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Engine
Numbers
Foreign
Differences
Fairlady?
How
Many Cars Built?
Who's
got the last one built and when did production
stop?
Right
Hand Drive Vin#s
Production
Dates
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Keep
in mind foreign cars used to be titled as year SOLD
not necessarily the model year they are. To the
untrained eye the cars look alike, but they aren't.
To translate into American terms and to use an icon
most will recognize, take the 57 and 58 Chevys. If
a 4-eyed 58 was titled as a 57 would you refer to
it as a 57 Chev? Not hardly. There are no 68 1/2
cars, there are no "early 70" cars without square
side marker lamps in the US. They are the model
year they are, regardless of what the title shows.
Informed roadster owners already know this, but
incorrect statements continue to be printed in
various places. On January 1, 1969 vehicles began
coming with production dates, and by the end of
1970 they were finally attached in a way they would
be permanent (well at least they wouldn't fall off
after the glue dried out!). The tag only showed
date of production, the car would have to meet
whatever emission and safety requirements that were
in effect for that date. The tag does not show the
"model year", which can be different. A "4/69" car
is a 69, but a 7/69 is a 70. That's where the VIN
(vehicle identification number) numbers come in to
play.
The
fact that we have listed "XX year cars are from VIN
10000 TO 20000 does not mean there were 10,000
cars, it only means that the cars from that model
year fall in to THAT RANGE. After 35 years of
accumulating VINs from all over the world, it is
easy to see that blocks of VIN numbers were skipped
or otherwise not used, and where in the numbers
this occurred.
Many
of the cars have been altered by owners which can
make some cars a puzzle to identify. (We refer to
these as omelet cars.) The following information
applies to cars destined for North America only.
The exact VIN break can be off in either direction
a few numbers. For more info on VIN peculiarities
and help in VIN and engine number location on your
car please see "Identifying
Your Roadster".
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63
1500
.SPL310-00087
to 00400
Pretty much visually identical to the more
common 64's, but some had script style "Datsun"
emblems on the front fenders instead of the usual
"Fairlady, and the same Datsun emblem in place of a
Datsun 1500, or Fairlady emblem on the rear of the
car. A single SU carb feeds the engine. The fuel
pump and glass fuel filter are combined in one
unit. Chrome valve cover, cast iron master
cylinder. Generator, not alternator. Nissan sales
brochures show WIDE whitewalls were used.
NOTE:
Highest vin found so far in this group is SPL310 -
00366.
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64
1500
.SPL310-00501
to end (est. 3816) + 00001-00075*
4
large even sized gauges on the dash (not 2 big and
4 little like 65's) non-opening side triangle vent
windows, trunk hinges on the outside of the trunk
and a twist-to-open trunk handle. (65's have a
trunk handle that is a non-moving chrome strip.)
The rear shelf behind seats should be about 11
inches deep and not about 2 1/2 feet deep like the
65's. Originally came with a sideways back seat,
and even if it has been removed, pocket for the
sideways passenger's feet will be there. Hood
emblem is one piece (not individual letters like
65's.) Dual carbs, alternator and aluminum valve
cover. Side moulding runs all the way to front of
car. This is possible as fenders are almost
flareless.
*NOTE:
Japanese
sources indicates 00001-00086 were manufactured at
the end of 64 production, which could explain why
they have higher engine numbers than other 64's. If
so, this would mean 00087 is the earliest 1500
Fairlady. Unfortunately this is contradicted by the
lowest engine number we show, G 69242, which was
installed in SPL310-00075! Car 00076 also has a low
engine number. Since SPL310-00070 came with G 89992
we believe the change happened somewhere around
00071-00074.
NOTE:
No vins found between SPL310 - 00809 and SPL310 -
01288
NOTE:
No vins found between SPL310 - 01648 and SPL310 -
02013
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65
1500
.SPL310-10000
to end (est. 11124)
Two
seats not three as earlier cars. Has opening
triangle vent windows, a chrome strip for a trunk
handle (but with external trunk hinges), 2 large
and 4 small gauges, and individual hood letters. A
true 65 would also have 2 suitcase-type (or J-hook
type) top to windshield latches, NOT 3 knurled
knobs like the 62-64's. A true 65 would also have a
large rear interior deck (package shelf) like the
1600's (about 2 1/2 feet deep). The battery would
be under the hood, not behind the passenger seat
like the earlier 1500's. All 1500's should have
small flare fenders with side trim running all the
way to the headlight scoop. All 1500's were
positive ground and had drum front brakes.(I have
seen some late 65's that have discs, but all have
been 2nd or later owner cars so as yet I haven't
found one I was sure hadn't been
converted).
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65/66/67
1600
.SPL311
00001 to 11000
Inside
of the vent windows and windshield frame are
chrome, not painted silver. Handles and interior
trim are also chrome, not painted or black like the
67 1/2's. Gauges have a chrome ring, not black.
Small gauges in dash are alone. All guages single,
not combined with one gauge on top of the circle,
one on the bottom. Dash has 4 toggle switches,
including wiper. Seat back has no latch to keep it
from going forward. Fenders have medium flare, hood
support is on passenger side (right front). No
visors. All engine threads SAE. Emblems should say
"DATSUN 1600" in a straight line.
NOTE:
Only 5 vins higher than SPL311 - 10349
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67
1/2 1600
.SPL311
11001 to SPL311 17000
Gauges
have black rim, not chrome like 67, inside of
w/shield frame, vent frames, door handle pockets
dull grey not chrome. Larger flare on fenders.
Aluminum rear brake drums. Dual tank brake master
cylinder. Emblem (1600) on side of car is BELOW
side moulding, Datsun emblem is above side
moulding.. Small gauges combined 2 to a circle.
Dash has 3 toggle switches, wiper is now separate
pull switch. Inside door handles pull OUT to open
door, not back like earlier 1600's. Has door lock
buttons, earlier 1600's do not. Engine &
transmission metric. Side moulding is dished out,
not IN like earlier 1600's. Speedo goes to 120,
tach to 7000. Fenders have large flare like later
cars, not medium flare like
earlier...
NOTE:
Only
2 vins found between SPL311
- 15265
and SPL311 - 17000
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67
2000 SRL311-00001 to 01000
Also
referred to as "67 1/2 2000" Same as 67 1/2 1600's.
The only low windshield, flat dash 2000. Also had
unique stainless trim around license plate area.
Tach goes to 8000rpm, speedo to 160mph. Headlight
"scoops" are "satin" finish. Only outer edges are
chrome like 1500/1600 and 69-70 2000.
NOTE:
Have found only 1 cars with a vin between 00343 and
00400 inclusive, and only 7 cars above #701. point
to only 650 LHD 2000's being made.
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68
1600
.SPL311-17001
to 24000
68
2000
.SRL311-01001
to 07000
Windshield
frame no longer detachable. Three top latches, not
two. Triangle vent windows do not open. Gauges
"sunk in", outer door handles pull up, not push
button like earlier cars. Mirror above windshield,
not on dash as on earlier cars. Last year for
license light in bumper on USA cars. On 68 2000s
Headlight "scoops" are "satin" finish. Only outer
edges are chrome like all 1500/1600 and 69-70 2000.
Speedo on 1600 reads 120 max, on 2000 it's 160.
Tach on 2000 goes to 8000, on 1600 to 7000. Fuse
box has one row of fuses.
NOTE:
Only
2 vins found between SPL311 - 22638 and 24000
NOTE:
Only 9 vins found between SRL311 - 05978 and
07000
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69
1600
SPL311-24001
to 27000
69
2000
SRL311-07001
to 13000
Teardrop
shaped front marker lights, small round rear side
marker lamps. License light on each side of license
plate, not in bumper. Bumper "rubbers" on behind
each end of bumper. True 69 and 70 cars also have
vin number on plate on drivers side of dash behind
windshield. The 69 and 70 models originally would
have come with a front apron (piece behind front
bumper below grill) that had large center vent
holes, not the smaller of previous years. (See
sheet metal new parts page) Fuse box has 2 rows of
fuses.Steering box changed to recirculating ball
style at SRL 09000, SPL 25000. Among the electrical
differences, true 69-70's have a 9-prong turn
signal switch, not 6 prong like the 68s.
NOTE:
No
vins found between SPL311 - 24765 and SPL311 -
25001.
NOTE:
Only
one vin found between SPL311 - 26746 and 27000
NOTE:
No
vins found between SRL311 - 12944 and SRL311 -
13000
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70
1600
SPL311-27001
to end.((est.
31350)
70 2000
SRL311-13001
to end...(est.
14450)
Rectangular
side markerlamps, larger rear reflectors next to
lower taillights, not above as on 62-69's. Front
park lamp lenses do NOT have chrome rim around
them. Most dash knobs have drawings not words like
68-69. Stainless trim above top of windshield frame
is no longer used. (only visible with top off) Some
70's had extra fuel vapor tank mounted on forward
wall of trunk.
NOTE:
Only
two vins found between SPL311 - 30099 and
31002.
NOTE:
Highest 1600 vin found so far is SPL311-31304
NOTE:
Highest
2000 vin found so far is SRL311-14420
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The
preceding are just some of the differences.
There
are many minor changes throughout the production.
(some cars have also been "modified" by their
owners) Speedo's on 69 & 70 read to 140, not
160 or 120 like 67 and 68's. The large gauges on 69
and 70's do not have the chrome circle in the
center that the 68's do. The panel behind license
plate is angled in at the bottom of 68-70's so that
license plate is more vertical. Some 70's also have
evaporative fuel controls which among other items
necessitates a secondary tank on the forward wall,
inside the trunk. Overall the body can look the
same if you are new to the car. 1500's have "small
flare" front fenders, 65-67 1600's have "medium
flare" and 67 1/2-70's have "large" flare front
fenders. Rear fender flares vary also. There are 5
different hoods, all of which will bolt on and fit
the opening, but vary by latch, emblem holes,
position and type of hood support and the moulding
on the front edge of the "scoop." The list goes on
as some of you have found out trying to swap parts.
To help ID cars with lots of missing parts you can
check these pictures
of what the transmission humps of some unaltered
floors look like.
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Foreign
Differences
Cars
not destined for the USA and Canada can have small
differences. Could be left or right hand drive.
Front turn signal lenses can be clear or orange.
Rear signal lenses on 63-68 were amber. Rear
emblems on even later cars may say "Fairlady"
instead of Datsun. Side emblems on non North
American 65-67s may say "Fairlady." Bumpers may not
have holes for guards. Some cars have the USA 69
style teardrop side lights on the front fenders.
Most 67-70 non-North America 2000's came with Solex
Carburetors. Later (68-70) cars came with a passing
light feature not found on North American cars. No
emission controls were installed. Some cars back to
65 have the teardrop front side marker lights, but
no rear side marker lights. Some 69-70 cars in some
markets stayed with the 68 type rear bumper and
single license lamp design. There's some great
shots of some RHD cars in the book "FAIR LADY,
JAPAN'S FIRST SPORTS CAR" available in our
Literature
Section.
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Engine
Numbers
The
engine number will not be the same as the chassis
number. U20 engine numbers usually are 400-500
numbers higher, which allowed for spare engines and
from the right hand drive cars taking engines from
the same numbered supply. The R-16 engine, which
began production in 1965, was also used in the
RL411 Sedan and Wagon, which was produced in
greater numbers. Variations of it's kissin' cousin
the H20 continued to be used in a number of other
passenger and industrial installations. The G-15
engine was also used in a number of other vehicles.
The only major differences are in the R-16 in that
at R-40000 the number of main bearing saddles was
increased from 3-5 (although it's debatable whether
or not that was an improvement) and some of the
threaded holes were changed to metric
specifications. The year of the engine does not
matter unless you are dealing with some emission
requirement. As best we can figure; the
starting numbers for a given LHD model year
are estimated to be as follows. There is sometimes
overlap at the beginning and end of a year as they
didn't always take the engines in exact order of
when the engines were actually produced.
If
you have a car close to the beginning of a model
year and find this information to be inaccurate
please let us know. As with all Nissan figures,
numbers are approximate.
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63
G15 70000
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66
R16 02000
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69
R16 70000
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68
U20 01700
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64
G15 72000
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67
R16 18000
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70
R16 93500
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69
U20 07500
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65
G15 91000
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67.5
R16 40000
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to
R16 120200
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70
U20 13700
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65
R16 00001
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68
R16 58000
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67
U20 00001
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to
U20 15600
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Wait,
don't I have a "Fairlady"?
"Fairlady"
is a model name Nissan started using on its sports
models after a Nissan executive saw the broadway
play "My Fair Lady." It is still used on
Z
cars
that are kept in Japan or exported to certain
destinations. Most of Nissan's cars and trucks had
names in the 60's. These names were pulled off cars
destined for North America. I've always guessed it
had something to do with heading off sales problems
with their names. Fairlady, Cherry, Sunny, Violet,
Bluebird. Are these the cars of the American Male?
We have heard a number of versions from owners
about the "Fairlady" name and how it applies to
their car. (Is this how fables are born?) We've had
quite a few people call and say they have a 196_
"Rallye Roadster". My favorite is the gentleman who
called for parts and said he had a 1967 Ladybug. In
the 80s I found an ad in the newspaper for a 1967
Datsun Pink Lady. In 2002 someone emailed me
looking for parts for a 1965 Fire Lady. (They DID
say their car was RED...)
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Production
Dates
These
are somewhat of a guess. Some of the very low VINs
could have been produced months earlier. Lead times
require protoypes to be made long before the model
changes are in production. Most manufacturers don't
give these prototypes VIN numbers. These dates
indicate when quantity production for sale was
begun. Factory figures often may be "Introduction"
dates as well as "Production Start" dates.
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63
SPL310*
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9/62-6/63
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...
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69
SPL311
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10/68
- 6/69
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64
SPL310
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6/63-
6/64
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70
SPL311
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6/69
- 6/70
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65
SPL310
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7/64
- 1/65
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67
SRL311
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5/67
- 9/67
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65-67
SPL311
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1/65
- 2/67
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68
SRL311
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10/67
- 9/68
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67.5
SPL311
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3/67
- 9/67
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69
SRL311
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10/68
- 6/69
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68
SPL311
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10/67
- 9/69
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70
SRL311
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6/69
- 12/69
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*
The
lowest vin numbers 00001-00086 were
assembled 7/64, at the end of 63-64
production, which explains why they all
have very high engine numbers. Go
figure!
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Who's
got the last one built? When did production
stop?
Highest
Vin Numbers Found (so far) Before Model Changeover
or End of Production:
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63
SPL310 - 00365
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67.5
SPL311 - 16397
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67
SRL311 - 00967
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64
SPL310 - 03798
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68
SPL311 - 23870
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68
SRL311 - 06979
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65
SPL310 - 11120
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69
SPL311 - 26940
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69
SRL311 - 12944
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65-67
SPL311 - 10967
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70
SPL311 - 31304
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70
SRL311 - 14420
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LATEST
KNOWN PRODUCTION DATES
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SPL311-31154
produced in 4/70
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SRL311-14346
produced in 11/69
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Sales
Dates (USA)
Again,
accuracy is something wished for but not often
attained when it comes to "official" recordkeeping.
From Nissan USA's sales charts we present the
following:
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SPL
310
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NOV
62 to JUL 66
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SPL
311
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JUL
65 to DEC 70*
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SRL
311
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AUG
67 to FEB 71*
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Which
could explain why there are roadsters
titled as 1971s. Back then it was legal
for manufacturers to make "new" cars out
of storage lot queens.
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How
many cars were built?
Good
question, to which there are many answers. The
right one is elusive. Numerous "official" figures
for each year exist, but can be argued to be wrong
by contradictory data. After 30 years we have spent
with the roadster as a hobby and later as a
business we have recorded a good percentage of the
vin numbers, spread pretty evenly throughout the
range. Many times we have every 3rd or 4th car or
every 10th car, or sometimes 3-4 in a row. We
thought we had the run of numbers laid out, but
recent information brings up the possiblity that
certain vins in the progression were skipped. If a
block of numbers is missing or just a small
scattering of numbers has been found it may
indicate the areas where vins were skipped.
Please...feel free to prove us wrong! (or at least
throw in your 2¢ worth) How many cars total?
Pick a number, and if you speak forcefully, you can
be the AUTHORITY! (because we sure don't know.)
Taking into account the recent information on vin
skipping, I'd be inclined to go along with the
figures previously published in the Neko
Fairlady Vol II book. Their figures
were calendar year not model year, so we have
refigured to show model year which is what everyone
wants to know. From this I would surmise the
following:
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1500
LHD
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4,157
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............
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1500
RHD
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2,749
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1600
LHD
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26,425
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1600
RHD
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959
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2000
LHD
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12,877
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2000
RHD
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2,129
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TOTAL
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43,459
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TOTAL
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5,837
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TOTAL
49,296
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LHD
Estimates
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63
1500
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290
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............
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68
1600
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5800
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64
1500
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2860
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68
2000
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4930
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65
1500
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1100
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69
1600
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2530
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65-67
1600
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10400
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69
2000
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5900
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67.5
1600
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4300
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70
1600
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3400
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67
2000
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650
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70
2000
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1400
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This
contradicts the Nissan ID guide that shows sales
amounts for left hand drive cars. I believe the
difference can be explained. Although it states
3000 more 2000's were sold in the LHD configuration
than the total number of 2000s built, it shows that
about 3000 less 1600's were sold than the amount
built. And to add to the confusion, some of the
year by year LHD VIN numbers in the "official"
parts book are mixed up with the RHD VIN numbers,
which were completely different. Production figures
in the Neko book are by calendar year, not model
year so it makes it difficult to nail down the
individual numbers. The 2000 figures we decided on
based on quantity of known engine #s. We will
update this page as more rumors, theories,
suppositions and possibly facts surface. We welcome
any comments or information that any of you can
provide. If you think "official" figures carry any
weight, forget it. A recent Nissan parts guide
shows the roadster ending production 9/69 when
we've seen numerous VIN tags that prove that wrong.
As mentioned above; the vin number guide in the
"official" parts book even has the RHD and LHD vin
numbers mixed up.
Whether
there were 50,000 cars or 60,000 it doesn't much
matter now, as a big percentage of them have been
recycled into soup cans. What we need to do now is
take care of what's left.
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