New shell

[Austin240Z]

So a very good friend of mine, Rob, who is a fellow S30 fanatic and President of the CZOT (Capitol Z Of Texas) club happened across a pretty nice shell for next to nothing a few weeks ago.

He knew I was looking for a good quality rust free shell(who isnt?) So he sent it my way.

 

No engine, No transmission.

 

These are the pictures he sent me:

 

 

 

From the pictures, there is no real visible rust. So I jumped at the chance to pick this car up.

 

Being that it is an S30, I figured there would be SOME rust SOMEWHERE... but I would have to wait till I could see it in person to really find out how much hidden rust there was.

 

A week later, We went to pick it up. THE CAR IS WONDERFUL. I was expecting Just the shell, wasnt sure if there was even a title. What I got was more than I could have expected.

 

The car is in pretty good shape. One small rust hole, easily ixable in the frame rail near the rear of the driver side, where the under coating had been scraped off some years ago. A small rust spot on each wheel well behind the doors, also easily fixable. And a little rust on the inner fender where the battery tray is.

The Passenger door has a pretty substantial dent, but it can be fixed as well.

 

In addition to the shell, EVERYTHING comes with it fenders trim, even the blue Nissan Air Box, original jack, and original extra lug nuts, still in the plastic packaging. The only thing missing is the Engine and Transmission.

 

My concerns about whether it had a title or not quickly dissapeared when the owner pulled out three Items. An original Kansas Title, An original Datsun booklet with the Owners Manual in it, AND I booklet that said "CAR PAPERS" in big letters.

 

According to the Title, the Car has had two owners. The Lady who original Bought it in '77, and then a man who bought the car used in '79. What the title does NOT show how ever is that, at some point before 1999, it was given to the mans son. Then in 2006 was sold to a man named Brook here in Austin.

 

The Car is now safely in my shop, i have a few small rust spots and the dent to fix in the near future, and then I'll be painting it.

 

Unfortunately, I dont have a working camera right now... So I dont have any more pictures of the car.

 

BUT, my scanner does work, so here's all the paper work:

 

[Tony D]

Wisconsin Discount Stereo! LOL

 

I guess Crutchfield put them out of business. That is funny.

 

Someone who buys my VW Bus after I die will find a similar trail.

 

$23 for a K-Mart Battery. Those were the days! LOL

[JSM]

Those pics look familiar. Ebay or Craigslist maybe?

[ARiskyCvt]

great find and good history. Its not an S30, its actually an S31.

[Austin240Z]

great find and good history. Its not an S30, its actually an S31.

ummm.... I think you are mistaken.

 

It is an S30

[Austin240Z]

Some folks on a different forum have led me to believe that it might have a ZZZap Special Edition. It has car has the Paint Code: 411 Sunburst Yellow. Only available in 1977, the paint code was part of the ZZZap Special Edition Package. Only around 1000 were made.

 

Paint Codes:http://zhome.com/History/ZColorGallary/index.html

 

The car does not have the Zap Stripes on it now, and I cannot find any evidence that they ever were.

 

Most of the info I found seems to indicate that this color was only available on the Zap. But I found some info that leads me to believe that some cars may have been made in the 411 paint code without being the Zap edition.

 

Still trying to see what I can dig up. Anyone know more about the ZZZap Edition? Or if the Sun Burst Yellow was availible on regular non Zap 280s?

 

[Austin240Z]

To be honest, I dont think it's a Zap. it does however have the Zap's 411 Sunburst Yellow Paint code. I've done some looking on the net, and most info I've found seems to indicate that this paint color was only available on the Zap...

 

But a post I saw on Zcar.com leads me to believe that there were indeed non-Zap cars in the Sunburst Yellow 411 code. <- This is what I believe to be the case with my car.

 

I just dont seem to be able to find a definitive answer, or any way to verify whether or not a car was originally a Zap (unless it's still intact and retains the Zap stripes)

[Tony D]

great find and good history. Its not an S30, its actually an S31.

 

Uh....loads of documentation aside (all which shows it as an S30...or more appropriately an "HLS30"...) What on earth would make you say it's 'actually an S31'?

 

Not only is it decidedly not an S31, I can show from the photos right off hand half-a-dozen easy and definitive clues supporting this:

1) S31's did not have the gas tank sending unit access hatch in the right rear of the cargo floor.

2) S31's had a full sized spare compartment, and a standard 60 liter tank. This car has the North-American Market tank, as well as a space-saver spare tire well. That rules it out as a Eurospec 260Z (RLS30) as well.

3) S31's did not have the (Removed) metal garnish/finisher on the rear apron between the body and the bumper.

4) S31's did not have the door reinforcement present in this vehicle.

5) S31's did not have the license plate holes in the position of this vehicle, and if you look closely you can see the S31 pattern holes are neither reworked, or have never been used (perforated) from the factory.

6) S31's were a JDM-Only model. This car is obviously LHD, and therefore could not be an "S31".

 

Speaking as someone with two S31's, and who has owned half a dozen of them over the years, I can most definately say this car is not, has not, nor ever will be 'An S31'.

[jknc90]

Nice find. And don't you love the illustrations in those old datsun booklets lol