To wind things up a bit again, I thought I would try to post photos of my first Bellett's and Florian's.

Most of you know I am a "clean freak" with any cars I own, these ones are my first cars and set me firmly on the marque, ISUZU!
The Bellett was a 1966 1/2 model purchased in September 1966, what a car, I was in the Army those days and it travelled very reliably up and down the east coast of Australia while I was in different postings.
The first Florian I purchased in February I think it was in 1969, a beautiful car once you got to understand the handling at speed. With a annoying amount of understeer, I found it best to flick the tail out and give it the gas to successfully corner at speed, I never had a bump or accident in that very nice car.
It was then I made the biggest mistake of my car purchasing a 1971 P510 Datsun, drove and performed well, the body was Australian made and unfortunatley was crap, literally fell apart under me , it only lasted another 2 years before I went to my first Bellett GT a 1966 model.

After my family grew up, I went into a 1980 Holden Gemini, and later to a 1990 Holden Rodeo Space Cab. In 1993 purchasing Doug and Jeans 1969 sedan, now owned by Garry Smith after 16 years under my ownership, very happy again then came my current 1968 GT ex Glenn Percy, a very nice car and the only reason the 1969 sedan had to go.
I would still like a nice example of a sedan as well as my current GT, but the cook says no!!

In between I have owned other Belletts, a 1966 sedan another parts Florian, plus other spare parts cars, but not really worth discussion.

What have you owned and driven??
Dave.

I will try to now post a photo of my second Florian.

Hi Dave,
I must be getting old..... or memory fade....The Datsun 510 is the Datsun 1600 if my memory serves me right, I always thought that you had a dark blue 240k coupe. Was the 510 Dark Blue?

Cheers Geoff

No Geoff, I had a pale yellow with a black stripe on each side 510/1600, loved driving it however I kept having issues with the door hinges, useless set up. I will see if I can find a photo of that car, just don't like posting on this site, LOL.
When I first had my 2 girls, I did very briefly have a bronze 240K, also good mechanically, however the paint was crap, really peeved me off, all the clear coat peeled off and you know what I am like with my cars.

When are you heading off?
Our plans have changed due to the mother inlaw, nearly 98 and not very well, now looking like very late April to early May!!

Pity you can not be with on the 6th April for our 45 years ReUnion.
All the best Dave.

Interesting history and pics. Good reading.
Thanks Dave ( I think that now that you are retired you really do need another Bellett )
KB

There you go, memory not a defunct as I thought, I can remember the 240K, not the others, But a lot of water passed under the bridge since then, and a lot of years were not in touch, and out of the Bellett scene. Sorry can't make the 45th, have you contacted Mike Collinson re the 45th? I like to keep Mike in the loop, his GT was the first I ever saw, and also first I ever rode in.

Cheers Geoff

nice shots dave ..wheres the 66 first bellett now ?? mate you do keep em clean cheers davo

Good question Davo, last seen around Blacktown, unfortunately I do not have record of the chassis number or engine number now. It was a bloody nice littel car, should never have sold it!!

Geoff, I will try to contact Michael, however each time I try to ring him I can not get him, I will try again.

KB, I definitely agree, however is it worth a divorce???? maybe, maybe not!!! LOL. (Why? are you going to sell me the Bathurst car?? LOL).

Thank you for your comments Gents.
Cheers, keep t going. Dave.

hes ....what selling the bathurst car ....i have first pickin only if i can paint it ,,,blue .....cheers davo thers allways another one about to surface look at the cars that continually turn up even the rare as hell wasps ..another ion ebay and a couple will show there heads in the next year or so ....cheers davo

Great read Dave and the photo's to see,I've had at least 6 sedans over the years,my Dad gave me my first, a 65 Blue Tear Drop had the same wheel trims as in your photo,which I still have,we always dreamed of getting a GT together,which we now have Like yourself my Dad nearly got a 1600 datsun but they would'nt give him any money for the Bellett so I got it and so the addiction began
Gerry

You are right Gerry, also has a lot to do with the people that own the cars or have owned them in the past!
I have met some great people with Belletts over the years and it never seems to change, I keep on meeting them. One of my reasons for keeping on keeping on, now owning the D Max!!

All the best you Guys, make a post of your history with the cars, Garry Smith would fill the web site with his cars, eh Garry?LOL.
Take care all, talk soon.
D.

Looks like the white Florian is the narrow seat model

my isuzu history is easy they are all still in the shed except Rolie he is the only 1 that escaped. A few parts cars have left they don't count.

Looks like the white Florian is the narrow seat model

Geoff,
The seats were the same in both models, I don't remember a model with narrow seats, are you sure they came to Australia?
The seats in the Florian were always very comfortable, the Florian is certainly one of my favourite cars.
Now it is the attached except the GT.

I guess I am just an ISUZU TRAGIC!!!

Now those are good looking cars, the DMax isn't exactly my taste. But, it looks a lot better than our Chevy Colorado version:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Colorado

Yeah we also get that version here as the Holden Colorado... because... you know, Colorado is totally relevant to us Australians!

Holden have just released the Colorado 7, a 7-seater SUV wagon based off the Colorado, but more than just a pick up with a canopy. Now if only Isuzu would bring out a D-Max 7, I could almost be in the market! (Almost...).

Interestingly, there have been plenty of cars with place names for names... Holden got it right with the "Holden Jackaroo Nullarbor", which was a spec of the Holden Jackaroo, which was an Isuzu Trooper. The Nullarbor is the great desert found between Perth and Adelaide.

Ford also got it right with the Australian-designed and manufactured Ford Territory. Of course, that name kinda doesn't make sense, but the Northern Territory is a territory (as opposed to a state... I think it's to do with population, of which the Northern Territory has none!) that includes the Top End of Australia, so the very word, to Australians at least, evokes great open spaces and off-roading!

Toyota had a spec-level of the Landcruiser (I think) named the Kakadu, which is a massive national park in the Northern Territory.

Back in the early 1970s, Austin found less success with the Australian designed, 6-cylinder, Morris 1800-based Austin Kimberley. Presumably named after The Kimberley region, a little area in northern Western Australia (only about 3 times the size of England) which is home to some great mountains and coastline... and relatively few people. Of course, they kinda forgot that Kimberley is also a girls name. And sometimes a boys name. But never should it be a car name...