by Carl J. Beck
Originally Published: 1 Dec. 1998
Updated Only When Missing Z’s Are Found - As of: 07 Nov. 2018
The Beginning...May 1969:
The first pre-production prototype Datsun 240Z, HLS30 00001 took form in May of 1969, followed by HLS30 00002 in July and HLS30 00003 in Aug of 1969. These units give the Production Engineers an opportunity to actually assemble a few complete units to assure that the form, fit and function of all component parts will result in a buildable automobile. They also provide the Manufacturing Engineers with the opportunity to develop the manufacturing processes, tooling and sequences of assembly necessary to produce the vehicle in mass numbers.
HLS30 00004 and HLS30 00005 produced in Sept. 1969 were production prototypes. These two units were sent to Nissan Motors USA arriving in L.A. the 10th of Oct. 1969 for three months of actual road testing in North America, then returned to the factory for further study.
Regular Production of the Datsun 240Z's started with HLS30 00006 in Oct. of 1969, with cars 00006, 00007 and 00008 sent to the US for Press and Display at the US Automoble Shows - after which they were given to Nissan Sponsored Race Teams. The disposition of HLS30 00009 though 00012 is not known at this point. HLS30 00013 is the first regular production unit released for sale to the public.
The first 538 Regular Production DATSUN 240Z's produced were built in Oct., Nov. and Dec. of 1969. These were all HLS30 series (Left Hand Drive) cars, with the possible exception of HS30 00003. Because of the need for a redesigned crankshaft, production of the DATSUN 240-Z's was stopped in Dec. of 1969 with only 97 produced during that month.
The HS30 series cars, with the possible exceptions noted above, started regular production in Jan. of 1970, and were given a separate chassis serial number series. There seems to be some wide spread misunderstanding related to the year of manufacture of the regular production Right Hand Drive 240-Z's with VIN's below HS30 00500, These are not 1969 production year cars.
Of the first 538 regular production 240-Z's produced in calendar year 1969; to-date the members of the IZCC and our Friends around the world have been able to find and document the cars listed below. Two of which are still owned by their original owners, Anne Webster Adams of Katy, TX (HLS30 00346) and Donn Walklet of Los Altos, CA. (HLS30 00415) !
I have to add a new note here: - quite by surprise, we have found a few 240-Z's with VIN or chassis serial numbers greater than #00543, that bear production dates of 11 and 12/69. As listed below, #00587, #00789 and #00793 were produced in 1969 - however the chassis serial numbers between them and starting with #00501 indeed carry production dates of 01/70. Also Z Cars #00048, #0300 and #0474 have production dates of 02/70. That first 120 days of production at the factory must have been hectic...
192 1969's Found So Far: Latest 1969 Z Reported: 10 Nov. 2018
00006, 00007, 00008, 00013, 00016, 44 of the first 100
00017, 00018, 00019, 00020, 00021,
00022, 00023, 00026, 00027, 00029,
00030, 00032, 00033. 00036, 00037,
00040, 00042, 00048, 00049, 00051,
00052, 00056, 00057, 00059, 00064,
00068, 00069, 00074, 00075, 00076,
00077, 00078, 00079, 00087, 00089,
00090, 00091, 00094, 00095,
00101, 00105, 00110, 00114, 00126, 29 of the second 100
00127, 00128, 00129, 00132, 00134
00137, 00140, 00142, 00147, 00152,
00156, 00157, 00158, 00169, 00171,
00181, 00182, 00184, 00188, 00190,
00193, 00194, 00195, 00198
00201, 00202, 00207, 00210, 00212, 38 of the third 100
00214, 00215, 00216, 00221, 00222,
00224, 00230, 00231, 00234, 00235,
00237, 00238, 00239, 00240, 00243,
00244, 00246, 00247, 00248, 00249,
00252, 00253, 00256, 00258, 00261,
00265, 00267, 00268, 00277, 00279,
00286, 00291, 00299
00300, 00302, 00303, 00304, 00305, 35 of the fourth 100
00308, 00311, 00316, 00318, 00319,
00327, 00331, 00332, 00333, 00346,
00348, 00350, 00354, 00355, 00357,
00361, 00364, 00368, 00369, 00373,
00374, 00378, 00379, 00383, 00384,
00387, 00390, 00391, 00392, 00399
00400, 00402, 00405, 00407, 00415, 33 of the fifth 100
00424, 00426, 00429, 00432, 00439,
00448, 00450, 00452, 00453, 00456,
00459, 00461, 00464, 00467, 00471,
00473, 00474, 00476, 00478, 00479,
00480, 00481, 00486, 00490, 00491,
00492, 00496, 00498
179 of first 500 69 Production
00502 has a production date of 11/69
00503 has a production date of 11/69
00504 has a production date of 11/69
00506 has a production date of 11/69
00512 has a production date of 11/69
00513 has a production date of 11/69
00525 has a production date of 11/69
00538 has a produciton date of 12/69
00587 has a production date of 12/69
00591 has a production date of 12/69
00684 has a production date of 11/69
00784 has a production date of 11/69
00789 has a production date of 12/69
00793 has a production date of 12/69
01321 has a production date of 12/69
01776 has a production date of 12./69
+16 of 1969's with VIN above #500
195 Total of 69 Production Year
00048 has a production date of 02/70
00300 has a production date of 02/70
00474 has a production date of 01/70 - 3 (that were not finished in 1969)
192 actually finished in 1969
(NOTE: Cars HLS30 00120, 00200, 00310 have been found in wrecking yards and reported as "totaled")
Some points of interest about the 69 production year cars:
#HLS30 00006 was a Bob Sharp Racing car.(later driven by Jim Fitzgerald as BSR Race Car #38) This car is today owned by Dr. Allen Robbins of Sharp Site Racing in Onterio NY. Still raced in Vintage Racing Events.
#HLS30 00007 This car is today owned by Ron Cooke of Las Angeles, CA.
#HLS30 00008 was sold to Bob Speckman and campaigned by him - as an SCCA C-Production Car - #14. This car is today owned by Dr. Tom Bork of Rochester NY. This car too, is still raced in Vintage Racing Events.
# HLS30 00013 is the first Regular Production 240Z released for sale to the Public. It is today owned by Rick and Cathy Morgan.
According to NISSAN MOTORS OF USA, it is very unusual for any of the first 25 cars produced to be sold to the public. The first 25 units are usually held at the factory and disassembled for process and quality inspections or used for Road Testing or Safety Crash Tests etc.
Engine serial numbers (originally installed in cars located to date) range from L24 02079 (installed in HLS30 00042) to L24 3260 (installed in car HLS30 00587).
If you know of any HLS30 240Z's with VINs less than #00501 or with Production Dates of 1969 please let me know....there has got to be several more of these cars still out there somewhere... lets find them all!
Carl Beck Clearwater, Fl
e-mail: beck@becksystems.com
Phone: 727-535-0384
IZCC #260 and ZCOOR #002