Its my anniversary!!!!
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:58 am
It was forty years ago today that I bought my first car: a 1968 Datsun SPL311-18822. I walked by it for months when I used to get off the bus going to visit a girl friend in Montreal, Quebec. A for sale sign was now stuck in the window. I come from a sports car family. In 1958, when I was born, Dad sold the 1956 TR3 in order to get a family car, a Morris Minor. In 1974, the family trip to the UK was to purchase dad's 1936 MG NB.
I mentioned to my Dad about the little Datsun. he went to the basement where he kept all his automotive magazines and consumers reports and within minutes had road tests and an evaluation by CR. The car was a California car brought up by its original owner who was doing graduate work at McGill university. Painted once from its original red to british racing green, it had 58,000 miles and a snug top hard top. The studded Michelin snow tires should have been a red flag but I was blinded by the little Datsun's appeal. I bought the car for $600.
Little did I know, this car would change my life and influence the path I followed. The next July, in 1977 I drove the car across the country to Vancouver, BC where my family had been transferred. Dad had already made the trip in his 1962 TR4 and was now heading our caravan in the family 1972 Volvo 142GL.
In Montreal, there were very few Datsuns. In Vancouver, they were everywhere. Dealerships had parts, the buy and sell newspaper listed parts and cars for sale, and there was a thriving group of owners who had already started to gather for meets and swap parts. While studying at UBC, I got a job at the local Datsun dealership, first as a delivery driver, then onto become a parts man. In 1989 I quit the now Nissan dealership to start Sports Imports.
My life path has been interwoven with Datsuns for last 40 years and its been quite a trip. A hobby turned into a business. I am hoping to one day return to the hobby so that I can restore the 1959 210, the 1960 221 and the 1961 223.
When I started the Mount Shasta meet in 1985, it was to see all the different cars. Now when I attend its to see the people first, cars second. Its been an incredible journey and I would not change any of it. Its been a privilege and honour to be part of this community and I hope I can get another 40 years of roadstering.
Ross Mullen
I mentioned to my Dad about the little Datsun. he went to the basement where he kept all his automotive magazines and consumers reports and within minutes had road tests and an evaluation by CR. The car was a California car brought up by its original owner who was doing graduate work at McGill university. Painted once from its original red to british racing green, it had 58,000 miles and a snug top hard top. The studded Michelin snow tires should have been a red flag but I was blinded by the little Datsun's appeal. I bought the car for $600.
Little did I know, this car would change my life and influence the path I followed. The next July, in 1977 I drove the car across the country to Vancouver, BC where my family had been transferred. Dad had already made the trip in his 1962 TR4 and was now heading our caravan in the family 1972 Volvo 142GL.
In Montreal, there were very few Datsuns. In Vancouver, they were everywhere. Dealerships had parts, the buy and sell newspaper listed parts and cars for sale, and there was a thriving group of owners who had already started to gather for meets and swap parts. While studying at UBC, I got a job at the local Datsun dealership, first as a delivery driver, then onto become a parts man. In 1989 I quit the now Nissan dealership to start Sports Imports.
My life path has been interwoven with Datsuns for last 40 years and its been quite a trip. A hobby turned into a business. I am hoping to one day return to the hobby so that I can restore the 1959 210, the 1960 221 and the 1961 223.
When I started the Mount Shasta meet in 1985, it was to see all the different cars. Now when I attend its to see the people first, cars second. Its been an incredible journey and I would not change any of it. Its been a privilege and honour to be part of this community and I hope I can get another 40 years of roadstering.
Ross Mullen