Dan:
I meant to e-mail you sooner, but had to double check my numbers.
I have a 1962 SPL3100084 and a 1964 SPL3102015, which translates into
#84 and #2015 of the Datsun 1500 Fairladies that were imported into the
US.
My #84 car is quite original in that it was purchased by a Minnesota
farmer in late 1962 in, I believe, Santa Monica, CA. According to the
family, their dad, for reasons unknown to them as he was then a
middle-aged or older man, became smitten with these little roadsters.
As far as they knew he ordered the car from Minnesota and flew out to LA
to pick it up and drive it home after it had been unloaded. As far as I
can tell, he switched out the single carb, replaced the original heater
and repainted the car at some point during his ownership. Otherwise, he
pretty much left the car as is.
By 1980 the car had about 60,000 miles on it, the original purchaser had
died and the rest of the family didn't want the car. So, another then
young man purchased the car, drove it a grand total of 800 miles, and
proceeded to store it until he decided to offer it for sale at a car
auction in Willmar, Minnesota, in September of 1996.
I acquired the car in this manner: I was unaware of the auction. That
morning, a Saturday, I had gone downtown to get my mail and was opening
things up at about 10:00 am. In my mail I had a pamphlet from a cousin
living near Willmar regarding the auction and, at about 10:30 am I
happened to notice that a Datsun 1500 was being offered - and it was
going to be one of the first lots sold at 11:00 am.
So, I hurried and called the phone number on the pamphlet and they gave
me the auctioneer's cell phone number. He was all hot to trot to get
his auction underway, so he let me talk briefly to the owner and he gave
me the serial number. He also told me that the car had been in storage
for then 16 years, but he was confident that it could be driven that day
the 90 miles to my home - if I were to purchase it.
So, arrangements were made to bid over the phone, and the auctioneer
took my word over the phone that I was "good for" whatever I bid. (Such
does not happen everywhere!)
This is the only car I have over bought sight-unseen over the telephone.
We then drove to Willmar and I drove the car home. The brakes locked up
a few times so I used the emergency brake thereafter.
Since then I have used this car as a daily driver and started using it
again this season at the end of March. I do not have a top for it and
use a tonneau cover instead. I put about 4,000 miles a summer on the
car and enjoy every one of them.
As with any almost 40 year old car, things happen. I have had two fires
under the hood, so now it has much more modern wiring! I have also
switched the car over to negative ground and installed a new heater.
Otherwise, if you lift the hood and know these engines, it will all look
basically the same.
My #2015 car has been modified quite a bit and is currently awaiting an
engine block.
If you have any questions I would be happy to respond. I probably know
just enough to be dangerous!
Later,
Arlo Levisen, Revillo, South Dakota
|