MyEnquiringMind Posted July 3, 2013 Posted July 3, 2013 Hello all... Can anyone provide some history to the factory option bumper "over riders" I would love to know what they came out on, why they were offered, I have been lead to believe that they were offered as a "rally" option... can anyone provide any history etc... Cheers, Jarrod. Quote
C.A.R. Posted July 3, 2013 Posted July 3, 2013 My early 240 was fitted with them from the factory - I was unaware they were an 'option'...? Quote
Six_Shooter Posted July 3, 2013 Posted July 3, 2013 Yep, they were optional, dealer installed IIRC. I know that in California and Washington state they were fitted to the 240Zs because the stock bumper height was too low to pass inspection, and the over-rider bars got around this. I'm sure it would be similar reasons elsewhere. Quote
PeterH Posted July 4, 2013 Posted July 4, 2013 The 240Z that I bought new in April 1973, came without front over riders and had the amber turn signals fitted above the bar wher the over riders would have been. I believe that was to meet some ADR about height above the ground of the lights. I'm sure Lurch is right....was not an option. Quote
MyEnquiringMind Posted July 4, 2013 Author Posted July 4, 2013 Hello all, I am wondering if I havent confused the item I am talking about, I believe that I am actually talking about the "option" bumper bar additions rather than an overrider... http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200705/1970-nissan-z-cars-first--4_600x0w.jpg as you can see in this image, there is another bumper bar above the existing bumper bar, which I understand to be an option as a part of a "rally pack"... I apologise if there was any confusion as to the normal bumper overrider which I understand to have been standard. Cheers, Jarrod. Quote
260DET Posted July 4, 2013 Posted July 4, 2013 That looks like an American Z and options could well vary from country to country. But my guess is that the extra part on that car was aftermarket. Quote
HS30-H Posted July 4, 2013 Posted July 4, 2013 Hello all, I am wondering if I havent confused the item I am talking about, I believe that I am actually talking about the "option" bumper bar additions rather than an overrider... http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200705/1970-nissan-z-cars-first--4_600x0w.jpg That's an aftermarket part, designed and manufactured in the USA for the north American market by an independent company that had no direct connection to Nissan. It's not 'factory' or any kind of official Nissan optional part. We call them 'towel rails' where I come from... Quote
Six_Shooter Posted July 4, 2013 Posted July 4, 2013 I consider parts that were not part of the base car, but installed before it left the dealer, even if required by local laws were it was sold to be installed as options, since not every car of that type would have them, when looking at different markets. Quote
HS30-H Posted July 4, 2013 Posted July 4, 2013 I consider parts that were not part of the base car, but installed before it left the dealer, even if required by local laws were it was sold to be installed as options, since not every car of that type would have them, when looking at different markets. Doesn't make much sense to me. Either they are official ( Nissan ) options, or not. The chrome beltline trims so commonly fitted in the USA by the selling dealerships ( part of their price-jacking / profit-adding strategy ) were nothing to do with Nissan either. They are an aberration. I don't consider them a legitimate 'option' and I'm sure none of the people at Nissan who designed, engineered and built the cars would either. Just because a local territory dealer adds something to a new car in a showroom, or an aftermarket supplier sells something to add to a car later, it doesn't make those parts 'options'. Towel rails. Quote
Six_Shooter Posted July 4, 2013 Posted July 4, 2013 We'll have to agree to disagree, since around here even dealer installed aftermarket parts are "optional", which makes them "options" to me, and to most other people in the industry. Look at Ford and Shelby parts, they are aftermarket parts, but can be installed as dealer options. They can also be bought in the after market, either through parts stores, or Ford dealerships, just like these over-rider bars were, from the information I have found over the years. Some laws required these to be installed before the car was sold, so in essence they weren't even optional then. Now a days, Shelby cars are usually factory built, but they weren't always that way. Chevy and Yenko, is a similar example. Yenko cars were never factory optioned cars, there was a specific dealer that ordered the cars and put the Yenko option on them, and became sought after, selling these cars to other dealerships. There were others as well. There does exist "factory options" and "dealer options". Some Factory options were/are also available as dealer installed, and many times there are dealer only options. Quote
HS30-H Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 Look at Ford and Shelby parts, they are aftermarket parts, but can be installed as dealer options. They can also be bought in the after market, either through parts stores, or Ford dealerships, just like these over-rider bars were, from the information I have found over the years. Some laws required these to be installed before the car was sold, so in essence they weren't even optional then. Now a days, Shelby cars are usually factory built, but they weren't always that way. Chevy and Yenko, is a similar example. Yenko cars were never factory optioned cars, there was a specific dealer that ordered the cars and put the Yenko option on them, and became sought after, selling these cars to other dealerships. There were others as well. The north American aftermarket and dealership add-ons for Nissans is quite a different scenario. Shelby and Yenko at least had a reasonably direct business connection with Ford and Chevrolet respectively. You could say that Ford and Chevrolet 'blessed' the Shelby and Yenko parts and upgrades, and certainly sanctioned the complete cars that they put together. In Don Yenko's case there was stuff going on behind the scenes that allowed it all to happen. That's not the case with opportunist dress-up stuff like the Towel Rails. Nissan had no say in the matter. The local dealerships in north America often had quite loose arrangements with NMC USA, and were adding all sorts of bits and pieces to the cars in the showroom in order to maximise their profits. If these bumper additions had been necessary in order for Nissan products to pass inspection and comply with local laws, then Nissan would have designed, made and fitted them. If you have cast-iron evidence that they were created and fitted to cars in a certain market in order to be legal, then let's see it. Sorry, but I don't think anyone at Nissan would agree that they were any kind of official "option" and it's Nissan's opinion that counts for me. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Towel Rails. Quote
260DET Posted July 5, 2013 Posted July 5, 2013 HS30 taking it to the max, yeh but I have to agree. Quote
HS30-H Posted July 24, 2013 Posted July 24, 2013 ...And I'll leave this AMCO aftermarket accessory ad right here too: Quote
HS30-H Posted July 24, 2013 Posted July 24, 2013 Don't make me say it. Tttttttttttttttttt.................. Quote
Moderators Zedman240® Posted July 24, 2013 Moderators Posted July 24, 2013 To me there's a huge difference between "factory" option and "aftermarket" options. Those part numbers to me look like they are from Nissan but I think they were just made to look like them. Reminds me of the discussions for the "factory sunroof" zeds apparently came out with. Quote
d3c0y Posted July 24, 2013 Posted July 24, 2013 Look they even did an internally mounted towel rail for those rainy days! Quote
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