Hi Folks,
I bought a Teardrop sedan last weekend.Its been shedded in Sydney since last rego in 2002.
Its a 1966 model according to the papers.
I don't know much about 'Deluxe' models,or whether it really is one ,so maybe someone can shed some light on it ?
It has a 'Deluxe' badge on the bootlid and doesn't have any of the shield type badges like Matts Deluxe Teardrop auto does.
Also there was a drivers door trim pocket (whats left of it),and 3 full size hubcaps in the boot
The rear end has 2 leaf springs each side (my other Teardrop has 1 each side).
There is a dual front sway bar setup,where one just bolts to the other one,but both ends just use the same clamp..surely not a factory setup??
The front sits 2 inches lower (measured at the front blinkers) than my other car does.
Doortrims are also a slightly different pattern to most Teardrops I have seen.
I am pretty sure the wipers have only the single speed switch,and there is no stainless trim around the door frames.
The Deluxe badge is also plastic,but has pins into holes going through the boot lid.
The motor is a G150 but with alloy head and extractors,and gear lever is a straight- ish type one,so maybe has had an engine transplant ?
Also in the boot was a twin SU carb setup ,which may be a factory setup ?
I hope the pics tell the story ,I couldn't sort them ,so they are in any order....
Rod.

More pics.

Those carbys look like 1800 SOHC. Good find.

They're later model PR91 GT hubcaps...they look better than some of mine, so if I ever come across a set of Deluxe hubbies I'd gladly swap you.

Looks like a late PR91 carby set up too (or PR95 with that air cleaner?). Good score all up!

Cheers,
Duane

nice find. you sure have some "ëxtra" go faster bits there with the car.
original motor should be 3 bearing main and can tell that bythe sump being either all one piece painted black metal(3 bearing) or top half black and a removable alloy plate at the bottom(5 bearing)
also straight gearstick is "67, your should have had bent gearstick with no synch in 1st
both early and late 1500 had cast head, so either that is 68 deluxe motor or more likely a 1600 or 1800 alloy head on a 1500 block.

suspension sounds modified all around. quite a few guys bolted 2 rear roll springs together to firm up the rear and 2 sway bars was done as a quick front end firm up too.

think you will have a great time driving that little beast.

Good Save


OZ

can confirm it's a 1800 SOHC manifold/carby setup also.

great stuff mate you will be getting quiete a nest of belletts and bellett bits now ....reckon the deluxe badge looks like its off a mazda ...any one think so ? what a great p/u cheers davo

Your pretty close Davo but I belive it's actually a Datsun deLuxe badge.

Same as what was on one of my Dato's years ago.... 180B I think or may have been the 120Y did I bother it wasn't very fastback

Thanks guys for all the info. So maybe not a Deluxe at all , just a regular Teardrop with a Datsun badge !
Maybe a dealer pilfered one from his Datsun and stuck on the Bellett as a selling point ? Seem strange that the boot has holes for the badge pins,
but many things happen to a car in 46 years...
I had a look under the car ,and the sump has ' cooling ' fins at the front - a bit greasy ,but alloy I think .
The car is not bad,some usual rust in the shock towers,and a couple of other small spots.
Clutch is gone though- no pedal pressure at all,which I was told when I bought it.I think thats the reason it was laid up.
And the brakes dragging ah well thats normal .....
Might try and get it going next weekend,probably never started for 10 years

Yeah Davo, I am snowed under with parts.A far cry from a year ago when I couldn't even find a Bellett anywhere for sale.
Had to travel 1500 km there & back with a trailer to get my first one !
Rod

just save them up, Rod
you or someone will be needing bits over the years and always good to have the bits and the only issue is where did i last see one of those?
clutch could be just the clutch rod dropped out of place! no pedal is unusual. if the clutch needs to be pulled, i opt for the easier job of the engine out. then you can also check and replaced welsh plugs, fix oil leaks etc etc and less time on your back trying to align a gearbox to the clutch plate and spigot bearing
plus you could do a quick repair on the engine bay rust while she is out of the bay, and also do the rack rubbers unless she is a early solid rack.

keep us posted with lots of pictures please.

OZ

Rod,
Where are you based/living at, that car looks familiar?
Are you in Sydney?
Dave M.

HI ROD LOOKS LIKE A STRAIGHT LITTLE CAR IS A BIT YOUNGER THAN NINE MINE IS 40429588 YOURS IS 4048836 71 CARS NO DOUBT THEY COULD WELL HAVE BEEN NEXT TO EACH OTHER EITHER IN THE HOMELAND OR ON THE SHIP TO AUSTRALIA ALL THOSE YEARS AGO PRETTY DAMN CLOSE I GUESS THEY SPOKE TO EACH OTHER AND SAID ..ONE DAY IM GONNA BE A DELUXE ...... BOTH ARE TRYING ...HA HA ...... CHEERS DAVO

SORRY MINE IS 4048907 CHEERS DAVO

Dave , I am at Penrith and the car was stored in a small storage facility at Mortdale.
The last regd. owner in 2002 was a 'Wendy Martin ' who also lived in Penrith ,so it has come back home again!
Rego was WDF657.
I think I met you at the Nats if you were in the grey GT that Tom Amos once owned? I was in the XR8 ute with all the Bellett parts.

Yeah Davo its straight,but looks like Stevie Wonder had a go at a few touchups on the front guards ,apron & bonnet.
Wrong colour,and too much of it
All the chrome & stainless trim is great too - many I seen have pitted headlight surrounds and bumpers.
They are close numbers for sure- my other one is about 21,000 cars earlier.

That looks a nice car mate! And so many good spares, great find. Its about 7,000 earlier than Doris, so very late '65 or early '66. Not many differences, but the early '66 started the rubber mounted steering rack. Like all the other differences though, its swap-out-able. They also had the larger, non-buckling ashtray lid.
Hey, you'd be forgiven for thinking they only came in light grey! Survivors!
I agree with OZ with the clutch, there should be a spring to hold the fork against the end of the rod. Another possibility is the throwout fork can come off the pivot inside the bell housing.(I had this happen once, long ago.)

Fun fun fun!
Cheers, Matt.

Rod,

Deluxe badge is genuine Isuzu. Datto/Nissan badge had a name badge type backing and the toe of the L kicks up after the U.
The Isuzu has no backing as such and the L finishes after the X as you have. You may have a square taillamp boot lid. This badge was introduced in '66.5. The teardrop badge is the same as what Davo is chasing in his wish list. Shield type badge. Have a decko at the boot finisher that covers the number plate lamps. If it has 3 holes and is made of cast alloy. = Teardrop boot. If it has 5 holes and is made of anodised pressed aluminium. = Square taillamp model. Some manufacturers when they exported used run-out parts. I doubt that Isuzu would have done this as they are very particular as to how a vehicle is released into the market.

Dave....................... 1 of 4 Daves @ the Nationals.

The number plate light trim is the chrome 3 hole Teardrop one.
Good to know that it is a genuine Isuzu deLuxe badge too, I will leave it there to confuse people ,as there is nothing else I have found that is Deluxe about it
Matt is right about the ashtray lids - this is the earlier 'buckled' ashtray lid!
Rod.

Rod,

I know who you are now, BUT I think you met Neil Miller, he has grey 1967 GT with 19681/2 headlights and tailights and a Gemini motor?
You were parked right behind my GT, the other grey one next to Geoffs PR95. I did a lot of talking to Glen Percy, who restored my car in 1992/93.
We must catch up some time, are you interested in going into CARnivale on Australia Day? Your car could travel in on a trailer to show vehicles undr restoration if you are interested?
Ring me if you wish or have time, work 87003219, mobile 0428222097.

And NO your car is not the one I know, the car I know of has not so good chrome and needs a complete resto has been in storage for 9 years now and they won't sell it as they think it is worth much more than it is worth, unfortunately, (talking 5 to 6 K) also a tear drop, same colour as yours.
Like your Ute also
Dave M.

HEY ROD HOW DOES THE END OF THE SECOND BAR SIT ? LOVE SOME MORE DETAILED SHOTS CHEERS DAVO JUST I HAVE A BAR NOT SURE HOW IT ALL FITS ....HEY MATE IM A MUSO ...............CHEERS DAVO

as said, it's not a Deluxe. is basically missing everything the makes a Deluxe, except the badge.... but it's the wrong badge anyway.
no stainless window frames and single speed wipers is a dead giveaway.
as also said, should have the early half shield type badge on the RH side of the bootlid to be teardrop. the guard shields were full size, and both were a gold-sort of colour.
it is an a Bellett Deluxe badge, but off square tailight cars, fitted to the RH side of the bootlid again. guard shields were now chrome.
long strip tailight cars had a different Deluxe badge again, fitted under the RH tailight. shields were a carryover from the square tailight cars. no Bellett ever had "Deluxe" on the LH side of the bootlid/tailight area.
engine is definitly a late 5 bearing.
as is gearbox with that gearstick.
hubcaps are late PR90 and all PR91.
twin carbs are 1800SOHC. actually have a twin Weber version of that SU type manifold here to be adapted to my GT head.
suspension mods are pretty normal for those of us that have been around a while, as it seems this car has. rear leaf mod is most common, twin sway bar is rarer.... works ok but not brilliant. 2" lower front end is done with the common "rear springs in the front" trick.
well done picking it up coz it's definitly a good find, with some worth while mods and bits on it too.
hope this all helps.