How Many 260Z's built in 1973?

[Carl Beck]

Anyone in North America have a 260Z built between 11 / 73 and 01 / 74? If so, I would appreciate knowing the VIN and Date Of Manufacture.

Trying to get a statistical sample, or find the Highest VIN RLS30 with a 12/73 build date - either of which could be indicative of the number of RLS30's built in Calendar Year 1973

thanks,

Carl B.

[KenshinX]

Mine was built in 11/73 not sure what day exactly and VIN is #012443.

[Carl Beck]

Thanks.... every data point helps...

Carl B.

[beezee]

I have a dash from a 1/74 RLS30-021428

[59blane]

RLS30 012230 11/73

Bruce

[Zedrally]

Hi Carl,

This is interesting as I would have thought the VIN of the RLS30 would commence at 000000, instead it appears it was either 010000 or 012000.

Any observations on this?

Mike

[59blane]

Hi Carl,

This is interesting as I would have thought the VIN of the RLS30 would commence at 000000, instead it appears it was either 010000 or 012000.

Any observations on this?

Mike

Yes... that would be interesting to know.

Bruce

[Carl Beck]

Hi Guys:

The VIN's on the 260Z's did start at RLS30 000001.

RLS30 000020 is the 1974 OMS Pace Car, that was awarded to Bobby Unser for wining the USAC California 500 in 1974. The Date Of Manufacture on that car is 07/73. According to the info published by Nissan production of the 260Z's started in 08/73...

What is interesting so far is that the highest VIN we've found for 12/73 is RLS30 016942 and the lowest VIN found for 01/74 is RLS30 021428. So we have a gap there of about 5.5K units...

It seems "possible" that the units produced in 74 used a VIN sequence that was restarted at RLS30 020001 for the production year 1974... but who knows?

Between 01/74 and 08/74 we have VIN's running from 021428 to 045738.. about 24K units - divided by the eight months of production - and that averages about 3K units per month...

All this is based of course on a very small sample of VIN's reported so far.. so we have a long way to go to fill in the gaps...

Thanks for everyone's input so far...

FWIW,

Carl B.

[sugarworker]

Carl,

Mine is RLS30-011578, made in 11/73

Gary

[Twentysixouncer]

I've got RLS30-014553 made in 12/73.

[graham53]

my 260 is 11/73 vin rls 30014468

[Carl Beck]

Hi Guys:

Thanks for the inputs.. That gives us a pretty good idea of where the 11/73 production ended and the 12/73 production started.. within 85 units anyway..

Carl B.

[graphicjunkie]

Ok, so I just picked up my Zcar that's been sitting in storage for a long time. ....but now I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is that I have. From this thread, it's obviously a 260Z as it has an RLS30 VIN. But why is it when I try and pull a vin check on it, it fails to be a valid vin? Is there a "known" prefix or suffix I'm supposed to be adding? Tells me not enough digits. Also, is there a link that tells me how to exactly break down the VIN?

RLS30-014283 is the VIN.

thanks.

[Arne]

You can't CarFax (or similar) on cars earlier than '81 when they changed to a 17 digit VIN format for US market cars.

R - means L26 motor

L - for left hand drive

S30 - first generation Z-car chassis

The rest is just the sequential number. Not a lot of info available from the VIN of an early Z.

[bquiggle]

Know this is an old thread but will add for future reference if anyone is searching

1/74 build date vin# 020523

[EuroDat]

I have a piece of paper glued in the back of my Fsm with production dates for the Z series. I dont know were it came from, it was in the manualwhen it came with the car.

240z. 10/69 - 05/70. 000013 - 021000. 1970

240z. 01/71 - 08/71. 021001 - 046000. 1971

240z. 09/71 - 06/72. 046001 - 120000. 1972 differential repositioned 35mm to the back.

240z. 07/72 - 07/73. 120001 - 172732. 1973

260z. 08/73 - 08/74. 000001 - 060000. 1974

260z. 09/74 - 11/74. 060001 - 200000. 1974 Federal 5 mph bumper regulations.

280z ....

The list goes through to the 280zxt 06/83. 737691

The numbers fit for my 280z. For the 77 280z its correct.

Hope that helps

[SeafireXV]

Even thought this thread is old and my info is not what Carl is looking for, I think the subject is interesting.

Over the years I have seen 260Z #97 and #99. Both had production dates of 7/73 and both were painted

907 white. My 260 is #1979 and is also painted 907 white. It seems that the tempo of production was a

bit slow for the first few months.

[SeafireXV]

Oops! I meant 904 white

[SteveJ]

12/73 vin 15896

[Carl Beck]

It seems that the tempo of production was a

bit slow for the first few months.

We had the "Oil Embargo" aka Fuel Shortages at the end of 73 and that put a real damper on the US economy - which was already slow. AIR - when I moved here to Florida in 73 the unemployment rate was over 14% and Mortage Rates were around 12%. Add the effects of the ever stricter Emissions Standards that robbed performance and Sports Car sales were at a snails pace.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[SteveJ]

Here's another theory, Carl. Quite a few parts changed from the 240Z to the 260Z. There could have been supplier issues with the interior parts, etc., that could have slowed production.

[HS30-H]

How about considering the effects on supply before demand?

The 1973 Arab-Israeli 'Yom Kippur War' and the OPEC oil embargo that followed it caused huge disruption in Japanese manufacturing and the Japanese economy as a whole. As Japan imported all of its oil, the embargo had massive implications for Japanese industry. That period became known as the 'Oil Shock' in Japan, and its effects lasted for many years beyond the initial events.

Looks like we have the beginnings of a similar situation in the same region again today....

[DRBall]

My 260Z VIN is RLS30004231 Date first sold 11/20/1973 Color is Brown...