Going to try to pick one up but need a picture of a Z with a hexagonal grill versus the horizontal bar piece to show the parts guy.

Thanks in advance.

Do you mean the nismo grill? It's not hex, more like diamonds. Here's a link to a related thread with a pic.

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8923&highlight=nismo+grill

It is not a "Nismo" grill either.

Oops yeah sorry - read Alan's post in the linked thread to try to figure out what that grill is. I'm not still sure myself.

les cannaday can get or has in stock the JDM grill you are looking for. his number is 760-940-6365

Yea, it's confusing. The grill is made from "expanded diamond mesh" and appeared on the PS30 (432). I have also seen them on the S30-S, the stripped down version, and they may have been standard on those models. They never appeared on the North American imports. What Alan was saying is that the original 1970 era part had a finer expanded diamond mesh than what is currently available. Same look. The grills were still available new about 8 months ago. At the time they were around $150.

I don't know why they exist. Perhaps the thinking was that the grill offered better air flow for performance purposes, but in talking with Matsuo san, I am under the impression that the design intent for the grill and the front of the car was the horizontal bar type of grill.

Oh...BTW...I have one and think they are cool.

That's right - my understanding is the car was designed with the horizontal bar grille in mind. Why the diamond grille was fitted to all domestic cars I'm not sure. I think Alan said in one of his posts that the 432 had a different grille to the standard domestic S30's in that it was lighter.

As far as I know they were standard on all domestic cars, and only on domestic cars. I wonder if Alan's got his radar on!!

Hi Lachlan,

Guess what - I had my Radar switched on.....

Actually, I'm in Kansai airport waiting for a connecting flight. One of those 100 Yen computer jobs. The mouse is knackered.

Actually, I don't feel like answering this question for the person who asked it. He seems to have had a 'thank you' by-pass operation ( or maybe its just me that he doesn't bother to even acknowledge after he has received the info he wanted? ).

I don't know why all the confusion about Japanese mesh grilles exists. The 432 grille was no different to the grilles fitted to the other Japanese home market models. They changed design slightly down the years, but essentially all models got the same part number. It was the 432R grille that was different according to the Parts Lists. It had a different mesh, that's all.

Matsuo san says that his bar / slatted grille was a victim of the bean counters for the home market cars. The export models got it, but even the design that we got was a couple of slats short of what he originally wanted. I wonder how much this actually saved?.......

Ease up HS30-H, I have a life beyond my computer and have usually responded after posting.

I appreciate anyone who responds and make that known up front.

I could've said nothing.

Ah! That's a damn good radar Alan. I should have known it would be the 432-R that had the lighter grille and not the 432. They really went all-out with that model, I dont know of any other car from that time which was so heavily re-engineered from the standard model in every aspect. As for the missing slats in export grilles, it just goes to show how extensively Nissan went over every part on the car to reduce cost doesnt it. Nissan's bean counters obviously counted every single bean!! All this would have been documented surely - wouldn't it be great to get a hold of some of the engineering and design documents..? They're probably nonexistant now, I guess.

I wonder is how much weight could actually be saved using a slightly finer mesh in a grille!!

Ease up HS30-H, I have a life beyond my computer and have usually responded after posting.

I appreciate anyone who responds and make that known up front.

I could've said nothing.

lvmy240z,

Here's the thread I was referring to:

Zama thread

It was probably just an oversight that you did not reply to the people that offered help and advice to you, but all the same its nice and neat to tie up the loose ends if possible..... :classic:

Lachlan,

The 432R came without any form of filtration for the carbs ( open trumpets) whereas the stock 432 had a very eifficient and elaborate airbox / filter / cold-air intake system. I'm not sure that the different mesh would actually change cooling or 'filtration' all that much - so it might have been a homologation-assisting measure or 'styling' matter.

Surely they could only have saved pennies with the different slat and mesh grille designs?

Cheers,

Alan T.

Alan - I think I misunderstood when you said "finer mesh"! I was thinking the actual metal was thinner, not the holes between the metal smaller. :stupid: That makes more sense... I wonder if there was ever any problems with the race cars sucking up bugs/dirt/debri when racing... were most of the other racing cars of this era the same (without filters)?