NISMO grill install in a post 7-72 240

[gogriz91]

Got the grill and am in the process of trying to shoehorn it into place. I know some slight "mods" need to be done but am curious what anyone else who's got a grill in a later 240 did to get it in there.

[Alfadog]

I am curious as to what a "Nismo grille" is?

[Zedrally]

Wouldn't be the mesh type?

[Arne]

I thought the mesh grill was normally called a "Fairlady" grill. Never heard it called Nismo before.

[Ed]

Would this be the one?

[christiansagun]

Nice. Now where do you get those mesh grille?

[CBL]

http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=30-7055&Category_Code=7BSA

[gogriz91]

That's the one. When I originally bought it I thought it would fit any 1st gen Z but when I did a search here to see if I could find some pointers for putting the thing on I read a thread that said for post 7-72 there would need to be some "mods" done to get it to fit. It doesn't seem like it fits at all, too wide, but I may just have to use the bodyman's 3rd best friend and a little physics to get it in there.

[26th-Z]

Just so we make this clear for the history buffs; there is nothing "NISMO" about this grill. This grill was used on the S30-S model. There have been some discussions about its use on the PS30 and PS30-SB, the size of the expanded mesh is different, but this is a stock Datsun part. You might notice the Fairlady 432 on the cover of Brian Long's "Datsun Z, Fairlady to 280Z" has this expanded mesh grill.

And for what it is worth, I had a long conversation with Yoshihiko Matsuo, chief designer of the S30, at the ZCCA convention in Long Beach 2004. His original design for the grill was the horizontal slat type.

I have one of these grills and think it looks quite handsome, but the reality of it is that it is an alternative grill type for various models of the S30, most of which we never saw imported.

[HS30-H]

This grill was used on the S30-S model. There have been some discussions about its use on the PS30 and PS30-SB, the size of the expanded mesh is different.......

To clarify the clarification:

The mesh grill that gogriz91 has purchased is the same type as those fitted to the S30 ( 'Fairlady Z-L' ), S30-S ( 'Fairlady Z' ) and PS30 ( 'Fairlady Z432' ) from the start of production in 1969. All three models had the same size mesh gauge.

It was the PS30-SB ( 'Fairlady Z432-R ) that had the different gauge mesh, and this part has been discontinued for more than 30 years now.

......but this is a stock Datsun part.

No, it is a stock Nissan part - just like the originals were in 1969.

And for what it is worth, I had a long conversation with Yoshihiko Matsuo, chief designer of the S30, at the ZCCA convention in Long Beach 2004. His original design for the grill was the horizontal slat type.

To expand on this a little, Matsuo says it was the 'bean counters' who foisted the use of the mesh grilles on the home-market models due to cost cutting. However, this makes it sound as though the mesh grilles were created simply to cut costs - which was not the case.....

In fact, the 432-R model was always going to have a mesh grille, as the slat-type grille would have laid its large oil cooler ( mounted in front of the radiator ) open to stone damage. The 'bean counters' pinched the low-cost mesh grille and imposed it on the other home-market models - but with a different mesh gauge.

True story.

[gogriz91]

Anyone who's stuck it on a post 7-72 240 can chime in now to tell me if they had any problems mounting it or what they modded to get it to fit.

[Daffy Duck]

went straight on my 260,but it sits about an inch too low,to make it look and fit you will have to get 2 bits of metal,drill 2 holes each end so as to lift it up a bit then it will look a lot better,still have to do that to mine,been a bit cold here in england but it is a straight forward job