Discover various "date",use cross-reference method

[mdbrandy]

Hi Kats / Chris (everyone)

From some of your statements, I am lead to believe that you mentally picture the production processes and techniques in use at Nissan-Shatai in 69/70 to be that of the typical mass production assembly line type.

In effect, your thinking that like the Ford/GM/Chrysler Production facilities of 1960's and 70's one completed car rolled off the assembly line and out the factory door every so many seconds or minutes...

Carl,

You're right. At least for me, that's the mental factory model I have. Even as an engineer by training, I'm an analyst/modeler, and have never studied production techniques. The modular methodology you describe would certainly clear up time-sequence anomolies to some extent. It would be very interesting to get a more first hand account of how the factory actually worked in the early days of 240Z production...

[26th-Z]

Greetings!

This picture came to mind. From "Nostalgic Hero", Vol. 96, April 2003.

[kats]

Hello,I am sorry I was sleeping..

Hi Carl,thank you for your advice,yes I have been planing to make a research to the people at Nissan shatai.Last time I made an interview to two test crews in the U.S. Mr.Uemura and Mr.Osawa.Next time,will definately be another person who worked exactly at production line at the factory.I do not know I can find such a worker but I will try to ask it.

And of course I am trying to get much more break down data of monthly(or daily) production number which is hiding somewhere around in the factory. Do not be rush,I even do not know it really exsists or not.Just I am going to ask it.

And I will fly to the U.S. with Boeing 777 in this summer or autum.I am now preparing it so hard.I am very exciting that I can go there and I will have a good time to seeing junk yeard around airport.

kats is going to hunt "Bridgestone superspeed radial 20,175 SR 14"s !!

Thank you,

kats

[EScanlon]

Kats:

If possible let us know in advance what city or what date you will be arriving at. Then, if we can, we can meet you and take you to those boneyards that hold the best promise.

I'm in Vancouver Washington, with Portland PDX Int'l Airport being the closest international airport. After that, it's Seattle (don't know the code), but that is 3.5 hours away.

I'm sure that other members are close to the San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles airports.

If nothing else, we'll invite you to dinner or if time permits a beer or two (your flying times being the deciding factor).

Enrique

[Walter Moore]

1960's and 70's?

The U.S. auto makers still build cars fast. Most plants produce at least one finished auto per minute. Up to the end of the production run last year the Chevy Cavalier was produced at a rate of one car every 50 seconds.

Even the transplants run fast compared to Asian car factories. The Altima is produced at a rate of about one a minute at the Nissan plant in Tenn. Maximas are built considerably slower.

The much slower production rate of Japanese auto plants was one of the major factors to the overall superior fit and finish of Japanese cars over the past decades. With more time comes the capacity to pay attention to detail.

[kats]

Thank you Enrique,thank you.ANA goes to San Francisco and Los Angels as west coast,so if it needs to make a diversion,consider heading to PDX :lick:

I should keep it secret.Because some one reads this thread before I arrive at junkyards,he may grab all the spare bridgestones away from me and sell them on Ebay.I hope that will not happen!

Thank you Walter Moore,

That is amazing even one car rolls out per 50 seconds.Take more time,as the result of good quality.One at 50 seconds and one at 1 minute are almost same for me,both just amazing.

1970 Jan Road & Track said "Our experience with other Datsuns to date tells us that it won't be assembled with the precision of a German car nor will it have the fine edge of "feel" found in the Italians-but the same package..."

From this report,German factory took more time than Japanese factory?Or simply German has good skill than japanese and they made a car at a same rate of time in the production line?

BTW,when I was a kid,japanese kids were keen about super cars like a Ferrari,Lamborghini,Porche etc.It was a fashion in that days mid to late 1970's.I of course I loved Z(at that time my best Z was a 240ZG)because there was a only one sportscar in japan was the Z.I did not like Toyota 2000 GT,for a kid,it seemed much old fashioned exterior.I collected so many supercar cards,books,models.Every day I played with them with my friends not only in my home also in the school.Those experiences are my basement of my interest of cars.

I still remember this,when I took a look at of MIURAH's card, I found the unbaranced aseembled tail lights.It was obvious for even like a kid of myself.

I was shocked,why it happened on such a expensive car?After many years passed,when I became a university student,I read a sportscar magazine and it said that poor quality was common and MIURAH was a notorious of that.

But Italians have the fine edge of "feel",I do not know because I have never driven supercars.

kats

[daddz]

kats,

I was re-reading this post and a recurring thought about one aspect of production of the S30 cars is left unanswered. Over a long period of time I have been sort of keeping a mental note of chassis numbers and various color combinations and it has occurred to me that the S30's might have been painted in batches (i.e. 10 #901 cars and so on..) and was wondering if and when you have a chance to make an inquiry regarding Nissan-Shatai's assembly methods you might be able to confirm this theory and better yet discover a finite answer such as the idea that there were 100 #901's and then 100 #306 etc..

To back up this theory there is an S30 listed on ebay at the moment with the chassis number HLS30-366053 and I own HLS30-366531 (12/76) and both are painted Wine Red Metallic #611. Further, another of mine is HLS30-437667 (11/77) and I tracked down HLS30-437661 and both were paint code #611.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=6187&item=4563458379

Even though as Carl proposed with the modular manufacturing method being employed perhaps the chassis' were given a number and painted and then final assembled?

[240ZX]

Hey KATS, I just noticed the s/n on your 240 (2156)....interesting, mine is s/n (2126) mfg date of 3/70! Just thought I'd mention it.

[240 in OZ]

Playing round with the horns on my 240-Z over the weekend and noticed a date of U 08 stamping on the rear side. My car is believed to be a 09/71 final build date based on cross-referencing the engine number with the USA figures so I am assuming that U 08 would mean August for the 08 but not sure about the U. Anyone else check this out?

Joseph

[kats]

Hello,

This thread need to keep up,I am sorry for all the members here.

Joseph,"U 08" is unique.I can not imagine the date for it.Could you post a picture here?Let's see how it looks.

240ZX,there are 29 HLS30s between your 240Z and mine.I hope someday we all can see the data of build date and colors applied.

kats

[240 in OZ]

Hey Kats (All)

Sorry for the delayed reply to your request. I have been struggling to get a clear shot of the stampings, please find attached the best pic I am able to do.

I made an error in my initial posting, guess that is what happens when you rely on your ageing memory! The stamping is DATE 08, there is no U.

If you look at the pic, this stamping is seen directly to the RHS as viewed on the screen of the round stamping in the middle section of the horn, the inner section is the centre, most raised section and the outer section is the lowest section. This stamping is a stamping into the metal rather than ink.

I hope this helps.

Joseph

[Mike B]

These are all photos from 26th-Z. Door tag stamped 11/69. I'm glad Mark posted his 11/69 tag to compare his serial number with. 27th-Z is stamped 10/69 and 26th seems to be out of place for some reason. Look what I found.

I'll start with the gauges under Her Majesty's dash. The dash I had re-covered last year was a spare I bought and used to see if I liked the recovering deal that was going on at the time. 26th's dash is still in one piece - unmolested. The first picture is a stamping on the foam directly above the speedo and tach. It says 44. 10. 15

Chris,

When I swapped out the dash on #32 last week I noticed it has the same stamp on the inner foam dated 44. 10. 13 (October 13, 1969), so my dash was manufacturered two days before yours. My dash got two stamps, I guess because the first wasn't very legible. The speedometer is dated 26. 07. 09 (July 26, 1969), which is earlier than I would have expected. The speedo also had No 1 written on the top in black marker. I guess the workers thought as highly of the car as I do.

I also noticed one other date stamped part that I haven't seen people discuss before, the door latch mechanism on the back of the door. #32 is dated 9-8 (August 1969) and #331 is dated 9-10 (Oct 1969). I have checked #237 and my 5/72 in the past and they conform to this year - month dating as well.

-Mike