Early 240Z at Auction

Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

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Do we know this car?

I can't recall ever seeing it 'in the flesh'.

  • 4-speed manual gearbox, located at the rear of the car helping to improve weight distribution and handling
  • Original Alloys have been refurbished and look immaculate

www.carandclassic.com

1970 Datsun 240Z For Sale By Auction

Rare right hand drive exampleOne owner for first 40 yearsIncredible conditionLow mileageThe Appeal Imagine a parallel universe where sus...
www.carandclassic.com www.carandclassic.com
 
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Albrecht

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I previously gave the vendor the benefit of the doubt regarding the fact that the car had been converted from LHD to RHD (hoping that he might have been oblivious) but not any more. After all the correspondence about this car - including direct contact with him via Facebook - he KNOWS that it started life as an LHD variant and it still carries its HLS30-prefixed identity, so he is now - quite simply - lying:

"Historically significant in the world of Japanese sports cars, an original right-hand drive import in this condition makes it not only beautiful, but increasingly rare and highly collectable."

Hopefully any prospective owner will do their due diligence and not buy something that isn't what they were told it was, even with the vendors small-print caveats.

This kind of thing REALLY pisses me off. Why not just be honest? It's still a nice car.
 
Albrecht

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
The other big question is regarding the proof of the "sold new in Japan" claims. I had hoped that there would be some paper trail to back these claims up, but - quelle surprise - the vendor now says that the previous owner (of 40 years no less) has "misplaced the paperwork"...

"Previous owner has misplaced the paperwork, but the current owner is still hopeful it will be located."

Without any firm proof that the car was sold new in Japan, used there for several years and then imported to the UK in early 1974, I'd say that it is much more likely that the car was exported to North America when new and then imported to the UK from there rather than from Japan.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

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Any 'light' on this comment by Dale?

It was recently sold at a salvage auction as a CAT U which in itself doesn’t necessarily mean anything terrible, but it does seem to me to be an unusual route for it to find itself. Why a salvage auction and not a regular one?
 
Albrecht

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Rob Gaskin said:
Any 'light' on this comment by Dale?
Click to expand...

'Cat U' allows for many different scenarios, including non-damage.

I note that the last change of registered owner was in late 2022, so I wonder - just a hunch - if the salvage auction was the result of a deceased estate with no documents to hand? That would explain a lot.

I don't see much to alarm me on the car itself, except that it appears to have acquired a non-standard front valance and corners with added-on Euro/UK type indicators (which may have been done a long time ago). The LHD to RHD conversion seems to have been done the 'right way' in terms of legality (retaining the original identity) and it is really only the wiper & cowl orientation that jars. The rest is just minor.

It seems to be a pretty good car with a stupid/wrong story and description attached to it. Vendor probably has equally stupid expectations about value.
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

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Staff member
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Re value - to the less knowlegible who also believes the description, this could fetch above 'market' value. Then they could join the Club and read this!

I have tried twice to influence 'Auction Houses' and on both occasions they have refused to change anything. They are only interested in the 'bottom line' and state that they are passing on information not originating it.

You may remember on one occasion the Datsun hybrid in question was being sold with a Ferrari VIN and V5. It went for about £65k.
 
Kieronpollock

Kieronpollock

Club Member
The vendor is Ist Choice Cars, near Abingdon Oxfordshire, a few miles from me. He has had number of Zs for sale including currently a Samuri with factory sunroof for £70k!
Based on local 'pub chat' which includes a few people in the know on classic cars feedback on the operation is not good - I daren't write more.

He has also refused to listen to my comments re car in question being LHD
 
Fairlineguy

Fairlineguy

Club Member
Flicking through the photos so many give aways of its lhd previous life .
check out the engine smog pump and the home made throttle linkage /bulkhead servo reinforcing plate yikes
 

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Albrecht

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Fairlineguy said:
Flicking through the photos so many give aways of its lhd previous life .
check out the engine smog pump and the home made throttle linkage /bulkhead servo reinforcing plate yikes
Click to expand...

Yes, details like that are jarring to the eye now. But to put it into perspective, quite a lot of LHD cars were imported and converted to RHD in a similar way throughout the last 30-odd years. The cars were relatively inexpensive then and - generally speaking - people didn't want to spend big money on the conversion.

What strikes me from the detail photos is that the car is probably revealing a long period of lay-up. It's had a fresh paint job (bodyshell seems sound) and some fresh bits and pieces (inc. windscreen?), but would certainly benefit from a fair amount of attention to mechanicals (fuel, hydraulics, electricals) if it was out of use for as long as I suspect it was.

I still think its a nice enough car, if the price was right. Hope somebody doesn't get sucker punched.
 
S

status

Well-Known Forum User
Think people mean period sunroof Ie webasto when they say that as many 70 s cars had em Ie P6 s,Dolomites,MK 1 Escorts ect and they do suit many cars from that era
 
Mark N

Mark N

Club Member
It is probably priced not too bad right now at £25.5k but it is certainly not a £40K car, if that is what they had it previously advertised at.
The underside and suspension look pretty much untouched apart from the overspray from the supposed 15 grand paint job.
I wouldn’t be happy paying that for a job where they couldn’t be bothered to unbolt the headlights or even treat the boot floor.
They comment on changing the rear window rubber but then reinstall the quarter window with a perished seal.
Not quite the “Fully repainted and fully refurbished” goal that they aspired to on FB.
 
Rushingphil

Rushingphil

Club Member
Mark N said:
It is probably priced not too bad right now at £25.5k but it is certainly not a £40K car, if that is what they had it previously advertised at.
The underside and suspension look pretty much untouched apart from the overspray from the supposed 15 grand paint job.
I wouldn’t be happy paying that for a job where they couldn’t be bothered to unbolt the headlights or even treat the boot floor.
They comment on changing the rear window rubber but then reinstall the quarter window with a perished seal.
Not quite the “Fully repainted and fully refurbished” goal that they aspired to on FB.
Click to expand...
Exactly what I was thinking!

I'm guessing it will go for just North of £30k
 
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