Australian Dealer Options 240, 260 ?

[Groundhog]

It always intrigues me when I see cars advertised as having this and that options with their car that makes them more unique.

I'd be interested to know, apart from colour and trim options, what was really available  to the car buyer back in the 70's?

 

I'm learning fast and know that simple things like steering wheel type, console lid, wheel types,2+2 rear seat handle, and vinyl hood were some offered.
For example, was the radio a standard fixture or could you specify an upgraded radio like a stereo or pushbutton type?
Does anyone have any old brochures or paperwork to dispel the myths?
I've found some valuable leads in spare parts manuals, but what was offered in USA and Europe may not have been offered here.

 

[gilltech]

There were different AM and AM/FM radios & AM cassette decks fitted over time.

I've got quite a collection of period road tests done in the USA, UK & Aus & really most of the visual differences between the cars were due to the local sales market or local regs & as the cars evolved from '70 through to '78.

So what myths are you referring to?

[gav240z]

If I look in the parts manuals I see a lot of parts listed as OP (Optional Part). However in reality I've seen very little evidence to suggest many cars sold in Australia were fitted with some of the more special and rare parts. If those cars exist or existed then it's likely they were scrapped years ago or the parts picked off them.

 

For example the Rally Clock was listed as OP, but I don't know of many people who have Rally Clocks over here that were here because they were fitted to an AU market car. The clocks have either come from the US (and most of those were due to Fairlady Z imports) or from Japan. Likewise with optional fog lamps, wheels etc..

 

What I have seen relatively consistently though is parts that look dealer fitted.

 

- Optional nudge bar

- Peanut / Kidney bean style alloys

- Pinstripes - although not sure if those came later after car was purchased.

- Vinyl roof's (very rare thankfully, and I haven't seen many on 240z's here. On 2+2's though I've seen it).

- Rear louvre's for the rear window

- Rubber protective side strips down the side of the car (appear to be dealer fitted)

 

I suspect a few cars came in with heater rear windows, but cannot be sure. It again was listed as OP but I'm not sure if the windows I've seen over here have been imported at a later date?

 

Hazard switches were also OP but I've yet to see an AU market 240z with them fitted. I think some later 260z's had them though!

 

The early style fender mirrors (flat type) are still a bit of a mystery to me.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/11863-early-style-fender-mirrors-as-found-on-early-chassis-id-ie-up-to-hs30-1000/?p=173888

 

Initially I thought only very early 1970 models had them fitted, but I've seen later 71 model cars with them also. Yet looking in the parts manual I have (which was last revised in the late 70s around 79 I think) doesn't mention the part no. for the early style mirrors. Only the bullet style mirrors they got in the Japanese market. Yet as you see in the thread above there is evidence to suggest some cars sold new had the bullet style. So perhaps you could get the bullet mirrors as an option?

 

My thoughts on this is that given that we likely received around 3,000 240z's back in the 70s and coupled with the demand for 240z's at that time. Most owners took what they could get (see Lurch's thread for example and his story on Harry and #149). Adding options probably meant waiting longer so maybe they were bought first and options added later?

 

I guess the only people who could tell you for sure were the people around at the time and ordered them new. I know that Len Brennan was 1 such person, so when I finally catch up with him, I'll try and ask. He did show me some interesting brochures at 1 point, but it was really mostly promotional and advertising material like the brochure attached (nb: fender mirrors).

 

As a side note: The red 240z photo above is my first 240z. You can see it had that nudge bar at the front and was a 73 model because of the indicators attached to the bumper and no holes in the fenders - which is a peculiar AU market feature.  

[Hunter]

I am the third owner of this 2+2 and it has chrome trims on the wheel arches. Maybe a dealer option.

 

I also have a parcel shelf in the footwell of the passenger side in my 71 240z

[gilltech]

Ditto the comment as to people taking what was offered in showroom or off the boat from what first owners of Zeds in NZ have told me.

The dealers offered added extras like underseal, nudge bars, sun-roofs, alloy wheels, rubbing strips, better stereos etc as they made good money off them, just like with other cars. Some add-ons were Jap-made, others locally supplied.

Lots of people ditched the steel rims & hubcaps straight up. IIRC it wasn't until late in '74 or '75 that the '260-style' factory alloys became available so until then the only real option in our part of the world was the after-market for alloys.

 

I have a collection of original sales brochures here too, as per the period road tests the cars specs all look pretty standard. But the interiors did get upgraded a little over the years, like fabric seats instead of vinyl.

 

I have a period 'AMCO' ad here for 240Z accessories, printed in California, which shows a front bumper guard (mounts to the over-riders) $24.95, arm rest (on console) $9.95, parcel bar (across load area, behind seats) $12.95, foot rest $12.95, walnut shift knob $3.75, rear bumper guard $29.95, & leather grained knob $4.95. Send Amco just $1 & they would send you their new 64 page colour catalog! Their parts were available either via one's 'nearest dealer' or to 'order direct by mail'. Must have been fun back then, optioning up one's Zed.

 

The 'std' specs varied from market to market & year to year. Our NZ cars differed to your Aus cars.

The JDM cars I've seen imported as used cars into NZ have for the most part been somewhat better spec'd than NZ ones, but without research it's difficult to know whether things like electric mirrors were actually factory or dealer-added or PO after-market-added.

 

If you look in the Nissan workshop manuals you'll see different options for things like suspension spring rates, on the early 260s like mine there were several spring rate spec's, std vs sports etc, but I have no way of telling which my car came fitted with.

[gav240z]

A good reference photo for what appear to be added dealer options is HS30 00151.

 

You can see the chrome trim wheel arches and the rubber body moulding down the side of the car for 'protection' from car park dings etc.. Along with the nudge bar at the front. The fog lamps are hard to tell if they are genuine 'S30Z' items, I doubt it.

 

 

 

Delivered new through Fred Armfield Moors in inner-Melbourne Footscray, the 240Z being auctioned is believed to be one of the most factory-correct examples available in Australia.

Despite its 40 years, it still retains important original items such as its seatbelts, radio, its set of very rare 'D' hubcaps and the luggage hold down straps in the rear compartment.

The car's Goodyear Supersteel tyres are straight out of the late 70s and look like they were fitted yesterday, while the muscular 2.4 litre six cylinder engine retains its original air cleaner. The car's Owners' Manual, Factory Warranty Certificate and Service Booklet are included in the sale.

 

Thing is I see several things that are not quite original on this car, the heated rear screen looks like aftermarket or potentially a '260z' rear glass set up. The door mirror is from a later 240z, this car would have had the flat fender mirrors when new. Which raises questions about how original the paint is, since it is likely it was repainted (at least the front fenders when the mirrors were removed).

 

Unfortunately HS30 00150 was also repainted at least once, and so it's possible it was sold looking similar to this car with the chrome wheel arch trims, side body mouldings and front nudge bar but removed later.

 

Personally the dealer options do nothing for me, just tart up an otherwise beautiful shape and design.

[gav240z]

Here is another good example of some options likely fitted by dealers.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/10560-1973-datsun-240z-for-sale-manual-trans-silver-with-red-interior-sold/

 

I do wonder if the wheels were dealer fitted as many S30Z's had them, including my own HS30 00150. Or they could have been a popular aftermarket choice for S30Z owners.

[gav240z]

Lots of people ditched the steel rims & hubcaps straight up. IIRC it wasn't until late in '74 or '75 that the '260-style' factory alloys became available so until then the only real option in our part of the world was the after-market for alloys.

That sounds about right to me, I think 75 the alloys came as standard but earlier 74 260z's may not have had them or they were an option only. I'd love to see brochures from this period to confirm.

 

I have a collection of original sales brochures here too, as per the period road tests the cars specs all look pretty standard. But the interiors did get upgraded a little over the years, like fabric seats instead of vinyl.

I've seen a couple of cars with the cloth inserts in the seats, not sure if this was dealer added or just done by a workshop in / around Sydney.

HS30 00295 (red insert) and HS30 00051 (green insert)

 

The 'std' specs varied from market to market & year to year. Our NZ cars differed to your Aus cars.

The JDM cars I've seen imported as used cars into NZ have for the most part been somewhat better spec'd than NZ ones, but without research it's difficult to know whether things like electric mirrors were actually factory or dealer-added or PO after-market-added.

Later S31's had power electric fender mirrors and also power windows.

[1600dave]

Depends whether you are interested in "factory" fitted parts or "dealer" fitted parts as well.

 

Even back then you had the "paint protection / rustproofing girl" trying to part you from your money for extra stuff after you had signed on the dotted line for the car. Stuff like the rubber side strips, chrome wheel strip trims, jellybean / hotwire mags, sunroofs, etc may have been fitted from new by an individual Datsun dealer, but were not "factory fitted" options from Nissan themselves. More like the dealer arranged to have them fitted at an aftermarket place down the road, or bought the parts in and had them fitted at the dealership.

[gav240z]

I just bought this magazine.

 

You can see a couple of things, early fender mirrors. Butterscotch interior and vinyl roof. I'll see what other photos are in the magazine when I receive it.

[gilltech]

The only way to answer Groundhog's question is for someone to dig up some original order forms used by Datsun dealers back in the day.

There may still be a handful of original owners around, or subsequent owners who have been given all the original paperwork with their purchase.

Hopefully some will chime in & can enlighten us.

 

These cars weren't built/marketed/sold in the numbers and in the same manner as larger-quantity produced cars like say Mustangs and Camaros in the US, where the intending owner was handed a long list of factory specs & options, with the end result that in most cases each car was unique in specs. With Zeds the choices would have been very limited for those purchasers placing an order, with relatively low production numbers many first owners just took whatever turned up in the dealer's showroom & went from there.

[260DET]

Dealer invoices to customers as well, they should list any extras. The historic race blokes who have been interested for years in what, if any, performance enhancing extras such as wide wheels were dealer fitted have drawn a blank so far. But it's an ongoing issue so any original paperwork would be of interest to them too.

[PB260Z]

Hi,

 

Today it is requirement on any contract of sale for a NEW car that it clearly show

What is a factory option

What is a genuine accessory

What is an aftermarket accessory - Some brands are now requiring the customers sign an acknnowledgement that their vehicle is being supplied with aftermarket accessories. (Warranty impacts)

 

I know this doesn't help help with question re S30's but at least 40 years from now tomorrows classic car collector will have greater clarity over this type of issue.

Edited May 8, 2016 by PB260Z

[Groundhog]

Interesting post for a Patrol, that has some options available to this model. I was hoping that there was something like this for Z's also.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-1981-DATSUN-PATROL-MOTOR-CAR-ACCESSORIES-Advertisement-/111064991265?hash=item19dbfd4621:g:9e4AAOxyqKVRgbil

[gav240z]

I think another source of information would be press / review articles of the period.

 

These were on eBay recently and you can see the original AM radio was fitted as 'standard', this car was a 73 model. Where as in North America they moved onto an FM radio by 72.

 

The AU parts manual suggests that the home market 8-track head unit was "OP" but I've never seen 1 fitted to our cars. Like I say, I don't think many people chose factory options here. I think they got a whole heap of 'dealer' options though!