SP Rides: The Last of the Bluebirds
PHOTOS BY JERRETTE KAMAKA
OWNER: Togo Tamanaha
YEAR: 1959
MAKE: Datsun
MODEL: Bluebird 1000
ENGINE: Blue Printed 153 cubic inch Chevy in-line 4-cylinder, 4-barrel Holley carburetor, Aluminum intake, Headers, Clifford cam, Competition rockers
DRIVETRAIN: Two-speed automatic Powerglide, Vander overdrive, 9-inch Ford rear-end
SUSPENSION: Box frame, Custom Dragster front end
WHEELS: American Racing rear rims, BF Goodrich 225/60 R15, ET front rims, Continental 155/60 R15
ELECTRONICS: Mallory Ignition
INTERIOR: Reupholstered original
EXTERIOR: Black lacquer, Power lift trunk lid
The 1959 Datsun Bluebird 1000 originally came with a 988 cubic-centimeter, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine that cranked out a whopping 37 horses at 4,600 rpms. Compare that to today’s two-stroke 125cc ICC Shifter kart engine, which produces 44 horses at 13,000 rpm, and you’ll get an idea of how far modern technology and advanced engineering have come in the automotive world. Smaller engines, increased horsepower and better gas mileage are common attributes of today’s internal combustion engines, but some car enthusiasts still prefer old school horsepower made from the four-barrel carburetor.
“While I was in Vegas a few years ago, a friend introduced me to Clarence Onaka, who was selling the body of a 1938 Fiat Topolino that I wanted to buy,” said Togo Tamanaha, the owner of the Datsun Bluebird that graces this week’s issue. “And for whatever reason that deal didn’t happen, but that was the same time Clarence showed me this car and the rest of his car collection.”
Onaka owned the Bluebird while living on Maui and operating the iconic Tasty Crust restaurant in Wailuku. Eventually, Onaka would take his Bluebird with him to Las Vegas, and there wound up selling it to Tamanaha after 34 years of ownership.
“After I came back from Vegas, I was showing the friend who introduced me to Clarence pictures of Clarence’s car collection, and when he saw the picture of the Bluebird that’s when he told me that the car was for sale,” said Tamanaha. “So I called Clarence and he sold me the car for a very good price.”
Tamanaha was pleased with both the deal he got and the overall condition of this diminutive and rare beauty. “Clarence put in a new carburetor, reupholstered the front and rear seats and trailered the car for shipping,” he said. “I had to change the starter and adjust the distributor cap and engine timing. Then I detailed the engine and, other than that, the car was pretty much in this condition.”
For many, the draw of this car is in its scarcity — as it is likely the only one of its kind in the state. And when a rare hot rod like this cruises the streets, well, heads turn, cameras come out and flashes go off. In the coming months, expect to see more appearances of this 1959 Datsun Bluebird and other rare rods from Tamanaha — including a 1938 Topolino — on Honolulu’s roadways.
