Z's on BAT and other places collection

[CanTechZ]

On 9/11/2022 at 6:45 AM, kats said:

This is the decal of the BAT green 240Z . 
 

CanTechZ , I want to know about your 240Z’s fuel tank . 
Your car doesn’t have a reservoir tank behind the right rear quarter panel , does she ? 
Also your car doesn’t have breather / return pipes on the main fuel tank ? 
 

Kats 
 

Hi Kats, sorry I'm a little late responding to your question. In 1988 I replaced my fuel tank with a new one from my local Nissan dealership, so it does have the extra vent lines but they were capped off at installation. It doesn't have a reservoir tank at the right rear quarter or the fuel flow guide valve or extra line. It does have the original single groove harmonic balancer pulley.

[zspert]

I refer to them as 69 production date cars

[zspert]

Boy, diving into the ins and outs of the 73 model year 240 is a little like trying to get across a mine field safely. According to the service bulletin - pictured - the 73 model year starts in the 9th month of 1972. However the parts micro fisch section that illustrates the new for 73 induction system and my recollection says it really started in the 7th month of 72. Here's where it really gets confusing. 1973 was the first year for Z car heater control illumination. However,  again, the micro fisch parts section on the heater says that the new system started in the 8th month of 72. Which is it???

I have an interesting, at least to me, story about the first 73 Z that was sold by the Datsun dealer which was employing me at the time - but that's for another time. 

Also, 73 510, the last of the line and THE BEST.

[HS30-H]

13 hours ago, 26th-Z said:

In North America, they were introduced for the 1970 model year even though the official introduction was in 1969 with the idea that orders were taken for a January 1970 delivery.

Perhaps tellingly, and certainly interestingly, Chief Engineer Suitsu san's original plan from April 1967 aimed at shipments starting in August 1969.

They were slightly late! 

Edited September 17, 2022 by HS30-H

[HS30-H]

11 hours ago, zspert said:

I refer to them as 69 production date cars

I can't help feeling that things would be a whole lot simpler if everybody got into the habit of doing that for all the other production years (and months...) too.

[Carl Beck]

8 hours ago, zspert said:

Boy, diving into the ins and outs of the 73 model year 240 is a little like trying to get across a mine field safely. According to the service bulletin - pictured - the 73 model year starts in the 9th month of 1972. However the parts micro fisch section that illustrates the new for 73 induction system and my recollection says it really started in the 7th month of 72. Here's where it really gets confusing. 1973 was the first year for Z car heater control illumination. However,  again, the micro fisch parts section on the heater says that the new system started in the 8th month of 72. Which is it???

I have an interesting, at least to me, story about the first 73 Z that was sold by the Datsun dealer which was employing me at the time - but that's for another time. 

Also, 73 510, the last of the line and THE BEST.

 

According to the Date of Mfg. on the cars - production started in 08/72 and ended in 08/73. Highest VIN for 1973 found so far is HLS30  172767. 

[Zed Head]

Earlier it was supposed that Nissan used "old parts" during the transition to the "late 1971" 240Z.  If I had one I'd just use Nissan's bulletin as a check list.  Actually, if I was selling one I'd do the same.  It covers the issue of features, and the time and VIN just fall out of the documentation and ID tags.  Just put the numbers and the features out there and let the buyers decide what they value.

It would be interesting to see if there are any hybrid early/late 1971's out there.  Late parts used earlier than shown (like the reversible key) or early parts used later.

http://zhome.com/History/New71LateP2.htm

Edited September 17, 2022 by Zed Head
Left out some features

[Carl Beck]

9 hours ago, Zed Head said:

Earlier it was supposed that Nissan used "old parts" during the transition to the "late 1971" 240Z.  If I had one I'd just use Nissan's bulletin as a check list.  Actually, if I was selling one I'd do the same.  It covers the issue of features, and the time and VIN just fall out of the documentation and ID tags.  Just put the numbers and the features out there and let the buyers decide what they value.

It would be interesting to see if there are any hybrid early/late 1971's out there.  Late parts used earlier than shown (like the reversible key) or early parts used later.

http://zhome.com/History/New71LateP2.htm

 

Now 50+ years later, it is impossible to know for certain. It is certainly “possible” that one or two newer or older parts made their way onto the wrong car. Possible but with a very low probability. If we were talking American Cars with the UAW workers on the line - yes - high probability of things screwed up. A world class car assembled in Japan by workers with great company pride and Total Quality Control training etc. … very low probability IMHO. 

 

 

The highest VIN we have recorded so far for a Series I HLS30 240Z, is HLS30 20533. Purchased from the original owners family and refreshed by a friend of mine. In the exchange of pictures and information over the months he worked on the car, we did not find any of the Series II changes or improvements on that 240Z. (it was an A/T car BTW)  Another outlier - is HLS30 19860, a Series I example that should have finished production in 01/71, but did not  -and was finished in 02/71. It was advertised for sale on BAT in 2017 and pretty completely discussed at the time - but none of the Series II changes seemed to be present on that Z at that time.

[bartsscooterservice]

On 9/16/2022 at 8:23 PM, DC871F said:

We're they ever called a 1969 240z?

 

Good one. I think not because they where titled as 70 , since so few where made in 69.

But for me the factory build tag remains the build date, not when it was titled, although this system is still beeing used today.

 

Correct me if i am wrong woke z police 🤣

[bartsscooterservice]

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-236/

It seems many people back in the day thought the frame rails was a good jacking point....🤭

 

 

[DC871F]

6 hours ago, bartsscooterservice said:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-datsun-240z-236/

It seems many people back in the day thought the frame rails was a good jacking point....🤭

When I was 16 years old (33 years ago) with my first Z, I was guilty of this.

[Carl Beck]

7 hours ago, bartsscooterservice said:

Good one. I think not because they where titled as 70 , since so few where made in 69.

But for me the factory build tag remains the build date, not when it was titled, although this system is still beeing used today.

They were titled as whatever the Dealer put on the original application for a new title at the local DMV,  in any of the 50 States.

 

In the 50's, 60's and even into 1970 many Import Car Dealers held their Model Year consistent with whatever was common practice in the country of origin.  Many of the early Datsun Dealers were already Import Car Dealers when they took on the Datsun Brand. So they followed their normal practice when applying for a new car Title.

 

VW for example held their model year consistent with the calendar year, as did Porsche and Jaguar as I recall. So if a VW was produced on say 31 Dec. 1960 it was titled as a 1960 VW no matter when it was sold,  if the VW was produced on  3 Jan 1961 it was titled as a 1961 VW (even though there was no real difference between them).   At that time, part of the reasons given to buy a VW Bug, was that there was no "Planned Obsolescence” due to changing the model completely every year as was done by the American Mfg.s. in the 50’s and 60’s. If you drove a Bug it always looked like a new one!

 

The downside to holding the model year consistent with the Calendar Year for the Import Car Dealers, was that their “new models” arrived at the US Dealerships about three months after the First of the Year. That was 5 or 6 months after the New Models from the American Manufactures went on sale. Model Years also affected Resale Values later in the market - as cars depreciated year by year - a car tilted as a 1960 VW was worth less in the resale market than one titled as a 1961 model. (in the eyes of the banks that loaned the money - as well as the customers buying them). 

 

Over time, with increased competition and new laws/regulations from the Federal Government;  Domestic and Import Car Sales practices started to normalize. Nonetheless today looking back 40 or 50 years everything looks abnormal.