1st gen seats

[v12horse]

When did Nissan stop making the seat with the vents? My early 260z came with the original seat covers before I installed replica seat covers (with the vents from too intense restoration) and they had the vents. I still have them in my closet.

-Ben

[SteveInOakland]

When did Nissan stop making the seat with the vents? My early 260z came with the original seat covers before I installed replica seat covers (with the vents from too intense restoration) and they had the vents. I still have them in my closet.

I was puzzled by those comments too. I pulled a seat out of a first-generation 280Z, at a yard, with the vents, and I'm pretty sure the 280 I used to own had them as well.

Steve.

[kenz240z]

I just ran across a '76 280Z in a salvage yard, the seats in it still had the vents. I have a '73 and neither seat has the vents. So, I don't know if these are original or if they've been replaced/reupholstered by a PO.

Chris, my 72 Chassis & Body Service Manual mentions changing from the standard seat to the reclining seat on page BF-27. At the top of the page it says, "The reclining seat back is furnished as an option. Reclining the seat can be made by attaching reclining device instead ofthe device for standard seat." It doesn't mention if the option is available for both seats. My car has a lever for reclining the seat on the drivers side, but not on the passengers side. Do you happen to know when the reclining option first became available?

[SteveInOakland]

I just ran across a '76 280Z in a salvage yard, the seats in it still had the vents. I have a '73 and neither seat has the vents. So, I don't know if these are original or if they've been replaced/reupholstered by a PO.

I'd be pretty sure they were reupholstered by a PO. There are/have been a lot of aftermarket covers that look about right, just no vents. See photo.

Chris' date=' my 72 Chassis & Body Service Manual mentions changing from the standard seat to the reclining seat on page BF-27. At the top of the page it says, "The reclining seat back is furnished as an option. Reclining the seat can be made by attaching reclining device instead ofthe device for standard seat." It doesn't mention if the option is available for both seats. My car has a lever for reclining the seat on the drivers side, but not on the passengers side. Do you happen to know when the reclining option first became available?[/quote']

Not Chris, but I always heard it was the '72 model year. --My 73 has the recline lever for the passenger side as well, as did my '72.

Steve.

[26th-Z]

Shame on you guys for not getting out your parts books and looking this stuff up! Just comparing the black seats; the type 1 seat is listed up to 12/71 however the type 2 seat is listed up to 4/71 and from 5/71. I believe the type 2 seat was available as an domestic option, thus our import change around May of 71. They both came with four branding irons in the locations shown. The next seat change for the American market came in August 73. I found it interesting that the parts catalog doesn't say squat about the seat frame, springs, or webbing. Huh?

Nova, your Fairlady could have a type 2 seat or a type 1. If you think it is a ZL model (I think we bantered it around some months ago, didn't we?) then the type 2 recliner seats would probably be correctest.

Here are a couple of pictures of upholstery texture samples. The part number is in the file name.

ZOOM-ZOOM

[AZ-240z]

Chris, or anyone. Do you happen to know how long the plastic seat cushion guards were used on series 1 seats? Would they have been correct up through 12/70 cars?

Dan

[26th-Z]

Dan,

The seat cushion trim / guards are pretty, pretty rare. I think the only way to prove correctness would be be to research the parts manuals and see if they were included with a part reference. Kats has a very early parts book. I think HS30-H has early references also. I have never been able to come up with a part number for them. If you could find a dated parts catalog that references them, it would help determine their application.

Chris

[deadflo]

Are there pictures of the plastic sheild guards in kats gallery somewhere? It seems to me my series one has a weird plasticky thing in the front corners under the seats...

[moonpup]

Today's Horoscope for deadflo:

You are about to make new friends and come into unexpected wealth!

[dogma420]

Just an interesting note--At one point, I'm sure my car's PO ran the front end into something, cause the seat mounts on the drivers side are 'chewed up' kinda broke from driver being thrown forward...car is fine now, and there wasn't really any damage other than bumper pushed in 1/2 inch in the center and this seat problem....

anyways, one of my seats have the straps on the bottom, the other has a spring type matrix across the bottom.

Believe it or not, the spring seat is more comfortable, plus I didn't have to spend any money on straps...by the way, I used bungy cords before I wanted to buy straps....bungies work real well, they seem to have been designed for the application.

I'd really like to know what year the spring bottoms started...I'd like to get rid of the lower frame using straps and switch it with the spring bottom.

[26th-Z]

See if this link to Kats' site doesn't take you to the seat part.

http://www.geocities.jp/datsunz903/interior.html

Here's the old thread

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9188

[Carl Beck]

Hi Guys:

The Series II Datsun 240-Z's, aka "the Late Model 1971 Datsun 240-Z", which started production in Jan. of 1971 - came with the tilt/recline/flip forward seats. The reason being, that the tool storage was moved from the floor behind the seats, to the "tool bens" in the rear deck.

The Factory Service Bulletin, Feb. 1971, Vol. 137 says:

"The new 240Z features a 'Tilt" mechanism for its reclining seat. By this the seat can be tilted forward to permit easier access to the tools or baggage

The switch was made to the spring supported seat - from the rubber strapping, about Jan. of 1972. As someone mentioned earlier - that was done so that the seat belt warning buzzer and it's seat based sensor would work.

NovaSS - The original seats in HLS30 00020 (11/69), have a slightly courser grain to the vinyl used on them, and they do not have metal vents - also the head rest area is thicker, with softer padding. Next time I'm at the storage facility, I'll try to get a picture of them... The car only had two previous owners, before me and it only had about 65K miles on it... so I doubt the seat covers were every replaced... #20 also came from the Factory with no carpet - vinyl mats were used.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com