Need help identifying my z

[bryand2]

ok so i bought what i was told was a 78 280z, the title just says 78 datsun, but it has 75-76 bumpers plus there are certain parts of the enging painted blue that could only have been painted if the engine was either removed or seriously dis-assembled, anyway to figure out if this car really is a 78 and the bumpers were just swapped or if its not really a 78 and i was lied to?

[zpizzaman20]

What does the door plate say?

What head does it have?

Does it have a louvered hood?

 

Have you used search to find all the other differences?

[neotech84]

[bryand2]

ok so i looked at teh factory shop manual and apparently there are 3 places to look, the obvious dashboard vin #, the engine bay plate, and there is a serial number stamped into the firewall. the numbers on the dash and the engine bay plate match, but the number etched into the firewall does not, which is the serial #, the fsm says the id plate on the dash should contain the serial number, which is on the firewall, but they dont match

[Globerunner513]

pics available?

 

there are also some unique features to the rear tail light panel, as well as the hood, which was mentioned. You can try to google the serial numbers, and see if anything comes up. Car-Fax usually will give a general 'year, make model' from a vin number.

[240z8]

Wow, sounds like my first Z. The car was said to be a 72 240z, but it turned out to be a 76 280z. Look around the dash rivets, see if they are scratched around them like someone did a bad job putting them in, the cop that ran the vins on my car told me about that.

 

Other than that, have your vins run by the local police to make sure neither of the vins are stolen.

[Pharaohabq]

yeah, What justin said.

 

Really if you can post the Ser # on the body and maybe your vin, along with some pictures it would be A LOT easier to tell you what car you've got.

 

Phar

[gwnwar]

Sounds like you have a stolen or salvaged car. Have you carfax the vin on the firewall that might tell you alot.. You have a choice if you like the car drive it and enjoy.. If you go to the police and it's stolen you loose the car.. If salvaged I don't know CA law... How long have you had it..can you get your money back... you can tell seller you will go to police if they don't take it back.. then do it anyway when you get money back..

[cockerstar]

Go off of the vin that's stamped into the firewall. The dash and the plate ones are very easy to change.

Does the vin on the title match the dash/plate #, or the stamped number?

[240z!!!]

look on the bright side...you were told it was a 280 and it is, it just may be a different year than you thought...think about ppl who get 240z's and come to find out its a 280z...big difference there...

 

but its been mentioned before but ill say it again anyway...make sure none of the vins match stolen vehicles..if not then your good to go

[Pharaohabq]

Yeah, go off the Stamped Vin on the Firewall, it's the Chasis ID. You'll need to get a Vin inspection, hopefully the VIn in the title matches that chasis vin, or you could have trouble. Other possibility is that if your title only matches the dash/doorplace vins, then you have a moral choice.

 

go by those and grind off the chasis vin, or get a Vin inspection, and hope the chasis vin isn't listed as stolen. it's obvious what the "right" choice is here.

 

You can often just call the state police w/ a vin and say, you're looking to buy a car, and you wanted to be certain it's not stolen cuz the guy gave you odd feelings. .

 

Carfax doesn't do cars this old, or you could get a report, and they'd list if it's been stolen.

 

Phar

.

[zgeezer]

Yeah, go off the Stamped Vin on the Firewall, it's the Chasis ID. You'll need to get a Vin inspection, hopefully the VIn in the title matches that chasis vin, or you could have trouble. Other possibility is that if your title only matches the dash/doorplace vins, then you have a moral choice.

 

go by those and grind off the chasis vin, or get a Vin inspection, and hope the chasis vin isn't listed as stolen. it's obvious what the "right" choice is here.

 

You can often just call the state police w/ a vin and say, you're looking to buy a car, and you wanted to be certain it's not stolen cuz the guy gave you odd feelings. .

 

Carfax doesn't do cars this old, or you could get a report, and they'd list if it's been stolen.

 

Phar

.

 

Go to Dragon car parts on the ebay and look at their on line catalogue. At about the third or fourth page, they list Z serial numbers with the year/month of production. Your chassis number will tell you if you have a 240, 260 or 280.

 

Don't start talking to any licensing authority until you know you have to deal with them. Speaking very generally, they are not going to be your friend if you have a "grey market" Z. Get the facts yourself and go from there. Also hit the search button.

 

If the door and engine compartment plaques do not match the chassis number, my bet is that the car is stolen. Be suspicious. You may be building a race car only.

 

g

[bryand2]

ok so i looked at the black dragon catalog, and apparently my chassis # corresponds with a 76, not a 78, so im figuring some ♥♥♥♥ was swapped out, im gonna call the california highway patrol to make sure the vin# isnt stolen, this car is accepted by the dmv as a 78, here is where im confused, the door plate with the vin# is still riveted in, now from what i understand the dash an engine bay plates can be easily swapped, but how would the door vin not match the chassis number and still be riveted in considering the door plate is on the frame of the door, not the door itself so its not like the door could have been swapped?

[Carl Beck]

a) They are only pop rivets holding the door data plate - easily removed and easily replaced.

The entire rear quarter from another car was used to repair damage

 

Isn't 1976 and below exempt from emissions inspections in Calif - were the 78 would not be exempt???? This seems to change often in California for some reason.

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Carl Beck]

Go to Dragon car parts on the ebay and look at their on line catalogue. At about the third or fourth page, they list Z serial numbers with the year/month of production. Your chassis number will tell you if you have a 240, 260 or 280.

 

That should work for the 280Z..

 

Just a NOTE: The information on the Black Dragon pages related to the 240-Z is somewhat screwed up as it relates to the VIN's and History... I wouldn't put too much faith in it.

 

I sent them all manor of suggested corrections about two years ago - but they didn't correct any of it..

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Pharaohabq]

so I'd take it then that your Chassis # and your Vin's don't match?

[BRAAP]

The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is found in a few locations, but only one of those is the actual definitive Vehicle Identification Number!

On the S-30 these are found stamped in the firewall, etched/printed on a plate in the engine bay, on a plate in the drivers door jamb near the striker and stamped/etched into a tag riveted on the dash as seen down through the windshield drivers side.

 

The firewall stamping IS the VIN of the car! That is the one that MUST match the VIN as listed on the title/registration of the car to be legal. If not, you probably should get that straightened out with DMV and verified as clean through your local, county and state police etc. The title/registration of ANY car belongs to the firewall, not some plate on the door or engine bay or dash. Now how much of that firewall technically constitutes the car by definition, I don't know.

 

The dash tag, engine bay plate and plate at the door striker are merely redundant and for quick reference only, not the official VIN numbers. Dashes are often legitimately swapped out for various reasons, hence not definitive. Door striker plates and engine bay plates are just as easily swapped with a drill bit and pop rivet. So long as the VIN as stamped on the firewall matches that on the plates, the rest of the info on those plates belong to that car. If those do not match the VIN as stamped into the car body on the firewall, that will generally raise red flags to the authority that notices the discrepancy and further investigation into all the VIN numbers displayed on various tags, title, on/in the car may take place. My thought here is better off volunteering that discrepancy to the appropriate authorities now than possibly in the back seat of a Ford Crown Vic with your hands behind your back. Not saying that would happen if the chassis is indeed stolen resold to you unknowingly, but it could.

 

Another admin on this forum was pulled over in his LT1 powered 240-Z some years back as the description of his Z matched that of a recently stolen Z in the area. He replaced his dash, which had a different VIN than what was stamped on the firewall printed on the registration. This did not help his situation in the moment! He was in cuffs as they ran both VINs which obviously turned up clean belonging to him.

 

At any rate, the firewall VIN IS your cars VIN and must match your title and registration VIN. On newer cars such as my Z032, the VIN is also etched into the glass of both T-tops, supposedly to deter thieves from stealing and selling T-tops, NOT for vehicle identification.

 

Here are 4 of the VIN locations on a '75 280

 

THE VIN!

 

Engine bay plate;

 

Door striker plate;

 

Dash plate;

 

Hope that helps,

Paul

[Carl Beck]

Another admin on this forum was pulled over in his LT1 powered 240-Z some years back as the description of his Z matched that of a recently stolen Z in the area. He replaced his dash, which had a different VIN than what was stamped on the firewall printed on the registration. This did not help his situation in the moment! He was in cuffs as they ran both VINs which obviously turned up clean belonging to him.

 

Yes that would get one arrested here in Florida as well.

 

Most States, if not all, have specific laws that forbid the removal or alteration of the VIN Tag visible though the windshield. It is there to aid law enforcement... If you get stopped for any reason, and that VIN tag is missing, the Officer can impound the car on the spot, and arrest you.

 

Here in Florida, there is a specific process outlined by statute, that requires an Official from the DMV, or a State Highway Patrol Officer, or a County Sheriff to be physically present when the VIN tag visible though the windshield on a vehicle - is removed or altered for any reason. They have a specific form that documents the proper removal/alteration from the car. Then when the VIN tag is reinstalled one of the specified Officials must be present - and again the required forms be filled out and signed.

 

Cars built from salvage are assigned a new VIN by the State... here in Florida the "rebuild" VIN's begin with FLA and are usually followed by the original chassis number.

 

FWIW,

Carl B.

[bryand2]

so i called the dmv, gave them the chassis # off the firewall, and they said there was no matching vin with that number, now im really confused? ahh idk what to do, the dmv already recognizes the car as a 78 280z, do i go to the guy i bought it from and say give me my money back or i go to the police, because if i do go to the police i risk losing the car and not getting my money back, and im a college student i dont have another 3,000 to throw down the drain, that was all of my savings right there, is there a possibility that the reason the chassis # doesnt show in the DMV is because the car was from out of state originally? and if thats the case the car has EGR valve and carbon canister and i thought all the DMV's nationwide were linked now?

[bryand2]

does anyone know of a way i can check this chassis # without the risk of getting the car yanked out from under me before i can go to the guy and make him take it back?, if the car is not stolen then why would the all the vin #s be swapped out for a newer one?