260z and 280z same Birthday

[Frankenstein]

So I was just in a junkyard in Texas and I found a 280z with the same Birthday as my 260z. Pretty ? I thought! 12/74

Edited March 22, 2019 by Frankenstein
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[Av8ferg]

She gained 40 Lbs in one month.
Thank you clown bumpers.


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[Captain Obvious]

Hmmm.... Are you double dog sure that your 260 is really really 12/74? Looking at your door jamb nameplate, it looks like 1/74 to me and what you are considering a "12" is caused by some "two shaped" scratches on your nameplate. I'd be hard pressed to believe they were still making 260's that late in 74. I'd also be hard pressed to believe they were making 260's and 280's at the same time like that. Are you sure that's a "2"?

If you look at the serial numbers, there are like 130 thousand cars between those two plates. Something seems amiss.

As for the weight difference... That's the GVWR. Maybe they were assuming the passengers gained 20 lb each.

 

[Frankenstein]

Yep it’s a 12/74. No doubt about it. Mine is an RLS not HLS like the 280

Edited March 22, 2019 by Frankenstein

[Captain Obvious]

Wow. Never would have guessed! Cool!!  

[Av8ferg]

Do we know or can we determine the serial numbers of the last 260 and first 280? Is there a data base out there?


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[HS30-H]

19 minutes ago, Av8ferg said:

Do we know or can we determine the serial numbers of the last 260 and first 280? Is there a data base out there?

You are very likely to be told that the last '260' was made in 1978, so you might need to refine your terminology...

And "Birthday"? Birth month & year, shirley?

[SteveJ]

9 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Hmmm.... Are you double dog sure that your 260 is really really 12/74? Looking at your door jamb nameplate, it looks like 1/74 to me and what you are considering a "12" is caused by some "two shaped" scratches on your nameplate. I'd be hard pressed to believe they were still making 260's that late in 74. I'd also be hard pressed to believe they were making 260's and 280's at the same time like that. Are you sure that's a "2"?

If you look at the serial numbers, there are like 130 thousand cars between those two plates. Something seems amiss.

As for the weight difference... That's the GVWR. Maybe they were assuming the passengers gained 20 lb each.

 

IIRC the 280Z was delayed. This is part of why we talk about early and late 260Zs for the US market. I could have sworn that I read somewhere that the 260Z lasted 15 months in the US market. From that door jamb plate, it looks like it might have been 16 months. Apparently, transitioning the production line to incorporate all of the changes for fuel injection didn't take too long.

Besides, CO, Nissan made the 260Z and 280Z at the same time for several years. It's just that they didn't send 260Zs to the US after the 280Zs were online. ?

[jayhawk]

Your RLS 260Z was made for Europe (maybe Japan).  They made 260Zs with the Hitachi SU-HIF Flat Top carbs for Europe until 1978.  Per Wikipedi: " Continuing through the 1975–1978 model years, other non-US markets still received the 260Z coupé and the 260Z 2+2 hatchback..."

Do you still have the Flat Tops?

[Frankenstein]

46 minutes ago, jayhawk said:

Your RLS 260Z was made for Europe (maybe Japan).  They made 260Zs with the Hitachi SU-HIF Flat Top carbs for Europe until 1978.  Per Wikipedi: " Continuing through the 1975–1978 model years, other non-US markets still received the 260Z coupé and the 260Z 2+2 hatchback..."

Do you still have the Flat Tops?

No, it was switched to round tops by previous owner. It had the big bumpers so it was made for US. I don t think they put those on outside US market.

Edited March 22, 2019 by Frankenstein

[Zed Head]

No real thoughts, just like a good puzzle.  This chart shows 11/74 as the last "production date" date for US market 260Z's.  Interesting.  Maybe the stamped number is added when the VIN is assigned.  11 is pretty close to 12.  You might have the last produced US market 260Z!  Your VIN is about 9,000 higher than the last VIN they show also (edit - I was looking at the wrong line.  1975 260Z's go up to 200000).  No idea where the chart came from.

https://jdm-car-parts.com/blogs/news/vin-verification-of-us-datsun-240z-260z-280z-280zx

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by Zed Head

[Zed Head]

Also, your title probably shows your 260Z as a 1975 260Z.  That always causes kerfuffle on the Z sites.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/10/23/what-to-look-for-in-a-datsun-240z-260z-and-280z