Datsun 1500 - Lost Datsun Roadster Hubcap Story

datsun65 · Post by **datsun65** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:41 pm

Okay...So if you've ever owned a 1500, or are familiar with them you would quickly find out that the hubcaps are nearly impossible to find.

I was speaking with the previous owner of my 1500 this weekend. One of the funny things I found when when changing the tires was that one of the rare hubcaps had the PO's name/number/and address written on the inside of the hubcap (one of them only, not all)..

So....I asked him what the story was...And he had a good one...

He was driving down a road in Washington (at highway type speed) when he lost one of the hubcaps. It quickly rolled/flew off into the adjecent forrested area. He pulled the car over and looked for a while in vain for the lost cap. He later came back to the same area over a period of two days looking for the misisng cap with his Dad, but to no avail...The cap was lost.

He then searched, fruitlessly for a new cap...Nobody had one. He later moved to Los Angeles (while the roadster slumbered in his fathers garage in WA) .Then one day about two years later his father called him.....

The dad was driving down the same stretch of road where the cap was lost two years prior. On the top of a post on the side of the road was sitting the missing hub cap. Someone found the cap and simply placed it on the side of the road.. What are the chances of the Dad ever finding it!!!

So before he put the cap back on the wheel, he wrote his name/info on the cap just in case he ever lost it again...

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:59 pm

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Import_sounds-of-mid-GA · Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:04 pm

Dang, i didnt realize they were that rare.... how different are they from the later models?

Post by **spl310** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:15 pm

The PO of mine stamped something in ink on the back side of mine - an inspection stamp. (NOS in the boxes...)

The 1500 units are 13" full wheel covers. If you search for Dan Zubkoff's posts, you will see them with the wide white wheel tires that he put on his new toy.

spriso · Post by **spriso** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:34 am

What great timing, I actually have a question regarding the 1500 hubcaps.

The 1964 that I acquired over the weekend has different wheels on it than my early 64 model. The ones on the yellow car are 13", but don't have the three metal tabs to near the center section to hold on the hub caps.

The early 64 car that I have had 13" wheels that have the three metal tabs on it...

Looking at my parts book, it appears that the wheels should have the three tabs... I guess it is possible that the PO changed the wheels on the yellow car to another style wheel (or ground off the metal tabs)...

Neither car came with the hubcaps...

Michael

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:49 am

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Post by **spl310** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:33 am

Those are not dime hubcaps as the dimes used wheel covers. They sound like sedan wheels. The sedans of the same vintage (pre 411 - maybe the 410 or 310 sedan) had the same sized wheels with dog bowl hubcaps.