new on e-bay

Looks like a good start point but as above, 1970 stated but the c-pillar vents are wrong, some bits inside look later than 1970 too?

Think we need Mr T to the bat phone!
 

morbias

Well-Known Forum User
Maybe it's just my eyes, but from the side on photo it looks like the rear wheel is sitting a long way forward in the arch, more than is normal?
 

richiep

Club Member
It says its reg date is 29/09/1970 - I could be wrong (don't have the Brian Long book to hand) but I'm guessing that could place this as an early transitional car between the so-called (in the US) "series 1" and the late-71 car. Cars made in that period switched to the c-pillar vents rather than the hatch vents but still had the early console, among other things (like early gearbox with straight gearstick, early gearbox crossmember, vertical rear screen heater elements etc). My FairladyZ, which is a spring '71 car, is like that (although currently has a later console bodged to fit).

I reckon the hatch is wrong on that car (i.e. it should be non-vented) but everything else is correct for that late-70 to Aug-71 period.
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
This is probably a 'sound' car and as franky says would make a good car but it's £13k already.

The seller says it's a £20k car after a respray, Mmmmm. If that's true why hasn't he got it done?

LHD
4 Speed?
Soft Suspension?
Diff ratio?
'Funny' carb

I'm not questioning the car though (but as always have a good look over it).
 
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Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
It says its reg date is 29/09/1970 - I could be wrong (don't have the Brian Long book to hand) but I'm guessing that could place this as an early transitional car between the so-called (in the US) "series 1" and the late-71 car.

The 'transition' between the solid, non-vented rear quarters / vented tailgate body style and the vented rear quarters / non-vented tailgate body style was early in 1971. The car in question - as a September 1970 production 'HLS30' model with a body serial number in the 8,xxx to 11,xxx-ish range - would indeed have had solid, non-vented pillars and the full vented tailgate with all the internal rubber flap valve and louvered interior trim gubbins.

richiep said:
Cars made in that period switched to the c-pillar vents rather than the hatch vents but still had the early console, among other things (like early gearbox with straight gearstick, early gearbox crossmember, vertical rear screen heater elements etc). My FairladyZ, which is a spring '71 car, is like that (although currently has a later console bodged to fit).

As mentioned, the 'transition' was early in 1971 and those cars should be quite easy to identify. There were not all that many of them ( relatively speaking ) made.

richiep said:
I reckon the hatch is wrong on that car (i.e. it should be non-vented) but everything else is correct for that late-70 to Aug-71 period.

No, don't agree. I think the anomaly here is the use of the 'vented' style quarter emblems on what otherwise appears to be - in all respects except one ( see below ) - a 9/70 production car. Most of these details changed in the early 1971 period or shortly after ( depending on market and model ) rather than the August 1971 you mention. Seats, steering wheel, console etc etc all look 'correct' for the quoted September 1970 production date.

An easy check would be to see if the quarters are the solid, non-vented type. A full check would involve looking at the sheetmetal on the inside as well as the outside. It's easy to spot.

The only other anomaly I see from the e-bay photos is the presence of a later - certainly incorrect - petrol filler flap. The original would have had the distinctive non-lockable twist-knob fastening, and not the spring-loaded finger flap style seen on the car. There might be a reason ( accident damage? ) for that swap.

Other than that, it looks like a typical north American dealer-accessorised car with 'towel rail' bumper additions, belt trim, Ansen Sprint wheels, louvered tailgate sunshade ( mounting holes still visible ) etc etc. It's also been modified - as the ad states - but mechanical mods are all reversible.
 

richiep

Club Member
Thanks Alan - I stand corrected. I wasn't sure whether the changes started in late-70 or early-71 (and being at work I didn't have reference materials to hand!). I tend to think of that transitional phase (which my cars sits in) as being between the "series 1" and the late-71 cars with the vented quarters and the later console without the lighter.

I suppose someone needs to have a proper look at the car to get to the bottom of why (or if) it has the vented quarters as it appears to have, which wouldn't be right for the age.
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I suppose someone needs to have a proper look at the car to get to the bottom of why (or if) it has the vented quarters as it appears to have, which wouldn't be right for the age.

Yes. I wouldn't accuse it of having vented quarter sheetmetal ( wrong for the stated production date ) without having a good look in person. All I see in the ( limited ) photos are what appears to be the vented quarter 'Z' emblems, which would be easy to add to a solid pillar that came with the export market '240Z' quarter emblems from the factory. I've seen it done before. It's what's behind them that counts.

It's always wise to inspect such cars very carefully. You have to know your stuff, and also keep an open mind. I'd want to know why that petrol filler flap has been changed ( I suspect previous - possibly decades old - accident damage repair ) and have a good look at those quarter panels, but also check for any signs of other accident damage, however slight. It's a rare car that escaped even the lightest of contact.

Uncracked ( is it? ) dash and unsplit ( are they? ) early seats are a real rarity on such a car. Maybe they have been replaced in the past? If they have not, it would point to well shaded parking at the very least....
 

rallymanDP

Well-Known Forum User
And well overpriced in my opinion - William Galliers has two examples about as good as that one, at around half the price.
And a very good guy to deal with - describes his stock accurately and comprehensively - 'warts and all'.
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Uncracked ( is it? ) dash and unsplit ( are they? ) early seats are a real rarity on such a car. Maybe they have been replaced in the past? If they have not, it would point to well shaded parking at the very least....

I've just be asked, by PM, to clarify the above.....

What I'm alluding to ( read between the lines, please... ) is that it may have a dash cap ( can't see from the photos ), or it may have had a replacement dash at some point. Likewise, the seats look so good that they too may have been re-covered at some point.

I also see a rear deck carpet with the split centre for a rear deck tool-bin equipped body, whereas a September 1970 build dated car would have had the 'cheesegrater' style rear deck and plastic 'toolbox' covers attached vertically to the rear deck bulkhead behind the seats. That could/should mean a later style ( aftermarket? ) carpet has been fitted, which is the most likely cause, but a quick peep in the back should reveal all.

Quite simply, if it has metal-lidded tool bins in the rear deck it would not match up with the stated build date of September 1970. At that point everything would go very pear-shaped...



rallymanDP said:
...describes his stock accurately and comprehensively - 'warts and all'.

Any buyer of one of these cars needs to do some basic research on build dates and the characteristics / details that pertain to them before they buy. Even specialist dealers have come unstuck in the past, as has been seen on this forum.
 
Lets just hope its wearing the wrong 3/4 badge, it'd be a shame to see another car sold thats got the wrong chassis number for the car. It wouldn't take much effort to check the basics.

As Alan says, any buyer should do their homework before buying as some of the most popular resellers of American cars in the UK can miss some glaring issues with cars they sell....

If someone is looking I can fully vouch for SJClassics in the new forest, he seems to get very honest and straight cars, and will provide 100's of pics to give you a clear idea before driving to see it.

Riddler, I don't see LHD being a problem at all in the global market we now live in, it could be judged as a bonus point.
 
He says its got a vent on one side and solid on the other, so I'm guessing its had a new 3/4 at some point. He thinks/claims they were sold like that in the states :)
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
I'd want to know why that petrol filler flap has been changed ( I suspect previous - possibly decades old - accident damage repair ) and have a good look at those quarter panels, but also check for any signs of other accident damage, however slight.

franky said:
He says its got a vent on one side and solid on the other, so I'm guessing its had a new 3/4 at some point.

Likely that the ( replaced ) quarter panel is the R/H side one, with the ( later ) filler flap. The solid one would be the original one, and they added the vented emblems to both sides for symmetry.

franky said:
He thinks/claims they were sold like that in the states :)

Hopefully nobody will believe that.

If the repair was done well ( and I suspect it may have been done decades ago ) then it's not that much to worry about in the grand scheme of things. The car still has lots of good points, and many of the difficult to get / impossible to replace 1970 production details are still present and intact.
 
Yep, I still like it. A bit steep price wise though.



Rob Gaskin:

I think that but what if it was an E Type jag?

OOOPS sorry franky I've edited your message instead of quoting and editing the quote!
 
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