Original Battery

[Mike B]

Mike B,

I will remove the photo from the post once you have had an opportunity to reexamine the photo. The photo with the red car was inadvertently uploaded. As you can see, the battery case is black rather than the blue top and white sides as the FB battery indicates.

I apologize for my error.

Keith

No need to apologize Keith. I am not sure I understand your last post though. You said the photo of the battery in the red car was inadvertently uploaded, but then you were also mentioning the black case instead of the blue and white case that the FB battery has? Are you saying the battery in the red car is an original? It looks like is has a red top (look at the area around the terminals under the black cover) and black sides. It seems the FB battery with blue top and white sides may be original for 1971 and later 240Zs and the Yuasa battery (all black) original for the 1970 model year. Not sure when the change over was, or maybe there were just two OEM suppliers? I am certainly not an expert on the batteries, just going by what I have seen.

-Mike

[ajmcforester]

I'd love to get a hold of an original even just the casing. First thing I do is look at having the outside of the battery replicated, and make a battery box for a modern battery. I'd put a battery switch for easy disconnect that would be accessible from the cover that originally covers the filling caps. So that when you looked at the car it would look like you have a vintage battery

[zed2]

I have seen some 12v batteries with six (6) center mounted refill caps at Tractor Supply. I believe they were private label. There must be some industrial/farm battery manufacturer still making this style in the USA. If I was closer to Mexico I'd cross the border and look there! (Are any members traveling south of the border who would look for us?)

Keith

[26th-Z]

Thanks for all the info, guys.

[motorman7]

I'd love to get a hold of an original even just the casing. First thing I do is look at having the outside of the battery replicated, and make a battery box for a modern battery. ....... So that when you looked at the car it would look like you have a vintage battery

I am beginning to wonder if an original battery case still exists somewhere. Still no current pictures of one.

I think you have the right idea here. All you would need is a 'jacket' or wrap around the looks like the original case. The top and bottom are hidden. Put this over a modern battery and that would do the job.

[bpilati]

http://www.yuasaeurope.com/en-gb/automotive/

[Carl Beck]

A couple of collectors ask me about that FB Battery when the car was up for auction.

The one zed2 pictured came originally in the 72 Models that I sold. It was one noticable change among several that the 72's came though with. It looks the same as the one that came in my Blue 72 for that matter.

It's doubtful - but I'll Poll the original owners to see if any of them have pictures of their engine compartments when their cars were new - you never know.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited March 30, 2011 by Carl Beck

[motorman7]

It's doubtful - but I'll Poll the original owners to see if any of them have pictures of their engine compartments when their cars were new - you never know.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Thanks Carl. Those early Yuasa batteries are as elusive as Big Foot or the Lock Ness monster ("Our underwater ally") .

Rich

[ajmcforester]

If someone could get me an original of each battery and was to make a battery box. Would people buy. They make these for American cars, maybe with the batteries I could drive out to one of the companies in PA and see if the would help. I know they are out their, it's just finding who has them and who will loan it out.

[Zulaytr]

Here is a copy of an early Z brochure that shows the battery as being a black case. As Carl noted the later production Z's had the more tranparent case. Nissan does have a black case battery that with the exception of it having Yusa logo on it, it has a strong resemblance of the original.

[zed2]

Zulaytr,

Great brochure. The green car does not have the throttle control mounted to the center console, which may indicate a later Series 1 production version was used for the photo.

I presume the image that motorman7 included in Post #6 was from the parts book. The date of the book in not referenced.

Several months ago, a Canadian ebay seller “redzedsled” (Rob at metic@shaw.ca) was selling a "reproduction" set of Yuasa battery decals. At that time, he said he had sold several sets, but he did not have any photos of a battery with the decals installed. I have not pursed that lead since November 2010.

Keith

[Mike B]

Nissan does have a black case battery that with the exception of it having Yusa logo on it, it has a strong resemblance of the original.

I just use a black Interstate battery with the Nissan battery cover and it looks the same (except for the Yuasa logo). However, I think that if you don't have a Nissan battery you will get dinged for it if you show a car in the judged stock class at a Zcon.

Zulaytr,

Great brochure. The green car does not have the throttle control mounted to the center console, which may indicate a later Series 1 production version was used for the photo.

Keith, that is the 1970 US brochure and some people have said that car was HLS30-00007, but based on the type of brake booster hose bracket it has I don't believe that is correct. The first couple hundred cars had a different bracket as noted in this thread http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38918. The 1969 pre-production brochure was the only US brochure that showed a car with a hand throttle (along with several other items that were added or removed before retail production began). Here is a bigger picture of the engine compartment from the 1970 brochure.

-Mike

Edited March 31, 2011 by Mike B
added picture