5k: Cleanse Diet: 1967 Datsun 1600

Most people drive around with more car than they need. After years of driving, this excess becomes less and less jarring, until you find yourself in a two-ton AWD fortress with dual-pane glass and enough alphanumeric safety aids to stump whole legions of claims attorneys. Here to purge you of your coddling is a race-tight Fairlady. Non-masochists need not apply. Find this 1967 Datsun 1600/SPL311/Fairlady road-legal racer for sale in Brunswick, OH for $5,000 via craigslist. 

Looking as innocuous as a Panzer, this Spartan Datsun comes in a full tracksuit: aluminum interior, riveted fiberglass fenders and front bumper, and wide (215 mm) rear tires. It's so determined to go fast, its steel blue paint is already half off, like Clark Kent without a phone booth.

Whatever weight loss earned by the lightweight materials works to drop the already low 1,984-pound curb weight. A later version of the 1,595cc engine sits under the hood, and should just pass the 100-horsepower mark. Other race upgrades include Volvo front disc brakes, an aluminum flywheel, and Holley fuel pump and regulator.

A five-point racing harness and roll bar aren't ideal for street use, especially around stock seats with the headrests removed. Once you resolve that issue, additional upgrades just push the car farther and farther from its current exercise in minimalism. A top and windows come with the sale, but are they absolutely necessary? Look, you get a rust-free MG competitor with a five-speed manual transmission, two seats, and a clean title for just $5,000. Anything else is superfluous.

See another $5k road-legal racer? Email us at tips@dailyturismo.com.

PhiLOL actually likes the tuna here, but abhors structural rust. Save the manuals.