26th-Z

Blue, I didn't mean to sound rude. Don't take it that way. Thanks for the great photo of the grommet. I don't know what you have if it doesn't have the firewall lips and I wondered about the "no through-holes" comment. There is another thread circulating about speedometer cables you may want to check out. Console face plate is correct. There is a thread in the archives with a fascinatingly rude argument about what color it is supposed to be. Check out the single groove harmonic balancer! There is a thread about fuel pumps in the archives. These pictures are mine - the difference between old and new castings. I won't guarantee that the old one is authentic 1969.

Well, unless I'm mistaken, that's a part you won't see very often because one of the parts it is made for has been replaced also. In all probability, you don't have that part either and the replacement doesn't fit that rubber grommet. No need to send it to 240Zrubbers because it is already reproduced. $40 You say it has no through-holes? What size is it? Take a picture of it with something that will show us size and scale. So let me ask you. The stuff 240Zrubbers sells is pretty expensive. Are you ready to spend that kind of money on a "proper" restoration? The S30 type Datsun was thoroughly tested and developed before any cars were manufactured and sold. It certainly was consistently developed and improved, over a number of years, but it would be inappropriate to say that "prototype" parts were initially used because the "production" components weren't delivered in time. What came on the early cars is what was intended. A lot of people claim a lot of things, but I have found over the years that if you haven't researched, if you haven't read everything you can get your hands on, if you don't speak Japanese (or know someone who does), you don't really know a lot about these cars. These are not American cars built exclusively for the American market (like many, many claim and I have heard some whoppers); these cars are Japanese imports.

Let me say something here and try to help you out with your ideas about things. There is no such thing as "series 1, series 2", etc. That is American market nomenclature for differences between model years and an attempt to label Japanese production methods equitably with the American automotive manufacturer's methods we're familiar with. It just doesn't work that way. What you may call "prototype" was production at the time. Prototypes were not sold, exported, delivered, what ever. Certainly there were parts that came with the very early cars that were almost immediately superseded by something similar but really all you can say is; "oh look! This part is manufactured differently". There isn't any rhyme or reason to what part went on what car and you certainly can't attach a certain "up to serial number" label other than what appears in Nissan documentation. And even then you are going to find anomalies.

Yea. Very strange isn't it? Send it to me.

I don't know that they actually do. I just made that up. Glad you were entertained.

Niles Manufacturing provided automotive switches to Nissan. I don't recognize the piece. Perhaps if I knew where it came from on the car. Hitachi voltage regulator for the original "grapefruit style" alternator. Covered in undercoating. 40amp (45 amp?) capacity TL1Z-37 Oil pressure gauge sending unit. The original sending units had a bayonet plug fitting. This one is either aftermarket or later model type with the electrical fitting changed. Speaker cover (as required to deliver the proper base vibe. Commonly known in speaker techno circles as the back-plate acoustic reverberator bouncer designed for single speaker AM audio systems.)

Red dot mirror. I thought the red dot was on the wide face, not the narrow. Seat belt hook, yep. Screws to the side of the seat with a chrome screw and transparent plastic washer. I don't recognize the wing nut.

I had to do some serious digging to find the correspondence with Chester & Harod. Back to an old computer and search through the e-mails. Here is what was written in 2007: From Chester & Harod Auto Carpet Manufacturing (edited for grammar and speeling) Hi. We copied the rubber mats for our pattern but they had 5 prototype demos and they were all different floor. When they (decided) on the one that they would produce, they put a jack behind the passenger seat with a cut out on the rear mat for it & we made 1800 mats that we had to take back & make that cut out for the jack. Those rudder mats is what they (were) going to use until they saw our carpet. We can make rubber mats but carpet comes with padding. We can make wool carpet if you (want) it'. Hi We have the original pattern. The original was loop. We made carpet for the first 1970 Z (1800 cars) that (were) shipped to the U. S. A. We can make the carpet any way and out of any carpet you (want). Kats posted pictures of the insulation he bought for his blue 240Z. You will find his complete photographs in the archives. That's what it (NOS) is supposed to look like. I have some pictures from MikeB also. His early cars show faded out stitching from original. Finally, the edge stitching, loop detail and snap fitting from the new replacement carpeting. This is as close as you are going to get to NOS. I also want to mention that the early cars did not have a hook fitting welded to the floor under the front of the seat for holding the the front pieces in place. It was a Velcro pad glued to the floor. You can see the cutouts in the pad in Kats' car.

Blue, I saw where you posted on the thread; "Loop Pile Carpet..." and wanted to thank you for that stroll down memory lane. Perhaps I'm getting a slight off-topic by mentioning the comments HS30-H made and Arne's rebuttal. What I wrote here previously considers the comments from that thread. In the other thread, there is a comment about the initial introduction events in the fall of 1969 and the dealer comments which forced the inclusion of carpeting for North American imports. That's entirely plausible.

Ok, I have some time to write about this subject. The very early imported cars (HLS30U, HLS30UV, and probably the Canada HLS30UN) arrived in rubber mat flooring spec, similar to the base standard S30 specification for domestic models. From what I understand, Chester and Harod supplied carpeting to port-of-entry service and distribution because Datsun USA chose to sell the cars with carpeting and I don't know why they didn't come from Japan that way. The S30-S Fairlady ZL came with carpeting. In the case of my cars, carpeting was most probably installed at the dealer along with hubcaps and other items shipped with the car in bags and boxes. The door panels and dogleg panels were typically shipped covered in a light "visqueen" clear plastic which was removed at the dealer. Seat belts came covered in a plastic bag. My original bill of sale lists carpets as standard specification. In 2007, a couple of guys with very low VINs bought some sixteen carpet sets at one time for their cars. I have two sets. I also have most of the original rubber mat. The picture of the mat with the lens cap is mine. The pictures of the foot well mats are correct. Notice the snap fittings for the firewall and the Velcro tabs for under the seats. The Chester and Herod carpets come that way. We discussed the "rubberized' clear backing to the loop weave when we bought the sets and decided that we wanted the backing for durability purposes. And that is what you see in another one of the pictures above. My sets came with cutouts for the luggage strap hardware on the rear deck carpet. I seem to recall some sort of edge binding conversation when the sixteen sets were ordered and that it was duplicated from somebody's "original" set. I'm not pleased with the fiber insulation mat that I got. It is not anywhere close to the photos I have of stock insulation. But frankly, if you don't lift up the carpeting, no one will ever see it. Let me know if you find a source to replicate the original rubber floor mats. I would be in for two sets.

Chester and Herod Auto Carpet Manufacturing

Well, I wondered. I haven't been a convention attendee since Nashville in 2010 and I think the judging rules have changed.

I recall that the ZCCA used to award a "Gold Medallion" in the stock classes and a "Gold Cup" in the modified classes. Have they changed that?

Congratulations Jeff Mader! Way to go! Zcon 2017 next June in Austin

Love the R380 pictures. Thanks!

http://www.sportscardigest.com/le-mans-classic-night-2016-photo-gallery/ The six groups run three different heats over a 24 hour period.

There is an excellent article about the event on Sports Car Digest http://www.sportscardigest.com/peking-paris-motor-challenge-2016-report-photos/ Lots of pictures, worth a look.

The description was written by the auctioneers; essentially car salesmen. Used car salesmen. I saw a Goodings auction about two weeks ago with the same sort of nonsense. The Petrolicious description is much better.

Yes, Tomo, I DO think this conversation is silly because you guys seem to think you are going to play firefighter and "protect yourselves" with gloves. Send me a postcard from the Darwin Awards, will you? Fire suppression systems would make for a great topic, but again, don't think you are just going to push a button and everything is Ok. This is how well one of those systems worked at the Runoffs last September.

I find this to be a very silly conversation. Car fires are very serious. Do you really think that by the time you figure out that your car is on fire that you will have time to get your gloves out and put them on? Get your fire extinguisher out and open the hood? Dude! Gasoline fires engulf cars in seconds. Do what the experts tell you - run. Get out of the car and run. The fumes alone can kill you.

Chances are that the judges will not look at your spare tire, jack, or tool bag.

Greetings Kats! You always find the best parts

Short Answers: The early (this is where we get into the 'series 1 / series 2' rigamerall) North American import 240Z came with an AM radio and one speaker. The power antenna toggle switch was on the right side of the face plate. In 1969, there were no FM radio stations to listen to. Later cars (series 2, I guess) came with an AM/FM, two speaker (stereo?) radio with the power antenna slide switch on the top-right of the face plate. Nissan also offered an AM radio with an 8-track cassette player, however it was not marketed in North America. The power antenna switch on my 8-track is similar to the AM/FM face plate. Both the AM radio and the AM radio 8-track have the volume control on the right. The FM radio is a different chassis and thus the volume control on the left. So what does Fairlady actually mean? The story is that the president of Nissan Motor Corporation saw the Broadway play "My Fair Lady" during a visit to New York and decided to name the Nissan sports car "fairlady". Go to Carl Beck's website and read what is pretty much the accepted answer. I personally don't believe that story is a complete explanation but the Nissan Fairlady Z introduced in 1969 is what was exported to North America as the Datsun 240Z The Nissan Fairlady Z has a 2 liter engine, The Datsun 240Z has a 2.4 liter engine. Sorry to be song long-winded.

We saw this car for sale not too long ago. The wheels have been changed since.

All this talk of timing and carburation, yet no conversation about point gap and spark?!!?!!! Are the points new, or are they corroded? The plug wires were changed but what about the distributor cap, rotor, and points?