HS30-H

Here's an interesting pair of pictures. This is a Factory "Works" built rally car, in fact its the car that came third in the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally ( crewed by Rauno Aaltonen and Jean Todt ). I took the photos on a visit to the NISMO HQ at Omori in Tokyo, where the car was temporarily on display. Take a look at the Handbrake position and the Centre Console. Interesting isn't it? Alan T. ( ps - That's the Brake Bias Control Valve that you can see hiding under the cutout in the console. Somebody has taken the knob as a souvenir............... ).

Hi Mr C and Steve ( sjcurtis ), Yes - Nissan added an extra couple of digits to the HS30 chassis number codes, and this was to coincide with the release of the "Fairlady 240Z" ( "HS30" VIN prefix ) models in the Japanese market in October 1971. Previous to that they only had the 2-litre models over there. If you have call to search for parts for an HS30 made in that few months of production around late 71 and early 72, then it can get confusing. Quite a lot of Nissan's own data from parts manuals and the Sports Option lists gives a cut-off that seems to have been arbitrarily decided on as 01/72 ( I guess meaning that any HS30 made from January 1972 would have the extra digit in the number ) but in truth this seems not to be accurate. Thats why its always fascinating to try to find the highest Export HS30 VIN number before the switch ( and the highest S30 "Home" market VIN number before the switch too ). Its VIN number bingo! I used to own a UK-market "240Z" that was the Storage Bin type body, and that was marked "HS30-01916". My Fairlady 240ZG is "HS30-11856". Alan T.

Hi Rick, You are lucky that the Australian dealers obviously kept a good record of what they imported back in the 1970's. Contrast this with my usual experience with UK dealerships who have no idea that Nissan even made something called a Z before the Z32........... A car magazine borrowed one of my old cars to do a photo shoot ( it was a UK-spec. 1973 240Z ) and they took it to Nissan UK's headquarters at Rickmansworth to use as a backdrop. Lots of staff came out of the offices during the shoot and had absolutely no idea what they were looking at. Sign of the times I suppose........... Alan T.

Hi Mark, Yes, the PCD ( Pitch Circle Diameter ) of the S30-series Z is 114.3mm, and its a four-stud as you know. Many Japanese manufacturers went with a Metric equivalent of existing Imperial sizes, to make life simpler for everybody. PLEASE be careful that you don't accidentally end up with a close but not quite right PCD if you are buying used Watanabes. The Mazda PCD of 120mm has often been bought by mistake ( been there - bought the t-shirt! )................ You also want to be REALLY careful of the auction sites like e-bay, as I've spotted mis-described Watanabes on there before now. The most common mistake is for sellers to advertise the FWD type of wheel as being suitable for an early Z. Pay attention to Eric B's explanation of the offset types and model types and all should be well. The sizes that you seem to be interested in should visually appear to be very deeply dished ( lots of Negative Offset ) and not so "flat" looking, so it really ought to be apparent what type is being sold from any posted pictures that you can see. I run 14 inchers on my car ( currently 8J ) and frankly I find that with modern rubber they offer a little TOO MUCH grip for my liking. They grip and grip and then let go very suddenly, with not a lot in between. Not good on a very busy Track Day circuit event. I'd prefer harder and less grippy tyres but they are a devil to find in the 14 inch diameters, so you will be a lot better off with 15 inch or more. I am using a British-made tyre ( AVON CR65 TURBOSPEED 225/60x14 ) but I guess you will have a lot bigger choice available to you than I do over here. Good luck, Alan T.

Hi Steve, A friend of mine is looking for a Comp. sump and this would be just right for him as long as its complete. Is it all there? If its complete with all the baffles / windage tray / pickup then he'd be pleased to pay the price you have quoted. Shipping costs ( to the UK ) would be at his expense of course. All the best, Alan T.

Hi Sean, Sorry to be tardy in getting back to you on this. I'm not trying to debate anything about the actual design of the Handbrake mechanism - just the matter of whether its positioning on the RIGHT hand side of the trans tunnel could be seen as more ergonomically efficient for RHD, or for LHD S30-series Z cars. I think this is a clue to whether the car was engineered initially as an RHD, or initially as an LHD. However, in order to get there we have to hear whether or not LHD owners think that it SHOULD be on the right side of the tunnel for LHD Z cars. It seems to me that RHD owners are quite happy with it on the right. In normal use, this will not matter all that much. I realise its almost a non-issue for most owners of LHD cars. I'm not trying to imply that the LHD cars are fatally flawed because the Handbrake is on the "wrong" side of the tunnel. I'm just trying to use it as a clue to establish some kind of debate on the origin of the design. I'm irritated that some people have been trying to make others believe that the USA / North American market cars were in some way the evolutionary fathers of ALL versions of the S30-series Z car. Sean - in answer to your question, it would be a fairly involved process to engineer a mirror-image handbrake on the left side of the tunnel, but it seems that certain of the Factory rally drivers insisted that such mods be performed on some of the Works rally cars that were made in LHD ( for such events as the Monte Carlo Rally ). Surely they must have found that having the Handbrake on the SAME side of the tunnel as they were sitting was essential to its effective operation in Rallying? I think that's a big clue to the answer of all this. Hell of a big job. As for your theory about the Export models getting the top of the range Domestic models with all the bells and whistles - its not as simple as that is it? The Japanese "Home" market cars have always seemed to be written off as in some way inferior, and the fact that they were badged "Fairlady" seems to have convinced many that it was a completely different model. In truth, the top of the range L-series engined Fairlady - the ZL - was of an arguably superior spec to the USA / North American market "240Z" EXCEPT for the size of its engine. This is not even including the 432 in the discussion. Its well known why the Home market cars were initially pegged at under 2 litres ( at least until late 1971 ), but they DID have the 5-speed, more suitable diff ratio for a "Sports" car, and a rear anti-roll bar. The best all-round car would have to be a combination of the L24 and the five speed / diff / rear ARB - but nobody got that until the "HS30" cars started hitting the showroom floors......... Sorry my replies are always a bit "dry". I'll have to think of a way to make them a bit more interesting. I certainly don't mean them to come out that way. Ideally all this debating would be done over a drink ( like a kind of bar-room U.N. of the Z ) but since that is a bit beyond us yet we'll have to do the best we can. Cheers! Alan T.

Hi Nick, Thanks for your input. That Nissan were hoping for good export sales with the S30-series Z is not in doubt, but what I am disputing is the statement that the S30-series Z was designed specifically "for" the USA / North American market in the sense that the LHD version was the priority, and some kind of blueprint or base version. I have seen that implied on another site, and I think that its wrong. My point in trying to get a discussion going about the Handbrake positioning ( as an example of many other small details ) is to defend against this statement. I don't know about design genius, but MARKETING genius was certainly involved in its success in the USA / North American market ( including its price! - Nissan cut their profit to the bone for the USA market ). I've never seen, heard or read any discussion about the positioning of certain controls on the LHD versions in comparison with the RHD versions. Added to this, it always seems that the USA market were for the best part unaware that other markets were getting a 5-speed manual transmission and sportier diff. ratio ( as well as a rear anti-roll / sway bar ). That makes me feel that these topics are worthy of discussion. The Z was indeed exported to the USA before the UK, but I think the UK market is pretty much a sidetrack in this story. Distance of shipping, Import Quotas, Type Approval and high purchase taxes for imported vehicles put paid to Nissan's 1970 import plans, and the first batch of cars initially aimed at the UK were re-designated to the Australian market. The big point ( almost never discussed ) is that the car was launched in JAPAN. Its the Japanese cars that always seem to get described as some kind of inferior cousin, but I don't think this is completely justified. Please don't think I am trying to champion the UK-market RHD cars. That's not my point. As far as the point of this thread is concerned, it was pretty much a coincidence that there were some export markets that were also RHD.............. I agree that the UK motor industry was making some pretty indifferent product around that period. I'm no flag-waving "British is Best" clone, and I have first-hand experience of some of the crap that they were churning out. When the "240Z" was launched in the UK, motoring journalists had the cheek to call it a "copy" of the Austin Healey 3000 ( part of that anti-Japanese prejudice so prevalent at the time ). Again, please don't think I'm trying to imply that anything with RHD is superior to an LHD design. Taking the discussion up that path is to miss the point I think. Best regards, Alan T.

And yet more RD150:

And more RD150:

More RD150:

RD150:

Hi Kats, I had a look at a wheel and tyre combo in my garage, and I found that the tyre is a BRIDGESTONE "RD 150" RADIAL 175HR-14, Made in Japan. This was the original spare from my UK-market HS30 ( 1971 ) and seems to be slightly different from what you are looking for, but I thought I would post some pics anyway. This is NOT what you are looking for, right? Alan T.

Not getting many bites from the LHD owners, so it might be declared "no contest".......... I'm after a healthy and grown-up debate here - not an 'argument'. Where are the Zhome supporters when you need 'em?! Zedrally - that's an interesting analogy about the Volvo indicator stalks. I drive an RHD Alfa Romeo 156 as my everyday transport, and that is compromised in the same kind of way. Its really easy to tell that it was designed primarily as a left hooker, and the RHD version has lots of silly little niggles like that. I think one of the biggest no-no's on a car is to have the indicator stalk on the same side of the steering wheel as the gearstick. It just makes you feel really busy sometimes. Having it on the opposite side of the wheel somehow seems more natural, even though you still need to use both hands. Interesting that Nissan seem to have thought of this with the LHD and RHD versions of the S30-series Z. Alfadog, I have never heard Japanese Z enthusiasts talk about "Series 1" and "Series 2" cars. I think this is terminology that grew up in the USA market in answer to a perceived cut-off or change point from one spec to another. From what I have seen, heard and read, there were many changes all through the life of the early cars ( I'm primarily talking 1969 to 1973 here, and ALL markets - not just USA ). Some of them were more noticeable than others ( like the venting change and the holes in the steering wheel that you mentioned ) and this may have led to the perception that there were different "series" of cars. I think in truth the factory was changing / improving / fettling details all through the life of these cars, and it was mostly done on the hoof. Sone of the big reasons for changes would have been improvements to manufacture of components - like the "sugar scoops" changing from plastic to steel. Apparently it took a while for them to sort out the proper pressing of these items, and they were forced to use plastic in the beginning. I can't see any reason for changing most of the details except that they might improve production, function or looks. They were pumping out so many of these cars in the first few months of production that its not surprising they found ways to improve them. That story about Mr K. changing emblems is at least partly apocryphal. There's no doubt that it was Katayama himself who insisted on the name change, and this involved him taking some "Fairlady" emblems off of cars and switching to a "240Z" emblem instead. But where did these "240Z" emblems come from so suddenly? They must have already existed in order for there to be the possibility to use them. Do we have the whole story? Cuong, the pedal box question is a good one. Its pretty crowded on the left side of the trans tunnel and engine bay of an LHD Z. The footwell is pretty wide though, so the factory may have done a good job in packaging the pedals and their linkages. Notice that the Clutch Slave and Throwout Arm are on the right side of the trans though. ( Cuong - when I get to 432 posts I'll probably need an oil change at the very least! ). Fred, I think its fairly typical that "Export" markets never get the full Home Market range of any automobile manufacturer. They usually pare down the model selection to make it simpler for themselves and their territorial representatives. Here in the UK, the early days of Nissan / Datsun importing were carried out by a franchise ( called "Datsun UK" ) who tried to keep things simple for themselves. For example, they never imported the C10 Skyline range as they probably thought they could not compete with the Escort and Cortina in the UK market. This must have been the scenario in most other territories too. "An American car, built in Japan" - anybody want to agree with that? Alan T.

Sean, That's what I think - but there are people out there who say that the S30-series Z was made "for" the American market ( rather than just made with hopes that it would sell well there ). That's why I'm trying to be an Agent Provocateur ( hopefully I won't be accused of Sedition ) and promote / provoke a debate about the 'natural' bias of the car being LHD or RHD. There's a whole litany of other things on the car that make me think that the RHD market cars are the ones that are the most natural state for the car to be in. The whole layout of the engine and transmission is a large case in point. I don't want to let these assertions that the car was made "for" the LHD market go unchallenged ( or at least undebated ). I think its quite clear that it was not. The Handbrake positioning is a good example of this. So far though, comments from LHD car owners have been fairly non-commital. What I really want to know is if anyone out there with an LHD car thinks that the Handbrake position on the right side of the tunnel is the way they think it SHOULD be for an LHD car. My intentions are constructive rather than destructive, and I'm hoping for an old-fashioned debate without descent into confrontation. Or maybe this is too dry a debate for most people to be bothered with getting into? Alan T.

Interesting to see USA-based company describe themselves as "The home of the English Wheel"!........... Interestingly ( and perhaps not so surprisingly ) over here we just call them "Wheeling Machines". There's a company called FROST here in the UK which claims to have been making them for over 100 years. If you look at the prices that they charge for them compared to the prices in the USA, you might think it would take around 100 years to save up for one ( £1 Sterling is roughly $1.60 at the moment.... ). I scanned this section from their catalogue ( they do not have a website ). Pretty frightening prices aren't they? Alan T.

Mr Ghosn needs to contact Mr Camouflage regarding a job offer too. The main focus of my annoyance with the Z33 is those bloody door handles. They belong on a refrigerator. Will somebody please Photoshop them off? Alan T.

Thanks for the replies Gentlemen, Alfadog and That Ozzy Guy, you might be interested to know that the Japanese "Home" market S30-series Z cars had extra seat mount brackets - so that the seat runners could be unbolted and moved several cm forward of the "normal" position. If you look at the seat mount brackets in the floor area of a non Japanese market Z, you will see that the REAR bracket has TWO holes in it ( am I right? ) - however, the forward bracket only has one hole position. This means that the Japanese market had the option of having the seat mounted forward of its usual export position. Take a look at the pictures of the floor on my 432R replica base car and you will see what I mean. They are just L-shaped brackets that are attached to the floor and the forward seat crossmember. This is also a good way to identify a true Japanese "Home" market car - if ever you are in doubt............... There are a lot of replies from owners with RHD cars. I am hoping for a few more from LHD owners ( thanks Victor and 2Many ). Maybe I should re-frame the original question a little and get a little closer to what I am driving at here: The S30-series Z was made in both LHD and RHD versions, but the Emergency Brake / Handbrake / Side Brake / Frein a Main was always on the RIGHT side of the trans tunnel. As far as I can see -either the LHD cars or the RHD cars must have had the Handbrake in the "wrong" place. But which one was "wrong" and which one was "right"?...................... Alan T. ( ps - is this a "leading" question?! )

This is a modified Tamiya kit. In the text on the builder's site he says that he was moved to make this "350ZG" as a tribute to the original 240ZG that he loves so much. He says that he also loves the 432, but as the body on the 432 was so similar to a "normal" Z he thought the ZG treatment would be the most appropriate........... I can't say that it looks any better than a normal Z33 to my eye, but I think Nissan need this guy working at their design studio. He seems to have a much better idea of how their modern cars might be related to their past history than they themselves do. They can start him off in the Exterior Door Handle Design Department................. Alan T.

Hi Jash, Congratulations on your new 'Hakosuka'. In Japan, the C10 series Skyline and the S30 series Z have always been seen as 'brother and sister', so its kind of appropriate that you ask the question here. You won't find much that is interchangeable between the S30-series Z and the C10 Skylines, except of course the engines, transmissions and diffs. Certain brake parts are swappable, but it really depends on what exact model you have and what is still standard or has been modified. Lots of parts will look very familiar to a Z owner, but there are cases where minor differences can make the parts non-interchangeable. The rear suspension on the C10 was completely different to that of the Z, and that is probably the biggest and most apparent difference under the skin. Actually, with such a high survival rate for the C10 series Skylines in Japan there is a pretty good situation for genuine Nissan spare parts, and replicas for those items NLA. At least the body panel situation is better than that for the Z. Here in the UK there is only ONE two-door C10 Skyline. Its a KGC10 that had a half-hearted GT-R makeover in Japan, and was imported privately by a very gullible young lady who used an importing agent to find a car for her. It turned out to be a real shed, and is still unroadworthy. Its a really sad tale of somebody being ripped off by an inept and unscrupulous trader. He got her money and she found that the small print did not cover her. A very sad tale. I'm sure yours is much better than that. I have a fair bit of data and literature on those models, so if you think I can be of any help then please don't hesitate to ask. All the best, Alan T.