240Z Build Sheet??? ***Pics included***

[Pleiner87]

-Photobucket currently will not let me put anyting bigger than a avitar sized photo... sorry

An elusive item in our Z cars is the build sheet, I dont know what I have here but It looks like one to me...

I was at a local junk yard here in St. Louis and came across TWO '73 240s, one a green RUST FREE (OK not rust free but perfect doglegs none the less!) crushed at the top of a pile of cars...

Then I came across the rusty shell of a 73, I had seen this Z on creigslist less than a month eariler for sale for $600,

the Z was all original including paperwork from the dealer warnty book and card Radio guide and A/C install info papers. I grabbed the Splash pan off it along with other various items. When I moved the center console out of the way down fluttered the "build sheet" with various marks on it... What is it??? anybody seen this before???

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42150949@N07/?saved=1

Edited September 4, 2009 by Pleiner87
photobucket=Flickr

[26th-Z]

Yes, that looks to be a factory document of some sort. You might want to have it restored. There are people who restore paper - art prints, posters -they would be able to help you.

[HS30-H]

It's not a 'Build Sheet'. I think it is better described as part of the quality control process inside Nissan Shatai's Hiratsuka plant.

It is titled 'Sharyo Kanri Hyo 5'. Rough equivalents in English - in my opinion - would be:

'Sharyo' = Car / body.

'Kanri' = Control / Management.

'Hyo' = Sheet / Document.

The number 5 indicates that there were likely at least 4 other forms in the QC / post-production process, or several different levels and methods of check for the car to go through before it was released from the QC process.

Some of the headings along the top line read 'Car Type', 'Version', 'Paint Colour', 'Engine No.', 'Chassis No.', 'Serial No.', 'Month / Day', 'Location', 'Repair Location / Relocation'.

Notes on the bottom right of the form read as instructions / directions, and include classes such as 'Repair completed', 'Ready for delivery', 'Keep aside / store' / 'Port use', 'NG ( no good ) treatment / Reject'. I guess that the inspector would choose one of these classifications to decide the next movement for the car.

Final note on the very bottom right indicates that this is a triplicate form, and where the three different copies are to be filed. Top line reads 'Office Issue'.

I've seen one of these before ( in a UK market 240Z ) but it was not filled in with any legible writing, and was in terrible condition. I guessed that it might have been dropped in the car by mistake rather than placed in there for a reason.

If it is part of the quality control process, it seems likely that it would only be used on cars that had fallen foul of QC checks - for whatever reason, even minor - and therefore not every car would have one. Seeing as there are notes advising of the destination for each of the three copies, I guess that one of these should not have been left inside the car at all......

Of course, Nissan Shatai would be able to explain what the document indicates. But for us - peering in from the outside - it is rather difficult to decipher.

Alan T.

[26th-Z]

Thanks Alan. I think Mike McGinnis has one of these as I recall.

[Montezuma]

Alan great information as usual.

[Carl Beck]

Hi Guys:

I've seen quite a few of these in new cars. When the Dealerships received the cars, the hubcaps, carpet, tool kit, outside rear view mirror, inside rear view mirror, booklets etc were in the rear deck area.

Nissan had an extensive "Pre-Delivery Inspection" process during which the car was mechanically and physically checked over. In addition to preparing it for delivery to the Customer - or actually to be turned over from the Service Dept. to the Sales Dept. {then the Sales Dept sold and delivered the car}

The Owners Manuals and Warranty Booklets along with other Paperwork such as the MSO went to the Title Clerk {of Office Manager} in the Dealerships. They in turn processed the MSO for State Title, filled out the Factory Warranty info to be sent to Nissan USA, and stamped the owners warranty info on the warranty cards. If they were really on top of things - they also recorded the VIN, Engine Serial Number and Key Codes for the new owner in the Warranty Booklet.. but sometimes that didn't get done before the customer that had been waiting for his/her Z wanted to take it...

During PDI - all extraneous "trash"... boxes from the hub caps, the paper they were wrapped in, the vinyl sheets covering the door panels, wrappers from the seatbelts - - - and yes - - -these funny little inspection notes written in Japanese - and considered of no value - - went into the trash.

The mechanics had to fill out a PDI Report - and one copy of that was supposed to go to the Customer, while other copies went to Nissan. Nissan paid the dealers for PDI services...

I still have the Inspection sheet that came in my Blue 72 Z - but only because I took the car right off the truck - and did everything to it myself.

Who would have ever thought back then that anyone would want to see any of that junk - - 98% of the Datsun 240Z's left their hub caps and stock wheels at the Dealership, and the Customers never saw them. For years we had large stacks of both stock wheels and hubcaps sitting around - and after a time we just threw most of them in the dumpster. There just wasn't enough room to keep them all. If you bought your Snow Tires from the Dealer instead of a Tire Shop - we'd throw in a set of stock wheels to mount them on ;-) The Parts Dept sold a few over the counter for customers that wanted them for snow tires as well - - usually $5.00 each, $10.00 if you wanted both stock wheels and hub caps. For years and years and years no one wanted "D" hubcaps, they were ugly, and stock 72/73 hub caps were just passable... Moon Dishes were the only way to go if you didn't have "MAG's"..

On the Inspection sheet - after all these years one can just barely read what is left of the ink from the "carbon copy"... it wasn't too bright to begin with.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[geezer]

... What is it??? anybody seen this before???

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42150949@N07/?saved=1

Nice find! I think most guys would have just ignored it, but I'm glad you didn't. Alan, your translation is most helpful and I believe you are correct that this form was intended for internal use only and if it was spotted, it would have been removed before hitting the shipping lanes. We used similar forms here that we called travel cards. There were different ones. You have seen the pictures of the S30s going down the line with these cards set on the dash. Build sheets on the other hand, would have typically been on the hood so they could be easily read when approaching a workers station. These "travel cards" went along for the ride starting after Paint where all panels were inspected for any paint or metal damage. The cards we used actually had outline drawings of both sides, view from the top & rear view of the car on the card making it easy to pinpoint/record the area damaged or flawed. Each division had their own form of travel card. Trim, Chassis & Final as well had similar cards to suit their purpose. The duplicate copies had several uses. They all stayed with the vehicle until the build was complete. The entire build history was recorded this way. Every mishap, delay or incident worth mention was on record. One copy from each division was collected at the end of the line, stacked, bundled and stored in large bins in a warehouse as a permanent record. There were thousands per day and they accumulated quickly. Another copy was sent to each Division Head for review. Reoccurring problems were found, tracked and resolutions found with the feedback provided from these cards. Another copy was used for directing the car to the appropriate repair station and then after being repaired a buy off from the inspectors upon completion would send the car back on route. 30 plus years down the road it would be interesting to read from that stack of build history or even the events an individual car experienced.

[NissanMaster]

Thats a good eye for rare paper,did the documents include the Inspection Service Report? On my recent barn find 9/71 240z I was forturnate to have all documents included, I was very surprised to have found the PDI sheet which the owner said nothing about,I guess since the plates bolted on were from 1986 it may have slipped his mind. Hi Tom!