Z's on BAT and other places collection

[Zed Head]

I think you guys are right.  I also realized another simple one after staring at those pictures.  240Z's only have one strut holding up the hatch lid, 280Z's have two.

Well, that was fun.  Somebody put a lot of work in to turning a 240Z in to, essentially, a 280Z.  

This is a 78 with the raised deck.

And a 75 just to top it off.  The 240Z style caps on the 280Z tall strut towers.  With two hatch lid struts.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-datsun-280z-26/

Edited December 11, 2020 by Zed Head

[grannyknot]

Some pics of my 72/240,

 

[Patcon]

I had considered that they grafted a whole 280z front end onto a damaged 240z. That would explain all the under hood anomalies but not alter the firewall VIN. Graft the rear end in too because it was caught in a pile up???

[Zed Head]

Another blue one.  This one really is a 76.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1976-datsun-280z-41/

[Zed Head]

Can't keep up, missed this one.  Green.  Looks pretty good.  4 days to go.  No Reserve: 1971 Datsun 240Z L28 5-Speed

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-datsun-240z-162/

[Racer X]

On 12/3/2020 at 7:37 PM, Captain Obvious said:

Honestly? I don't want to have to look at those pics again to figure any of that out for sure!     

It is a painful sight, eh?

[Captain Obvious]

Yes, it is. And I managed to not look at any of those pics again today. So one day down...     

I'm continuing to lean towards your assessment that someone took two cars and put one car together from the pile of parts. Based on the height of the metal portion of the rear strut towers, I think the uni-body came from a 240 (presumably a 72) and pretty much everything else came from a 280 (presumably a 76).

Weird that someone would have put all that 280 stuff onto and into a 240, but I guess you do what you think is the best path forward when you're in a situation like that, right? You got a 240 with a blown motor and a completely trashed interior? And you got a 280 that is already a flint-stone mobile? Mother of Invention stuff...

[Patcon]

I  suspect the car was in a major collision.

Front was trash, rear tail light panel trashed, doors messed up and they found a 280 donor and rebuilt it. It seems to fit the configuration the best

[Racer X]

3 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Yes, it is. And I managed to not look at any of those pics again today. So one day down...     

I'm continuing to lean towards your assessment that someone took two cars and put one car together from the pile of parts. Based on the height of the metal portion of the rear strut towers, I think the uni-body came from a 240 (presumably a 72) and pretty much everything else came from a 280 (presumably a 76).

Weird that someone would have put all that 280 stuff onto and into a 240, but I guess you do what you think is the best path forward when you're in a situation like that, right? You got a 240 with a blown motor and a completely trashed interior? And you got a 280 that is already a flint-stone mobile? Mother of Invention stuff...

Pretty much, except I think it is a 280 with a 240 title.

[Captain Obvious]

I'm not sure about the front clip thing. I mean, someone may have cut off the whole front end at the firewall and welded on a replacement, but I can't be sure from the pics. The entire engine and associated stuff IN the engine compartment is clearly 280, but I wouldn't be so sure that the uni-body sheet metal is.

For example... It has the 280 fusible links and relay assembly in front of the battery. But if you look closely, you can see that the bracket which the relay assembly is bolted to is not stock. It's a piece of metal strapping grafted into place to give the relay assembly something to bolt to. So while there is a 280 relay assy in there and it's bolted in place, it looks like it didn't come from the factory like that:

Another example is the carbon canister... It's screwed directly to the inner fenderwell instead of being bolted to a support bracket welded to the fenderwell. So again, while the 280 parts are there, they may be an adaptation:

Darn you guys... Now my counter is reset to zero and I have to start all over again!!!    

[Patcon]

At least the engine bay pics aren't as painful as the interior pics!

1...,2..., 3...     Squirrel!!

[Zed Head]

10 hours ago, Racer X said:

Pretty much, except I think it is a 280 with a 240 title.

I probably over-wrote as I tend to do.  But I thought that this side-by-side with a 240Z pretty well nailed it.  It was derived from your first comment.  Nobody is going to swap rear shock towers.  The top one is from a guy that's restoring a 240Z.  The next is from the Beverly Hills pictures.  I don't think anyone can argue with rear shock towers.

The work in the engine bay is just very good transfer of parts from a 280Z or the complete front end from a 280Z.  

Should also say that we're starting to repeat things that others have already said.  Just saying.