VIN/Engine number discrepancies

[Gee]

OK... just bought an auto '73 240z after 9 months looking for a car..phewww!!!

Anyway, I have a friend who also has a 73 auto and there are a few interesting differences that have left me confused...

Similarities between the cars:

Both Silver

Both Auto

Same year

Differences:

His delivery date is 2 months AFTER mine and yet the engine number is BEFORE mine in the sequence

His speedo is in MPH, mine is in KPH.

Mine has red interior, his has black interior.

All engine/body numbers match.

Any reason why speedo should be different (other than someone changing it at some stage) and the engines/bodies should be out of sequence?????

G

[Smokey]

The one with the MPH either has a replacement speedo, or the dash has been changed out. The engines were not always put in in sequence. They came in groups with other assemblies, and were put in the bodies in no certain order.

[Z Kid]

I beg to differ, My 73 has a mph speedo, as do all aus spec 240's (to my knowledge), I would say that the car with the km/h speedo has had it changed cos the driver found doing long division in his head too hard whilst trying to drive.

[Smokey]

OK, I stand corrected. I, for some reason, thought Aussies had KPH speedos. Figured us Yanks were the last of the MPH for the most part. Sorry for the assumption.:stupid:

[Alfadog]

No, you're right, we do work in kmph.

However cars didn't have to be in kmph until 1973 I think, so that's why the Zs were mph before that date and kmph after. Why an EARLIER car would be in kmph can only be explained by someone changing it over from mph. That is reasonable as I would imagine a fair few people have done it here to avoid confusion.

My 1971 240Z is in mph and my 1973 is in kmph with mph readings in smaller text as well.

[HS30-H]

Hi Gee,

Its possible that the one with the kph speedo was originally a Japanese-market car. It could have been privately imported into Australia at any point in the past. I know that there are a few of these stray Japanese-market cars over there. In fact they seem to crop up almost everywhere in small numbers, and sometimes without the owners realising what they have.

If you want to check whether the kph speedo car really was a Japanese-market car - then there are a few little tell-tale details on the bodyshell that will enable you to tell one way or the other.

Let me know if you want to know where to look.

All the best,

Alan T.

[Alan Pugh]

Yes that's right. In 1973 all our cars changed over to KPH and there was an enterprising signage company who printed speedo labels for all current model cars of that time. I got this for my HQ Holden and it too had the MPH in small print.

[Alfadog]

Alan, since you were around back then I assume, you might be able to enlighten me. Did Australia always work in metric when it came to the roads? Did they use MPH at some stage? If so, when did they change to KMPH do you know? Do you know why it took so long for cars to change to KMPH if the speed limits were already at KMPH, or did everything get changed over in 1973?

[Zedrally]

Alfa,

We changed to the metric system around 72~73. Thats why you have some speedos in mph and kph.

My 240 was mph while the 260 came in kph. Simple swap from a donor and it helps if you have small hands!

Now something that I think is interesting.

I was given a 260 2+2 on the weekend, not the best but ceratainly great as a donor/parts car.

What is interesting is its a 73 model # 10833 first registered in 76!

Would this be one of the first 2+2 made?

Hope Alan has his radar turned on!

MN

[Ben]

Gee,

What are the 2 sets of Chassis/Engine numbers?

My car is was ADR'd in Aug '73, orange, auto.

HS30-103353

L24 179014

It's in MPH (as were all aussie 240Z's) but none of the 610's were MPH (which were relaesed in '72 from memory). Some of the 510's had dual markings on the speedos (factory?).

[Zedrally]

Never wrote them down!

We pulled the car out of one paddock, floated in a southerly direction for 2 hours and 4 pub stops yesterday and where to buggered to write down all the numbers at the end of the day.

I really wasn't that interested as I only picked it up fro parts, but now I'm starting to think otherewise.

Unfortunately, the paddocks 3hrs form where I live so I''ll try to get the numbers by mental telepathy.

[Zedrally]

Just remembered that the Numbers did match.