1968 Sedan

[yellowperil]

I thought I'd post up this photo of my 68 Sedan which is destined for bigger things.

As you can see it was used as a workbench during another resto job. The cartons were borrowed from my neighbour for masking off an engine bay!!!
Andrew

[PR91]

andrew, what tailights and dash does it have?
reason i ask is because that's not a 68 model grille and headlight surrounds. they are 64-65 model.
also, the stone tray is a later one, around 70-71 model vintage.

at a guess, it looks like it may have had a bender in the front at some time and has been put back together with whatever parts could be located??

cheers.
brett.

[yellowperil]

Hi Brett
You've got an eye for detail!! I hadn't even noticed the different headlight surrounds or stone tray.

The rear lights are the long rectangular style (as in the 70 model) not the earlier "square" ones.
It has an aluminium head, does this suggest later than 66/67 ?
the dash and steering wheel is the same as my 70 model - i.e. "rocker" switches, radio, heater controls, guages are all the same and the later wheel, not the earlier one with the red Isuzu badge in it.
it also had carpet, not the vinyl floor covering of earlier models. the only thing that i can find different to my 70 model is the location of the front park lights / indicators being above the bumper , and a light inside the bonnet.
It also has a cowl around the fan, something I hadn't seen before. If you look closely at the photo you will also see that the number plate carrier is hinged and can be lifted up to allow the insertion of the crank handle.

Unfortunately this is the only photo i have of it at the moment. It is stored at the family property in northern Tas . i'm going that way over the next few weeks and will find body and eng no. for you and take some more photos.
apologies for the size of the photo, next time I'll add it into the text line as I think this solves the problem, (not being an IT "tech head")

cheers,
Andrew

[Farmer]

Hi Vic, It appears from your description your car is a '69 (oct '68 on). I think Brett is right - it may have had a bingle & been repaired with a '65 front - guards, bonnet, bumper, grille & light trims & radiator. They all had cowls until the '69 model. The tray though is '70, but these were available once as a new repair part.
For posting pics, I resize them to 653 x 490 pixels & they come out o.k. Yeah, I'm no tech head eather, just fluked it with that photo manager thingy.
Looks like a nice complete project.
Thanks for showing,
Matt.

[PR91]

andrew, what matt said about the vintage of it is correct.
it would be late 68, or probably a 69 model. might even be a 70. the long tailights and steering wheel badge give that away.
alloy head and the late style dash (with the rocker switches) appeared in 1966-67 and carried thru.
all bellett's had a fan shroud/cowl when new, but alot were removed. they seem to work OK when sitting still, but they hold the heat in the radiator more when moving. is my opinion anyway, hence i remove the ones on my cars, and they run well.
the hinged number plate mount was on the earlier cars, and i'd say it's on yours as the bumper is probably off the donor car that the grille/headlight surround, etc., came off.... a 65 model, and it was left there, so that's why it has one now.
the stone tray could be original or a replacement. late 68-69 cars had the 'normal' 3 lower hole version, and 70 onwards had that one. a quick look at the welds just under the headlights will tell, as they were nicely done when new, but 99% of them looked crap when a panelshop had a go during repairs.... that will give you a rough build date.
as a point, tassie did get cars later than the mainland, which a few true 70 models going there, so this could be one of them.

also, PM sent in regards to Group N regs.
cheers.
brett.

[P.R.90]

Hey Vic welcome aboard
If your car is a true 1970 upwards I would expect to see vents in the rear quarter panels & possibly
strengther braces under each side of the lower "A" pillar & dash panel mount as our 70 model had these
featuresbut our late 69 mod now residing in Victoria didn't have the vents
possibly another bit of info to confuse the picture
front panels light surrounds deffinatly look 64-66 model
cheers ken

[PR91]

possibly strengther braces under each side of the lower "A" pillar & dash panel mount as our 70 model had these
featuresbut our late 69 mod now residing in Victoria didn't have the vents
ken

ken, all the long tailight cars had the strengthening brace under the dash.
my 69 has it, and ross' late 68 ("early" late model) has it too.
and yep, a 70 has the vents in the rear quarters, but the standard length bonnet.
the 71 has the vents and short bonnet.
cheers.

[yellowperil]

Hi everyone
Thanks for the analysis of the year. I've learnt a lot about spotting the differences!.
It may help solve the mystery, with an engine no. of 421770, which would put it at about 1969??

regards
Andrew

[PR91]

is a help, but the chassis number would be a better date guide.
cheers.

ohh, and the PM i sent.... things are well underway.
let me know what the chassis number is so i can make sure this is correct for u too.
ta.

[PR91]

just a footnote.... to expand on my "under dash bracing" comment.

all 68.5/69 onwards sedans have the bracing.
all 68.5/69 GT's (long bonnet, no rear guard vents) don't. a 70 GT (long bonnet, with rear guard vents) i looked at yesterday didn't have them either.

P.R.90 informs me that the much later 71 onwards GT's (short bonnet model, with rear guard vents) then did have the braces.
thanks ken!

[RobSA]

Welcome to the forum.

I'll be watching with special interest the progress on this one.

Cheers
Rob