Early Girl Bingo - With Photos

[260DET]

Careful there, I have that book around somewhere plus one of the subject Zeds. They are a far better car than some of the coffee table experts think, particularly the two seater version 

[gav240z]

In my opinion, any set of "Production/Sales Figures" for these cars that doesn't include Japan - the country in which the damned things were conceived and built - is not worth taking seriously. Even if - taken in isolation - *some* of the figures appear to have a passing resemblance to reality...

Point taken, and I agree it's a shame it doesn't show any production figures for S30/HS30/PS30 in Japan.

 

With regard to the HS30's do you know if Nissan made them in batches? Therefore likely that HS30-H had chassis numbers close to each other? Or were they spaced out with regular production of HS30's? I believe there was around 400 HS30-H made, so I'm wondering if there will be a large 400 chassis number gap in the numbers I collect at some point.

 

Although I am trying to collect any HS30's I find in Japan, UK, NZ etc.. for the most part I'm concentrated on the AU market as that's where the bulk of them appear to have gone and where I'm finding most of them so far.

 

You may have mentioned this before but how did HS30 00013 end up in the UK? Since it appears in 1970 you (in the UK) only received HS30 00034 and HS30 00035 to begin with?

[HS30-H]

With regard to the HS30's do you know if Nissan made them in batches? Therefore likely that HS30-H had chassis numbers close to each other? Or were they spaced out with regular production of HS30's? I believe there was around 400 HS30-H made, so I'm wondering if there will be a large 400 chassis number gap in the numbers I collect at some point.

 

 

You may have mentioned this before but how did HS30 00013 end up in the UK? Since it appears in 1970 you (in the UK) only received HS30 00034 and HS30 00035 to begin with?

 

I think - like all the cars - the HS30-Hs were made in batch form. As far as I can tell, and from conferring with those there (in Nissan Shatai's plant at Hiratsuka) at the time, the batches varied in size and were linked mainly in terms of body colour and 'Katashiki' (type variant). They tended to put through batches of like-type according to what was ordered/needed in dealer stock, and they were grouped by body colour. I think it would have been easy for the guys on the assembly line to build a mixture of sub-variants in a batch (easy to put together a 'Std' model in between a pair of 'Deluxe' S30s, for example) as the componentry was ready, marked and waiting. My thought on the HS30-Hs is that they would have been easy to build in amongst other batches of HS30-prefixed Std and Dx models as the H-suffix spec parts were special - external - additions to an HDx model. Only caveat on that is the G.P. Maroon coloured cars (that colour being unique to the HS30-H model at that time) whereas the G.P. White and G.P. Red body colours were shared with the HDx models. H-suffix cars were certainly built to a 'build sheet'/order though, as they were identified on the line as such (and have some secret marks to identify them....). 

 

Total build quantity of the HS30-H models is a tricky one. In order to satisfy FIA/JAF Group 4 homologation for the evolution Nissan had to build a minimum of 400 production models. They certainly fulfilled that, but by how much? Conferring again, it may well be the case that Nissan built as many as 1,000 HS30-H models. They were surprisingly popular.

 

'HS30-00013' never came to the UK as a complete car. Its firewall-engraved chassis number was cut out of the original (apparently wrecked/abandoned body) in Australia, paired with its engine bay tag and arrived in Northamptonshire as little more than a souvenir. I think the original intention was to make the identity live again as a circuit car (no need to road register it so no difficult paperwork, and "early" production number would have allowed entry to race series denied to "later" cars) but I have no idea if that ever took place. The last time I saw 'it', it consisted of two pieces of metal hanging on a workshop wall...        

Edited February 5, 2017 by HS30-H

[gav240z]

That would make sense, from what I've seen I tend to come across many cars of the same colour (originally) and very close chassis numbers over here. So it's likely they were built to similar spec in batch form and even shipped to the same destination in batches also.

 

Going back to those production numbers, Chris mentions it in the original thread, but it doesn't mention NZ and I know they got 2 in the 9XX range in 1971. Also HS30 00012 I believe was a Papua New Guinea car from new apparently. HS30 00016 has had an interesting history also as it was an Australian new car (I believe) then when to NZ or Norfolk Island for a while before returning to Australia.

 

I could only guess at this stage that maybe some of the dealer demo cars are not counted, but that doesn't seem logical either.

 

Or it could just reflect gaps in Nissan's own records where these numbers were taken from? Who knows.. really.

 

So to clarify no Fairlady 240Z-L's were made in GP Maroon? I did see such a car, but it must have had a repaint I'm guessing?

 

With regard to popularity of the 240ZG's I guess the number of tribute cars running around is testament to that.

[brent012]

Probably not of interest since there is no mention of VIN, but this youtube user seems to have (had?) an Aus delivered 1971 240Z in Japan:

[gav240z]

For some reason there were rumours for years that someone in Melbourne used to sell large quantities of S30Z's back to Japan for mega profits (late 90s).

 

However I spoke to someone about this who informed me of a few that went back, but said that many Fairlady Roadsters were actually sent back. So whilst quite a few AU delivered S30Z's probably have ended up back in Japan, I'd say there is likely to be many more Roadsters and Roadster parts.

[GongZ]

AusZcar member Hopo has just listed HS30-00902 for sale;

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/15682-1971-z-for-sale/

[260z blues]

Great thread with so much info !!!

[260DET]

Some early US import numbers mentioned near the bottom of this page http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/36255-1970-scca-runoffs-artilcle-with-pictures/

[gav240z]

South Australian Barn Find.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheZGang/permalink/1229618463739956/

 

I wonder what # it is..

[PB260Z]

South Australian Barn Find.https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheZGang/permalink/1229618463739956/I wonder what # it is..

Looks like that post has been removed from FB ?

[gav240z]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheZGang/permalink/1229699693731833/

 

It was scrubbed because of the number plate. It was re-added here.

[PB260Z]

Looks pretty good, would like to see more photos.

[gav240z]

HS30 12065

http://www.sussexsportscars.co.uk/cars/1972-datsun-240z-super-samuri2/

 

Another Samuri

[gav240z]

I'm starting to believe the numbers published here:

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/1535-build-nos-the-truth

 

It certainly seems to be holding up based on what I know of the early cars..

Ok so reading a magazine tonight I have had in storage for many years. Magazine is Australian and called "Modern Motor" Published January 1974. It features a tea coloured 260z 2+2 with Grande Nose on it and fender flares that never made it to production.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-Modern-Motor-Magazine-Jan-1974-/142023593709

 

This is what it says verbatim in 1 of the paragraphs.

 

"In 1970, the year of introduction the car sold 110 units. The next year the total read 751! Stock shortages in 1972 due to a variety of factors cut sales to 534, although demand was calculated at several hundred in excess of that. This year, figures to date reveal 607 units have been sold with more than two months of figures yet to be tallied in. In any case, it seems that despite severe shortages again, more than 700 vehicles will be sold."

 

I have noticed so far that 1972 models seem to be a lot less common than 71 or 73 models. Obviously 70 models are the rarest of all 240z's sold here but there might be some truth to these numbers. In which case early 240z's sold here are possibly lower than we expected. Closer to around 2000 units than the closer to 2,500 - 3,000 units sold.

 

I'd be surprised if we only had 100 units sold in 1970, but given that this article was written in 1974 it's possible the figures were obtained from Nissan (before a lot of their records were thrown out before they moved out of their CBD offices (was it Swanston St?).

 

Same magazine also features a short article on a PS30 or PS30-SB (it does say Z432-R but I doubt it).

[HS30-H]

Same magazine also features a short article on a PS30 or PS30-SB (it does say Z432-R but I doubt it).

 

Pulled apart by yours truly on the classiczcars forum quite a few years ago. It was a customised PS30 being claimed as a genuine PS30-SB.

 

People used to be able to get away with that stuff before 'The Internets'... ;-)

[gav240z]

The article claims the car is PS30 00017, for some reason the article ends abruptly and I can't figure out if there is a missing page or if it was an editorial issue?

 

It's quite odd to see a Fairlady Z432 with the peanut alloys.

 

Do you know where the car is now?

[HS30-H]

The article claims the car is PS30 00017, for some reason the article ends abruptly and I can't figure out if there is a missing page or if it was an editorial issue?

 

It's quite odd to see a Fairlady Z432 with the peanut alloys.

 

Do you know where the car is now?

 

Somewhere around here I've got a copy of the original magazine. I'll see if I can find it...

 

Car is long 'Missing In Action - Presumed Dead' I'm afraid.

[gav240z]

HS30 00291

 

Found in QLD, another early 70 model.

 

Kingaroy Queensland

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheZGang/permalink/1233546486680487/

 

El Rancho is the panel beating business.

https://www.facebook.com/brad.sellick.9

 

Was previously on Gumtree with no photos.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/1924-cars-for-sale-3rd-party-sites-ebay-carsales-etc/page-232

[hardsurvival]

hi I got 281 had it for like 6 years still getting restored though    

[gav240z]

Good to know, but any photos?

[Mr Camouflage]

I was just contacted by Adam a 240Z owner.  #197 is alive an well in NSW. Trying to get some more details and a photo. It was owned by his mother for 30 years and now belongs to him.

[gav240z]

In 2007 Dale mentions HS30 00513 which is apparently pale yellow. I don't think we've seen or heard from this car since.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/708-build-date-help/?p=5586

[gav240z]

HS30 00204 or bits of it live on in a later 260z shell.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/1434-i-need-to-find-out-what-model-260z-2-seater-i%E2%80%99ve-got/

[gav240z]

What's interesting is that HS30 00204 had L24 - 018042.

HS30 00208 had L24 - 018074

 

So quite a large range difference between engine no. and chassis.

 

HS30 00291 had L24 - 021354

HS30 00297 had L24 - 021352

 

So kind of gives you an idea as to how haphazard engine blocks were assigned to cars in the factory.