Datsun's not so tough anymore

[chartoo]

Here is the latest crash tests for the new Datsun. It scored 0 stars!

Crumpled like an accordian

 

http://jalopnik.com/this-is-how-a-brand-new-car-got-zero-stars-in-its-crash-1655937397

[260DET]

That's pretty disgraceful really, sadly Nissan for me lost their way some time ago, except for perhaps the 370Z there is not one vehicle in their range that appeals to me.

[Yo-Yo]

That crash test vid was horrifying

[dat240z]

That's pretty disgraceful really, sadly Nissan for me lost their way some time ago, except for perhaps the 370Z there is not one vehicle in their range that appeals to me.

 

You obviously have limited knowledge or experience in an R35 GTR then :-\

[DreamZproject]

I have no doubt that a 240 or 260 would be the same though...

[260DET]

You obviously have limited knowledge or experience in an R35 GTR then :-\

 

Would not have a R35 in a fit, not my sort of car at all.

[Yo-Yo]

I have no doubt that a 240 or 260 would be the same though...

Same, however we are talking a 30-40year gap here. That kind of body crumpling in this day and age is shocking and small hatches are already sardine cans to begin with.

 

I'm under no illusions if I was ever to be T-boned in my zed I'd be a goner for sure

Cést la vie

 

Would not have a R35 in a fit, not my sort of car at all.

Same, I've driven an R35. While I respect the car for it's abilities i'm not a big fan of it personally.

This is coming from a guy who has only ever owned nissan cars since I got my license.

 

[PB260Z]

Things have indeed come a long way, this youtube clip shows a test done to show the comparative safety, or otherwise, of 1950's bulk vs todays technology

 

 

[260DET]

What Nissan have constantly failed to do is follow up on the success of the S30. We all know that a car like the S30 could never be made today although Toyota/Subaru have shown what can be done and by all measures it's a pretty good result. The R35 frankly has failed to fulfil it's potential in so many ways, without looking it up I bet it's sales reflect that too. As a race car it's problematic and unreliable and takes huge amounts of money both to develop and keep on the track, what a contrast to the S30 which in the more even playing fields of US racing once took it right up to Porsche. Although I decided long ago I would never own a Porsche I'd much prefer one to a R35, either as a race car or a daily.

 

Then there is the 370Z which no doubt has suffered development wise due to the voracious appetite of the R35 in that respect. Quite a decent sports car but where is the proper club race version? The once mighty NISMO has been reduced to retailing gear knobs and stickers instead of giving the 370Z some decent race capable power for a start. I'm sure GM would not mind selling them some light weight V8's   Enough ranting from me, back to the home reno work.

[fluegel]

sorry trying to delete this one

[fluegel]

 

 

I'm under no illusions if I was ever to be T-boned in my zed I'd be a goner for sure

Cést la vie

 

 

I know someone who had side impact bars installed in her MG B doors, would that help in an S30.

[gav240z]

I know someone who had side impact bars installed in her MG B doors, would that help in an S30.

 

The S30z already has a side intrusion bar, like you I was always under the impression our cars didn't have them - until I took a door apart.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,4189.15.html

 

[dat2kman]

Here's a joke.

To get approval for rego/engineering, the little Clubman type cars, ie Westfields, Lotus, Fraser etc, have a requirement foe a folded metal plate apprpx 3" high, ( low top hat section) to be fitted along side of passenger compartment.

By time it is fitted, at approx 12" from ground level, it aint gonna reduce side impact from anything, except a number plate frame.

The side bars as fitted to the doors in the S30 cars, after car has been lowered, and lowered tyres fitted etc, will do slightly more that the Clubman type bars as above.

 

Seen the chassis heights on most of the all too common Urban Assualt MILF Soccer troop transporters?

One of those hits you broadside on, your'e toast.

 

Hence why car makers today have what is called a high "waistline" or high doors, and less glass height, for better placement of side intrusions, to protect ( if any) from all the higher SUV's out there.

 

Then again, why worry about it, if it aint a car wreck, it'll be some other thing that gets you, like cancer, or, or,or,or.

Just keep doing what you like to do, as long as you can.

[gav240z]

What Nissan have constantly failed to do is follow up on the success of the S30. We all know that a car like the S30 could never be made today although Toyota/Subaru have shown what can be done and by all measures it's a pretty good result. The R35 frankly has failed to fulfil it's potential in so many ways, without looking it up I bet it's sales reflect that too. As a race car it's problematic and unreliable and takes huge amounts of money both to develop and keep on the track, what a contrast to the S30 which in the more even playing fields of US racing once took it right up to Porsche. Although I decided long ago I would never own a Porsche I'd much prefer one to a R35, either as a race car or a daily.

 

Then there is the 370Z which no doubt has suffered development wise due to the voracious appetite of the R35 in that respect. Quite a decent sports car but where is the proper club race version? The once mighty NISMO has been reduced to retailing gear knobs and stickers instead of giving the 370Z some decent race capable power for a start. I'm sure GM would not mind selling them some light weight V8's   Enough ranting from me, back to the home reno work.

 

Perhaps you're looking at the wrong Marque?

 

Even if you don't like the rotor, you can put a lazy, boring, unoriginal V8 in it. For me the FD is the closest you'll come to an early S30z for a relatively modern car. If you get a 99+ spec model you get dual air-bags, abs etc.. They are a bit harder to work on with a standard engine bay and parts can be a tad expensive for what they are.

[260DET]

Perhaps you're looking at the wrong Marque?

 

Even if you don't like the rotor, you can put a lazy, boring, unoriginal V8 in it. For me the FD is the closest you'll come to an early S30z for a relatively modern car. If you get a 99+ spec model you get dual air-bags, abs etc.. They are a bit harder to work on with a standard engine bay and parts can be a tad expensive for what they are.

 

That's the point isn't it, to find the modern equivalent of the S30 you have to go elsewhere to Mazda, Toyota, Subaru......... Isn't it the FD which is a popular for a V8 transplant? Makes a lot of sense to me, an easy 500WHP with heaps of torque is never going to be boring by the way.

[gav240z]

Isn't it the FD which is a popular for a V8 transplant? Makes a lot of sense to me, an easy 500WHP with heaps of torque is never going to be boring by the way.

 

I meant boring in the sense that it's been done and takes no imagination, where as the rotary is a unique powerplant and is very capable with the right turbo set up and tune..

 

I do admit though that a V8 swap has crossed my mind before.

[Yo-Yo]

Then again, why worry about it, if it aint a car wreck, it'll be some other thing that gets you, like cancer, or, or,or,or.

Just keep doing what you like to do, as long as you can.

Exactamundo

If I was after safety I wouldn't have bought a 38 year old jap car  , or be riding motos for that matter hahaha

 

Hence...

Cést la vie

 

Personally, this is how I'd like to kick the bucket... P.S Not Safe For Work

[CroS13]

What Nissan have constantly failed to do is follow up on the success of the S30. We all know that a car like the S30 could never be made today although Toyota/Subaru have shown what can be done and by all measures it's a pretty good result.

 

Uh the 200sx did pretty good, especially the S15, it won car of the year in 2002 in Australia at least.... Its only competition was the wrx, and it destroyed it.

 

But since then.... not so much, i personally don't think much of the 350z or the 370z.

 

As for the R35, No bueno, it was made for the American market....

 

Rudolf.

[sydney mike]

Just going back to the OP, when were Datsuns ever tough in the sense of strength in a crash or thickness of sheetmetal? I could remember as a kid sitting on the bonnet of my neighbours Valiant and they were solid. My Nan had a 120Y and there's no way you'd sit on the bonnet of that. I'm not implying that solid car=safe in crash necessarily.

 

Any 70's car would have a similiar crash rating.

 

Some sources  suggested the reason why Nissan reverted back to the Datsun name for the first exports back in the day to USA and others was because they were not confident on how their products would be received. So their logic was if the Datsuns were ridiculed, no mud would stick to the Nissan name, we all know how proud the Japs are.

 

So I think it's just "Back to the future" for these "New Datsuns".

 

Nissan wants to make a cheap & nasty deathtrap for the masses in these developing countries but don't want to put a Nissan badge on it. It's got nothing to do with nostalgia and nothing to do with our beloved Zeds. It's like Toyota-Lexus in reverse.

 

And my 2c about 370Z & R35's.... This is AUSZCAR, for mainly the L-powered Zeds, not SAU (I know, R35 not technically a Skyline) so I am not suprised not many of us get excited about those newer cars. I'm sure the current 370z and R35's are very capable cars but they have never appealed to me. Neither did the 350z for that  matter. Love the R32 though.

 

cheers, Mike

 

 

[boyblunda]

Datsuns surprised / stunned Australia with the results they achieved in endurance rally events in the 1960's and subsequent Australian rally Titles. Vehicles were entered in early Australian events to successfully counter the popular public opinion that they could not stand up to Australian conditions.

 

Australian Rally Champions[edited from Wikipedia] list Datsuns as dominating the Australian Rally Championship title winners from 1975 to 1982 much to the disappointment of the very competitive Ford presence with Colin Bond and Greg Carr in the mix.

Year Driver Co-Driver Vehicle

1975 Ross Dunkerton (WA) John Large (WA) Datsun 240Z

1976 Ross Dunkerton (WA) Jeff Beaumont (VIC) Datsun 260Z

1977 Ross Dunkerton (WA)        Jeff Beaumont (VIC) Datsun 260Z

                George Fury (VIC)         Monty Suffern (VIC) Datsun 710??

1979 Ross Dunkerton (WA) Jeff Beaumont (TAS) Datsun Stanza

1980 George Fury (VIC) Monty Suffern (VIC) Datsun Stanza

1981 Geoff Portman (VIC) Ross Runnalls (VIC) Datsun Stanza??

1982 Geoff Portman (VIC) Ross Runnalls (VIC) Datsun 1600

 

Just in case anybody missed the last Title date, the Datsun 1600 was last produced i 1972? and embarrassed later model cars by winning a National title ahead of more modern vehicles. I readily concede that it was not a very standard example of its model but it was an old body and ALL Nissan / Datsun. 

 

I think that performances of Datsuns in the early 1970's East African Safari rallies were noteworthy.

 

I think these results, and other class results in racing, plus the respect given to the early 4WD vehicles solid in Australia, caused many Australians to have to admit that there was a degree of toughness and durability in the make.

 

No argument offered about the quality of the metal in the 120Y, Stanze, 200B and similar.

 

FWIW

Dave

[260DET]

Uh the 200sx did pretty good, especially the S15, it won car of the year in 2002 in Australia at least.... Its only competition was the wrx, and it destroyed it.

 

But since then.... not so much, i personally don't think much of the 350z or the 370z.

 

As for the R35, No bueno, it was made for the American market....

 

Rudolf.

 

Well of course the S chassis was and still is great but I was talking about the S30 and sports cars in general. I guess that while Nissan were still evolving the Z car there was never going to be another sports car based on the S chassis or anything else, at the time I think that Nissan had a problem with too much diversity as it was, just look at the different engines they were using.

[Yo-Yo]

Well of course the S chassis was and still is great but I was talking about the S30 and sports cars in general. I guess that while Nissan were still evolving the Z car there was never going to be another sports car based on the S chassis or anything else, at the time I think that Nissan had a problem with too much diversity as it was, just look at the different engines they were using.

 

Yup, Got a Best Motoring or option DVD at home on the R series GTRs. In it they mention how Nissan was pretty much in financial shambles before Carlos Ghosn took the reigns & merged Renault with them. From memory he said that out of 30-40 or so odd car model line up in their range only about 4-5 were profitable at the time he took over 

[Mr Camouflage]

The S30z already has a side intrusion bar, like you I was always under the impression our cars didn't have them - until I took a door apart.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,4189.15.html

 

Thats not a side impact bar Gav, thats just to stop your doorskin caving in when someone leans on it.

 

Impact bars are substantially thicker gauge steel and all bendy/corrugated for strength, like this one from a 911

 

 

 

[d3c0y]

In my opinion the people who are bagging out 350 and 370Zs, have not driven or spent time with them and have a totally inflated idea of how fast stock 240Zs were at the time.

 

 

Standard 240Zs back in the day did not blow everything off the road and like any modern car, most people didn't modify the crap out of them new off the show room floor. You also couldn't get L28s from the wreckers then either!

 

 

 

If you look at the 370Z's competition there isn't that much out there a moment either and for the same money, name a car that will be as quick standard, that is new.

 

 

The 350Z has so many styling ques from a 240Z that its ridiculous and it's something i didn't really notice until I owned one. Yes , I actually have one and i'm not just forming opinion from youtube videos. The old S1 VQ35DE will do 400hp at the crank with just bolt on mods to boot.

 

 

As for people that are bagging out R35s, sure the styling might not be to your liking and as an all out circuit racer there might be better things, but as a STANDARD off the show room performance car they are nuts for their price tag! Do Nissan really car about the few people turning them into race cars? I'm thinking not really. Rudolf and 260DET have you been for a ride in one?

 

 

Also Nissan sitting on their hands with competition models? There was a zed race series and they did really well in Super Taikyu races in Japan and a specific nismo competition model you could buy off the showroom floor (432R anyone?):

 

 

I honestly feel some of you guys are looking back at the past with rose coloured glasses.

 

 

[260DET]

Ooops, someone stirred up a late model Z car owner, you blokes meed to be a bit more careful about what you write 

 

To clarify my position, I did mention the S30 as a genuine Porsche race competitor back in the day which no recent Z car can claim. So either Porsche has moved on or Nissan has not kept up or both. I'm no S30 fanboy but those are the facts. None of which knocks any recent Z car but as they are not raced in this country it seems fair to say that there are more suitable cars out there for that purpose, which is what I was talking about.

 

Anyway, as far as flak goes my 280ZX cops heaps and my choice is constantly questioned. It's disappointing but there is not much point in calling the knockers ignorant or whatever, I like it and am past the point where the opinion of my peers matters much as to car choice