Early vs. Late Series I 240Z's

[240260280]

@Carl Beck  Thanks for the ammo for teasing my wife (the assistant) and the laughs:

 

 

Nissan recommends speeding and has made provisions for it:

[HS30-H]

5 hours ago, Carl Beck said:

The switch from Vertical to Horizontal Defroster Lines - took place at VIN HLS30 062001 - Jan. 1972

Except it wasn't a 'switch'. It might be safer to describe it as a start.

Nissan continued to fit vertical defroster lined glass to some models, as evidenced by my May 1972 production HS30-H model Nissan Fairlady 240ZG. 

[ConVerTT]

Thanks @Carl Beck.  Pure gold!

[Randalla]

Carl, you truly are a wealth of information! Based on what you posted I can only conclude that the hatch and  glass on my car must have been replaced fairly early in the car's life. For what reason is any ones guess. Appreciate the informative post ups. 

[w3wilkes]

I suspect that some of the changes were implemented prior to the S/N HLS30 21001 and HS30 00501 cars. My car is S/N HLS30 17486 and has the hooded map light. I am the 2nd owner, but I doubt it was changed by the original owner.

[240260280]

I think they often used whatever they had on hand.... finding a box of old parts or getting a delayed shipment a month after the new parts went into the production run... throw them out or use them?

 

The 260z in NA was the classic hodgepodge car that ended the 240z parts and started the 280z parts.

Edited March 20, 2020 by 240260280

[w3wilkes]

20 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

The 260z in NA was the classic hodgepodge car that ended the 240z parts and started the 280z parts.

However I don't think you'd find a 260Z that originally had 240Z bumpers or tail lights and I've never heard of a 240Z that had 260Z bumpers or tail lights.

[Carl Beck]

7 hours ago, 240260280 said:

I think they often used whatever they had on hand.... finding a box of old parts or getting a delayed shipment a month after the new parts went into the production run... throw them out or use them?

 

The 260z in NA was the classic hodgepodge car that ended the 240z parts and started the 280z parts.

Throw them out or use them?  You are pulling our leg!  

 

Auto Manufacturers warehouse massive inventories of NOS Parts, to supply their Dealers and Customers with repair and replacement parts for years into the future. It is a huge Profit Center.  Among all of them I’ve ever dealt with - Nissan supplied NOS parts far longer than anyone else - 25+ years after initial production you could get just about anything over the Nissan Dealer Parts Counter.  Silly to think that the production/assembly lines would be faced with using up left over parts, or that they would start production of a new model without having all the necessary parts needed to feed an assemble line. Granted that we did see a few “mistakes” at the very end or very beginning - but what we see today on 50 year old examples passing though unknown numbers of previous owners is really proof of nothing. 

 

If the 260Z was a hodgepodge - the reason was ever and quickly changing US EPA, DOT-FMVSS standards at the time. All the auto manufacturers selling vehicle in the USA had to deal with that situation; and I think Nissan did a admiral job. Especially considering the very low production numbers of the Z Cars; by US standards any production vehicle selling less than 100K units per year is almost a limited production example. Ford sold 385,993 Mustang II’s in 1974, Chevy sold 151,000 Camaro’s in 74 where Datsun sold about 150K units in Four Years!. 

[Carl Beck]

@Randalla   Sorry I had to be away from this for a few days - but getting back to your original Post. The 2400 Valve Covers were used on all 240Z’s arriving here produced up until the first 240Z’s with A/T started to arrive. The 240Z’s with A/T that we saw at the time,  came though with the OHC valve covers, and soon that followed on the manual shift cars. I do not believe we ever pinned it down factually to a specific VIN range - - but that was on cars produced in 08/71 and VIN ranges around 8000.  If some original owner had a 240Z produced in 09/70 with a 2400cc valve cover in the 9000 VIN range it wouldn’t surprise me - but I seriously doubt we received more than 9000 or 10,000 2400 cc valve covers - and that is why today they sell for $450.00+.

[Randalla]

Carl, once again you impress by your depth of knowledge. Both my Series 1 cars are late, 13,000+ and 19,000+. Based on your last post I obviously wouldn't have had a 2400cc valve cover from the factory on either one, which I don't. Any idea about the date or VIN# when the "holed" steering wheels replaced the "plugged" wheels? My 19,000 VIN car has the plugged wheel. I'm guessing that may have been carried through all the Series 1 cars, But am not sure. 

[Carl Beck]

@Randalla 

 

Where Weaker is Better:  New US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) were issued and put into force for all Vehicles Manufactured on or after March 1971 to be sold in the USA.

 

One of them specified the amount of force at which the steering wheels had to break-away or yield. It was intended to lower the number of broken wrists and arms - when Drivers were thrown against the steering wheel. Much the same as earlier specifications applied to the collapsable steering column requirements.  To meet that standard, the original design steering wheel had to weakened and it was done by punching out the former indents in the steel.  Figuring out how to meet that new standard most economically;  and putting it into production -  was one reason the Series II 240Z’s had to be put into production by or before March of 1971.

 

So the weaker and safer steering wheel started with the Series II cars at HLS30 21001.

[Randalla]

Makes perfect sense. I think it was about the same time that NHTSA was founded and began instituting new rules. Thanks Carl.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Randalla