260Z Body Shell RLS30-000017 for sale on Ebay UK

[DJACEY(UK)]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373232669750

[AK260]

Wow! There was a time you could import a running car for that money.

 

Shame it has an RB conversion, given it’s low vin. But at least they kept it in the family.

[Zed Head]

29 minutes ago, AK260 said:

Shame it has an RB conversion, given it’s low vin. But at least they kept it in the family.

Edit - I didn't scroll down far enough to see the itemized list.  It's a weird one.  He says "The shell was bought with the intention to produce a fast road car " but doesn't say who bought it.

 

Is that a conversion or just an engine sitting there?  Like all of the other parts.  I see a pile of parts.

Interesting story.  Seems like the asking price is more for the story.  Not sure but I think I see the typical dirty fluid in the clutch and brake reservoirs.  It has used tires on it, but missing one.  It's a puzzle but there must be more clues there.

Looks like a typical "complete tear down/restoration/dream", not finished.

Excerpt - 

"As far as I am aware the shell has never been registered as a road going car either in the United States or the United Kingdom. There are thoughts that this shell may have been taken off the production line prior to assembly in order to supply the Bob Sharp Racing team for the American IMSA/SCCA championships or possibly to be used as a pace car - however there is no hard evidence available to support either of these theories. However, whatever the truth is in my opinion (and mine alone), judging from the condition it is unlikely that this shell was ever built into a complete or even an incomplete production car but others of course may disagree..."

Edited September 24, 2020 by Zed Head

[Zed Head]

The shift lever shows that it might actually have an engine bolted in place.   I think that's a shift lever...

[AK260]

Shame that history is unsubstantiated :(

 

I wish they weren’t storing the doors on the roof! [emoji33]

 

 

 

Forgive my ignorance but those round holes in the rear valence, were they for US style fat bumpers or are they exhaust exit holes?

[DJACEY(UK)]

See discussions on The Z Club in the UK https://zclub.net/community/index.php?threads/for-sale-on-ebay-datsun-260z-rolling-shell-–-chassis-no-rls30-000017.27579/#post-316788

It was first imported to the UK by Fourways Engineering - at least 30 years ago - to be used in the build-up of a race car. It was Fourways who carried out the reversible LHD to RHD conversion, but then the project was shelved and put into storage. I first saw it in person at least 20 years ago.

The story linking it to Bob Sharp Racing in the USA is very likely true. I believe this bodyshell was picked off the production line to be sent to Bob Sharp - as a spare in case of crash damage to his race car(s) - in late 1973 during the transition from '240Z' to '260Z' and the low chassis number is very close to those in other Bob Sharp '260Z' cars. Geoff Jackson of Fourways told me that they bought the bodyshell on the east coast of the USA from a former member of Bob Sharp's team.

There's no V5 with the bodyshell as it was never built up into a car and (being intended as a race car) never registered in the USA, so there was no 'title' and it was imported to the UK as spare parts with no intention to use it on the road.

[240260280]

@gnosez (Bad Dog) knows Bob Sharpe and maybe able to dig deeper to find the path & pedigree. Bad Dog mentioned that Bob Sharpe liked the 260z the best of the NA trio so this is a nice find wrt racing.

[HS30-H]

7 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

@gnosez (Bad Dog) knows Bob Sharpe and maybe able to dig deeper to find the path & pedigree.

@gnosez and I have corresponded about this bodyshell. As far as I'm concerned, everything rings true.

[240260280]

This customized part looks interesting.  Welds look very professional.

 

[HS30-H]

5 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

This customized part looks interesting.  Welds look very professional.

If you're thinking it somehow has a link to BSR then you're barking up the wrong tree. It was bought and imported to the UK as a bare bodyshell with ZERO parts attached to it, and no modifications.

[Zed Head]

Bob Sharp has incredible powers...

[HS30-H]

23 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

Bob Sharp has incredible powers...

Hopefully that would include being able to read the vendor's description on ebay:

"new electric fuel pump and swirl pot".