1971 Mazda 1500 DeLuxe panel van ..bought another estate too

kjetilB · **Posted:** Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:28 pm

Hi! I am from Norway, and I've just bought a 1971 1500 panel delivery.

The only reason that I bought it, is because my stepfather had one like this when I was a boy. He owned it from 1970 to 1986, when it was sold, and wrecked in the early 90's.

Both the cars I'm telling about have got windows mounted in the rear in later years, (my stepfathers got windows only in the rear doors) but not original windows, but rather "homemade" solutions, and got back seats.
So I'm planning to restore my car, and get the steelpanels back where they belong!!

I've been searching up and down worldwide on the internet, to see if I could find pictures of similar panel delivery 1500/1800/Luce cars, but so far, the only 2 cars I've seen, is my stepfathers, and the one I've just bought.

I wonder if anyone knows about these panel delivery cars, or if it was only a Norweigan phenomenon, due to lower taxes on cars without rear seats, and windows in the cargo-area.

Better pictures are coming, but I have to scan old photos of my stepfathers car, and I haven't got my own back home yet, because it's winter and a lot of snow in Norway just now!!
This picture is taken with a poor cellularphone, and You have to use Your fantasy, to recognize the 1500, but it shows my stepfathers car, with the rear steel panels

And here is my car. Photo from the add where I found it.
You can see the rear windows are not original.

B1500boy · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:24 am

Hello there, welcome aboard.

Technically was never a factory add on but I have seen a few over here that had those side panels put in after purchase. I'll have a look through my photo's for you and see if I've got any.

I do know in a few European markets that panel van options with fewer seats were added to various model wagons through the 1970's and 80's.

The wagon versions didn't sell in great numbers over here and we only had the 1500 versions and missed the more powerful 1800 motor. I have a number of the sedan versions but no wagons as of yet.

kjetilB · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:45 am

Thanks for Your answer!

I really hope that You have some photos of these panel vans, so I could see if the panels are similar to my stepfathers.

The only I know for sure, is that the panels are welded to the car, so if its not a factory add, there had to be a very good workshop who did the work on the panels, because it looked stock and original on my stepfathers car
Unfortunately, I only have my stepfathers car in my memories, and I don't have any good pictures of it, so I appreciate any help I could get!

The reason that estate/wagons sell in large numbers as van, with only front seats in Norway is that we have totally sick taxes on passenger cars with rear seats. On a ordinary sedan or estate, they add 75% taxes to the price of the car, but on 2-seater trucks, vans and converted esteates they only add 9% taxes.
My stepfather told me that he gave 25.000.- NKr in 1970(about 5000 USD) for the car, but if he had bought it as a estate with back seats, he had to pay almost 40000.- NKr.(almost 8000 USD)

And I apologize if my english writing is rather rusty!!

rasun · **Posted:** Sat Mar 20, 2010 11:48 pm

I've not ever seen a Mazda 1500 estate with this kind of side panel. Your car is still in good shape, so, it will be an interesting example as a rare type of Mazda 1500 estate. You may restore it the way it is until you can find a set of new doors for it, then rethink again. :tu:

kjetilB · **Posted:** Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:48 pm

the easiest solution is restoring it with the rear side windows in place, but I will try to make panels that are as close as possible to the original steel panels. I think the windows destroy much of the "heart and soul" in this car.
The car was sold new as a panel van, and the owner turned it in to a "wannabe estate" when he installed windows and a back seat.

I know this is a Crown, but it's the closest to my Mazda panel van that I found, and my Mazda also had this kind of panels. Btw: This is also a Norweigan car.

baltsiotis · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 3:23 pm

Never seen an advertisment of a 1500/1800 panel van. But even if a japanese brochure appears, I wouldnt belive they were imported as panel vans. I think you should try to get in touch with persons who were in mazda-norway at that time, and they will solve many of your questions. Thats what I do when I face a "Greek-exclusive mazda". Alternatively, I would suggest the press of that era, as you have indications that this conversion was a wide practice in Norway.
I would go for the panels for sure, keeping a local variation of mazda alive.
Japanese manufacturesrs at that time ususally were turning the pick-ups to panel vans but never(?) originally passenger cars to panel vans.

kjetilB · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:15 pm

Yes, I consider finding, or at least try to find, persons that worked with Mazda here in Norway these early years. The first Mazda's in Norway came to Norway june 28. 1967 and it was two grey Mazda 1500 Deluxe sedan. The dealer bought back these two cars in 1982, restored them, and put them back in his shop.
Here is these two cars in 2005 in the dealers shop

ben · **Posted:** Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:18 pm

^ That's nice that the dealer kept track of the cars and was able to restore them. :tu:

kjetilB · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:36 am

It happens from time to time, that dealers buy back cars that they sold a long time ago here in Norway
I have, among other, a -77 Ford Granada 3.0 GL aut. estate which was bought new at my local Ford dealer, and when I just had got it, I stopped by the dealer, and asked for some minor parts.
That car was a nearly a top of the line model in -77, and rather expensive at the time, and when I now rolled in to the dealer with it, some of the persons, both salesmen and mechanics recognized the car, and started talking with me about both the car, and the customer that bought the car new. They came up with all the history that they had on the car in their archive and so on.
just that day it became even more interesting for me to save and drive classic cars.
You find picture of my gold Ford Granada in the thread "Nostalgic German Cars" in the off-topic area here on the forum.

rasun · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:26 pm

The dealers in your country have a very good attitude to classic cars. I used to visit the original Mazda dealer in my country some years ago to find some parts for my Mazda 1500. Instead of appreciation, they laugh at me for still using such a long outdated vehicle!.

Camshaft · **Posted:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:45 pm

rasun wrote:

The dealers in your country have a very good attitude to classic cars. I used to visit the original Mazda dealer in my country some years ago to find some parts for my Mazda 1500. Instead of appreciation, they laugh at me for still using such a long outdated vehicle!.

I'd find a new dealership! My local GM dealership is always happy to see my green Cutlass pull up to buy parts.

kjetilB · **Posted:** Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:26 am

here is the first known picture of my stepfathers 1500 van, taken in 1974. And the little brat is me

And here is the last known picture of the same car taken in May 1986

kjetilB · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:55 pm

I sent a mail to the Managing Director, who also started importing Mazda to Norway, where I asked about the panel van version of Mazda 1500. This is the answer I got from him: (translated to English by me)

"I have received your request and can provide the following information.

1500 Mazda van was developed by the undersigned, in collaboration with Mazda Motor Corporation in 1968. Import to Norway started in 1969. The model is a derivative of the Mazda 1500 wagon, developed on the basis of the special Norwegian requirements for vans and built at the factory plant in Hiroshima, Japan.

The car was very popular in the 70-year, and quickly became one of the best-selling goods vehicles in the country. Since the model was developed specifically for this market, it was not sold in Japan, or exported to other markets.

Suspension, shock absorbers and tires were also adapted to meet the requirements for total load.

I apologize for this late response, due to international travel and wish you good luck with the restoration of the car.

Sincerely,

TXX KXXXXXX
Managing Director"

(name blanked out by me)

ben · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:59 pm

So it looks like a Norway exclusive. That's pretty cool that you actually got a response from the company. Mystery solved, I suppose. A nice historical footnote.

kjetilB · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:02 am

ben wrote:

So it looks like a Norway exclusive. That's pretty cool that you actually got a response from the company. Mystery solved, I suppose. A nice historical footnote.

Yes, I was very happy when the managing director answered my questions, especially since I didn't send it directly to him, but to the main e-mail adress that I found on the companys web-site.

As he wrote, he developed the panel vans for Norway, and he was the managing director, and started importing Mazda to Norway. He is now 70 years old, and his company lost the right to import Mazda in to Norway in 2004, because the company also imports Hyundai cars to Norway, and Mazda didn't like that very much..

Since I now got this mail from the boss him self, the next step for me is trying to get som more info, or at least some pictures of these cars, from back then.

baltsiotis · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:10 am

That's great information. I did a quick search at "mazda model number list", which is not always that accurate and one must see dozens of pages with small letters. I didnt find any specific 1500 station wagon for Norway but two for Finland (models 2207 and 2208 "1500 Estate").A parts catalog though would be helpful to see if this was considered a specific Norwegian model or on which model was based on.

kjetilB · **Posted:** Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:05 am

baltsiotis wrote:

That's great information. I did a quick search at "mazda model number list", which is not always that accurate and one must see dozens of pages with small letters. I didnt find any specific 1500 station wagon for Norway but two for Finland (models 2207 and 2208 "1500 Estate").A parts catalog though would be helpful to see if this was considered a specific Norwegian model or on which model was based on.

I've sent a new mail to the managing director, asking for more detailed information and maybe even some pictures. I really hope he will reply!

So it seems like I have bought a pretty unique model of Mazda 1500. Not much value in it, of course, but still pretty cool, I think

kjetilB · **Posted:** Fri May 28, 2010 9:57 am

Finally she's home

And the original spare wheel, mounted on left front: Bridgestone Skyway 6.45-14

kjetilB · **Posted:** Fri Jul 30, 2010 11:54 am

I spotted an add in a magazine, that said "lots of parts for Mazda 1500/1800"
Since it was only 30 minutes to drive, I gave the guy a call, and paid him a visit. This man worked at a Mazda-dealer when they started selling Mazda in Norway, and I learned a lot of things about 1500. He is just now working on, and restoring one of the very first 1500 that was sold here.
Back to the parts: He had a whole barn of parts, so I ended up with 4 good doors, right front guard, hood, front springs, fuelpump, a complete dashboard, brakediscs, two front seats and headers ... and he asked approx 100 USD for the whole thing

One of the seats (I have taken off the headrest)

The bigger things

Question: Which models had these headers, and which had ordinary manifold?? My car has manifold!

And this is how I know the inside of the rear doors on the panelvan.
Have someone seen these before?
The car that this door comes from is also converted from panel van to estate

1500RE · **Posted:** Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:02 pm

nice score on all the 1500 parts

the headers are probably off an SS. pretty sure they were extractors rather than the cast manifold.

1971 Mazda 1500 DeLuxe panel van ..bought another estate too

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