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I've been very lucky on many fronts in my life. My luck started with being born in this country and continued through being born into my family. However, for this screed I'll stick to the Z world. I started getting paid, $125.00/week, to be a mechanic at a dealer in 1970, talk about luck. I very quickly realized that paying close attention/noticing things were important aspects to becoming successful at my craft. When I opened my now closed shop in 1980 a trickle of unmodified original owner Z cars started to flow through, talk about luck. It didn't take me long to understand the importance of documenting as many details as possible. The results of my appreciation are a large stack of photos of the many fine details of 240/260/280 construction. I also have many sloppy pages of notes describing the fine points of construction and differences between model years. My goodness, I even have several pages of notes describing, in detail, the fasteners used to secure a 240 timing chain cover for production date X. Every time a serious customer approached me for a restoration I would ask, in detail, exactly what he/she wanted the finished product to look like. Before they had a chance to answer I would describe what an original Z looked like from the factory and I'd often show them a few pictures from my collection. The answer was always not just no but HELL NO! They wanted pretty. What does pretty mean? Modern, often 2 stage, paint that has been wet sanded and buffed to near perfection. Powder coated suspension and all the other bits and pieces of modern restoration required to satisfy a customer. To see 2 of my last 3 Z car restorations visit my site and click on Customer Profiles. When a 240 left the factory there was orange peel in the paint in random places. Have to mention that this particular problem improved markedly in about 1975 or so. However, there was often a serious problem with the clear coat discoloring when 2 stage paint was used starting about the same time. The paint on the bottom was applied very unevenly and often contained dirt in random places. Most of the grommets that were glued in place had glue running down from the grommet. The suspension pieces were painted a sloppy and uneven satin black. There was overspray on some of the exterior engine components that were in proximity to the engine block. The list goes on from there. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not criticizing Datsun, that was the way cars were often manufactured back in the Olden Days. I can all but guarantee that if a real factory-like restored Z showed up at a convention a trophy would not be forth coming. Now to address the hyperbole that has crept into the world of Z restoration. "Frame -off Restoration", "Rotisserie Restoration", "Factory Restoration", etc., etc., etc. There are some new ones now like "Magnificent" and so forth. The situation is often made worse with fancy photography and lighting. This is what happens when marketing geniuses get involved. Remember the Z Store Program? H@#$, now I'm often confused and don't understand what they're talking about. ALWAYS look at the car you're considering or send someone like me to have a look before making that offer. I understand that I've only lightly covered this subject but there you have it for better or worse.

Update. It's been several months when I posted questions about a soft feeling brake pedal in my 79 zx. I checked the vacuun check valve and found it to be defective. I didn't even use my vacuum test equipment but instead just removed it and blew and sucked through it and knew it wasn't holding vacuum. I replaced it and now have very good, stock brakes again.

@Yarb

Shame you had to get rid of the 240z but glad to see the 280zx getting some more attention. I just ordered some parts from the US and will try to fix my 280z over the coming winter. I will definitely come visit you this spring with my 280z!

Nov 1971 Mid-1972

I'd say more like 1971, if not even early 1972. Most of those drivers were assembled for a similar shoot with the photos published in 'Auto Sport Young' (a special edition of Auto Sport magazine) in early March 1971, and the difference in hairstyle/length is noticeable. They were pretty much all following a trend for longer hair at the time and I reckon your photo was taken later than that shoot.

Thanks again Alan! I am guessing it was taken near the end of the first S30 racing season in Q4 of 1970. Would you have any insight? Here is the 2nd Revision. I can add more annotations or make corrections in the future if needed.

After a discussion arising from a recent thread, I took a closer look into the question of 'The first Z pace car'. That is to say, the first S30-series Z car to be used for 'Pace Car' duties in a race event worldwide. I have been encouraged to post this information here on the site for all to see, so here goes: The first instance of use that I can back up with solid documentary evidence, data and pictures is at the 'Race De Nippon' event - held on 12th April 1970 at FISCO ( Fuji Speedway ) in Japan. This 6-hour race included 'TS-II', 'TS-III' and 'GTS' classes, with two SCCN ( Nissan's works team ) Fairlady Z432-R cars entered in the GTS class. Car no.1 was crewed by aces Hasemi and Kitano, and car no.2 was crewed by Teranishi and Yokoyama. The main challenge to the two Z cars for overall victory was to come from a gaggle of Skyline GT-Rs in the TS-III class, a brace of very hot Mazda rotary coupes also in TS-III and a couple of quick Isuzu Bellett GT-Rs running in TS-II. Several Fairlady SRs were running head-to-head with the 432-Rs in the GTS class, and as these were pretty much at the end of their development period they would have been well-sorted and still fairly quick. The no.1 432-R of Hasemi and Kitano took the overall and GTS class class win - covering 959km over the 6 hours, with Skyline GT-Rs following home in second and third positions. One of the Mazdas came in fourth. This was the worldwide first ever race win for the S30-series Z car....... A pace car was deployed more than once during the race, and it is this car that is the subject of this thread. It was a Fairlady Z432, and was actually one of the cars that was part of the Nissan Racing School fleet - which was based at FISCO. For this event, JAF ( the Japanese Automobile Federation ) 'borrowed' the car from the Nissan Racing School, and used SCCN race team driver Yasunori Toshimori as the Pace Car driver - accompanied by a JAF official in contact with the Race Controller by radio. As one of the cars in the Nissan Racing School fleet, the 432 was prepared for fast circuit use - with many of Nissan's own 'Sports Option' list and Works parts fitted to it. It would certainly have been able to keep up a reasonable speed on the circuit, especially with Toshimori driving. Below are pics of the car in question. First pic is of the car being used in the race after an incident. Second is the same car in its Nissan Racing School livery. Third is a nice illustration of the same car in some Nissan Racing School publicity, and the fourth pic is a portrait photo of SCCN team driver Yasunori Fujimori, who drove the Pace Car illustrated. I hope this is of interest to some site members. Alan T.

Hi Gav, In that particular race the 432s were up against the PGC10 4-door GT-Rs ( this was before the debut of the 'K' 2-door ). The weight issue must have helped, but there were races where the Z was beaten by the GT-R overall even though they were racing in different classes. Incidentally - the 4-door GT-R was lighter than the 2-door, which is interesting isn't it? Bambikiller240 & Alfadog, I doubt that this particular car survived its Nissan Racing School career, and I have certainly never heard tell of such a 432 surviving. The only Nissan Racing School Z car to survive as far as I know is the LY-engined 240ZR that NISMO restored a few years back - which is a much later car. Unfortunately it was probably the case that the cars were worked to death and then split for spares or scrapped within just a few years. ChrisA, The emblem that you see on the centre of the grille is the 'SCCN' ( Sports Car Club of Nissan ) steering wheel / leaves / tricolour shield emblem. SCCN was in effect the organisation that the Works team drivers belonged to ( and were employed by ) and which entered the Works cars in the races. The Nissan Racing School was also part of the SCCN organisation, along with the NDC ( Nissan Drivers Club ). The Katakana script around the rim of the steering wheel on their emblem reads "Nissan Sportscar Club" - which does not actually match up with the SCCN acronym...... I am attaching a photo of an SCCN sticker below: MikeW, Don't forget that this particular race was not actually the race debut of the Works cars. You might be more impressed to hear that the race debut of the Z car was on 18th January 1970 - in the "All Japan Suzuka 300km" race. SCCN works driver Moto Kitano was leading the race in his 432R until he was hit broadside by another car - destroying the first Works 432R race car in its first-ever event. 1GENZED, The Nissan Racing School was set up initially to recruit and train drivers to become members of Nissan's race teams. They mainly operated out of Fuji Speedway and Tsukuba Circuit, and the teachers themselves were Works drivers and SCCN team members. This was purely a race driving school, and was not set up to sell Nissan products, or to instruct customers who had bought Nissan cars in how to drive them - so the comparison with Bob Bondurant's school would be a good one. They used many different types of car, ranging from Fairlady roadsters, Sunny Coupes, Skyline GT-Rs, Cedric and Gloria stock cars right up to single seaters. The school was still running until recently - so they would have used many many cars over the years. See the photo below of an early Nissan Racing School 'starter pack' of text book, FISCO course map and Nissan Racing School sticker. Alan T.