240z 1960's Testing

[240260280]

@kats  A few videos are available for testing a later silver RHD but the LHD test car below seems to be much earlier.

The vinyl top option is known but interesting to see on an early test car.

The more striking observation is the early rear panel.  They either dug up an early prototype for the test or the testing was started well before the Z styling was finalized.

But.... is that a roll cage inside?

 

 

Spoiler testing too + locking fuel door.

 

 

LHD too but with a single RH wing mirror (round type) and a LH door mirror (A racing 432R also has a similar wing set up but w/o the mirrors fitted).

 

It was an automatic car with black plastic wheel

Can't see the hazard switch type lol

Note roll bar like silver tube visible in quarter window. @Carl BeckPerhaps to help with USA roll-over test compliance?

 

Same tail section for dirt road test area

Orange turn lights and 6 vertical grill supports! (this may be the original grill that went below bumper that Mr Matsuo mentioned.

Same car as in wind tunnel with RH wing mirror and LH door mirror.

Perhaps an overflow bottle on left?

 

Very narrow rubber strips on over-riders.

 

No diamond vinyl yet and strange metal tube bolted below quarter window... roll bar? If so, you can see where it fastens. I wonder if it ties into the roof where the mystery nut-serts are.

 

No hatch sill or latch, just a thing vertical metal sheet.

 

Another LHD doing water tests but with wooden steering wheel and square wing mirrors

 

Pre 1969 engine and suspension. Note plastic fan, paint dabs, orange oil filter

 

Very early fuel rail with return at rear carb and smog pump

 

No text on valve cover

 

Rear differential and suspension

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by 240260280

[240260280]

More photos from testing the 240z in the 60's to get a better picture:

Comparison Cars:

 

Slalom check

 

 

Egress Checks

 

Aero Models

 

Crash

 

Z

 

[dhp123166]

Thanks for the pictures. 

Those test taillights look somewhat reminiscent of the "Mexican 510' or even a 210.

The steering wheel is the same template as 510 Bluebird SSS.

[240260280]

Here is one example of tail lights (and dual exhaust)  in Aug-Oct 1967 designing period.

Note the license light in the bumper and keyhole in the hatch lip. Shark gills are a bit obvious.

[26th-Z]

Where are you getting the photos, Blue?  Are you clipping them from the video?  Or, has someone already clipped them?  These are all from a Nissan promotional video.

Look closely at you photo of the vinyl top / rear spoiler.  See the shark grills?

[240260280]

The dash certainly is not the final design. The top of the radio/heater cluster extends out much farther into the cabin and the margins are not as filleted nor the edges as smoothed.

 

Here is another interesting pre-production dash:

Edited December 13, 2019 by 240260280

[dhp123166]

20 hours ago, 240260280 said:

Here is one example of tail lights (and dual exhaust)  in Aug-Oct 1967 designing period.

Note the license light in the bumper and keyhole in the hatch lip. Shark gills are a bit obvious.

I am seeing 1/2 of a 280z tail light in this iteration.

Not seeing a hatch glass rubber though, just steel trim.

Are we looking at glass or plastic?

[kats]

Hi Blue , the silver test car is a unique ! Do you remember I introduced Mr. Miyazaki who was a member of Euro S30 test team ? He said the man who was behind the wheel was him . 
I don’t know about the roll bar , it appeared different from the production model .

I have this video’s DVD , it came as a bonus who bought the 1/8 Fairlady 240Z model .

And the 100  books are also the most valuable part of this model . I actually don’t need the model , I wanted the DVD and the books .

Kats

Edited December 15, 2019 by kats

[240260280]

Thanks Kats!   I tried to get the video a few years ago but no luck.  I'll try again.  From just looking at the minute of testing video on the Nissan web site, there are many interesting details to investigate.  That early roll bar is one for sure.   If you look closely, it seems to have the side mount points (but not on wheel well) and the two vertical bars to the hatch floor like the production roll bar.

Mr. Miyazaki is a true Nostalgic Hero; just like all of the others involved in the project! It is nice when you can identify the person in these old videos and make all of the connections.  I am guessing the testing of the silver car may be spring 1968?

Edited December 15, 2019 by 240260280

[kats]

Yes , we need to ask him to talk about all the things when he was in a team . I also want to have an opportunity to see Mr. Takei the chief of the Euro S30 team .

I found this car has the rear bumper overrider which Mr. Tamura originally intended for , but as you see in his drawings , this car’s overrider is not as cool as Mr.Tamura ‘s design.

Also Mr. Tamura intended to put a rubber strip for center part of the bumper front and rear , can we see it in this silver car ? 
 

Kats

Edited December 15, 2019 by kats

[240260280]

1 hour ago, kats said:

Also Mr. Tamura intended to put a rubber strip for center part of the bumper front and rear , can we see it in this silver car ? 

Kats

 

Kats, I am glad you see this.  I too thought it looked like rubber in middle but I guessed it was just a strange reflection.  I think you are correct though.

I'll look at video again and see if I can find a better frame to capture. 1 sec.

[240260280]

@kats

Yes! It looks like rubber is in centre!

Great observation!

 

[240260280]

Here is a good frame with the front grill.

The bulge in the hood does not seem as pointy too.... but it could be lighting.

Perhaps rubber in front centre of bumper too.

Edited December 15, 2019 by 240260280

[26th-Z]

I have that video.  Be careful of the DVD 'region' because Japanese produced DVDs don't normally play in North American machines.  I had to get an "all region" DVD player to see it.  I have several other DVDs with the same dilemma. 

[kats]

Blue , we are learning every day!

About the not pointy hood , I remember Mr. Tamura and Mr. Yoshida told me that they were trying to shape the hood front edge not pointy . 
 

Mr. Tamura did free hand drawings for me at the dinner table , he explained how they wanted to be the headlight case . You see “ r 5 “ next to the head light case . To match the case , Mr. Tamura and Mr. Yoshida were making the head light cover trim ring as “ not pointy “ . 
 

Personally , I am a big fan of its sharp edge 

of the case . Early original is the sharpest due to aging I think , later metal case is never be that sharp on top of the edge . 
 

Here is the reference thread which contains the report of a dinner with Mr . Tamura and Mr . Yoshida .

Kats

Edited December 15, 2019 by kats

[240260280]

On 12/13/2019 at 4:36 PM, 26th-Z said:

Where are you getting the photos, Blue?  Are you clipping them from the video?  Or, has someone already clipped them?  These are all from a Nissan promotional video.

Look closely at you photo of the vinyl top / rear spoiler.  See the shark grills?

 

 

Hi Chris,

First. WOW.... you are great to see those "shark gills"!  I thought it was just wrinkles from a first attempt at a vinyl top.  That my help narrow the time of the wind tunnel and dust resilience test videos. (Sorry I ran out of "likes" for today but "LIKE" to you!!!!)

 

Here is where I stumbled across the early testing video. The later part shows the neat stuff:

https://global.nissannews.com/ja-JP/videos/video-e3f77bf0445dce99ca6040492d01a69c-240z_s30_heritage

 

Some of the pictures above are from frame captures and tweaking of resolution and lighting to bring out points of interest

 

I dug a bit more and found a few shots here:

https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&rurl=translate.google.ca&sl=ja&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://nissangallery.jp/ghq/mikoukai_201401/&xid=17259,15700021,15700186,15700190,15700256,15700259,15700262,15700265,15700271,15700283&usg=ALkJrhif64yf2GBxy6LKqyizt2dI9P0rSQ

 

I believe the first Shark Gill car above is a plastic static model however the wind tunnel car seems like the one driven by Mr. Takei in the video. 

The drip rail also curves in the wind tunnel car!

4 Gill

 

3 Gill with curved drip rail, and very early spoiler design

Edited December 15, 2019 by 240260280

[240260280]

Looks like they made atleast a  few shark gill Z's that moved:

3  Gill no drip rail

 

4 Gill with curved drip rail AND ROLL Bar!  Chris you have helped connect some of the pieces!

Edited December 15, 2019 by 240260280

[Mike]

On 12/13/2019 at 12:20 PM, 240260280 said:

Here is one example of tail lights (and dual exhaust)  in Aug-Oct 1967 designing period.

Note the license light in the bumper and keyhole in the hatch lip. Shark gills are a bit obvious.

I wish they would have stuck with the dual exhaust.  It makes the back of the car look so much better IMHO.