Tail light inner plastic panel fitment

[MH77280Z]

Hi Guys,

My 280z has a rear slanted cardboard deck. The one which curves up. It hides all the stuff below. Also that deck sits at the edge and doesnt seems to leave any room for this panel. I dont believe this can fit the 280z with deck.

Does anyonehas this on their 280z with slanted deck? whats the general consensus about this part?

https://www.datsun-garage.com/products/tail-light-panel-1974-78-260z-280z-coupe-only

[siteunseen]

Look at the one MSA has. It's $10 cheaper and you could call and ask about the sloped deck fitment. I don't see how it would work on that deck. I have that deck too.

thezstore.com

P/n 40-3754

[Captain Obvious]

Here's a hoovered pic that might answer the question.

I don't think you use the plastic panel at all if you have the sloped deck:

[Yarb]

Did they make different panels for the 78 model?

[siteunseen]

17 hours ago, MH77280Z said:

Hi Guys,

My 280z has a rear slanted cardboard deck. The one which curves up. It hides all the stuff below. Also that deck sits at the edge and doesnt seems to leave any room for this panel. I dont believe this can fit the 280z with deck.

Does anyonehas this on their 280z with slanted deck? whats the general consensus about this part?

https://www.datsun-garage.com/products/tail-light-panel-1974-78-260z-280z-coupe-only

Have you found the black hook that goes around the driver's side strut to hold the hatch deck up while you fiddle with the spare tire or whatever you're fiddling with?

1 hour ago, Yarb said:

Did they make different panels for the 78 model?

The '78s have a flat deck so that speaker panel will work. If I remember right the '75 and '76 models have the flat cover over the tail lights but are about 3" taller than the '78. @Jeff G 78 will know.

[MH77280Z]

50 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

Have you found the black hook that goes around the driver's side strut to hold the hatch deck up while you fiddle with the spare tire or whatever you're fiddling with?

The '78s have a flat deck so that speaker panel will work. If I remember right the '75 and '76 models have the flat cover over the tail lights but are about 3" taller than the '78. @Jeff G 78 will know.

Yeah I was wondering with this hook is for. Thanks 😁

[Jeff G 78]

The '77 was an odd year for the hatch area.  Like Cliff @siteunseen correctly stated, a plastic panel covered the tail light bulbs and wiring in all years except the '77 which had the sloped wood deck floor (the sloped floor didn't exactly follow the '77 model year either).  For '78, they changed to a flat wood floor and used the plastic cover for the rear lights and wiring.  The '78 floor is about 4" higher than the '70 - '76 floors which only had a cardboard cover for the spare tire well.  The later cars had WAY less cargo volume due to the raised deck, but, at least, it was flat and there is room to hide stereo equipment under the wood floor.

As for the original question, you don't use the plastic panel if you have the sloped floor.  I can't remember the actual start and stop dates for the sloped panel, but I had a '77 about 35 years ago that didn't have the sloped floor.  I believe it had the '78 flat wood floor.  I have the plastic hook and I use it all the time while working on stuff.  That wood floor is heavy!

[Captain Obvious]

I've had two 77's over the years and both of them had the flat floor and a plastic interior panel over the taillights. 

Maybe they switched mid-year in 77, but it's definitely not strictly a 78 thing.

[Jeff G 78]

25 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

I've had two 77's over the years and both of them had the flat floor and a plastic interior panel over the taillights. 

Maybe they switched mid-year in 77, but it's definitely not strictly a 78 thing.

I read a 13 year old post about this and it sounds like there is no distinct date range for the sloped floor.  Many '77's have the flat floor, but some were sloped with no early/late build date distinction.  It would be interesting to get a real answer as to the story behind the sloped floor.  Nissan did some odd things over the years such as the unique flange on the '75 differential pinion.