I thought I took a lot of pictures when I disassembled my '72 240Z four years ago, but I didn't take enough! Can you identify these brackets. That's a foot long ruler at the bottom of the picture. Pretty sure they are on the bottom of the car someplace.

Thanks.

They look like "tow" straps.

I agree. The car only uses one of them, it attaches to the right side frame rail in front of the sway bar mount.

Interesting. Here is a picture of the front bottom before I had it sand blasted. It doesn't look like there is anyplace where the brackets were mounted judging by the paint and the lack of mounting holes. The car did have a plate with a tow hole mounted as you can see towards the bottom of this picture as well as a hook mounted where the ratchet is in this picture.

Are there any other possibilities??

They go to the very front of the frame rail. The black brackets at the bottom of the photo, outside of the bottom of the radiator.

Bonzi Lon

After looking real close at your frame rails, the bolt holes should be where the ratchet is. Are there signs of replacement of the front rail across or leading back?

Bonzi Lon

Edited January 2, 201213 yr by Bonzi Lon
more info

There is no indication that any part of the frame has been replaced. All the same (rusted) color and all the welding looks consistent with factory welds. I got a lot of extra parts from the PO and am starting to wonder if these brackets were ever on this car. If you look closely at the brackets, you can see they have mounting holes in two planes which appears different than any other tow hook I've seen, including the ones in Bonzi Lon's picture. I thought they might possibly be related to the bumpers since they are fairly heavy metal. I think I'll just set them aside for now. Just bugs me that I can't figure out what they are for!

After further review of my notes and pictures, you are right. The original RF tow hook (which is the only one intended for towing, and the only one supposed to be left on the car after PDI) is the same two-hole unit shown (located on the wrong side of the car) in your rotisserie picture. I know I've seen that two-plane mounted version somewhere before, but can't place it right now.