build dates

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
can anyone tell me how to find out and get proof of the build date of my datsun?
i remember reading somewhere that someone got a build date document form a head office in japan?
i tried the search function but its not returning anything at the moment (probably the update?).

my car turned 40 according to the first registration this month but won't become tax exempt till next year according to dvla because i miss the deadline by a month:(
but if i can get them the proof of the build date then they will use that to make it historic status.

regards
james
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I think it is postoffice@nissan.co.jp
When I did mine, I gave them my VIN and asked when it was made. I got a friendly reply but they couldn’t confirm when it was made. Perhaps I should have asked what year it was made in.

In the end MrF wrote me a letter from the club stating the car would have been made in the year previous year to first registration and that was good enough for the DVLA
 

Russell

Club Member
I wrote to them and they were able to tell me the build date down to the month (December 1975) which allowed me to change the tax class to historic a year earlier (its on a P so registered in 76).
 

SacCyclone

Club Member
Well that was quick, info no longer available. :(

"This is in reply to your email dated February 22, 2018, concerning your Datsun 240Z. First of all, thank you for your patronage of our products.

With regard to your inquiry, we regret to say that the information you request is not available any more due to the age of the vehicle.

For your reference, currently Nissan takes its position not to allow providing information for the market that the vehicle is not developed or manufactured.

We are sorry that we are unable to give you support despite the fact we appreciate your patronage of our product.  Your understanding would be highly appreciated."
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I am going to give them a try on a early series 1 240z and see what happens. Will let you all know.

So, what car did you ask them about? I presume by "early series 1 240Z" you are talking about an HLS30U model, which has the build date and month stamped into the door jamb VIN tag. Why do you need to ask Nissan about the build date for that?

As far as the UK market for S30-series Z cars is concerned, the Nissan 'post office' e-mail address will only give data for official UK market cars, and that means only cars which have HS30, RS30 and GRS30 chassis prefixes. I think it needs to be made very clear in the enquiry that the car concerned is an official UK market car, imported when it was new. If not, they may not play ball.
 
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Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
US market car. The door jamb data plate is missing. HLS30-12742

That would be October 1970 production. The Nissan 'post office' staff should be able to confirm that for you if you make it clear that it's an original USA market HLS30-U.
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
which has the build date and month stamped into the door jamb VIN tag

Now I remember you stating that these were added to cars sometimes on the quay before shipping and have no exact relevance to build dates....
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Now I remember you stating that these were added to cars sometimes on the quay before shipping and have no exact relevance to build dates....

I think that was relevant to some of the very earliest shipments, before things got properly sorted out at Nissan Shatai. It was an anecdote from a Nissan Shatai employee, but probably should not be taken out of context.

I think once production was fully up and running at capacity, it's less likely to have needed to happen. With the amount of cars coming through the system and awaiting shipment, they'd have nowhere to put them once Honmoku Wharf was filled up. So I think cross-referencing build dates is pretty safe for the HLS30-U models and all of the other HLS30-prefixed cars built before the end of 1973, and we are talking about year and month - not year, month and exact day - after all.
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Ok, noted, thanks Alan.

Still makes me smile to think of the quai-guys running about with drills and rivet guns whilst the helmeted loading-drivers tap their fingers on the roofs.
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
Well that was quick, info no longer available. :(

"This is in reply to your email dated February 22, 2018, concerning your Datsun 240Z. First of all, thank you for your patronage of our products.

With regard to your inquiry, we regret to say that the information you request is not available any more due to the age of the vehicle.

For your reference, currently Nissan takes its position not to allow providing information for the market that the vehicle is not developed or manufactured.

We are sorry that we are unable to give you support despite the fact we appreciate your patronage of our product.  Your understanding would be highly appreciated."
i had the exact same reply
now what do i do?
should i ask mike feeney?
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
i tried emailing them again explaining its a genuine uk car and to clarify their meaning on Nissan takes its position not to allow providing information for the market that the vehicle is not developed or manufactured.
hopefully they can give me an awnser on why and who to go to who does have the info available.
ive had a look for a plate in the door jamb but i cant find one on my car? not really suprising as it was rebuilt out of new panels and may well have got lost or chucked out when stripped for paint.
is there a way to find out the build date from vin numbers? ie do the vin numbers change in corrosponding order so someone might have in the vin 000001= first ever built?
i suppose even if we could pinpoint when it was built that still wont be good enough for DVLA and need to come from nissan?
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
im trying to look up my chassis number so i can prove to dvla my cars over 40 years old.
i have pmd you my vin if you can find out anything that would be awsome:thumbs:
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
should i ask mike feeney?

I don't think Mike is doing this service anymore. At least, I was asking over a car and gave up.
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
cheers sean
i asked him the other day and he's said he will help but i just got to dig out some info on the car first.
thanks though:thumbs:
 

DarrenM

Well-Known Forum User
I emailed the post office yesterday about my date of manufacture and had a successful reply this morning!
Mine is a Uk market car, apparently manufactured in June ‘71. It was 1st reg’d in November ‘71.
 
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