9 hours ago, foosman said:

Seeing as I'm just finishing up my dash restore ...

Again, 180 degrees inverted. Generally speaking the writing is the 'right way up' with the back side of the dash laying flat on a surface. I believe they were written whilst the dashes were sitting on an assembly frame or bench, or - later - on a fixture in readiness to be put into a car on the production line.

Yours is a single Kanji character for 'Kusa' (pronounced as in 'Cusamano') which translates as 'Grass'. In early 1970s Japan that was more likely to be the common or garden variety of grass rather than the Cheech and Chong type...

I don't know if it was in common use in Japan at that time, but nowadays 'Kusa' is also a slang term roughly equivalent to 'Ha Ha!' or 'LOL'.    

2 hours ago, HS30-H said:

Again, 180 degrees inverted. Generally speaking the writing is the 'right way up' with the back side of the dash laying flat on a surface. I believe they were written whilst the dashes were sitting on an assembly frame or bench, or - later - on a fixture in readiness to be put into a car on the production line.

Yours is a single Kanji character for 'Kusa' (pronounced as in 'Cusamano') which translates as 'Grass'. In early 1970s Japan that was more likely to be the common or garden variety of grass rather than the Cheech and Chong type...

I don't know if it was in common use in Japan at that time, but nowadays 'Kusa' is also a slang term roughly equivalent to 'Ha Ha!' or 'LOL'.    

Thanks for the translation - the dash is currently hanging from joists in my cellar (limited working space, safest place to keep it while I'm not actively working on it), so upside down is the only way I could snap a shot of it.  I had rotated the picture 180 degrees, thinking that might be the 'right way up', but for some reason it posted in its original orientation.  Can't make a connection with 'Grass', other than maybe the color green which is this car's original color (#907).  Or maybe the assembly line worker was a clairvoyant, and foresaw how much 'green' I'd be pumping into the car's restoration 49 years later.

Today's usage of "Ha Ha!" or "LOL" would fit as well ... ?

I'll add to the collection. Two of them I was able to translate. ?

I need a little help on the other three.

Adding to the database. VIN ...3024

5 hours ago, gotta240z said:

Adding to the database. VIN ...3024

Correct orientation:

Reads: 'Sugi'.

Very possibly an individual's name, in abbreviated form ('Sugimura', 'Sugimoto' etc).

 

15 minutes ago, HS30-H said:

Correct orientation:

Reads: 'Sugi'.

Very possibly an individual's name, in abbreviated form ('Sugimura', 'Sugimoto' etc).

 

Thank you for correcting the orientation and the info on its possible meaning. Adds to my restoration story. Dash going back in car after 2 years of pain/joy/hard work and money. Cheers

Curiosity got the best of me...so i took down the steering Colum and this is what i have written there:

 

Edit: VIN# 17770 series 1

Edited April 29, 20214 yr by Johnz1971
vin#

Adding to the database, VIN HLS30-29811   4/71