260z in Japan?

[77JAPAN]

i was wondering if japan had a 260z? in the usa market we had:

70-73 for 240z; 74-77 for 260z?; and etc... did japan just have the 240z until 77?

just a thought...

[gogriz91]

Japan didn't have 240-260 or 280 designations like the rest of the world did, they just had the "Fairlady Z." As model years progressed the changes to the front and rear headlights and the body occurred on Japanese Z's just like it did on exported Zs.

[HS30-H]

The Japanese market started out with four distinct models in October 1969:

*Fairlady Z ( 'S30-S' model ) = 'S30' VIN prefix

*Fairlady Z-L ( 'S30' model ) = 'S30' VIN prefix

*Fairlady Z432 ( 'PS30' model ) = 'PS30' VIN prefix

*Fairlady Z432-R ( 'PS30-SB' model ) = 'PS30' VIN prefix

Then in October 1971 the L24 engine was introduced to the range. The above four models continued to be sold, but the three models below were added:

*Fairlady 240Z ( 'HS30-S' model ) = 'HS30' VIN prefix

*Fairlady 240Z-L ( 'HS30' model ) = 'HS30' VIN prefix

*Fairlady 240ZG ( 'HS30-H' model ) = HS30' VIN prefix

The above continued to be sold until September 1973, when the L24 and S20 engined models were withdrawn and the L26 engine was introduced. Two models were then sold alongside the L20A engined versions:

*Fairlady 260Z ( 'RS30-S' model ) = 'RS30' VIN prefix

*Fairlady 260Z-L ( 'RS30' model ) = 'RS30' VIN prefix

However, these L26-engined models were soon found to suffer from severe fuel vapourisation problems and overheating ( especially when equipped with Air Con ) and had great trouble passing the stringent Japanese emissions standards of the time. After just a few weeks of sales, all of the L26-engined models that had been sold to the general public were re-called, their L26 engines replaced with L20s, and their firewall VIN stamps were altered to 'S30' numbers. The whole episode was somewhat hushed up by Nissan.

Thereafter, the Japanese market only got a variety of models with L20 engines ( carbed and then injected ) through to the end of S30/S31-series Z production in 1978.

Alan T.

[Tony D]

The swap from S30 with '240' style lamps, and the S30 with the later '260/280' style lamps and dashboard happened somewhere around S30-108000.

That is the earliest VIN for a 'Late Dash' car I have seen here in the USA. I had earlier vehicles myself with lower VINS that were of the 'early lamp' variety.

And of course, there was my S30-110661, which rusts in peace somewhere amalgamated and remelted early in 1989 when I left Japan. Notwithstanding the '180000' chassis switch, 110661 was an early car all the way, an unexplained "Build Out" car of strange pedigree, and which I lament not saving...other than on Ektachrome Slides. This is the one Alan discussed with me some long time ago with the 100L tank and dashboard, etc...

[Mr Camouflage]

The swap from S30 with '240' style lamps, and the S30 with the later '260/280' style lamps and dashboard happened somewhere around S30-108000.

That is the earliest VIN for a 'Late Dash' car I have seen here in the USA. I had earlier vehicles myself with lower VINS that were of the 'early lamp' variety.

And of course, there was my S30-110661, which rusts in peace somewhere amalgamated and remelted early in 1989 when I left Japan. Notwithstanding the '180000' chassis switch, 110661 was an early car all the way, an unexplained "Build Out" car of strange pedigree, and which I lament not saving...other than on Ektachrome Slides. This is the one Alan discussed with me some long time ago with the 100L tank and dashboard, etc...

Do you mean HLS30? because that's an entirely different thing to HS30 and S30. There arent many S30's in the USA - only ones that were privately imported from Japan.

[Rogersz]

Alan

Is there more of a story to the L26 overheating and fuel evap problems in Japan. I ask because as far as I know they dont apear to have been known

as perenial overheating cars in OZ or N.Z . Was it an emissions lean running situation or something similar. Note the Ozzy cars did not have legislated

emmision requirements till some time in 1975, my 02/74 260Z has the flat top carbs , but no carbon canister or other devices and I hadn't heard of the 75 to 77 cars having overheating problems either.

[HS30-H]

Alan

Is there more of a story to the L26 overheating and fuel evap problems in Japan. I ask because as far as I know they dont apear to have been known

as perenial overheating cars in OZ or N.Z . Was it an emissions lean running situation or something similar. Note the Ozzy cars did not have legislated

emmision requirements till some time in 1975, my 02/74 260Z has the flat top carbs , but no carbon canister or other devices and I hadn't heard of the 75 to 77 cars having overheating problems either.

Roger,

The only information I have came to me anecdotally, from people employed by Nissan in Japan at the time. One of my friends in Japan says he really wants to get a good UK-market 'RS30' model, to recreate one of Nissan's long lost phantom models: The Nissan 'Fairlady 260Z'.

Apparently the problem was most serious on the aircon-equipped cars, and particularly when they were caught up in heavy stop-start traffic during hot weather. Cars were suffering serious fuel vapourisation issues, and dealers could not get a good balance between air-con off and air-con on settings ( the kind of problems that would soon to be eliminated with fuel injection ). They were being forced to make changes that would cause the cars to fail Japan's extremely strict emissions laws ( some of the strictest in the world at that point, I believe ) and a proper cure would have meant a complete re-design of the fuel system and maybe even different carbs. I'm told that Nissan decided to cut their losses, recall the problem cars ( buying them back from customers in some cases ) and fit them with L20A engines instead. The bulkhead VIN stamps were altered to suit, and new metal VIN plates attached to the inner wings ( fenders ). The L20A engine design already had a few years of development and production under its belt ( in a wide variety of models ) and didn't suffer from the same issues as the L26 in the Japanese spec.

As I mentioned before, this was not highly publicised by Nissan and the whole issue was somewhat covered up. I still have never seen a Japanese service bulletin or any other Nissan-sourced document that mentions it. I think only a few hundred cars were affected.

I think the spec of the domestic L26 concerned would have been different to the export spec L26 ( different carbs and more emissions equipment at least ) so that's why they treated them differently.

I don't know the full ins-and-outs of the story, but it is an intriguing story. I would have thought that they would need to change emblems on the cars that were sent back out ( re-badged as 'Fairlady Z' models instead of 'Fairlady 260Z' models ) and this - along with the re-stamping of the firewall VIN and the engine change - might even have made it necessary to repaint the cars.

And like most of these kinds of story, it is difficult to pin down the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I think Nissan would probably prefer us not to know!

Alan T.

[26th-Z]

Nice, interesting thread. Thanks. I'm listening. Have we an example of re-possesed / re-stamped car?

[HS30-H]

Yesh.

Here's one that popped up a few years ago in an unexpected place. Full identity hidden to respect the privacy of the owner:

[26th-Z]

Very Nice! Learn something new every day! Thanks, Alan. That's cool.

[Zedrally]

Alan

Is there more of a story to the L26 overheating and fuel evap problems in Japan. I ask because as far as I know they dont apear to have been known

as perenial overheating cars in OZ or N.Z . Was it an emissions lean running situation or something similar. Note the Ozzy cars did not have legislated

emmision requirements till some time in 1975, my 02/74 260Z has the flat top carbs , but no carbon canister or other devices and I hadn't heard of the 75 to 77 cars having overheating problems either.

Rogersz, you must be joking. I've owned 2 260's and both have the overheating problem in summer. I dread taking my current one out if the temp is over 30.

Please tell us/me how you've managed to avoid this problem?

The only fix is to change carbs over to 240 "round tops".

FWIW, I maintain the originals as the car is in original condition and prefer to keep it that way.

Cheers

MOM

[Rogersz]

Zedrally

I,m not an expert on 260z , perhaps the other 260z owners in OZ and N.Z. could let us know how their cars cooling system performed provided of course that the system is in god condition.

With the two 260's that I have had ,the 2 seaters { 5spd} radiator was coroded out so I replaced it with a good second hand one from an automatic,

that car also had British SU'S ( no problems) The second car a 2+2 also a manual has the original radiator and air cond. I took it out last Sunday for a 2 1/2 hour drive in the Adelaide hills it was 41 deg C , with the Air cond on the guage went up

to 3/4 thats about as high as I would normally let any of my cars go, it normally sits at just below half at Temps below about 35 c. I was thinking of getting my Radiator cleaned out but it may already be as good as its going to get without increasig the core size.