HLS30-00400 on CL

[cbudvet]

Sblake,

My car came with rear defroster wires in the rear window. At least it came to me with them. I don't know how it came from the factory.

The probable damage to the passenger side might also explain the fuel door being wrong.

carl

[deadflo]

They were selling the 2000 Roadster with the cam and solexes in the USA then.

So does this mean they intended to sell the Z with triples originally? I know later in 1970, there was a write up in Road and Track from Jack Yamaguchi about possibly introducing the triple Solex as an option.

[sblake01]

Not sure. I know the roadster had the option. I actually saw them in the showroon but I have no clue about Nissan's intent for the S30.

[Arne]

So does this mean they intended to sell the Z with triples originally? I know later in 1970, there was a write up in Road and Track from Jack Yamaguchi about possibly introducing the triple Solex as an option.

It has been my understanding that the triple Mikunis were originally considered as part of a possible Sport package option. Getting them past emissions testing in time may have been the hang up at first, and once they got rolling and the waiting lists kept growing there was obviously no incentive to certify them.

Just my thoughts - no idea how correct (or not) I may be.

[26th-Z]

Couple of comments having nothing to do with HLS30-00400 - sorry.

Mike's brochure was printed in Japan and is Japanese Nissan marketing material. Although it is interesting as a pre-description of the car that was about to be introduced, it is by no means what was actually exported to the U.S. I don't know how anyone could argue that the triple solexes were, at one point, a consideration. There's the proof. In terms of the clear hatch glass, radio and clock blank; those were configurations for the S30-S model. I have considered the model configuration of the HLS30U very close to the S30-S specification. A good point for the argument is the presence of the rubber floor matts in the early cars. Imported without carpeting, the early cars were all fitted by Datsun USA prior to distribution.

The tri-fold brochure is, to the best of my knowledge, U.S. printed literature and probably not done until after January 1970. The man and the woman driving the red car are the same as a postcard I have from Parker Advertising, Inc., photographer Jason Hailey. Notice how the models have turtleneck shirts on. That picture was taken in Winter. No way the red car in the tri-fold is 00007. Kats made a point in another thread about the red car. Same conclusion.

What happened to 00004 and 00005? We think (with substantial evidence) that they were the North American Test cars. Shipped back to Japan and disposed.

Edited June 21, 2010 by 26th-Z
speeling

[26th-Z]

Lonny,

This is the archade style postcard I have.

Chris

[Bonzi Lon]

Thanks Chris, same one I have. Hopefully with my contacts more Parker advertising will be found.

Bonzi Lon

[Kathy & Rick]

Sblake,

My car came with rear defroster wires in the rear window. At least it came to me with them. I don't know how it came from the factory.

The probable damage to the passenger side might also explain the fuel door being wrong.

carl

Carl, are you the original owner of your 333 car? I ask because the earliest

240 I have ever seen (over a 40-year period) with a vertical defroster is

#965, 1/70, owned by Joe and Dottie Novak.

I'm thinking a PO might have replaced the clear original at some point in time

due to vandalism or other breakage, or simply because he/she didn't like

being without the rear defogger and was willing to pay to get one!

All Z Best,.................................Kathy & Rick

[Kathy & Rick]

Don't get nervous, guys, I'm just playing catch-up after a few days.

Moonpup (re. post #1), I wouldn't have a problem with the odo reading

86747. On a 40-year-old car it could be that, or have a 1, 2, or even 3

in front of it by this time if there were enough places. If the car looks

like it could still be on its first time around, I could accept that. After

all, our #171 car has 28700 miles. And I know that for a documented

fact because we bought her in Aug 73 from the original owner (whom we

knew) with 26000 miles on her at the time (the car, not the PO)!

Deadflo (re. post #2), that looks like a good early air cleaner box to me.

I don't know of any variances in the lengths of the snouts, but all your

Series 1 came without a carburetor preheater "valve", hence no control

on top of the snorkel to regulate the preheater function.

cbudvet (re. post #3), looking at my records, it doesn't seem like Datsun

ran a bunch of cars of one color, then another bunch of another color.

Though that would seem to be the logical thing to do: hit as many as

you can while you have that color in the sprayer! The only things I can

think of are 1) several booths are in operation at the same time with a

different color in each, 2) several sprayers are prepared with product and

a different one is used on each successive vehicle, or 3)there is indeed

one color at a time but the cars don't run through in anywhere near

perfect VIN-number sequence. #13 is gold, #16 was green, #19 is silver.

Chris' #26 and 27 are both green, while Mike B's #32 is blue. I would say

they could have been trying to get a variety onto the first boat out, but

then, as another example, #210 is white, #215 is silver, #216 is white,

#231 is red, #237 is silver. Other than Chris' cars, I don't see any other

back-to-back numbers of the same color, though there could be some.

BTW the brochure notwithstanding, the 231 car is the earliest I have re-

corded in red, which leads me to believe that the actual release of the

905 red was a little later. This fits with #400 being originally red, just as

Stephen's #488 and John and Bev Bianchi's #450 were. Likewise with

the 918 orange, I know of none earlier than #741.

More to follow; got to go check to make sure Kathy is OK.

All Z Best,...................Rick (and Kathy, of course)

[moonpup]

Don't get nervous, guys, I'm just playing catch-up after a few days.

Moonpup (re. post #1), I wouldn't have a problem with the odo reading

86747. On a 40-year-old car it could be that, or have a 1, 2, or even 3

in front of it by this time if there were enough places. If the car looks

like it could still be on its first time around, I could accept that. After

all, our #171 car has 28700 miles. And I know that for a documented

fact because we bought her in Aug 73 from the original owner (whom we

knew) with 26000 miles on her at the time (the car, not the PO)! ....snip....

Please read post #12 :cross-eye

Once again, let me try to clarify.... in post #1, I posted a link to a craigslist ad and copied the text from the person who placed the ad along with some of the pics from said ad.

The only verbage from me was "Another 69 car up for grabs." PERIOD!!!

[Mike B]

cbudvet (re. post #3), looking at my records, it doesn't seem like Datsun ran a bunch of cars of one color, then another bunch of another color. Though that would seem to be the logical thing to do: hit as many as you can while you have that color in the sprayer! The only things I can think of are 1) several booths are in operation at the same time with a different color in each, 2) several sprayers are prepared with product and a different one is used on each successive vehicle, or 3)there is indeed one color at a time but the cars don't run through in anywhere near

perfect VIN-number sequence. #13 is gold, #16 was green, #19 is silver.

Chris' #26 and 27 are both green, while Mike B's #32 is blue. I would say

they could have been trying to get a variety onto the first boat out, but

then, as another example, #210 is white, #215 is silver, #216 is white,

#231 is red, #237 is silver. Other than Chris' cars, I don't see any other

back-to-back numbers of the same color, though there could be some.

BTW the brochure notwithstanding, the 231 car is the earliest I have re-

corded in red, which leads me to believe that the actual release of the

905 red was a little later. This fits with #400 being originally red, just as

Stephen's #488 and John and Bev Bianchi's #450 were. Likewise with

the 918 orange, I know of none earlier than #741.

Howdy Rick,

I have an interest in the color combinations used on the early cars too. I have a small amount of data that I have compiled from the public registry lists, ebay auctions, cars I have seen, etc. There were actually quite a few of the early HLS30 cars that seem to have been produced in color batches of two, three, or more (at least based on their VINs). Here is a quick list, I'm sure Carl Beck has better data.

North American test cars (#4?, #5?) - Silver

#13, #16 - Gold

#17, #19, #20 - Silver

#26, #27 - Green

#32, #33 - Blue

#40, #42 - Gold

#51, #52 - Green

#57, #59 - Red

#94, #95 - Green

#237, #238 - Silver

#331, #332, #333 - Green

Here are some of the early HLS30 red cars that I am aware of before #231. I am sure there are others.

#36, #57, #59, #87

-Mike

Edited June 22, 2010 by Mike B

[geezer]

looking at my records, it doesn't seem like Datsun

ran a bunch of cars of one color......then, as another example, #210 is white, #215 is silver, #216 is white,

#231 is red, #237 is silver.

Hi Rick, consider this theory. I doubt that you would have found any consecutive chassis numbers being run down the production line. It just isn't that cut & dried. They were more than likely shuffled and reshuffled many times for a variety of reasons, even before construction had begun. It is even possible that the chassis numbers (VINs) were assigned as the orders from the various markets came in. There certainly would be no need and it would not even be logistically possible to maintain a consecutive build format. All the cars would have been painted in the same booth and run down the same paint line. During that time period, paint was pumped and filtered from 55 gallon drums and run through paint lines to the spray booth. Pressure feed guns were common place and unnecessary color changes were kept to a minimum in order to save on solvents needed to flush the lines and guns. Prior to reaching the paint booth the cars were banked on accumulator lines and more than likely according to color. So, you see it is possible to paint cars in batches of the same color but not consecutively.

I'm not saying this is how Nissan did it but it was the industry method of operation during this era.