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1964 NISSAN CEDRIC 1900 WAGON
WP31
Chassis number WP31-50620
Alan bought Cedric in 1996 and
after a 6 month restoration, she (he ?) was used as everyday family transport
for many years. She was bought off a 91 year old man who bought her new
in 1964. She had only 59000 miles on the clock when purchased. She was
originally a metallic red colour with a red interior, but the previous
owner had hand painted her (with a brush!) a woeful brown colour. She is
now painted two toned Merino White and Midnight Blue (original 1964 Nissan
colours) with a blue velour and vinyl interior. Cedric is off the road
at the moment for a major rebuild.
1966 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
Chassis number SP311-01060
This was the first car Alan
bought, thanks to a generous loan from his parents.
I bought it in 1983, when I
was 16 years old, and I spent a year restoring her with my father. When
I got her she was painted Canary Yellow and had a cream colour interior.
She had been in a rear end accident and had been the victim of some dodgy
panel work. Numerous rust repairs had been done by glueing cut up Coke
cans in place, then filling over them. She is now painted Porsche Guards
Red, in two pack paint, with a black interior. The original engine has
been replaced with a Nissan H20 1982cc 4cyl. OHV engine fitted with the
Fairlady's original alloy head, twin SUs, extractors, gearbox and all other
fittings. It is also fitted with a SR311 diff and brakes. The rest of the
car is original.
1965 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
Chassis number SP311-00264
Ruth's "Baby".
This is a very early SP311 that
we have restored together throughout 2005-2006 to near perfect condition.
The trial and tribulations of the restoration can be seen at Ruth's Fairlady
Restoration website. She is painted Sora Blue, and has a black interior.
She is as close to 100% original as it is possible to get. The car was
a "restoration project" when Ruth bought her. About a week after she got
her home and Alan started to have a good look at it he realised that it
was a car that he had owned and restored himself twenty years ago.
"Baby" came second in her class
at the Datsun Sports Owners Nationals in 2006.
1962 DATSUN 320
Chassis number P320-2-30677
Being a 1962 model, with a very
early chassis number, she is one of the earliest Datsun's to have come
to Australia. Purchased on my birthday in 2001 (happy birthday to me!)
she has been slowly restored over the course of the past few years. She
is Sora Blue with a royal blue interior and has a varnished timber tray.
She won a trophy for the best
commercial vehicle at the 2007 Classic Japanese Car Show.
1967 1/2 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600
SP311
Chassis number SP311-02182
A restoration project bought
in 2006, this will be Alan's daily driver when finished. She is currently
a bare shell sandblasted back to bare metal, and many boxes of bits.
1964 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1500 SP310
Chassis number SP310
The next restoration project
after the 320 is complete. Early 3 seater car.
1963 DATSUN BLUEBIRD P312
Chassis number P312-3-32984
Bought her in 1988 and used
as everyday transport (and pizza delivery car) for many years. Purchased
for $200 from a wrecking yard, she was mechanically near perfect and just
needed painting. Originally two toned grey and blue, she is now Merino
White and Midnight Blue with a blue interior. She is totally original,
except for the Marantz stereo.
1963 DATSUN BLUEBIRD WAGON WP312
Chassis number WP312-3-
Future project.
1963 DATSUN BLUEBIRD P312
A basket case ! Someone gave
it to me. A spare parts car.
1996 FORD TAURUS
Ruth's current daily driver
- hey, every family needs a practical family car. Driven much less frequently
now that Baby is finished. At least it's not an Australian Ford, they are
crap!
1965 NISSAN SILVIA CSP311
Chassis number CSP311-70231
Alan bought Silvia in 1986.
She was originally from New Guinea and was privately imported into Australia.
The man he bought her off started to restore her but only got as far as
completely dismantling her and then gave up and sold her. When purchased
she was just a bare shell and several boxes of parts. Restoration took
over 5 years for Alan to complete, she is in spectacular condition. She
has won several trophies and prizes from the car shows she has been entered
in. She is painted in pearl finish Blue Mica two pack paint with over 30
coats of paint. The interior is a polar white colour with blue carpets.
All the interior fittings are original except the centre console, which
now features an Alpine component stereo system with a computer equaliser
and joystick balance controls. The engine is a Nissan H series 1883cc OHV
4cyl. engine bored out to over 2 litres. She is fitted with Silvia's original
alloy head, carbs, gearbox, distributor, etc. Everything that is made of
metal in the engine bay has been chromed, all hoses are braided stainless
steel. She has travelled less than 2000 miles in the past 12 years. Sold
in 2003, she now lives in New Zealand.
1965 NISSAN SILVIA CSP311
My first Silvia. I bought her
fully restored and used her as everyday transport for many years. Painted
Silvia Gold. Sold in 2001, she now lives in Sweden.
1965 NISSAN SILVIA CSP311
Just a body shell and chassis,
nearly everything else was missing. Now owned by my father.
1964 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1500 SP310
I still get upset with myself
for selling this car ! I fully restored this car. A three seater, 100%
original. Burgondy red with a black interior. Stunning, close to perfect.
1965 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
I restored this car to original
condition. White with a red interior. 15 years later we bought her back
and this car is now Ruth's Baby.
1966 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
Chassis number SP311-00925
Bought in 1991, it was one of
those "I am going to restore it one day" cars. She's a burgondy red colour
with a black interior. Minor frontal damage, possibly repaired by a butcher
rather than a panel beater. I ended up selling her unrestored to some complete
numbat who is totally destroying her by attacking her with a hacksaw and
a blow torch trying to fit an SR20 turbo engine (not necessarilly a bad
thing), an automatic transmission, air conditioning, and god knows what
else.
1967 DATSUN FAIRLADY 2000 SR311
A bit of a mongrel. The previous
owner hit a kangaroo at 150kph. He but the car back together with bits
off several different models. Has a 2000 body and mechanicals, 1600 dash
board and diff, '65 1500 guards and bonnet. I gave it a coat of black paint
and sold it.
1967 1/2 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600
SP311
Sold it unrestored. Grey paint.
This car has been bought back by Alan and is now the current restoration
project.
1965 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
I restored it to close to original
condition. Red with a black interior.
1965 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
A wreck. This was the car used
in the film "The cars that ate Paris", yes, the car that went off a cliff
and hit a tree ! I bought it off a guy who bought it off someone on the
production crew that made the film. He started to restore it but gave up.
(It would have been easier to restore the Challanger Space Shuttle.)
1966 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1600 SP311
A wreck. Spare parts car.
1964 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1500 SP310
A wreck. I bought it off some
idiot who attacked it with a blow torch.
1964 DATSUN FAIRLADY 1500 SP310
Chassis number 4-SP310-00134
Now owned by my father who is
restoring her. I bought her in 1995, she hasn't graced the road since 1981.
She has never been in an accident but has substantial rust damage. She's
a 3 seater, twin carb model. she's painted that god-awful orange/red colour
Nissan insisted on using in the 60s and early 70s. She'll be white with
a royal blue interior when finished.
1964 DATSUN FAIRLADY SP310
chassis number 4-SP310-00163
A total basket case! Spare parts
car only. Painted the most repugnant slime green colour you have ever seen.
I think it looks nice sitting in it's current location in my mother's front
yard, but for some strange reason she doesn't think so.
1963 NISSAN CEDRIC 1900 SEDAN
31
A spare parts car. I feel kind
of guilty wrecking this car, but I needed the parts for the wagon. It's
black with a coffee cream and black interior.
1964 NISSAN CEDRIC 1900 WAGON
WP31
She's a one owner car, metallic
red and even has it's original pull out radio.
1969 NISSAN CEDRIC SUPER SIX
2400 G130-U
Paid $20 for it ! No engine,
body in fair condition.
1964 DATSUN 320
Chassis number P312-4-?????
(don't know, the number has rusted away!)
Basket case. Found in a cow
paddock in Kingaroy by a friend, paid him a case of beer to bring her home.
She is 100% original, unfortunately 95% of those 100% original parts are
pretty rusty. She has donated her life so that other early Datsuns can
live again.
1963 DATSUN BLUEBIRD P312
A spare parts car. Now landfill.
1964 DATSUN 320 PICKUP
Another full restoration. Painted
Merino White with a blue interior. Has a varnished timber tray. Fitted
with a 1483cc 4cyl. OHV J15 engine. Looked fabulous ! Was a pizza delivery
vehicle for Alan's pizza shop for years.
1965 DATSUN BLUEBIRD P411
Chassis number P411-021358
This Bluebird was a one owner
car, it is painted blue and has a blue interior. It is one of the most
original P411s I have ever seen.
1967 PRINCE SKYLINE GT-B
S54BE-3
A wild car. She was a factory
prepared race car. Originally purchased to be raced in touring car races,
it's original owner was paralised in an accident before he could race it.
It sat unused for years before it was sold again. Subsequent owners have
raced it in hill climbs and rallies. It had a higher compression ratio
than most GT-Bs and other differences like a 120 litre fuel tank and different
jets in the triple Webers. Originally white, I painted it dark blue with
a red interior. I sold it to a man who wanted it for his private collection
of race cars.
1964 PRINCE SKYLINE 1500 S50E-1
This was Alan's everyday transport
for years. When bought she was in good condition with her original paintwork
and upholstery. There was no signs of rust and there didn't appear to have
ever been any. (not unusual for a Prince Skyline 1500) The only thing needed
to get her going when purchased was to file the points and the rotor and
change the oil.
1966 PRINCE ESTATE 1500 W50ADE-2
I bought this car from a wrecking
yard and started to restore it. Unfortunately my father sold the shed I
was keeping all my Princes in, and I had nowhere else to keep them, so
I sold this and all the following Princes to one person. No car has ever
been seen again. This car was red with a red interior.
1964 PRINCE ESTATE 1500 W50AE-1
I bought this car for a guy
who had a landscaping business. He used to cart gravel and dirt around
in it, claims he could get a metre of gravel in the back. Blue with a blue
and grey interior.
1964 PRINCE SKYLINE 1500 S50E-1
This car had been in a major
accident. Who ever rebuilt it made it up with the front half of one car
and the back of another. Very rough. A parts car.
1964 PRINCE SKYLINE 1500 S50E-1
A wreck. Red with a red interior.
Spare parts only.
1969 NISSAN CEDRIC 2400 H130
Blue with a blue/grey interior.
I never did get around to doing anything with that car. A bit too new for
my liking.
1973 DATSUN CHERRY 120A COUPE
Quite rare in this country,
I think I had the only one. Looked like someone had grafted the back of
a Lotus Europa onto the front of a 120Y. I sold it to some looser who owned
it for a week before he wrapped it around a telegraph pole. It was red
with a cream interior.
1972 DATSUN CHERRY 100A
The 100A was Nissan's first
front wheel drive. All front wheel drives are woe-ful things, but this
one was particularly nasty. Blue with a black interior.
1972 DATSUN CHERRY 100A
Spare parts for the above car.
1965 HONDA S600 SOFT TOP
I restored this car to original.
Was painted with flat white house paint, with a brush, when I got it. (God,
there are some STUPID people out there!) I painted it red with a black
interior.
1965 HONDA S600 SOFT TOP
In fair condition when I got
it, I just gave it a coat of red paint.
1967 HONDA S800 HARD TOP
Was painted frog green, I painted
it metallic bronze. Had a neat little metal spoiler on the back.
1965 HONDA S600 HARD TOP
A basket case, spare parts car.
Some loser had put a 5 litre Holden V8 (possibly the most agricultural
engine he could find) in it and thought he was going to go drag racing
with it. Somehow thought he was going to put 200hp throught the S600s dinky
chain drive rear end. White, black inside.
1965 HONDA S600 HARD TOP
Another basket case ! I was
thinking of building gull wing doors for it, just for something to do,
but soon came to my senses. Just a parts car.
1984 NISSAN 300ZX KHGZ31
When everyone in upper management
at Domino's Pizza got their company car allowance, they all bought new
Toyota Camrys and other cardigan cars, Alan got a second hand 300ZX. (no
point in being a sheep like everyone else) A great car for cruising
on the highway, but like all new "sports cars", it was a useless sports
car. Not the most reliable thing on the face of the planet either. Red
with a brown velour interior.
1984 NISSAN 300ZX KHGZ31
Parts car.
1989 NISSAN EXA N13
Black with a black interior.
1981 DATSUN 280C 430
White with a blue interior.
Was family transport until the Cedric wagon was finished being restored.
1974 DATSUN 240C COUPE 230
Brown with a black interior.
1977 ALFA ROMEO GTV
Went great when it wasn't putting
conrods through the block, setting itself on fire, etc. It's Italian, what
more would you expect?
RENAULT 12
I don't remember what year the
car was, and I don't care. What a god-awful, repugnant, ugly, under-engineered,
fragile, pathetic, evil-handling device. Makes a Lada Samara look like
a quality automobile. Europeans may have invented the car, but they couldn't
screw one together to save their life.
1974 VOLVO 142GT
Another one of those "hey, we
could throw a coat of paint on that and make some money" cars. I don't
understand how Volvo got a reputation for building "safe" cars when they
do stupid things like bolting the brake line brackets onto the bumper bar
stays (one small bump and you fracture the pipes). It handled worse than
the 312 Bluebird did when it had stuffed shock absorbers. A mobile joke
! P.S. We didn't make any money !
Is Cedric ownership a genetic disorder ? (And if it is, is there a cure ?)
My father has owned a long and eclectic list of motor cars over the course of his 80+ years, cars ranging from an Austin 7 to a Riley Pathfinder, and all kinds of other interesting things as well. But in the 1960s he began to change his buying habits, like many people in the early 1960s in Australia he began to notice that the 'new' Japanese cars that were coming on the market were actually pretty good cars, and they represented a sound investment. The 'new' Japanese cars were very well made, well equipped, and quite inexpensive.
In 1963 a member of his family, Billy Dingle (real name, not a joke!) became one of the first Nissan Cedric owners in the country when he bought one of the first Cedrics to come off the boat. Unfortunately for him the car was so new that no one had heard of one, and shortly after buying it he broke a windscreen. Every windscreen shop he went to said "you own a what ??". He had to wait a few weeks for Nissan to ship a new screen out from Japan because they didn't even have any Cedric parts in stock at the time.
Everyone that saw the car was impressed, my father included. Shortly after that he ended up buying his first Japanese car, a Toyota Toyopet 700. He was sizably impressed with the tiny 2 cylinder Toyota and a few years later he moved up in stature (and in the number of cylinders) and bought a Toyota Crown. At about the same time he owned a second hand furniture shop and when it came time to buy a new truck for the business he bought a new Datsun Homer. (He owned the Homer for many years and later sold it to my uncle who owned it up until 2 years ago)
When it came time to replace the Toyota Crown he bought a 230 series Cedric 260C. This Cedric was the change-over model just before the 330 series came out, it had the 230 series 240C body with the 330 series 2.6 litre engine in it. By now the Cedric bug had bitten him and a few years later he bought a 330 series Cedric 280C. Again this was the change-over model, it had the 330 series 260C body with the 430 series 2.8 litre engine in it. This car served him well and when it came time to get another car he bought yet another Cedric, this time it was a 430 series Cedric 280C.
But the family's Cedric collection doesn't end there, in 1984 my uncle Bert, who was quite impressed with the long sucession of Cedrics my father owned, bought himself a new Y30 series Cedric 300C. The last I heard he still owns it.
And finally, my uncle Stan. I had owned my 31 series Cedric Wagon for at least a year, and I had seen Stan many times since I bought the car, in fact he had been over to visit while I was restoring the Cedric a couple of times and had seen the restoration taking place. At some point during that time you would think that if he had once owned a Cedric himself he might have mentioned it to me, perhaps even just a passing comment to make conversation. But no, he failed to even mention it until one day well after I had the car finished and on the road. He just casually said one day, "I used to own one of these!". I asked why he hadn't thought to mention it to me before, he said "I didn't know that you would be interested".
Apparently he owned a 31 series Cedric for about a year. By the sound of it it was in far from good condition, and he did nothing to maintain the car. He was driving the car across to Darwin and was in the middle of nowhere when the oil light came on to warn that he was out of oil. So he did what any conscientious motorist would do, he kept on driving. About half an hour later the obvious happened, the engine self-destructed. At that point he abandoned the car on the side of the road, hitched a ride to the next town, and never saw the Cedric again.
So, maybe Cedric ownership
is a genetic disorder. Is there a cure ?
I hope not !
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