HS30-H

The "it's just entertainment" defence doesn't really wash. This book is the English translation of a Japanese manga that was released in parallel with NHK's long running and well respected 'Project X Challengers' TV series. The TV documentary that it's a spin-off from told the story in quite a different way ( I've got it on DVD ). Over the years, 'Project X' built a reputation for being thoroughly researched and well written. Akira Yokoyama's manga really isn't up to the same standard. Why not? People said that the History Channel documentary on the 'Datsun 240Z' was very entertaining, but that too was full of misleading 'facts' and started out with a similarly flawed perspective. People use this stuff as a source for research and understanding, but it's not really fit for purpose.

There's so much more than that wrong with it. The 'Kaku U' North American road testing / dealership tour story is always good to hear about, but reading the manga you'd be forgiven for believing that no testing was being done back in Japan whatsoever, which is ( literally ) several hundred thousand Kilometers away from the truth. Nissan was testing the cars hard in Japan, and had come to many of the same conclusions as the 'Kaku U' team would anyway. A word about the diff positioning / driveshaft angle / fuel tank placement issue: This whole topic is much more involved than the manga made it seem, and some of the real reasons for the original fuel tank size / location were not touched on. Part of the 'solution' being presented as Nissan Shatai's lightening of the body by 50kg ( to give "better mileage" ) mixes the story up other issues that were being dealt with, and what did they reportedly do after their 'Eureka' moment of realising that this "Road Shake" ( already known about back in Japan )? Not much. Not until they could do a lot of re-engineering, anyway. In the meantime they sold the cars regardless... The whole basic premise seems to make the story revolve around Katayama ( and peripherally Matsuo ), which might well be a good plot device for a drama but falls way short for historical truth. It's a sad irony that Japanese writers have swallowed so much of the USA-centric / Katayama-centric version of events over the years that they now recycle it for Japanese eyes and ears. I've said many times ( upsetting some ) that isolating Katayama and putting him on such a high pedestal really only serves to cast deep and dark shadow over so many other sides to the story, and to obscure the stories of other imprtant individuals. Katayama was/is a great man, but was perhaps rather lucky to find himself paddling his board out to meet one very large wave. A wave that broke on the shore of the late Seventies and which certainly never came again for him. We will probably never see one again either. The manga also gets some names wrong. In fact, it spells the name of one character two different ways on different pages and gets the given name of one ( important ) character wrong altogether. Not what you'd hope or expect. How come nobody ever gives us the epilogue to all this either? What happened afterwards? If this ( apocryphal! ) story of Nissan making cars "for the USA" was so successful, then why did they not repeat it? If Katayama was so influential, then how come he didn't repeat the miracle and was so soon hung out to dry? If the S30-series Z did "change automotive history" ( did it? ) then what was its legacy? That's stuff that we tend not to talk about much, isn't it?

But please, please, pretty please, don't take it all as gospel truth.

Nissan's factory 'Sports Option' lists and race prep manuals always recommended switching to 13/16" rear wheel cylinders and competition linings when using 4-pots ( Sumitomo MK63 ) on the front.

Some sizing data in this old thread: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/exhaust-s30/28457-twice-pipe-exhaust-system.html

Because he's a ****...?

Bold emphasis is mine. 1970 Fairladies had either L20A engines or S20 twin cam engines. The L24 wasn't used in the Japanese market Fairladies until late 1971 ( in the Fairlady 240Z, Fairlady 240Z-L and Fairlady 240ZG ), so if it's a 1970 Fairlady it won't have an L24 engine, and it's not a '240Z'. If the car in question does have an L24, then it's a custom installation and the car doesn't have its "stock block and head" anymore....

These are pics of the seats in the exact car ( the 1971 East African Safari Rally winner ):

I don't think I mentioned the name of the seat manufacturer....? For the record, the seat manufacturer was a company called Ikeda Bussan. 'FRP' = Fibre Reinforced Plastic. Fibreglass, in other words. Which particular car are you modelling? Is it the 1971 East African Safari winning car, 'TKS 33 SA 1223'?

The Works rally seats were made from FRP, but with mounting studs moulded into the base. There were two brackets which attached to these studs, and the brackets were then bolted to the OEM sliding seat rails. See attached photos. The tall bracket mounted to the FRONT part of the seat, and the short bracket mounted to the REAR of the seat. They are photographed in their correct orientation.

I've got two sets, boxed and NOS. Sometimes I open the boxes, take them out and sniff them. It gets me slightly high. Thank you for listening.

Rocky Auto is a world unto itself. It doesn't tell you very much about Japan. Just about Rocky Auto. Rocky Auto is not "Japan". Rocky Auto is merely one aspect of the old Z scene in Japan.

I repeat:

You're making the mistake of judging the whole Japanese market solely on what you see at Rocky Auto. The biggest real money in Japan ( as opposed to simply 'asking prices' at Rocky Auto ) is going to the best, most original / correct / restored / concours cars, just as it always has. "Z cars in Japan commanding big bucks" is not news...

Nah, he was talking about 'Mad' Mike Taylor and his snazzy trousers ( that's Pants to you ).

I think you might want to define what this thread relates to. When I hear the word 'brochure' I tend to think of official, Factory-related sales literature. The above publication is nothing in that line, and was a private effort. It's chock full of mistakes ( as you have noticed ) and is no use to man or beast, except perhaps as an example of how not to do it... So what's the subject of the thread? Factory and factory-authorised stuff, or anything goes?

double post edit

That's potentially a big and complicated topic, and probably best discussed in its own dedicated thread.

Despite what MSA's marketing department might want you to think, there is no such thing as a "432 specific" rear spoiler. The very first spoiler for the S30-series Z range was specific ( as factory stock fitment ) to the PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R'. This design - with its two reinforcing ribs ( which collected water between them.... ) was very distinctive. The PS30 'Fairlady Z432' did not have this rear spoiler as stock equipment, but it was an extra cost option. The very same spoiler was also offered as an extra cost option on the other Fairlady Z models ( S30-S 'Fairlady Z' and S30 'Fairlady Z-L' ) which were sold during the same period. This rear spoiler was superseded by another - similar - design, but this time without the water-gathering ribs. They too had the flat sections on the rear surface on which the emblems could be mounted. This design of spoiler was used on UK and European mainland market 240Z models as stock factory fitment. The ribbed design was not. The rear spoiler on the yellow Nissan GB press car in the photos in the original post is the second, non ribbed, stock UK & European market type. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about.

Actually, the very first UK cars didn't have them. They were used on almost all subsequent UK market 240Z and 260Zs though.

Groundhog Day ( again.... ). The UK market brochure used Nissan Europe-supplied images because Datsun UK ( a concession ) was too mean to pay for their own RHD-specific studio shots. UK market cars didn't have the "Bumperettes" as stock equipment, but they were available as an extra-cost option. The car in the brochure looks how the yellow car in the OP is supposed to look. ie it has the correct ( metal ) fender extensions and front valance, and the correct ( urethane ) front spoiler / air dam. It also has the front indicator units mounted on the top of the bumper to comply with the European lighting height regulations ( unlike the Nissan GB press car ) and even the front fender / wing indicator repeater lenses are mounted correctly...

That's the same car as in the original post, complete with one-piece aftermarket spoiler / valance / fender extensions. It's not stock. It's just trying to look like the stock UK market parts.

The yellow car in question belongs to Nissan Motors Great Britain, and is part of their press fleet. It's a very well known car over here. The front spoiler is something of a trompe l'oeil, as it is replicating the look of the stock UK market front spoiler but is actually made from FRP. In fact, the front spoiler, lower fender extensions and centre panel are all moulded in one piece, and it was painted to look like the stock factory appearance. It's an aftermarket item, and - I'm told - it was used as a suitable original front spoiler in good condition could not be found at the time of restoration. The rear spoiler on the car is a stock UK market factory item, and is nothing to do with the 432. Notice that the lenses on the front indicator repeaters ( on the front wings / fenders ) are mounted upside down? When Nissan GB displayed the car at the Goodwood Revival Meeting some years ago, my KPGC10 was displayed alongside it. We were tempted to correct the indicator lenses ourselves but never got around to it. They are still like it to this day.....

I'll weigh in with a negative: This is - no other word for it - just garbage. Another slap in the face for the ( quite large ) team of people who did style, design, engineer, R&D and produce the S30-series Z family.

Bart, You might be well advised to try looking a little closer to home...