kats

Another topic, I drove my Z432 1500 miles from June to July, two times round trip from my home to Tokyo. I visited Mr. Fukuda, he is a doctor, surgeon. His 1973 Z432 is the second from the last, PS30-100007 . Like other S30 series, it has a new style floors , bigger master vac, associated pedal location, new transmission member , radiator support has a rubber seal , etc . Mr.Fukuda is my hero, he has no compromise for everything, 100% stock. You see the non stock spark plug wires, horn brackets but he has several sets of new originals ! Runs like a new car. Kats

And Mr.Yamamoto (shop owner who is selling my spare S20 engine) showed a 240ZG with Kameari twin idler gear . Sounds awesome, like a S20 ! Kats

Hi Alan, thank you so much , you wrote what I wanted to say. I am stupid I thought my English was OK for everyone.Embarrassed ! I made some video for this, you can see the nut is spinning. Kats

Hi Jason240z, did you have a coffee with Alan in London? I wish I could be there !! And also thank you for the information of a engineering shop in your city, it is nice to know. Kats

Thank you Capatain Obvious ! The making process is now clear for us. I too sketched this, please see it. I still have a question how is the thin flange made ? Kats

Hi moelk, Nice horn pad ! And 240km speedometer, Celsius water/kg oil gage, rally clock, looks like your car has JDM flavor. Kats

Hello Captain Obvious ! Thank you for the explanation, I was wrong , it is not the stopper. Now I am clear , thank you. However , I am not clear about " how to make it " , so if you show me your sketch , that will be wonderful. I want to see inside of the nut, but I do not want to cut it half. Kats

Hi moelk, some one put a hand made trumpet on the emblem, and some one bought a later horn pad with a trumpet, then threw away an early horn pad without a trumpet. But, basically to most of the items , if your car is registered before the cut off date, the new rule is not applicable to your car. A Shaken tester sees the registered date if he has a question when checking the car. Having a trumpet is better than not-having, this way of thinking made some dealer salesman (or mechanic) suggest customer to replace an old beautiful horn pad with a later trumpet one. Kats

Hi Jason240z, using lathe is a good idea, and one big question, how do you make this stopper? Please see the picture. Kats

Hi Gave, Today I looked at the parts catalog for 1974 model, dated December 1973. Usually 1974 model doesn't draw my interest , but this time I learned many things about stillborn "Fairlady 260Z / 260Z-L and 260Z -E ". First, not only 2/2 , also two seater had a G-nose . The cars which had a G-nose were equipped with a L26 associated with an electronic fuel injection system. The "L26-E " produces 170 ps ! Fairlady 260Z-E and 260Z-E 2/2 were the top model of the line up in 1974 (when this catalog was issued ) . 260Z-E and 260Z-E 2/2 had these, G-nose, power window, R-200 LSD with four pinion , rear disk brake, stiffer spring and rear stabilizer, And very similar air cleaner box as Z432, if my memory was correct, I would see the one on Yahoo Japan auction. I thought it was for Z432, but looking at closely some thing different, as it seem to be mirror image of Z432's air cleaner. I could not understand what it was, but now I guess it would be a rare part... Kats

Horn pad emblems, Only Z432 has a red "Z" , other models Fairlady-240ZG/240Z/Z/Z-L come in blue. Both are made of metal, after summer of 1973 the pad became to have a trumpet . Z432 was discontinued at that time, so a red with trumpet pad was never made. My ZG had equipped the red emblem until I was able to obtain the blue one. Kats

Good question Gave, it is not for the works cars, as you can see the part number, it is for the Skyline GTR. The cap's color muches so well with the rally wheel, so I can not stop myself putting it on the wheel. Kats

Hi Gave, I have got the special nuts from Yahoo Japan auction, I have never seen the other one at the auction, this is the only one which I saw at the auction 15 years experience. I wish someone can make the special nuts and sell with a good price . Kats

A comparison, Left; Z432 standard, center; open type special nut, right; dome type special nut. Kats

Here are some pictures of the wheel, thanks Alan, they will look great in a car. Unfortunately, I am able to obtain only open type wheel nut, I think works rally car has dome type, works race car at circuit has open type. Anyway these nuts are so special. The outer flange does not scratch a hole of a wheel, inner nut is turned and secured. At an interview of " Nissan graph " , a team manager Mr.Namba said " the nut worked so well , a wheel can be centered without tool. Nissan is going to get a patent for the nut ". I will put a hub cap, which is used mainly Skyline GTR, but I see some other cars use it too. kats

The car is cool, and Mr. Obama is cool too ! What a great video. I like it ! Kats

And some comparison to plan throttle linkage , and exhaust. Kats

Alan, good news for the oil pan, I think we can clear the issue. Please see the picture, S20 is mounted slightly right side at the bottom. My Z432 was once like a new... Kats

Thank you Alan, this is what you are talking about, please see the picture. Kats

Alan, are you talking about this race option knuckle arm of your interest for the subject of steering ? I do not know I will put this or not, according to the manuals standard Z432 has 115mm type like other models. Only Z432-R has 105mm type. Some people said 105mm is very very quick and gets driver tired if he does not want to race. However I am curious about the 105 arm, I should try at least once . Then I will decide. Kats

Hi Blue, I also remember Mr.Matsuo told me that , Laurel? is the one which had the cassette on the console. Mr.Matsuo gave me a prototype of AM/FM deck used in a S30 during its development. Kats

Alan, Thank you for the advice, yes I need to talk about this with you and I would like to hear more from you about what is difficult and what is easy. Your questions are perfect, I was trying to say the concept, interior and exterior colors. My goal is to have flavor of factory made, and put image what engineers /workers at sales and export departments would made the car for the US. It is fun for me imagining if Datsun dealer had sold a car like a Z432 in the US, what it would have been like ? I will not be making people surprised to show a car which has exact same exterior of Z432 with Fairlady badges on a LHD 240Z, that is not my taste. Also I do not think about "perfect original US 240Z except engine " type car. Steel wheels with hub caps and a single pipe exhaust system are not suitable for the S20 . So I will remain all the exterior lightings of the US model. Bumper over riders there , as well as DATSUN emblem on the bonnet , front fenders and the rear deck. However, 432 badges will be on front wings and rear deck to say this car could be the one from the factory. Interior items, I will put a stop watch, 10000 rpm tachometer , 8 track stereo system. A horn pad and a glove box door have a Datsun emblem. Seats, I will remain dial reclining mechanism just because I feel "US S30" from it. I really like it because I can adjust whatever I want. Choke and throttle levers will be there. And color, I still do not know. Blue interior with 919 Le man yellow, or black with 920 Safari gold, or 905 Daytona red would be nice . Oil pan, exhaust, wiring, etc etc . Many things have to be sorted out. Oh, but is that a dent for LHD on the S20 only special cross member in the top picture ? Engineers prepared for it just in case? Kats

Gave, I do not know much about that car, but I think we can make a tribute car . Pick up an U.K. or AUS 260Z 2+2 , then put a "Fairlady-260Z" emblem on it. Then you buy an assy of G nose and install it to the car. Or buy a Fairlady-Z 2/2 then put a L26 and the emblems , also put the G nose. I see the rear bumper is painted in grey just like Fairlady-240ZG. Nissan made and listed the emblems for "Fairlady-260Z" in the parts catalog , this indicates they prepared little bit for the production . Some people bought it for having fun. I guess the reason why we were able to buy a full set of G -nose somewhere around 2000 at local Nissan , they would have made enough G-nose for departure of "Fairlady-260Z" . Some of my friends who bought G-nose like those days said it costed 450000 JPY (650000-1000000 JPY today!) and it came with a set of ducts for better air flow for cooling. This means that G-nose is later type, Nissan added the ducts for improvement for the air conditioned car. Fairlady-260Z was supposed to have an air conditioning system as a standard equipment. Kats

Hi Alan , I like the story of wearing boxing gloves ! Yes I probably have been under stressful hotel staying. And you nailed it, I have been thinking of "PLS30" ! How did you know that? if we had LHD model with S20 engine from the factory, what would it have been ? I did not even think about "K " for Kats , ha ha. Hi Gave , yes that book also inspired me to do a project , making a LHD 240Z with a S20 engine. I have been dreaming about making it before we (except Alan) came to know Nissan had a test car which has the S20 in the LHD body shell. My hand drawing is a blueprint, I am hoping I go for it not so far from now. I just want to do something new. Kats

Hi everyone, like Chris and other folks are telling that the shaft will never keep its shape forever. I will apply grease on the shaft before starting the engine . Today I would like to show you this , my poor hand drawing, can you tell what I am thinking about . Kats