Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

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okayfine
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Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

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By Michael Spreadbury (reposted from the DQ archives).
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In November of 1968, Nissan Japan introduced the Coupe model to the already successful Bluebird (nee 510) series of sedans and wagons. Coded KP510, Nissan was eager to add another car to the model line to expand sales and the Coupe was brought to market for 1969 model year in both a base and SSS version. The Coupe was based on the two-door Bluebird sedan and was redesigned from the greenhouse up.

Originally, Nissan intended to export the Coupe model to other markets like North America, and magazines such as Road & Track featured teaser photographs of the new 510 at its debut.
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In the end it was not to be, likely because of the additional cost of the many features that made a Coupe unique; the success of the cheap 510 sedans and wagons could not support adding a more expensive model as Datsun was still an emerging player in the US market. Adding a car that had many unique features would complicate a Lego-like line up that shared so many common parts with other cars in the series.

Supersonic Exterior

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The Nissan stylists transformed the Bluebird sedan into a Coupe beginning from the A-pillar and changing many of the boxy attributes to give the car more of the ‘sports sedan’ feel of many cars of that era. The front windshield opening is 3/8” shorter than the sedans, requiring a different windshield. The leading edge of the roof has a hard style line that is not present in the sedans. As the roof line slopes away, the edge from the drip rail to the top of the roof actually gets a thicker, creating more of a swept, wedge look.

Structural changes continued at the B-pillar, modified to incorporate a hidden, thinner center post behind the door window frames and the quarter-window frames. The C-pillar was also redesigned, with the slope of the rear window changing dramatically from that of the sedan’s. This new angle for the C-pillar required specific Coupe pillar vents and a new lower window sill between the rear window and trunk opening; the more sleekly-angled C-pillar is the Coupe's most distinguishing feature.

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A great comparison shot of the roof line of the 510 Sedan and the SSS Coupe.

Further changes include the doors, shortened by 3/4" at the window frames, and the rear quarter panels are also different, adding a swept curve at the rear corner of the quarter windows for more of an aerodynamic look. Both the door frames and quarter-window frames have stainless steel exterior bright work trim added. The trunk lid is the same as the sedans, and the tail light panel, other than being changed to accommodate a new set of tail lights, is also the same as the sedans.

Other exterior changes were made. The 1969 Bluebird Coupe grill was designed with cast (not stamped) headlight bezels that were nearly flush with the leading edge of the fender. The center section of the grill used stylized stainless bars which fit flush with the stainless trim on the leading edge of the hood. The quarter panels were adorned with metal "Coupe" badges as well as a Supersonic insignia, with either a single square, or a divided red/white square depending on the model.

The Coupe’s signature taillights are probably one of the most famous, and desired, parts that finish off the car. Unlike the chromed stamped steel frames that came on the sedan models, the Coupe’s taillights are cast metal, and were very intricate in their design. The lights were painted differently depending on the model, silver highlights for a base model car, and black highlights for the SSS versions. This was changed in 1971 when all the taillights came with the black highlighted finish. An optional sequential taillight flasher kit was offered in 1969 and 1970, but was standard equipment on the 1971 SSS models.

Full Cushion Interior

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The Coupe’s fold-down rear seat, and front seats which would lay flat as illustrated in this photo from the 1971 Coupe brochure.

The Coupe’s interior is much more finished compared to its sedan or wagon cousins. Many of the spaces where optional equipment would be found on North American models, standard equipment takes its place. It is now easier to understand how the Nissan designers intended for the car to be released.

The dashboard has a locking glove box with interior light. The heater control has a standard map light and cigarette lighter. An AM radio was standard equipment. The instrument panel had a KPH trip speedometer and clock, or if the car was a SSS model, a unique instrument cluster with a tachometer and individual gauges.

Individual parking light switches (standard on all JDM Bluebirds) were added to the steering column and later 1971 versions got a flash-to-pass button on the end of the turn signal stalk. Depending on the model, a fake wood SSS steering wheel replaced the hard-plastic standard version.
A package tray resides under the glove box, and on 1971 models, the package tray was redesigned with a metal front bar which extends all the way across the underside of the dash. A center fresh-air ventilator was standard equipment on 1971 models.

The 1969 and 1970 Coupes had a center console which is the same as the 510 floor-mounted automatic shift console, but with the proper opening for the standard 4-speed transmission. 1971 Coupes got a full-length center console that is made from thick plastic with a fake wood grain insert.
With the head rests removed, the front seats fully recline. The rear seat on the Coupe folds forward and latches flat, making it a peculiar Japanese love den. The rear interior quarter panels have deep pockets for storage that take advantage of the space in the quarter panel.

All interior surfaces are covered on the inside of a Coupe. The door panels wrap around the top of the door and the rear interior panels cover all the way up to the pinch welting. The door panels have a silver stylized stripe on them (changed for the 1971 model year), and the arm rests are much more substantial than found in the sedans and wagon.

1969 KP510

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The 1969 SSS Coupe’s clean lines are illustrated in this factory photo.

KP510T - Base model Coupe. L16 w/ single downdraft, 8.5:1 compression (92 PS), no brake booster, no SSS emblems, early dash with clock and trip speedometer, standard plastic steering wheel, plastic shift knob, and flat style chrome mirrors on fenders.
KP510TK - SSS Coupe. 1600SSS engine, 100 PS with twin SUs, 9.5:1 compression, big port 219 head (the "219" is clearly at visible in one photo of the engine), wood steering wheel and shift knob, SSS dash with round gauges (clock, tach w/ oil press inset, speedometer w/trip meter, combo amp/water temp/fuel gauge), SSS grille emblem, SSS pillar vent and rear panel badges, and brake booster.

The most notable difference distinguishing a 1969 Bluebird Coupe is the dashboard. The 1969 SSS model received the four-pod individual gauge panel in a cast-metal housing. As mentioned earlier, the front trim features cast headlight bezels and a unique grill. The C-pillar air vents are also cast pot metal instead of plastic.

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1969 SSS Coupe Dashboard. The ‘69 SSS instrument cluster is made from cast metal and has very high quality gauges.

Options for 1969

Black plastic bumper overriders, grille mounted fog lights, simulated 5-lug mag wheel covers, twin hood vents (a la early Celica), matte black bullet-style fender mirrors, underdash 8-track tape player installed on passenger side package tray, "Coupe" insignia floormats, and rocker panel side stripes were options. A 3.7:1 rear diff also appears to be an option to the standard 3.9 ratio.

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A rare FIA rear spoiler is illustrated on this Bluebird Coupe spotted at the 2002 Nismo Festival.

1970 KP510

KP510WT - Base model Coupe featuring a "Coupe" grille badge, late '70-73 "pod" style gauge cluster with white needle clock on the left and white needle trip speedometer on the right, otherwise looks the same as the '69 base model. Standard L16.
KP510WTDQ - Sports Coupe with the "Sports" grille badge, standard L16, white needle tachometer replacing the clock in the left gauge pod.
KP510WTK - SSS Coupe. This model included the L16SSS engine. Featured the six-gauge instrument cluster.

The 1970 Bluebird Coupe saw important changes, most notably in the dashboard. The car was updated with the later plastic safety dash (like the US models), and the SSS version got the six-pod instrument cluster. The headlight bezels go back to chromed stamped steel, and the C-pillar vents were changed to plastic about halfway through the model year. The Coupe’s grill changed again: a sedan-style grill with the center section highlighted in white, complete with the appropriate badge affixed to it - “Coupe” for the base models, “SSS” for SSS models.

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1970 SSS Coupe Dashboard (bottom), with individual gauges.

The 1970 model year featured three-versions of the Coupe model - Base, Sports, and SSS. The base model had silver trimmed taillights, basic fender mirrors, a simpler Supersonic badge on the quarter panel, and no badges on the C-pillar vents. The interior sported the basic three-pod instrument cluster found on later US 510s (with a clock instead of a tachometer), and the engine was the 92 PS version.

The Sports model included all the trim and features of a SSS model, except for the dual-SU 100 PS engine. The Sports models were identified by a checkerboard “SPORTS” badge on the grill and trunk lid.

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Options for 1970

All options for 1969 were carried over. The options list was amended with a black vinyl roof and racing stripe running front to rear (similar to the thick/thin line rocker panel stripes, positioned to the right of center over driver's head), and a twin checkered flag emblem attached to the tail light panel at the center above the license plate. Flag on left is red/white and the flag on the right is black/white.

1971 KP510 and KH510

KP510WT- Base model Coupe
KP510WTK- 1600SSS Coupe
KH510WTK- 1800SSS Coupe

The 1971 Bluebird Coupe received many updates. The most significant upgrade was the availability of the 1800SSS engine, raising horsepower to 115 PS. The 1800SSS model dictated a change to the Coupe's model code, becoming "KH510" to designate the larger engine. The 1600SSS model continued to be sold at the same time, as well as a base model Coupe. A new floor-mounted automatic transmission was added. This "Six Position Full Automatic" transmission was considered a real "luxury" for the Bluebird Coupe, and is emphasized many times throughout the 1971 brochure. Picture a guy in a driving suit wearing racing gloves with his hand resting on the automatic gearshift knob and you get the idea.

Again, the interior was where the most noticeable changes took place. The instrument cluster got orange needles instead of white (The brochure says, "Speed meter needle is changed to red to meet the standard of sporty Coupe." [sic]), the headlight and windshield washers went to the fiber-optic illuminated knobs, and 1971 featured new door panels, seats, under dash package tray, center ventilator, center console, and optional two-tone interior. The "Full Cushion Interior" was offered in a green vinyl/tan cloth (it looks worse than it sounds!), or a black vinyl/black cloth trim.

The metal supersonic insignia on the quarter panel was replaced with a plastic "1800" badge for cars powered with the 1800SSS engine. The "Bluebird" trunk badge was redesigned with an underlined bar which spans the bottom of the badge. The bumper overriders were also redesigned to eliminate the chrome portion, instead having a simple rubber strip.

Options for 1971

Optional equipment included a black or beige vinyl (called "leather" in the brochure) top, "SST" (to go along with the super sonic shape) accent stripes, "hood top ornaments" (fake hood vents, one each side), factory fog lights, "racing type" steering wheel, 8-track stereo, and a rear checkerboard badge that went between the taillight, as on 1970 Coupes.

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The Bluebird Coupe was discontinued for the 1972 model year, likely because the new 610-U Bluebird Coupe was being introduced and Nissan felt it was time to move on. The standard Bluebird/510 sedans and wagons were sold until the end of the 1972 model year when they were replaced with the 610-U.

Imported Bluebird Coupes

Despite never being sold outside of Japan, Bluebird Coupes have been privately imported into many countries. The earliest known Bluebird Coupe in the USA was imported by Tom Prather in the mid-1970s. Others trickled into the country via Mike’s Foreign in southern California (a Japanese engine importer) and private importation.

Up until the early '90s, the US Bluebird Coupe population was about 10-12 cars. In the early '90s the DOT and EPA relaxed their rules for cars over 25-years old and private imports of the sought-after Coupe increasingly trickled into the country. Today, the Bluebird Coupe population in the US hovers around 30-35 cars. Privately imported Bluebird Coupes have found their way into Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Portugal, and Greece.

Nissan also built the Bluebird Coupe in South Africa from Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits to get around excessive importation duties attached to completely assembled vehicles. (Nissan also did the same thing in Australia and New Zealand with sedan models).

Documentation on the South African built vehicles is very hard to come by, but Greek Bluebirds list member Dimitris Razis owns a South African-built Bluebird Coupe which he found nearly abandoned outside of Athens. Dimitris’ Coupe appears to be a mix-n-match of all sorts of standard Bluebird parts with a “GL” sedan badge mounted in a SSS grill. Black fender mirrors were an option for the Coupe, and "Datsun" and "Deluxe" badges are mounted on the fenders. What is standard and ‘correct’ for a South African built car remains a mystery that still needs to be researched!

Buying a Bluebird Coupe

There are lots of things to consider before buying one of these cars - first and most importantly - what is it missing? Bluebird Coupes are unique cars with lots of different trim compared to North American-model 510s. On the exterior, things such as side marker lights, front turn signal assemblies, and the all-important taillights are unique to these cars and are difficult to source if they are missing.

How about the stainless door frame trim? If it is missing you will have a heck of a time finding replacements. Does it have the correct stainless fender mirrors? Bluebird Coupes come with badges on nearly every panel—does the car have the fender badges? Does it have the "Coupe" script badge and the supersonic insignia on the quarter panel? How about "Coupe" script badge or the model badge (1600, 1600SSS, etc.) on the taillight panel? SSS badges on the pillar vents? "Bluebird" glove box emblem?

What model is the car? The Bluebird Coupe was made in several trim levels. If the car is a true 1969 model it could be a base model with sweeping speedo, or a SSS model with the four-pod instrument cluster. If the car is a 1970 model it could be a base model, Sports model, or the SSS. The easiest way to check would be to look at the engine data plate, is the engine rated at 92 or 100 PS. Trim parts for any year Coupe (the rest of the car is basically a 510) can be very difficult to find.

Here in the USA, where maybe a handful of 510 enthusiasts could tell you the difference between the various models of Bluebird Coupes, it becomes very difficult to assign a price to these cars. I guess it comes down to what is the car worth to you to drive such a rare version of the Datsun Bluebird line.

Importing a Bluebird Coupe

Buying a car from half-way around the world is a daunting, exciting, expensive, and (if you don’t have all your ducks in a row) a maddeningly frustrating experience.

As they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words, but in reality, it won’t show you what you really want to see. Japan is an island with a very corrosive environment—anything that has been left outside for a period of time is going to rust. Japan’s high humidity and salty air quickly kill old Datsuns. I can show you photos of Bluebirds in Japan that would make you cry.

Bluebirds rust differently in Japan than they do here. The leading edges of the hood and trunk lid will typically show rust, as well as the rocker panels. Anywhere water drips off of a car will show rust damage. Typically, the floors in the passenger compartment and trunk will be perfect.

The Japanese typically prefer stock over modified vehicles, so seeing a Bluebird with an engine swap is rare, unlike what you would see here. Solex carburetor setups and Watanabe wheels are common modifications, but other than that, cars are typically stock.

Bluebirds that have survived in Japan this long have very low mileage, but often they may have not been registered for quite some time. Due to the strict Japanese registration inspections (called Shaken) many people cannot afford to keep their Bluebirds registered. Registration is about $1000 per year, and the Shaken inspections can run another $1000 per inspection.

The Shaken inspection is very thorough, and any rust bubble or other defect must be corrected before the car is allowed to be registered. This means that nearly every old Bluebird has had some paint work on it; I have yet to see one that has 100% original paint on it. Typically, these spot jobs that are done on these cars are not great quality, and the paint is often slightly mismatched.
So, now that you have a better idea of what the car's condition might be like, how do you find a car?

There are many sources, and I am sure if you do a Google search, you can come up with various online auction houses (eBay, Yahoo auctions, etc.) that offer cars. Buyer Beware! Unless you have someone on the Japanese side whom can physically go and see what you are bidding on, I would highly recommend not pursuing a Japanese-sourced car. Many old Japanese cars look great in photos, but there is rust under there, trust me. Sometimes there is not much, but sometimes you are going to set your self up for a large dose of antisappointment.

Having a Japanese translator who not only speaks English, but also speaks cars is very important. There are so many nuances between English and Japanese, especially when describing car parts, that it is very important to have someone who understands how cars work. You will likely have very specific questions that someone needs to understand and be able to communicate correctly in Japanese.

Now you have to get it to a port. Internal transportation of any sort in Japan is expensive. You can either send the car out of the country via a container or on a RORO (roll-on-roll-off). If the car is drivable, sending it via a RORO is the way to go.

Once the car is at a port in the USA, you will need to clear customs. I highly recommend hiring a customs broker to clear the car with customs and take care of the paper work. Their fees are reasonable (about $300-500) and will save you many headaches.

Now dealing with the longshoremen to get the car out of the port can be entirely a different matter (Derek Garnier's Coupe was a great example of the unforeseen). Every time I have brought a car or a container into the country the longshoremen have been a PITA to deal with (apologies to any Dime, Quarterly subscribers who are longshoremen). Unhappy longshoremen can make your life miserable if you don’t do things exactly their way. They also seem to be unable, and unwilling to think outside the box, so be prepared to be jerked around.

The trick is to plan, plan, plan on a project like this. Ask a million questions, be prepared to spend more than you originally thought, and don’t be too upset if the car you saw on the photos is cleaner than the one you get at the port.

Conclusion

Due to its rarity, the Coupe model will always have a strong following among Bluebird/510 owners. For many, it is the ultimate model of the 510 series. Others are not so impressed, perhaps put off by the fact that it was only produced in right hand drive, or that the rarity of its many unique parts make spares expensive and difficult to find. Regardless, the Coupe is a unique and special part of the 510 series!

Coupe Model Codes

I have done a little more research about Japanese 510 model codes. I was always frustrated when looking at Japanese magazines when they described a Bluebird as a KH510WTK, or one of the many other combinations.
I found these model codes in the December 1994 issue of Nostalgic Hero:
N = 1400cc
P = 1600cc
H = 1800cc
K = Coupe
T or WT= 4-speed manual, floor shift
K = SU carbs = SSS model
H = GL model
W = Column shift automatic
L = Left-hand-drive
1800SSS Coupe:
KH510WTK (four-speed)
KH510AWK (automatic)
1600SSS Coupe:
KP510WTK (four-speed only)
1600 Coupe:
KP510WT (four-speed)
KP510AWT (automatic)

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South African-assembled SSS Coupe data plate.

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Japanese-built 1800 SSS data plate
Last edited by okayfine on 15 Oct 2013 09:15, edited 1 time in total.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by tr6racer21 »

Thanks Julian, great post!
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by okayfine »

Thank spriso!
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by spriso »

Nice to see this online Julian! When I can find the time, I will update this thread with detailed shots of some of the unique design features of the Coupe models that we described in the article that perhaps some people don't know about.

Michael
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by two_68_510s »

A true connoisseur's posting! Now I can see clearly why everyone covets these cars! Very unique in so many ways.
Joel

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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by Creepy Cruiser »

Very nice. Great info.
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by spriso »

Buying a Coupe in Japan

I was going thru some old images I had tonight and found these images of a 1970 SSS Coupe that I bought out of Nagano, Japan about 13 years ago. At that time, the car that I imported had been sitting in a garage outside of Nagano, Japan for 20-years. I purchased it from the original owner, who parked the car when it was 10-years old (1980) when it was due for it's Shaken inspection. At that point it had covered just 29,980 original miles. The car had been in storage, but the original 80-yearold owner did not want to part with the car, but we finally talked him into selling it.

Most importantly, the owner had the original registration effacement documentation which made importing the car into the USA much easier:

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This photo essay should show how cars typically look in Japan.

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This SSS Coupe had been sitting for many years, like most of these cars, it had failed a Shaken inspection and the owner could not justify the expense of registering the car again. And so it sat, thankfully in a garage and out of the elements, and this is how we discovered it-- covered in garbage, needing to be rescued.

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After taking to my friend's shop, a closer inspection could be made to see how good of a car this was.

Naturally, all the hydraulics and fuel system was completely ruined from sitting so long-- but we were fortunate that the car would still roll.

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Since we were going to send this car to the USA on a RO-RO (Roll-On, Roll-Off) ship, it needed to be able to start and stop. All the hydraulics were replaced and a closer body inspection was made to see what the bones of the car looked like.

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The rust in the leading edge of the fender is typical for Japan-- though not something that we usually see on 510s in the Pacific Northwest.

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Aftermarket fog lights had been added (not a factory option, in this case!)

Driver's door rust-- for some reason the bottom edge of the driver's side of this car was pretty rotten-- so much that we planned on replacing the door with a USDM 510 door and changing out the window frame. Strangely, the passenger door was perfect-- my other Coupe that I own now shows similar damage. Note that mark on the exterior of the door where the Shaken inspector marked the door damage!

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More rust damage-- this time fairly minor, but you can see what a paint chip will turn into after a few years in Japan's corrosive environment.

The rear of the rocker panels also showed fairly heavy rust:

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The inside of the trunk had surface rust where the spare tire sits, but nothing to speak of:

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With such low mileage, the interior on these cars is usually in very good condition. The weakness on the interior on this car was the carpet being faded and dirty, the rest of the interior was in outstanding condition.

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When we got the car here, the factory sound deadening was removed and the floors were inspected and they were perfect:

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We picked up the car in Seattle after a freak snowstorm, and it was quickly decided that the dry-rotted vinyl top would have to go.... note how the spot work on the cars over the years had mis-matched the paint in several sections of the car.

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This was a risky move, as if there was rust under the top, it could have been a nightmare to fix. I was very fortunate that once the dried glue came off, it had mint paint underneath-- after a quick cut and buff the rest of the car was looking pretty good!

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The car received a MAJOR detailing, but came out looking very nice:

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This car was sold shortly thereafter, and now resides in Australia.

Michael
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by KiKiIchiBan »

Could someone kindly fix the pictures please?
My P510 Bluebird SSS Coupe www.the510realm.com/viewtopic.php?t=26929

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBP1x8z2IBvfs-MQH2Gc73Q/featured
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by okayfine »

The 510 Realm only allows 3 attached pictures per post. My OP has pictures linked from a Photopost site that has been offline for a while. All the pictures are shown in the DQ article, issue 8.1. DQ back issues are available at The 510 Archives.
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by Byron510 »

Agreed.

I do have a question for the very few with knowledge of this model> Can someone in the know please post the differences between the 68 Coupe and 69 Coupe dashboards?
I was told I have a 69 one - it's identical to the one at the top of this thread and mounted in my 69 Bronze 2dr sedan, but I've just recently learned there was a different 68 Coupe dashboard. Is this the case, or are the photos of pre production units confusing the matter? Can someone inform us if there were 68 and 69 Coupe dashboards, where the cut off was and maybe post a good photo or both types?

Thanks.

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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by icehouse »

There are no 68 coupes. The 68 SSS gauge clusters had more silver then the 69s. My gauge cluster is a out of a 69 SSS car.
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Re: Bluebird Coupe Buyer's Guide - 1969-1971

Post by carterb »

They started production in November 1968

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You can see a 1968 SSS dash below. You would find this in a 4dr 1600SSS sedan only I guess.

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