Early 2+2's

[Zedrally]

HI,

as some you may be aware i was given a 260Z 2+2 as a parts car last week.

After we picked it up we discovered it was a 1973 260Z 2+2.

Now, it's generally thought that this can't be as production wasn't started on 2+2's until later.

Having asked around I have now been forwarded this answer.

Production of the 260Z 2+2 Model ID GRS30 commenced in 1973 with 182

manufactured.

In 1974 11, 796 were made, including your car #10833.

I have here a Road Test done on a 2+2 in Dec 1974 and a copy of Modern Motor

Magazine January 1974 edition with a cover photo of the 2+2 released at the

Tokyo motor show a month or so earlier. By the way the display car was

fitted with the G nose !!

Rego labels in/on car for the years 1992/3 describe it a a 1973 Datsun

Coupe. Plates were ELI 316 which is a re-registration. Plates for that

rego series are of about 1991 vintage

The compliance plate was fitted by Nissan Aust in April 1976, so one would

expect the rego date to be Apr or May renewal not Dec, which supports my

re-reg theory.

Interested to know what book says production didn't start till 1976, cause

that's very wrong [/ quote]

Let the games begin!!!!

Mike

[sjcurtis]

Zedrally, Sound really interesting. Do you think the car was delivered ex factory to AUS or an early import from Hong Kong or Singapore that got its compliance plate when it got here, because 2+2 Was still in production then. post a pick of the data plates and chassis number if you can.

cheers

Steve:classic:

[MDyer]

We bought a new 2+2 in the autumn of 74. The dealer described it as a 74-1/2. I guess there were some mid-model year changes that were significant enough to merit the "1/2".

[Zedrally]

Just for info.

GRS 30 - 016122

L26 168542

Reg as a 77 260z 2+2

[HS30-H]

Production of the 260Z 2+2 Model ID GRS30 commenced in 1973 with 182

manufactured.

In 1974 11, 796 were made, including your car #10833.

I have here a Road Test done on a 2+2 in Dec 1974 and a copy of Modern Motor Magazine January 1974 edition with a cover photo of the 2+2 released at the Tokyo motor show a month or so earlier. By the way the display car was fitted with the G nose !!

Hi Mike,

So 'your' car was made in late very '73 / early '74 then? Now you just have to figure out where it was from the time that it rolled off the line to the time it got re-rego'd in '76 - right? Have I got that straight? Its a little confusing.

If it was a '73-build it would have to have been in the last days of late December, I reckon. And its definitely an Export model GRS30 isn't it? Not a 2-litre Japanese-market model with an L26 installed later on in its life?

That Tokyo Motor Show car was a famous clanger dropped by Nissan; right up until the release of the RS30 and RLS30 models ( including the GRS30 and GRLS30 "2by2" / "2+2" models ) the Factory had been toying with the idea of making the Grande nose standard equipment. They showed the 2by2 with the G-nose at the Tokyo Motor Show and then backed down on it. Lots of people now report it as just a publicity exercise ( it even made the cover of Road and Track magazine ) - but its true that they really were considering making it standard. As we now know, they dropped the ZG model when the RS30 and RLS30 came out.

All the best,

Alan T.

[Zedrally]

Originally posted by HS30-H

Hi Mike,

So 'your' car was made in late very '73 / early '74 then? Now you just have to figure out where it was from the time that it rolled off the line to the time it got re-rego'd in '76 - right? Have I got that straight? Its a little confusing.

Looking at it now it doesn't really seem to be that interesting, although I'll hold out on the crusher for a little while yet.

I guess one need to do a little bit more digging to get the correct answer.

The compliance plate was a 1976 plate, the rereg refered to occured sometime in 91/92. Whats confusing as to the whereabouts of the car in between production [73/74] to compliance [76].

If it was a '73-build it would have to have been in the last days of late December, I reckon. And its definitely an Export model GRS30 isn't it? Not a 2-litre Japanese-market model with an L26 installed later on in its life?

Model is a GRS 30 so it definately was export, i expect domestic models would have been RS30 [am I right there].

As you've previously said, strange things happened on the production line this would hav eto be one of the strangest! [wonder if it spent 2 years in a crate being shipped around awaiting a home]?

[Alfadog]

Strangely enough, a lot of newer imports are also "1993 car first registered in 1995" or something. Maybe investigating down this path may lead to some explanations?

Maybe it was held back by Nissan for a bit of internal testing or something? Did Nissan ever do this kind of thing (Alan!)?

I have that 1974 Motor Manual magazine, I have attached a scan of hte front cover of it for interest's sake.

And before you ask, the article about it really isn't very good. Maybe 100 words saying what it is, and that it will be "ready for early 1974".

[Zedrally]

Now I know what to do with the G-Nose.

A replica 2+2 of that one that was unveiled at Toyko. Already have right colour, any idea what the interior was?

[hope it's Tan]!

[Alfadog]

Black.

Don't forget the fender mirrors, Fairlady badges, or front and rear grey bumpers! Also, you might want to try to find a short Japanese girl who has no problem wearing a yellow school-girl outfit (shouldn't be hard!).

That'd be an awesome replica car, but you would have to explain it a lot...

[Zedrally]

Actually I was just wondering about the hat!

Any idea what the badges are alfa?

appears to be one on top of another on

where the normal datsun badge would be?

Damn shame they didn't use the aussie mags either!

[Alfadog]

Well the bottom badge says "Fairlady Z". The top one seems to be a red white and blue (French version!!) rectangle with characters in the red and blue parts. "2 2" perhaps ?

I'll scan it in as well as the picture inside the mag for you if you like- just post your email address.

[Zedrally]

Thanks,

send to

incrap@universal.alphalink.com.au

After seeing this I pretty sure I can come up with something totally different thsn the normal g-nose!