240Z: Rear hatch window investigation, Race & Rallye magazine

Time for another update. I lately stumbled on the Nissan / Datsun USA Technical service bulletin about the change of the hatch window rear defroster lines from Vertical to horizontal:

Since i had been wondering why my cars (which were built close together) came with two different types of windows, which i figoured out lately, it cought my interest and i started to look closer.
Car 1. SNR:  HLS30-56801came with old horizontal lines. Registered in March 1972

Car 2. SNR: HLS30-59660 came with Vertical lines.Registered in May 1972

Strange enough, the SNR of my (European spec) cars are one Digit shorter than the ones mentioned in (American) Service bulletin. Both my cars were built in late 1971, but i assume the date in the Service bulletin is not the production date of change, but the release date of the document. Given the lead time of the cars from production to first registration in switzerland, and the lead time from Production change to the release of the Service bulletin. i guess my two cars, built close together just happend to be around the change. Also it is a prove that there is nothing like a “Series 1” car mentioned often. My “older” car doesn’t have the vented hatch / side emblems, but it still came with “old” type window.
Service bulletin 231 (1976 introduction of the Datsun 280Z, America) also mentions a 6-digit VIN (HLS30-6digits). So i guess we just got a different vin-Block for european cars? I checked both my stamped serials as well as the VIN-plate. Both my cars only have HLS30-5digits

Oh and then got some interesting read from the UK. Race & Rallye magazine Jan. 1993

It features 15 Pages intresting background information about the Works 240Z rallye cars.

Including a variety of side-stories around them. Still have to read through it, but it seems very promising 🙂