New member 240Z 2+2

[bangkokz]

Hello. I just bought my Z without seeing it. My cousin actually bought it for me, he builds drag racing cars, and has a soft spot for old Japanese sports cars. I'm in New York, but will return to Thailand for good at the end of 2009. So I asked my cousin to get me one before it's gone. In Bangkok, there's a huge demand for classic cars.

It's a 2+2. It came without an engine. Luckily my cousin has a L20A-Tomei modified lying around his shop in Bangkok. The engine is stroked to 2400CC, and I also asked him to add a turbo. The rear seats are gone, in place there's a roll cage.

Can someone help me identify the model year for this car? The VIN is GS300017080. It probably was sold in Asia, therefore doesn't have "L" inthe prefix, which designated left-hand drive. I know that H in the prefix means L24 or L28 engine, and R is for L26, and I know that G means 2+2. But what puzzles me is that my VIN does not tell me which engine it originally had, or the model year.

The taillights tell me that it's 74-77 model. But since then, previous owners may hae swapped the rear end.

So let me ask you guys to ID the year of this car. I've been reading a few books on S30 cars, but still know very little about them.

And where is the best place to buy fresh looking taillights? Would this http://www.zparts.com/ads/restoration/restore_index.html be the best place to buy?

Edited April 1, 2009 by bangkokz

[twsutt]

Welcome to the board. I think that in 1974 the displacement changed to 2600cc making it a 260Z, but I'm not sure about the Japanese models. (Wiser Z enthusiasts, please correct me if I'm wrong.) Nor do I know about when the bumpers changed in Japan, but if I were to make a guess I'd say that it's a '75 or '76 model. Mind you, this is all based off of what I know of the U.S. models.

Either way, she is a beautiful car and I wish you many years of happiness with your "new" car.

Again, welcome to the board.

[twsutt]

About the taillights, If you're concerned about the "freshness" of the lenses just disect the one's that you have and clean/polish them. Use the search feature and you'll find threads about the fantastic results that some of our members have had. Besides, it looks like you have the JDM yellow turn lenses on your new purchase - those can get pricey here in the states.

[bangkokz]

Either way, she is a beautiful car and I wish you many years of happiness with your "new" car.

Again, welcome to the board.

Thank you for the warm welcome. This is my first Z, I've been wanting a Z (Z32/Z33) for a long time. Finally, found one I like.

[bangkokz]

About the taillights, If you're concerned about the "freshness" of the lenses just disect the one's that you have and clean/polish them. Use the search feature and you'll find threads about the fantastic results that some of our members have had. Besides, it looks like you have the JDM yellow turn lenses on your new purchase - those can get pricey here in the states.

My 2003 E-Class's headlamps lost its clarity after only 2 years. They made the car look old, even though the paint still shined. Somehow I got the dealer to replace them under warranty, and the car looked new again. So I thought that restoring a 30 year old car would benefit from fresh new headlights. Thanks for the tip, this saves me money!

Hmm, the yellow turn lenses...

[Mr Camouflage]

Your E-Class headlights were probably made out of plastic. Z ones should be glass so it shouldn't be an issue.

If the tail lights are bugging you, you could polish them up. Sometime they get dusty on the inside. Its possible to pull the lenses off and clean them out, and glue them back on again.

As for JDM models, there were no 260Z's (The RS30 was recalled and the L26 replaced with an L20) There were only 2.0 and 2.4. S30z's. I don't know if they made Fairlady 240Z's in 2+2.

Yours would be either a 1974 or 1975 GS30 (75 and up were S31). Probably 1974, since the number seems quite low. So my guess is that its a 1974 Fairlady Z 2+2 that would have rolled of the production line with an L20 engine.

No surprises that the VIN tells you nothing about the year or the engine. It's not really a VIN in the modern definition, just a Model/Chassis number.

[bangkokz]

As for JDM models, there were no 260Z's (The RS30 was recalled and the L26 replaced with an L20) There were only 2.0 and 2.4. S30z's. I don't know if they made Fairlady 240Z's in 2+2.

Yours would be either a 1974 or 1975 GS30 (75 and up were S31). Probably 1974, since the number seems quite low. So my guess is that its a 1974 Fairlady Z 2+2 that would have rolled of the production line with an L20 engine.

No surprises that the VIN tells you nothing about the year or the engine. It's not really a VIN in the modern definition, just a Model/Chassis number.

So mine is probably a '74 or '75 260Z 2+2 with L20? I have no statistics for the production numbers of 2+2s. Were they replaced with L20A or L20B? A being 6-cylinder, B, 4. I'll know more when I actually see the car next month.

Thanks Mr. Camouflage.. I had no idea about the recalls. These recalls were worldwide?

[Mr Camouflage]

So mine is probably a '74 or '75 260Z 2+2 with L20? I have no statistics for the production numbers of 2+2s. Were they replaced with L20A or L20B? A being 6-cylinder, B, 4. I'll know more when I actually see the car next month.

Thanks Mr. Camouflage.. I had no idea about the recalls. These recalls were worldwide?

No, just JDM recall for the RS30 from what I've read on these forums.

All 2 litre Fairlady Z's had the L20A 6 cylinder, apart from the Fairlady Z432 which had the S20 2 litre 6 cylinder.

[sblake01]

Forget the 240/260 terminology. It doesn't apply to your car. It's a Fairlady Z...period. The Fairlady Z432 was no longer in production at the point when your car was built. L20A was the only engine option. That's pretty much all I know about them. HS30H (Alan T.) could tell you lots more about it.