Jay Leno checks out a restomod Datsun 1600 with an SR20 engine.

The Datsun 1600 laid the foundation for the 240Z and the Nissan Z sports cars that followed. Mike Spagnola of Purpose Built Motors has honored that heritage while upgrading the 1600's performance to create a tasteful restomod that recently appeared in "Jay Leno's Garage."

In addition to being special to Datsun and Nissan fans, the 1600 holds special meaning to Leno. He had purchased his first roadster in 1934, because it was the second one he had bought (after a 1934 Ford pickup truck). His car was nothing like this red roadster, though.

According to Spagnola, this car was initially a bare shell. Aesthetic changes were essentially limited to larger wheels and tires and the fender flares that covered them, but there were surprises waiting under the hood.

The Datsun is powered by the SR20DET turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine from the S13-generation Nissan 240SX. Despite being a Nissan engine, modifications are easy and aftermarket support is available. With an aftermarket turbocharger, Spagnola says wheel output is about 300 hp and torque is about 260 lb-ft. This is much greater than the stock engine.

However, the new engine fits snugly into the engine compartment, and Spagnola had to put gold foil insulation on the hood to deal with the heat released by the turbo. Brakes were sourced from a more modern Nissan sports car, in this case a 300ZX.

The Datsun 1600's lineage continues in the 2023 Nissan Z sports car, but the Datsun name itself may not be around much longer: retired in 1981, the Datsun name was revived in 2013 for emerging markets, selling cars in countries like India, Indonesia, Russia The company is still selling cars in India, Indonesia, Russia, and other countries. However, Nissan is considering discontinuing Datsun again and redirecting resources to its electric vehicle business, Nikkei Asia reported in April 2022.

Check out the full video to hear more about the car and Jay's thoughts on how this car drives. Spoiler alert: he's impressed.