Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

I guess I was lucky to find the metal ones without any detours. Apparently it is possible to mount the "S" upside down because I have managed to do it. Also you will want to spend the time to find some tubing to function as fasteners because speed nuts are really difficult to deal with and actually interfere with each other on one letter. Good luck it sounds like you have a nice project going.

If you go to a hobby store that sells silicone tubing for R/C planes, cars etc, you can find the silicone tubing that will grip the letter pins quite firmly yet remain soft and supple so you can remove the bit of tubing later and hence the letter.

If you use aquarium tubing, it can get a bit stiff and hard over time, making it near impossible to remove off the back of the letter without cutting.

Speed nuts come in several varieties. The one most often seen on the back of emblems and letters is the stamped nut type as opposed to the almost flat rectangular type. The stamped nut actually threads on and can be removed the same way as long as you don't "strip" the pin. The flat rectangular type tends to bite in way too hard for easy removal, and therefore lots of broken pins. The stamped nut can sometimes be found with a small dab of "dum-dum" aka caulking, which will keep water out in both directions (trunk emblems).

FWIW
E

My 67 has plastic letters and it's been off the road since 1974. There is signs of collision damage. So even that early the replacement was plastic.

Metal emblems before the end of the year, thats my goal, will keep you guys posted

Guess I should have done more reading here before I got MY own set of "NOS" plastic letters. I'm going to keep them, didn't pay as much as some (sorry mhultstrand).
I contacted reddat after I got them with the ol' "Hey, these aren't NOS! They're plastic!" His reply (and I quote): "they dont make the metal ones anymore".
Uh, yeah, that's why I wanted NOS!
Well, live and learn. I've gotten a couple other things from reddat that were just fine. Well, except for the exorbitant shipping cost (charged: $10; actual: $1.34).
I'll probably not buy from him again unless I'm REAL desperate. I've even put a note to myself on my "wish-list".

EScanlon wrote:If you go to a hobby store that sells silicone tubing for R/C planes, cars etc, you can find the silicone tubing that will grip the letter pins quite firmly yet remain soft and supple so you can remove the bit of tubing later and hence the letter.

If you use aquarium tubing, it can get a bit stiff and hard over time, making it near impossible to remove off the back of the letter without cutting.

FWIW
E

Vacuum line tubing also works great

Datsun Hood Emblem project completed!! See vendor section for details!!!

Hood letters have been plastic for well over 20 years. Nissan. (Not reproduction)
The factory metal letters were only used up to '66....and incidentally will not interchange perfectly. There are at least two letters that are "clocked" slightly wrong.

So Dean borrowed a plastic "N" which had been on Eliza (1970) since I bought it (2006) , and apparently there was some difference such that it didn't fit quite right on what he was testing it on. Thus it seems to me that while not exactly 'caveat emptor', it might make some sense to have a 'it fits' or return policy. Just like tiling on a floor, they are either RIGHT or they are NOT. Even the slightest deviation stands out even for non-ocd peeps.

+1 on the tubing by the way - the clips are destructive even in the most careful of hands and don't supply any better 'adhesion'

Fairlady66 wrote: Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:42 am

EScanlon wrote:If you go to a hobby store that sells silicone tubing for R/C planes, cars etc, you can find the silicone tubing that will grip the letter pins quite firmly yet remain soft and supple so you can remove the bit of tubing later and hence the letter.

If you use aquarium tubing, it can get a bit stiff and hard over time, making it near impossible to remove off the back of the letter without cutting.

FWIW
E

Vacuum line tubing also works great

Gas line for chain saws and string trimmers at your local hardware stays flexible for many years also.