How do you like the front of your Z?

[Gav240z]

Thanks Alan I appreciate the time you take to explain the variations and give me a brief history on the body kit. I also appreciate the offer to get me in touch with someone who can supply me this kit. Unfortunately at the moment i don't have the money to look into this kind of kit. I just bought a 240z have you seen my Gallery? Anyway I just finished getting it roadworthy today and I have to pay stamp duty and I owe some money for it.

Once that is out the way I'll look at removing the rust in the doors which is the main spot and then I'd love to take you up on the offer.

I think I'd be looking at a bit of money seeing as the AUS$$ trades so poor these days but I'm also going for another job interview tomorrow which will hopefully pay me better than my current one provided I get it. Well I should anyway I've decided to rule out the option of a front spoiler and go full authentic with the Gnose it's the look I really like for the car.

So not yet but definately in the future when finances allow.

PS: Are you an Oasis Fan? Seeing as you live in England, A friend and I are into their music and saw them when they came to AUS.

[ionman]

I fully understand the idea of airdams or spoilers on race prepped vehicles. I don't understand the need for them on street machines. The 240Z is a classic as is, no mods necessary. Some spoilers I have seen are decent enough but just unnecessary. Gnose's are :sick: IMHO

They make it look like a Ferrari Kit car. Be proud to own a Z, don't try and make it look like anything else.

My $.02

[2ManyZs]

Driving a Z even at 65mph on the interstate you will see a considerable difference in the handling with an airdam versus stock. It isn't just for looks, it does make a difference.

I personally don't like the G-nose either, but I like an airdam. Different strokes, for different folks......

[HS30-H]

Gavin,

That`s a good plan; get the car paid for and running right before "Gilding the Lily". Time is on your side ( I think you have got your Z at a much younger age than I was when I got my first one - which should be to your advantage ). Good luck with the new job. Fingers crossed. If I can be of any assistance with the car please don`t hesitate to ask, mate.

Oasis? They are from Manchester! I`m London born and bred - which makes me naturally opposed to anything

from "Madchester"....! We are like cats and dogs. In any case, I`m sorry to say that I am not that big an Oasis music fan ( and Liam`s a bit of a nut case by all accounts ). Sorry - I must be getting old!

Ionman, I appreciate your right to like or dislike the G-nose. However, the REAL Fairlady ZG ( "HS30-H" ) was built by Nissan - and I really don`t think that they were trying to make it look "like" anything else in particular. The main reason for building the ZG and releasing it for sale to the public was in order to allow them to Homologate the parts for their Group 4 race programme in Japan. Without building a certain number of road cars they would not have been allowed to use the parts as a base for even greater modifications. Think Plymouth Superbird or Alfa Romeo GTam. If anybody wants to build a replica of these cars, then its OK by me ( they are rare enough as it is ). The only thing that causes problems is when people try to pass fakes off as the real thing. Otherwise, its all fair in love and war.

My car is a "REAL" Fairlady 240ZG ( built by the Factory ) - have a look in my Gallery pics - so where does that put it in your line of thinking? Its not a replica Ferrari, and its not some aftermarket thing I tacked on to it, so its kind of hard to know what you would classify it as according to your previous post. I always get lots of people asking me what it is ( and a lot of negative comments!.... ) - but what I always try to get across to people is that its not ME that was responsible for it! In my way of thinking, it just IS what it IS - and you have to just love it, hate it or not care either way about it. However - before you write anything off or damn it with faint praise you MUST know what it is and all about it. Otherwise, you are just basing your opinion on whether it pleases your eye or not. I have lost count of the number of critical comments that I get about the "Overfenders" in particular; people always seem to think that I dreamed them up myself. I totally agree with people who say that they look tacky and cheap ( "Afterthoughters" - !! ) but that`s what Homologation Specials are all about....................

As for performance, the Japanese road tests back in October 1971 clearly agreed with Nissan that the aerodynamic parts improved high speed stability, cooling and breathing - so clearly the parts worked. I can vouch for this, as my car certainly behaves differently at Motorway speeds to my other "normal" Z cars. I`m not taking about very hight speeds either; it works noticeably from around 60 MPH up ( and especially in crosswinds ). I agree that spoilers / airdams are not REALLY necessary - but variety is the spice of life. Like I say, I have the ZG and a "normal" unadorned 1970 Fairlady Z-L.

I love `em both!

All the best,

Alan T.

[260z]

hs30-h you have got one of the sweetest z's I've ever seen!! I would love to have g-nose.

About those black flares....I have been toying with Japanese cars for some years now and I have been falling for most of the weird things that they have...But not to those mirrors in the front of the wings!! But I do like those plastic flares and matt black bonnets and in some cases even those black plain steel rims!! It is some kind of thing for japanese racing cars in 70's to have black bonnets? Anyway those flares certainly give the car racy look.

If I could get a hold on g-nose parts I would do the modification. If and if...The money doesn't grow on trees. What if...? I dont have the heart to cut my wheelarches so does it mean that I cant have those flares? If I could get g-nose it would most certainly be the only one in this country!! It would be nice!!!!

[HS30-H]

Hi there 260z,

Thanks for the nice comments about my car.

I have something in common with you at the moment; I am guessing that you have plenty of snow up there in Finland at the moment - as I am up to my nose in it here in Sapporo, Japan. I`m on holiday visiting relatives, and the weather up here is very interesting........................

For a "standard" G-nose and Overfender installation, you would not technically have to cut the rear arches. The point is, however, that you would probably want to fill up those rear arches with some fairly wide wheels and tyres ( although the ZG came stock with the standard skinny steel wheels and hubcaps...... ). Usually this means that you are forced to cut / clearance the rear arches to avoid cutting your tyres.

The matt-black bonnet thing was also popular in Europe during the mid Sixties and early Seventies period. Originally thought of as an aid to dissipating engine heat, it soon caught on as a racy street modification. Its also quite handy for disguising the bad gelcoat finish on Fibreglass parts.

Alan T.

[260z]

Wow! When I left walking to work in the morning it was -35 degrees outside!!Freezing!! My use car is frozen for the last week or so...No point even trying...After fourdays of standing its engine didn't rotate!! After few hours of intensive warming it started to rotate...And after some more heating it actually started...But souded very bad and stalled...It does not run at idle..

Matt black hoods. I thought that one reason to paint them matt black in racing cars is to avoid shining to blind you?? Clear shiny surface can make some nasty reflections?

So you have roots in Japan? Have you bought that zg from Japan or do you have those originally imported in England? It seems that your cars have interesting histories?

Is it hard to get those original zg nose parts? These onepiece noses are easy to get, right? Is there any supplier for these parts in England?

Where do you have pics of those two other z's you got?

[kats]

Hello,

Alan, are you in Sapporo? I was stayed at a hotel near New Chitose airport last night. Now I am in Matsuyama where is approximately 600 miles west of Tokyo.

Here in Japan,we know the G-nose came from "Gland nose".

Does it make sence? Japanese people speak a lot of "Japanese-English (English-Japanese?)"as usual.This habit is really bad for studying acuurate and correct English.

We (young or old)mixed up English with Japanese.So if you study traditional beautiful Japanese launguage,sometimes you will not understand completely what they talk.

But, we can understand and imagine what designer was trying to say.

Of cource Alan understand it very easily,right?

Here is point.Front section became longer than the original looking.To think about this,it does not need to say "Gland-nose".

I think "Long-nose" is enough.It could be "Fairlady 240 LG".

But this featuring made people feel something special at that time.Maybe because of it's looks,not just long, it was beautiful and made people expect aerodynamic effect.

So I think Mr.MATSUO and other members wanted to put those special meanings into the name. For Japanese people,in this case,"Gland" is suitable."Long" is not enough.

This is my opinion.Does this make sence for native Engilsh speaker?

As Alan said, Mr.MATSUO designed this nose and even he tested it by himself in a high-way in the early 1971.

From his article,soon after 240Z was produced to the public,almost same time from the test department,it was reported that poor stability in a high speed cruising.It was worse especially in a cross wind condition.

He said he drove a G-nose proto type in a highway,at that time only very few car was runnnig there,he found Z's stability was much developed and the Z got a very good fuel consumption and a maximam speed.He managed over 200km/h(near160mph?).

Nextime I will show you my friend's ZG which got all original equipment even beautiful original carpet and oil filter!!

And another friend wanted to sell his ZG this is also very original around 2,500,000yen($20,000 U.S.)

This is common price here in Japan for beautiful ZG.I think his price is favourable for it's nice condition.

kats

[kats]

I found a mistake,200km/h is not 160mph,apprx 135?

I voted original front unmodified !!I love it very much.

kats

[billcapp]

I purchased an airdam designed by the Paul Newman race team very soon after I bought my 240 in 1980. I absolutely prefer it over the stock pan. While driving I10 in California I had the opportunity to do a little speed test in the open desert. At about 110 MPH I noticed the air dam start to push down on the front end. At about 130 the car was runnin' sweet. There was no front end lift at all. The car was cruising like it was made for that speed.....hummin' along. I will never forget the feeling; it was like flying a jet at ground level. Airdam for SURE! I still have the very same airdam, but have had to repair it several times due to miscalculating high parking curbs. I wouldn't want any other although MSA sells similar units.

[Walter Moore]

I have seen the G-nose kit for sale on E-bay... It looks nice to me, but I am not in a position to spend that kind of money at the moment.

My "plan"

(...first there was the plan, and then there were the assumptions...)

is to eventually install a "BRE" style front spook and spoiler on my 240Z, but not until I have the thing basically drivable, and that isn't going to happen any time soon.

My car is a '71, and personally I like the retro look, but not the stock look. The huge air dam/ground effect/whale tale look is an '80s thing, and I just don't want it on that particular car.

Now if I had an '80s model...

But to those who want make their car look like a 911 Turbo, that is their business. To each his own.

[HS30-H]

Hi Otso ( 260z ),

Can't imagine the temperatures you have over there in Finland. It was pretty cold here in Sapporo last night, with about 4cm of snow - but only about minus 7 Degrees. Surely those extremely low temps must hurt your car? ( or does it preserve it?!.... ).

I've not heard that story about matt black hoods being to stop reflections ( but maybe that would be a useful side effect ). To be honest, I think its a case of style over effect.

I don't have "blood" roots in Japan ( just my in-laws ) but we always come up to the north for New Year. The rest of the time we are in London or Tokyo.

I didn't import my ZG to the UK myself ( and they were never officially exported outside Japan ) - it was brought to the UK in 1988 by a Japanese businessman with a large car collection. Its been owned by quite a few other people before me, but I think I've owned it the longest now ( and spent the most time and money on it ). It had a great body when it came from Japan, so its always been in good condition and only needed painting and detailing. I have done a real lot to it under the skin, and further improvements are in hand ( suspension ).

When you ask about "original" G-nose parts, I presume you mean the original Factory-built parts. These are all but unobtainable from Nissan ( although I have seen some NOS parts in the hands of a collector over here in Japan ). I myself have a spare NOS front pan section ( the biggest part, which goes under the whole front of the car ) which I know is now very rare. The one thing that needs to be understood is that the ORIGINAL parts / panels were of amazingly good quality and construction. To replicate this would cost a real lot of money and time, so thats why the replica parts are usually of inferior quality.

As I say, replica parts ARE available here in Japan from several different sources. They vary in quality, but generally speaking the 5-piece kits always work / fit better than the others.

There are a couple of companies in the UK that supply the inferior kits ( and they import them from the USA as far as I am aware ). I don't recommend them. Better to spend extra and get a 5-piece Japanese kit.

When I get back to London I'll look into putting up photos of my "other" Z cars ( although the 432R Replica is still in the paintshop and looks like a big kit at the moment ).

Kats! Happy New Year! Nice to hear from you.........

I flew up to Sapporo CHT from Kansai KIX last week on an ANA flight ( I wondered if I should ask the pilot if he knew you! ). Actually the pilot was really nice and made announcements in English ( just for me???! ) - the flightpath was really interesting too and Fuji-san looked beautiful. We are going back down to Tokyo tomorrow night ( ANA again ) so I will tell you about it. We fly back to Amsterdam then London on 7th with KLM ( horrible ).

Actually, I have found that in the original road tests of October 1971, different testers / press called the ZG either the "Grand" or "Grande" Nose ( just different spelling ). I think this is just confusion from Journalists, and now we do not know which was correct. The Factory themselves also used different spelling in different advertising and brochures, and the Factory parts book lists the Manual Transmission ZG as an "HZG" and the Automatic version as the "HZGA". Interesting.

I understand what you mean by Japanese English causing confusion - but you have to expect it, with such a big gap between languages. I have to say that however much the Japanese mis-use English, the English-language speaking world mis-uses Japanese just as much! It does not matter. What is more important is communication ( and one day we will be able to communicate without language, I hope ).

I can imagine the feeling in the early 1970's - with the Japanese people wanting to dream of more modern and glamorous things. That's why they were using such interesting names for things ( and it still happens ). I like it. Its all part of the attraction of these cars.

How about the example of the Cherry X1-R? It sounds like a cross between a space rocket and a fruit cocktail. I admire their boldness in using names like this ( even though it sounds funny outside Japan ). Outside Japan, I think we abuse Japanese terms just as much ( words like "Kamikaze" are used without people knowing the true origin of the word ).

I think if we look at it chronologically, we can see that Matsuo san and his team realised that the aerodynamics of the first S30 series Z car were not satisfactory. You can see that the ZG influenced the styling of the S130 series Z ( and indeed there were originally plans to make the G-nose standard for the RS30 onwards, but they were dropped ).

For the Japanese market, there was a period from late 1971 when the Automatic transmission Fairlady ZG ( "HS30-HA" ) was the MOST EXPENSIVE of the whole range, and was seen as the top model S30-series Z. This is why the ZG has always commanded higher prices and more demand than the "standard" Z cars. Prices of good condition ZG's are third in line behind the 432-R and 432.

Kats, when I get back to London shall we start our campaign to promote Matsuo san as the true leader of the S30 design team? I am looking forward to it.

Best regards,

Alan T.