Hi Arlo:
Your story is a great one except for the wisecrack about older guys likeing
fast little cars! I got my 1970-1600 Roadster from Minnesota and it sat on
blocks for nineteen years. What's up with Minnesota and roadster's on
blocks?
Steve Harvey
Milwaukee, WI
Arlo J. Levisen wrote:
> 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
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