Merle Coggins Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 Saw this roll into a car show I’m attending today. Had to go check it out. I certainly didn’t know what it was. Who here can identify it with out help from Google? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 if I were to guess, would put it in the FIAT family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyK Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 Simca? Which was bought by Fiat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted August 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 Nope… Not Fiat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 while I have 25 foreign cars, none look quite like that.....but to honor Merle's request, I will not search it out either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted August 17, 2023 Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 Just now, Plymouthy Adams said: while I have 25 foreign cars, none look quite like that.....but to honor Merle's request, I will not search it out either. Sounds honorable ..... me ... well maybe not so much. I swear to God I thought that was a 1950's car. 1991 Nissan Figaro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted August 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2023 (edited) Yup, that’s it. Hood ornament; Edited August 17, 2023 by Merle Coggins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Los_Control Posted August 18, 2023 Report Share Posted August 18, 2023 Yeah but there is a lot of class there for a 1991 Nissan. ..... The vehicle photo I posted sold for 22K It is a very interesting looking car. .... I have never heard of or seen one ..... Thanks for sharing @Merle Coggins I remember the Japanese cars of that era were incredibly well built. .... I had a Corolla I bought from a auction for $300 and drove it for years before the carburetor started giving problems .... They were rather complicated at that point. ..... sooo many vacuum lines and wires going to them. .... Fuel injection was easier to figure out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Lee Posted August 18, 2023 Report Share Posted August 18, 2023 NISSAN'S attempt to cater to the veteran car market . Distinctive looking enough for reglar folks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted August 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2023 I agree with Los_Control that it looks like it would be from the '50's. I thought the same thing when it rolled past me to park. I also thought European of some sort. I don't believe they were ever marketed here in the US. It was right hand drive and looked to have been imported from Japan. I didn't talk with the owner, but their windshield sign stated, "Only 20,000 made for Japanese market". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesy Posted August 19, 2023 Report Share Posted August 19, 2023 I saw that little Nissan on a car hauler a couple days ago and Fiat was my thought, too. Kinda cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg g Posted August 19, 2023 Report Share Posted August 19, 2023 (edited) Didnt nissan aka Datsun make Fiats ofseveral models under liscence as Japans industries got back on their feet after WW II? A friend in High school had one of these. Top speed was maybe 50. Gas tank held 4 gallons, fill up was a buck. Kinda fun around town. He hung out with several guys that had wierd cars. Hillman minx, Simca aronde, a DKW, a Saab 93, a Opel Rekord, a Borgward, and a fairly new mini Cooper one guys brother got on deployment some where in Europe. There was also an MGA twin cam and an Austin Healy 100 4 LeMans. Needless to say these guys didn't get to park with the cool kids in the student lot. https://www.audrainautomuseum.org/small-wonders-mini-micro-pedal-and-toy-cars/1959-autobianchi-bianchina-trasformabile Edited August 19, 2023 by greg g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eneto-55 Posted August 19, 2023 Report Share Posted August 19, 2023 25 minutes ago, greg g said: Didnt nissan aka Datsun make Fiats ofseveral models under liscence as Japans industries got back on their feet after WW II? A friend in High school had one of these. Top speed was maybe 50. Gas tank held 4 gallons, fill up was a buck. Kinda fun around town. He hung out with several guys that had wierd cars. Hillman minx, Simca aronde, a DKW, a Saab 93, a Opel Rekord, a Borgward, and a fairly new mini Cooper one guys brother got on deployment some where in Europe. There was also an MGA twin cam and an Austin Healy 100 4 LeMans. Needless to say these guys didn't get to park with the cool kids in the student lot. https://www.audrainautomuseum.org/small-wonders-mini-micro-pedal-and-toy-cars/1959-autobianchi-bianchina-trasformabile A girl in HS had a Sunbeam, and the guys tormented her by picking it up and setting it between two posts, so she had to ask for their help to get it out again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted August 19, 2023 Report Share Posted August 19, 2023 Greg, the A engine as the family that your Bugeye was powered was licensed to Japan (Datsun) for production. Unlike the Brits who left well enough alone struggling with their own war debt and decline the R&D and tooling costs, the folks over at Datsun kept investing in tooling and running upgrades of the basic engine to the point that were now so different they were basically a new design. I have installed this new and improved larger cc A from Datsun in place of the smaller Brit A engine it came with. All my mods for this vehicle I designed and built the cross member to fit in the original capture nut frame holes so retro back to the Brit is a bolt for bolt task as is the clutch linkage a simple unbolt the now master cylinder that feeds the slave cylinder. I also utilized the beefier L series 5 speed tranny that was for a short interim modified by Datsun to fit the A engine. This is RHD venicle and this 63 series allows a perfect alignment for the cluch mechanically though I did go hydraulic setup...this tranny will hold up to turbo/supercharging and such HP increases you can do to their improved A engines also. As for the Fiat, best I saw was pre war association and did not say they built in cooperation with but design was based on the Fiat, this was Mitsubishi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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