Well yesterday afternoon I dropped the tank and replaced all the fuel vent lines. While the tanks was out I cleaned some of the gunk off. Before putting it in I noticed it had a faint marking on the top (see white marking in photo):

*symbol on top*

46 01 23

*symbol on bottom*

My interpretation

46= year (Emperor showa) 1971

01= January

23= Day

This would match because my production date is 1/71.

What does everyone else think? Am I somewhat correct?

It's pick three numbers like in a fortune cookie! Sorry, I couldn't pass that up!

It's pick three numbers like in a fortune cookie! Sorry, I couldn't pass that up!

I didn't know Japan had fortune cookies

Well that blows my whole theory on Chinese restaurants. :surprised

If America can have restaurants serving food from other lands and cultures, why can't Japan?

Do Japanese people always eat Japanese food?

If America can have restaurants serving food from other lands and cultures, why can't Japan?

Do Japanese people always eat Japanese food?

Japan has McDonalds, and A&W/KFC to name a few and yes some of my good friends in Japan only eat Japanese food. They don't want to get fat like us silly American's eating our American food.

I am sure Datsun didn't use the fortune cookie method to strategically place numbers on top of my gas tank.

Although I did find a fortune cookie wrapper in the spare tire well. :cross-eye

A Mr. K conspiracy :tapemouth

Can we get back on topic!

*symbol on top*

46 01 23

*symbol on bottom*

My interpretation

46= year (Emperor showa) 1971

01= January

23= Day

This would match because my production date is 1/71.

What does everyone else think? Am I somewhat correct?

That's correct: January 23, 1971. But what is it? Company policy for the production line to mark the date that the gas tank went into the car? Japanese "robot worker" graffitti? Delivery date to the plant? Who knows . . . .

For the fortune cookie theory . . . The Japanese are immitators, not innovators. Of course they have fortune cookies! They've even managed to convince most of Asia that kim chee is a Japanese product by exploiting a Korean law that forbids large scale production of kim chee in Korea. This law was enacted to ensure that Koreans do not forget how to make kim chee and to preserve obscure kim chee varieties. Korean law makes sense to me. When was the last time you ate a cake made from scratch? Chances are the last cake you ate was made from a box mix or purchased from a bakery.

That's correct: January 23, 1971. But what is it? Company policy for the production line to mark the date that the gas tank went into the car? Japanese "robot worker" graffitti? Delivery date to the plant? Who knows . . . .

It's a 'Ken' or 'Ken-sa' hanko stamp. Quality control in action. Applied by the QC checker at the component manufacturer's factory. We've discussed them on this forum many times in the past.

For the fortune cookie theory . . . The Japanese are immitators, not innovators.

Bullshit.

You could have written that in 1905 and been at least partly right, but writing it in 2005 makes it look as though you haven't got a clue what you are talking about.

Which surely can't be the case?

It's a 'Ken' or 'Ken-sa' hanko stamp. Quality control in action. Applied by the QC checker at the component manufacturer's factory. We've discussed them on this forum many times in the past.

Thanks Alan, good to hear from you, I sent you a PM on an unrelated topic.