Carl Beck

Hi James: I'd put it this way... All regular production 240-Z's shipped to North America were equipped with steel wheels and hubcaps. The 70/71 Model Year Z's had 4.5" x 14" steel wheels with the "D" hubcaps and the 72/73 Model Year Z's had 5"x14" steel wheels with the "Z" hubcaps. See: The Z Car Home Page: <a href=http://zhome.com/Classic/Restore/HubCaps.htm TARGET=NEW>http://zhome.com/Classic/Restore/HubCaps.htm</a> So to answer your question - they (wheels and hubcaps) changed at the 72 Model Year. However as an interesting side note: - a 5.5"x14" Steel Road Wheel was FMVSS Approved prior to 2 June 1970 for sale by Nissan Motors USA, in the U.S. Part Number 40300-E4600. (priced at $16.20 each). So far, we haven't found anyone that did order them, and receive them. (but I'll bet there is at least one person out there somewhere that did..). There was also a 5.5"x14" aluminum Road Wheel listed in the early Parts Catalogs, but not FMVSS approved and if put on order - they would always be back-ordered...I tried every year for several years to order a set though our Parts Dept., ... but no luck. Cost?... depends on the level of perfection you are willing to pay for. In general - a NOS set of "D" hubcaps are now in the $1200.00 to $1400.00 price range. Excellent used... about $175.00 to $200.00 each. Well used - but restorable (not rusted to death and beat up) are usually at least $100.00 each. The "Z" hubcaps for the 72/73 Z's run about $150.00 each for a set of 4 ($600.00).. used but excellent condition they are around $95.00 to $115.00 each. Of course "restorable" examples are always far less... Steel wheels - depends on the condition and date stamps. Used 1969 production steel wheels can be $100.00 to $150.00 each (and sometimes you can buy them for ten bucks). The 5" wheels are in the $50.00 to $75.00 range if they are in excellent condition. FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Gavin: First let's make it clear that in this specific case we are talking about "Collector Level" examples, not modified nor custom cars, nor daily drivers etc. A pure stock, 240-Z with only 28K miles - would fall into the category of "Collector Level" as long as it was of very high quality etc. Pure stock examples with less than 20K miles are now selling for above $25K if they have been maintained in, or restored to "as new" condition. As long as the color change is complete, the paint job and body work professionally done to high quality standards - you can change the color of almost any 240-Z, to any color offered that model year, in your country, without any loss of value. There is no permanent record on the car which would indicate what its original color was. The rare exception to that - might be the car that comes with complete documentation, pictures taken on deliver at the Dealership, and over it's lifetime... All of which would add desirability to the ownership by a Collector - and therefore additional value to keeping it its original color. A complete color change, would leave none of the original color showing anywhere. So the entire body would be repainted... inside and out. The problem with the car under discussion is that he picked a color that was NOT available for the model year of his car. The Seller attributed the current color selection to; "research done at the time indicated that Dark Green was available in 73".... it's a shame that whoever did the research - did a poor job for him. That "wrong" color in this case would knock the car out of the Collector Market... unless it can be priced low enough to justify disassembly and restoring it to it's original color (or any correct color), but most "Collectors" don't want projects.. they want finished examples. So as long as 110 Red and/or Silver were available for the model and year of your car - Red or Silver would assure it retained its appeal to the Classic or Collector car market..... if all other things were kept stock and of high quality. There may well be a buyer out there somewhere - that loves this color (even if it isn't correct for the model and year) - that will pay top dollar today for a solid, good running 240-Z without regard to the "correctness" of the car.... but he would be the extreme exception. Collector or not - most people know that incorrect refreshes/restores sell for far less.... so even if one was willing to pay more - there won't be many people bidding.. and driving the price up anyway. (this is not good news for the seller). I always say that one never knows what is going to happen in the future - people may "plan' to keep their 240-Z's forever - and really don't care about resale value at that point - but you never know what is going to happen in the future.... and to me it only makes good sense to cover as many of your bases as possible... pick a correct stock color and you can't lose (at least you won't lose as much). FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Marty: Take the intake manifold to a shop that does aluminum welding - have them notch the water jacket on the intake - where it's hitting the headers (mark it out for them) - no big problem. Just cut a bit of the corner off and turn it upside down and weld it back in place - grind smooth.. won't hurt a thing. A buldge "(" ... becomes an indentation ")" over the top of the header tube.. regards, Carl B.

Hi Steve: Car originally from Canada..Too bad he had it painted the wrong color green - the car could have brought $25K+ if it had been left in truly "original" condition. Making a color change, without changing the color of the engine compartment is another large mistake as well. He has most likely paid several thousand dollars, to reduce the value of the car by 25% to 50%. Any way you look at it - this car really needs a lot of work to be brought back into the condition that would be expected of a 28K mile car. Does anyone really want to be the person that's going to remove the undercoating from the places it shouldn't have been sprayed in the first place? Nonetheless, if it checks out OK underneath... should bring bids in the $15K to $18K range. Maybe higher given some of the other cars we've seen on e-bay lately. Mileage is important, but above 5K miles, mileage is only one thing of many to consider. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater,FL USA http://ZHome.com

Looks like a super bargain to me.... good find ! Now all it takes is a couple of years work and $20K and you'll be set. Enjoy the Process... regards, Carl Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Make sure you realize that there is a Right and Left side part..it's easy to get them in backwards... Roll the window up/down and observe how the roller would be in contact with the direction of travel of the window.. when the roller is put in place.. FWIW, Carl B. and don't ask how I know that..;-)

Hi James: IF - big "I", big "F"... if it were actually a pure stock 70, with 75k miles and next to no rust... If that was the original factory paint, not a repaint etc etc.. It would sell pretty quickly in Georgia for $6,500.00 to $7,500.00. If you did buy it - for that amount - you would find that in order to have your piece of mind on a weekend drive - you'd spend another $4K to $5K on it by the time you are done. Shocks, tires, brakes, re-core the radiator, replace the heater core, .... new clutch... new transmission and differential mounts, replace the gas vapor tank lines, new rear hatch seals to get the exhaust smell out of the car ... on and on it goes... Hey, you just bought a 36 year old car... mileage is important, but it isn't the only thing that destroys a car... By the time you've done all the above, you are so in love with the car - you are starting to wish that it's paint and engine compartment looked as good as the car drives.... Time to take it apart, and have a proper paint job done... a year later and $5K out of pocket - and the car is starting to fulfill your real desire... and you realize that you now have $20K hard money and a couple years of work in the car... All of us that have been though that process.. will advise you ... Go SPEND THE MONEY UP FRONT and buy one that has already been loved and made road worthy.. pay the $10K to $12K for it... it will save you a ton of money in the long run.. and yield far more pleasure in the shot term.. FWIW, Carl B.

Well, we looked at ash trays... how about Lighters. Which is the earliest pictured below? A, B or C (right to left) Carl B.

Or I suppose one could simply order the Reman. 280ZX distributor instead.. comes with electronic switching and has the added value of High Energy Ignition.. wider plug gaps, cleaner firing and even less maintenance.. If you can't find the Nissan module - you can always switch to the far less expensive GM or Chrysler modules.. Just a thought... Carl B.

Hi Guys: The 2002 could be better compared to the Datsun 510's. Of course the 510's ran the BMW's and Alpha's off the tracks in the Trans/Am series. To this day Datsun 510's are still winning races. John Morton, driving the 25 year old BRE 510 - just waxed the field at the Monterey Historic's a couple years ago... (2001?)... gee time flies... Secondly - before you jump into a BMW - go price the repair or replacement parts for the 2002's (or 1600's) and compare that with the 510's... No question in my mind that when new - the 2002's and 1600's were higher quality cars... felt more solid, was painted far better, stock handling was firmer... actually a very nice car - in many ways the model for the Datsun 510 to follow... but no way would I take a 2002 over a Datsun 510 then nor now. I worked for a Datsun/BMW Dealership in the early 70's (73/74)... and while the 2002's were in the shop over and over and over, for all manor of petty problems... the little rugged 510's were on the road .. running and running and running. We salesmen loved those BMW's... we always had shot after shot at selling the owners another BMW as they sat in the Service Customers Waiting Room... They were usually wonderful people, well educated, good incomes, fun to talk too - and while they were writing those huge checks for service - they would be telling you how happy they were with their BMW's (music to a salesman's ears;-). On the other hand, those darn Datsuns... people would buy them and leave - and you'd never see them again. If they didn't get a good 100,000 miles on the car before anything at all happened to it they'd be in there raising hell and demanding that the Dealer fix it for free... (and half the time the Dealer DID!!)... Let's not even get into the 510's and East African Safari Rally's... Bottom line is the BMW 2002's and 1600's.. are very nice cars indeed.... but there simply is NO comparison to the Z Car... and sorry to say they didn't really compare well to the Datsun 510 in performance nor reliability. The did have better paint jobs... FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA

Hi Mike: If Nissan wanted to run the 2.8L engine, anywhere in the world, or allow private teams to do so, they would have had to modify their FIA submissions to include the L28. BTW - The United States Grand Prix is an FIA event here in the US, as is the United States Rally Championships. Many U.S. Manufacturers have their models F.I.A. homologated for competition around the world. (LeMans comes to mind - Viper, Corvette etc.). So the F.I.A. does in its own events have jurisdiction here. True - International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) do have their own set of rules. As does the National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR). But they aren't the only sanctioning bodies here - the F.I.A is also one. Engine capacity might affect what class the car ran in. Getting the L28 homologated only means Nissan has filed the proper paperwork with the F.I.A to define the item and certified it as a regular production item - so it meets the F.I.A. requirements for the classes for which it is allowed to compete. That's true for both of us - regards, Carl B.

Hello snarty: It would help if we knew where you were located, you should add that info to your profile. First - grab that original engine - at some point in the future - you never know - you may want to resell the car - and the value of a 240-Z is usually cut in half without the original engine. That may not seem like a big deal today - but it will hurt if the difference is $20K vs $10K. Second - you may have gotten a deal based on parts alone. As for the car, it depends on how solid the body is... ie front frame rails and floorboards, rear quarters etc.... as to exactly HOW GOOD a deal you got. A good solid Series I body with matching engine is at least $4,500.00 here in the South East (that's with shot interior, no bumpers, and needing lots of work). For $2K with the original engine - I'd be buying cars like that all day long. Good luck with the project.. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hello snarty: It would help if we knew where you were located, you should add that info to your profile. First - grab that original engine - at some point in the future - you never know - you may want to resell the car - and the value of a 240-Z is usually cut in half without the original engine. That may not seem like a big deal today - but it will hurt if the difference is $20K vs $10K. Second - you may have gotten a deal based on parts alone. As for the car, it depends on how solid the body is... ie front frame rails and floorboards, rear quarters etc.... as to exactly HOW GOOD a deal you got. A good solid Series I body with matching engine is at least $4,500.00 here in the South East (that's with shot interior, no bumpers, and needing lots of work). For $2K with the original engine - I'd be buying cars like that all day long. Good luck with the project.. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi taikaki: As I recall a new distributor from Nissan is a bit pricey... but you can order one from your local Nissan Parts Dept. - or better call Courtesy Nissan (something like $365.00 but I could be wrong). 09/71 TO 06/72 22100-E4603 ASSY-DISTRIBUTOR HITACHI D612-52 Unless you are building a show car for the Pure Stock Class - in which case you won't drive the car much anyway - I'd consider a rebuilt unit, or having yours rebuilt by a speciality shop. or I'd upgrade to the 280ZX distributor - you get both electronic and high energy ignition, which is a huge improvement over the points type of earlier years. Or the Mallory Unilite with vacuum advance. FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Dan: Sorry I didn't get back to you on this - I did spend a great deal of time looking for Part Numbers etc. LIke everyone else - came up blank. I don't recall ever seeing screws in the door panels of any 240-Z. For that matter using screws in the door panels would not be a very good idea. The spring clips used, in their plastic lags - allow the door panel to flex a bit when the door is slammed. So they act somewhat like shock absorbers... letting the door panel flex out and then spring back. So over time the door panel stays pretty much in place as it should. I suppose it is possible that if a door panel was damaged, or warped in some way - and it wouldn't comform to the door as it should - some Dealer might have installed the screws to correct some other problem. If you screw the door panels on - then over a brief period the screws will work their way loose, and the door panel can tear around them - as the door panel flexes away from the door - each time the door is slammed... (found this out on my 55 T-Bird). FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Joseph: Thanks - That explains why there seems to be so much confusion as to when the actual metal Compliance Tags had to be affixed to the cars. I am surprised that related to imports, the individual States sat different regulations... In relation to Tasmania - what does that mean? March, 70 (date unknown)??? Should it read "day unknown"... as March 70 is a date (yes/no?) Let me know if anyone comes up with additional information. thanks, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater,FL USA 11/69 HLS30 00020 12/69 HLS30 00587 71 240-Z 72 240-Z 72 240-Z 73 BRE Baja Z 83 280ZX Turbo

Hi Alan: Good points.. I'll try to work something out in the "Notes".... I don't want to put too much history there, yet let people know what would be expected to wind on the Registers, or what could be expected to be out there still to find.. No question that HLS30 00009 though 13 went somewhere, or were used by Nissan for EPA/MVSS Certification cars (destructive testing). Yes, Auto Shows around the world would be possible too.. FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater,FL USA 11/69 HLS30 00020 12/69 HLS30 00587 71 240-Z 72 240-Z 72 240-Z 73 BRE Baja Z 83 280ZX Turbo Looking for HLS30 00009

Hi Mike: Oh.. sorry - when you said no "Right Hand Drives"... No - 2305 is the wheel base (90.74 inches). That first page is mostly about the standard body . Page 5 lists 2394cc as the engine capacity. Here is the first page for the change to the 260Z... and page 2 of that submission shows 2583 cm3 (157.62) I believe that the FIA Homologates cars for world wide competition in any FIA sanctioned events - so the only thing that matters is who produced the car, how many were produced and in what standard production configurations - does not matter to the FIA where the cars were sold.. Sorry for the poor reproduction - the original documents were photo-copied in the early 70's and at that time they were using a heat fused ink.. which has now caused all the pages to "yellow/brown" badly.. I scanned them - then used Photoshop to attempt to clean them up ... for the most part they are readable in higher resolutions.. but we have image size limits here on the Web Forum. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Sean: "Others" is made up of West Germany, Holland and France <pre> U.S.A. West Germany Holland France 1970 16,215 0 3 0 1971 33,684 0 7 82 1972 52,628 0 92 402 1973 45,588 112 130 188 1974 40,172 0 1 0 2+2 9,499 40 39 74 1975 40,216 22 0 1 2+2 11,594 372 21 100 1976 45,766 0 7 0 2+2 13,792 417 47 184 1977 54,594 1 61 1 2+2 16,065 519 52 71 </pre> FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http:ZHome.com

The FIA Papers that I have, all list H(L)S30 - so perhaps it didn't matter to the FIA which side of the car the Driver sat on... FWIW, Carl B. Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Dave: A long time ago, there was, and still may be (???) an organization devoted strictly to the "Classic" Datsun Z's in Great Britain. That was/is - as I recall - "the Classic Z Car Registry" in England. It very well could be that the majority of the Datsun 240-Z owners there, are registered with that organization, and feel no further need to register anywhere else. I don't believe they ever established a presents on the Web, anyone know if they did or not? The Z Club of Great Britain used to publish the number of various Z Cars registered for road use in Great Britain and as I recall there were indeed very very few left there. Of the original 2000 or so sent the GB, it seems to me that something less than 75 were still registered for road use there.. at the last report. Also keep in mind that the Classic Car Registers are most pointedly to encourage the preservation of Stock examples, so highly modified cars are not usually found there either. FWIW Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Alan (everyone) Yes, while it could be true that HS30 00003 started production in 69, we have not yet found the car to be in existence. As you pointed out in an earlier thread - Nissan's publications can contain a lot of mistakes and mis-information. The primary reason for that statement, was to debunk the common Myth that the first 500 "HS30" Z's were produced in 1969. For years we saw HS30's advertised For Sale in Australia/NZ with VIN's between HS30 00004 - HS30 00500 represented as being 1969 Production Year cars... which certainly was not the case. We do have HS30 00004 and we (its current owner at the time and I ) agreed that the car was most likely produced in Jan. or Feb. of 1970. Based, among other things, on its original engine serial number and his memory of when it arrived in Australia mid-1970. Some of the US Nissan Publications also show production of units sold to the public - starting at HLS30 00013. So far we have not been able to find the car nor any record of it being sold. So are HS30 00003 and HLS30 00013 thru 00015 Myths?... could be - but so far we list what we can find. FWIW, Carl B.

Hi Dave: The HS30 is the Right Hand Drive 240-Z, and that's the Register for which I provided the link. We currently support the following individual Registers for Classic (70-73), Collectible and Special Interest Z's. Original Owners -Datsun 240-Z's Classic 240-Z's Classic Fairlady Z's Nissan Vintage Z Program Cars The 1980 10th Anniversity 280ZX The 1984 50th Anniversary 300ZX The Z31.com Site maintains a register for all 84-96 300ZX's. So far - no one that I know of (might be some somewhere on the Net.) - has been willing to devote the time/effort etc to starting, building and then continuing to support any Registers for the Right/Left hand drive 260's. All the Registers that the IZCC currently supports are contained with the IZCC Section, of the Z Car Home Page http://ZHome.com FWIW, Carl B.

It would be good if we could pin down at what point they actually started afixing Compliance Tags to cars. I've been told many times that they didn't start until 1971. Prior to that they just had paperwork. On average it took 3 months to get a car from production, to or into Australia. Engine Serial Numbers for cars produced in 09/70 are all in the L24-12xxx to L24-145xx range. A car can be built after it's original engine - but it can't be built before it's engine was produced - - I believe that HS30-00306 was more than likely built 12/70 - and would have most likely had a Compliance Tag of 03/71. HS30-00306 has been on our HS Register since 09/17/04 FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com

Hi Dave: Here is the link to the Internet Z Car Club Register: <a href=http://zhome.com/IZCC/ZRegisters/classicHS.htm TARGET=NEW> http://zhome.com/IZCC/ZRegisters/classicHS.htm</a><br> I've taken you list - compared it to our listing, and my private files.. then added the most likely production months to the cars listed.. also put them in VIN order.. The 1970 HS30 vehicles reported by owners include - and based on engine serial numbers production (month/year) would be close to: HS30 00117 L24 015308 1/1970 (10/70) HS30 00157 Not Known 12/1970 ???? HS30 00219 L24 018018 1/1970 (11/70) HS30 00280 L24 021364 11/1970 (12/70) HS30 00306 L24 021698 9/1970 Verified above as accurate by Mr C (12/70) HS30 00352 L24 021447 1/1971 (12/70) HS30 00696 L24 301849 1/1970 (Should be 031849 - (03/71) HS30 00958 L24 042111 1/1970 (06/71) I have: HS30 #04 as 01/70 HS20 #16 as 04/70 HS30 #44 as 07/70 HS30 #60 as 08/70 FWIW, Carl B. Carl Beck Clearwater, FL USA http://ZHome.com