26th-Z

You're right, Carl. My info came from the Fourth Overall Parts Catalog, December 1973. One of things I like so much about this sport is that when you think you know what's going on, someone shows up with an exception to the rule. Yes, the H signifies the 2.8 liter engine also - sorry all you 280Z guys out there. Yes, Sean, HS30-H is the designation code for the Fairlady 240ZG introduced October 1971 and discontinued September 1973 according to Brian Long; "Datsun Z, Fairlady to 280Z". Chris

Gary, There are a couple of uncracked dashes on eBay right now and $1,000 to $1,500 is about the going price. For that kind of money, make sure you buy the correct one for your car. There IS a difference. I shipped my dash to Australia for Dashboard Restorations and it was about a grand door to door from Florida. Nice workmanship. I would recommend them. One word of advise, for the size of the box you will need to ship the dash, weight is not a factor in the shipping cost. Let them fit your gauges and vents. A nice console that you will need to restore is about $120. The ash tray is about $150. Fuse box cover is $25. Door panels as you describe are $200 each if you can find them - good luck. Arm rests are around $50 each and window cranks are pretty easy to find. A new grab handle is around $50 Steering wheels with the holes in the spokes are a dime a dozen for unrestored.

H signifies the 2.4 liter engine. It has nothing to do with which side the steering wheel was on. HLS30-120001 began in July 1972 regardless of what 'model year' it was given. Sean, do a search through these archives and you will find discussions about manufacturung dates on various parts in your car. Currently, someone is talking about a date stamp they found on their gas tank. Comparing these part number dates with the door tag date will give you an excellent idea of exactly when your car was built. Chris

Most definitely later model choke knob. It is condidered "square" because the corner edges are sharp compared to the more "rounded" edges of the earlier ones. The one Z Babe is showing is not offset and has the word choke printed on it. The two versions pictured here are the earliest and show only the symbol - rounded and squared.

Mike pretty much describes it. Like my term, riff-raff? It's all in fun - Enjoy the Ride, eh? I would look at the car before I considered buying it, too bad the photos are so lousy, but $4500 isn't a bad price for an early Fairlady IMO. It all depends on what blows your dress up - I guess. I would like to have an early Fairlady. Ben, I didn't realize the bumper rubbers were distinctive between the S30 and the S30S. I have these great pictures in an expensive Fairlady-I book and they both show solid chrome bumpers with no rubbers!?! We were having a banter about this subject at a Z picnic extravaganza yesterday. Remember one of the guys with me at the convention last year - Rick? He has a silver 260Z and he has been converting bumpers. He bought a new front and new rubbers, but the bumper is not drilled for the rubbers. Makes me wonder if the new bumpers available these days are really NOS leftovers - the only ones remaining - or new manufacture. The rally clock is listed as an option in the 1970 sales catalog. I thought they all came with the basic clock. Is there a difference between the heater console face plates of the S30 and the HLS30? Do the Fairlady consoles have fan switch (hi - low) indicators molded in the plastic? Chris

Hey there, Sean! I had the same question some time ago and have been told that serial numbers were duplicated across different model types. In other words, yes. There should be an HS30-04944. There probably is an S30-04944.

I had the oldest Z for the longest time and then I met someone with an older one. What gives it away as a ZL, Ben? I must say that for an early Z, it certainly is cobbled up with aftermarket and replacement riff-raff.

New ones are plastic - old ones are metal. I'm looking for a metal 'Datsun' for the hatch lid.

Loved the video, Guus. Just great!

To the best of my knowledge, the build date does not necessarily correspond to successive VINs. The car is supposedly given a VIN at the very begining of production and a build date later, after production. That was Alan's explanation. I concur. HLS30-00026 shows a November 1969 build date and HLS30-00027 shows an October build date. And just for kickers, the engine number in 26th is higher than the engine number in 27th. Following the production volume figures that Kats provided some time ago, both 26th and 27th were built in October, but that isn't what the door tag says. I wouldn't put a lot of emphasis on the dead accuracy of the build date. I'll also comment again that the "titled" date - the date the car was registered - has nothing to do with the construction date of the car. I consider both of my cars 1969s, but 26th wasn't titled until May of 1970.

Thanks Steve. That is how I remember the car. Notice the difference in the roll cage? Someone should build a replicar of this one as nice as yours, Ron.

Whoa! Guys! You are getting fooled! The original HLS30-00006 in 1970 and 1971 was dark burgundywith white numbers. I just passed on some really nice pictures of the car on eBay not too long ago. I was shocked to flip over to Zhome.com and NOT find pictures of the original car. The car we saw at the convention has been repainted into the later scheme - 1973 and 1974 when Jim Fitzgerald drove the car. That chassis, as we saw it a month ago, has been substatially modified from originally raced to accomodate subsequent years of racing. That's 06 all right, but not as 06 was originally raced.

THE TWINS ! ! ! ! Yes...they were there! Her Majesty the 26th and Princess 27. There they are!!! I'm saving that photo for the archives! Thanks.

Oh Geeze! This “collection” isn’t anything extravagant. I just nab pictures I see every now and then. Mostly from eBay. I don’t have enough to cut a Cd or anything. Never really thought of it. Remember that conversation we had going a year ago about when a car is “born”? Alan was contending that any specific chassis is “born” when the serial number is stamped on the firewall. Do I have that right, Alan? Anyhow, through those conversations about how the actual chassis / body shell / unibody was constructed, I set up a separate file for pictures of individual sheet metal. I’ll attach some of my better ones:

Yep! June 30th if that "8" on the back of your mirror is really a "6". Nice fog lamps!

Enrique, The picture of the vent cup in my post is a shot I nabbed off eBay for my collection of sheet metal. When I stripped and dipped 26th, I became fascinated with how the chassis is assembled from sheet metal stampings. Origami comes to mind. Simple shapes take form and forms become the whole. These cars are simply "stapled" together along miles of seams. I can just see the Japanese guys welding up the shapes over wooden bucks and jigs. Then big blocks of the car assembled on a jig. I wish someone had some pictures. Thus, I started collecting pictures of the individual metal pieces. Pretty nerdy, huh?

Craig, We're just a bunch of car guys having a nerdy car conversation, that's all. No one is dissing anyone's small VIN. I keep flipping over to the '71 Fairlady thread and comparing pictures. Alan, thanks for the explanation. So this is just an anomaly? What picture are you talking about, Enrique?

The "plastic thing" is probably the sound matt / tar matt, like dyno-mat, and have fun getting it off. It should be on the floors and rear deck also. There are several methods discussed in different threads in the archives. I would not blast the inside of the car because you will never get the dust out no matter how hard you try. If you insist on blasting, then the sound matt and the firewall insulation will have to come off. Replacement firewall insulation is available for around $125. The tar matt insulation is about $75 a yard. The horse hair material is padding and also acts as insulation. The tunnel was originally padded vinyl...you can do whatever you want. I have nothing against the idea of media blasting the exterior of the car. A friend had good luck with soda blasting. Make sure you wipe the metal down right away with a rust inhibitor like OSPHO to avoid flash rusting. I think that's why soda blasting has become so popular, because it doesn't send the steel molecules into rusting frenzy like sand blasting does. I'm no expert on blasting. I'm also on a campaign to promote seam sealer. I firmly believe that the primary reason these cars rust so badly is because they aren't sealed up. Clean those seams out and seal them back up! I'm using 3M-08300 Ultra-Pro.

I just spent an hour or so with all the pictures - in photoshop. I adjusted brightness and enlarged areas. I would love to see more photos of the tool box / rear deck area, please. Are the tabs for the earlier type of tool box welded in place? I notice the passenger floor is gone from one photo, but a foot rest and seat in another? Is the VIN plate in the engine bay gone? Looks like the car had air-conditioning. The rear-view mirror is not a red-dot. This firewall photo bothers me the most. What is the marking around the serial number? The chassis is clearly a later design / type. I don't believe the metal pressings for the shapes in this chassis existed in 1969. If it were a "test mule", there would be evidence of welding from one chassis style to the later. For instance, the side vents in the rear quarter would normally have this cup welded inside. What about S30-00002? Dates on the wiring harnesses will provide more evidence. Long pig-tail fuse box, or short? Thanks for sharing all this, Kats.

Dayle, Those are the rocker panels, not the frame rails, and the holes are the standard fabrication for the S30 chassis. I'll make some other comments... I agree with Ben and Alan that your car is probably the ZL model, probably because so many of the "options" are present. The ZL model included many of the items we see as "options". Your example includes several more items and judging from the age, I would suggest that your wheel flares are indeed "factory". They appear to be the same FRP material as the rear spoiler would have been. The headlight scoops would also be FRP. I am surprised to see the lack of headlight covers. The rubber strips on the bumpers are correct, however I am surprised to see the over riders on the front bumper. Does the car have a mesh grill? And how about the lower lip front spoiler? Would love to see a picture of the fog lamp remains. Looks like you have a nicely optioned out ZL there. Best of luck with your restoration! Chris

Greetings from Florida! Welcome to the club.

Guten Tag, Peter! This may help, but no picture of a car in 306 silver?!!?!! http://datsunprojects.org/zpaintcodes/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9148873/

I'm with ya , brother! I'm there for you! You can do it! Heal, baby, heal! Weld away your blues, my friend! Hows that for support?

Nice pictures, there, Hypertek! Paul, I have been collecting period correct stuff for three years or more with a similar intention. I think the thing to do is your homework and make a plan about what you want. There are several "period corrects" to choose from. I think you will find that the more you look, the more you will find. For the most part, I would say that the more obscure you get, the more costly it is going to be. Have fun... Chris