HS30-H

Here's what it looked like:

I think you might be as much as a year out. KBNR32 Skyline GT-R.

Yeah, I recognise what it is from - but are you sure you have its build date right? Mine was also a 1989 - but a couple of months later than September.............

I don't really need to "think hard" about it. From a very young age I had my uncle as a point of reference in my 'education' about wartime cruelty. He was in the Chindits under Orde Wingate, and was captured by the Japanese in Burma. I don't think I need to tell you what he went through, do I? Luckily, he managed to survive....... But personally speaking, I find it hard to think in that 'we were kind to them, compared to what they would have done to us had we lost.....' frame of morality. As the victor of a war, you either judge the vanquished by your own code of justice and morality, or........what? I don't really want to see any implied justification for what might and could have been inflicted on the vanquished Japanese just because they would have been brutal in victory themselves. The victor gets to do the judging, after all. I grew up with my uncle - influenced by his experiences as a POW - telling me that the Japanese were an inherently cruel, sadistic and cowardly race. I'm glad to say that I took his views with a large pinch of salt, and found - happily - from personal experience that his wild generalisation was not accurate or definitive. The people I met had moved on during the intervening 40 years or so - as indeed had the Americans, the British, the Germans and almost everybody else. And having lived with Japanese of his generation, and having talked with them about those times, I got a different perspective. The perspective of the 'ordinary' working / fighting man and his family you might say. I empathised to some extent. Easy to see that the main difference between my uncle and the men who imprisoned him was what they were being told to do. The irony that he was captured in Burma ( I don't know how many thousand kilometres that was from his London home ) whilst taking the King's Shilling always seems to have escaped him. He seemed to think that it was naturally right for the British to defend their 'Empire'. He didn't give a damn that Japan might have had its own empirical ambitions, or that the British might have been just as cruel to the nations and peoples that it subjugated to win that Empire. More over-simplification. Effectively used only for emotive effect. Shall we judge the USA by asking the American Indians what they thought of "target practice", and do we throw Vietnam into the mix for good measure? ALL major nations have skeletons in their cupboards, don't they? The victors get to hide a lot more of their own. We soon drift off topic don't we? I merely added a word of disagreement pointed at the implied subtext to the part of Carl's post that I quoted, and now we are here. I don't think I should have bothered. Politics on car forums never goes anywhere useful, does it? Alan T.

I'm all for it! Now, who's 'truth' shall we use........? "Very good and generous" - arguably so, yes. But from the perspective of my parents and grandparents, I think the view that it was 'expedient' for the USA to do what it did was more to the fore. Especially as the United Kingdom spent most of the latter half of the Twentieth Century paying back Lend-Lease. And that is what I was bringing to the discussion; a different perspective. Cue immediate plea for thread deletion........ But do you see why I questioned the bland simplification of the situation in Carl's post ( the part I quoted )? I don't believe it is historically correct or even fair to talk about Japan being "well treated" by the US in the aftermath of war without pointing out the main political, economic and strategic reasons for it too. And before anyone chimes in with a reminder about American blood spilled on foreign land - I know and appreciate that ( and I've been to the cemeteries too ), so let's not make it a stupid "with us, or against us" argument - please? My sympathy lies with the ordinary man in the street and his family, whether British, American, Japanese, German or wherever. It is always 'John Doe and family' who suffer for geopolitics. Having lived and worked in Japan, and having what I like to think of as half of my family being Japanese, I find it rather distasteful to see somebody implying that treating the Japanese "well" - just a matter of weeks after dropping fire on its cities - was somehow driven purely by the 'kind heart' of the victorious nation. And to then imply that this kind-heartedness is what has led to the overpowering of the US auto industry by the Japanese auto industry is just, well - ridiculously simplistic. But if it pleases people to think that my dissent is part of my "agenda", then go ahead - be wrong. Alan T.

I'm sure the designers, engineers, production line workers, white-collar staff and everybody else involved in making and selling cars within Nissan Motor Co. back in Japan ( let alone their staff in the rest of the world ) will be happy to hear that it was all down to one man :cheeky: Quantify that. As compared to what, and how far back do you want to look at "human history"? You make it sound like The United States of America was 'looking after' Japan post-War just out of human kindness. Which is absolutely not the case is it?

I think you'll find that the picture shows a combustion chamber that is not yet finished.......

Hi Jim, Good to see you on this thread again. I know that car, and have seen it in Japan. It belongs to a friend of a friend. It is absolutely wonderful. A real credit to its owner. Yes - the oil cooler on that car was an 'option' part for the PGC10 and KPGC10 that was available to order at time of purchase. It was also available from the Sports Option lists for those models. Big coolers, aren't they? Jim, as a Prince connoisseur I know you can vouch for the high standard of engineering in the Prince product, and will agree that this high standard was carried over into the S20 engine when Sakurai sensei and his team were transplanted into the Nissan fold. Cheers, Alan T.

Carl, I'm not sure it really needs any "explanation" in the sense of it being either 'right' or 'wrong'.......? We have to be mindful that the S20 was - in all but name - essentially the child of Shinichiro Sakurai and his ex-Prince team, operating like a separate Principality within the Nissan fold. They were still doing things their way ( they still are to some extent ), and in some ways it is no surprise that Prince were well on their way to the wall when they were married-off to Nissan. You can't fault their single-mindedness. Close inspection of an S20 engine ( externally and internally ) brings home just how much time, effort and money went into each one. Just off the top of my head, I'd estimate that a single S20 engine probably cost Nissan something like five or six times the cost of ( for example ) an L20A or L24 to manufacture. They are an absolute joy to work on, and the way they come apart and go back together is a treat. No real 'throwaway' parts, and everything designed to be rebuildable. Even the oil pump impellers run on roller bearings. No wonder that they probably lost money on every one of them they made........ As for the 'cartridge' type oil filter - who knows? Its not like it doesn't work efficiently or effectively. The pressure-relief valve is integral to the body of the filter housing casting, so that may have had something to do with it. Adapters for 'spin-on' type filters have been available for many years now - so conversion, with all the benefits of the 'spin-on' type, is possible and simple. Alan T.

Carl, I have only posted only one image representing parts intended to be used on the S20 engine of the Fairlady Z-432 and Fairlady Z-432R on this thread ( in post #77 ), but you are referring to two.........? Where's the other one? Alan T.

Wet sump, Mike.

And for comparison, the large 'stand up' oil cooler that was standard equipment on the 432R, and an optional part on the 432:

My cars ( '70 Fairlady Z-L and '72 Fairlady 240ZG ) both are too. "Upside down" might be a moot point. I don't think I've ever seen one in real life that was installed with the orientation suggested in the factory parts manuals. Having the filter on top surely makes it a LOT easier to change it ( especially in a Works rally car ) and I don't see any problem rotating the base a certain amount? The hoses can be pointed in any direction before snugging them down too. Here's a few pics for extra reference. Two cars are involved - both Works 240Z rally cars, one RHD and one LHD. One 71 RAC spec and one 72 Monte Carlo spec. Notice the differences in hose connections:

Well John, you'll have to explain "getting bent over" to me, and how it applies to what was happening on this thread. I'm afraid the only English I speak and write is English English, and anything other than that takes a little extra thought for me ( as a native Englishman ). I do however know the difference between "getting laid" and "getting laid into"........ To bring the thread back to the original subject of oil coolers, here's a pic of a Nissan factory oil cooler attached to a genuine Works rally car. I think the cooler itself and the L-shaped brackets that were used to attach it to the radiator support crossmember are the same as those supplied in the Factory dealer option and Sports Option kits, and in the Datsun Competition-supplied kits in the USA.

"Just"? That was an internet-age ago now. Generally speaking, I think its a good thing that you are now re-reading what I wrote a couple of days ago ( that is, presuming you actually read it the first time around ). Maybe you are now starting to get your head around it too? But all you are doing is proving that your sole intention in joining this thread was to action your own agenda, whilst accusing me of having one of my own.

There are lots of examples of what you might call 'inaccuracies' in the Factory literature. If you have any of the Factory 'R-Drive' parts lists you can spot plenty. They are there in the parts lists and Factory manuals for the HLS30U too. Ask your local expert. The actual oil cooler kit and its related componentry are in bold print on the page I posted. Those are the parts that are the subject of the page, and those are the parts that you are supposed to pay attention to. Everything else is just for context. The part number quoted in the file's name should have told you something too........ You will notice that the faint line drawing of the S30-series Z that this is superimposed on is not 100% 'accurate' in all details ( surprise surprise ). How seriously do you want to take this? Do you actually think that missing items such as front side repeaters, hubcaps, rubber bumper trims and other such details matter? Maybe the lack of these in the illustration would have misled you too? Just face it 'moonpup' - you went off half-cocked and now you are not waving, but drowning. When you had doubts about the application of the parts illustrated you should have raised a question about them, instead of launching into a personal attack on me for what you call my "agenda". If the illustration had have been related to the S20 engine, then you would have had me on the hook. Its a shame you didn't play your cards a little more cleverly. "Softly, softly, catchee monkey......". You are hoist by your own Petard, sir. Alan T.

Arse, arse, arse, arse, arse, arse, arse......... Doesn't seem to work on Anglo Saxon.

What are "Cheerio's"? Do you have a part number for them? Are they a USA-market only fitment? Perhaps a picture would help........ "Lay off a little"? Lay off who? You seem to have overlooked the fact that the person getting laid into on this thread was me. Am I not allowed to defend myself? Here's a little reminder for us all: The exact identity of member 'NY "Z" 's car has yet to be determined. He mentioned that it was a '1972' model - but it would also appear that the engine was made a lot earlier than that. At this point - without a full VIN number and confirmation of the original intended market - anything is possible. Never say never, and don't bet all your chips that a 'European' market LHD car won't turn up in one of these kinds of questions one day. Keep your mind open to the idea that the S30-series Z is a Japanese car that was sold all over the world, and beware of false prophets. So tell me, precisely how was my posting of page from a Nissan Export-market parts list for the '240Z' and '260Z' illustrating a Factory oil cooler kit "inaccurate"? There's an awful lot of ***umption going on here. I'm glad that you now accept that you are the "instigator/bad guy", but you still seem to be under the impression that the llustration I posted was "inaccurate" . Again I remind you that the car in question has still not been positively identified, and at this point ALL information relating to oil coolers - whether Factory or 'aftermarket' is relevant and on topic. Even if the car in question turns out to be a true red-white-and-blue HLS30U and have an oil cooler from J.C Whitney, The Pep Boys or indeed 'Datsun Competition', ALL oil cooler references, data and illustrations are relevant. Alan T.

Mr C, Would that not have been the R31 'GTS-R'? They were pretty special, and the last gasp of the R30/R31 in racing. They were bloody fast........ The R32-series Skyline debuted in 1988 ( with the 'ordinary' saloons ) but the BNR32 ( GT-R ) didn't hit the streets until late 1989. I think the article is an 'interesting' take on the story, but it is slightly irritating that they include a fair few mistakes and then the whole Playstation thing. Alan T.

Do you seriously believe it was anybody other than you? How is it a "problem"? That was an illustration of a 'Factory' fitted oil cooler kit for the L24/L26 engine, rather than an 'aftermarket' supplied item. As such it was relevant and topical. I never said ANYTHING about the USA when I posted the picture, as I posted it to illustrate a Factory part. The file name also contained the Nissan part number ( which you confirmed ) which was shared by the Datsun Competition kit sold in the USA. It was - and is - all still relevant. If you think the "August 1973" part is a problem, then I can show you earlier examples - is that what this is about? You need to talk to 'moonpup'. He's still obviously under the impression that those parts were designed to fit a "JDM"-only engine type, and took me to task for posting the picture based on that assumption. Once again I have to say - I DID NOT DISPUTE THAT FACT. Where did I call it into question? "With the intention of bringing it back to the States" is significant. Some of these cars were road-registered in Japan before going abroad, in which case anything could happen. Okinawa in particular was a territory that had a lot of unique situations with regard to specifications and models. If you want to tell me that not a single one of those cars ever turned up in the USA then I would doubt you. I myself own TWO cars that were originally Japanese-registered, and technically speaking ( and to the letter of the law ) they did not meet UK 'Type Approval' standards on import. Nevertheless they got through the red tape and they are HERE. Maybe you will say that the USA is more strict than the UK - but I would say that anything is possible. I would remind you that - at this point anyway - the true identity and specification of the car in question has not been pinned down. There is an awful lot of presumption going on. So Carl, are you saying that nobody ever bought an HLS30U in Japan, registered it on the road there, but then eventually brought it 'home' to the USA ( or even Canada )? Are you sure about that? And what have overall sales percentages got to do with it? As I have mentioned before in this thread, if you close your eyes to the fact that other models of S30-series Z car were designed alongside the HLS30U then you do not have the FULL story - and therefore you cannot truly understand the HLS30U, let alone its siblings. Final sales percentages have NOTHING to do with what was going on in Nissan's design studios in 1966, 67, 68 & 69. I posted a picture of a 'Factory' oil cooler kit. I thought it was topical and relevant. I was then attacked and accused of having an "agenda", by somebody that didn't even understand what the picture illustrated. Kind of says it all really. Somewhere in amongst all the finger-pointing and name calling there is an interesting topic that is worthy of debate. A pity that this forum lately seems to be less and less about on-topic debate......... Alan T. PS - Gee, I already have the hair-splitter and stick grabber - thanks. Maybe this thread actually belongs in the 'Funnybone' section now?

Then how come you were thanking 'moonpup' after his personal attack on me? That's where you posted the "eat crow" comment. Looked like you were agreeing to his assertion that the pic I showed did not illustrate anything related to the L24/L26 engine - when it DID. Look at that from my point of view. And I keep telling you both that this is NOT what I was disputing. I have the Factory parts catalogs for the HLS30U and I can see that the oil cooler kit is not in there. I'm not so sloppy as to make a post without checking. I was commenting on your "aftermarket" post ( don't you understand that? ) by pointing out that such an oil cooler kit DID exist for Export cars. The problem then became that 'moonpup' mistook the picture for a non L-series "JDM" part ( he obviously thought it was for an S20....... ) and decided to hang me on that hook. Once again - if I was "correcting" anything ( and strictly speaking I wasn't ), it was the "aftermarket" comment. I merely wanted to illustrate a Factory fitment, and the part number corresponded with that of the Datsun Competition part too ( I have the catalogs ). I categorically DID NOT dispute the fact that these were not 'official' options on USA market cars. As I've already pointed out, you thanked somebody who DID. Then you threw the "eat crow" comment in for good measure. And you'd be right ( obviously ) - but I wasn't disputing that, was I?! I think the fact that a Factory option for such a part DID exist was relevant to the thread in its original context. Where has anyone else brought that fact up? If you don't agree then don't agree, but I reckon - taken at face value - the picture held interesting data that could be used by the member who asked the initial question, even if it was simply to confirm that HIS is in fact nothing like the illustration, and is more likely an 'aftermarket' part. I still think my post was constructive in that sense, and I stand by it. All the finger-pointing about my "agenda" is just opportunistic propaganda in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Alan T.

On the contrary. I think I understood the intention, AND the tongue-in-cheek nature of the figure. My post was equally tongue-in-cheek. Nobody can offer figures such as those and be serious about them, surely? ACTUAL numbers are neither here nor there. There only needs to be ONE, and this car could be IT. The point is that the parts DID EXIST first as a Factory Option for domestic models, then as an option for non-USA market models and ALSO as a Datsun Competition-supplied part in the USA market. You would do well to remember my point about HLS30U models being sold NEW in Japan, and it being possible for them to be fitted with many of the non-HLS30U Factory and Sport Option parts. One of these could well turn up one day. Never say never....... Once you know that the parts EXISTED, everything else follows. Yes, and I don't dispute that. On the other hand, it seems that others would prefer to deny their very existence. You don't seem to get it. I say again - I wasn't "correcting" you - I was letting the parts speak for themselves. Then I got attacked for posting parts that were 'not applicable' to the Nissan L-series 6 engine - when they WERE! I notice both yourself and 'moonpup' have studiously avoided my answers to those accusations. That's a poor show...... Insult on top of insult. If you really think that I think I'm perfect, then you are well wide of the mark. Some of the people who frequent this site have actually met me, or dealt with me outside the forum environment. You might like to ask them for their opinion on who and what I think I am. I'm certainly no saint, and I don't suffer fools gladly, but I don't think I'm always right. That's in your head. As I stated above, you have COMPLETELY avoided retracting ( or apologising ) for your mistaken accusations about what that scan illustrated. Where have the pair of you acknowledged that the scan illustrated PRECISELY what you said it DID NOT ( ie - a Factory Option oil cooler kit for some of the 'Export' market 240Z / 260Z models )? You really ought to admit that you were wrong and apologise for your "crow pie" comment. Which was obviously nothing to do with the thread topic. In short - you had an agenda didn't you? Why didn't you start a new thread? Well now, I think we can agree on that. How ironic that you should drop this onto the end of a thread where you've been telling me that this is precisely what I shouldn't be doing. Er, 'NY "Z" ' - apologies for the continental drift over the last page and a half. There was some relevant and useful data posted up around the top half of page one, and I suggest that you might like to focus on that area of the thread rather than the somewhat ugly stuff that followed. :tapemouth Pictures, perhaps? Alan T.

What did I twist? You haven't answered any of the points I made. You MISREAD the information offered in the post I made ( the scan and the part number ) and you also MISUNDERSTOOD my intention. You then went on to attack me for posting on the thread, accusing me of having an "agenda" - when you obviously had an agenda of your own. The "education" ( and thank you for casting the aspersion ) would be - again I point it out to you - in the RELEVANT and CORRECT information contained in the file attachment. You honestly think my "Here's a toast...." reply to the quoted figure of "00.9999997%" was in some way disrespectful? I don't think you understood it anyway. You want to censor me for making a flip retort to a stupid number ( which was quite obviously not serious )? I think I replied in a fitting manner, and a manner that showed I was ready to take the debate further. You think I have NO RIGHT to do that? That will save you the trouble of explaining how you managed to misunderstand my post and the information it contained, and the answers I gave in 'defence' of your ridiculous attack ( which was off topic anyway ). Is that a final insult for good measure? I notice you use this like it is a quote from me, when they are your words and your words alone. If I had such an agenda ( and incidentally - I don't think I do ) you would have to admit that I'd have my work cut out, wouldn't I? Especially with people that don't WANT to know the whole story about these cars. That would appear to include you. I noticed you all but told me that we shouldn't discuss the Air Con issues in another thread because a definitive conclusion could not be reached. In that case we might as well start turning the lights out...... For what its worth, I spend a fair amount of time on the forum of a UK-based Z owners club, and ( yes - you guessed it ) I seem to spend a lot of time bringing to people's attention the fact that the S30-series Z cars were / are a whole family of models, and that they were sold all over the world. This normally entails bringing to attention things that some of the UK-based forum members there do not want to hear. So am I anti-British too? I also belong to a Japanese club for the S30-series Z cars ( that means a club based, yes in Japan ) and travel there quite often - sometimes finding myself being asked about the UK-market versions and their parts / variations. Funnily enough, they seem pretty open to the idea that the S30-series Z was a 'family' of models. How refreshing. I have a pretty big archive of data to back me up, and I think ( I believe this is true ) some of what I have posted / talked about has been useful and has been appreciated. I'd be pleased if it was sometimes entertaining too, but I don't expect everybody to understand my writing style or my particular brand of humour. You might also notice ( if you pay attention ) that if I don't know about something I tend to keep my fingers away from the keyboard, watch, read and ( hopefully ) LEARN. As I mentioned in a previous post on this thread - if you don't like what I write or how I write it, then you have some options open to you. Bit I'm not going away just because 'moonpup' wants me to. Alan T.

What you thought I was implying is up to you. I already told you that I was replying directly to the "99.9999997% sure its aftermarket" quote, and my post reflected that fact. The inference is clear when you look at the scan I posted: A Factory-fitted option for the L-series six engines in the S30-series Z body DID EXIST. You think I would post an illustration with the express purpose of misleading? I resent that accusation, and I think you ought to retract it. It is QUITE CLEAR that you have completely misunderstood what the scan illustrates, and what model of car / engine the parts were designed to apply to. See below: "JDM models"? It is quite clear that you completely misunderstood the illustration and the part numbers that were part of the file's name. Go back and have another look ( again ). And to make this perfectly clear: The scanned page I posted came from the Nissan ( Factory ) 'R-Drive' parts manual for the RHD Export market '240Z' and '260Z' models. You might like to note that this manual does NOT include any "JDM" model information, and specifically does NOT include any information on the S20 engine and its oil cooler kit. It seems quite clear to me that you assumed that the scan related to the "JDM" market models, and the S20 engine in particular. You were wrong. You're doing it again. There WAS a Factory Oil Cooler kit option ( in the EXPORT market ) for the L-series sixes. Just because it was never 'officially' offered on the HLS30U model doesn't mean that the parts might not show up on a particular car. Close your mind to the information that a Factory oil cooler kit DID EXIST and you will NOT have the whole truth at hand. The Factory kit for the L-series sixes was made from early 1970, and was first made available through the 'Sports Option' lists. It could have shown up NEW on a 1972 production car, or at ANY time subsequently as a retro fit. Sure. It might be pure "aftermarket". But I wonder if my definition of 'aftermarket' is the same as yours? I wonder if you would call an 'Interpart'-supplied item 'aftermarket'? For sure an item from 'Cal Custom' would be 'aftermarket' - but how about 'Datsun Competition - USA'? Would you class that as the 'aftermarket'? Look at the part number that forms part of the file name in that scan I posted. Same as the 'Datsun Competition' kit. The Factory parts manual page scan is relevant, on topic, possibly helpful to the person who posted the question ( whether his kit is the same or different ) and - at least I think - worthy of being added to the debate. You might also like to note that I was the FIRST person to post hard data on the thread instead of conjecture and guesses. Member 'NY "Z"' may well have a pure 'aftermarket' ( ie - non-Factory ) kit on his car. In which case montoya_fan01 might be right with his "99.9999997%" comment. But nevertheless, a Factory-fitted and specifiable option kit DID EXIST for the Export cars, and I have shown this to be the case. There is therefore - implicitly - the possibility that one of these could have ended up on an HLS30U. And let me make one thing clear to you. Something that I want you to take on board and remember: It was possible to buy an HLS30U as a NEW CAR in Japan right from the beginning of production. Any foreign national could do this by approaching the 'Diplomatic Sales Division' in Ginza, Tokyo and laying down the money required. This car could be registered in Japan and driven on the public highway, or exported to the territory of the buyer's choice. Such cars COULD ( and DID ) have the choice of adding ANY Factory option that would work on the model and type. Such cases DID exist, and there are known examples to back it up. Some of them even ended up being taken to the USA. How can anybody say for sure that member 'NY "Z"'s car is not one of these? Therefore, closing your eyes to the options and specifications NOT initially offered to the HLS30U model in its particular export market - but available on others - will lead you to an incomplete conclusion. Instead of chastising me for my "agenda", you might like to pay a thought to chastising those who actively seek to keep the whole truth from you, or who themselves hide from the complete story of this family of cars because they are convinced that some of the story is "irrelevant". Think about it. I don't know. I have never tasted it yet. Perhaps you can tell me, as you appear to have black feathers in your teeth. Alan T.

Oh yeah? Read on........ Did I mention anything about what you call "the U.S. export/240z model" in my post? I don't think I did, and I believe that the point I was making was quite clear ( unless you are blinded by a preconceived concept regarding my "self imposed agenda".....). A Factory-fitted option for an oil cooler did exist. I suggest you look a bit more closely. If you don't think that the oil cooler system shown in the scan I posted is for an L20A/L24/L26 then I would like you to tell me which engine it would fit? If you have been misled by the outline drawing of the valve cover then er, well - you have been misled. That's not an oil cooler system for the S20 engine ( the filter adapter wouldn't fit and the oil pump shown is clearly that of an L-series engine ), and the fact that this Factory parts manual shows the oil cooler system against the silhouette of what might be an S20 engine is just another slight mistake in the Factory literature. There are many more. You do realise that, don't you? On the contrary. A Factory-fitted oil cooler system option for the L-series six did exist, and I posted a scan of it from a Factory parts manual. I wasn't saying that it was offered on the USA / Canada export market models, I was merely pointing out that IT EXISTED AS A FACTORY OPTION PART. If you look at my post, I was answering this quote: Or did that go over your head? Seeing as you have brought this subject up, and have aimed some mud at me, I'll make this point: Ignoring the plain fact that the S30-series Z cars were a family of different models during design, during engineering, during productionisation and at launch in Japan is probably one of the single biggest mistakes that a historian or inquisitive enthusiast can make. Ignore that fact - focus on ONE market, ONE model and pretty much ONE spec - and you are ignoring some of the very reasons why that model turned out the way it did. When I first signed up on this forum, I saw a LOT of questions that could be answered by showing examples from market versions other than the USA / Canada export market version. I have made efforts to demonstrate that these other market versions are both important and significant in the history of the S30-series Z. Like it or not ( and it is amazing how many people seem not to like it, isn't it? ) the designers and engineers took these other market versions into account when they were designing 'your' HLS30U. Shut your eyes to that fact and you are blinding yourself to the HLS30U itself. I'm convinced that the presence on this forum of enthusiasts for the Japanese home market models and the Australian, NZ, UK and yes - European mainland export versions has broadened the knowledge base and awareness for all of the first-generation models. That includes the HLS30U, and it is NOT a one-way street. WE are ALL learning here. If you don't like me or my posts, then I recommend that you put me on your 'ignore' list. I can't tell you how that works or how threads will look to you as I have never personally put anybody on my ignore list. I think it is worth seeing what everyone has to say rather than burying your head in the sand. Either that or get a group of like-minded individuals together and see about getting me banned from the site. Maybe start a new thread on the subject? Thanks for letting me know what you think about me. I'll add you to my list of 'Alan T Fan Club' members Alan T.