Rally clock features

[v12horse]

I always had this impression that on the rally clocks there was a timer. Then I talked to someone who had one and they said it just has a calender and no timer. It was for a 74-76 Z. Is this true?

[Victor Laury]

Mine was installed in a 72 HLS30 U.S. Market. I don't know how it got there. I heard that the car was a special order by the Mayor of Hunington Beach (That Explains the Rust!), in 71.

It is a clock and a stop watch with adjustable bezel. pressing the left knob resets, zeros, the sweep hand. turning the left adjusts the bezel. Pressing the right starts/stops the sweep hand. pulling it out adjusts the clock.

Anyway, without it's power box, it's just a decoration on my coffee table.

[HS30-H]

The clock with the Calendar is not the Rally ( "Stopwatch" ) Clock. That's a later option part.

The proper Rally Clock is just as Victor describes it, and was fitted in certain Japanese-market models ( the higher cost versions ) as standard equipment from late '69, and as an option on the lower priced models. A few of them seem to have been specified on the odd Export model here and there, but the person who placed the order would have had to have known the option existed before they could order it. Is was not generally listed in anything other than the official Factory parts lists.

The control box thingy is the Oscillator unit, which drives the head unit. Without the Oscillator the clock will not function.

The Oscillator makes a nice warm humming noise when all is well, but tends to run the battery down pretty quickly if you don't use the car much..........

Just in case you are interested, the Rally Clock ( sometimes called the "Stopwatch Clock" or "Stop Clock" in Japan ) had the part number 27385-E4100, and the Oscillator part no. was 27395-E4100.

Alan T.

[Victor Laury]

Thanks Alan,

Do you think I might be able to get an Oscillator unit from one of the specialty shops in Japan? Spirt Garage maybe?

[HS30-H]

Hi Victor,

I'm afraid its going to be a case of looking around for a good used unit privately, as they certainly aren't available new any more.

Lots of people are looking for good working Oscillator units, as they are pretty much unrepairable once they give up the ghost.

In the case of Spirit Garage, I would think you might well be barking up the wrong tree. They are less of an original-spec resto than a street and track performance tuning shop.

There are so many private buyers chasing the Oscillators to replace broken ones, and so many people looking for a complete Rally Clock and Oscillator unit to upgrade their cars with, that I'm afraid its something of a seller's market. What with the onset of internet auctions, it kind of cuts out the resto shops and specialists. If the private buyers are willing to pay top dollar it really makes things rather awkward for the dealers and specialists who need to turn a profit.

If I hear about one for sale I'll tip you off. You might be in a slightly better position than most in that you are only looking for the Oscillator and not the whole thing.

All the best,

Alan T.

[v12horse]

I just bought a clock with a calander. The seller claims that it does not need the oscillator box. Is this a type of rally clock? Do you know what the fuction of its sale was for? Thank you.

-Ben

[HS30-H]

Ben,

I think that's a later and more sophisticated version of the standard JECO electric clock than the Rally / Rallye / Stopwatch / Stop Clock, and you are right - it doesn't use the Oscillator unit.

They are two different things.

The Calendar clock is still a nice piece though.

Alan T.

[v12horse]

Was the calender clock ever offered in a datsun perforamnce catalog or was it in certain cars?