ken at the Solvang Datsun Roadster Show back in 2001 and remember seeing all of his modifications for the first time. What really caught my eye was the paint and bodywork. Shaved door handles and side markers, no door or vent windows, and beautifully applied BMW Technoviolet paint really turned this into a hot rod. The interior was simple with no center console, re-uphostered seats, and a roll-bar. Over the years Ken kept adding his own touches and personality to the car including a trick hidden antenna and HID Xenon headlights adapted from a late-model BMW.

 

Under the hood lay Nissan’s mighty U20 drivetrain complete with several period go-fast parts like Mikuni-Solex side-draft carbs and a hotter camshaft. 14″ Panasports on sticky A032R tires and a full NISMO competition suspension made for a very fun little roadster.
I almost bought his car from him about 8 years ago but fate and the fact that Ken just can’t leave things alone led him to the next level of the DATSTER’s evolution. He removed and sold the U20 setup and with the funds(and money left to spare) purchased and installed a Nissan KA24DE drivetrain from a 240sx. Ken did the installation himself and added a few more custom touches like a metal dashboard color-matched to the body that houses the 240sx gauge cluster and S13 (of course!) seats.

 

Ken continued to drive and enjoy the new KA setup by doing fun runs, autocrosses, and even drag race events.  He wasn’t done yet though and decided to add boost to the motor in a rather unorthodox way: supercharging! A supercharger setup was sourced from a race car and Ken made numerous modifications to make it work in his engine bay.  The blower is mounted just above the frame rail but hidden under the intake runners. A custom throttle-body and pulley system were necessary.

 

Rob and the crew at ZCarGarage have worked on many roadsters, from bone stock to modified. Ken came to ZCG because he wanted to make sure his supercharged engine was tuned correctly for longevity and power. Baseline numbers were 159hp/156tq, and it was definitely in need of a proper tune. Rob and Clark Steppler tuned the roadster using a JWT ECU to safely boost at 8lbs and make some great power: 180hp/171tq at the wheels!!! The dyno plot reveals the beauty of a roots-style supercharger: a broad torque curve with over 150tq available from 2000rpm to 6000rpm! We think Ken is happier now 🙂

 

So with all of the ingenuity, modifications and big power is Ken finally “done”? Nope. He is currently engineering stronger brakes that will fit within those classy 14″ Panasports. Datsun owners are truly one of a kind!

 

Here are a few clips of Ken’s supercharged roadster in action and many more pictures in the gallery, enjoy!

more photos in the gallery:
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If you are a Datsun fan and love vintage racing come out to Laguna Seca at the end of April! On 4/30 and 5/1 the Historic Sportscar Racing group is bringing an exciting event with plenty of historic race cars and several notable Datsun racers! If you can’t make the Solvang Datsun Roadster Show (held on the same weekend) this is another way to get your Datsun fix! We will do our best to attend on Sunday afternoon where the B-sedans are running in group 3. We also want to be there to cheer on our favorite Datsun Roadster racer, Ron Carter!

So just how strong will the Datsun showing be? At least five 510s and several Roadsters! Come on out to ‘Seca and watch these Datsun vintage racers mix it up with exotics and other wicked metal 🙂

The Datsun Roadster Show in Solvang is only 1 month away. Mark those calendars and save the weekend!

The 24th Annual Solvang Datsun Roadster Classic will be held in beautiful downtown Solvang CA. This year we will once again be showcasing some of the most beautiful and rare Datsun Roadsters around, along with classic JDM’s from the 60’s and 70’s. We plan on having as usual, attendees from around the world, along with Classic Datsun Rides from across the country! Admission is free to the general public. Car Registration and information can be found on our website located at www.solvangshow.com

When: Saturday, April 30 2011
Where: Downtown Park – Solvang CA
Time: 9am-3pm
Car Classes: Datsun Roadster, 510’s, Z’s, JDM’s

On Tuesday, April 19 NCRC will have an open track day at Laguna Seca. Come join us as several Z’s are already signed up and ready to roll! There is still room available in the 4 run groups and we’d love to see some GT-Rs and Datsuns out there! Registration info is HERE

We like running with this group and you can’t beat the value for such a world-class race track! $172 for ‘Seca is fiendishly cheap so don’t pass this up 🙂
You can see pictures/videos from our last event(11/2010) with a great mix of Nissans/Datsuns HERE

Datsuns Are Driven!

Last weekend Nissan officially returned to international sports car racing with its LMP2 entry in the 12 Hours of Sebring. Driver Lucas Ordonez helped grab a second-place class finish behind the wheel of the VK series V8-powered machine.
Nissan’s last win at Sebring was in 1994 and the the team has a busy schedule for 2011 including the 24 Hours of LeMans, the 1,000 km Spa-Francorshamps, and the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

For a re-cap of the race check out PaddockTalk HERE

Long Live Nissan Motorsports!