Zed's Racing History

[260DET]

Hard to find much at all online, bits and pieces of the US stuff which is certainly worth looking at due to their relatively level playing fields and the successes against the euros. Had a bit of a look for DVD's with no success, even thought about creating a website but that's probably beyond my knowledge base. What to do............

[dat2kman]

Bathurst, 1975?

Touring Cars

[260DET]

Some pis here http://autopics.com.au

 

Including this one at Bathurst, what event though?

 

 

 

[d3c0y]

I have 4 folders of stuff to go through from Alan Stean here to scan and contribute.

[gav240z]

I have 4 folders of stuff to go through from Alan Stean here to scan and contribute.

 

I was going to ask about that, can't wait to see what you've got. I'm sure Alan is also waiting with baited breathe to see pics of TKS33 SA 4080.

[Gordon Dobie]

Not many Zeds raced in Australia. The car I built for Peter Tobin and subsequently raced by myself was the most highly developed group D car in the 1970 and 80s. Fernando Delberto also had a very fast Group D car.  One or two fast road cars ran in group D from time to time but the cost of building and running in the category became very expensive and the class was eventually replaced by the GT category which was even more expensive.

 

The Datsun Racing Team entered a 260Z 2+2 at Bathurst but it was excluded due to the rear seats having insufficient leg room.

 

The other 240Z of note was is the rally car driven by Ross Dunkerton  with great success. 

Edited January 17, 2017 by Gordon Dobie

[gav240z]

The Datsun Racing Team entered a 260Z 2+2 at Bathurst but it was excluded due to the rear seats having insufficient leg room.

 

The other 240Z of note was is the rally car driven by Ross Dunkerton  with great success.

RE: 260z 2+2 and yet a few years later in the early 80s Alan Moffat was able to run a series 1 RX-7 which can't have had much more leg room surely?

 

I would in particular love to know if you have many photos of the works rally 240z which was the original car that Ross Dunkerton drove?

 

The photo above looks like the later iteration as a "260z" shell when parts were moved over.

[PB260Z]

RE: 260z 2+2 and yet a few years later in the early 80s Alan Moffat was able to run a series 1 RX-7 which can't have had much more leg room surely?

The Series 2 RX7 had bugger all rear leg room when the front seats were all the back.

From memory reward travel of the front seat stopped when it impacted the rear seat.

[dat2kman]

As usual,,, the rules got changed, yet again, to cater for things like RX7's, to be classified as a Touring Car.

 

Another little anomaly, was a certain model Alfa aromeo 105, and a certain Porsche 911, were, in late 1960's/early 1970's, given Touring Car status.

Now today, that same model, of both, is allowed in both Historic Sports Cars, ( Group S) and, Historic Touring Cars, ( Group N)

[PB260Z]

As usual,,, the rules got changed, yet again, to cater for things like RX7's, to be classified as a Touring Car.

 

So,was it a case of change the rules to suit the major teams and sponsors ?

[luvemfast]

What crap.....

When I was a 6'3" still growing teen, I sat in the back of my parents 2+2 for interstate trips!

[PZG302]

The rear seat space was all due to how the tape measure stacked up when using the FIA and CAMS rules for the day, which did change frequently back in the early to mid 70's, especially the CAMS rules.

 

The size of the car doesn't give you a good indication of what the rear seat room will be in terms of compliance. For a more modern take at state level racing, in IPRA the S13, S14 and S15 are all legal in terms of rear passenger space, yet the modern Monaro required special dispensation to be eligible for IPRA as it did not comply to the measurements for rear seat room.

 

As an aside, my 180B SSS had more rear passenger room than either my first Charger, or an XB Hardtop I had the misfortune to travel in the rear seat from Nyngan to Sydney in one day.

[gav240z]

What crap.....

When I was a 6'3" still growing teen, I sat in the back of my parents 2+2 for interstate trips!

 

Yes a 260z 2+2 has quite a lot of room for a Sports Coupe in the rear seats. Certainly more than many other cars. The FD RX-7 in Japan came with rear seats (export markets didn't) and for good reason.

 

Check out a very young looking Keiichi Tsuchiya (at the 3 mins) mark demonstrate leg room in the back.

Skip to 3 mins

https://youtu.be/UvcwGkpyZJM?t=3m4s

 

Full Video.

 

At the last World Time Attack event in Sydney 2016 I walked past Tsuchiya and realised he's very short. I'm not tall but he was significantly shorter than I. You can see him just squeeze into the rear.

 

The RX-8 on the other hand is much more like a 260z 2+2 plenty of head room and very comfortable in the rear for a sports car.