kats

Hi Alan, E4100 is before E4126 , I think so too. And they both have 4 screws , and the same screw positions, so there would be some small change from E4100 to E4126 ? I need to find more clear photographs of the Z432 on a display stand at the 16th Tokyo Motor show. If this car has three screws , then what part number would have been applied? There would never be earlier number than E4100. Kats

Hi Alan, I have no idea what does E4100 look like . Big home work ! Kats

One more thing, We used to , We were thinking E8726 is the early one . Due to its screw positions, it was very common to have crack on the lens at the front edge . Like you showed us , the location of the front edge is somewhat difficult to fit without certain gap . Then if the screw tightened more than needed , it cracks the lens . Then we thought, that is why Nissan changed screw positions not to have a crack over there. The E4126 seemed developed one . Today we know that story can’t be applied because we know the part number tells us which one is early. So what was the reason for changing the screw positions when Fairlady 240Z-L introduced? This is my guess, E4126 was likely having moisture entering into the cover lens when it was in the rain or snow . That caused loss of intensity of the head light beam . Then engineers might put a screw at the front edge of the cover lens . What do you think about it? Kats

And I would like to emphasize this , the difference of the cover lens shape . I made a poor drawings over the pictures, could you get what I am going to say ? The early-style E4126 has significant ridge on the lens which I think it has more correspondence with the bonnet , head light case . When E8726 was introduced, the screw positions were altered and also cover lens shape was changed. E8726 has lost its ridge , became much gentle curves . Not only the cover lens, also trim ring had changed its shape accordingly. Kats

Hi , I was going to put this when I saw your fine work . Long time ago , I was not sure about screw hole positions. But many people have showed many examples , now I think we have fully decided about it. The positions in your cover is the early-style, 63900-E4126 (R.H.) / 63901-E4126 (L.H.) . This is proven by the parts catalog . Those numbers were first ones shown in the catalog. And we can see the picture of them in the DATSUN COMPETITION parts catalog with those numbers. And like you showed us , we are seeing it that E4126 has the “positions “ which is regarded as “early-style “ with the original parts box . Kats

Hi , they are fiberglass version. And the screw positions are later version. The reason is ,this set of head light case was exclusively made for Fairlady 240Z-L (aka HS30 / HS30D ) which has the head lamp cover as STD . That was in October 1971 . So , the part number for CASE-Head lamp is 63115-E8731 (R.H.) / 63116-E8731 (L.H.) also you need Cover kit head lamp is 63900-E8726 (R.H.) / 63901-E8726 (L.H.) accordingly. Before the car , there was no car which has a head lamp cover as STD . And also screw positions were different. I will put some information about the screw positions . Kats

Massage, yes ! I did massage for my trim ring fit well with the cover. Just for your information, here is the one which have already nuts into the case.

Thanks Gavin , great info ! “What I noticed with HS30's (In Australia anyway) is that the 72 model year is by far the rarest model (compared to 70,71 and 73). I am guessing this is because Nissan ramped up production of Fairlady 240Z and Fairlady 240ZGs around this time period and perhaps made less HS30's for Australia, NZ, PNG, South Africa, UK, Hong Kong etc..” This is new and making sense to me . Looking at this figure , Fairlady 240Z series were approximately 1200 cars in 1972. Kats

I saw someone said Nissan only made HLS30 first , like 100 or 1000 240Zs . I would like to share this with people who are interested in how they made our cars . We have a good source. Please see this picture, a blue Datsun 240Z was followed by an orange Fairlady Z-L . Nissan Shatai was able to mix all the models in the assembly lines. However there might be some batches of certain models . Especially in a painting room , same color was sprayed for some batches of cars . Engines , they might have been the same . Kats

Hi scotta , thanks for joining here . Your Z-L will be a late 1972 model . In September 1972 , Nissan jumped a digit , from 5 digits to 6 digits of chassis number. We believe there would never be S30-99999 . Not even S30-20000. According to the Japan automobile industry corporation, S30-011109 is the last one before S30-100001. Same thing happened for Fairlady Z432 and Fairlady 240Z / 240ZL /240ZG . PS30-100001 and HS30-100001 were born in September 1972 but that doesn’t mean the car is 100001th Z432 ,or 100001th Fairlady (or Datsun RHD ) 240Z , or 100001th of all the S30 family either. How about Datsun 240Z left hand drive ? HLS30-100001 is 100001th LHD 240Z .And the car would certainly be born in September (or late August) 1972 . So it seems to me that Nissan just wanted to flatten chassis number of all the S30 family. ( side note , Z432 jumped three times in the chassis number, very complicated!! ) Japanese people finally got L24 model for their S30 series in late 1971 , from HS30-10001 . Some people would have had believed the car would be the first one of Fairlady 240Z series . In this case , that would be correct as long as Nissan’s statement in the Service Shuho is true . But if people would have thought the car would be 10001th Fairlady 240Z or Datsun 240Z , that is wrong . Gavin , could you help us to understand how many HS30 cars before October 1971 were they made ? Datsun 240Z R-DRIVE parts catalog shows that from September 1971 , HS30-01501 is the first one. Next month HS30-10001 was born according to the Service Shuho “ Introducing Fairlady 240Z series “ . According to interviews with Nissan engineers in some magazines , at that time Nissan shatai was capable making 2000 S30 series cars a month , in April 1972 , they made total 100000 S30 series cars . And also in the same month , they achieved making 4000 S30 series cars a month. 80 to 90 % of them were export model. So , between September and October 1971 , basically 2000 cars were made . Most of them would be export 240Z (80 to 90 %) . What ratio would be applied to cars HS30 and HLS30 ? Maybe 1:9 ? I guess 200 or 300 HS30 cars would have been added , HS30-018XX or something like that would be a last one before HS30-10001 . What do you think about it ? Kats

Hi Gavin, I think I made you confused , sorry . It is not a new thing, a wheel cap from autumn 1971 . Some one said it looks like a scallop motif design, I think so too, so I said it is a scallop type wheel cap . As a side note , Fairlady 240Z (HS30S ) doesn’t have black wiper arms and blades , it was silver like other cars . I really love the blue Fairlady 240Z-L , Resided in the US . It is just like a car in the brochure. In the same brochure, there is a phantom view of a Fairlady 240Z-L drew by Mr. Inomoto . He did many art work for Nissan , one of my favorite is a big poster of Z432 . I am feeling some connection with my Z432 because when my Z432 was featured in a magazine in 1974 , this drawing was featured on back side of my car. Kats

Hi Roo , yes I noticed it on the magazine picture too, that hand brake lever is a special feature of the works LHD rally car . Rauno August Aaltonen, he liked to use the hand barke lever as a second steering wheel, the team manager Mr. Namba said “ he showed us gripping his hand brake lever and proudly said “ this is My technique “ , he was too fast , the brake linings worn out fast and burned at around 1000 km “ Alan , could you tell us more about this special hand brake lever with your “special “ one ? Kats

This is another example, we see “ 2,4 L(cursive) DX “ on it . I imagined when workers saw this chalk markings, they would have had been reminded that cars needed black wiper blades, scallop style wheel caps, horizontal bar type front grille . However , don’t need over fenders, G -nose , gun metallic rear bumper with full rubber guards. 6.45 -14 applied, 175 HR14 is for 240ZG only. Oh , after October 1971 Fairlady 240ZG/240Z-L/ Z-432 and Fairlady Z-L were equipped with an auto seeking radio coupled with an 8 track stereo. Fairlady 240Z and Fairlady Z were equipped with a manual tuning radio ( not a stereo) and manual extension antenna. Fairlady Z S30S (simple? ,basic ?) Fairlady Z-L S30 ( Luxury ) Fairlady 240Z HS30S (simple ? basic ?) Fairlady 240-L HS30 (Luxury) Fairlady 240ZG HS30H (High speed ?G-nose) Fairlady Z-432 PS30 ( Prince? S20 engined) Fairlady Z-432R PS30SB ( Special Bersion / typical Japanese phonetic ) And more variations for regular gasoline/ air conditioner/ automatic transmission. Nissan used different coding in a parts catalog and for workers at assembly line . Please see attached picture. DX comes from “Z-dx “ , which is used for S30 / HS30 / PS30 . The glove box came from a Fairlady 240Z-L . So , “2.4 L DX “ is a short and simple identification but very much telling deep specific configuration . Very complicated for us ,maybe for workers too… Kats

In the thread of viczcar.com , Alan said what I have been thinking about. “All the genuine ones I've seen (spotted the odd 'oh dear me...' too) have 'H - H' under the glovebox, including both of my own 240ZGs. Obviously the first H refers to L24-engined variant, and the second H refers exclusively to ZGs. However, why would a ZG require a different dash notation than an 'HS30-D' coded Fairlady 240Z-L model which might have been right behind it on the production line? As both were Japanese 'Deluxe' content models made at the same time, they would have had IDENTICAL dash instrumentation and controls. Only possible difference would be factory aircon, which was an extra cost showroom ordering option. So the glovebox notations don't seem - as far as I can see - to have been a part of the *dash* build process...” Then I looked up Nissan text books for the workers ( or for the students of Nissan auto mobile college ) , there is a picture of how-to make cars at production line . I try to picture of how the glove box markings was used , now I tend to think it was used for various situations rather than only for assembling the dash itself. Workers can see it easily on the line when a passenger door was not installed yet . And when at the marriage with power train section , or at the installation of front bumper with specific indicators , or riveting over fenders for ZG , workers just open the passenger door and have a confidence before doing it . And the uploading on / unloading from the ship yes I think it was useful ! Kats

Thanks Gavin, the thread on viczcar.com is exactly what I have been looking for ! A lot of examples make me feel happy. PNG , Papua New Guinea! I have never thought about it before. Just wonderful. Also , it is for the first time to see markings on a radio , is it a reference for not to mistake which dashboard should install correct radio ? I attached a picture of a glove box markings which is showed in a Nissan factory book “ S30 supplementally chassis manual “ . We see トルコン ( To ru con - torque converter) there !

What a beautiful, intact mats they are ! Thanks Keith , I am also very interested in original early carpets and jute pads. Kats

My favorite picture, this is good I think, details are well shown in there . From Auto Sport , Kats

The glove box chalkings is a good source to distinguish model variant . We can’t tell the difference from the chassis number . For example, “ HS30-11861 “ on the fire wall , it could be a car exported to UK or Australia or Hong Kong , South Africa etc. How can we tell the chassis number is my Fairlady 240ZG without documents ? Especially in Japan, Fairlady 240Z and Fairlady 240ZL and those Automatic transmission shares the same prefix “ HS30” on the fire wall . But the glove box chalkings could tell . HLS30 cars except North America were not so many. However, destination variation would be wider than RHD model . Germany, French , Italian , Netherlands, Belgium , Portuguese , Swiss , Mexican , sorry I can’t say it all ! I want to see every glove box chalkings to see how S30 cars were so popular around the world! Kats

The green BAT 240Z (05/70) has a universal box . Kats

I agree , from my maths I should say around April. I should be realized that , Nissan Shatai used “ month “ for their change , I can see it in many cases . Given the chassis number , it will indicate beginning of month . Even not an early one , If there is chalk markings on it , we can’t get rid of it . Let’s repair originals with the method above . Kats

Thanks! Yours is Canadian car , so what does “ A “ stand for? North “A” merica? Maybe no … What I am thinking about is , to distinguish dashboard must have come from the variation of the wiring (some for Automatic shift indicator illumination, some for Four way flasher and / or glove box compartment illumination available or deleted , etc) gauges (kilometer or mile ) , audio equipment, what else? Maybe caution decal on the inner glove box door (English or Spanish , German etc ) ? So , Canadian 240Z and USA 240Z , what makes them being different ? If there is no difference between them , glove box markings will be the same . Then I went to my garage to see how my 03/1970 has the glove box. It has 68600-E4600, but so far I can’t see any chalk markings. We need to see more examples! Kats

I will take a breakfast with a cup of coffee. Kats

And for 1970

I looked up my parts catalog for tracking the glove box . LHD model has E4600 , RHD model E4100 at first . Then both cars have E4102 . When did that change ? I took and reviewed an old data which I have got from Mr.Uemura and Mr.Osawa ( test crew US & CANADA late 69) . Let’s do some calculations. For S30 series domestic cars, 1969 total was 969 . 1970 Jan 127 , Feb 364 , Mar 378 . Total 1838 cars at that period. Jul 1970 Aircon manual said cars up to S30-01629 have to buy 68600-E4102 , after S30-01629 already have 68600-E4102. Total 1838 S30 cars means that the number included S30/S30S/PS30/PS30SB . I guess most of them were S30S ( Fairlady Z ) and S30(Fairlady ZL ) , PS30/PS30SB would be 100 or little more at that point. S30S and S30 share the same chassis number on the fire wall “ S30-xxxxxx” . So, maybe in March 1970 , the glove box changed to have notches on both sides . And why not for LHD model at the same time ? We need to see a lot of actual glove box for this observation. I attached a picture of the glove box of a Z432 , PS30-00062 made in Dec 1969 . Only an outboard corner has the notche. Kats

Wow ! Maybe “ A “ stands for USA ? I can’t wait to go and see my HLS30-02146 which may have an original glove box, my 2156 lost original when its restoration a long time ago . This is my guess , at Nissan shatai factory , the number of car for USA was so high , so workers didn’t need to distinguish them , they needed to distinguish other destinations and rare model like an automatic . That could be why they just put A for our USA cars ?! Kats