HS30-H

Personally, I like to think of it as an internet based site. It helps to remind me that we have people from all over the world posting here, and that the cars we share an interest in, and which form the basis of the site, are Japanese. I don't agree. 99.9999% of the cars we talk about on here are Nissan designed and Nissan manufactured. Nissan stuck 'Datsun' emblems on them for export markets, but they were Nissan products nevertheless. The disdain I can't quite get my head around. Essentially it seems to be based on the regret of losing a name that shouldn't really have been used in the first place. Seems like people didn't actually know who was making these cars with 'Datsun' written on them......... Alan T.

A few observations: The car in question ( from 26th-Z's post ) was sold by Christie's at their Le Mans Classic sale on July 8th. This was of course in France, and the sale price ( inc. buyers premium ) was 176,250 Euros. Let us remember that we are talking about a World market for these cars nowadays. Desirability means that the cars will cross continents to reach their buyers. The currency exchange rates will make certain cars look like a bargain to some, and extremely expensive to others. Let's not forget that. Japan takes the lead in prices for certain old Japanese cars, and this will tend to pull up prices of similar vehicles in other territories. Unsurprisingly, many of the Toyota 2000GTs originally delivered to Europe have been making their way back to Japan over the last 20 years or so. The kind of people that are buying them in Japan are - in many cases - the type that could be compared to 'Baby Boomers' elsewhere. They might have fallen in love with the Toyota 2000GT in their youth, and now have the funds to buy one. They can justify their purchase by calling it an "investment". I know a couple of people in Japan who have bought them, and consider them to be good value for money as far as old cars go. Don't forget that the Japanese market has seen certain S30-series Z cars changing hands for the equivalent of over $100,000 US in the last couple of years. Rarity and desirability are key words here. I think the high Japanese market values for RHD Toyota 2000GTs are certainly pulling the value of LHD versions up with them. There's never going to be a huge chasm between them, as there were never enough cars built. But a straight comparison between a Toyota 2000GT and an S30-series Z? I don't see how a straight comparison is relevant to any discussion of market value on each. I'm sorry, but in terms of looks alone the Toyota makes the S30-series Z look very conservative. Having driven one ( an RHD Japanese-market version ), I can tell you that the Toyota was a beautifully balanced package that gave a tangible sense of occasion. It felt well engineered and very nicely put together. Driving it was an event. The only S30-series Zs that gave me anything like that feeling have been a pair of 432s. The standard L-series engined Z was like a saloon car in drag by comparison........ This discussion about 'market value' reminds me of property prices here in London. The house that I lived in until recently ( not mine - I just rented part of it, I hasten to add ) has just been put on the market at £2,750,000 STG. My former landlord bought it less than ten years ago for no more than £500,000 STG. It is a terraced Georgian ( 1799 ) townhouse in a central London street, with no parking place or garage, and almost no garden to speak of. Does it offer value for money when judged purely on its status as bricks and mortar, or as a dwelling? I think the answer is no! That 2.75 million could buy me ten times as much space and luxury elsewhere. Desirability and exclusivity are what drives the market for such properties, and the same thing is true with the Toyota 2000GT. That kind of money is chump change to some people. Alan T.

Sadly, there are some easily spotted mistakes in the C10 and C110 sections. Why do people keep saying that the S20 in the C10 was fitted with Webers from the factory? And the S20 was not simply a detuned GR8 either......... it is a little more complicated than that. GT-Rs were quite different in a lot more details than he realises too. I realise that the writer's intentions are for the good, but these little mistakes get taken for truth and just proliferate on the 'net. Sound like a stuck record, don't I? :cross-eye :tapemouth

Don't forget Nissan.......... My KPGC10 is not a Prince or a Datsun - despite the combined DNA. Come to that, my Fairlady 240ZG and Fairlady Z-L ( 432R replica project ) are both proudly 'Nissan' products too.......... Alan T.

More correctly "Tekkamen" - a contraction of 'Tetsu Kamen'. Tetsu = Iron Kamen = Mask

I quoted the ISBN number right back on post #4 of this thread, in February 2004...........

Hi Eiji, How are you? Good luck with your business venture. Nissan's Z-10 'Service Shuho' book for the C-S31 and C-GS31 model range carries an interesting illustration on the differences between the manual and power window mechanisms. Looks like the metal plate 'Bottom arse'y' ( which holds the door glass ) is different too? Here's a scan:

Yes, he was guesting at the Goodwood Revival Meeting. I was there on Friday, and there were huge crowds around the Holden FX that he was driving. I could hardly get near it. This was the first time that Peter Brock and the Holden had appeared at the Revival, and it created a lot of interest. His reputation and achievements put him on a par with some of the greatest drivers that ever lived, and many of us at the meeting were well aware of that. I was listening to a fascinating interview with him on the Goodwood radio channel as I drove down to the event. I made a mental note at the time to try and read up a bit more about his career. Can't believe he's gone. Very sad.

They were first seen on the C-S31 group range, released in July 1976. Here's a scan from the relevant model range catalogue, showing some of the options available. Power window option is second item down on the right hand options column.

The Factory race prep manual for the S30-series Z carried information on their recommended diff cooler setup. See scan below. Parts were sold to the general public through the Nissan Sports Option catalogues. See scan below. In Works rally cars, the pumps were most often mounted inside one of the 'tool bins' behind the seats. The diff coolers sold in the Sports Option catalogues measured 70mm x 200mm x 40mm, and the pumps were rated at 5 litres per minute. Alan T.

Thanks ChrisA. Saved me a lot of explaining there. Over here in England, we call these the 'Flange Height Code' letters. I believe each letter relates to a measurement taken from the base of the tyre bead seat ( the part of the rim where the tyre bead actually sits and seals ) to the outer edge of the wheel rim itself. Nothing to get too worried about. In fact, I only write the size out that way because I'm old fashioned and set in my ways......... :stupid: Cheers, Alan T.

My ZG has Cibies, which were fitted by the last Japanese owner many years ago. I had thought about them for the GT-R, but when I looked into the prices I decided that they were more expensive than I'd like. I have been looking at generic eastern-European copies, which cost peanuts and should be good enough to get it road legal...... I don't think I'll fit any outer trims, as it would then look like the grille needs fitting too. I'll just stick with the bare lamps, and the Works-style FRP covers can actually fit over them ( which is useful ). Offer much appreciated Miles, but I think these eastern-European units will be good enough. They actually look quite good quality-wise, and are cheap. I think I'll have the covers over them most of the time anyway. The best and most reliable way to identify a real factory-made ZG is by looking at the Japanese registration documents. As long as these have not been modified or tampered with, they clearly show the extra length and width of a real ZG. None of the other domestic S30-series models have the same dimensions as the ZG. There's nothing stamped on the body to differentiate a real ZG from an ordinary 'HS30'-prefixed 240Z-L, and the same goes for the stamped aluminium tags too. However, there are numerous clues and minor detail differences that will help to confirm a real factory ZG, and when you add all of these together you can usually tell whether its a real one or a clever replica / fake. As for the differences between an HS30-U and a domestic-model HS30, I'd have thought that ( as with the ZG / Z-L comparison ) there would be quite a few clues on the car itself that you could cross-reference and draw a conclusion from? Having said that, the domestic model Fairlady 240Z-L would have to be the closest of all the domestic models to the RHD export-market '240Z', and would therefore be the most difficult to pin down. Like a lot of these things, I suspect that the real truth lies in the details........ I've been a bit busy over the last couple of weeks what with one thing and another, but there is a least one bit of progress that is worth reporting on: My 'correct' wheels finally turned up from Japan - brought to my front door by a cursing postman ( poor guy cut his hand on the straps that secured the parcels ). At one stage I thought these had disappeared into the ether, but I'm happy to say they turned up safe and sound. They are not new, but they are in great condition. R.S. Watanabe 8-spoke 'R'-type in Magnesium. 11j x 15 ( -38 offset ) rear, and 9.5j x 15 9 ( -19 offset ) front. Incredibly light considering the size: those 11j rears weigh just 6.3kg each. I'm too poor to buy any tyres for them this month! Cheers, Alan T.

Kitano and Takahashi were arguably the best drivers in the race, but I don't necessarily think they had the best machinery in the race. You'd have to wonder what the race result would have been had either of them been pedalling the Porsches ( a 910 and a 906 ) that were also taking part. Purpose-designed and built sports racing cars really ought to be no match for cars built up from a standard road car design, but talent has not always matched up with the power of the gentleman racer's bank balance......... And those two Works 'Fairlady 240Zs' were actually PZRs with engine transplants, so we could still say that a PZR won the race. The truth was that by early '71 the Works circuit race team had already given up on running the PZR in this type of race; internal company politics ensured that the race development of the PZR engines was dead in the water by late '70 - with the S20 engine being 'saved' for the ex-Prince faction at Murayama and their precious GT-R. It was expedient for SCCN to be using the L-series engine by that time. Alan T.

Lachlan, Your photo was taken at the start of the main race at the 'Zen Nihon Suzuka Jidosha Race Taikai' ( All Japan Suzuka Automobile Race Event ) - in March 1971. Pole position went to Works SCCN driver Kunimitsu Takahashi in car no.64, an SCCN-entered Works 'Fairlady 240Z'. Second on the grid was Works SCCN driver Moto Kitano in car no.63, another SCCN-entered Works 'Fairlady 240Z'. Third on the grid was Motoharu Kurosawa in car no.65, a Works 'Skyline Hardtop', with Masahiro Hasemi in car no.66 - a similar car - right behind him. Fifth and sixth grid positions were filled by Hiromi Nishino and Masami Kuwashima in Fairlady Z432-Rs. It was a 25 lap race, won by Moto Kitano in a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and nine seconds. Team mate Kunimitsu Takahashi was given the exact same time in seciond place, and the cars crossed the finish line almost side by side ( no doubt for a nice team photo opportunity ). Manzo Masuda crossed the line third in his Fairlady Z432, with Yoshimasa Kawaguchi coming home fourth in his Porsche 910. Motoharu Kurosawa in the Skyline placed fifth. A photo from Autosport magazine:

Brian, Many thanks for the kind words. I don't think this car can be compared with yours on a like-for-like basis. I think your appears to be much more complete and in better overall condition. Mine looks nice in the photos, but make no mistake - it was built as a track-day and club race car, so the mechanicals are spot-on, the 'shell is strong and rot-free, but the overall finish of everything else is not show-car perfect. To be honest, that is something of a relief for me - as I'd be mortified to scratch or stone chip a show-quality car. Yours looks like it is a higher class detail and trim wise, not to mention the very nice work of your drivetrain installation. I can relate to that. If I added up all the money I have spent so far on my 432R replica project, I probably could have imported a relatively clean 432 and turned it into an 'R' clone. But then that would have been neither fish nor fowl, and I'd just feel guilty about having changed the 432 into something that it wasn't. And I would not have had the 'fun' and steep learning curve of building the replica - which is the main part of the task for me. The satisfaction gained in researching the parts needed ( getting it wrong and having to re-do it too! ), gathering the parts and then putting it all together is something you can't get from just buying a car ( or being given one......... ). I think you can relate to that. I've already experienced differing reactions from enthusiasts and car people here in the UK through my ownership of the ZG. As it is the only genuine factory-built ZG in Europe, not a lot of people actually know what it is. I think I can expect a similar situation with the Skyline, but I have to say that the ZG is pretty and looks somewhat exotic - whereas the Skyline still looks like a superannuated family car that has a fancy engine. I expect less admiration for the Skyline than the ZG overall, but those that know about Skyline history will surely appreciate what the Skyline represents. At least I hope that's what I will experience. I think there is less make-snobbery around these days than there used to be, and people are generally more pragmatic. Car enthusiasts these days seem to have very catholic tastes, and will cheer-on a Fiat Cinquecento just as loudly as they would a Bizzarini Strada. England, and the UK overall, is actually a very old-car friendly country. As old-car owners, we get cut a lot of slack over here. When you get up early in the morning on a Saturday or Sunday, you can take your old / modified / race car for a blast on some fantastic roads - and see others doing the same. You'll even get given some respect and words of encouragement for doing it, and can meet up with others who have similar interests. I'm determined to enjoy that while we still can........ I don't think that will be the same car. It certainly hasn't appeared in any of the AutoWorks-related publications to my knowledge. There are lots of 'No.15' blue / white Works 'replicas' in Japan, so it is almost certainly another car. What issue was it? You're most welcome to come and take a look at it if whenever you are in London Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Phil, To be honest, that kind of event is a long way away from the kind of thing I am interested in being part of. Don't want to sound too snobby, but the way that 'timeattack' is promoted in the UK - and the other events that it shares the day with - are not my cup of tea at all. There are some well-prepped and fast cars involved of course ( and I wouldn't stand a chance! ) but overall I think that kind of event is promoted primarily as a money-spinner for the organisers, and they are trying to get as many spectators through the gate in any way that they can. I'm more interested in the kind of event that can claim to be about ".....the right crowd, and no crowding.". The kind of close-knit clubby event where you can leave your tool box and spare wheels unattended, and they will still be there when you get back.......... I think I'll stick with attendance-capped GRRC-member events, and 'friendly' track days for older cars like those that I have taken the ZG to - like the Austin Healey Owners Club days - for now. Carl, thanks very much for the kind words. Much appreciated. I don't actually own a digital video camera, so I shall have to find out about either renting or borrowing one in the near future. No chance of me buying one at the moment, as I'm feeling quite poor this month to say the least. I'd be very happy to put up a video / sound clip - so I'll look into it. Hi Mike, I might use the 14 inchers as spares/wets, as there is a small supply of 235/35-14 Dunlop SP2000s in Japan. They'd look fairly horrible though; 35 profile is all wrong for the period style theme. However, I have a set of 10 and 9 inch wide 15 inch 'R' type Watanabes on their way over from Japan at the moment, and I'm planning on using some 'Post Historic' Dunlop CR65 or CR82 race tyres on them. These would give the more period-looking overall diameter that I am looking for. They are pretty expensive though, and they are not road legal in the UK - so if I drove to an event I'd have to carry them with me. That's one of the reasons I'm looking at buying a suitable tow car as our everyday family car, and getting shot of the Alfa. That way I could tow the trailer with the Skyline on it, and not worry too much about permanently road-legalising it. I believe that is at least partly correct, but do remember that the 'P' prefix wasn't used for the S20 engine alone. It was also used for some of the other Prince-derived engines - for example in the 'PC10' and 'KPC10' Skylines, with G18 four-bangers. However, there were models that used the Prince-derived G15 and G16 engines but did not have the 'P' prefix in their model codes - so I don't think it was a hard and fast rule............ Second seat and harness is no problem ( I already have some ) and I have the headlamp mounts, bowls and retainer rings ( they came in a box with the car ). I just need to find some suitable quad headlamps for it ( Lucas? No -maybe not :eek: ). All the wiring and connectors are in place. Its going to look strange with lights though....... and I don't have the outer trim surrounds. The Skyline hasn't really set it back, and should not interfere with the build all that much. I now have just about everything I need to finish the car except time. Maybe time will be compromised because of the Skyline's arrival, but the real truth is that our house move back in May stopped the 432R replica project pretty much dead in its tracks. Moving was a big upheaval, and we are only now starting to truly feel 'at home' here. The plus side of moving is that my rented garages are now only 2 miles away from home, and the roads are not crowded at all ( I'm coming from the opposite direction ) - so it takes no time to get there. This will be much better in the long run. I've been installing the acrylic windows ( tailgate, rear quarters and doors ) after having them formed over the original glass to get the correct compound curves. Tailgate glass was a bitch to install, but is now in and looks great ( you'd never know it wasn't glass ). I now have all the engine parts, and the block has been bored to suit the high comp pistons. S20 engine assembly for the 432R replica will start very soon, and can be done in the evenings when all is quiet. I'll make that my Autumn season task. Cheers, Alan T.

Once again, many thanks to everybody for their kind words. My apologies for being absent over the last couple of days - but I have been busy getting this car back home and trying to juggle work commitments at the same time. Yesterday ( Thursday ) my friend Kevin and I went down to the port to actually collect the car. I paid the final bills at the shipping company and settled up with the agents who cleared the car for Tax and Customs duties ( taxes on top of taxes......... ). We loaded the car on the trailer and arrived home late afternoon. All went without a hitch. I'll get back here later today - after I have caught up with my work - to try and answer some of the questions that have been asked while I have been away. Sorry to be slow to respond. Just a couple of pics from yesterday:

HoTWire, Yes, I had thought about the Top Hat 'Groovy Baby' series for 70s saloons - but I don't think this car would be eligible because it has so many parts that were Group 4 homologations ( when the Groovy Baby series tries to keep to Group 1 and Group 2 ). And anyway, I don't think the GT-R would be evenly matched with the lighter 2 litre cars like some of the Alfas for example ( I used to own a 105-series and know how well they can go ). And don't forget it will be me behind the wheel ( ie slow ). To be honest, I think its the fact that contact is seen as inevitable that puts me off racing these days. I think historic racing should be a non-contact sport.

Another couple:

A few more:

Sincere thanks to everybody for the kind words and positive reactions. I'll try and answer some of the questions that have been asked, but first I have to clear up one large detail. A few people know about this already - so it won't be a surprise to them - but the truth is that I have been given this car as a gift. I have not paid anything except the transport to docks in Japan, Japanese de-registration and export formalities, the cost of the container shipping ( and all that goes with that ) and the import duties and taxes here in the UK............ I am hugely indebted to my good friend Dr Hiroshi Shimizu in Kyoto, who has passed ownership of the car to me. Dr Shimizu owned the car for over 25 years, and paid for its rebuild and restoration before giving it to me. That rebuild and restoration was undertaken by the other person that I owe a huge debt of thanks to; my good friend Mr Hideki Matsui of NP35 in Nagano - without whom none of this would have been possible. Neither Shimizu san or Matsui san visit this website and forum, but it would be hugely remiss of me not to mention them on this thread, and of course acknowledge their generosity. Can you imagine what it feels like to be given such a gift? Words fail me. I didn't want to say too much about it until it was safely landed on UK soil. I'm not really superstitious, but until the container was opened at Southampton I really thought something might jinx the story at the last minute ( like the ship sinking or something ). Its still not in its new home yet - but its not long now. However, I have to say that I'm still struggling to call the car "mine", and keep calling it "Dr Shimizu's GT-R". I think I prefer it that way for now to be honest. I watched this car take shape over several years in Matsui san's workshop, and I know just how much work went into it. It also has some very rare and sought-after period parts on it ( most of them under the skin and not immediately apparent ) which Shimizu san gathered many years ago. Matsui san also came up with rare parts from his own private collection, and put them on the car. It was not built as a 'replica' of the famous no.15 works car that clinched the GT-R's 50th race victory, but more a kind of nod in that general direction - and NISMO themselves had some input in the colouring and numbering decisions. More details on that and the car's spec in future posts. The car did still have road registration in Japan, and this will enable me to road register it here in the UK on a period-related tax-free registration. Road-legalisation should be fairly straightforward ( mainly front lighting - which I am already working on ) as the regulations for a 1971/72 car are not so strict here ( we are very lucky in that respect ). However, I'm not in all that much of a hurry to drive it on UK roads as it is fairly hard work to sit in there for long periods. It is incredibly loud inside, there is no heating / screen demisting ( all removed ) and suspension is fairly harsh. It also has no fuel gauge. I'm also not going to start putting bumpers and trim etc back onto it, as it was built to be a track day / club race car and I feel obligated to keep it that way for the forseeable future. It is currently sitting on some non-period wheels and tyres ( the Watanabes it used at the NISMO Festival and NEKO Time Machine Festival were borrowed ) but I have a nice set of very wide Watanabes to put on it, and I am negotiating some period-type race tyres from Dunlop. It just does not look 'right' on the 16-inch Southern Ways mesh wheels it has been wearing since the mid 1980s. I'm looking into what race series it might be eligible for - but since it is a model that was never officially imported to Europe this might be awkward. Track days and sprint events should be no problem, and the Goodwood Road Racing Club ( of which I am a member ) have a few of these that I can enter in the near future. I certainly don't want to bend it though......... Nostalgic Hero magazine carried a four-page feature on the car in issue no.113 ( February 2006 ) and they say that they might come to the UK later this year to do a follow-up article. We shall see. Anybody who finds themselves near me in north London is welcome to come and see the car in person. No street rides until it is fully road legal though..... I'm attaching some photos that were taken for the Nostalgic Hero coverage by staff photographer Mr Isao Yatsui, near the NP35 workshop in Nagano - using Mount Asama as the backdrop. If anybody has any more specific questions I'll do my best to try and answer them - but do bear in mind that I am somewhere around the bottom of a very steep learning curve with the C10-series Skylines myself......... Cheers, Alan T.

The car was a little dirty after being on the dockside in Japan for a few days, but the container did its job and the car was undamaged. No way was I going to ship it Ro-Ro. I tipped some Shell Optimax in the tank, connected up a remote battery pack ( letting the fuel pumps do their stuff for a little while ) and she fired up almost straight away. I drove her from the de-vanning platform round to the storage compound of the freight company, and will leave her there for another couple of days whilst the import procedures are completed. She comes back to her new 'home' on Thursday. First KPGC10 in Europe, I'm told. Somehow it seems very weird to see it in the UK rather than in its country of origin. I still haven't got used to the idea yet.......

OK, I know this the 240K sub-forum and I'm technically in the wrong series - but at least the Skyline link is there........... My 'new' car came out of its container at Southampton docks today, after its journey of almost 5 weeks from Japan. The container was loaded on the ship in Yokohama, and it called at Tokyo, Yangtian, Singapore, Hong Kong, Karachi, Jebel Ali, Rotterdam and Hamburg before finally being offloaded at Southampton. The vessel was called the 'MOL Paradise':

Hi Miles, More than once I've tried on this forum to get across the point that Nissan's 'L-gata' engines were designed by Mr Hiroshi Iida and his team as a potential 'family' of variants. They called this the 'L-gata Module', and they deliberately designed-in the possibility of multiple variants of differing capacity by allowing for a basic block design with a deep skirt, the possibility of a long stroke length, and a wide bore pitch. The history of the Nissan L-series engine did not begin with the L16 of the 510-series Bluebird, and the six cylinder L-series engines did not begin when two extra cylinders were "added" to the L16 to make an L24. That is just advertising copy for one particular market. The Nissan 'L-gata' was used in many models in Japan, and was not always confined to a 2-litre capacity. Many people seem to overlook this. I have a Japanese market car that was fitted from the factory with an L24.......... Hi Rolf, Hiroshi Iida and his team designed Nissan's 'L-gata' engine module during the 1964~1965 period, a full year before the merger with Prince. Iida himself has admitted to being "influenced" by what he saw on the Prince G7 engine, but he also says that he was "influenced" by what he saw on the Mercedes ( and other ) engines. I think that is an engineer being candid, and I don't think many engineers work in a vacuum. I believe that Prince actually licensed some design details used on the G7 valvetrain from Mercedes, but Nissan did not. Since the Nissan engine design debuted before the merger with Prince, I think it is fair for us to assume that no data or designs passed from Prince to Nissan before the merger. Iida san himself says he considered Prince a worthy competitor, but that he and his team were directly competing in the market place with Toyota. It was the news that Toyota were working on a new SOHC straight six to be used on their mid-sized and full-sized sedans that prompted Nissan's decision to go for a new SOHC six themselves from 1963/4. Cheers, Alan T.

You make it sound like Nakagawa was responsible for the engine of the "Zero" from the beginning. That was not the case. He came into the story a little after it had begun. Proper lineage of the 'Sakae' engine effectively begins with the 'NAM' - designed by Takeo Kotani and Masatoshi Tsutsumi of Nakajima. This was a completely new design for Nakajima, and it was destined to become the first 'Sakae' engine. The 'NAM II' became the 'Sakae 12' - the first engine used in what became known as the "Zero". Dr Nakagawa worked on the 'NAM III' engine ( an update of the 'NAM II' / 'Sakae 12' ) which became the 'Sakae 21' - used in the late versions of the 'Zero'. We ought to take this implied linking of the 'Zero' aircraft name with that of the 'Fairlady Z' with a HUGE pinch of salt! It is painful to see Sailor Bob take it all so literally - as though it is fact. But the term "Zero" for that aircraft was never really used by the Japanese themselves until after hostilities had ended, and most likely caught on in reverse from the Allied use of the term. The correct Japanese term was 'Rei' ( meaning zero ) - which originated from the both the Japanese national dating system year of 2600 ( the Japanese nation was decided to have been founded in 660BC ), and the Western year of 1940. Both of these years ended in the number zero ( 'Rei' in Japanese ) and this was the year that the Japanese Navy accepted the new fighter into their fleet. The correct romanised Japanese name for the aircraft was 'Rei Shiki Sentoki' ( literally 'Type Zero Fighter' ) - often shortened to 'Rei-sen' - from the full term that translates as 'Mitsubishi Navy Type Zero Carrier-Based Fighter'. Any linking of the letter 'Z' between the aircraft and the car are purely romantic and fairly misleading. This especially when you consider that the Prince Motor Company themselves actually linked their company history ( directly through Dr Ryoichi Nakagawa ) with the Nakajima Ki-43 'Hayabusa' ( codenamed 'Oscar' by the Allies ) - which was developed a year after the 'Rei-sen', but used the same engines and looked very similar. The 'Rei-sen' was a Naval aircraft and the 'Hayabusa' was an Army aircraft. So the direct Prince link with the 'Zero' is tenuous, and the 'Hayabusa' is a much better candidate. Not so. The ex-Prince faction ( "the artists formerly known as Prince"? ) effectively formed their own clique within the Nissan fold, and treated Murayama as though it was their own private fiefdom within Nissan. Their racing-related activities were now being conducted under the 'Nissan' name, but they were still fiercely proud of being from the Prince bloodline. Nissan carried on their own race and rally related activities at Oppama ( they didn't "drop" anything except their very limited forays into building a sports racer ), and a kind of rivalry between the two factions came into being. They were forced to share personnel and technologies, but nevertheless the internal rivalry persisted. Vestiges of this still remain today; the team developing the new GT-R are direct descendents of the ex-Prince contingent that was headed by Shinichiro Sakurai, and have their own remit whilst still being part of Nissan. Nissan has come to accept and arguably foster the distinction. Alan T.