Great site - lots to learn - from a Datsun Z Car fan

[nzeder]

Hi all,

I am Mike from Auckland NZ. I have been a long time Datsun Z Club member for over 17years now. Some of the kiwi's of this group might recall our meetings we used to hold in the 90's...lots of fun

Anyway I have always loved cars from the 60-70's era and I guess spending my very early years in Singapore while the family was posted over there - I like some of the odd ball Japanese manufactured cars.

When living there Dad wanted to purchase a Datsun 240z but with 2 kids that was not going to happen - and he did not like the newly released 2+2 versions so he purchased a 1973 Mitsubishi GTO GS-R new in early 74.

Anyway I used to own and race a 240z auto (to begin with) in the late 90's then more recently did some classic trails about 3-4 years back with my 240z I had at the time. I recently picked up unfinished race/targa car project - a 1973 (sold new in NZ Jan 74) Datsun 260z 2 seater.

I have like most kiwi's I guess loved the F5000's and Muscles cars. So that is what lead me to this forum. Then learning about the Under 3L grid I thought excellent I place my newly acquired unfinished project might be able to race. I have some changes to do to the car fit T&C rules (the PO was building the car as a road car with Targa in mind - so it currently has a later model engine between the struts - but that is coming out and one of my original Datsun/Nissan L26/28 will replace it). Other than this engine - easy fix - issue the car is all steel with all bright work waiting to go back on the car - so will fit nicely in T&C rules.

Anyway that is enough from me - I have a car to work on and $$ to save for entry fees once the zed is sorted.

Pic of the car when I got it home from the workshop it was found in.
http://nzeder.net/blog/wp-content/gallery//73_260z/260z-10.jpg

[Steve Holmes]

Hi there Mike, welcome to The Roaring Season. Its awesome to have you here. I can totally understand your interest in the Datsun Z cars, they're really fantastic little cars. I have to admit I didn't know there was a 260Z 2-seater. When I saw your photo posted above I immediately assumed it was a 240. Thats really cool. What is the difference between the 240Z and the 260Z 2-seater?

[nzeder]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Well the differences - there are a few and it does depend on the year of the car manufacture and the market the car was destined for. Nissan (Datsun as they were sold outside of Japan - that is a story in its self) like other automobile manufactures the cars changed as either processes improved or changes were forced via legal requirements, ie safety changes, emissions requirements etc.

I actually have 2 x 260z 2 seaters (they are very different but again from the outside look like a 240z apart from the tail lights) - and I have only ever owned 2 seater zed cars be they S30 (aka 240z/260z and US market 280z) or the S130 (aka 280zx or the Fairlady 280z) and zeds in Japan have been marketed as Nissan Fairlady Z throughout their production life - from S30 to Z34 (Z34 = 370z the current model but once Nissan went to a V6 aka 300zx that was the line over in my mind)

This is might not be the correct place for all this info but if you are interested to know more about the difference I know a lot about these cars and there would not be too many in NZ that would know more (well I am talking about the S30 range as that is what I like - never researched the other models). I have owned the 16th right hand drive 240z produced, and my late 260z is the last body shell design for the S30. So I know the difference from a very very early car to a late car - and there are many.

For example due to the complexity of the tooling required to make the headlight buckets and to make the first production run they (the head light buckets) were first produced in FRP (fibre glass) and then later in steel.

Floors were changed, inner panels changed during the 2 seaters runs - it does get complex like any made/model of car.

But basically all the 2 seaters have the same look when side on or looking from the front (unless a US spec 260z or 280z which due to their legal requirement had large impact bumpers). All 240z share the same doors, early 260z 2 seaters, which almost share the same body as the 240z, have different doors (only due to window regulator relocation = new inner skin design) then the later 260z has new chassis design, floors, inner guards, doors, bonnet, strut towers, petrol tank the list goes on - yet if you were to install 240z tail lights in these cars most would not tell this was not a 240z.

So I am sure you get the picture. I do know a bit about these cars and like I say not too many would know more about the difference here in NZ that I - and I am still learning and have been for 20 years about the changes Nissan/Datsun did to all the different markets and evolution of tooling/design and legal requirement changes (ie late 260z have very different doors due to non burstable lock setups)

But I am sure non one on here wants to know about all this stuff - what I am interested in the racing history of these cars which I am very much still learning about.

I know a 260z was entered in the 1976 Le Manns, they raced in a number of Japan GP meetings, in the US, Europe and then there was the rallying.
Here is a pic of the 1976 Le Manns 260z (notice sporting 240z tail lights - it might have been a 240z with a L26 or L28 engine and entered as a 260z) also notice all the homologated group 4 & 5 body work.

http://faimg1.forum-auto.com/mesimages/117557/240Z%20le%20Mans.jpg
http://datsunzclubfrance.free.fr/le%20mans%201975%201976/img101.jpg

[Chris Read]

Hi Mike
I am an old zeder from way back having had at least 4 versions. I still have a brand new set of Solex twin carbs from the very first Z imported to NZ for the MD of Nissan NZ (about early 1970??). They wanted it to resemble the homologated rally spec for promotion so fitted triple side draft Solex's in NZ (done probably by Cookie or Marbles) and I got the unused twin SU style carbs. Still in my garage!. Chris Read-Arrowtown. - will find a photo - found one :)!
10200

[Chris Read]

Hi Mike
Have just re read your posting and there is not much that has not touched the sides of your knowledge base.
I imported many of the 240's and a few 260's under the non remittance scheme whereby if you had some genuine funds, convertible assets or an inheritance overseas you could use these to import a car. This was all in the 70's before it came to an end and the detail required was enormous - i remember arranging to sell a young ladies grand piano in S Africa as she could not bring it out. It gave enough for she and her hubby to import 2 z's which I converted into NZ cash for here after the mandatory 6 mths ownership period - in fact they never left the showroom and we shared the profit over and above the import price 50/50.
I had a lot to do with Shekhar Mehta who was a Kenyan and won the E African Rally several times and rallied a 180B SSS (it had a secret ali block) in the NZ rally. His knowledge on Z's was vast and he became the FIA Rally Commissioner and died in 2006. I still use a lot of Z parts in racing cars now days such as rods, pistons, rings as they last even in standard form. I also had a bit to do with Timo Salonen and his Datsun 160J SSS when he won the NZ Rally in 1980 which uses similar 180B/Z parts.
I also made the fibreglass f and r spoilers for Z's in NZ, as Nissan had some for the E African cars but not as a parts purchase. I owned a motor Company that owned part of Nissan NZ so was close to the action.
Hope I can help out with more info later. I have some old competition parts manuals for Z's. Chris Read - Arrowtown.

[nzeder]

Hi Chris,

I have not been online in a while - been busy with work and working on zeds :)

Shekhar Mehta had a good strong connection with Rallying Datsun so not surprised to hear he had vast knowledge on the Z's. I also have owned 2 160J SSS (series I the 710 models) they were a great little car and I believe the most successful Rally car for the Nissan Works Team (both the 710 and A10 version aka Series I and Series II). The 4 cylinders L series engines had more development than the 6 cylinder version. By this I mean the likes of LZ version which were Twin Cam head fitted to the L4 bottom ends. Some of the open wheeler fans on this site will know a lot more about these engines than me as they were also used in the Formula Pacific/Atlantic class. I am sure this might be one of the engines that was in the 180B SSS you mention - well the head might have been a LZ twin cam item with this special block you talk about (I did not know about that one so good to keep learning)

In the 6 cylinder space there were a few special parts that I know of the FIA LY cross flow head - I have not been lucky enough to see one of these items in the flesh or the special cranks that go with them. I have been lucky enough to see a new, never used, FIA non cross flow head - this was very different to the stock heads in having a different intake manifold and the head was different in the water passages. These changes to the FIA heads was to aid in better cooling to the head by having the water exit above the exhaust ports into a tube in the intake manifold and into the thermostat area before making its way back into the radiator. As the FIA is not available a stock head can be modified to perform this same function and this mod is now well documented on other Zed forums on the internet (although for years it was a little known secret)

A friend of mine currently races a licensed BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises) Tribute car here in Auckland and has regular contact with Pete Brock directly (that is the US Pete Brock who was also involved in the AC Corba Coupes). The BRE team run 240z and Datsun 510's in the US (a 510 for those in NZ and AU is what we know as a Datsun 1600) they even did a few Baja season in a modified 240z. The Baja car has been restored in the US.

I also have learnt that one of the SuperSamuri cars that included a number of Nissan works parts has made its way to the South Island of NZ however that is all I know. For those that have not head of a famous 240z that was campaigned in the UK it was known as Big Sam. The car still exists today and has been fully restored. The first Big Sam was an Ex Nissan Works car but it got destroyed in a big crash so was reshelled. Big Sam was raced by a young driver by the name of Win Percy who I believe back then even paid to drive the car as he was an unknown in these early days.

Well that is enough for now. More to follow later ;)