I've read a lot of discussion regarding 1500 serial numbers and one comment I'd
like to add is that on all the 1500's I've owned you can also see the "VIN"
number stamped into the frame rail beneath the carb.'s. It is usefull to
confirm the number on the cowl mounted s/n plate and also the odd extra
characters 4, B, D ect. are sometimes at different places in the number. Like in
the middle instead of the end of the number. I own a 3 seater stamped year 1965
on the cowl plate but the numeral 4 stamped in the frame and cowl s/n denote
that I use a 1964 parts book.
(for what that's worth these days)
Tim C.
Dan Zubkoff wrote:
> >I think I have only had a response or two with a number lower than >mine -
> >#84. So, you now
> >have one of the rarest of the rare!
>
> If I was to place a bet on the VIN numbers of the SPL310s, I'd guess their
> were duplicate SPL-00xxx numbers for the 63 & 65 years.
>
> Preceding the SPL310 on the tags, many of the fairladys have a year stamped.
> For example, 4-spl310-00xxx refers to the 1964 year. Therefore, with the
> combination of the preceding year digit & the vin number most of the cars
> actually have a unique identification.
>
> If you look at the engine number on Duram's car, it seems as if the engine
> has a 1964 G-Block number. My guess is that Nissan wanted to use up the rest
> of the 3-seater parts, so they produced a limited run of 3 seater vehicles
> in 1965, as well as the standard 2-seaters. For the 3 seater cars, they
> started with the low Vin numbers SPL-0000x, and when they moved towards the
> two seaters, restarted the VIN numbers at SPL310-1000X.
>
> Dan Zubkoff
> SPL310-10927D
> San Mateo, CA
>
> >From: "Arlo J. Levisen" <alevisen@gdhscats.org>
> >Reply-To: "Arlo J. Levisen" <alevisen@gdhscats.org>
> >To: Datsun Roadster Mailing List <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> >CC: duram@mossy.com
> >Subject: Datsun 1500 Fairlady
> >Date: Thu, 01 Jul 1999 10:28:22 +0300
> >
> >Duram:
> >
> >I am the proud owner of two (2) Datsun 1500 Fairladies: SPL310 - #00084
> >and SPL310 - #02015. Altogether there were only about 3,400 of these
> >cars imported into the US beginning in the fall of 1962 and ending in
> >the spring of 1965. I believe all of them were left hand drive, with
> >the right hand drive ones going to Australia primarily. A few RHD's may
> >have ended up in the US.
> >
> >Other than the number 1 car that is located somewhere in California, as
> >I understand it, yours is the next lowest numbered 1500 Fairlady I have
> >ever heard of. From time to time, on this Mailing List, whenever
> >someone mentions a 1500 I ask them what their serial number is. To be
> >honest, most of the time I don't get a response. I think I have only
> >had a response or two with a number lower than mine - #84. So, you now
> >have one of the rarest of the rare!
> >
> >As far as your questions are concerned:
> >
> >The car come positive ground. In my case, rather than fight worn-out or
> >virtually unobtainable and/or way too expensive ignition parts, I
> >switched both of my cars over to negative ground using Ford parts.
> >These cars are soooo primitive that you can do that without worrying
> >about blowing out anything of significance or consequence. Since I did
> >that both of my cars start all the time without hesitation - and I even
> >used old Ford stuff from the 1970's.
> >
> >My cars are non-metric.
> >
> >The 1500's were three-seaters.
> >
> >First gear is non-sychronomeshed.
> >
> >The question of the "year" is a puzzle and I have never had an
> >explanation that squares with what I understand to be the facts with my
> >cars. If you look on the plate, you will see that the "1 9 6" is
> >pre-printed and then the "5" is handstamped. On my #84 car, which
> >presumably had to have been built before my #2015 car, it is also
> >handstamped "5" - meaning, I suppose, "1965". On my #2015 car, again
> >assuming that it had to have been built well after my #84 car, is
> >handstamped "4" - meaning, I suppose, "1964". So, that has never made
> >any sense to me.
> >
> >Then, while I know nothing of the history of my #2015 car, I believe I
> >know everything about the #84 car. I am the third owner and the
> >original purchaser, a farmer from Kerkhoven, Minnesota, according to the
> >family - ordered the car sometime in 1962 and then flew out to Santa
> >Monica, CA., later in the year and drove it back. It is also titled as
> >a 1962 car. I do not know why it has the "5" stamped on it - and your
> >car, being #6 and having a "5" also stamped on it, makes no sense to me
> >either. Maybe someone knows the "real" story!
> >
> >I have studied your pictures. The first thing I would do is get rid of
> >that unsightly roll bar. The car doesn't go fast enough for that to be
> >a need!
> >
> >You may consider taking the top off and the convertible frame out and
> >hang them on a wall. I have Hartz cloth tonneau covers made locally for
> >both of my cars and that is all I have used in the past three years.
> >Such covers are offered by Rallye also, I believe. I think you will
> >also find the top and the frame to be more of a pain you know where than
> >you are willing to put up with - and the tonneau covers are the perfect
> >solution.
> >
> >You do not have the standard-issue luggage rack, but so what! Yours
> >looks more like one for an MGB.
> >
> >You also have an after-market radio and shift knob.
> >
> >Does your heater come through the center of the firewall or through the
> >rider's side? Either way it probably doesn't work. The street-rodders
> >have a great solution!
> >
> >My picture of your engine area was not very clear, but it looks to me
> >like you have two (2) pots on your Hitachi carb set up. So does mine.
> >Now, supposedly the "early" 1500's came with a single pot set-up. I
> >don't know how much earlier you can get than #6 or even #84 - but I know
> >my set-up is original. I suppose yours could have been switched to the
> >two-pot system.
> >
> >BTW, does your convertible frame have some wood parts? That was another
> >indication of "early".
> >
> >What I have shared with you is what I recall off the top of my head. I
> >will check some of my information sources tonite and, if I have led you
> >astray, I will make corrections and/or additions.
> >
> >Finally, I drive my #84 every day to and from work, from about the 1st
> >of April until about mid-November, and then around the countryside.
> >Yesterday was over 100 miles. No one knows what it is, so you get a lot
> >of questions. While it is a very basic car, there is also not a lot
> >that can go wrong with it, making it easy to fix. To be honest, since I
> >switched to negative ground two years ago there hasn't been anything to
> >fix. I routinely cruise it at 70 mph, but I don't push it much beyond
> >that. I don't think the engine can handle the heat build-up all that
> >well. This car now has 67,000 miles on it and it uses about a quart of
> >oil in 3,000 miles or between changes.
> >
> >So, there is hope! They are good little cars.
> >
> >Arlo Levisen
> >Revillo, South Dakota
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