HS30-H

No - it has been clearly stated that this car is a GT-X with the 'KGC10' VIN prefix. If it had the 'KPGC10' VIN prefix then you would probably be correct - but it has not. Its a GT-X that has been built as a GT-R replica, as g72s20 has mentioned. Taking the S20 engine out of a genuine C10 GT-R would make no economical sense; the car would be worth more complete with engine unless the body was unrestorable. About 15-20 years ago there were a fair few GT-Rs and 432s knocking around in Japan with L6 transplants, but most if not all of these have been reunited with their original spec S20 engines by now. Alan T.

Hi Jim, Nice car! I will have to scan some Kakimoto related stuff for you. I think I have at least one of their old catalogues somewhere, and some old magazine articles about their engines. I will track it down for you. I know its there somewhere. But don't expect anything too special internally for one of their street-tune engines. I would think it will mostly be about headwork and cam if its 'just' an L28. I remember one of their drag-spec 3.1 engines ( L14 Rods, Honda XL500 pistons, LD28 Crank ) was dynoed at around 330PS back in the late Seventies. I think I have data about that too. I'll see what I can find. Don't knock the 432 stuff. At least one other person on this forum appreciates it and shares their enthusiasm for it...... Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Jim, Yes - I know a bit about them. What do you want to know? Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Kats, I'm very sorry to hear that you are 'retiring' from this site. I'm sure your Z passion will continue, and I do hope that you can drop in here occasionally in future. I hope you know that your input here has been much appreciated and enjoyed. Every single post you made was a pearl that added to the wealth of the site and the knowledge and enjoyment of the 'community' here. I for one will certainly miss you. My best wishes to you, Alan T. London, UK.

Hi Alfadog, Yes, the ZG and Z-L wiper arms ( and the metal parts of the wiper blade units themselves ) were painted satin black. It seems to be a paint finish rather than a coating or anodising process. Its very similar to that on Nissan products today. Both the arms and the blade units have different part numbers to the standard silver finish wipers. I would presume that painting them black was more in keeping with the look of the ZG, and that the 'look' was perhaps seen as more sporty at the time - hence fitting them as standard equipment on the Z-L? v12horse, You may have spotted some Nissan advertising or promotion that showed silver coloured wiper arms on the ZG. I have seen the same. It may well be the black wiper arms were a late decision and did not make it into the photo sessions. Its one of those Nissan anomalies again, I think. ****-up rather than conspiracy...... I've also seen silver wiper arms on cars that appear to be original ZGs, but its impossible to be sure if this was original fitment ( doubtful ) as anything can happen over the course of 30 years or more. I think the situation with the headlamp covers not being present in the 1969 dealer option lists is another Nissan anomaly. They were not in the options list, but they were available. They may have been missed off the list for a good reason - for example, publishing deadlines? I think its very likely. Its possible to see lots of differences on the promo and early photo shoot cars. Gee, Yes, I reckon the "Leather Top" would be one of the rarest. I can't imagine it had the same level of take-up as the other less garish options. But I bet there were a fair few sold, all the same...... Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Gee, That would be a major undertaking. There are several different Sports Option lists relating to first-generation Z cars, and the biggest of these has 12 pages. Text is tiny ( difficult to scan and save as a jpeg with a reasonably legible size ) and lots of important notes are - naturally - in Japanese, which would need translating to make any sense. The originals I have are very precious to me, and are very delicate - so they can be very difficult to scan without causing damage to spines and folds. They are expensive to buy ( when you can find them ) and a couple of them are extremely rare - even in Japan. I don't have any suggestions as to where they can be found these days, except with Japanese automotive literature specialists and auctions. Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Ben, I think its worth remembering that the purpose of this options list was for it to be used at the time of ordering a new car - starting from when the prospective customer chose the exact model of S30-series Fairlady Z that he / she wanted to buy....... Some of the original brochures and catalogues, and indeed the Sports Option lists that I have, show evidence of the prospective customer comparing prices between different models with different options. There are little notes of prices, star marks next to certain models and options, and other evidence of note making at time of order enquiry written in pencil and ballpoint pen. Its quite interesting to see these doodles. The point is that some - or most - of these options would be best chosen when the car was being ordered new. In effect, the Japanese customer would have a 'made to order' car to his / her choice of specs. Some of the options however could ( and were ) bought over the counter and fitted to cars later on. You might imagine a customer choosing one of the twin-pipe exhaust systems as a replacement for a worn out original standard system, or adding headlamp covers and a spoiler a couple of months or even years after buying the car new. I have seen the leather gear knob ( and the leather steering wheel ) and they are hard to describe. Essentially the same shape as the standard item, but with hand-sewn leather covering. Most of these have not survived. I think I have pics somewhere which I will try to dig out for you. You asked about my car. My ZG had a non-standard exhaust system on it when I bought it. I have used several systems on it, but the current system is a copy of the Nissan twin pipe system - except it is made from stainless steel. Hopefully it will last longer than a mild steel system does in this country ( ie - not very long). Its dulling down nicely now ( it was a bit too shiny at first.....). The parts offered in the USA-market "Datsun Competition" catalogues are - for the most part - different to the Japanese new car sales brochure options. The only crossovers I can see are things like the headlamp covers, rear spoilers, Overfenders, stop-watch clock etc. The Datsun Competition catalogues list more serious sports / competition parts, and some of the parts that were available in Japan through the Nissan "Sports Option" parts lists, which were another thing altogether. Alan T.

I'm starting this thread as a companion piece to this thread started by Alfadog: Home-market S30 options In late 1971, the Fairlady 240Z ( HS30-S ) Fairlady 240Z-L ( HS30 ) and Fairlady 240ZG ( HS30-H ) and their related derivatives were released for sale in the Japanese home market, joining the previously released ( from late 1969 ) Fairlady Z, Fairlady Z-L and Fairlady Z432. A new sales brochure was released, and this carried information on the optional equipment that could be chosen for these models. I have scanned the options section of the brochure, and attached photos and the options list below. Red square denotes "Standard Equipment", and Blue Dot denotes "Option". The relevant models are listed down the left side of the list. Here's a translation of the top line of the list: *5-Speed Transmission. *175 HR-14 Tyre. *Air Con Kit. *Leather Handle ( Steering Wheel ). *Leather Shift Lever Knob. *Car Stereo. *Stop Watch Clock. *Two Hand ( normal ) Clock. *Reclining Seat Device. *Passing Light. *Fog Lamp. *Dual Exhaust. *Leather Top ( Vinyl roof kit ). *Accent Stripe ( with special version for Fairlady ZG ). *Bumper Rubber. *Over Rider. *Heated Rear Window. *Headlamp Cover. *Roll Bar. *Tail Air Spoiler. *Footrest - Assistant. *FM Pack. *New Type Wheel Cover. *Wiper ( Black Painted ). *Overfender. Here are the pics: Alan T.

I'm surprised at what seems to be evidence of CUSCO being little known in the USA ( ? ). CUSCO diff parts have a very good name and reputation in Japan, along with their suspension components and other parts. I have just fitted a full set of their coilover suspension to my R32 GT-R. Its good quality stuff. RWD diff LSD units have been in their inventory from when they started making LSD units, and they are still stocked today. I have just sourced one of their 2 Way units ( which comes complete with new bearings and even a rear cover gasket ) for a friend here in the UK with a 180SX. Its a really nice, high quality piece of engineering. Replacement parts are not going to be a problem for this ebay-listed R180 unit, as the plates and shims inside it are shared by other CUSCO LSD units and will be readily available. I see that half of one bearing is still left on this ebay unit, and will need to be removed ( as will the other, which seems to have its outer section missing? ) but any buyer would be well advised to put new bearings on it anyway. The seller has some interesting ideas about how to describe it, but don't let that put you off. As long as the price stays within reasonable levels then any good condition CUSCO LSD will be worth having. Last thing to remember is that putting an LSD unit into an R180 requires proper resetting of the ring gear to pinion relationship, and is usually better left to a pro with the right tools, parts and know-how. The R200 is much easier. Here's a pic of the unit I imported last week for my friend:

Enrique, If you are feeling *lucky* with regard to those Fog Lamp Switch enquiries, then these numbers might also be worth enquiring about : *25540-E4300 COMB-SWITCH TURN SIGNAL DIMMER *25540-E4301 COMB-SWITCH TURN SIGNAL DIMMER ( Option ) *25230-89903 ASSY-RELAY TYPE K3 ( PASSING ) ( Option ) *25230-N3000 ASSY-RELAY PASSING - EUROPE from 07-72 I've got a Nissan drawing of that K3 relay, but I'll have to scan it later. Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Mike, I understand the situation with regard to the Japanese home market cars; it makes sense and everything matches up with documented specs and Nissan's info. The Passing Light function was standard equipment in just about everything except the S30-S Fairlady Z and HS30-S Fairlady 240Z ( the two 'base spec' models ). No problem there. Most of the UK-market RHD Export cars were fitted with the Passing Lamp switch, as far as I know. Certainly the UK cars that I have owned, and all the ones I have liberated of parts and given a decent burial have had them too. As far as the Australian / NZ market RHD Export cars go, I'm not so sure. But that's not unusual; those market have their own anomalies and can be much more confusing / interesting than other markets. A look through a Nissan "R DRIVE" parts book for the RHD Export models will show anybody that the Australian market spec was riddled with special parts, exceptions and options that are very complicated and confusing! The big surprise for me was that the USA market LHD Export cars did not have the Passing Light. I did not know that. It's one of those things I either never looked into or just never noticed. I've driven a few USA market LHD cars, but obviously never had call to use the Passing Light function - otherwise I should have noticed....... Alan T.

You sound very confident :classic: Good luck! Alan T.

Hi Enrique, Are you saying that some ( all? ) of the USA market cars didn't have the "Passing Light" system? If its true, then I'm surprised. I never knew that. I know exactly what you mean about the headlamp flashing system on most UK / European cars. Usually a single pull back on a column-mounted stalk will flash the headlamps. I've had a few American cars, but can't clearly remember a similar system on them ( too long ago ). On the S30-series Z, pulling back on the Indicator Stalk simply clicks a switch that controls main beam and dipped beam on the headlamps ( it doesn't do anything unless the lights are switched on ) - am I right? The Passing Lamp button on the end of the Indicator Stalk allows the headlamp flash function ( press in: on, let go: off ) even while the lights are off. The Indicator Stalk on the Passing Lamp system-equipped cars is therefore a busy little bee. Talk about multi-tasking! I'm sorry, I don't have a pic of the insides of the switch at the end of the column to show you. I've dug out a wiring diagram for the domestic market S30 and HS30 cars, and I have scanned it. You can imagine just how much detail will be lost in the scan once I have reduced it to a reasonable size to upload here. I can send you a bigger, higher quality scan direct if you want it. Wiring is definitely in one of my blind spots, I'm afraid. I can't help you to decipher it very much ( its too big ) unless you point out specific areas of interest. I'm hoping you will spot the differences and home in on them. Here's the diagram:

daddz, I'd recommend trying to schedule any trip to Japan to include one of the bigger yearly meetings of Japanese Z car clubs. You can see photos from such events in my Gallery here. As your field of interest takes in more than just the first generation Z cars, you probably have a wider choice of events to choose from. However, most of them are single-day events. That always gives a possibility of bad weather spoiling them. You have to take that into account. Cheers, Alan T.

My Z-L was originally #901 Grand Prix Silver too ( yes - it was metallic ). It seems to have been very popular in the domestic market in the first year of sales. There were indeed areas of the car that were lead-loaded by the Factory before painting ( particularly the roof to rear quarter joint on the rear pillar ) but to see it on the front wings I would say was unusual...... However, the fact that the car ( as you say ) has no evidence of the domestic market mirrors on the front wings ( that's a pretty big hole to cover up ) suggests that the car might have been modified some time earlier in its life. The aftermarket mirrors on the doors are a big clue to this. I am willing to bet that they are a famous aftermarket make ( "Sebring" perhaps? ) and were fitted to the personal taste of a previous owner. This is quite common, I'd say. Nothing to worry about. If you want to put it back to Factory spec mirror-wise then I can help you with parts and positioning. Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Dylan, Good to see the photos. Engine bay looks like it has not been messed with - which is nice. The bumpers *might* have been replaced if they do have the rubber trim. Either that or the original buyer went for the extra-cost Option of having them supplied on the car new. I still think its more likely to be an S30-S if it has the 4-speed. Any idea of the original Factory colour? Thanks for your PM. I'll contact you directly to send further info. I hope that I can help you with it. Cheers! Alan T.

Here are some more pics of Fog Lamp switches. These are being used to switch the huge Koito Spot Lamps on Works 240Z rally cars. The Koito spot lamps on the Works rally cars were actually Koito's aircraft landing lights ( normally situated inside a nacelle on the leading edge of the wing? ) I am told. Part numbers for the Fog Lamp Switches were: 25370-E4100 COMB-SWITCH FOG LAMP ( OPT ) - up to 08-71 superseded by: 25370-E8700 COMB-SWITCH FOG LAMP ( OPT ) - from 09-71. Alan T.

Yes Enrique, That is indeed the panel in my 1972 240ZG. However, I think I originally posted it when we were discussing the Japanese-market Parking Lamp system? The panel in my car is custom - so should NOT be discussed as an example of OEM. Some time in the dark and distant past, the previous Japanese owner had all sorts of accessories on the car and needed a few extra switches. He seems to have decided to get another Parking Lamp switch and site it in the Choke light position right next to the original Parking Lamp switches. Didn't we go through all this on the original thread? I can't remember. Anyway, don't lets get suckered into a conversation about my panel - as its modified, and is not a good example of OEM placements for Fog Lamp switches ( only Parking Light switches ). I'm attaching a pic of the underside of the panel just to tie that up. You can see that the second ( custom fitted ) Parking Light switch is unused at present. Actually, you can see why the previous owner thought it would be a handy and neat way of incorporating a couple of extra switches on the panel. It screws on very nicely. I'm also attaching a pic of the panel from my mid-1970 Fairlady Z-L, so you can see the placement of the Parking Lamp switches and HRW switch on the earlier version of the Home market cars.

You mean about the photo Guus posted? That's the 1972 Southern Cross. Rauno Aaltonen and Steve Halloran in "TKS 22 SA 8075". The great Hannu Mikkola is leaning on the door chatting to Aaltonen. They actually won the rally on the road, but were demoted to 2nd for a rule infringement over advertising stickers on the car. Seems the organisers thought they had too many stickers, or they were too big. Oh for the good old days! Trick car, that one. It was running the ECGI injected engine. Pretty powerful. That car also did ( at least ) one other rally in Australia; the 1972 "Dulux International" - which I don't know too much about, do you? It was crewed by Edgar Herrmann and Roger Bonhomme ( a good combination of a fast and experienced Works driver and an experienced navigator with good local knowledge ). Cheers, Alan T.

Roger, Do you think that magazine article's quoted VIN number might have been a typo? I think it has too many digits for a Fairlady Z or Z-L of that age. I think it should read either "S30-01716" or "S30-01712" ( as Dylan said it was ) as they only had 5 numbers in the serial at that point. Likelihood of a sister car with a very close VIN number here in the UK would be fairly unlikely considering that they were not officially imported. Cheers, Alan T.

Just as a little taster, and a bit of encouragement ( you can show it to the 'unbelievers' who don't know what the car is ) here's a scan of one of the earliest Japanese market sales brochures. That's 'your' car ( if its an S30-S 'Fairlady Z' model ) on the far left. Enjoy! Cheers, Alan T.

Great, that's relatively close then. Drop me a PM with your direct e-mail address and I'll put together some pics / data to send to you for your reference. Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Dylan, Glad we have managed to help and reassure you so far. Don't worry about Nissan UK. It seems that a large proportion of their 'suits' don't now one end of Nissan's history from their elbow. I had an exec from Nissan UK standing in front of my genuine Fairlady 240ZG at a car show once, and he was telling me that 'no such model existed'. Oh dear........ Pics will be great. Posting them here as attachments to your posts is pretty simple as long as they are not too big. You have mentioned one detail that would appear to show that its likely to be a Fairlady Z ( S30-S ) model rather than the better-equipped Z-L ( S30 ). The Clue is the fact that it has the four-speed transmission. This was standard equipment on the S30-S, and a very very rarely chosen option on the Z-L, so its more likely to be the 'basic' S30-S. That in itself makes it even rarer than the Z-L. I know of at least four other Z-L models in the UK, but possibly only one S30-S ( which is non-original now anyway ). Its rare anywhere in the world. The most common way that these Japanese home-market models filtered into the UK was in the personal posession of US armed forces personnel. Very often they were stationed in Japan and bought their cars new or used whilst there. Many of these people were then stationed in the UK, and brought their cars with them ( particularly USAF personnel ). It made sense to bring an RHD car to another RHD oriented country, and I'm told that the freight was 'gratis' - as part of their personal effects. My 1970 Z-L came to the UK in this way. Yours seems to have been imported by a Japanese businessman working in the UK, which is exactly how my 1972 Fairlady 240ZG came to the UK. Maybe even the same guy? To pin down more Z or Z-L differences, check out the bumpers ( no rubber trim on original S30-S bumpers ) carpets ( usually rubber mats only on the S30-S, but carpets could have been installed later ) sunvisors ( sometimes only one on the S30-S ) and seat recliners ( non-standard on an S30-S, but Optional equipment ). Lots of other things - which admittedly could have been changed / updated / upgraded across the years - but the transmission already gives a clue that it is the rarer and more basic S30-S. Alfadog posted a link to another recent thread that he started which details the Options on these cars. Should make interesting reading for you. I'm slap in the centre of car-unfriendly London. Where are you? Cheers, Alan T.

Nice detective work, Mike! The car will certainly have had another number after the '851'. Let's wait and see what it is ( if it can be seen ). Actually, the "late" Tony Fall is still very much alive. Did Bob mean somebody else had passed away? That's sad. We need to catch up with many of the characters and hear their stories before its too late.... Cheers, Alan T.

Luckily, I had my Radar switched on. Thanks Gary :classic: