The Little Things that Matter

[Webmanic70]

Hi Guys,

I am currently doing a minor refurbishment of my 1970 240Z (HS30-00084) and have noticed little things around the car that I have not seen mentioned much and thought I would post some thoughts because these are the sort of things that get missed during a restoration.

1. The wire looms going through ther radiator wall are protected by a rubber/plastic ring around the opening. You will also notice the radiator mount was painted by hand in black behind the grille in a very rough way.

2. Rubber grommet and end protector to the motorised aerial drainage tube under rear guard

3. cables running under the car are also connected together with plastic separator clips. Not just the radiator and coil cables etc in the engine bay.

4. Yellow factory marking to many bolt heads. There are also other coded colours and marks as well splattered around under this car. I also have a green and yellow marking on the back of the head facing the firewall.

5. Chrome fender mirrors similar to the door mirror. These seem particularaly rare as I have not seen them around but i know them to be original stock.

6. Flat profile dust caps to the original steel wheels.

7. Small rubber splash guard inside front fender where fender connects to chassis. Picture coming. There is also a bitumous material along the seam to stop road muck getting in behind the fender (is this stock?).

There are others. I will add to the thread as they come to me and I get some pictures. Feel free to add your own.

Let me know if want me to check out anything you are curious about and may not have on your car because this one is a fairly early original survivor.

[240260280z]

Nice data! Thanks.

[thriller]

(I recall) I've been told that those fender mirrors were standard for the early Aus delivered cars.

Clean looking car!

[madkaw]

The little rubber flaps are stock and you are right on their purpose. I replicaded these using some rubber sheet. It is a good idea to close this area off from stuff getting trapped back there and rusting out things!!

[motorman7]

Items 1 and 4 I know are the same on my HLS30-02614. Not sure about the plastic ties, I will have to check when i get home, but seems pretty legit. For item 7, you can get those from MSA or make your own as noted above.

[Webmanic70]

Adding to the list:

7. Small rubber splash guard inside front fender where fender connects to chassis. Picture coming. There is also a bitumous material along the seam to stop road muck getting in behind the fender (is this stock?).

8. Velcro tabs can be found behind the original deck mat to hold it in place. A cut out is created in in the jute for the other velcro tab.

9. Nissan markings on all the original glass

10. Foam inserts fixed in the rear quarter panels.

11. Small clip connecting the choke and throttle cables in the engine bay.

12. Original factory plastic over the rear dogleg panels. These were also on the sunvisors when i bought the car but I removed them for obvious reasons. I also have silvery grey factory seatbelts (not black), not sure why they used them on this car.

Anyway that is probably enough for now. I could keep going but where do you stop.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Webmanic70

[Carl Beck]

Adding to the list:

7. Small rubber splash guard inside front fender where fender connects to chassis. Picture coming. There is also a bitumous material along the seam to stop road muck getting in behind the fender (is this stock?).

Hi Webmanic70

Great pictures and your Datsun 240Z is in amazing condition. Tell us more about how you came to own it etc.

Item # 83 Mud Guard 63835-E4100

Item #82 Sealing - Mud Guard 63815-E4100

Item #82 is a dense foam rubber weather strip - usually the originals have all but dissolved, and turn into a gritty goo.

The seat belts turn silver with age. The dye evaporates and/or fades over decades, this happens to the surge binding on the carpet - only the threads turn brown in most cases.

What is the original engine serial number

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Carl Beck

[madkaw]

Talk about a time capsule!

[Mike B]

Based on the M-214 markings on your glass, it appears you have clear (untinted) window glass. Is your windshield and hatch glass the same? Do you have a rear defroster? I thought only the very early US market cars and the base model S30-S JDM cars had clear glass standard, so it is interesting to see it on an Australian market car. I wonder when that changed? Based on the date codes on your car, approximately when was it manufactured? There is a right hand drive 240Z register on zhome.com that shows manufacture dates of 7/70 for HS30-00044 and 10/70 for HS30-00117, so I would expect it is somewhere between those dates.

-Mike

[Webmanic70]

I plan to take it to the Motorfest on the 17th of this month and then I will give a more detailed rundown on the car . I have currently removed the engine to replace the bearings and rings so when i get it all back together I will take some more general photos and add it to the garage, (there are some interesting things in the engine bay as well). Nothing had been removed off the car until now. I will post a separate thread regarding the engine supports.

I have owned the car for 5-6 years and bought it off the original owner. It was daily driver at Toowoomba up until 1992 when it was garaged. This means little rust (though it has some on the surface) and has done 90K miles. It has been under my house since 2007 and I have now decided to get her out and about after selling my other 240Z (HS30-000329).

Hi Mike,

Yes the glass is clear. The rear hatch (also stamped and original) is clear with no defroster. Note that the Nissan stamps read in reverse on the right hand side of the car like they are on the inside. The windsheild is also clear but there is no stamp so I believe it not to be the original.

I place the car around September 1970 but it was purchased in December of 1970 from Margate in QLD. I was told it was one of the first five shipped into QLD for sale by Ira Berk who was the registered dealer at the time. I will post a more detailed history down the track.

Hi Carl,

My mum lives at Spring Hill down the road so I will be sure to say 'Hi' when next I come to the states. I come to Florida every couple of years to visit my mother and take a suitcase back of the all the spare parts I have purchased off Ebay. The engine number is 013021- see pic. I was planning to do it anyway because i noticed that you seem to be able to date the cars well off the block number. The other pic shows the unusual markings at the end of the head.

I will also have a closer look at these seatbelts and post a separate thread - I think the stitching is also grey (not sure).

Edited July 4, 2012 by Webmanic70

[Carl Beck]

Hi Webmamic70:

All of the cars I have listed with L24's in the 013xxx series have build dates of 09/70. So I think Sept. 70 is right on the money.

For sure if you plan to be in the area - let me know you are coming, and we well be sure to get together for some serious Z Car time.

Depending on what time of year - there might be some good car events going on somewhere close as well. Sebring, Daytona, Amelia Island etc. Drop me an E-Mail at: beck at becksystems DOT com

Enjoy the restoration process... it is a car well worth the effort.

Carl

[Mike B]

Interesting that your car has the clear glass hatch with no defroster. I wonder when that changed for the Australian market? The front windshield would also have had a Nissan stamp and be marked M-34G if it were the original clear glass. This is a photo of the original clear (untinted) windshield from my HLS30-00210, an 11/69 production US car.

-Mike