As part of the cost saving measure the dash now had 5 round dials rather than 7 in the previous model, with two of the dials being combination gauges. The doors had light weight internal mechanisms, and also now used the 'pull out' style interior door handles from the 130 series Nissan Cedric. The seats were a simpler and easier to build design, and also offered a very unattractive headrest as an option. The interior was still a very attractive and sporting design, though it lacked the charm of the previous chrome filled model.
The body of the car underwent several changes, some were quite obvious, whilst others were not visable but had to do with making the car easier to build. The most obvious changes were to the wheel arch flares, which were much bigger and gave the car a wonderful 'boy racer' look. The bonnet scoop is also enlarged, giving the front a more agressive look. The stainless steel side strips have changed and are now a convex shape rather than the concave type of the previous models. The badge on the bonnet is the same as the previous model, with individual letters that spell Datsun. On the side there are the same Fairlady badges that have been used since the SPL212 in 1960. The Fairlady badge sits above the side strip, while below the strip there is a new 1600 badge on the SP311 version, or a 2000 badge on the SR311. At the back of the car there is a new Fairlady badge in a running writing style font, and under that there is either a 1600 or 2000 badge. For most export models the Fairlady badges were deleted and instead the cars were fitted with the same Datsun badge that was used on the grille of the R411 Bluebird SSS.
From the outside except for the badges the 1967 1/2 SP311 and SR311 are identical, with two exceptions. The two models have different grilles, the SP311 continues to use the same grille as the previous model, with three wide horizontal bars in the middle, while the 2 litre SR311 has a grille that comprises the outer part of the old SP310 grille with a new center section with two wider horizontal bars with a narrow bar inbetween them. The SR311 grille also had a large badge in the middle with a stylised D in the centre. At the back of the car the SR311 has a stainless steel trim around the number plate, while the SP311 version does not.
The changes made to the car meant that the SP311 version weighed 20kg less than the 1965 model, and because of it's simplified construction it was cheaper to build and went on sale in Japan at a lower price than the 1965 model. The SR311 version was, quite rightfully, sold at a premium price, as it not only set the benchmark by which other Japanese performance cars would be judged, it also comfortably outperformed pretty well every car in it's class, including the British sports cars that the uneducated were claiming the Fairlady was only a mere copy of. Even when the Mazda Miata MX-5 was released, with the advantage of two decades of new technology and an ultra modern twin cam engine it was no faster than an SR311 in it's 0-100kph times, and the Mazda still couldn't match the SR311's 200kph+ top speed.
The 1967 1/2 SP311 and SR311 Datsun Fairladys were in production for only a brief time between March 1967 and September 1967. The cars were replaced by the 1968 model SP311 and SR311 in October 1967.
