ZG Production Figures

[HS30-H]

Alan said the early type G-Nose did not have the "air-con" ducts... I wonder if that is the style sold here earlier than 1978.

Alan - am I interpreting the meaning of your term "air-con" ducts correctly?

Carl,

The additional ducts ( which simply bolted onto the original ZG lower panel ) were not on the early production ZG models ( my car never had them, for example ) and were added to the later production models in an attempt to help cure poor performance of the aircon, and other heat-related issues that were showing up as fuel percolation etc.

I am told that some early production ZGs had these ducts retro-fitted by Nissan mechanics when they went in for routine servicing.

Later factory-supplied spare parts did have the ducts on them: see attached pic of my NOS spare lower panel - which probably dates from around 1974/75 I would guess. This is an usued factory item, still with the part number sticker on it.

I was told in Japan that only the very first deliveries of G-nose kits sent to Datsun Competition in the USA were the 'real thing', and that Datsun Competition USA soon made their own ( locally produced ) versions that were a simplified ( and therefore cheaper ) version of the OEM Japanese parts. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that story though.

Alan T.

[Tony D]

Tony D are these the "teeth" you refernced?

Nope, I am referring to rows of white fiberglass teeth that I cut out and screwed to the bottom of the FRP bumper on my car in 95 before the Denver Convention. Originally they caused so much airflow disruption that I ended up taking out every other one. This got my temperatures back down to normal, and without all the teeth, it looked much less 'Star Trek Ferengi" and more "Menacing Shark".

I also noted that my fastlane compliance ratio went WAY up when I removed the every other tooth. Apparently seeing a semi-gloss black fully flared car with Green Glowing Headlights and a row of sharklike teeth on the front bumper convinces 'slower traffic yield the lane right'...

Hence my name in some places is "Sharkie73Z".... it made it onto CNN World News Tonight when they covered the (SIC: Can't use Di*k as a proper name here apparently soooooo:)) "Richard" Clark's "25th Birthday of the Z Party" at the Petersen Museum that year. People called me and said "Dude, your car was on TV!" How do you know it was my car? "Who else has green headlights and shark teeth on the front?"

Point made...

Mr. K got a real kick out of it, as well.

But no, my "Teeth" are not the airflow deflectors seen on the factory G-Noses. Not by a longshot.

I took the spares that I removed, and affixed them to the underside of the bumper (with red RTV to simulate 'gums') on my Wife's 260Z---which promptly was named "Bride of Sharkie" by those in the local Club.

[Carl Beck]

I was told in Japan that only the very first deliveries of G-nose kits sent to Datsun Competition in the USA were the 'real thing', and that Datsun Competition USA soon made their own ( locally produced ) versions that were a simplified ( and therefore cheaper ) version of the OEM Japanese parts. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that story though.

Alan T.

Hi Alan:

Very interesting. I just gave Ron Johnson a call. He was in the Datsun Competition Parts Dept. during that time (actually for about 30 years)..

He said that they only sold the parts received from Nissan Japan, but that they were quickly copied by local fiberglass shops and reproduced in various configurations to be sold in the aftermarket. (ie. I piece, 2 piece 4 piece ect.) the least expensive being the one piece units.

Yes, the initial shippments from Japan were the early type - and shortly thereafter they started receiving the the later type with the additional duct work. He was thinking that it was 75 or 76 before they were listed in the Competition Parts Catalogs - as the first units arrived too late to make the deadline for the up comming year's issue.

The G-Nose was discontiuned by the Datsun/Nissan Competition Parts Dept. only because Nissan Japan ran out of replacement parts. ie they all became NLA. Even though the copies were available through local suppliers Datsun Competiton Parts never carried them. The Competition Parts Dept. soon ran out of the headlght covers and hood hinges as well. (parts that the aftermarket could not reproduce cheaply).

He seemed to recall the additional air ducts being added to direct more air into/through the oil cooler. Perhaps there is a Competition Bulletin somewhere outlining that. I mentioned your comments about the A/C and he said he had not heard that, but it too was quite possible.

He did not recall any of the aftermarket suppliers using the "gray" fiberglass in an attempt to actually duplicate the look of the originals.

FWIW,

Carl

[Carl Beck]

Nope, I am referring to rows of white fiberglass teeth that I cut out and screwed to the bottom of the FRP bumper on my car in 95 before the Denver Convention.

Oh my God.. now I remember!! That is just too funny...! I actually remember people talking about that at the convention in 96. Time flys...

Carl B.

[HS30-H]

I just gave Ron Johnson a call. He was in the Datsun Competition Parts Dept. during that time (actually for about 30 years)..

He said that they only sold the parts received from Nissan Japan, but that they were quickly copied by local fiberglass shops and reproduced in various configurations to be sold in the aftermarket.

Carl,

I did think of Ron when I made that last post. It figures that the story is at least partly apocryphal ( to be expected really ), but I sometimes wonder just how many kits Datsun Competition USA actually sold, and where they have all gone (?). They don't seem to pop up all that often, do they? Maybe time has been harsh on their numbers.......... It's a real shame, because they are really nicely made parts.

He seemed to recall the additional air ducts being added to direct more air into/through the oil cooler. Perhaps there is a Competition Bulletin somewhere outlining that. I mentioned your comments about the A/C and he said he had not heard that, but it too was quite possible.

Nothing to do with oil cooling as far as I'm aware. The factory race cars certainly didn't use them ( they had comprehensive ducting and sealed sections inside the 'mouth' of the nose ) and they would not have been needed to be fitted to the road cars to aid in any homologation issues ( ducting was 'free' on the Japanese race cars ). I've got a Japanese technical bulletin section from one of the Nissan 'Service Shuho' booklets that details the duct update in connection with aircon function. I'll see if I can find it and scan it.

Alan T.

[HS30-H]

Tony,

This young lady ( see pic ) says she can help you. :classic:

Clue: Take a close look at that front 'number' plate, and the emblem on the right hand side of the nose. One of Nissan's long lost aborted models..........

More pics to follow.

Alan T.

[HS30-H]

More pics:

[Tony D]

Oh, those are great! That's going to cause a stir.

I see I have e-mail as well. Thanks Alan!

[NZeder]

Tony,

This young lady ( see pic ) says she can help you. :classic:

Clue: Take a close look at that front 'number' plate, and the emblem on the right hand side of the nose. One of Nissan's long lost aborted models..........

More pics to follow.

Alan T.

wow that will cause a stir - given the 260z recall locally in Japan - Alan any idea's if any managed to evade the recall to have the L26/SU engine removed and replaced with the L20aE and the chassis numbers re-stamped? If so I assume they would be quite collectable. Sorry for the slight of topic. Tony that is cool just what you wanted to know - the ZG fitted to a 2+2 from factory

[Alfadog]

I thought you knew about that car NZeder?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was a one-off 'show car' only and was never released to the public. Hence "One of Nissan's long lost aborted models"

[Tony D]

Show model or not, it surely puts to rest Nissan's Intention to have it fitted to the car. For the 74 Show, that could arguably be said it's a '75' as evidenced by the EFI on the show model as well! Power Windows, ooooh tasty!

[26th-Z]

I just happened to stumble across this picture and thought about adding it to the conversation. Two famous American race cars. The first b&w photo comes from a 1976 Datsun press release kit. It shows the eventual IMSA GTU Champion, Brad Frisselle leading the 1975 IMSA GTU Champion, Bob Sharp, around the banking at Daytona. The sister car to the BSR champion is on eBay at the moment. It was originally used as a back-up / promotional / pace car in Camel GT livery. I understand the championship car was destroyed. THe orange car is Brad Frisselle's championship car at the Walter Mitty in 2006. Both of these cars were fitted with G-noses.