Front end differences between the early z cars?

[joes13]

I've searched a bit, but haven't found much. What is the main difference between the front ends of the 240 and 260 and 280z's?

[evildky]

the bumpers, the 70-71.5 used the smallest lightest bumpers which are mounted with what is bassically "L" brackets, in late 71 they added a bumpe shock and stiffened the bumper a bit, here si a 72there were several bumper changes form there forward with the bumpers and bumper shocks getting heavier, in 75 when they introduced the 280Z, they moved the parkign lamps from the valance panel to the grill, they also added a pair in the bumper itself in 77, here is a 78, you can't seen the bumper lights in the pic but you can see the ones in the grill, the evolution of the rear is much the same, with the reverse lights moving from the main body of the tial lamps more to the middle near the licence plate in 74, supposedly some of the early 260z's made it out with the early style tail light70-74 tail light74-78

[joes13]

Holy damn! Thanks for the quick response and awesome description!!

[Titus_RacerX]

Correction: it was not until the 1974 260Z did they add the bumper shocks. I've had a 260 with small bumpers and shocks mounted behind the rubber overriders and a '73 240Z with heavy metal brackets and no shock absorbers. The old bumpers were to ward off shopping carts at best.

'73's got the bumper moved away from the body a little and I think the bar is slightly different from the earlier Z. A rubber. filler panel takes up the extra space. I'd insert photos of my cars if someone could show me how. I am currently researching parts to move my bumper closer to the body like the pre-'73 cars.

[evildky]

the series one chassis used a smaller lighter byumper with a tiny little mounting btracket, they changed it when they changed the chassis in mid 71, I'll have to look at a 72-72 to see exactly whow their mounts changed but I seem to recall they used a lightweight shock mount

[zzoomzz]

Check out some bumper pics here:http://www.atlanticz.ca/forums...10129
Modified by zzoomzz at 8:54 PM 2/8/2008