Sagamiko meeting 2004

[Dead Roman]

those are the first pics ive seen featuring z's with "hapari" style tires, looks sick indeed

[240 in OZ]

Alan

Did you happen upon Kats on your recent visit to Japan; he seems to have disappeared from internet land?

[Zedrally]

Some great shots there, Alan.

You're one lucky fella being able to hop over to Japan for this.

One question:

Photo d 153R: The black bonnet is reminisant of the Safari style. Was this an actual paint style that was available for the DM or is it a "freelance"?

Did you visit the museum again? Any more shots of the "works" rally cars?

Mike

[Gav240z]

Thanks heaps Alan I really enjoyed all of the pictures as you can see it was hard for me to resist and comment on cars .

I love the 432's with the overfenders I know you think it's Blasphemy but I have fallen in love with the look myself as I think Zheadv8 has am i right? I am still wondering how the same look would go down in red it would be good to be slightly different but just as effective .

Hope there are some more photos to come did you get many interior shots?

[HS30-H]

Alan

Did you happen upon Kats on your recent visit to Japan; he seems to have disappeared from internet land?

He was not at the Sagamiko meeting, but that was not particularly surprising. I asked after him via a couple of mutual friends, but both said that they had not heard from him for a while.

Didn't he say he was taking a bit of a holiday from the net for a while, and spending more time with his family?

[HS30-H]

You're one lucky fella being able to hop over to Japan for this.

Hi Mike,

I didn't go to Japan just for the Sagamiko meeting. I was just lucky that ( like last year's event ) I was taking a business trip to Japan at around the same time and was able to 'tweak' my schedule a little in order to accomodate it without getting into too much trouble.

I could have chosen the NISMO Festival by tweaking a bit more the other way - making my business trip later rather than sooner - but its taking place at T.I.Circuit Aida again this year ( whilst FISCO is being redeveloped by Toyota ) and that's a bit too far west for me.

There's still time for anyone who wants to go to that though. Anyone?

Photo d 153R: The black bonnet is reminisant of the Safari style. Was this an actual paint style that was available for the DM or is it a "freelance"?

That photo is of Takeuchi san's original 432R. The 432R model left the Factory with a semi-matt black FRP bonnet ( hood ) with a kind of dark charcoal metallic paint on the inside. There was a 432R on the Nissan display stand at the world launch of the S30-series Z, so if anything you might say that the Works rally cars followed the PZR on bonnet colouring rather than the other way around. The FRP PZR bonnet and the first series of Works rally car bonnets were the same item with the same part number.

Did you visit the museum again? Any more shots of the "works" rally cars?

Mike

You mean the warehouse at Zama? ( sore point: Nissan can't call it a proper 'museum' unless they admit the general public ). I've only been there once and I think it might be a while before I can go there again. Maybe Nissan will even get their new 'museum' floor in their proposed new Yokohama HQ built before I go there again ( its scheduled to open in 2010! ).

I've actually got hundreds of shots of the three Works cars that Nissan still own. What do you want to see? I might play requests.

Alan T.

[HS30-H]

I love the 432's with the overfenders I know you think it's Blasphemy but I have fallen in love with the look myself..........

It wasn't really the Overfenders on the white twinny-grinny 432s that I thought was 'blasphemous' ( although the fact that they were carbon fibre seems to sum up the approach in the build of these two cars ). It was more to do with the fact that they chose to make so many non-period and 'bling' mods to a pair of 432s rather than a more common model.

Seeing an S20 engine with a chromed valve cover made me feel a bit queasy, but perhaps more disconcerting was the beautiful engineering and almost flawless bodywork, paint, wiring and plumbing. It was all excellent. How could such an artisan have such bad taste? Very odd.

Lots of the components of the two cars, when taken off the cars and viewed on their own, are perfectly fine. But put them all together ( on a PS30 body! ) and to my mind its neither fish nor fowl. I have NO problem with modifications - even the most extreme - and I would have been pleased to see something like an RB in the engine bay ( not in a PS30 body please... ) but I couldn't see the philosophy behind them. Just my opinion, though. The owners I guess have a right to do whatever they want.

Then the Veilside-kitted Z33 turned up, and the owner appeared to be best mates with them both. That made the penny drop for me...... three peas in a pod.

.....did you get many interior shots?

Not really. I always find interior shots a little awkward at meetings like this. Like photographing somebody's kitchen. There's usually a lot of cooler boxes, folding chairs, coats and shoes inside the cars!

One guy even brought his bird with him. I don't mean a girl, I mean an actual live tweety bird in a cage. Some kind of exotic warbler or finch. In a classic dome-shaped cage with a perch. The owner was in a lovely GP Maroon ZG. I kid you not. I'd have thought the poor bird would get alarmed and drop dead, but apparently not.

Now that's what I call a family day out.

[Alfadog]

Then the Veilside-kitted Z33 turned up, and the owner appeared to be best mates with them both. That made the penny drop for me...... three peas in a pod.

ROFL

Now, I dont think the twins were quite that bad!!

I don't mean a girl, I mean an actual live tweety bird in a cage.

That is fantastic, reminds me of a recent incident here, where a guy was caught carrying 4 birds (rare cockatiels or something) at an airport ... in his underwear! He was apparently trying to get them out of the country illegally to sell in Asia. I wonder if those birds prefer seeds or nuts??

[g72s20]

Thankyou Alan once again for the next best thing to being there!

Seeing an S20 engine with a chromed valve cover made me feel a bit queasy, but perhaps more disconcerting was the beautiful engineering and almost flawless bodywork, paint, wiring and plumbing. It was all excellent. How could such an artisan have such bad taste? Very odd.

Lots of the components of the two cars, when taken off the cars and viewed on their own, are perfectly fine. But put them all together ( on a PS30 body! ) and to my mind its neither fish nor fowl. I have NO problem with modifications - even the most extreme - and I would have been pleased to see something like an RB in the engine bay ( not in a PS30 body please... ) but I couldn't see the philosophy behind them. Just my opinion, though. The owners I guess have a right to do whatever they want.

My feelings exactly!! I recognise how extremly hard it is to have a 30+ year old rare classic kept as a time capsule example, and am all for mods, but in keeping with the period of the car! just thinking about it.....I guess that could be just as hard :nervous: but you wouldn't put a disco type hairdo on DaVincis' "Mona Lisa" even if it was a perfect job! I just keep reminding myself it takes all kinds to keep life interesting :cross-eye ...I mean...take me for instance :laugh:

I'm tired,

Jim.

[Gav240z]

Haha you guys are funny. To be honest thinking about it I know exactly where your coming from I see both sides of the coin. Yes I agree it would be better to do it to a non PS30 car especially since they are so rare. Infact you'd be better off with an L28 stroked to 3.1ltr and Alan I don't even like an RB in a normal Z S30, HS30 or dare I say HLS30 haha just playing but seriously I prefer a well worked L28 just goes with the period so yeah I guess i see what your saying even if the S20 valve cover looked pretty schmick chromed.

I find it hard sometimes owning an old car one side of me says modify and improve the other says keep original and neat. I guess that's why I need 2 Z's

[26th-Z]

Kats is around. He wrote me some time ago and said he was taking a breather. He'll show up again. Soon, I hope.

Nice shots, Alan, thanks.

[59ghia]

Just wanted to drop a note of thanks for taking the time to post these pics!

I've enjoyed them immensely. Your efforts are applauded.

Thanks again,

Dave