Hello all,

Can I ask for opinions on the following?

Are you happy with the positioning of the Emergency Brake on your early Z car?

In the UK, we have traditionally called this the "Handbrake" ( is that true for Australia / New Zealand too? ) and I know in Japan it has mainly been known as the "Side Brake".

Some owners will realise that the positioning of the Emergency Brake on the right side of the trans tunnel ( from the viewpoint of the driver sitting in the car ) was the same for both Right Hand Drive and Left Hand Drive versions. As far as I am aware, the only time that the positioning was changed to the OTHER side of the tunnel was in Factory-built "Works" competition cars ( specifically, in SOME of the Works rally cars that were Left Hand Drive - but not all of them ). I think this was only performed on a handful of cars after the Works drivers complained.

As the owner of more than one RHD early Z car, I have always felt that the position of the handle on the right hand side of the tunnel was perfect. When I drove an LHD early Z car for the first time, I was shocked to find how awkwardly positioned the Emergency Brake seemed.

I have in the past owned a fair few non-Z LHD cars ( American, French, Italian, German ) and I think I remember that the handbrakes were usually centrally-mounted or were otherwise easy to get to and use effectively and sportingly ( especially for the odd handbrake-assisted turn ). The early Z cars seem to be unusual in the way that they kept the same position on both LHD and RHD cars.

What do you think?

Alan T.

Hello Sean

i have some "z" competitors here but only for 1975

260z coupe $6974

260z 2+2 7707

alfa 2000gtv 8088

BMW 2002 8419

FIAT 124 sports 6889

PORSCHE 911 coupe 18,865

PORSCHE CARRERA 25,437

TRIUMP STAG 11,480

and the locals

VALIANT CHARGER 770 5914

FALCON GT 7103

FALCON GT 2dr 7231

TORANA SLR V8 5553

Cheers Roger

Originally posted by Alfadog

Do NOT buy a 90s crapi! They are one of the worst cars ever built - they continually have problems. There was a magazine article about the worst lemons of all time in Australia recently. The Capri rated number 1 if I'm not mistaken...

Funny that, since they were realy just ford lasers with different pannels, and they seem to have a good reputation. apart form weak gearboxes, especially the 4WD turbo laser. I completely destroyed my gearbox and center Differential. I always thought the 90's crappy were (still are) ugly.

And a 260Z 2+2 is just a 240Z? And a X-type jag is just a Mondeo? etc. etc.

"Mondeo"

Go wash your hand and your keyboard now, their must be some kind of rules against using word like that on this forum :classic:

I must admit your right, their is more than panel work to a car. My mum had a "Le Car" when we lived in Ohio, very far away from the Reanult 5 she had in France before, but you can't tell it from outside so!

But aren't we far away from Allan post here?

Originally posted by Alfadog

And a 260Z 2+2 is just a 240Z? And a X-type jag is just a Mondeo? etc. etc.

Dont go comparig 240z to 2+2 260z's.

A 240z is a beautiful car, the 2+2, on the other hand, looks like a deformed hunchback.

Ford owns Jag do they?

mazda 323 = Ford laser

Holden commodore = toyota lexan

toyota camry = Holden Apollo

nissan pulsar = holden astra

mitsubishi = (no one wanted to team up wih them)

blame the government at the time for thier idea to make the car market more competative by forcing car manufacturers to share models.

The point is just because the car is basically the same as something else doesn't mean it is exactly the same..

Mitsubishi Mirage = Proton Satria

Humm!!! it is the same with human today. I am the French version of Paul Newman, really only the panneling is different

Surgery do wonder today ROFL ROFL

mitsubishi = (no one wanted to team up wih them)

Here in the states mitsubishi and Dodge got togather. There are alot of cars that dodge sold that where mitsu. The stelth was a 3000GT the lazer was a eclipse and there are more. Chrysler cut away from mitsu in the mid - late 90s.

Originally posted by Sean Dezart

loose snip

BTW, I think that the choke(starter)lever is better angled for RHD than left but perhaps that's just how my fingers are bent !

When one thinks about it, this thread started with the handbrake position, however in reality, it begs the question about the entire centre console.

Was the handbrake left on the right for left hookers because Nissan would have to produce a different console?

Whislt its a minor point it really effects the outcome as we have seen.

Ergonomicly the choke is in the correct position for a RHD vehicle, but how does it feel in a LHD?

Good point Zedrally,

But if you look at the ORIGINAL console ( with Choke and Hand Throttle in the centre behind the gearlever ) it was much more symmetrical than the later ( choke only ) version.

Take a look at my earlier-posted picture from the Tokyo Motor Show stand of 1969. You can see that the main difference they would have had to engineer for the console on the earlier cars was just the cut-out or clearancing next to the brake handle itself.

I get the feeling that carguyinok is far closer to the truth ( if there is a "truth" to be told ) of the productionising of the Handbrake lever assembly as it relates to the shell than anyone else so far.

However, my experience of these bodyshells in stripped-down form ( although perhaps more limited than many of the people that have been posting here ) tells me that the bodyshell could have only got so far down the line as an indeterminate LHD or RHD base. At some point it was allocated either an RHD or LHD identity, and I think that point must have been when the FIREWALL was put into the car. From what I have seen of the LHD to RHD shell conversions in this country ( usually relatively rust-free USA cars that are converted using a rusty UK-market RHD car as a parts and identity donor ) I reckon that to do a "proper" and full job of the switch the WHOLE firewall panel would have to be switched. In reality, this very rarely gets done ( far too complicated ) and a compromise is made. Its relatively simple to do - but you can usually tell that its been done if you look closely.

As has been pointed out, some of the panels that made up the bodyshell must have been generically designed ( such as the top of the scuttle, where the wiper arm pivots go, having both LHD and RHD-type cutouts ) so that the pressings could be used for both versions. However, as far as I can see, the main part of the firewall ( not just the pedalbox support panel ) seems to be either LHD or RHD oriented.

As carguyinok has pointed out, maybe having a "handed" trans tunnel pressing would have meant that the orientation of the bodyshell would have had to have been determined further back down the line than ideal? That would seem to be logical.

Its still interesting that they chose to have the handle on the right

side of the tunnel, though.........

Anybody find those prototype pics interesting? I thought it was worth noting that they were ( perhaps naturally ) RHD-oriented.

Alan T.

Originally posted by HS30-H

However, my experience of these bodyshells in stripped-down form ( although perhaps more limited than many of the people that have been posting here ) tells me that the bodyshell could have only got so far down the line as an indeterminate LHD or RHD base.

Alan T.

Alan, in any of you literature is there an exploded view of the body shell?

I'm starting to form an opinion that it all based on the trans tunnel after all.

Mike

Ergonomicly the choke is in the correct position for a RHD vehicle, but how does it feel in a LHD?

It feels like a choke

Now I can say for me I found it a nice change. Most of the cars in the American market went for putting the choke out of sight. We had a ton of the makers putting the choke knobs under the dash. I found not needing ta reach for the choke nice. It was just the way the Z was for us. Not that it matters much. I know that not many of the Zs I have seen still have that choke knob(even after a year old). I did like it but they would catch then people would force them till they snap. Or they would get hooked or crushed when leaning over for the pass side door lock. :mad:

For the use its nice when it not a metal stub. But they are just in the wrong place when leaning.