RH Series 1 Owners??

[Rick Q.]

Hi, this is a serious question. I will be buying a RH S1 by next spring. If you were going to sell your car, what would your selling price be? I want a very good to excellent original car, no irreversible mods. Green or lime would be a plus. I am just trying to get a ballpark number.

Thanks

- Rick

[Mike B]

I am confused. You a talking about a right hand drive 1970 model, correct? Have you already found one that you plan to purchase, or are you looking for one? Your statement "I will be buying a RH S1 by next spring" made me think that you have one in mind, but then you say "I want a very good to excellent original car, no irreversible mods. Green or lime would be a plus". That sounds like you are looking for one. Either way, there aren't many RHD S30s in the US, so the 1970 model year would probably be the most difficult to find here.

-Mike

[Rick Q.]

I am confused. You a talking about a right hand drive 1970 model, correct? Have you already found one that you plan to purchase, or are you looking for one?

....No, not lookingto buy YET, just doing research. I will be prepared to buy one by next Spring.

Either way, there aren't many RHD S30s in the US, so the 1970 model year would probably be the most difficult to find here.

.....I know there are few here unfortunately. Bringing one in from Japan would be risky without a reliable inspector. I do not know if this is even possible financially. What do you think a car like this is worth?

Thanks

Edited September 7, 2010 by Arne

[Arne]

No real way to set a value on something like this here in the USA. Way too few of them, and no real track record on the very few that might have changed hands in the past couple of years.

Moreover, even among the few that do exist here in the USA, and assuming you found an owner of one willing to sell, the chances of finding one that is mostly original is even more rare. Every RHD car I've seen offered over the past several years has been, beat, rusted, repainted, and frequently has the wrong engine in it.

But on the flip side of this, while the numbers here are few, the reality is that the number of potential buyers for RHD cars may be even smaller. So I really doubt that you'll have to pay much of a premium for the RHD car over a similar LHD 240Z, unless you find an exceptional example.

Edited September 7, 2010 by Arne

[Mike B]

I don't really know what the value would be. I am sure the seller would expect a premium over a similar condition LHD car. Jim Frederick in Tampa has one. You could contact him and see what it would take to buy his. A guy had a silver one at the Zcon this year and I think there is one in kind of rough shape in the Seattle area. Those are the only ones I know of personally. I am sure there are others, but probably not a lot.

-Mike

[26th-Z]

I might suggest you sharpen your research so that you understand what you are looking at when you find one. For instance, there is no such (original) color as lime. An early S30 or S30-S came in 907 Racing Green and 919 Sunshine Yellow. Even the later color 112 is considered yellow although many refer to it's greenish hue. A typical 1970ish right-hand drive model could be an S30, an S30-S, or an HS30. All three were fitted with various accutriments (sp) differentiating them from each other. "Original" will depend, basicly, on how much you know about differences of the various models compared your best knowledge of our American HLS30 version. My personal experience with this subject has lead me to wonder how and why the Americans got our version fitted the way it was compared to what was available in other markets, or, model versions.

Edited September 9, 2010 by 26th-Z

[Gary in NJ]

My personal experience with this subject has lead me to wonder how and why the Americans got our version fitted the way it was compared to what was available in other markets, or, model versions.

Now there's a thread that should be started.

[EScanlon]

Now there's a thread that should be started.

There have been other threads with a similar thought started, although from the "opposite" end (i.e. Japanese Home Market vs. US).

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5441

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14501

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4523

Hopefully this doesn't devolve into the vitriolic argument as to what market the car was designed for.

FWIW

E

[240ZGL]

I thought the Japanese versions all had 2.0 engines in them, 432's not included. To get a 240 RHD you would have to go to England, good luck finding one over there, I don't think they got more than 700 total imported.

Edited September 7, 2010 by 240ZGL

[HS30-H]

I thought the Japanese versions all had 2.0 engines in them, 432's not included. To get a 240 RHD you would have to go to England, good luck finding one over there, I don't think they got more than 700 total imported.

Japanese market got the option of L24-engined S30-series Zs from October '71 through to the end of 1973, with the Fairlady 240Z, Fairlady 240Z-L and Fairlady 240ZG models. I have two of them here in the UK.

Early RHD 'Export' model Datsun 240Zs were sent to UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and a few other territories too. Not just "England".

OP didn't specifically state that he wanted an L24-engined model, which might be the proof of the pudding in 26th-Z's post urging him to look a little deeper into the subject of RHD variants. It's good advice, as it's a quite complicated subject.

OP might also be well advised to take care in applying the north American / USA vernacular of 'Series 1' etc to RHD models, as it doesn't really apply. We've discussed this here on the forum in the past.

RickQ, I wish you luck! Hope you find a good early RHD car that you can be proud of.

Alan T.

[Gary in NJ]

Hopefully this doesn't devolve into the vitriolic argument as to what market the car was designed for.

FWIW

E

Enrique,

Excellent reading from the archives. Did the double parking light switch from Kats work? Did you install the system in your Z?

[EScanlon]

Enrique,

Excellent reading from the archives. Did the double parking light switch from Kats work? Did you install the system in your Z?

Yes it did, as far as I was able to test it.

As far as installing it, it took me a while before I was able to find a pair of the front turn signals with the required bulb that the switch would actuate. I was also finally able to source a workable bulb plug for the rear light bulb and currently have that tied in with the brake lights just for grins.

The car's current wiring does not allow for easy addition of that switch, and as a result, I've been carefully examining how to incorporate it without cobbling up the car as a whole. Both the rear and front marker lights require INDIVIDUAL wires to each side (i.e. one to each corner), add to that that the power for the switch must be unswitched in order to function as a true marker light, as such, it isn't a simple insert, run the wires and done.

Another thing to add, is that currently I have my fog lamps on a switch located where the side marker switch need sto go. So, adding the side marker switch will involve not only routing new wires but also re-locating the fog lamp switch. I was able to find an old Hazard lights toggle switch that will function as a proper fog lamp switch once I rework it's face ideogram for that change.

Then my 1600 Roadster came to me and I spent some time refreshing it and having a blast with it (It's won many 1st place awards in the local area.)

But, with money being a bit tight, have resurrected my projects for the Z (and also the Roadster) and hope to have a few items to publish and maybe even sell.

Will just received a package from me with some items that he might post about.

I'll post my updates as they happen.

E