HS30-H

It's quite hard to pin a current market value on a 432 or 432-R, but - in Japan, where the majority of them reside - they can change hands privately for stratospheric (in S30-series Z terms) figures. The 432-R is often valued at three or four times that of a 'normal' 432, but there's a limited data reference as so few Rs are sold 'on the record' and in public view. Japanese buyers and sellers can be very secretive (most individuals are circumspect with regard to their personal financial circumstances) and quite a few of these cars have been owned by people who are now of senior age, coming to the end of their safe driving life. That's a situation that can be taken advantage of by younger family members, friends and/or people in the old car business. @kats can tell you of a case late last year where a genuine 432-R, owned by an elderly gentleman, was bought at an unusually low price (by somebody in the right place at the right time) and was very soon being 'flipped' at a three or four times multiplied figure. Sad that the elderly vendor didn't get a more honest buyer. I feel that it's important for these cars to go to good homes, which I guess is not always about money. And that's something we can also say about this 'PS30-00218' for sale via Takeey's. It may well have a cloud over its authenticity (which all hinges on whether it's chassis number has been altered or not...) but it exists, is an attractive car in it's own right - nothing wrong with a 432-R 'tribute'/'replica' - and as long as any new owner knows exactly what they are buying, and the price paid reflects that, then OK. It just needs to find that 'Mr Right'.

Hi Steve, This is a well-known - perhaps I should say somewhat 'notorious' - car with some er, baggage... I have it down in my notes as having a "re-stamped" (re-engraved?) firewall chassis number, and there has been a fair amount of gossip about the car between interested parties over a few years. I have photos of the car from when it was for sale in 2018, so it's been knocking around ostensibly 'For Sale' for a good few years now. The website you link to is actually for a somewhat parasitic forwarding company, hoping to get in on the sale of the car and the shipping/handling thereof and taking a margin from both seller and buyer. Best to look at the car with the actual seller, well-known Japanese old car vendor 'Takeey's' based in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka prefecture. Here's their website: http://takeeys.com/index.html ...and here's the car for sale (price = 'ASK'...) on the Takeeys official site: https://www.goo-net.com/php/search/spread.php?baitai=0600834&area_cd=15&goo_car_id=700060083430240917001&ef_flag=1 Chassis number 'PS30-00218' is a genuine chassis number, but - more specifically - it is a known and official chassis number for a PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R', the very limited production super lightweight variant of the 432. Genuine 432-Rs are on another level in terms of rarity, desirability and market value in comparison with 'ordinary' 432s. However, there are question marks around this particular car. You will note that Takeey's are not claiming it in writing as being a genuine 432-R. They are selling it as a '432', which it almost certainly is. The question is whether a standard 432 has been 'sexed up' with many 432-R specific parts and details and has - nefariously - assumed the identity of 'PS30-00218' which was a genuine 432-R. We can spot many 432-R specific details and parts on the car (console delete, trans tunnel-mounted ignition switch, plain vinyl trans tunnel cover, spare wheel well delete, 100 litre tank, etc etc etc - there are too many to list) but only a genuine 432-R would have the super lightweight type bodyshell with its thinner gauge sheetmetal. Almost impossible to fake that. @kats will be able to tell you much more than me, and perhaps a little more diplomatically!

S30.worldS30.world - S30.world – test driveS30.world – test driveWorth a read.

Indeed, it translates as "Fog Lamp Switch" and other factory literature identifies them as being an extra-cost showroom option.

That's what's known as confirmation bias. The "empty hole" was designated for the optional E4100 fog lamp switch, as I have already pointed out. The E4100 fog lamp switch - literally - could not go anywhere else. The design of the switch alone dictates that. Sorry for the "single comment in a forum" (hopefully you can't see my eyes rolling....). I'm writing this after you have posted a couple of old threads - active several years before you joined the site - which discussed the factory fog lamps in some detail, with a fair chunk of the posted data coming via Yours Truly. I suggest you spend a little time actually reading and understanding it. There's gold in them thar hills... But he is - of course - mistaken. The other option is that he knows full well that the factory fog lamps were offered in markets other than the Japanese domestic and - get this - he's trying to sell you something. It wouldn't be the first time that somebody stretched the truth a little - or didn't manage to tell the whole truth - when telling us about these cars. Does "Made Expressly For The USA" ring any bells...? Here's a scan of a page from Nissan's 'R-Drive' Export market parts catalogue C-0010R. The components are - just like they were in Japan - listed as 'Option' parts: We could - indeed we have, back in the days when this forum was a little bit more engaged by matters historical than in reading spark plug runes - discuss many other monkey tail appendixes and "mystery" (to some more than others...) holes and fixtures on these cars that are there for a very good reason. As for the factory Fog Lamps, the component parts existed, the wiring was there in the harness to run them, the mounting points were pre-drilled in the front bumper to accept them and the indentation and doubler was there on the dash to accept the switch, from October 1969. Yes, they moved the Cigar Lighter up there later. Doesn't mean that they wanted it there all along. I think the problem here is that you have come up with a theory and are now engaged in shaping evidence so that it fits. Sorry but your 'F Knob' theory isn't even going to float, let alone fly.

That's a rather bizarre take. By implication, you therefore think that the original position of the cigar lighter - as seen on the cars at launch - right next to the ashtray was some kind of compromise? That they were just itching to put it up above the hazard warning switch in '69 and even reserved a space for it there, but just couldn't get it done for a couple more years...? Have you been sneaking a peek through the patent Beck-O-Scope? Nope. The reserved position for the optional E4100 Fog Lamp switch was above the Hazard Warning lamp switch and the wiring was in the dash harness behind it, ready and waiting.

But that's not what is being discussed here. The yellow marks were applied on the production line to show that a check had been performed, that's all. Nobody was checking them for movement anywhere after that. Tell-tale markings - as used on race cars, for example - are a different thing. Usually thin stripes or dot points on adjacent components that can be quickly checked by eye. Like this:

No. It indicated that the fastener had been torqued to spec on assembly and checked. Nothing after that.

Won't win any prizes for photographic excellence, but here's an E4100 NILES early-type Fog Lamp Switch in its correct location on one of my other cars:

That particular car has an S20. There's a pump between the 100 litre main fuel tank and a sub tank, then another pump between the sub tank and the engine.

Certainly not S30-related, anyway. The 'early' E4100 fog lamp switch is a two pin NILES unit in the same 'flip' format as the Hazard flasher switch. It has a graphic on it rather than a letter. Here's a pair of them being used as fuel pump switches:

No, different thing. Japanese market variants had a road safety-related system which allowed extra bulbs in the front and rear lamp units to be illuminated whilst the car was parked/unattended on a dark roadside. The lamps could be switched to illuminate either the left or right side lamps - or both sides - by means of a combo switch on the centre console (as illustrated in my previous post). All Export market variants carry the vestiges of this system, evidenced by the switch space on their centre consoles and the nascent extra bulb holders in the basic design of the front and rear lamps.

That's a Heated Rear Window switch and double Parking Lamp combination switch set for the ('early') A-type transmission consoles. Like this: Not what he's looking for, unfortunately.

Indeed. I've been on a steady decline in quality since 2002... The E8700 Console-mounted Fog Lamp Switch was a rarely-specced showroom option part in Japan, and only available for a relatively short period (roughly early October 1971 through late August 1973) after which the design changed completely. I see the part number quoted also on the relevant R-DRIVE Export factory parts list, but the only illustration is the (equally rare) earlier type dash-mounted E4100 NILES two pin 'flip' type fog switch. There is not even a drawing of the E8700 type. The March 1974 update of the R-DRIVE Export factory parts list gives the following part numbers: *25370-E4100 COMP-SWITCH FOG LAMP - up to 08-71 (Note: this is the dash-mounted NILES two pin 'flip' switch). *25370-E8700 COMP-SWITCH FOG LAMP - from 09-71 (Note: This is the console-mounted Droid you are looking for...). *25370-E8701 COMP-SWITCH FOG LAMP - from 07-73 up to 08-73 (Note: The fog lamp switch that burns twice as bright burns out a month later...). *25370-N3400 COMP-SWITCH FOG LAMP - from 08-73 (Note: This is not the Droid you are looking for...). To be honest I've never really sought out an E8700 type switch as I never needed one, but it seems that they are rather elusive. I've got several of the equally elusive E4100 type but I don't recall even seeing a photo of the E8700 type in Japanese market factory literature. The only pictorial reference I have is the factory parts list drawing I posted in the 2002 thread. So, can't help, not won't help.

You probably already have this data (?), but the March 1976 dated Nissan Sports Option list for the RS30 and GS30 models includes the E4622 suspension kit. It shows that they still used the previous E4621 springs with the kit, giving free lengths for the springs as 171.5mm Front and 205.5mm Rear. The same March 1976 Sports Option list gives a part number of 55037-E4620 for a "Spacer Rear Strut MTG", stating that it is made from Aluminium and with a thickness of 20mm. Seems to fit the bill. I've seen these used on the front as well to give a little extra lift. I have some that are made from steel, but don't know if they are (later?) factory items or if somebody copied the factory items. Yes, they are the original 'Wet Leg' type dampers. If they match up with the strut tube length then I reckon they could be re-used effectively without the gas-filling (it was only there to help mitigate aeration/foaming of the oil under hard use) and indeed the early standard struts used the same system without the gas-fill (and - years ago - the 'hot tip' to upgrading these was to replace the factory type Nisseki A-1 oil with a heavier grade oil) as long as you are not planning on heavy track use...! They are actually very nice to use and I reckon the thicker piston rods are a boon. A friend of mine in Japan made up a system to re-fill the gas charge (he added a valve on the lower body) but it's a real hassle. On the other hand it is easy to convert these struts to use cartridge type dampers as long as you choose the correct length of cartridge (and Bilstein would be nice!). I've had Nissan Sports Option (and even some Works rally version) struts through my hands in the past which - when opened up - revealed aftermarket cartridge units inside. Obviously replaced some time in the past. Yes, those springs are not correct for the Sports Option adjustable platforms. They should have a flat lower section to sit on the platform. You can get springs made to suit the adjustables. There are certainly companies here in the UK who can make to spec. Let me know if you can't find a supplier.