MUNCLE MIKES · CASTING GUIDE
Z-WhizFollow the stripe all the way back
Z-Whiz combines a Datsun Z shape with a louvered rear window and a stripe that draws the eye along the car. The hood lettering is useful, but it should not distract from the wheels and base on an early loose example.
The gray Datsun Z
Larry Wood designed Z-Whiz. The 1977 Flying Colors gray car has orange, yellow and blue striping, Datsun Z hood lettering, blue glazing and an unpainted Hong Kong base. Redline and blackwall versions are both recorded.
The 1978 Super Streeters presentation shown here uses blackwalls. Keep the package series and wheel type together when comparing carded examples.
Small changes can be easy to overlook
A gold-chrome version appears in the 1979 Golden Machines six-pack. Green cars are recorded with Hong Kong and Malaysia castings in different years. The 1982 dark-blue version introduces racing decoration with number 15.
These are distinct comparisons. A blue-tinted cabin or familiar silhouette does not establish that the decoration, wheels and base belong to one particular release.
Check the louvers and the nose
Request an overhead view that shows the louvered rear window clearly. Look for damaged glazing and wear along the edges of the roof, then inspect the low nose for chips.
Record the hood lettering before deciding that two cars have the same graphic scheme. If it is partly rubbed off, say so; an incomplete word is not a new variation by itself.
For another period sports-car casting, see the P-911 guide. Compare condition using actual loose-car listings, with separate notes for a repaint or wheel swap.
