HS30-H

Just about every diff. that Nissan ever made was offered with an LSD option for the Japanese "Home" market. There are still some areas of Japan that have unmade roads ( especially up in the mountains ) and in the northern areas they have a lot of snowfall which they tend to drive ON TOP OF, with studless snow tyres or snowchains ( banned in many areas ). In this kind of environment, an LSD-equipped diff ( albeit with quite a low initial ) is a godsend. I regularly holiday in Hokkaido ( northern island of Japan ) and noticed that even the Nissan Cedric and Gloria taxis ( running on LPG ) are still fitted with versions of the R180 diff, and have LSD's in them! Additionally, Nissan always offered LSD units for just about any diff or axle that they made, in their Sports Option Catalogue. At the risk of disappointing you dohc, almost any S-30 or S-130 series Z ( whether R180 or R200 equipped ) would be very unlikely to have an LSD unit fitted by the factory, except in the Japanese market. Putting "max BHP" figures against any diff is a fool's game. It will depend not only HOW that BHP ( or more importantly, torque ) is transmitted through the diff, but also the traction of the tyres on the other relevant interface ( ie. between the tyre and the road ). Not only that, the actual ratio of the diff. will have a bearing on how easy to break it is ( especially the amount of teeth on the pinion ). Its "easier" to break an LSD-equipped diff too........ Also, don't forget that we are quite often talking about diffs that have been together for 25 years or more! You would have to take into account the condition that it started in. Here in Europe, the Historic Rally guys who run S-30 series Z cars have almost all changed over to R200's with LSD, and either 3.9, 4.1, 4.3 or 4.6 ratios - depending on the trans ratios. These are pretty hard to break, even on tarmac - but they do quite often need re-shimming of the clutch packs to stop them slipping too easy. They set the initial quite high. Its not that difficult to break an LSD-equipped R180, even with just 220 to 250 HP ( I know, I've done it..... ). The design of the R200 is far superior to the R180, so its not just a case of bigger is better. Alan T.

Hi Mike and Shiin, Difficult to compare the original S30 with this "New" 350Z / Fairlady ( depending on what market version ) as we are living in different times................... Back in the '60's while the S30-series Z was being designed, Nissan was very much centred in Japan - with the East and West Coast offices of Nissan USA concentrating on selling the cars and looking after all that goes with it. Here in Europe, we had stand-alone ( ie, not owned by Nissan ) companies acting as Importers. You would have to say that they did not have all that much input with the design process, but would make suggestions as to what they could best sell - and what to "tweak" to help the cars survive the needs of their particular market. All said, the design and development was happening in Japan. Nowadays things are completely different, and auto makers are much more global in structure. Its difficult to see ANY new car these days as the product of any one company or country. There are honourable exceptions that prove this rule, though. The R32, R33 and R34 series Skyline GT-Rs were the babies of an intensely focused faction inside Nissan, a group who still feel their heritage and family tree come from the Prince regime of ex-aircraft engineers who were realy serious about racing and making great cars. Sadly, this group now seems to be feeling pressure to change.............. This "New Z" / "350Z" / "Fairlady" or whatever they have decided to call it, cannot really be seen as a pure product of Nissan Japan. I think I read somewhere ( and I have to admit it - I don't really care where it was designed ) that it was a product of some outpost design office somewhere ( probably in Calif. ) and that the process has been something of a global collaboration between all parts of the company. My eyes start to glaze over when I read the dull corporate-speak press releases, so forgive me for not knowing the details on who or where it was "designed". Personally speaking, I have no idea how they think that they can link the "DNA" of this new car to the original S30-series Z. There are very few car manufacturers who have pulled this kind of stunt off, and any new car has to survive on its own merits. It seems from the good reviews that the new car has been receiving that it may well indeed be a good car. Again, personally speaking, I will not pay much more than passing attention to it - and I feel the same kind of ambivalence to it as I do an S130-series, Z31 series, or Z32 series car. Its something quite different to what I am into. As Shiin suggests, things are a lot more organised these days in relation to VIN / Chassis numbers on new cars and on prototypes. We live in a different world to the one where the S30-series Z was the product of a small group of guys in Japan with a mission to build a sportscar at a good price and make their company successful by exporting them around the world. Those guys ( and I include the American branch of the operation in that ) did something that would be impossible to do these days, and I have no idea why anyone would think that the "new" Z could even come close to matching what they achieved. The prototypes and styling studies for the S30-series Z were indeed RHD. However, there were also LHD versions being assessed for productionising at the same time, as they planned the LHD version from the very early days. The LHD version needed to work and work well, so they put just as much effort into it as any other of the versions. I don't think we can say for sure that any cars that were serious pre-prod. or sign-off mules ever received their hand-stamped numbers, so "00001" is a kind of fairy story anyway. There are only a few guys who know the truth, and they were the guys on the line who were responsible for this part of the Z story. I have met some S30-series Z production-line workers, but they were not the people that had the authority to put numbers on chassis - so I am still waiting to meet the relevant person to ask the questions to! All the above aside, there seems no doubt that the RHD version of the car was what came first in the design process, and the LHD was a "version" of this. I don't think that this was something that they consciously decided on; it was just NATURAL. Even the engines and transmissions that they used were designed primarily for RHD cars; they just evolved from the previous designs of Nissan and Prince engines which came before them. I'm not trying to re-write history - its just that the English-language version of the story seems to have been misconstrued from way back when............ Surely anyone who looks under the bonnet ( sorry - "hood" ) of a Left Hand Drive S30-series Z would see that the layout of the components in the car does not make logical sense? There is a hell of a lot going on in the driver's side of the car isn't there? Now think of what a Right Hand Drive version looks like; the carbs and exhaust are on the opposite side to the driver ( hence out of the way of the steering column and the master cylinders ) and the balance makes a lot more sense. Looking inside the car, you can see the handbrake is on the RIGHT side of the tunnel, and even the clutch slave cylinder is on the right hand side of the transmission. They never moved them from the roiginal RHD site for the LHD version. I'm not saying that the LHD cars were any sort of "afterthought" - but they did need to compromise slightly to make the LHD version. And I have no idea how anyone could call the "HLS30" USA / North American version anything approaching a "definitive" version - especially with a four-speed, tall diff. ratio and no rear anti-roll bar. We might end up chasing our tails if we start thinking along the lines of "Chassis no.1" - as there probably WAS no such thing. However, we should at least try to think of the RHD versions as being there at the beginning ( and I am NOT necessarily talking about the HS30 here; it is the S30 and PS30 that everybody seems to forget, and which need to be given their rightful place in English-language Z history, or any other non-Japanese language come to that ). Its nice to have people like Mike ( zedrally ) and the other Australian guys sticking up for the "Right Hookers" out there. We can't let the "Lefties" think that they were first, if indeed either of them was "first". All you guys in the USA and North America might sometimes like to reflect on the fact that this is a now a globally subscribed website dedicated to a Japanese car. Naturally it will be biased towards the main percentage of its audience and participants, but we non-USA / North American members make a good contribution to the debates and help to give it some balance. I really wish that more Japanese S30 -series Z owners would feel confident enough in their English to participate and put across their side of the story. I suppose we will have to wait for the day when our computers can automatically translate everything for us without asking. Sometimes it would be useful to know what the hell some of you guys out there are actually talking about!..................... Zedrally, would you like to join me for afternoon tea in my nuke-proof bomb shelter?! Alan T.

Hi Guus, I'm always worried about getting too much going on these threads, as it makes it difficult for me to be getting on with my work! I keep coming back to the site and having a look at what's going on - when I should be working to make a living.......... By the way, its quite clear that the '75 and '76 cars are one and the same car. We even know where it came from now, and that Japanese number plate should not have been on it in '75, as its from a quite different car. Seems they bent the rules a little to get the car into the race......... Here's one you might not have seen before;

Hi Guus, Here we go again with the Le Mans car subject!........... Here in the UK we have a replica of the '75 Le Mans entry under construction. Owner is Mr Chris Gray, and he is making a really good job of it. His research is amazingly detailed. I just helped him to get a replica body kit in from Japan ( the Works type "B" ) and he is now fitting it. Its going to be as authentic as possible, with all the correct stickers etc. Here's one of the photos that you might not have seen before;

Hi there ZR240, Only one S30-series Z car raced at Le Mans, it was in 1975 and 1976 - and it was the same car both years. Other attempts to qualify were made in previous years ( notably by Rob Grant ) but they did not make the cut. In '75 the entry had a few diff. troubles, but still won their class after finishing the race. In '76 they were going quite well until until a crash on the Mulsanne straight destroyed the car and very sadly proved fatal for the driver. Have a look around on this site for previous posts on the Le Mans entries; a few months ago we were going great guns on the subject. I have a fair few photos of the car in both years now, but I would need the permission of the person who gave them to me before I put them up here. I'll have a word with him about it. What part of the subject were you most interested in? Maybe there's something in particular you want to know? All the best, Alan T.

Hi Z Kid, I think I just caught you in time before you dropped off the bottom of the Active Topics list.......... The bottom-end of that 260C L26 is to all intents and purposes the same as you would find in an RS30 / RLS30 "260Z". The main differences were in the head and the manifolding / carburation. This should work with the stuff on the L24 engine that is currently in your car ( I presume its the original engine? ). Do watch out for the sump and oil pickup pipe being different, as there were some models where this was quite different ( and the dipstick position too ). Being as its an auto, you will have to put the flywheel and clutch on it - along with the head and everything else from your present L24. Its still a lot of work, which begs the question; why not rebuild the bottom end of the present engine? It probably only needs a good clean out, new bearings and piston rings. Bet it doesn't even need a rebore or crank grind.............. You might notice different characteristics of the L26 engine compared to your L24; it will not want to rev as eagerly for one thing. Good luck with it, anyway. Alan T.

Hi Steve-o, You get the award for polite and enthusiastic replies. How refreshing! Some people don't even say a "thank you"...... I just looked at your photo gallery, and only one set of four photos is up so far ( the other set is awaiting approval - which is an administrative thing to safeguard the users of this site, and makes sense - so be patient ). First thing I noticed ( no, second ) is that the steering wheel is the very early stock type with "filled-in" spokes. In fact, the spokes had the squareish depressions - just they were never cut out as on later cars. Its a totally stock early wheel - and perfectly matches the car. This is a good thing. Actually, the first thing I noticed was that it looks like a good solid and unmessed-with car. Many of these cars ( no matter where they are ) have been altered or messed with in some way, which can be discouraging. Just like any vintage or collector car, and yes - just like the early VW scene - a nice "barn-find" car is quite often more sought-after than a good everyday runner. Its probably something to do with the virginal aura it sends out, and that whoever buys it can be the first to get at it.......... Those wheels are pretty regular aftermarket "Slot Mag" types and were possibly offered by the dealer as an extra. They are aluminium, and carry on the tradition started by Halibrand way back in the late Fifties ( although real Halibrands were magnesium and more sculpted than these ). I have no idea of the make, but it might be cast into the reverse of the wheel if you can get one off. That "P/S" logo must be identifiable by one of our American correspondents, surely? The rear brake drums are also stock. They are cast aluminium with a steel or iron liner - like all S30-series Zs. Those rear bumper bars were a USA / North American market option ( again, a bit like the Empi bumper bars of the period - so it was probably part of the automotive fashion of the time ). The other markets did not get this choice as far as I know. The lights sound stock, and they were made by Koito and IKI, with some being made by Stanley. Nothing out of the ordinary there ( again, that's a GOOD thing ). The seats are probably the standard vinyl too; it was a pretty horrible simulated-leather vinyl. This did not survive well in hard use or strong sunlight - but again, the car seems to have been off the road for a long time - so its probably stock. That flip-up centre console is non-stock I think; probably a dealer installed option or aftermarket item ( not a factory item ) and makes perfect sense with the automatic trans. I would recommend that you try to get the car rolling ( get the tyres pumped up ) and then try to get it out in the open so that you can see what you have got. Gentle recommissioning would make the car easier to sell, so the usual rules for getting an old car running after a long lay-up would apply. There have been posts about this procedure on this site in the past, so I recommend you have a look and don't rush into it. You can bet any fuel in the tank will be bad stuff by now, and you do NOT want that getting into the rest of the system. Its easy to drain the tank and flush it out, there's a big plug in the middle underneath it. Spark plugs out and some stuff down the bores will help to unstick any piston rings that don't want to do any more work. You can turn the engine over by putting a big socket and breaker bar on the front pulley nut ( make sure you turn it the right way ). God, I hate sitting here typing all this stuff - I want to come over and get my hands dirty myself! Hell - just leave it as it is and send it over to me............... Any more help you need, just ask - the guys that inhabit this site are a good lot and will I am sure already be hatching plots to come and get the car from you. Good luck, Alan T. ( in London, England - so I'm a bit too far away to come and sniff the thing myself..... ).

I'm not complaining or anything 2Many - just paranoid about being misconstrued! I'm sure that some people already branded me a heretic for daring to question the word of the HLS30 Gods....... Being interested in the Right Hand Drive S30 story can be a lonely furrow to plow. Sometimes it seems that questioning the "facts" can lead to a lightning strike and eternal damnation. I just want S30-series Z enthusiasts to realise that the Left Hand Drive cars were not where the story began or ended. Thank heavens for some of the more vocal enthusiasts in Australia and New Zealand for giving me some moral support on this. I have to say that this website would be a very lopsided affair without them.............. One day I might summon up the courage to start a thread along the lines of "Why the handbrake is on the wrong side of the tunnel on Left Hand Drive S30's" or "Why the carbs and exhaust are on the 'wrong' side for LHD S30's" - but I think I shall finish building my nuke-proof bunker first! Alan T.

Hi Steve-o, Sounds like you have inherited something really nice there. Thanks to halz for pointing out that the VIN / Chassis Numbers are each a unique series to their prefixes ( seems like some of the previously posted replies did not understand that ). Therefore, steve-o, this car would be the 14946th "HLS30" assigned a number on the production line - but certainly not the 14946th S30-series Z made. You must not forget all the other variants on the basic S30-series chassis type. Just to decode what that prefix basically means: *S30 = the factory's code for the basic model type of the "First" Z *H = fitted with the L24 engine *L = left hand drive Put these all together and you get "HLS30" which is stamped onto the bulkhead ( along with the actual number of the body - 14946 in your case, which means the 14946th "HLS30" as mentioned above ) as well as on the chassis tag ( attached to the inner wing or "fender" on the sparkplug side of the engine ). As you have the USA / North American export version of the HLS30 ( as opposed to the European LHD model ) you will also see this number in other locations on the car, such as on the dash near the window and on the door shut panel. 2ManyZ's perhaps slightly overstates my previously posted points about the factory "missing" a few chassis numbers; it was probably only a small number ( in the scheme of things ) and mainly traceable on the RHD type chassis numbers. To all intents and purposes, its probably OK to call this car the 14,946th "HLS30" produced - but don't forget that caveat; there were other number series sequences too. In the USA, its common to hear a car like this described by its "Model Year" ( in your case, they might call it a 1971 Model Year ). To me, that's a local habit for one particular market and I think it causes confusion. To the rest of the world ( and especially Japan ) what counts is the date that the car came off the production line, and I personally think this is the only thing that counts. I don't care when it ARRIVED in the country it was sold in, and I don't care what the DEALER described it as when he sold it ( especially as they will always try to make out that a car is younger than it really is! ). Its the day that it came off the line and got inspected that counts for me. That's why to me, and to many others, your car was born in late 1970. The engine number is on the engine block, on a raised pad just below the spark plugs - just by the head / block joint, and at the firewall / bulkhead end. It will probably match up with the number on the chassis plate, as these engines were very durable. I can understand you thinking that the steering wheel might be an Empi - they look similar in some ways. However, what you describe sounds like the stock wheel and is not rare ( although the very early models had no cut-outs on the spokes - which are rarer ). Without seeing a picture it would be hard to comment on the wheels, but I know some cars in the USA ended up with dealer-installed Empi 8-spokes ( which were, somewhat ironically, manufactured for Empi in Japan ). That P/S logo sounds different though, so they might well be Panasports. I ought to let the American experts comment on that.............. I know a little about Empi because I used to have a lot of VW's ( 55, 56 & 57 Type 1, 66 Type 2, 62 and 69 Type 3 ) so I can understand what you might be thinking about rare parts on this Z. However, its unlikely to have any really rare / valuable accessory parts on it. The only stuff that's really collectable or rare are the genuine factory Sports Option or competition parts, and there are certainly not that many of them out there "undiscovered". As an Automatic version, you might find people telling you that its worth less than a Manual transmission version. You might also find that the colour will not be that popular ( although it would certainly be rarer than a red or silver one ). The bottom line is the CONDITION of the body, and this will be the main factor in deciding the price that you can get. You are also situated in what seems to be the easiest area of the world to find an early Z in good condition - so you might find that the local market value is slightly less than it would be elsewhere. As you may have noticed from previous posts, there are many of us out here in cyberspace that would jump on this car if it were more local to us! Unfortunately, the distance and cost involved in obtaining a Californian Z can mean that it is not a viable proposition to buy. Good luck with the car and make sure it goes to a good home ( why not keep it!? ). Alan T.

Hi Alfadog, Pleased that you are getting involved with this one. Certainly there is no reason to doubt that your car is non-original in having no Hatch Vents but still having the Hand Throttle. Like I said before, they switched stuff over "gradually" - so there are plenty of anomalies out there on cars that were half way between switchovers................ HS30-O1031 would most likely be very early '71 I would have thought, and maybe even very late '70 ( they took no notice of the Christmas holidays in Japan; New Year is the big one for them.... ). Great input re the Australian Compliance Plates from Lee and Darryl there. Good stuff. Didn't know any of that. Looks like quite a lot of early HS30's survive out there in Australia, which is great news. Alan T.

Zvoiture, He won't find many "R190" diffs in Japanese scrapyards........... The "R190" was the name that DATSUN COMPETITION in the USA gave to the diff. that was fitted as standard in the Z432 ( PS30 ) and Z432-R ( PS30-SB ), and in the first Skyline GT-R's ( PGC10 and KPGC10 ). In actual fact, the Japanese called this the "R192", and it was kind of like an R180 on steroids. Still the same basic design - just scaled up. These are now very difficult to find, and very expensive when you do. Being the same basic design as the R180, it shares the faults of the R180. They were always noisy, especially with 3.9, 4.1, 4.44 ( standard on the 432 and GT-R ) and up gears ( they went up to 5.1 ). The R200 however is a much better design, and is a dream to set up in comparison to the R180 and R192. Its also so common in Japan that it seems to be possible to find one whatever area of the country you look in. Not too expensive either, and with Japan's many difficult mountain roads and snowy / icy weather in winter, it quite easy to find them with LSD from the factory - especially on the commercial vehicle applications ( look for Cedric and Gloria wagons for these ). The "Scrap" yard owners in Japan quite often have them already stripped out of the car, on the shelf, and with the ratios marked on them in paint marker. Jurven, you sound like you have the luxury of free shipping - in which case you might consider buying some more diffs to sell when you get back. The "Want Ads" seem to be full of Z owners in the USA looking for R200's with and without LSD's. Happy sailing, Alan T.

The 18 series is an excellent choice for the L24 engine, and Weber themselves recommended this model for it. They have the 10mm Accelerator Pump Rod stroke as standard. That's very important for making sure you get good "driveability" from the conversion, and I notice that you said you had a nice mid-range performance - which is probably down to the Pump Rod stroke. Once you get those bigger chokes installed and sort out any other details, you should be able to get to the bottom of the problem pretty quickly. Good luck, Alan T.

Hi jurven, Can I ask precisely why you are chasing what you call a "Skyline" diff. for your Z? If you want to "upgrade", and even go LSD with a nice ratio, why not go for the R200 ( seen on many many Nissan models - not just the Skyline ). If you choose one from an early 300ZX it will NOT be expensive in Japan ( unless you think around $400 for a really spiffy 3.9 LSD-equipped R200 is expensive ). Open 3.9 ratios should be peanuts money in Japan ( maybe as low as $100 ) and they are usually in great condition too. If you ask at a Japanese used parts yard for a "Skyline" diff, you will probably be asked what model you want ( there were myriad different versions, and don't forget that the "Skyline" name started way back in the mid Fifties in Japan..... ). Stick to asking for a "Fairlady" diff and you will probably simplify matters for yourself. Then you only need to change the moustache bar and pop some bolt-up output shafts on it ( easy to find from any early-type R200 ). You might not be able to get it through the X-ray machine at the airport though..................! Good luck, Alan T.

By the way Nick, I was surprised to note that you are calling your car a 1971 year build. I would have thought that such a low HS30 number would have probably come off the line in the later months of 1970. Maybe you have some data that makes you think otherwise? I'd be fascinated to hear about it of you have. Its automotive archaeology. Alan T.

Hi Nick, That's a difficult one, and I don't think that the factory would even be able to tell you the answer to it................ Don't forget that when you ask about RHD cars, it also includes all the Japanese "Home" market models too. So that makes a total of three basic types ( "S30", "PS30" & "HS30" ) and several different spec./ trim levels to combine. In the "X Files", they say that "The Truth is Out There......" - but when it comes to hard and totally infallible data on the early Z car, I'm sorry to say that it probably isn't............. You can bet that your Export spec. HS30 is a rare survivor of the first few hundred of them built. They had a far higher rate of attrition than the early HLS30 models. If you want an educated guess, then you can be sure that there were more than 900 of the deck-lid vented and hand-throttle equipped "Export" HS30's. Probably not too many more though ( and certainly not thousands ). Interestingly, there are examples of these cars both WITH the interior "Tool Boxes" and without. Nissan phased these in over a fair few cars, so its possible to see anomalies where the bodyshell styles crossed over slightly. I don't know if that is true for the LHD cars, as it seems that the spec. on those was more reliable. Alan T.

Hi Darryl, Thanks for the kind words ( knew that our fellow HS30 owners wouldn't let me sink out there on my own ), but I'm still waiting for the barrage to come in from the "zhome.com" Appreciation Society. I should think that you are probably pretty close with your build date guess at Octoberish '70 for your "HS30-00145" VIN ( you lucky sod! ). Its fairly obvious that there was a big gap in HS30 production between the turn of the decade and later in the year. I think this was most likely because of the Type Approval problems on the UK-destined cars, as well as the great surge in interest from the USA / North American market taking over most of the production space on the lines. So many people in Japan told me that they were working around the clock and doubling-up just to build enough cars to supply the huge demand from that market. Seems it quite took them by surprise. The factory were using "HS30" as well as "PS30" and "S30" prefixed cars as part of their race programme in Japan from early '70 though - so there is no doubt that some small number of "HS30" prefixed shells were made in late '69 early '70. Personally, I think all this talk of "Series 1" and "Series 2" cars is nonsense. The factory never seemed to describe them this way, and I have only heard Z enthusiasts in Japan talking about them because they picked the habit up from English-language websites and books. The whole thing seems to be a leftover from that American "model year" thing - where a car gets updated for a its new selling season. That's the same concept as the magazines I buy fresh off the news-stand in July saying "September issue" on the cover. Its just dealer-speak. What I am interested in, and what I mean when I talk about build-date, is WHEN IT CAME OFF THE LINE. The "HLS30" experts might like to tell people that such and such a car should have such and such a part on it, and for 99% of the time they can be right. However, they make me wonder when we can identify all sorts of anomalies and strange combinations on the RHD cars. Things that just do not fall into any kind of strictly-regimented order or plan. Stuff where the factory used different suppliers for the same basic item, or a "test" addition of a newly-modified or updated part on a car that "should" have had the previous type. Here in the UK, we have seen this particularly on the late HS30's when they started to get parts that would later be seen on the RS30. The factory started switching parts and phasing them in with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Derk, if I were you I would have another look at the VIN on that car. If I'm not mistaken you are short of an "L", unless you have that Caelocanth of the Z world - a Left-Hand-Drive HS30......? Happy number crunching. Alan T.

The reason I asked about the "series" number of the carbs is because this will tell us what Accelerator Pump Rod stroke you have ( presuming that nobody has changed them - which I doubt ). This could be a factor in the problem that you describe, and it sounds as though you pretty much went with the specs./ jets that were in the carbs "as bought". You really need around 10mm of Accelerator Pump Rod stroke on an L24 using 40's. You need to be using 0.55 Accelerator Pump Inlet / Discharge Valves too ( three of them - one in the bottom of the well in each carb ). If you don't mind spending some money, why not get a set of 32 or 34mm chokes and some F2 Emulsion Tubes while you are at it? If you tell me what series the carbs are, I can tell you what they used to be on, and what the Accelerator Pump Rod stroke is. Alan T.

Hi smg1404, What's the history on those carburettors? Were they on the car when you bought it, or did you fit them yourself? Also, what "series" are they? ( you can see this stamped on the top cover, after the "type" stamp ). It will read "40 DCOE xx" - just tell me what the double x bit says. Those chokes are slightly small ( I would expect 30 or 32, even 34mm chokes to be OK on an otherwise fairly stock L24 ) but I can't imagine them "strangling" a mild L24. Its probably more to do with other factors. Your Emulsion Tubes would be better if they were F2, and you don't mention anything about Accelerator Pump Jets or Accelerator Pump Rod stroke length. Have you got any data on those? Your Main jets sound OK. I would try and eliminate the linkage causing any problems first. Are you sure that you are opening the carbs fully with the pedal on its stop? You certainly want to get full opening ( but not to the point where you are trying to push the butterflies further than they want to go - as that will bend the spindles ). Surprising how many aftermarket linkages are no good in this respect. Another possible cause may be lack of fuel pressure / volume at high RPM / load. Are you sure that you are getting enough? If you are not too confident about trying to fettle the Webers, then I suggest you try to find a local specialist with a rolling-road dyno to help you with them. Too many people write off triple sidedraught conversions because of experience with badly-installed or badly "rebuilt" carbs that are not doing what they are supposed to. Check out the previous Weber / triple carb. threads on this site. Good luck. Alan T.

Hi Lee, I've always kept an eye on the early RHD chassis numbers, and I've noticed that a lot of discussion on them is misinformed or just plain wrong. I'm no self-professed expert on the early LHD cars, but I do know that the story of the LHD cars is not the full story of ALL the early S30-series Z cars.............. One of the big things to note ( as you correctly pointed out ) was that the different prefix types had their own set of numbers. Therefore, all the "HLS30" prefixes are a set of numbers on their own - and they do not cross over with any of the "S30", "HS30" or "PS30" chassis numbers. Most of the information that is on the web or in English-language books on the subject just does not really get to grips with this point, and consequently people think that, for example, chassis number "HLS30-00030" was the "thirtieth Z made".............. This is most definitely NOT the case. There were "S30" chassis numbers and "PS30" chassis numbers that would have been made either before that one or at least contemporaneously with it. Not only that, but even the factory themselves admitted that not all the cars made were correctly stamped in numerical sequence and that some numbers had been missed out ( ! ).This was particularly true with the RHD ( i.e. - non "HLS30" prefixed ) cars. You sometimes see cars for sale ( particularly LHD versions ) where the vendor states "Thirtieth 240Z made" or somesuch claim, when the chassis number is "HLS30-00030" ( apologies to the owner of this car - I'm just using it as an example! ). In fact, all that means is that it was the thirtieth "HLS30" to be given a proper number. It would be difficult to refute this claim given the weight of anecdotal and written "evidence" to support it over the years. However, Z experts in Japan ( many of whom have first-hand knowledge of the production line and its goings-on ) would tell you that things were somewhat disorganised in those early days, and what is written on the subject is not necessarily 100% correct! People like Carl Beck ( see his website ) have written a fair bit on this chassis number subject, and carried out a lot of research on the early "HLS30" numbers. I must say, with all due respect, that this is fairly biased ( naturally so I suppose ) in the notion that the S30-series Z was designed "for" the USA / North American market, and that somehow therefore the "first" Z cars were all "HLS30" prefixed. Carl himself would seem to believe that this was the case, and defend the belief to his dying day. He certainly poured scorn on my suggestion that this might not be the whole truth when I corresponded with him on the subject. There is absolutely no doubt that Nissan thought it could sell an awful lot of cars to the USA / North American market, but they certainly did not design the S30-series Z as a left-hand-drive car and treat the right-hand-drive version as some kind of later addition or modification ( quite the opposite, really ). If you read up on the history of the S30-series Z car, you quite often come across mistakes that either baldly state that the USA / North American market Z cars were the "first", or they fudge the issue by not mentioning the Japanese "Home" market cars at all. So, the first thing we have to get out of the way is that ( again for example ) chassis number "HLS30-00030" is not necessarily older than either "S30-00030" or "PS30-00030". There is good reason to believe that both these RHD Japanese "Home" market cars actually predate the USA / North American market car, but proving it is another matter. Actually, whenever I say anything like this I usually get pounced on by fervent early LHD owners who treat me like some kind of antichrist. Let's see what happens this time.......... ( tee hee ). The BIG question is still the ".....did they produce "HS30" prefix chassis numbers in 1969 or not......." question. The aforementioned "Bible" websites / books will tell you that the answer is "no". However, there is evidence to suggest that some of the earliest "HS30" chassis numbers were made in November / December 1969, and that these never made it outside Japan. We might find that this whole discussion gets spun into a question of what was sold to the general public as being "first", rather than what the factory actually made, which is not what I am saying. It seems that at least 30 to 50 "HS30" prefixed cars may indeed have been made in November / December 1969, but that they hung around in Japan for a few months before being sent anywhere. I have never heard the story about the approx. 385 cars that you mention, Gav. I did hear about a batch of cars that ended up in Australia when in fact they were originally intended for a different RHD market, but as far as I know they turned up in Australia in 1970 ( so its difficult to prove when they were actually made ). Here in the UK, the first two cars to arrive ( pre official importation for sale to the public ) were "HS30-00034" and "HS30-00035", which it was found did not actually comply with UK vehicle Type-Approval laws. Apparently, the fact that the earliest "HS30" spec. would not comply with local laws here in the UK caused the first "batch" of official imports to be redirected ( probably to Australia - so that might have been the ones you heard about ) and subsequent shipments had to have detail changes to allow them to comply with those UK laws. This caused a bit of a panic at the factory apparently, and new front lower quarters ( with no hole for the indicator / sidelamp ) were pressed up. You can imagine this causing some weeks of delay. I would not look at the engine numbers on L24 blocks as anything other than a rough guide; there were plenty of other Nissan models that shared the L24 block, especially in the "Home" market. They were not limited to just the L20 block out there, and there were lots of municipal and utility type vehicles that Nissan made with the L24 block. Of course it can be of use to cross-reference the numbers, but my Japanese friends tell me that a Z could end up receiving an earlier engine number than its sister car that was built after it on the production line ( more evidence of production-line chaos! ). There is certainly some cachet or snob-value in owning an early-numbered car. The earlier the better, generally. Notwithstanding the fact that they got better over the following months. The things that people say are a drawback are easily rectified, such as the diff. mounting / driveshaft angle issue. I would say that "HS30-00091" is certainly a rare survivor as an early RHD Export model, and as such represents a good candidate to restore / preserve. As long as the structure of the body is OK, I would not worry about the engine issue. A nice early L24 block could easily be found for it, and personally I would not worry too much about the "matching numbers" thing if it belonged to me ( as long as the chassis number on the body and the VIN tag matched! ). What I cannot understand is how people can sell / buy cars on the web. Sure,it must be a good way to get the word out or to find something that is a possible candidate - but who bids high without inspecting the real thing? Beats me. I'm putting my crash helmet on now for the expected barrage of complaint from the early-Z bible-bashers!............. Alan T.

Hi Rui, Amen to what Guus and Rolf said; there really is increasing difficulty in obtaining some of the parts that are needed to look after an early S30-series Z here in Europe. Rolf is quite right about those "new" 240Z's that NISSAN USA "restored" a few years back; it was a mixed blessing for all of us. They used up a fair few parts that were in limited supply already, and then did not replace them. A few previously "unobtainable" parts were re-manufactured or ordered from specialists who could make replicas, but on the whole it made a little blip in the parts market and now its harder than ever before to get what you need. Here in the UK there seem to be an awful lot of used mechanical parts still left over after the bodies they were attached to have been scrapped. These are useful for reconditioning or replacement of worn-out originals, or to use as a base for improvement / tuning. Generally, it is the body and trim pieces that are now difficult to get ( almost impossible to find some NOS European-spec. rear light units for example ). The thing that worries me most is the lack of replacement body panels ( whole rear quarters are now in very short supply, and just you try to find a whole rear light panel for an early car....... ). Just like Rolf pointed out, NISSAN is making a lot of talk about the Z "D.N.A" in promotion of the "350Z" in the USA ( its still being marketed as a "Fairlady" in Japan I notice.... ) but they still have not even got their own museum! They have a good collection of old cars in Yokohama - but they have been like a headless chicken for the last twenty years and completely lost sight of where they came from. Its ironic that they are now looking back at their past for inspiration in the future, without backing it up by continuing production of certain parts that would help in the longevity of their "heritage" models like the early Z car. The more fuss we make about this the better, but I fear that ultimately the parts we need will just gradually dry up. Here in Europe we Z-owners have the disadvantage of being relatively few in number. This makes it a very risky business for any specialist to make a limited run of replica parts that might be needed. Compared to something like an MGB ( which you can get umpteen replica or OEM parts for ) there are just not enough S30-series Z cars here in Europe to make it likely of breaking-even, let alone turning a small profit. Z owners seem to be very reticent about spending money on parts for their cars, and have a kind of "make-do-and-mend" mentality. That's OK for them ( although many of them have cars that do not work / perform correctly as a result ) but it makes it hard work to set up a business to sell parts for them. The USA / North America would seem to have a slight advantage over Europe, in that there are many S30-series cars left in useable / restorable condition. Trouble is, again many owners would rather make-do / mend the original parts, and then spend their money on a flashy set of wheels and an audio. Some specialists in Japan are making "replica" or remanufactured parts for these cars, but its usually cost-prohibitive to import these. There are also issues regarding copyright and licensing which they have to deal with. Many of my Japanese Z-owning friends have been "stashing" the rarer or more desirable parts that they know they will have trouble finding in the future....... However, we do have a few specialists here in the UK who are being pro-active in obtaining and re-making difficult to find parts. FOURWAYS ENGINEERING have been researching the replication of some important body parts ( they have made an excellent Radiator Support Panel replica, and are now working on a complete rear light panel ) as well as many other parts. TIM RILEY ENGINEERING has developed some great conversions / replicas, with the emphasis on competition use. Many Z owners here in the UK buy parts from MJP Eastern Auto ( a selection of parts from the USA as well as OEM ). The USA has an advantage on retail price as well as availability, but many people do not like to take the risk of ordering parts that they cannot inspect until its too late. Lots of person-to-person trading / swapping / selling goes on here in Europe, so the best idea is to start making friends with as many Z owners in Europe as you can! What kind of parts do you need Rui? Good luck, Alan.

Hey OzLime, Did you know that the Z432 ( PS30 ) and Z432-R ( PS30-SB ) were fitted with Radiator Overflow Bottles from the factory? The S20 engines have need of this, as they tend to "sweat" a bit, and the overflow bottle contains this without making a mess. Its a long-shot, but you might like to enquire at your local Nissan dealer armed with the following part numbers: 21510-E4210 arse'Y TANK, reservoir 21430-E4200 arse'Y CAP, push 21515-E4200 arse'Y BRACKET, reservoir tank The radiator on the S20-engined cars was different to the L-series engined cars, but the overflow pipe still comes out the same way so it ought to work. What's the betting that your local Nissan parts guy says "what?!".... Good luck, Alan.

driftmunky, Bear with me while I look into photos and info. for you. I am actually supposed to be working, not looking at this site!......... One thing I would be concerned about is the fact that anything in Japan is usually not all that cheap. So many times people ask me to find things for them, only to chicken out when they hear the Japanese retail price ( let alone the cost of shipping and Import Duty ). If you really want to investigate stuff from Japan, you better have a strong constitution in this respect. One other thing; if I tell you what is available and where to get it, it does not stop there. Most of the suppliers would not even answer an English-language enquiry - let alone take an order from you. Have you thought about that? I myself have a slight advantage having lived there and speaking a fair bit of Japanese - but even then it can sometimes be difficult. Many of these companies have never received an "Export" order before........... I don't want to waste time and effort unless you are really serious. Regards, Alan T.

Sounds like you guys are throwing ideas around a little willy-nilly. The original picture that driftmunky posted shows a car with a Shinagawa ( Tokyo ) area number plate. Its also got a 34 series taxation class, so its a fair bet that its fairly highly modified engine-wise. You can see that the picture is taken at what seems to be a race track, so he's probably taking part in a "Track Day" or similar event for street cars. They make you tape up the lights to help avoid messing up the track after light contact, as somebody has already pointed out. The car is badged as a "Fairlady Z" on the side, and it probably started life as a 2-litre Z-L and got modified beyond that..................... It surprises me that somebody would think that the front spoiler was from MSA ( ! ) - as though in Japan they would need to order a spoiler from the USA. In actual fact, there are tens of companies in Japan still selling all manner of Fibreglass and now even Kevlar and Carbon Fibre body parts for the S30-series Z. I would guess that it might be from a company called ATOMIC, who make many of the FRP body parts sold in Japan. And I very much doubt that there is a BRE rear spoiler on the car. Probably either a stock one or another Japanese aftermarket part. Notice that the car is RHD but has side marker / reflector lamps at the rear - another unusual combination. My bet is that the owner added those himself. Those mirrors are aftermarket types, and the originals would have been on the front wings ( sorry - "Fenders" ) as per usual for Japanese-market S30's. They would leave big holes when removed, but nothing a body shop couldn't fix before it was painted. On my screen, the grille aperture looks very dark - so I can't really make out the grille, but it would be no surprise if it were a "mesh" type grille as ALL Japanese-market S30-series Z cars ( with the exception of the ZG, naturally ) were sold with the mesh grille. Those clear front indicator lenses are NOT a standard fitment on the Japanese-market cars. They always had amber, and I would think that this guy fitted them ( as many owners in Japan do ) just to make his car stand out a little from the crowd. Those headlamp covers do not look like the Factory "Option" type - unless he has blacked out the stainless surrounds - so its a fair bet that they came from the USA or are a Japanese-made item that is trying to look a little like the American aftermarket covers ( which is somewhat ironic ).Its hard to see clearly. Talking of irony, you can see many S30-series Z cars in Japan with the "slat" grille and other "Export" type parts added to them. Again, an attempt to make the car look a little different from the crowd. There are some "re-imported" HLS30 USA / North American market cars in Japan, and most of these were brought back to Japan because they represent good value as a clean car at a reasonable price compared to the Japanese market value for RHD cars. However, I must say that these cars always seem to keep a lower value than the RHD cars - and many of the Z purists in Japan shun them as slightly inferior, or a kind of compromise. I'm always trying to make my car look as Japanese-market correct as possible, which I guess is kind of the same thing in reverse to those Japanese owners wanting to make their car look more like an Export model ( except for the fact that it really IS a Japanese-market version ). That car just LOOKS fast even standing still. I bet there's something quite potent under the hood, and the suspension and brakes are probably up to scratch too. Speculating on wheel makes would probably go on forever; an unbelievable amount of aftermarket wheels are available in Japan ( and they always have been ). Judging by the obviously large diameter these would certainly be quite recent. There's a good chance that this guy would choose BBS, judging by the rest of the car. Alan.

Reading Japanese won't help much with reading VIN / Chassis Number tags on Japanese-market cars. What you need to bone up on is the factory build codes. This one says "CSP311" - so its the "first" SILVIA, a pretty-much hand-built 2-door coupe body on a Roadster frame. Nissan did not build very many of them, and just a few got outside Japan. They were really pretty cars. Albrecht Goertz always claimed more than his fair share of design-input on this model ( what's new? ) but I believe the first styling sketches and follow-through on the design were done by Nissan stylist Mr Kazuo Kimura. Goertz made some "suggestions" on it.................. What's the story on this one? Where is it? Do I get the Kewpie doll? Alan.

Mike, you need adjustable platforms with LONGER springs - not necessarily all that highly rated though. Your shock absorbers / dampers will not work unless they have the opportunity to do so ( i.e. via travel ) and therefore the springs don't want to be all that strong. I would not recommend going over a rate of 230lb for a Rally car, and judging by what the Historic Rally Z guys here in the UK use, I would advise you that the crux of the matter is the valving in the GAS dampers. You have to get the bump and rebound rates right to make them work properly and allow you to drive the car, rather than it being controlled by the spring rate. I only quoted BILSTEIN as they seem to be what they are using over here, and there must be other companies who can make the same kind of thing. I want to make sure that you understand that they are using completely new tubes, rods and valving; in fact they seem to cut off the original tubes on the legs altogether and fit a complete new tube with all the stuff inside it. This is NOT CHEAP! Don't think that this makes for a purely "Rally" set up that is not useable on tarmac. Quite the opposite is true, and with the adjustable platforms you can simply wind the ride height of the car up or down as you like it. I have driven a Historic Rally Z with this type of set-up on the road, and it felt absolutely different to what I am used to. It felt like it was being controlled by the dampers ( rather than the springs ) and was stiff without being harsh. I felt like I could be a real hero in this car! So, that's what you need if you are going to be serious; a proper gas set-up. I know a couple of specialists here in the UK who would make a set of legs up for you if you can't get them in Aus. I could get a quotation for you if you like. That might be interesting. Rolf ( Doehring ); the rear anti-roll bar was standard on all S30-S, PS30, PS30-SB and HS30 models right from 1969. Only the poor old S30 and of course the HLS30 didn't get them from the get-go. Seems they thought the "poverty" model S30 and the USA / North American market version owners would not be interested in going around corners!................. This means that Mike's car ( as an Australian market HS30 ) already had a rear anti-roll bar. Sounds like he upgraded to an RS30 rear bar for extra beef. Alan.