INFO GUIDE: 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady / Sports 2000 Roadster

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This buyers guide / identification guide has been written for those interested in the 1968 - 1970 Datsun 2000 roadster (known as the Fairlady roadster in markets outside of the U.S). Please note, due to significant changes between the 67/68 model years, we have a separate ID guide for the 1967 Roadster (click here).

This guide bundles the 1968 - 1970 SR311 and SRL311 cars into one ID guide, as these cars are all quite similar other than minor aesthetic modifications between the years which are outlined in detail below. The 1968 - 1970 Datsun 2000 roadsters are a very desirable version of the Datsun roadster, becoming increasingly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. These cars are based on the same chassis and body of the 1600cc Datsun roadster of the same era, and as a result, occasionally cars are re-birthed or misrepresented to unsuspecting purchasers.

The purpose of this guide is to assist people in the accurate identification of genuine 2 liter roadsters from 1968 - 1970, and includes information on external and internal features, original paint codes, chassis and engine number prefixes and a basic summary of the mechanical features of the car.

Period of Manufacture: October 1967 – April 1970

Production Numbers: Approximately 15,000 Datsun 2000cc roadsters were produced in total over the period 1967 - 1970 (including 1967 ½ cars).

Please note, this guide has been written based on a variety of online sources and enthusiast input. You should not rely on this guide to make any purchasing decision and we make no representation that all information is accurate. You should always seek independent professional advice when looking to purchase a unique car. If you have additional information, photographs or corrections you believe need to be made to this page, please contact us by clicking the button at the top of this page, or comment below.


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1. External Features - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster
1970 Fairlady roadster.jpg Click to enlarge
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The following external features should be present on the 1968 - 1970 Datsun Sports / Fairlady 2000, making a good starting point for identification of a genuine car:

Features consistent across all model years:

  • 9 slot silver steel wheels (4 ½” J x 14”) with central polished stainless steel hubcaps. Factory tyre size: 5.60S14-4PR (optional 6.45S14-4PR).
  • Windscreen is 2” higher than 1967 model, and is no longer detachable (i.e. is part of the body, and the frame is painted the same colour as the body.
  • Lift-up door handles (as opposed to the earlier push-buttons).
  • Quarter glass windows on doors are fixed in place / don't open.
  • Side fender badges say "Datsun" above the chrome strip and "2000" below on U.S. models. In markets such as Australia and Japan, the side fender badges state “Fairlady” in place of “Datsun”.
  • Rear badge states "Datsun" with "2000" underneath on the U.S. models. Again, for markets such as Australia and Japan, the cars were badged “Fairlady” in place of Datsun.
  • 2000 models maintain a different grille design with a large "D" emblem in the centre, distinguishing them from their 1600cc counterparts.
  • Front park light lenses are usually amber on U.S. cars, and clear on RHD market cars.
  • Rear turn signals are red on U.S. cars, and amber on RHD market cars.
  • All right hand drive Fairlady Roadsters maintain the 1967 style rear bumper throughout all years, incorporating the licence plate lamp and separate turn signals.
  • Rear bumpers have a rubber block between the side of the car and the bumper ends (see image).

 

 

2. External Features - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster (Specific year changes)
1968_Datsun_2000_Roadster 2.jpg Click to enlarge
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Features unique to RHD market cars:

  • All right hand drive Fairlady Roadster from 1969 have tear drop side marker lights on the front fenders.
  • The 1967 style rear bumper is maintained on RHD cars throughout all years, incorporating the licence plate lamp and separate turn signals.

 

1968:

  • License plate lamp remained built into bumper on U.S. cars for this year only.
  • Headlight "scoops" remained as "satin" finish, with outer edges only being chrome, like the 67 model.

 

1969:

  • Teardrop shaped front side lights and small round rear side marker lamps introduced on U.S. cars.
  • LHD cars changed bumpers & introduce license plate lights on each side of license plate, rather than in bumper.
  • Introduction of additional VIN number visible on the drivers side of dashtop, behind windshield (see images).
  • Introduction of new front apron piece (behind front bumper & below grill) with larger central vent holes.

 

1970:

  • U.S. models introduced Large Rectangular side marker lamps front and rear, and a larger rear reflectors next to lower tail lamps (with the small reflectors above now removed).
  • Front park lamp lenses are larger than previous models, and lose their chrome bezel.
2. Interior Features - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster
Dash 1969 Datsun roadster.jpg Click to enlarge
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The 1968 - 1970 Datsun 2000 Sports / Fairlady had the following interior features:

  • Introduction of a padded "safety" dash with further recessed gauges, in place of the vintage flat metal dash on 67 models. The inside of the windscreen frame featured a deformable crash pad of a similar material to the dash.
  • Most cars had black vinyl interior trim and black carpets, however, cars painted black or white came with red vinyl trim and carpets (as shown in images).
  • Tachometer goes to 8000rpm, speedo to 160mph.
  • All the old toggle switches were replaced with big black pull-out or twist knobs.
  • Large clock installed in central dash.
  • Three spoke drilled sports steering wheel now had a large black crash pad in the middle, and a collapsible steering column.
  • Headrests on the 1968 - 1970 cars attach normally to the top of the seat back, (different to earlier models which attached to a mount on the back side of the seats - see images).
  • Windscreen mounted rear view mirror (as opposed to earlier dash mounted mirror).
  • Fuse box in glove box (rather than in engine bay as per earlier models).
  • On 1970 models, most dash knobs/switches have diagrams/symbols in place of words.
3. Paint Colours / Codes - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster
1969 Yellow Datsun Sports 2000 roadster.jpg Click to enlarge
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The following paint colours were available on the Datsun 2000 Roadster. Examples of each colour are provided in the attached images.

  • Thunder Black (Code: 505, PPG: 9769) available 1967 - 1970
  • Beige Grey Metallic / Silver Bronze Metallic (Code: 531, PPG: 39953) available 1967 - 1970
  • Sora Blue (Code: 563, PPG: 13165) available 1967 - 1970
  • Off White (Code: 655, PPG: 8794) available 1967 - 1970
  • Spanish Red (Code: 664, PPG: 71812) available 1967 - 1970
  • Yellow (Code: 665, PPG: 81768) available 1967 - 1970
  • Silver Grey Metallic (Code: 666, PPG: 32831) available 1967 - 1970

 

Confirming the cars original colour:

The paint colour and code was printed on a label under the bonnet to the left of the ID plate (See images for a better description). Of course, labels can easily go missing by peeling off over time, or are removed during restoration. If the label is missing, your best bet is checking under the carpet on the transmission tunnel or on the inside of the firewall for signs of an original colour, and trying to then match it - assuming you are wanting to restore the car to its original colour specification.

4. Chassis Number - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster
ID tag and paint tag location.png Click to enlarge
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The 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady 2000 Sports should have a chassis number in the following format:

Left hand drive cars = “SRL311” – followed by a 5 digit number.

Right hand drive cars = “SR311” – followed by a 5 digit number.

1968 cars: The 5 digit number within the range of 01001 through to 06999

1969 cars: The 5 digit number within the range of 07000 through to 12999

1970 cars: The 5 digit number within the range of 13000 through to 14500 

 

 

Location of Chassis Number:

There are several locations you can check for the 68 - 70 Datsun Roadster:

1. Check the chassis plate / VIN plate which is located under the bonnet, riveted on top of the flat area just above the RHS bulkhead/firewall (see location in images). The chassis number should be in the location per the examples shown.

2. Check the front left top side of the chassis frame itself. There is a stamped chassis number just below the area where the washer bottle is fitted in the engine bay. The stamping may be difficult to see so you will need a torch and may need to clean off paint / grease to see it clearly. See the images attached for the location and stamping font typeface.

3. On 1969 - 1970 cars, there is an additional chassis number located on a small plate at the top of the drivers side dashboard, visible through the windscreen (see images for better location description). Note, this can be lost / changed if the dash has been changed.

 

5. Engine Number - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster

The Datsun Sports / Fairlady Roadster 2000 should have a U20 engine prefix, followed by an engine number that is around 300 - 600 numbers higher than the VIN number. The Engine number should be in two places.

1. On the VIN tag / chassis plate on top of the bulkhead, stamped above the VIN number on the ID tag (see images)

2. Stamped into the RHS top of the engine block (See small flat area sticking out), where the head and block join/meet (see images).

Some have reported that there are cars with tags that have no engine number stamped into them. For those cars, check that engine number is within the 300 – 600 higher range as noted above, so you can at least confirm the likelihood that the engine is original, or confirm that it is from approximately the correct year/era.

6. Mechanical Features - 1968 - 1970 Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 Roadster

The 1968 - 1970  Datsun Fairlady/Sports 2000 roadster had the following mechanical features:

  • On U.S. spec cars were fitted with emission controls from 1968, and the competition solex pack was no longer available. In stock configuration, the cars came with twin SU carbs.
  • The Solex competition kit remained standard equipment on all Australian cars. VIN tags in Australia and Canada will confirm whether it is a solex car, by stating 150HP on the chassis plate.
  • The Solex upgrade consisted of dual Mikuni/Solex side draught  44PHH carbs, a Solex camshaft, and a competition 7 quart finned aluminium oil pan for better cooling. Stock cars with SU carbs produced 135HP (101kw) vs the Solex kit at 150HP (112kw).
  • Engine was the model “U20”, 1982cc single OHC 4 cylinder.
  • The U-20 engine block came in a blue-green colour as standard (see images).
  • 9 slot steel wheels (4 ½” J x 14”) with central chromed steel hubcaps.
  • Tyre Size - 5.60-S14-4PR (optional 6.45S14-4PR).
  • Rear drum brakes.
  • Front disc brakes.
  • Tandem brake master cylinder.
  • Some 1970 models had fuel vapour tank mounted on forward wall of trunk.
  • In late 1969, the cars were fitted with a new recirculation ball type steering box. This involved a modification to the front suspension chassis cross member and a change in the radiator design.