Datsun 1500 grill meshing. What color should I paint?

[datsun65]

On the Datsun SPL310 grill there is a factory meshing behind the grill. From the factory, the meshing isn't painted, just a natural medium-darker mesh material.

I'm detailing my 1500 grill and trying to decide whether to paint the meshing behind the grill either a metallic color, or paint it in black.I think the black meshing really makes the chrome grill come alive. But, I wonder if with a metallic paint, it might look more stock.

Here is what factory looks like:



Here is a partial shot of a 1500 grill that I had painted the meshing black on a different car (Circa 1999)



Just wondering what folks think. Metallic or Black?

[fossil]

Dan,

I think that the wire mesh was originally zinc plated. I don't think it was painted.

Stan

[dbrick]

I think a dull pewter color would match the factory best. To make the chrome pop, maybe go with an Anthracite/Gun Metal grey on the mesh, not quite black, but more contrast than silver against the chrome.

[datsun65]

Thanks for input. Since I ended up only having Black paint at the house this evening, that is what I ended up using.

Here is a photo of how it is looking:

[richard]

Dan, is that grill meshing still available?
The hood emblem on your car has not the darker red paint on it.
Do you know the colour number?
Are there two types?
I like to know that because I have at least 1 car (nr 611) I know that has never been touched and there is not one little piece of paint left.
It also has the rare datsun emblems on the fenders instead of fairlady.
I have another one that is exactly the same. No red paint and datsun fender emblems.
I have looked on several colour ads I have and there was only one were I was sure it was red and it had the fairlady emblems on the fenders.
Could it be that the cars with the datsun emblems on the fenders had no red paint and the one with fairlady emblem does.

Richard

[datsun65]

On meshing, I don't think any of the vendors carry pre-cut meshing for the back of the grill.

On the Red Car, it was a 65 1500 (#10927). It was an oddball that had a single hood emblem vs, the separate DATSUN letters. On #10927, there was no trace of red paint on the front emblem. In the 90's I had been told the color paint used was light blue, so I painted the emblem with light blue paint (model car paint). Mine from the factory did not have the light blue paint.

[dbrick]

The mesh looks great in black, I didn't realise how fine a mesh it was, so the black doesn't stand out too much, and the dark grey would make no difference.

[jamesw]

Your grill is looking great Dan!

Cheers
James

[sports imports]

I still have some 1500 new old stock hood emblems (bonnet emblems for the UK and OZ compatriots) and they all have red paint on them. Most of the used ones in my collection of emblems have the remnants of paint or no paint at all. The new hood emblems I had for my collection of six SPl212-213 cars all had red in them. I am curious to see what Richard's datsun emblems on his 1500 look like. Always learning about old datsuns.....

Ross
sports imports

[spriso]

None of the original 1500 hood badges that I have have any evidence of paint on them. I do have a truck badge (similar to the stock 1500 badge but slightly curved) that has traces of red still in the grooves.

I don't think I will be painting the hood badge when it goes back on the 1500 project...

Michael

[richard]

I still have some 1500 new old stock hood emblems (bonnet emblems for the UK and OZ compatriots) and they all have red paint on them. Most of the used ones in my collection of emblems have the remnants of paint or no paint at all. The new hood emblems I had for my collection of six SPl212-213 cars all had red in them. I am curious to see what Richard's datsun emblems on his 1500 look like. Always learning about old datsuns.....

Ross
sports imports

Ross here are some pics:
2 fender emblems
and 3 hood
red is car nr 84
blue is car nr 611
white is car nr 1587 (shifty!)

[datsun65]

OMG

I found an old picture from 1997 of my 1965 SPL310 Roadster the week that I dragged it home.

Here is a shot of the fender, TAKE A LOOK AT THE BADGE!!!!

[Bob2]

That emblem looks just like the one on a 64 Datsun PL312 Bluebird that I just trailered home. One on each fender.

My 65 SPL310 doesn't have paint on the hood emblem.

[shifty]

Richard, the hood emblem on 1587 is one that I bought somewhere (ebay maybe?). When I got the car, the holes had been filled with bondo. I had to redrill the holes!

[spl310]

[quote="Bob2"]That emblem looks just like the one on a 64 Datsun PL312 Bluebird that I just trailered home. One on each fender.
[quote]

From what I understand, the 1500s were delivered with the FAIRLADY badge, but lots of dealers changed to the DATSUN badge due to the effeminate name causing lackluster sales...