Since I'm the one who brought up the missing engine first I think it's important to point out that we really don't know much about it. The original engine might just be nearby but out of the picture. Also, as Alan pointed out, this car would not have an ID plate listing the engine number so it really doesn't matter if it's a "matching numbers" car. Unless someone finds 00001 then this car is obviously the oldest known S30 and as such has a tremendous amount of appeal to a collector.

Hopefully Kats will be able to provide us with more detail about this car in the future.

Many will tell you that I'm a 'matching numbers' purist, so what I'm about to say will seem odd:

It doesn't matter!

The near proto-S30 age of this chassis overrides the fact that the original engine may be lost for all time. If the car is restored with an L20 engine (remember, this is a home-market car)and an appropriate documented history, it will still be a far more historic/desirable car than any later model with non-matching numbers.

Yes I agree I don't think the missing engine matters what matters is the chassis number and the fact that it would be almost impossible to find an earlier Z.

At the end of the day I know it's a bit controversial to say this but the numbers on the motor are just that numbers stamped by a machine of course you wouldn't put a Chevy V8 in it though .

Hello,

I asked more photos to Mr.Harigae so will be available soon.And he said this car has automatic trans!!He and his friends think this car had been used as a test car in the Nissan.I suggested him to trace the owner back to its origine we can do it in Japan but Mr.Harigae said that car does not have a licence plate,he said it is impossible to do it.I just want to know who owned this car or if it had never been owned by someone,it means Nissan owned it then threw it away to a junk yard.

It was a quite positive rumor that there is the S30-00002 in the jank yard north of Tokyo area.I heard of it once before but I did not think it was true. Mr.Harigae bought it from there,matching area as the rumor.

The attached photo is a shot of underneath of S30-00002.

Mr Camouflage,please do not mind but I would like to say about the title of this thread.It needs 4 zeros!"S30-00002". I had never seen such a lot of Zeros before the chassis number.

Thank you,

kats

It also appears to have had air conditionig

Again: Fantastic!

True fairy tale of the ultimate junkyard find - I love stories like this...

-e

uhh, looks like the floor boards need replacing....

Geeze, a 'rumor' that the 00002 is in the junkyard?

"Hey Tex, you hear about the 00005 at u-pull-it o'er in Fresno?"

"ahh, dats dust a rumor!"

This thread sort of blows the old rumor that all JDM cars that are retired from the streets are sunk in the ocean.

Will

ocean? what have you been smoking will?

It doesnt look to be in to bad of shape. I hope he will repair it.

Automatic transmission? Brian Long says the automatic transmission wasn't introduced to the S30 until October 1970. I don't know if this would be stamped into the VIN, but if it is an S30S, Long says it wasn't introduced until March of 1971. Wadaya say about that!?!?!!

Kats, if you get to see the car and take photos, please show me the welds like these. These differ from later cars. They have a distinct weld nipple in the very center. Compare these welds to a '71 or '72 and you will notice the difference.

Automatic transmission? Brian Long says the automatic transmission wasn't introduced to the S30 until October 1970. I don't know if this would be stamped into the VIN, but if it is an S30S, Long says it wasn't introduced until March of 1971. Wadaya say about that!?!?!!

Kats, if you get to see the car and take photos, please show me the welds like these. These differ from later cars. They have a distinct weld nipple in the very center. Compare these welds to a '71 or '72 and you will notice the difference.

different market different specs again. I once owned HS30-00016 (young and looking to buy my first house so the rusty 70's customized Zed went down the road - should have kept it I know). This car still had the plug leads with 1970 stamped on them (yes they did not work too well over 5000rpm). Anyway it was fitted with a 5 spd from the factory and as I believe the LHD US spec cars did not get a 5spd until much later. However most of the early 240z I have seen here in NZ are all 5spd even the 1970 ones like my old HS30-00016 (the 5 spd was an A box - the kind that has the bolt up at the rear of the gearbox and then a spline in the drive shaft). So it could be true that the S30-00002 was indeed an auto remember this is a S30 not a HS30 or HLS30 so different spec are expected.

"Hey Tex, you hear about the 00005 at u-pull-it o'er in Fresno?"

"ahh, dats dust a rumor!"

Not certain if you were meaning me or Tex as is just some random guy. I do hope that you are joking about 00005 though...otherwise you better tell me which u-pull-it and nobody else...or the girl get's it!