Estate(s) of the nation - British tourer purchased 05-12-24 - See page 34

[Heidel_Kakao]

Great! -OD so a westcountry reg for those none the wiser! What plates are you going to select? Are the recesses an odd size?

I am going for white riveted plastic digits on a black plate, I thought about silver on black but I generally don't like shiny things so I am kind of a reverse magpie LOL.

 

The recesses are of an odd size but the Finnish plates were a similar size to ours so mounting should be straightforward.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I’ve just moaned on the GGG thread that I haven’t seen one for ages, and here’s another !

 

Like buses....

[MorrisItalSLX]

Excellent choice in number plates, the white letters are more in keeping than the silver ones.

 

Do my eyes deceive me, or is there already UK number plates behind the Finnish ones?

[dollywobbler]

I reckon it'd look sweeter on white/yellow raised digit plates to be honest, but it's not my car. They would have been the norm by J-plate really. My J-plate Rover P6B had gorgeous while/yellows. Naturally, a later owner replaced them with black and silvers...

[chaseracer]

Being very old, I remember that 'engraved' plates were a thing around the turn of the 70s:

 

 

Just a thought...

[Angrydicky]

A mate has an original UK registered Spitfire that's in the series UOD***J. Not far off so could conceivably be an original UK number.

Reflective tin plates would definitely look better and more period.

[Heidel_Kakao]

Do my eyes deceive me, or is there already UK number plates behind the Finnish ones?

No your eyes don't decieve you, there was some shenanigans involving "import" plates and stuff.

 

I reckon it'd look sweeter on white/yellow raised digit plates to be honest, but it's not my car. They would have been the norm by J-plate really. My J-plate Rover P6B had gorgeous while/yellows. Naturally, a later owner replaced them with black and silvers...

A mate has an original UK registered Spitfire that's in the series UOD***J. Not far off so could conceivably be an original UK number.

Reflective tin plates would definitely look better and more period.

I have already ordered the ones I wanted, I know number plates style can be a deeply personal and emotive thing. As it's not an original UK car it's always going to look odd being LHD and to be honest it's the only car I have ever owned that is old enough to have black plates so I would feel cheated if I didn't have them and I also like the symmetry of the same colour plates on both ends.

[Spottedlaurel]

Very late to this. Only to add it may be a different key. The car was intended for the US market and there was a lot of valet parking - doors and ignition were often on one key - glove box and boot/tailgate were on another for security you did not give to the car hop.

 

No US sales of this generation of Cedric nor any of the following versions.

 

All the Datsuns I've had have one key for ignition and a second that does all the locks. On older models the former has a pattern on one side only, the locks key is double-sided.

 

I think some later Japanese cars did have the garage/valet key thing, but I'm not sure about this era.

 

The limited number of UK versions of estate that I've ever seen all have squarer-type rear plates:

 

1970 Datsun Cedric 2000 Estate (130) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

[Heidel_Kakao]

The limited number of UK versions of estate that I've ever seen all have squarer-type rear plates

I forgot about that picture.... Maybe I should have ordered one oblong and one square plate but I only really like square plates on Land Rovers and that is what I associate them with.

[ruffgeezer]

A square plate wouldn't fit on my 1200, I do have the correct dimensions for an import plate of that era somewhere.

[Heidel_Kakao]

Today I drove Cedric for the first time since March! Somewhat fittingly this time last year to the day he arrived in the UK I had almost forgotten how awesome this thing is to drive, got some approving glances from a few other drivers too which is always nice.

These are the tyres I chose, Vredestein Sprint Classic's in 185/80 R14. They weren't cheap at £120 each but they look the part and seem fine from initial impressions.

You know when you have classic car tyres if the label says not to fit to anything made after 1990, not sure what would happen if you did mind.

I had plenty of fabric leftover from the headrests so the sun visors got the furry treatment.

All tucked up safe and sound I didn't want to drill holes in my brand new plates so both front and rear are attached via the power of magnets and because the plates are aluminium self adhesive metal discs of the type used to hang paintings in gallery's. The number plate illumination is provided by LED bolts that just happen to be M6 and so fit perfectly in the threaded holes that the factory provided.

Still lots of little things to fix, improve and upgrade but it will be a gradual process, one thing that's good about intending on keeping a car for ever is that I don't feel in any rush to make it "perfect".

[SiC]

They put that notice on as that exempts the tyre manufacturers from EU efficiency and noise requirements. Otherwise they'd have to be tested and have the efficiency label slapped on them and probably not pass either.

[SiC]

Also I've never understood the snobbery against black & white plates on cars that are eligible for them. I put them on my older stuff for the exact reason you did on this - because I've never had a car previous to be old enough to be able to.

[richardmorris]

Also I've never understood the snobbery against black & white plates on cars that are eligible for them. I put them on my older stuff for the exact reason you did on this - because I've never had a car previous to be old enough to be able to.

 

As far as I go, it’s what looks right. Some cars look fine with black plates others don’t. The last car I went to view was 1955, but on horrible, horrible modern reflective plates.

[SiC]

As far as I go, it’s what looks right. Some cars look fine with black plates others don’t. The last car I went to view was 1955, but on horrible, horrible modern reflective plates.

I guess that makes sense. In my eyes 70s stuff looks right on b&w plates. However when 80s stuff will be eligible in just over a year I don't think it will - in my eyes. But then I was born in the 80s.

[PhilA]

Looks nice. Plates need engine-grubby fingers rubbed over them to get rid of the "Daz white", bring the letters down to more of a cream.

 

Looks real nice though. I'm fond of metallic snot green.

 

Phil

[Heidel_Kakao]

Looks nice. Plates need engine-grubby fingers rubbed over them to get rid of the "Daz white", bring the letters down to more of a cream.

Looks real nice though. I'm fond of metallic snot green.

Phil

Yeah I will have to fast forward the patina on the plates so it's in keeping with the rest of the car.

If it gets to this point again I will have gone too far though LOL.

[chaseracer]

I guess that makes sense. In my eyes 70s stuff looks right on b&w plates. However when 80s stuff will be eligible in just over a year I don't think it will - in my eyes. But then I was born in the 80s.

 

Agreed.  

 

Anyway, hardly anything new got B/W plates much after 1968 or '69.  Trust me; I was there, collecting car numbers from my bedroom window.

 

[PhilA]

I asked my old man and he said that people with earlier registered cars would fit white/yellow plates to make the cars look more modern.

 

His Sprite has the original rear plate (the front was remade after a kerb interface some time in the eighties) which is a 69 G, yellow and white set.

 

Phil

[brandersnatch]

Agreed.

 

Anyway, hardly anything new got B/W plates much after 1968 or '69. Trust me; I was there, collecting car numbers from my bedroom window.

 

My dad bought a Mk1 Escort 1300L in 1972 (KJJ470K) He didn’t pay extra for reflective plates. “Too expensive and they look rubbish” lol.

 

 

One’s too many, ten’s not enough!

[Heidel_Kakao]

Hey so this thread is long due an update, I have done a fair bit to Cedric that I didn't bother documenting such as replacing all four headlamps and fitting relays for them, brake fluid change, and other random jobs. Today I got round to replacing the radio antenna as it had been annoying me for a while.

Here is the old ugly antenna which I am pretty certain is not the factory original.

I thought I would have to take the wing of to change it but I found this handy access hole in the wheel arch.

Here is the replacement, just a generic power antenna from Ebay.

And here it is fitted, looks much better in my opinion, I didn't bother wiring it up as firstly the radio doesn't work and secondly I don't listen to the radio anyway. I will probably make it work at some point in the future though.

As shown in the owners manual a power antenna was "optional equipments" and there is a hole in the dash for a switch to go which is nice.

Have a bonus piccie of Cedric in the air  You can just about see the 405 in the background and that is still going strong, had it nearly a year now and still like it so no immediate plans to replace it but I would like to get a Subaru Legacy estate at some point.

[Noel Tidybeard]

yay H-K is back in town

[flat4alfa]

Last post back in March, hurrah

[catsinthewelder]

Good to see you're plodding away at it, is there much more to do for an MOT?

[Heidel_Kakao]

20 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

Good to see you're plodding away at it, is there much more to do for an MOT?

It doesn't need an MOT, joys of the 40 year exemption I should be taking it to Cholmondeley in a few weeks.

[tommotech]

That ramp photo is calendar material, surely. 

[Heidel_Kakao]

Yo @LightBulbFun or anyone else what kind of bulb is this? It's for my dashboard lights and I could do with some replacements.

Today I spent some time butchering an interior light with a Dremel I have two of these and this was the worst condition one.

Added a few pieces of Meccano and some magnets to stick it to the roof with, this will cover up the stupidly bright LED interior light nicely.

[LightBulbFun]

Lightbulb is a fairly normal small panel indicator type bulb

it has a B9 Bayonet base, im guessing 12V? the markings will mention wattage etc

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143308140484

heres a slow boat from china ebay listing

select B9 for the "socket" drop down menu, and then chose the rest of the down menus appropriately 

I imagine its a fairly common bulb so you could probably find them in the UK easily enough as well

hopefully this helps or at least helps point you in the right direction

[Heidel_Kakao]

Yeah it says 12V and 4 Watts on it, cheers

[LightBulbFun]

here we go heres a potential option shipped from in the UK   (editing this with a tag for @Heidel_Kakao just incase he missed it as I posted it just as he posted his above comment so might of flown under the radar)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122071020423