"Southwest" surprise !!

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Ok heres a sneak peek of a project Guy gray, Steroid & myself have been planning / working on for a few months. We wanted to run a plaque as a fun thing & just show people that were united as friends & share the Datsun obsession. Back in the day the biggest Datsun club around was called "So. Cal datsun pickups" & we didnt want to rip off that name so the name we picked fits perfect. These are mirrored plexiglass & the letters are sandblasted on. By the Long beach show Guy will have 3 of them done with another few done shortly after the show for a few So cal guys on this forum.

Much props to Steroid for re-doing the artwork & Guy for his hours of labor put into them.....:cool:

[Bleach]

:D it warms the heart....

[]2eDeYe]

'Westside' :D

[OL YELLER]

MARK...when you first showed me this idea...I said yes without hesitation...I am soooooooo glad I did......the finished product is so much better than I imagined then.....WOW!!!

[tnip]

i love the font, i'm not super crazy about it being a mirror, but i could def get over that. what about one that says http://www.ratsun.net across the arch and the rat-n-wrenches at the bottom?

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Glad you guys like them. This was just a fun idea from the start, lord knows we're all too busy to be considered an actual "club". But it does unify us & lets people know that the Datsun trucks are still popular. As for a different design. If you design it & get the artwork the actual size it needs to be you never know.

[OL YELLER]

i love the font, i'm not super crazy about it being a mirror, but i could def get over that. what about one that says http://www.ratsun.net across the arch and the rat-n-wrenches at the bottom?

 

 

It isn't a mirror..jus looks that way..it is clear plexiglass right Mark..:rolleyes:

[Steroid]

Ok, here's the "secret". Yes, the Fontana, California based club formed in 1973 was SCDP. As I've mentioned many times, they originated the "Fontana" look, which I built a time machine of in building Funtana (the vanity plate "Fontana" was taken already, so as it was FUN building it, the truck's name became "FUNtana") Anyway, those guys ran a plaque made of redwood that was routered by a kid in woodshop and then the letters painted yellow. All club members had them. In 1975 an Escondido chapter was added but I was in the process of moving to Barstow. Technically, I never ran a SCDP plaque although I hung around with the members of both chapters. Now, 32 years later, a discussion was going 3 ways between Guy, Mark and Myself a few weeks ago. As there is NWDE which includes Washington, Oregon and I am assuming Idaho, We decided to create a group for truck fans living a little further south. Enter SWDP, which will compromise California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. As of now, there are only plaques in the works. Maybe more later. Here is how the plaque idea came about. I was given a photograph by Dave Bednarczyk, who was president of SCDP Escondido Chapter, of His plaque in His 620s back window. It took owning it for 3 years to come up in a conversation with Guy one night where He simply asked "cann't You just scan it, enlarge it and trace it on to something"? DUH!!!!!!! Why I didn't think of it 2 years ago while building Funtana!! I did that but the sizing was a little off. I made large photocopys which were sent to Guy who accurately resized them to 6" X 12" (license plate size as SCDP years ago had done) and He also cleaned them up. Mark and Guy wanted a vintage look with a newer "feel" for Their trucks. I wanted and built the same plaque that was used in the time period of 1975 for an accurate rebuild. Naturally, SCDP should remain in history as it was long ago so what to do about a name change? Easy!! Take out the "Cal" and place "West" in it's place! So. West Datsun Pickups!! The logo is the same from long ago. It has been changed to include 3 more states. And it will forever leave the proper historic remnant of SCDP when that club was finally disolved. So there it is............... SWDP. I finished after 3 exhaustive days cutting, routering, staining, painting and mounting My re-creation plaque today. It is the same as Guys chrome plaque except on Oak (I could not find any redwood anywhere). They will debut on Saturday.

[Steroid]

 

[Steroid]

 

[datsun dreamer]

Steroid, Thats a cool peice of history:) The new Plaques are like the second generation Of datsun truck enthusiast:D

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Ron yes they are mirrored plexiglass...& Jason yes i feel like we've brought back a piece of history.

[Steroid]

OK, here is what the wood plaque looks like. Javin, hope You don't mind! I put WAY too much time in the way I built this one, but at least it got done. Like anything You build, You always learn with the first one. Anyway, it is as close as the originals that I could do. The wood is, however, oak instead of redwood.

 

 

[Steroid]

Hey. By the way, can this thread be moved from "general discussion" as it is truck related, to "trucks"????

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Mike the plaque came out perfect & worth all the time you spent on it. It's a new twist on a historic time in the sport. Look how happy you are just holding it...:D

[73super]

It would even look better if it said "Northwest".. Ha!:D

[Steroid]

NO, I look hungry!!!!!! I kept smelling that tri-tip blowing it's aroma Our way!! Yes, I was on cloud nine. 32 years later still 19 years old. The drive over there was a total mind warp. So. Cal cement freeways and the kicker, taking a cloverleaf at speed in a lowered 620!!! I did that so many times years ago! Not many understand the significance of "bouncing" along like that. I mean nowdays there are much, much better suspension ideas available. But back then, all We did was remove the bottom-out pads and crank down the frontend with the torshionbars. What else was there? Naturally on a daily driver I would entertain a reliable suspension solution, but on Funtana.......... It's totally old school for Her!!! This was truly a historic day. Hopefully, some of You guys will 30 years from now get to do something again that is so important in Your lives now. Thanks for the cool comments!!

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Heres the plaque Guy gave me proudly on display last Sat.

In the weeks to come im sure or at least by Reso we should have the rest of the plaques for the rest of the "crew" ;) Guy, if you need help im good with the Xacto knife :D

[Steroid]

Here is what Guy, Mark and Myself have decided. There will be wooden presentation plaques as well as stickers done. The mirrored plexiglass type look very good too but are limited display pieces. These are very cool as sandblasted on the plexiglass. The stickers to apply to a window or license plate "blank" are being done. I ordered yellow, red and green for the sticker so far. My idea was that the sticker could be applied to the outside of the rear window and it would look the same, just without the wood or mirror. EM Me (steroid620@yahoo.com) on what You are going to want and I'll get on it by the end of December.

[Steroid]

OK guys, Here's the first sticker. I had Chuck make it in the closest blue to the stock Datsun color. This one does not have the outline though. The rest should. I will be having about 5 in yellow made for My trucks. My vintage trucks will have a plaque and My newer ones will have these stickers (in yellow) that will be placed in the passenger's side in the same location as the SCDP plaques were. This gives a newer look but will appear like a plaque from the 70s. Anyway, that is what I will be putting on My trucks. If You guys like this one let Me know what color and how many You want. Chuck can now crank them out within a minute. I will have pricing tomorrow.

 

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Mike thanks for getting those made. They came out awesome! Ill take 3 in the same color as the one you just posted. I can send you a money order along with those flywheel bolts ;)

[Steroid]

Thanks Mark,

Before this gets way out of hand, please send requests to My email, steroid620@yahoo.com that way I can put them all into a seperate sticker file and find for refrence later. If the orders are all on here the thread will fall behind and I might miss an order. Also, Chuck hasn't quoted Me a price yet so keep that in mind. It shouldn't be too much I would think. We should be "stylin' " by Reso though!!! Thanks again, Mike

[datsun dreamer]

Mike, I'll take 2:D You can PM me with price! Thanks, Jason.

[Steroid]

OK guys............. I have a pretty good order so far!! Thanks! I will give it another week (so if You don't hear anything, don't worry) and place the full order on about the 15th. This will give anyone that just runs across this thread an opportunity to order. The artwork will be cleaned up some, such as the "W" touching the "E" and also correct sizing of the center cutout in the "A". Anyway, it looks like Reso will be a flashback with stickers and plaques this year!! This will be neat............. It will go out just as it came in, with vintage trucks and vintage "club" logos to match 32 years later!

[Pacific coast Datsun]

SWDP @ Reso 07....goin old school for the final chapter !