My decision to restore our family’s 1969 Datsun Roadster, which has been in my family since 1972, was a relatively quick decision in early March of 2017. A quick decision that was years in the making. My Dad and I met Ross in the mid 90’s at his previous shop since we had been planning to take the Datsun out of its 1986 parking spot when the time was right. Over the next 15 years I collected parts, knowledge (a lot from the Sports Imports early website) and courage to finally take the plunge and rescue the car in 2013 from its hiding place. At the time I was just another guy with a Datsun Project, but Ross introduced himself on the 311s.com discussion group, and invited me to his shop in South Surrey, a 10 minute drive from my house. From day one it didn’t matter what the scope of my project was, Ross always had the time and the patience to help, with locating parts, or with the tricks of the trade you only get with 40 years’ experience. His advice was invaluable, encouraging me to just get it clean, running, safe, and on the road, immediately understanding the family connection to the car. “Enjoy it now”. And we did.
When the time came to undertake the full restoration of the car it ended up being a quick and easy choice. With Ross at the helm, and Dave his right hand man, we set out on the project with a goal to keep it stock, a timeline, and a “budget”. Did it cost more than I expected? Absolutely. But let’s face it, a restoration project is not cheap, and the old adage applies: “You get what you pay for”. If it’s honesty, quality, and craftsmanship you are looking for, you will find it here. Ross was up front with the costs we could see, and forthright about the ones we couldn’t. Frankly, he was generous to a fault, clearly showing his commitment to customer satisfaction, passion for the cars, and the quality of work his shop produces. The best part was, Ross encouraged me to be as much a part of the project as I wanted, welcoming me into the shop to “help” whenever I could. Overall it was a great experience. If I had to do it again (my wife says “NO”), I wouldn’t hesitate to pull back into the Sports Imports shop.