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Roadsters in Africa/how many left

To: andycost@att.net, datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
Subject: Roadsters in Africa/how many left
From: RoadsteRob@aol.com
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 16:06:18 EDT
<< I met a guy at the Z-car meet in Las Vegas from South 
 Africa that has one.
 > The July issue of Practical Classics (a great DIY British magazine) 
features
 > a '66 restored by Geoff Wright of Zimbabwe. He says there are three other
 > Fairladys there. He had to have a windshield custom made!
 > 
 > Leigh Brooks
 > BADROC >>

Hi Leigh

I think that the guy at the Z Car meet will have been John Hunter - I've also 
had a guy named Chuck Shah visit me from Zimbabwe - he has a lovely 1600 with 
original Japanese hardtop and foglamps - I sold him some low screen roadster 
parts. Chuck knows another 1600 owner called Vernon Rose from Bulawayo, 
Zimbabwe, who is a friend of Geoff Wright (who's 1600 was featured in 
Practical Classics last month) - small world!  

Now for Rob's trivia time - 8 RHD Fairlady 1600s (they were all badged 
Fairladies and were the same spec as the Japanese SP311s) were destined for 
Zambia in 1965 - the story goes that because of political unrest they only 
reached Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). The local Nissan/Datsun dealer sold them locally 
- at least 5 (those mentioned above, and a Ford V8 engined Roadster) survive. 
Now, going by that ratio, at least 25,000 of the 40,000 Roadsters ever built 
should have survived!? (of which I gather at least 22,000 can be found in 
SoCal!). Mmmm - perhaps not, but a nice thought. 

Rob
  
<< I met a guy at the Z-car meet in Las Vegas from South 
 Africa that has one.
 > The July issue of Practical Classics (a great DIY British magazine) 
features
 > a '66 restored by Geoff Wright of Zimbabwe. He says there are three other
 > Fairladys there. He had to have a windshield custom made!
 > 
 > Leigh Brooks
 > BADROC >>

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