I just bought HLS30-00110

[Bonzi Lon]

I saw the ad in Sunday's Wichita Eagle as '70 240Z #110'. I called that moment to see if I had read the ad right. It is #110 and this is what I was told. He had purchaced it in 76 from the original owner, a Nebraska car, drove it a couple of years, and has been sitting in his garage as a project car since 78. He just never got around to working on it. Clock says 90K, title says he bought it in 76 with 76K.

I made agangements to see it so went over this evening. All numbers are indeed #110, 11-69. It has a 260 engine with rountop carbs, put in by the original owner. He (person selling) wasn't sure what happened to the original engine. It has rust in all the right places, lower fenders, dog legs, quarter lips. Battery tray and area are in decent condition, all glass is very good, (slight scratch from driver side wiper rubbing). Frame rails are in very good condition, floor boards have some holes. Interior is in very good condition, plastic panels appear to have been painted black, console in good painted condition, 2 cracks on the dash, very good seats, original carpets worn in front, very good hatch carpet, speaker holes in the door panels. Paint was original dark blue, painted black by original owner and not a very good job, rear window louvers. Only things I could see missing were tool boxes, throttle lever missing, (he says he will look for it), quarter emblems (holes filled), side mirror broken beyond repair, one chrome on tail light needs put back on, its there though, no rear defroster lines, seperate key for rear hatch, no D wheel covers, front and rear bumpers slightly bent, can be straightened. All exterior lighting is very good, nothing broken or missing.

Overall (I think) it is in good condition for a car this old and mostly all there. I know there are some things I am forgetting, so feel free to ask questions.

I have to wait a week or two to get it as this week end is the Midwest Z-Fest in Tulsa, Bonzi's first REAL car show. I would of taken some photos but the garage was very dark and small and wouldn't of been of any use. Black car in a dark garage.

It was a tough call on should I get it or not, but knew I'd never find another one with that low a VIN in this area, so I bit the bullit and bought it for what he was asking as he had calls from all over the country. I may have to sell a watch or two to help pay for it. Not sure what the future holds for it as if I keep it or re-sell it. I just couldn't pass up such a low VIN. Will post photos when it gets home to "Zedville".

Bonzi Lon

[bigoak]

Pitchers man...pitchers....

Congrats...super low #...

Now you have 3 too! The disease is spreading.

[Mike B]

Congrats, and welcome to the low vin club. I don't see #110 listed on Carl's list of 1969 cars, so maybe it was previously unaccounted for? Does it have the original rubber mats? I'll PM you my checklist of 1969 unique parts if you are interested.

-Mike

[Carl Beck]

Hi Mike / Bonzi

Yes - that is a new one for the "List of 69's Found To Date".

Bonzi - when you get it - let me know what the original engine serial number was. It should still have its engine compartment Data Tag, so you should be able to tell the original engine serial number.

Sounds like it is worth saving... good find... I'm sure that several of the people that called wanted it for Vintage/Historic Racing... they wouldn't care if the original engine was in the car or not - they just need a build date prior to 1970.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Mike B]

I'm sure that several of the people that called wanted it for Vintage/Historic Racing... they wouldn't care if the original engine was in the car or not - they just need a build date prior to 1970.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl,

Is that really all it takes, to have a build date prior to 1970? One of the prior owners of HLS30-00331 bought it with the intention to use it in vintage racing because of the 1969 build date. After he got it he found out he couldn't, since no 240Zs were sold in the US prior to 1970, let alone raced here before that.

-Mike

[Carl Beck]

Hi Mike:

As I understand it - different Vintage/Historic Racing Organizations had different rules, or local officials that interpret the rules differently. Mostly its a political issue - if the Porsche Guys hold power in the organization they do everything they can to exclude the 240-Z. It's just too embarrassing for them to constantly look at the Z's tail lights.

The above being said - there are organizations that state "built before Jan. 01, 1970"... and there are a lot of 240-Z's racing in various Vintage/Historic Races.

I don't know who said no 240-Z's were sold in the US prior to 1970. Several most certainly were, but the next problem is proving it, past that point, the definition of "sold" becomes a sticking point.

Is the car "sold" when a contract is agreed to and signed by both Buyer and Seller? Is it sold when money changes hands to pay for the car in-full? Or is it "sold" when the Buyer takes physical delivery of the car?

I actually bought my 1970 Z, in March of 1970. At that time the Dealer had about 18 customers that had signed a sales contract, and paid for the cars in-full prior to Jan. 1970. Did the Dealer keep the sales records from 1969? NO. Did Nissan USA keep any records from that period? NO.

Three of our Original Owners - have 1969 production year Z's... but they all bought them after Jan. 1970. So no proof there. My HLS30 00020 was sold and titled as a 1969 Datsun Cpe. and it is still titled as a 1969 Datsun Cpe. - - but due to the Federal Privacy Laws.. I can't get copies of the original filling of the MSO showing a Dec. Sales Date... So all I have is a "story" from the second owner that the first owner told him... but we all know what stories are worth...

I keep hoping that some day - an original owner of a 69 Z will show up with his original Bill Of Sale dated prior to Jan. 01, 1970. Or perhaps one of the Datsun Salesmen, that sold 240-Z's at the L.A. and N.Y. auto shows, will have kept some of the documentation from sales made there..

hope springs eternal....

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited August 26, 2008 by Carl Beck

[Mike B]

I don't know who said no 240-Z's were sold in the US prior to 1970. Several most certainly were, but the next problem is proving it, past that point, the definition of "sold" becomes a sticking point.

Is the car "sold" when a contract is agreed to and signed by both Buyer and Seller? Is it sold when money changes hands to pay for the car in-full? Or is it "sold" when the Buyer takes physical delivery of the car?

I guess that was just my interpretation, knowing that the first cars didn't arrive in the US for delivery to the public until early 1970. I was assuming it wasn't actually a sale until the car was delivered and prior to that it was just an order with a deposit.

-Mike

[JonnyRock]

Very cool. Congratulations man.

[26th-Z]

Congrats, Bonzi ! And welcome to the low VIN club!

There's no sticking point to the definition of sold, Carl. A sale is when a transaction takes place - meaning delivery of the vehicle. It doesn't matter when the order was placed. If that were the case, Her Majesty the 26th would clearly be the first 240Z sold in America...and I can't prove it either!

I'm also curious about where all that gobble-D-gook about vintage / historic racing came from. You should come to some of these events with me some time.

We gotta see pictures, Bonzi. I'm expecting to see all the usual stuff from an early car. Too bad about the engine, but that can be dealt with. Great find and "way to jump on it!"

[Bonzi Lon]

I took my camera with the intention of photos, but the garage was dark, the car was black and it was nearing sunset and beleive all you would of seen was a black photo. The shock mounted tag and the driver's door tag ARE in place. I have to wait a week or two to get it as this week end is the Tulsa car show that Cousin David and I are attending and his work schedual dictates when we can get it, (he has the trailer and the truck).

Most of the 'unique parts' mentioned were from reading all of your posts about early VIN's and the differences over the 2 1/2 years I've been in the club.

Mike B: I remember seeing worn carpet in the foot wells not mats, but will check it out. I'll gladly accecpt your check list of unique parts. As said, no defroster lines and couldn't see if it had a red dot mirror. Early steering wheel, no cut outs.

Carl Beck: I did check out your list before going over just to see if it was there, but the guy had it so long just sitting I doubted it would be there. He doesn't even own a computer so had no idea how rare it was and was suprised how many calls he got on it. He had 3 calls while we were looking at it! He kept saying the original owner told him it was the 110th one on the boat when he was thinking about buying it.

Thank you all for the congratulations. I kept telling myself, 'if I don't pull the trigger, I'm going to regret it forever'. I do have a few rare watches I can part with to help finance the purchace. This is the third Datsun I own and ALL of their VIN's end in ZERO! It has to be a Z thing.

Photos WILL be posted as soon as it finally sees sunlight again.

Bonzi Lon

[sblake01]

I kept telling myself, 'if I don't pull the trigger, I'm going to regret it forever'.

That would depend on the car. I came across one in the high dessert area about 5-6 years ago, I believe it was number 103 IIRC. I briefly thought about buying it but there just wasn't enough of it left to do anything with. I don't regret not buying it.

[Bonzi Lon]

I have never regreted buying any car, it is after selling them that I wished I had kept them. Like the 57 Chevy 2 door post, bought for $250, sold for $200, the 63 Buick Hearse, bought for $500, traded for a Harley Sportster, the 63 Rambler 2 door Classic, bought for $200, sold for $400. But then there is the 75 Vette I would of loved to of watched in the crusher/shredder.

I had many chances to sell my 240Z (Bonzi) over the 26 years it was in storage, but the thought NEVER crossed my mind to let it go for any price offered.

Bonzi Lon