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1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - 1 sheet 
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Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:15 am
Posts: 1991
Car(s): 1965 Wasp, 1966 Bellett, 1967 Bellett, 1969 Florian, 1973 Bellett GTR, 1976 Buick Opel by Isuzu, 1978 Gemini van
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About time I put another brochure up! WELL past time.

This brcohure features the 1970-model Bellett range, although the actual publication date of the document is November 1969.

It is certainly not the best brochure Isuzu have ever published; bright, happy photos of Westernised Japanese families enjoying picnics amongst the cherry blossoms gave way to moody studio shots, the features of the vehicles obscured by shadow.

Perhaps this was because, to the untrained eye, the 1970-model looked almost identical to the 1969-model, the final model officially sold in Australia (except for perhaps a handful of machines delivered to Tasmania? Correct me if I'm wrong!). But, as always, the devil is in the details.

From the cover, the most obvious change is not visible in the photo but in the text above; 'OHC' is emblazoned across over on the top left, marking the introduction of the PR50 SOHC 1584cc engine across the Bellett Sport and Bellett Deluxe models.

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1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 01.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 01.jpg [ 63.62 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]


The first inside page of the brochure shows a base-model car, the Bellett Special. The text shows it runs a 70PS motor which, when cross-checking with the specs table on the back, is the 1300cc engine, making it a PR10.

The car is shown in both 2-door and 4-door sedan versions, with the 1969-update steering wheel and seats. The central radio hole, usually blanked off with a very attractive 'Bellett' plate, shows an AM radio even on this lowly base model.

1970 saw the introduction of flow-through ventilation, meaning that the rear guard vents finally made an appearance on the rear haunches of the Belletts... yet they are missing on the PR10 Special! Perhaps not visible on the scan is evidence that there WERE vents in the pictures, with some fairly sloppy, 1960's photoshopping to delete them!

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1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 02.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 02.jpg [ 79.64 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]



Unlike the rear quarter vents, all models had the position of the wipers was revised, necessitating a shorter bonnet. Previous bonnets ran all the way to the windscreen, with both wipers mounted out of the vent panel in the centre. The wipers were set the 'wrong' way around on all Belletts up to this model; in most other cars, the wipers wipe towards the A-pillar on the driver's side, clearing the biggest section of windscreen in the most important area.

As Bellett wipers wiped the opposite direction, they cleared an arc in front of the driver, leaving the top-right (or top-left on LHD cars) of the screen untouched.

It seemed like a pretty weird oversight; it's not like wipers were a new invention!

Anyway, the revised, shorter bonnet and relocated wipers addressed this issue, with the wipers now clearing an arc up to the A-pillar in front of the driver.

This page shows the PR20 1500 Deluxe and PR50 1600 Deluxe.

Attachment:
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 03.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 03.jpg [ 74.91 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]


While the 1969-spec Bellett GT carried over the round indicators as introduced on the original PR90 Bellett GT, and the 1969-spec sedan carried over the square-ish indicators set between the bumper and the grille as introduced on the 1966.5 Bellett sedan, further revisions to the front of the 1970-model also helped differentiate the 1970 from the 1969.

Front indicators and parker lights on the sedan were moved under the front bumper, with the bumper moving up the valance to directly under the grille, in line with the bumper position of the Bellett GT. Furthermore, the indicators were revised to an elongated shape that tapered to a point at the outer edges and all were coloured orange.

There was also a 2-door and 4-door sedan Bellett Sport, which featured some bits and pieces from the Bellett GT including the steering wheel, tacho and Yazaki gauge cluster, but no centre console nor any remote gear shifter.

In lieu of the GT's centre console, the Sport featured a larger version of the standard sedan's heater controls, featuring a clock and the relocated radio.

Attachment:
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 04.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 04.jpg [ 75.75 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]


The fifth panel of the brochure reveals to us the revised Bellett GT, along with the PR91G Bellett GT Fastback. Although this came out in 1967, it appears to still be available in 1970, despite there being only around 349 built in total. Although flow-through ventilation was not available in 1967, a cursory Google Image search revealed that every Fastback had the flow-through ventilation, with the vents on the c-pillar rather than in the rear haunches.

Those hoping to gain great information about the illusive Fastback from this brochure will be sadly disappointed; not even the tail lights are visible thanks to the crappy lighting.

Attachment:
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 05.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 05.jpg [ 69.29 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]


The model year 1970 also introduced to us the might PR91W Bellett GT Type-R!!!

Resplendent in the hero colour, BRIGHT FREAKING ORANGE*, the GTR is shown to introduce tombstone-style, one-piece high-backed seats, as the rest of the range ran low-back seats with separate headrests.

*not actual name

While the gauges across the rest of the range were pretty much the same as those on all models from the 1966.5 onwards, the GTR is shown to introduce an updated speedo and tacho cluster with revised fonts.

Interestingly, the GTR features a 6500rpm redline on the tacho and 220km/h top speed on the speedo, eclipsing the 6000rpm redline and 200km/h speedo on the GT and Sport and the 160km/h speedo on the standard models (possibly; hard to tell, but the speed increments are different across at least three of the spec-levels on this model year alone!).

Attachment:
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 06.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 06.jpg [ 74.06 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]


The all-important GTR G161 DOHC motor can be spied on the next panel, along with a full spread of engine specs vs which versions have them...

Above, some of the new features are showcased, including the electric (rather than manual pump) water squirters as well as the hazard lights and parkers.

Attachment:
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 07.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 07.jpg [ 104.06 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]


The final page show the colours available. Interestingly the PR10 had only two colours!!

The specs table is hard to read; sorry about the scan.

It's not a bad brochure, really!


Attachment:
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 08.jpg
1969 Isuzu Bellett range - 1970-model - Japanese - single sheet, 8 panels - panel 08.jpg [ 78.45 KiB | Viewed 6935 times ]

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Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:15 am
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Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:23 am
Posts: 1816
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:oops: We wrecked a sedan mid 80s that was imported from new guinea it was a basket case absolutely rusted it was purchased in caloundra on the sunshine coast. It was sitting on the side of the road for sale and when dad looked at it out of curiosity it was fully gt speced carbs, disc brake front end, rear flutes it had the short bonnet the infills are ok and filed but the interesting bit so is the old console with the clock that was used in a gt. The sedan was yellow. At the time it was thought it had a written off gt grafted into it ? but the console tells another story ? maybe it was a sport i will have to have a look for the console i know its filed some where in my parts stash because it was different.


Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:40 am
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