daddz

Hopefully Tidewater Z Service made out okay as Isabel did a number down there not even a year ago not to mention one of my '78's is down there having new floors and floor supports let in. If that isn't enough the Mustang GT is parked in Homosassa, Fl. but, it looks like it might be okay as long as there is no large strom surge. Is it just me or is there more severe weather on a continual basis? Just over two years ago I happened to be at ground zero for the tornado in La Plata, Md. (thankfully no Z cars were involved just an Altima) and I sincerely hope to not have to see one ever again. :ogre:

My Z ownership experiences have only extended as far back as a '76 280Z but, my Z's have always had a letter (usually an "M") and then a four digit code. If not in the glovebox it might be in your original paperwork (if you have it) from when the car was first delivered. It can be found in the warranty information pamphlet.

Everytime I have been approached while driving the S30 most of the people I run into try to guess the year by saying something like this: "Is that a '76,77?" While in the '72 Celica one day someone pulled up at a stoplight and stated that the Celica was a sexy "bitch" and how she had a "sweet arse" and then went on to say that if I went to sell it I should call him first. Everyone seems to know what the '86 300ZX is and they mostly comment about the rims and how clean it is. The 350Z was getting comments last year about it being a nice Porsche? Now that it has been out for awhile evryone seems to know what it is and mostly if it gets a reaction it's usually about the color (Brickyard Red).

The Crossfire is just an SLK with an ugly body. Now if they (Daimler-Chrysler) had some brains they would have released the Dodge Razor. The Razor may not have been aesthetically beautiful but, for the price and the low curb weight and hinted at base price it would have been a knockout. At least it would be prettier to look at than the Neon SRT.

:disappoin That's a shame; I would rather swap that V8 into a 280Z if anything. If that 240Z is as nice as it seems than keep it all Nissan. A nice L28 bottom end with any number of cylinder head choices and dual carbs or a nice set of finely tuned triples and it would still be 70% as fast as that V8 in terms of usable power that you can put down. The S30 body shell just won't take the abuse that a V8 can dish out unless the car is substantially reinforced. I like the idea of a V8 swap but, I haven't seen that many executed properly and it takes alot of money to do it right. A better idea for a V8 swap would be a second generation (FC) Mazda RX7 since you start with a better handling car and more modern fit and finish not to mention a more comfortable interior. On the other hand if you do the V8 swap then there are probably a few happy 240Z owners smiling out there because their Z has just gone up in value (assuming theirs are close to original). Decisions, decisions!

Carl, That picture is pretty awful! I think I have seen that picture before but, I can't recall. It's a good section of a Z car albeit one done by nature. Makes you wonder if it was being driven in that condition.

:disappoin Mark, That's a shame that he didn't put the car up for sale sooner before it reached its present state. There is a '70/'71 240Z sitting out at Datsun Dynamics in Va. and it has a Va. inspection sticker that expired in '79! The owner stated that it had been off the road for about ten years? We ought to do a coffee table book with junk Z photos?

2Many, I forwarded your link to Mike McGinnis of Banzai Motorworks who might be interested as he has a couple of 240Z's that are undergoing restoration right now.

:disappoin It would be interesting to know how that Z ended up in its present situation because at one time like all wives there must have been a sparkle in someone's eyes for that Z. At least the roof would make a good spare for someone looking to replace any sunroof wounds. Just think with the roof cutoff you could get back into the interior and get more parts! I have to get a pic of my '78 Z when I first spotted it in the junkyard; had I not bought the car and rescued it she would have been crushed.

Michael, Check my gallery under "daddz" and you will find pics of my orange '78 280Z that was paint code "110" with a production date of 10/77 with a chassis numbered HLS30431775. Here's a pic: http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=10375&password=&sort=7&thecat=998 http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=10374&password=&sort=7&thecat=998 When I bought the car in 1995 it looked pretty good. The touch up paint that came with the car was matched using 1980 Ford Mustang orange.

Greetings everyone, I have arrived late to this discussion and I fear that I may not add anything constructive to the discussion. In any case from the perspective of a late S30 owner (really late as in 280Z late) some of the same customs, protocols appear to have survived dare I say up to the 350Z. For example, most of my experience with Z cars has proven that there was a delay from "production stamp" to retail delivery date of a minimum of two months which would allow for shipment from Japan. Case #1: my '77 280Z carries a door jamb tag of 12/76 HLS30366531 and the bill of sale is dated Feb.8,1977. It was sold by Jack Hare, Inc. in Milton, Florida and its POE was Jacksonville, Fl. The price was $8082.50. (BTW, 26th Z my invoice looks suspiciously the same as yours and it may have been bought from the same printing co. if you look at the bottom it reads: FORM SA-3501 (6-68) The Reynolds & Reynolds Co. Celina, Ohio; it is the same shade of yellow/gold) Case # 2: my '81 280ZX carries a door jamb tag of 04/81 and it was sold on June 4,1981 in San Diego, Ca. by San Diego Datsun. Case # 3: my '86 300ZX hardtop was produced on Jan. 23, 1986 at Hiratsuka Plant and thus carries a door jamb tag of 01/86. The car was sold on May 14, 1986 at Team Nissan in Marietta,Ga. Its POE was listed as Jacksonville,Fl. Case #4: my '78 280Z HLS30437667 carries a door jamb tag of 11/77 and it was sold in late Jan. '78 just outside of New York City near West Point Military Academy (the original owner was a junior when he took delivery). Case #5: my 350Z was ordered on Sept. 12,2002 and it was ordered by the dealership (Nationwide Nissan in Timonium, Md.) on October 5,2002. The build date was Nov. 14,2002 and I took delivery on Jan.3,2003. The car was built at Oppama, Japan and its POE was Norfolk, Va. Throughout the years I have been lucky enough to own cars at the beginning or end of the same month and I have marvelled at how close and how far apart the chassis' can be. At one point I owned the following '78 280Z's and they were: HLS30426919 09/77 HLS30427175 10/77 HLS30431775 10/77**notice how this compares with another of my '78's above. I almost bought HLS30437661 (six units apart from my ***667 and both were paint code 611! That car ened up in Seattle, Wa. and yet the ***667 ended up in N.Y. Maybe a bunch of Wine Red Metallic cars were stamped at the same time? Alan, kats, 26thZ??? In contrast how about the two '77's my father and I own: HLS30375108 02/77 paint code 611, sloped rear floor. HLS30366531 12/76 paint code 611, another sloper rear floor. my father's old '77: HLS30374001 02/77 sky blue, yet another sloped rear floor. Back when my father bought his '78 280Z they used to have Z's shipped to Baltimore in addition to other ports along the East Coast. It is curious how the correlation between the door jamb tag and a scant two months later one could be in possession of a new Z. Thanks to the many posts I will now have to check the seat belts, the backs of the steering wheels, not to mention Alan's brake pedal project from a few months ago. I tend to believe that the car becomes its own entity when the engine/trans. is installed in the chassis. Now if only we could correlate the engine block numbers or at least determine what block numbers fell into which range of chassis'? For us later S30 owners we have wrangled with the early vs. late '77 280Z sloping rear floor vs. flat rear floor for years.

Wow! That is definitely a driver's paradise. That is going to be alot of fun for whomever is lucky enough to attend.

This site may also be a good one to check: http://www.datsunworld.com/ Check out the "magazine" link on the left side of the screen and read an interesting story about a Mr. A.F. Tann who used to be a Datsun agent from 1970 onwards who is still in possession of an old Datsun sedan that was the subject of several road tests circa 1968. Several good links can be found as well.

Buck, Nice one "SUN MOON"! I already know the answer so let's see who solves this puzzle.