Mr Camouflage

The Whiteman Park Classic Car Show will be on again this Sunday 21st March 2010. The WA Z Register will be displaying a few cars there, so drop by and say hello. The event is usually fairly disappointing to the Nostalgic Japanese car fan. Not usually alot of vintage Japanese tin on display apart from the Z's, Fairlady Roadsters, and the odd Mazda 1500.

See, you can polish a t**d. I like the more unusual 70's colours. Far too many red zeds around.

What chassis number is this car? Cant quite make it out in the photos.

That 240Z sold in the range that shannons expected (15 to 20 thousand). The $30,000 price tag was a somewhat optimistic owners asking price. Maybe they were misinformed as to its value in Australia. I wonder if its staying here or going back to Japan.

It was more than 2 engines. There was the L20A, which was in production alongside the L24 and L26, then there was the L28, and with each there were various configurations depending on what car they were going into. eg front sump, mid sump, single down draft carb/dual SU type carb/FI etc etc.

Amazon.com is a good site for books. Better than ebay. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1931128049?ie=UTF8&tag=wazre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1931128049">How to Modify Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wazre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1931128049" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0837601606?ie=UTF8&tag=wazre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0837601606">Maximum Boost by Corky Bell</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wazre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0837601606" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> Other books that are relevant to the Z: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1931128030?ie=UTF8&tag=wazre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1931128030">How to Rebuild Your Nissan/Datsun OHC Engine</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wazre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1931128030" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0912656093?ie=UTF8&tag=wazre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0912656093">How to modify Datsun engines & chassis, 510, 610, 240Z</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wazre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0912656093" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569709572?ie=UTF8&tag=wazre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1569709572">Project X - Datsun Fairlady Z</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wazre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1569709572" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0856962066?ie=UTF8&tag=wazre-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0856962066">Haynes Datsun 240Z, 260Z & 280Z Repair Manual</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wazre-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0856962066" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Yes it has, I was there at the time on classic z cars, and all comments on #00004 on classic z cars seem to think rightly or wrongly that it was built in 1970. Carl believes the car was made in 1970. Alan also agreed that the car may have been built in 1970. I even read on Classic Z cars that the cars owner believed the car was built in 1970. In fact after all these years and all those discussions, Mike, this is the first time I've ever seen you say it was built in 1969. What claim is that exactly? That the car arrived here in 1970. With that I don't disagree, but whether it was made in 1969, Who knows? maybe, maybe not. Are you saying it is a 1969 car? You said earlier that there are no 1969 HS30's. It's entirely possible that some low number HS30's were made in 1969, I'm not disagreeing with you there, but there's no documented evidence of the kind katz has been able to uncover that proves either way the build date, that i'm aware of. The first load of 240Z's were sold in 1970 as 1970 models, regardless of whether they were built in 1969. It discussions like this that help to bring out evidence and dispel the myths associated with these cars. I'm interested in hearing more about #4 Mike, so please don't shut up, tell us what you know.

Little doubt? There is just no way of knowing when HS30-00004 was built unless someone like Katz can uncover the production info with chassis numbers for the rest of 1969 (September to December), or whoever owns #4 does the component date checking thing, or compares engine numbers with US cars. Nissan state that HS30-00003 was built in October 1969, but that doesn't mean they completed #4 in 1969 either. It's possible, there's just no proof to say either way. Likewise there is no way to tell when the car arrived in Australia, unless records can be unearthed from somewhere. If indeed car #4 was the car that was lent out to magazines for articles, and used in the press release kit then it was in the hands of Australian Modern Motor magazine in October 1970. They drove it to the 1970 Hardie-Ferodo 500 at Bathurst. Press release kit was released in September, so the only thing we know for sure is that the car arrived in Australia before September 1970. How long before is anyone's guess. Zhome say it arrived in March, though they provide no supporting evidence.

Just for comparison: The dealer that sold cars 230 and 345 received them early in Jan, 1971, they were both registered on 25/1/71 I expect yours would have been received about the same time.

Hybrid Z discussion of electric assisted steering http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?/topic/72180-electric-power-steering/page__hl__electric%20power%20steering

An engine number of L24-018162 would put it at a build date around 11/1970, when compared to the engine numbers of US cars. (Though their chassis numbers were up into the 15,000's by then, while ours were still in the hundreds). At a guess, I'd say it would have a compliance plate date of 12/1970 or 1/1971

I wonder if they are including HLS30's in with the HS30's in that chart for these reasons: 1. HLS30's are not listed anywhere on that chart, but make up for a large % of all S30 type cars sold (When I say S30 , I mean all types of S30 (fairlady Z, 240Z, etc), not the actual S30 (the fairlady Z JSM 2 liter model) ) 2. 17,892 HS30's made in 1970 41,595 in 1971 61,595 in 1972, 43,584 in 1973, = 164,666 which seems way off for just HS30's (if excluding HLS30's). Nissan only sold about 3000 240Z in Australia from 1970 to 1973. Where did the other 161,666 HS30's go? I think its fairly obvious that included under the table for HS30, are all S30's that had the 2.4 litre engine (that's what the H stands for in the chassis number, it means the car had the L24). Therefor I suspect that chart contains data for HS30's and HLS30's and the (JDM) Fairlady 240z (HS30-H) as well. So if the chart contain both HS30 and HLS30, and because of the parallel uses of chassis numbers, your assumption that any car with a sub 438 chassis number mush have been made in 1969 is incorrect. Thanks for posting the chart though, the CSP311 production numbers are interesting.

Got a photo or scan of that chart?

Guys, he has a Fairlady 280Z, not a 240/260/280Z, and not a 280ZX. They definitely had cruise control as a factory option. Rogerz, Our 260z wasn't crippled by anti-pollution gear and big heavy ugly bumpers like you guys got. So the L26 was plenty powerful enough for Nissan to retain the 260Z model up to 78. The L26 was more powerful than the L24 it replaced. The only reason you guys got the L28 with efi was stricter emissions laws and those massive park bench and shocks bumpers.

That's an anti Japanese car sticker. Not sure who in the USA put them out, but the aim was to try and dissuade people from buying cheap, reliable, economic, Japanese cars, and buy crap, gas guzzling, yank tanks. Not sure why you'd want to put one on your Datsun??

Were JDM belts for 69/70 self retracting? That's something I wasn't aware of.

Yeah, I though that was the case with the seat belts. Maybe car hs30-00016 was never sold new in Australia, and therefore kept its original belts. Also the 240Z didn't go on sale in Australia until September 1970. Which makes me wonder whether Nissan would have produced large numbers of LHD export cars when their export markets weren't ready for them yet?

Sorry, you have that wrong, bodies weren't new. What actually happened was Nissan USA found some good condition 240Z's, and had them rebuilt them back to original specifications. Basically most parts except the bodies were new or rebuilt. Original engine, gearbox and diff were rebuilt. Bodies were stripped, rust repaired, repainted and interiors retrimmed. I have a copy of the restoration checklist which specifies which parts were to be replaced, rebuilt, replated, or reused.

Nah there would be huge discussion on Classiczcars about how significant it is, if it was.

LOL. You had me re-reading some old posts on classiczcars.com looking for some actual proof they were manual, since I couldn't find the scanned magazine article, and believe me this is mild compared to what went on over there.

Doesn't that just mean the seatbelts were made in 1969. Whats the original engine number of #16? All Aussie 240Z's didn't have indicators in the guards. That was introduced with the 260Z.

Various sources. From years of hanging around on classiczcars.com in the 240K section. Seen far too many pictures of manual Coupes for them all to be conversions (not enough manual sedans around to scavenge gearboxes, pedals and center consoles) The fact that my 240K has the gear knob, from a 4 speed manual GT (even though the gearbox is a 5 speed). Redbook lists both manual and auto for the coupe from 74 onwards, and only manual for 73. Australian advertising from back in the day, saying that they were available with a 5 speed manual. http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=13942&cat=500&ppuser=6441 And I have a wheels magazine road test from march 73 that I cant find at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that was a Manual too.

Makes no difference in WA. We don't have roadworthy certs. Even if the owner supplied an eastern states roadworthy cert, it would still have to be reinspected over here. In WA its not required when selling a car to prove its still roadworthy. All you do is fill out a change of ownership, and the new owner drives off with the car, whether its a rusty 40 year old POS, or a 2 year old car. The only time we have to have a car inspected is if it comes from over east, is being relicenced after being deregistered, or if the cops sticker you.

Dunno where you read that. The first load of GT's sent to Australia in 73 were 4 speed manual, and coupe only (I don't think there were any auto GT's but thats just a guess). 74 they added the sedan and both coupe and sedan were available as 5 speed manuals, or 3 speed auto, and badged as GL's.

By Build date, you mean compliance plate date? Weird. Mine is #4253 and the compliance plate is 1/1974. A lower vin, but it appears to have been complianced earlier than yours. Not the same chassis if that's what your getting at. All the 6 Cylinder K's were IRS. These were GT's rebadged as GL's. Some minor differences between the "real" GT's and the following GL's, I think it was mostly to do with Nissan not competing in Japanese motorsport much in the mid 1970's, at least not with the C110. Apparently the GT's had bigger disc' brakes than the GL that replaced it, but the GL had a 5 speed, whereas the GT had a 4 speed gearbox. The GTR had rear discs too.