The First Ship Load Of Z Cars To The United States:

by: Carl Beck, IZCC# 260
As of: 15 June. 2007

The Internet Z Car Club has been trying to track down all of the first Datsun 240-Z's produced in 1969, however that "First Shipload" is of very special interest to many people, so listed below is what we have found so far.

If you know of the existence of any of the cars that are not accounted for below, please contact Carl Beck via e-mail: beck@becksystems.com
Or
Phone: 1-727-535-0384

Background Info:
Z Cars HLS30 00001, 00002, 00003, 00004, 00005
It is reported that these chassis numbers were used as Pre-Production Prototypes and/or Production Mules then disassembled to verify the quality of welds and assembly processes etc.. They may have been used in destructive tests for U.S. NHTSA Certification Cars (crash tested then destroyed).

Z Cars HLS30 00006, 00007 and 00008
Were not on the first shipload, but rather were sent ahead to be put on the Auto Show Circuit, and to be used for photo sessions by the automotive press.

Being very early production models, 6,7, & 8 were not to be sold to the public, but rather were diverted for use within the competition program after their use at the National / International Car Show circuit and for photo opportunities with the automotive press.

Bob Sharp has said that #00006 was a Dark Green car, it was the first Z Car he received. The car was pulled off the show car circuit because a model sat on the roof and dented it while on display at the Toronto Auto Show. Z Car #00008 is believed to be the car featured on R&T's Jan. 70 Cover. (the mag. was on the newsstands in Dec. of 1969!).

Where Are They Now?
Z Car #HLS30 00006:,currently owned by Dr.Allen Robins of SharpSite Racing.

Z Car #HLS30 00007: currently owned by Ron Cooke in L/A...

Z Car #HLS30 00008: currently owned by Dr. Tom Bork and raced in Vintage Events.

Z Car #HLS30 00009, 00010, 00011, 00012, 00013, 00014, 00015
None of these cars have been found to date, and it is quite likely that they were not released to the public. According to Nissan Motors, they usually do not release any of the first twenty to twenty five cars produced, when starting the assembly of a completely new model.

One rumor has it that #00009 - #00012 were sent to Nissan Canada for cold weather testing. Nissan Canada is rumored to have simply stored them away somewhere.

According to Nissan publications - HLS30 00013 was the first car released for public sale, but we have found no verification of that at this point in time.

Given the importance of the Z Car to the U.S. Market, and the tremendous demand for cars from the Dealers and Public, that usual number retained by the factory, was cut back to at least the sixteenth car (HLS30 00016), for it was sold to the public and has been located.

Thus it would appear, at the present time, that Z Cars HLS30 00016 through HLS30 00036 would logically have been the twenty cars on that first shipload to the U.S.A..

However, appearances can be misleading. There is a compounding factor at play here. Even though the chassis serial numbers are sequential - that does not mean that they came out of the production process in a sequential order. Some bodies were held up when assembly problems had to be fixed, and thus the cars could have been set aside for later repair and later completion.

Cars were most likely moved in groups from the assembly plant, to the shipping docks and VIN numbers could easily have been mixed or shuffeled. No attempt was made to load them on the ships in sequencial serial number order.

So how or where do we draw the line that determines which cars really were on the first shipload to the U.S.? The answer may be found in an additional factor or two. One being the original engine serial number, the other the Date of Manufacturer stamped on the car upon completion. Because finished bodies were mated to the engine and suspension at the end of the assembly line, and because groups of engines were delivered to the assembly line in pretty much sequential order - the original engines installed in the cars, and therefore their serial numbers, may give us a clue as to which cars actually came out of the plant first.

As the story goes, and as it was reported at the time (1970), the first shipload of cars had crankshafts that had only six full counterweights. This design caused a problem in the very early race cars (both at BRE and BSR) when the vibration in these cranks broke clutches and flywheels, during races. Buy the time the race teams figured out that they had a harmonic balance related problem, the factory had already corrected it both in the racing applications and the stock cars. It was at that point that BRE and BSR were told that only the first full shipload of cars to the U.S. had that older crank shaft design. The newer crank shafts had eight full counterweights.

So what engine numbers were involved? Engines with serial numbers greater than L24 003607 received the newer design crankshafts.

So Here Are The Cars In The Hands Of The Public That We Have Found So Far, Which May Have Been On That First Limited Shipload...

00016 - Jim Frederick, Lutz, FLorida (Tampa Bay Area)

00017 - Randy Jaffe, Duluth, GA USA

00018 - not found yet

00019 - Jim Frederick, Lutz, FLorida (Tampa Bay Area)

00020 - Carl Beck, Clearwater,Florida

00022 - Patrick Daily, Edmonds, Washington

00023 - Michael Spreadbury, Corvallis, Oregon

00026 - Chris Wenzel, Sarasota,Florida

00027 - Chris Wenzel, Sarasota,Florida

00029 - Jerry Purcell

00032 - Charlie Mitchell, Romana, California

00033 thru 00035 - not found yet...

00036 - Adrian Di Piazza, Canada

00037 - Mick Dowdy, Upton,Wy

Note: Of the first 543 Left Hand Drive, DATSUN 240Z Cars produced in Oct., Nov., and Dec. of 1969, an amazing 26% (139 cars) have been found to be still in existence at this point.
For more information related to the 1969 Production 240-Z's see "Locating The Remaining 1969 Production Year Z Cars"