A lot of 280z cars have these chrome strips on the doors and underside of the doors, like the orange one below, are they original? I've never seen a brochure where cars had them.

If they are not original, when were they introduced on the market? Or were they an option? The 260z 2+2 in the picture won an award for being original, while it also has the strips on the side.

Edited October 24, 20177 yr by Peter_789

Just another  dealer "value added" improvement. Datsun supplied no embellishments, only purpose built options and performance improvements.

There are a couple of threads here about modern suppliers of these strips. You can get a near perfect replacement if your rubber parts have shrunk. These things happen with age you know.

Not too long ago someone had those chrome rocker bottoms to sale, seems like he found an old supply from a closed Nissan dealership.  My '77 has the the door guards like the 260 in your picture and I read that was a dealer add on like the chrome mud flaps and louvers I also have.  like Z Kars says, more money for the dealership.  I just wished they pushed for the undercoating back then. 

Found it!

 

 

@siteunseen

I want to make my car as original as possible. If the dealer installed the door guards and chrome rocker panels, I'm not sure if I should remove them, then they are sort of original. But from what you say datsuns didn't have these things from the factory, so for me that means I should remove them.

Personally I like the car without them, but it if they are original, I don't want to fill the holes and respray the sides.

Edited October 24, 20177 yr by Peter_789

That's the reason my door guards are still on.  There's pop rivets holding them so those holes would look bad if i removed them. 

One day I'll get it painted then have them welded up.  Mine are faded and look horrible up close, I've thought about painting them by hand to match my graphite Rewinds I have now.

 

Edited October 24, 20177 yr by siteunseen

Just now, siteunseen said:

Not too long ago someone had those chrome rocker bottoms to sale, seems like he found an old supply from a closed Nissan dealership.  My '77 has the the door guards like the 260 in your picture and I read that was a dealer add on like the chrome mud flaps and louvers I also have.  like Z Kars says, more money for the dealership.  I just wished they pushed for the undercoating back then. 

Cliff,

Is that a chrome piece going on top of your rear bumper, from left to right?  Or blue, hard to tell.  My rear bumper and the front too, both have split rubber on those spots.  I need to find replacements, but first for the front that the body shop will pay for.  It is very very chewed up, worse than the back one.  Looks like it was trimmed with a chainsaw.  

Thanks,

Jai

It's the car's color, blue.  I have the one for the front.  I think they call them bumper fillers?

Looks exactly like this one.

https://www.ebay.com/i/272496303780?chn=ps&dispItem=1