dspillman

Checking numbers…. VIN… HS30-10324 engine block production date …1XO1C ? engine block number..L24- 067522 Blue dot “turns green” when powered up am/fm radio 8-track tape player

Thank you for that information Gavin, digesting evidence and coming up with Nissan intentions for a “press car” without written records is hard to make it make sense 50 years later…. The combination of the red dot radio,and the captured nut for the flat hood bumper at first glance to me was a glaring contradiction. Was there a red dot rear view mirror on the hs30-00004 car. But all of these items could have been added or modified in the past 50 years as well. It is a special car no matter what…. A known z parts specialist nudged me gently,asking me if my hls30-00051 had the proper red dot radio…. Well, just not familiar with the early RDR. Looking through my am radios 1 of 5 happened to have red dot instead of the green dot…… Surprised to have this “rare” item in my stash.

Well, I had heard of the red dot mirror......Check... Now a red dot radio, never heard of. but HS30. vin 4 clearly shows a red dot ..... One of Gavins pictures showed it.... in a February? #4 aus.car strange/odd peices...

I've seen that on later cars, maybe through 6/70? in LHD HLS30 world. Speaking of doors, I was fortunate to have the original passenger, "right hand" side door, it had the 2 holes for the 2 door panel screws you showed pictures of. I was able to use a similar door, for left hand side. My big curiosity for the doors was the metal tab wire holder on the "floor" of original door, confirmed to be a "real thing" by other 69 car owners. I believe to maintain wiring for aborted door lights.

Hard to believe these rivets were “factory”…

Blocking, block, block…..

I see now….. color faded…..

Looking at the decal, I’ve not seen one in black and white…. No red or colors…. Did early ones have a “more plain” appearance?

Have the jack that came with vin-51, can’t make out the markings, but has a clear enough decal….. anyone take a shot at the stamping? Couple different angles.. and lighting.

While waiting for 51 to take shape , very close to applying primer, keeping eyes open for anything that is super early for this car, picked up a pair of early chrome Z quarter emblems, trying to eventually get everything “right” . Interior wise , basically starting from scratch….. eyes open for anything……

Really happy how gas inlet area turned out after blasting. Just clean and reseal.

Ready to get busy blocking…

Talk about Japanese land mines!! Inside rear wheel wells…..Rookie z plug welder back in 1969….. I’ll have to remove this original feature for safety sake. Thick dealer installed under coating hid these gotchas……

Gavin, I would think the hood bumpers may narrow down the date more so then the inspection clips, I remember January build vin 1222 had the tiny shot glass hood stops/bumpers and the plastic clips. I realize the hood stops could be swapped out for the later stops, as my vin 841 was at some point. I maybe wrong concerning the hood "bumpers", other markets may have differed in the use of these.

Gav240z… Appears to have the plastic clips, and bolt through rubber hood stops.. putting it in January-ish time span

Looking at the rear glass appears to be replaced……is dated January 71. I owned hls30-1222 years ago, plastic clips, and vented hats.

Early fenders inspection lid tabs are slightly different with metal versus plastic clips. I’m sure most know of this, but I simply had not noticed that and other differences in “early 69-72”? Fenders, nos fenders will have to be made right, but definitely another 3-4 steps to take for each fender to be right….”look” right.

Progress finally being made on 51, up on rotisserie with new rails, floors, front clip, rear valance, dog legs, sections roof, and roof rail replaced, repaired. 3 weeks in with a couple of retired body men, that are definitely up to the task!!

Looks like I’ve found a nice doner peice for the left side inner fender extension? Where both bumper and headlight buckets attach. Will continue to for now avoiding the entire front clip replacement

Before abandoning the original metal work, I’m heating/dolly the metal to try and get back to original shape, first run through, smoothed out virtually all of the “marks” in the inner fender….. fortunately, I have access to a nice “tip of inner fender, “? The section that is adjacent to headlight “scoop”.

Looking at this chart, that may or may not be applicable, it would seem a properly butt welded/ground smooth joint retains 65-75% of its original strength??

I’m definitely open to all opinions about slicing the hat off, and re attaching….. pictures are of a parts car, with the severed tower head.

I’m looking at all the welds to try and duplicate the original appearance and alignment of the entire structure.