Originally posted by Zed@Work

You can format the text in Word and then use the [code ] tags to post it here, but you still may have to do a little tweaking.

So I just include the data within the "code" tags as you did, correct? You are speaking to a computer (semi) illiterate person.

i.e. what I've learned has been 99.9% trail and error.

Thanks for the info. If I have misunderstood, please correct me. Thanks!

Originally posted by HS30-H

And what does FWIW mean?

For What It's Worth

Thanks Bambi,

Now I'm going to be thinking about Buffalo Springfield every time I see it.

Alan T.

Ok but what does IMHO mean then?

What I've extracted from the above conversation is that the 240z was designed for the US requirements.

The Fairlady 240z or Fairlady Z was designed for the japanese home market with the smaller capacity L20 it would suit the tax laws on the motor vehicle wouldn't it?

The 432 and 432R were for the people who wanted the extra bit of performance and a high end model.

The fact that so many HLS30 models were produced suggests that the 240z was designed for the US market. It was the biggest market after all and from bits and pieces I've read the Z concept was originally gonna be a 4cylinder Roadster but to sell a roadster US laws were changing and making it difficult and the US buyers liked larger capacity engines like V8's.

Anyway that's what I make of it for now I'm glad I'm one of the Lucky 300 in Aus that own a HS30 prefix car.

To add to what you guys were saying before I find that the Z has so much unknown or difficult to obtain information about it's history or model differences and activities that it does make me more interested.

I don't think I know of any other cars that could possibly keep me this glued to a post :classic: .

Do other enthusiasts have this problem ie: Ford followers?

I suppose the unexpected success of the Z made all of the smaller details easier to loose and focus was put on the more important things. Japan had just started to get there industrial industry underway and lots of documentation and quality procedures etc.. were not implemented that's my guess anyway.

I think I'll leave it there I'm very tired now and probably not making proper sense.

Originally posted by Gav240z

Ok but what does IMHO mean then?

In My Humble Opinion.

Hi Alan:

I believe the "Other" category - in the 280ZX book is other countries outside Japan. The

chart is intended to show numbers and the countries cars were exported too. Datsun

240-Z's were sold "new" by authorized dealers in Central and South America. They were

built to meet a common Central and South American standard. (which had far fewer

emission control and safety requirements).

I believe "Others" included: Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and Costa Rica.

Looking at the VIN's and build dates of Z's we have gathered over the years we find

blocks of numbers missing from the series of US cars. Usually we find these missing

numbers on cars somewhere else in the world.

All we can gather is a statistical sampling - however based on what we have, when we

add up the numbers and subtract differences of units between the end of one series

and the start of the next, the add the numbers outside the US... the total production of

240-Z's comes pretty close to the total in that chart.

FWIW,

Carl

Carl Beck

Clearwater,FL USA

http://ZHome.com

ALAN WROTE:

AT>...lots snipped...

AT> As for Mr Matsuo, I think you might like to take a little bit

AT> more notice of what he REALLY thinks, and to read between

AT> the lines a little. He too now speaks from the present, a present

AT> where we can see what a success the HLS30 model and its successors

AT> were in the US market. When I spoke to him, it was quite clear that

AT> he STILL thinks of the car as a Japanese car. I can't imagine Matsuo san

AT> hearing that "American Sports Car" quote without feeling somewhat offended.

AT>...lots snipped...

Hello Alan (everyone):

I wanted to follow up on your comment - sorry for the delay.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Matsuo and while his English was limited

and my Japanese was all but non-existent I felt that we had enough common

ground to provide basic communication. (I meet him at Mr. K's induction into

the Automotive Hall of Fame in 98.)

I believe I said in an earlier Post that there was no doubt Mr. Matsuo was rightly

proud of the "Japanese Car" that Nissan produced. Mr. Matsuo is Japanese and

Nissan is a Japanese Corporation.

In the technical sense of the term - the Nissan/Datsun 240-Z is a "Japanese Car".

But that completely misses the point....

The Point Is:

Until the Datsun PL510 was designed and delivered - Nissan/Datsun were making the

same mistake as their competition. They insisted on tying to sell "Japanese Cars" to

Americans.

With the design and build of the Datsun PL510 all that began to change. With the

PL510 Mr. Katayama started to get the cars his American customers wanted. Cars with

more room for Americans and more power to keep up on American streets and

highways. Mr. Katayama's battle with the home offices is well documented in several

books related to the history of Nissan and the Japanese auto industry. Mr. K forced a

sea change in Corporate Japan as well as in the US.

Now enter Mr. Matsuo. Taking over the newly established Sports Car Design Section...

and having witnessed the total rejection by top management of the "Goertz A550X"..

I believe he was quite wise to NOT DO what Goertz had done.

Let's look at what Mr. Goertz did. In a nut shell Goertz designed a car he wanted too.

Let's look at what Mr. Matsuo did. In a nut shell he Led a Design Team - that

designed a car Americans Wanted. (Based on input and direction from US Marketing

and Mr. K).

Mr. Goertz makes the constant argument that the only way to design an outstanding

automobile - is to have a single "Designer" do the entire job - as he did on the BMW 507.

(documented in all too many interviews and articles over the past 50 years). Mr. Goerz

also made the arugment to Nissan that if they wanted to succeed in the US market -

they had to have a US Designer do the job. (Yes, Goertz is a US Citizen and his office

was in New York - he was/is a US Designer.)

Mr. Matsuo proved Mr. Goertz wrong on both counts. Mr. Matsuo didn't design the

240-Z - he Lead A DESIGN TEAM - and the output from that team effort was an

outstanding automobile.

Perhaps even more importantly - Mr. Matsuo proved that a Japanese Designer could

design an "American Car". Mr. Matsuo also proved that when "Customer Requirements"

are understood and then used to "DRIVE" the design - the outcome will most often be a

smashing success.

It is my firm belief that calling the Datsun 240-Z "An American Sports/GT Designed and

Built In Japan" - is the highest complement a Designer could receive. Mr. Matsuo and his

team should have receive the Deming Award For Design. (one of the most coveted

awards in Japan).

It is my firm belief that Mr. Matsuo put his cultural and personal biases aside and

accepted the challenge of designing a "Sports/GT for America". Had he not been able

to do that, he would have failed in the same manor that Goertz did.

IMHO to say that Mr. Matsuo designed a "Japanese Sports/GT" that simply sold well in

the US - is to greatly understate his accomplishment; and to lower him to the level of

Mr. Goertz. (driven by his ego rather than being driven by the challenge of "Design").

FWIW,

Carl

Carl Beck

beck@becksystems.com

http://ZHome.com