Ash Tray Trivia

[Captain Obvious]

I was messing around with consoles recently and noticed some differences between old style and new style ashtrays.

Here's older (240) on left and newer (280) on right. Note the deletion of the little grabber handle in the later years. Probably a tiny cost savings change:

In the later years, they also added the little window for the tray illumination lamp. 280 on left, 240 on right:

And, I'm not sure if it's simply manufacturing variation over the years, but the 240 version is just a tiny bit deeper than the 280 version.

I'm sure your day is now complete knowing all this.

[Mikes Z car]

I personally enjoy details like this, thanks for posting. I was speculating that the 280 ash tray is not as deep because smoking was declining by then? Kidding.

[olzed]

:classic:

I was speculating that the 280 ash tray is not as deep because smoking was declining by then? Kidding.

Haha. That was going to be my answer Mike.:classic:

Edited February 12, 2013 by olzed

[tlorber]

Was that "grabber" for pulling out the ashtray, or for somehow holding the cigarette?

[rcb280z]

Do you suppose the 240 center console sat a little higher than the 280 console. Wonder if there was a fit issue there.

[Captain Obvious]

Was that "grabber" for pulling out the ashtray, or for somehow holding the cigarette?

That's my impression. I'm not sure why they originally thought they needed that grabber in addition to the metal "snuff out shelf", and Datsun seemed to agree in later years. Maybe in the beginning they figured that owners wouldn't want to stick a finger into the bucket of butts to lift up on the other part, but somewhere along the line they decided it wasn't worth the cost? I don't know when they stopped putting in that other piece, but I don't think my 74 had one either.

As for depth fitment between the two, I don't think there would be any problems with depth. The older one is a little deeper, but it's only by a sixteenth of an inch or so. I believe there's more than enough dead space below the 280 ashtray that you could put the old one in it's place. I don't know if the depth change was even intentional on their part. Might have been something as simple as a drawing die wearing out at the stampers and the new one was a little different.

So here's something for the concourse judges to look for. "Ewwwww... Did you see that red 240 over there with the new style ashtray? I'm gonna deduct points for that!" :laugh:

[mgood]

Here is mine for a stock 11/75 - 76-280.

[Bonzi Lon]

As a smoker in 77 when I bought my car, I found the little 'grabber' a nuisance, in the way of putting out the smoke & too small to really get a grip on to pull it out. There was plenty of room under the tray. First time I emptied it I found a very expensive Colibri lighter, a small pot / hash pipe and an ounce of very good weed.

Bonzi Lon

[mgood]

Here is another picture of mine taken apart. 11/75 - 76 - 280Z. I have since painted it with aluminum paint. Small items are chrome.

[Captain Obvious]

mgood, That reminds me... There's a story about the whole reason I even ever noticed the difference between the different ashtray designs. It goes like this:

I use the ashtray not for ashes, but as a small storage compartment for change, etc. I also put my cell phone in there, but it didn't fit quite comfortable, and I decided that it would be better if the "snuff out shelf" wasn't in the way. With that in mind, I unscrewed that shelf from my ashtray and used pop-rivets to re-attach the spring retainer on the outside of the tray.

After doing this mod, I did find it easier to get stuff out of the ashtray, but I discovered a problem... Without that shelf in there to grab on, the ashtray was difficult to get out of the console. There's nothing to hook a finger tip under. It looked like this:

I was content with the trade-off of more space for the phone, until... I came across an OLDER ashtray with the little grabber handle that I had never seen before. So, I undid my previous pop-rivet mod and moved the little grabber handle from the older ashtray over to my newer style with the light window. I used slightly larger screws and tapped the grabber handle for threads. Looks like this:

And here's the inside with the handle installed. Now I've got the best of both worlds... No shelf in the way, but a little lip to grab onto to pull the ashtray out of the console:

It's the little things....

[mgood]

Captain, I only used and use mine for change and a cup holder, a McDonalds milk shake fits just right.

I have never used the little grabber handle to remove mine just the shelf.

Now you need to spray paint your tray silver. :classic:

[Captain Obvious]

Haha. Yeah, mine (like so many other parts on my car) was bead blasted by the PO. Looked great for a week and then started to rust because he blasted off all the plating. The plan would be to eventually have a batch of parts replated and chromated.