Early Series 1 Fuel Door Question

[Mike B]

Hi Mike,

I was wondering if HLS30-00237 had the springs. Also, I wonder if this is like the air cleaner decal issue where some early cars had them and some did not. Part shortages my guess.

I'm almost positive HLS30-00237 doesn't have the spring either, but I don't have the car at my house right now to check. It is stored about an hour away with my 72 at the moment. I should be able to check on it and a Jan 70 production car in a week or so. I don't think it was due to a parts shortage, but just the evolution of the cars over time. The earliest cars have many items that were changed or modified and improved fairly soon after production started. The earlier the car, the more of these early items they have. I would like to try to gather more data points about when certain items like this changed on early production HLS30 cars in a spreadsheet or something, but that will be in a new thread.

I wonder if they positioned the spring in early cars without the spot welded plate. Without this plate I dont know how long the spring would have stayed in place.

Maybe, but it seems like the spring would stay on (at least some of the cars) even without the plate welded on.

Here are a couple of pictures of the gas doors I took off HLS30-00331 (green) and a 9/70 (grey primer). As you can see, the early one is also missing the spring. I can also check with a couple other low VIN owners to see if any of their cars have the spring.

-Mike

[JohnnyO]

The early one is shown without the plate (same as mine) and the second one has the plate to hold the spring just like the 72 door I have.

Interesting part is that the holes as present to hold the outer coils of the spring as is the channel for the center section of the spring. I would venture to guess that early cars had the spring but it was lost early on as others have said in this thread.

John

[Mike B]

Interesting part is that the holes as present to hold the outer coils of the spring as is the channel for the center section of the spring. I would venture to guess that early cars had the spring but it was lost early on as others have said in this thread.

John

It is a little odd that the early doors appear able to install a spring. Maybe the springs weren't ready for the first couple months of production? Chris (26th Z) confirmed last night that none of Jim Frederick's low VIN cars have them either. Until I see a low VIN car that has one I am skeptical that they were there to begin with and they all just happened to fall out.

-Mike

[JohnnyO]

d240zx2 seemed to think his had a spring at one point. That is why I though maybe they fell out. If Jim confirmed that his do not have them I would tend to lean in the direction that they did not come with them.

Thanks for doing the research Chris and Mike.

[a7dz]

6160 does have the spring build 6/70

[cbudvet]

I was able to check on the progress of my car today and number 333 has a spring on its flap. The one disclaimer I will make is that I am "pretty sure" its the original flap. There is a chance that it could have been from the donor car.

carl

[Mike B]

I was able to check on the progress of my car today and number 333 has a spring on its flap.l

Did it have the welded on plate to hold it in place, or was it just the spring with no plate?

-Mike

[26th-Z]

If Jim confirmed that his do not have them I would tend to lean in the direction that they did not come with them.

Thanks for doing the research Chris and Mike.

Jim didn't "confirm" - Chris looked at Jims' cars. No extra plate on the hinge, but the holes are there. I have a collection at the shop. I'll check further. I think we have discovered something new!?!! Thanks for your info, geezer!

Edited May 15, 2010 by 26th-Z

[26th-Z]

As of this morning, I have looked at the fuel doors of (HLS30U)-16, 19, 26, 27, 42, 52, and 408. All the same - no spring, no second plate.

[JohnnyO]

Thanks. I am not going to put a spring on mine. There was no plate on mine so I will assume no spring.

And yes, I think we found something new to add to the unique list for early Series 1 cars.

John

[kats]

Hi,

I did not know about the spring and no-spring door hinge.

Only I have been interested in at very early car's door has no extra plate,while other cars have rectangular extra plate to attach the hinge.

See the attached pictures,one is from a R&T Jan 1970,the other from How to restore your Datsun 240Z ,Wick Humble.

And I review old film from the test drive in the U.S and CANADA in late 1969,http://www.geocities.jp/datsunz903/films.html

Open the link and click 5th from the top "On the highway"

at the gas station the man closing the fuel door, and the fuel door was acting as "no-spring" , what do you think of it?

kats

Edited May 16, 2010 by kats
add text

[Mike B]

Hi Kats,

I think the extra plate we are referring to is the one on the hinge that covers the spring on the later doors (see the red circle on attached picture). The early doors don't have this, but the later doors do. It looks like both the early and late doors have the long vertical plate on the back of the door that you pointed out. Take a look at the early green door I attached in post #13 above. Does your Z432 have the early style also?

-Mike