someone tell me what this...

[madkaw]

hole in the dash was for. This is a 9/71 that was an automatic with A/c. I have no idea what might have been there if someone can tell me.

[bama16]

in my 73 that hole is for the cigarette lighter. is there like a washer over the hole or something? or is that the actual size of the hole?

[MikeW]

That's the hole for the cigarette lighter. Early cars had the lighter in the fuse box panel but later it was moved to that spot on the dash. The picture looks to me like the vinyl is still mostly filling the hole but someone poked through it in the middle. I believe that earlier cars did not have the spot for the lighter there. 9/71 was definitely a time of transition between features so your car may have an early lighter position but a later dash. My car was also made in 9/71 and has the lighter in the dash.

[madkaw]

Are you guys sure? That hole, that actually goes thru the dash, is only big enough for a wire to go thru. I'm pretty sure there was a lighter in the ashtray in front of the shifter. ,

[madkaw]

Maybe there was a dust cover or something that fell out over the years and the hole was not completely punched out for the lighter?

[MikeW]

Yes, I'm sure. As I said, the hole in your dash originally had vinyl in the bottom but someone poked a small hole there.

Edit: Here's what mine looks like:

http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/data/500/3294Dashboard.jpg

[madkaw]

Okay Mike , I believe you. I guess mine is just a blank and never had a lighter installed .

[madkaw]

Now I see your center console i remember for sure that I had the ashtray in front of the shifter with a lighter, that's what threw me off. It makes sense now-thanks

[cbudvet]

If you had a cigarette lighter in the console in front of the shifter, that indentation is just that, in indentation. The early 240zs had a spot above the flasher switch that (as far as I know) served no purpose. The cigarette light was then later moved to that space. Your dash appears to be a series one dash. There does not appear to be a small "bow tie" indentation beside the flasher switch. I have a 70 and a 71 parts car and they are both the same. I would agree with the assumption that someone punched a hole through the plastic. Maybe there was something added on to that spot but nothing was there originally. Carl

[Arne]

The unused fog light wiring in the dash harness is located just behind that indentation on the early cars. So you can imagine what would have been in that spot had factory fog lights been offered...

[Zup]

This pic is from a 10/70 240Z that I purchased as a parts car with the help of beandip (Gary).

It has two of the toggle style switches mounted in this area of the dash you are discussing. The car appears to be original except for the wheel and seat which are just replacements for transport----

I am pretty sure that the lower toggle is for the emergency flashers and is correct as it should be.

I wonder if the upper toggle switch is for foglights, as you describe them Arne. It does have the blanking plate in the center console next to the choke indictor light, which is where some have said the optional parking lamp switches would normally be located.

Any comments??

Thanks

Jim D.

"Zup"

[EScanlon]

Steve:

Arne is spot on, and Jim's car has second Hazard toggle in that location (if memory serves as to what I saw).

That indent was to be used for the Fog Lamp Switch, which was an OEM JDM option tht was never brought into the U.S. (At least no pictures or switches have been located in the U.S. yet.).

Even in Japan it was a rare option.

The Fog Lamp switch has a toggle identical to the Hazard Lamp Toggle, but a different emblem on it. and connects directly to the Fog Lamp circuitry that is built in to the car's wiring harness (With an in-line fuse holder).

The "optional" parking lamps and their switch-pair were a JDM option not brought to the U.S., but may have also been sent to countries with a requirement to illuminate the traffic side of the vehicle at night.

This has been discussed and verified before.

E