HS30-H

Basically he's selling a replication of the MACH boss and horn-push to make a modern MOMO wheel look a bit like a vintage MACH. There have been a couple of limited production projects to fully replicate some of the MACH and CHECKMAN steering wheels, and the product was pretty damned good. Prices were - ahem - 'reassuringly expensive'. For some reason the figure of 200,000 JPY or so comes to mind, but I'd have to check. I have photos somewhere too...

Yes and no (of course...!) The non-vented disc type MK63s will clear 5j TOPY steels, but not 4.5js. You will need a shim type spacer (just 6mm or so) and the same with the vented disc type MK63-20S calipers. Both vented and un-vented will clear most aftermarket 14" and up alloy wheels. Personally I would not bother with the un-vented type as it seems somewhat pointless to run such a big pad on a solid disc and suffer from heat-induced fade right when you need them most. I had them on my very first 240Z and they were really nice around town, but pressing-on it didn't take long to get some rather frightening heat fade and pad glazing. Switched to vented discs and the wider MK63-20S and all that was pretty much solved. Can crack discs occasionally though...

Sometimes I want to kill Wikipedia with fire. It's a nice idea but the weak link is the very same thing that is supposed to make it great. The OEM carbs on the S20 engine in the PGC10, PS30, PS30-SB and KPGC10 were three Mikuni-Solex N40PHHs. Very slight differences between the GT-R and 432/432-R types, but basically the same. There was a left, middle and right carb for each set. Weber 45DCOE-9s were offered as a Nissan 'Sports Option' part for S20-equipped cars. I've seen some confusion in the past arising from the fitment of triple 42DCOEs to the Prince GR8 engine as used in the R380-I, and also the Webers used on the S54 Prince Skyline GT-Bs etc, so I wonder if some of it arises from that...?

The 'D' emblem clips on with two prongs going through spring clips on the back. If you look closely in my photos I think it's possible to see in a couple of them. Watch out for Japanese market hubcaps, which are different. It's not just the emblems.

Hi Gav, I've got some 'D' hubcaps that I could be persuaded to part with: I've also got some 1970-dated TOPYs, but they are so heavy I would think it would be better to try to find locally first to save shipping costs?

The OEM 432 airbox will only fit the S20 engine layout. You can't flip it upside down and use it on an L-gata engined car because the shape is asymmetric. Not a problem for me as I was going to use it on an S20 engine. The one you can flip upside down is the R Factory aftermarket airbox for the S20 engine (see post #33) which can be fitted to the L-gata with triple carbs and the outer cover simply flipped upside down. It's symmetrical, so that's not a problem. It doesn't foul the battery and you can take the cover on and off with no clearance problems.

You'll never find a 'Fairlady 260Z' in Japan, because what few were produced were recalled/reassigned. Please be careful with the 'S30/S31' thing, as it denotes the whole series as well as some specific models (which causes no end of confusion). Engines used in Japanese market models include L20A, L24T, L20AE, L20E and L20T. There are sub variants (high/low compression, high octane/low octane etc) in the mix too. To refine down to specific engine type you need full model code (inc prefixes and suffixes), month and year of build and any ticked-off options chosen by buyer (high octane/low octane, air con equipped etc). Even then there were constant updates and minor detail changes in between. Like I keep saying, it's complicated...

I think a lot of it comes from the north American versions, which were a different model to the 'flat top' carbs used elsewhere (and which were - I'm told - actually superior to the old 'round top' type in almost every way).

I'm afraid I struggle with the multi quote thing on this new forum software, so I'll try to answer the questions (so many questions!) in order: Japanese emissions standards started to get exponentially tougher during the period we are talking about. I believe they were some of the toughest in the world at the time, perhaps matched only by those in California. Auto makers were struggling to keep up, I think. It's no wonder they dropped a few clangers like the ill-fated Fairlady 260Z along the way, in my opinion. I have no idea why they used '2/2' rather than '2+2' in Japan, but my guess is that it was already local vernacular from other models and/or '2+2' doesn't work very well when you vocalise it ('two plus two') in Japanese. Whenever I've heard '2/2' in spoken Japanese it's usually said as "two by two", which seems to work OK. Change from 'S30' to 'S31' model type (a half-step in model evolution, usually made to appease lawmakers and again linked to emissions and safety legislation) happened in July 1976. The injected L20E engined models were phased in during September 1975, so the 'S31' designation didn't specifically denote injection-engined cars. Complicated, isn't it? Your outlines of 'Zenki', 'Chuki' and 'Kouki' seem roughly correct to me, but lets remember that this is only vernacular that came into use after the event, and it's not very specific. It's a bit like that American 'Series One', 'Series Two' etc thing that is a local creation of convenience intended to refine understanding. The truth is that - with the S30/S31 series Z - there are slightly grey borders of changeover and spec detail all the way through production... Which is half the fun!

Just goes to show how far away from a true 'historic' event the EA Safari 'Classic' has become. It's like a re-enactment of the American Civil War, but this time the Confederates have got laser-guided missiles...

Fairlady 240Z, Fairlady 240Z-L and Fairlady 240ZG were only produced from late September 1971 through to late October 1973. There were nascent Fairlady 260Z models in 2-seater and 'Limo' form (RS30 and GRS30-prefix) even including a planned Fairlady 260ZG 2/2 model (ye gods...) but in the event only a few 2-seaters were produced and then soon pulled back to be re-engined (and have re-assigned/re-engraved chassis numbers...) with L20As and L20AEs. Troubles all emissions related, with the cars giving bad running problems/overheating/fuel percolation in hot weather. Whole thing lasted a few weeks before plug was pulled. Big mess. Thereafter all engines L20A and then L20AE until end of S30/S31-series production in 1978. No other 'Grande nose' factory variants, only over-the-counter parts thereof.

To further refine the clarifications: L24-engined Fairladies came in three varieties: Fairlady 240Z, Fairlady 240Z-L and Fairlady 240ZG. All shared the 'HS30' prefixed body serial number sequence. No L28 engine in Japanese domestic S30/S31-series line up. They had to wait for S130-series for that. Differences? Big subject....

As a Fairlady Z-L, this particular car would not have been supplied new with the overfenders already attached. They would have been purchased and added at a later date, either as a Nissan 'Sports Option' part or as an aftermarket copy. The headlamp covers could have been chosen as a showroom option at time of purchase, but many cars ended up getting them later. The wheels are an aftermarket accessory, added by a previous owner. Looks neat. What's the chassis number? (your front indicator repeaters are installed upside down)

Gav, "Wanteru" ("Wan Teru") is actually a typically Japanese contraction and Katakana-isation of a (Japanese) English term: It comes from 'One Tail', meaning one/single tail light (on each side) rather than the - later - divided tail lights seen '73-on. So it's simply a vernacular term to identify the '69~'73 tail lamp and rear finisher shape.

Please don't take this the wrong way (I'm all for the sharing of data where appropriate) but if anybody can buy the same thing from 'About Time Spares' then..... why don't they? I have a tranche of Nissan and Prince factory parts lists in PDF form which I received as a member of Club S30 Japan. Everybody in the club was given a set. They came from Nissan's Technical Centre, and on receipt we were requested not to "share" them indiscriminately or turn them into a commercial product. I presume 'About Time Spares' have the required authorisation/license to sell copies?

That's a soundbite, not a story. Looks to me like the car didn't fit the system, if the photo of the rear panel is anything to go by...

The above post could do with a little bit of context expansion. If all the Fujitsubo 'Legalis' systems fitted as badly as whatever it is that's illustrated in your photos, they - quite simply - would not sell. So what's the story?

Maybe I'm stating the obvious here, but don't forget that the production line - and especially the 'queue' of 'shells going through the painting process at any one time - was shared between 'HLS30', 'PS30', 'S30' and 'HS30' prefixed cars in the period you are talking about (roughly mid to late 1970). It's clear that bodyshells were painted in same-colour batches, but each batch might contain a mixture of differently prefixed 'shells. Therefore you might well see consecutively-numbered body serial numbers for a particular prefix having different coloured paint.

Yes, it's called a 'P. Light'. A bulb holder on the end of a flexible stalk and with a hood on it. I believe they originated in military aircraft. From the same car:

Talking only of Works 240Z rally cars here, but most of the 'early' cars were equipped with independently-driven pairs of Tripmasters. Usually one off each front wheel. Later (1972/3) cars often had Twinmasters. If a crew had enough time with a car before an event and/or had used it previously, they might sometimes 'personalise' it a little more to the navigator's preference. That might even include changing type and position of navigator's gear. It all adds up to make such details a bit of a moving target, so best to view cars on a case-by-case basis and a bit of a moveable feast...

It's that long straight at Fuji Speedway. You either have to go with a taller diff ratio or have an overdrive 'box. My KPGC10 has had an F5C71B direct drive 5-speed for most of its life, and when it took part in the 2005 NISMO Festival it was bouncing off the rev limit before it even reached the gantry. That was with a 4.1 diff ratio.

Sliding throttle (mechanical) injection was really only ever used on Works cars in period. Ishikawa san's car is an ex Scuderia Nissan 'semi-works' car (built and run by a privateer outfit in period, but using many Works parts as they had a close association with the Works team) and is - I believe - the only original survivor of the cars that took the 'Victory 50' 50+ wins for the C10-series GT-Rs in Japanese touring car racing. I don't think Ishikawa san's car has a longer stroke crank. I saw it dismantled in Matsui san's workshop and the crank was a much modified Nissan race option item. I'm pretty sure it isn't overbored by all that much (there's a natural limit to bore size on the S20 because of the bore spacing) and almost certainly within the 5% limit. They couldn't get all the correct parts for the sliding throttle system when the car was originally restored (in period it was a combination of Lucas and Nissan-made parts) so they had to compromise a bit there. I have no idea what the power figures for it are. The NP35-rebuilt S20 in my KPGC10 is both bored and stroked. The crank has been with the engine since the early 1980s apparently, a custom built long stroke forged item supplied by Ito Racing. Capacity is just under 2.3 litres. It was engine dynoed before being reinstalled in the car, and I believe peak power was 232bhp at the flywheel (off the top of my head). I've got all the original notes for it around here somewhere...

True fact: Owner Ishikawa san is a tipper truck driver. Nice bloke. The engine in this car was rebuilt by my good friend Matsui san of NP35, who built the S20 in my KPGC10.

OEM airbox for S20 (432 type) would be quite tricky to flip over and use on an L-series 6 I think. They are quite assymetric, and have integral trumpets/air horns inside, attached to the outer cover. It would need a fair bit of faffing around to re-jig it all. It might even interfere with the exhaust manifold. I've got a 432 airbox that I was going to use for my 432-R replica project (even though a proper 432-R wouldn't have had an air box and filter system...) and I modified it to fit bigger trumpets (to suit the 45DCOEs instead of the OEM 40PHH Mikunis). Then I chickened out (or manned-up, depending on how you look at it) and decided to run without.

On one of my cars I'm using an 'R Factory' airbox originally designed for the S20 engine. I turned it upside down and it fits OK on the L-series with triple carbs. It has a machined alloy backplate with integral trumpets/airhorns. The outer cover fits into a channel machined in the back plate, and I added some over-centre clips to retain it (original R-Factory design recommended big tie wraps). There's a fine mesh screen on the inlet. It's supposed to be ducted to a point in front of the radiator support panel, but I didn't bother.