Albrecht
Well-Known Forum User
North American market tends to think of 'Model Year', which does not apply directly to Japanese market models in the same way. Far better 'when in Rome' to go with the Japanese market's insistence on production date as the single best reference to spec and content.Ye sorry S30 109 all the paperwork from the USA says 1974 says that make sense
I've seen noted a "1S30" and "1S30-S" in 1976....
You are - as you've done before - mixing up 'Shanai Kigou' company variant codes with 'Shatai Bango' chassis number prefixes. It'll go in one ear and out the other, but still:
'1S30S', '1S30', '1S30A', 1GS30S','1GS30' and '1GS30A' are all 'Shanai Kigou' codes for NAPS-equipped EGI-fed A-S30 and A-GS30 models produced in 1975, before the introduction of the S31 models.
Which engine would the car originally have had from the factory in Japan? The 2.0l or L24?
Also would it originally have had 'fender' mirrors?
And is it true that the JDM cars had better rust protection due to Japan's climate?
This car would have come from the factory with the 1998cc, 125ps L20A engine fed by twin Hitachi HJG38W carbs, FS5C71-B 5-speed OD trans and 3.9:1 R180 diff.
Yes, it would have had the 'early' type fender mirrors, mandate by Japanese law.
Rust protection on Japanese market cars of this period was an extra cost option. Customers in areas of Japan with snowy winters may well have chosen to pay for it, but some didn't. There's no hard and fast rule here.
The car also has an oil cooler mounted in front of the radiator and has air con . all the pipes, radiator but no compressor
Oil cooler will most likely be a later - personal addition. Nissan did offer oil cooler kits as Sports/Race Option parts, but usually a car fitted with such parts would show evidence of other options too.
Likewise, factory Air Conditioning was offered on Japanese market cars from the beginning of production in 1969, but this particular car appears to have a stock, non-aircon type HVAC control panel so the aircon was likely added in the USA.
In case anyone asks, the seats would have been vinyl. They have been (neatly) upholstered in cloth later in the car's life.