Report from UK
by Keith Purdon

Since I originally wrote to you our Roadster first took part in the London to Brighton Classic Car Run and was the only Japanese car on the event.

The amount of interest she created both during the run and in the subsequent display at Brighton was nothing short of incredible. I tried to use the car as much as possible between events as I believe that is the best way of keeping things in good condition and it is also used by the owner to promote his Nissan dealership so he pays for the petrol as well.

The second event of the year was a local classic car run from Manchester to Blackpool, this time we were in good company with a Datsun 240Z ex-works rally car running directly behind us. The car is normally driven by Tony Fall in Historic stage rallies in the UK and is actually owned by his solicitor.

Event there was a local show sponsored by Chorley Nissan and again she did the company proud showing the local public what delightful cars were being made in Japan before they finally arrived in the UK.

Possibly the biggest event of the year was the annual Japanese Auto Extravaganza although it was not without problems. After a change to a maintenance-free battery I noticed strange smells but didn't really bother too much until I arrived at the event to find the battery was on the verge of exploding due to over charging. In fact I now realise how lucky I was after seeing pictures on the internet of the results of such an explosion .

The problem was due to the wrong regulator box that was fitted to the car when we acquired it and the fact that we had always been running an "old fashioned" fully vented type battery had kept everything under control.

The immediate problem was to rectify the fault as the BBC were coming to the event to film the car for part of their Top Gear programme. Luckily Rob Beddington was driving to the event for the last day and he had a spare regulator of the correct type and also a battery and after half an hours work everything was rectified and as Rob had driven to the event in his 2 litre Roadster the assembled crowd were treated to sight never before seen in the UK, two Roadsters on display together at a major event and we were even awarded a highly commended trophy from the Toyota Enthusiasts Club!

In fact, it was only in April last year that two Roadster had been seen together in the UK at all, and that was at the AGM of the Classic Z Register which was held at Rob's home which for me is a 110 mile drive and on the day the conditions were atrocious with heavy rain and gales but the car is so stable on the road and the engine ran absolutely perfectly.

Unfortunately the BBC decided not to show the film they had shot using the pathetic excuse that because the car was never imported into the UK it would have no interest to the viewing public. Personally I think the decision was more political than practical and after many protests they have told us that they will show it in the current run of Top Gear, we shall see.

The final event of the year was a guest appearance on the Z Club stand, again at one of our local shows. The car was given the most prominent position on the stand and I know I made the day of one visitor to the show even though the conditions were typical of our summer last year, very wet .

After a long time admiring the car I was approached by a man who was the Australian Consul in Manchester and he owns two Roadsters, a 1500 and a 1600 as well as a 5 series BMW, Porsche 928 and an ancient Peugoet 504 so he is obviously a man who likes his car varied and not too young. He wasn't even aware that there were any roadworthy Roadsters in the UK so we had a long talk in the pouring rain and neither of us really noticed how wet we were getting.

The last major event of our Roadster year was its annual roadwortiness test which it unfortunately failed due to worn top suspension bushes only. I have just completed replacement of the bushes and spindles and I will be having the car tested again this week ready for another year of enjoyable driving.

Due to major construction work at Chorley Nissan and the opening of another branch work that was planned for the winter, restoration of the wheels and dashboard never happened but hopefully over the winter this year that will be completed along with the restoration of the seats which although they have the original frames thay have been re-trimmed at some time and the shape at the moment is all wrong and now my trimmer has some photographs of what the original seats are like that will be another job that can be completed to make the car a little bit nearer to original. The only thing that we have not been able to obtain are a set of original emblems for the wings (fenders) and the rear panel. Are there any available in Japan? At the moment we only have a broken one for the rear panel and plain DATSUN ones on the wings. Any help or advice is always gratefully appreciated.

In response to your latest e-mail I will give a little background on how I became involved with Roadsters. After becoming unemployed in 1996 after thirty years in engineering the owner of Chorley Nissan asked me in the spring of 1997 if I would like to breathe life into the Roadster he had bought when he opened his dealership. Although the car had been re-sprayed from it's original black to the current red a lot of detail parts needed to be sourced or restored to make the car presentable. The first item on the agenda was to verify the cars age but the VIN plate had been lost and I had no idea where to find the chasssis number. Through my contacts in the UK Z Club I was ptu in touch with Rob Beddington who runs the Fairlady Register as part of the Classic Z Register, he told me where to look and through his contact was able to verify the build dat of the car as June/July 1965. Armed with this proof we were able to have the registration number of the car changed from the 'Q' plates which are used in the UK when a cars age cannot be proved and of course ultimately devalues most cars which carry them. Although with a car as rare as the Roadster I doubt whether that would have been the case.

Work progressed slowly but surely and a visit from Rob spurred me on and he has now become a true family friend. By the end of August the car was in a fit state to be taken for it's roadworthiness test (MOT in the UK) which it duly passed with flying colours. Much work was still needed to bring the car to a respectable standard although most of the bodywork is original and has survived well. The joy of working on a car that is so different from my usual road cars and the opportunity to be entrusted with such a project kept me occupied during my enforced 'retirement' and the pleeasure that I get from just driving the car and seeing the puzzled looks on peoples faces adds to the pleasure. As I also run an owners Club for Nissan Turbo's and also own a Datsun 100A I have now bridged almost the whole range of Datsun/Nissan cars and with my other car, a Nissan Cherry Turbo I also own one of the first front wheel drive Cherries and also the highest performing Cherry as well. But, for all that I still enjoy the Roadster most.

Taken at the start of the Manchester to Blackpool Vintage and Classic Car Run outside the Rovers Return on the set of Coronation Street, which I beleive is also shown in Japan.

This was taken after grand parade of entrants after the reception at the end of the Manchester to Blackpool Run. In the background you can see the world famous Blackpool Tower, an equally famous Blackpool tram (until recently Blackpool was the only town in the UK that still had a municipal tram system), just behind the Roadster is a 1966 Ford Cortina so although the picture was only taken last year it could have been taken in the 1960's.

Taken during the grand parade, following is a 1968 Aston Martin, in front of us was an ex-works Austin Healey 3000 rally car so we were in good company as far as fast and interesting cars were concerned.

This was taken on the London to Brighton Classic Run as we climbed Ditchling Beacon, a road much hated by proffesional racing cyclists but much loved by spectators watching them suffer!.