HS30-H

Actually, it depends what you really mean by your question. If you are asking the difference between the Japanese ( Home ) market Z cars, and the North American / USA export-spec. cars, then you have to refine your question to WHICH type of S30 Fairlady Z you are comparing to. From the viewpoint of the Japanese, your question asks the difference between ONE type or variant of the S30 ( the "USA" or North American export version of the HLS30, as opposed to the European export version of the HLS30 ) and ALL the other versions. These other versions include the PS30, PS30-SB, S30-S, S30 base model, HS30 and HS30-H etc etc. The point being that there are LOTS of versions of the "S30" type Z, and from the Japanese viewpoint ALL of the cars are in fact S30-type Fairlady Z cars. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that the USA / North American export version is in any way the "definitive" or base version that all the other derivatives come from................. Quite the opposite in fact. What I suspect you need to know is what the differences are between the S30 and S30-S Fairlady Z and Fairlady ZL. and the USA / North American HLS30 "240Z" - am I right? Unless you are getting confused and asking about the PS30 and PS30-SB ( Fairlady Z432 and Fairlady Z432-R ) with the S20 twin-cam engine? Main difference was the engine size of course, and the fact that the Japanese had a choice of base or luxury spec. ( giving improved trim and detailing and a five-speed trans ) up until late 1971, when they got even MORE choice with the introduction of the L24 engine to the Z range. There was a HUGE range of trim and drivetrain choices available to the Japanese, whereas everybody else pretty much had just one choice................. Best to buy a good book to wade through all this information. I recommend "Fairlady to 280Z" by Brian Long ( pubished by VELOCE ) which you should easily be able to find online at a site like Amazon. This is one of the only books in the English language that goes into depth about the Japanese home market versions as well as everything else. Highly recommended reading. Good luck, Alan.

Oh, and another thing. You might be surprised at the prices that good Z cars change hands for in Japan. There are a real lot of mid-market cars that are good condition ( because of their strict "shakken" test ) and the prices are not too bad. Buying from a dealer is more expensive, and if buying for export you can get a much cheaper deal than you might think. However, it seems that you have quite a low local market value for the Z in Australia ( am I right? ) and it might look expensive in Japan if the exchange rate is not so favourable. However, you are at least closer to Japan that I am here in the UK! If you want a 432, there are still quite a few on the road in Japan. I drove two last year, and they are not all that fast of course. However, with the five-speed that has closer ratios, and the 4.44 LSD, the car is really well balanced and is GREAT fun to drive. The flavour is all there, and having a little six that is happy to spin up to 8000 rpm is really a treat for the senses ( especially aural ). Trouble is that the cheapest 432's change hands around the 4,000,000 Yen mark. Don't know what your $AUS to Yen exchange rate is, but its bound to look expensive to you ( and me.... ). Prices are going UP, not down. Dream on......... eh? Alan T.

Hi Alfadog, WHO told you that the Japanese aren't into keeping old cars? I used to live there, and there is a MASSIVE classic car scene there. I think the misconception comes from seeing that the Japanese have very low market values for cars that are three or four years old. At that point, it is simply cheaper to trade in for a new model, and consequently the unwanted but still by our standards good low mileage cars filter down into the used car export market at very low prices. I well remember seeing Russian trawler ships in the northern ports hoisting K-cars onto their decks ( and piling them two or three deep! ) to take home to Russia. The sailors bought them locally for peanuts ( de-registered, and with no papers in some cases ) and would sell them at home at a profit. Most of the more desirable models filter out into the Japanese rural areas, where people are generally less affluent and hoover up the slightly out-of-fashion stuff that is a few years old. Hence after a few more years, when things become "neo-Classic" like the R32 GT-R is now, people go out into the "sticks" to find them. In this way a real lot of old stuff has survived. You would not believe the amount of 60's and 70's cars that are lurking in the countryside - most of them cherished by their owners.......... I would consider writing a book if I thought I could do a good job and it would be popular. However, I probably could not ( too many brackets! ) and it would NOT be popular, as I would tend to veer towards the historical aspect of the domestic Japanese race scene of the late 60's and early 70's. That would be what they call "Vanity Publishing"..................... My cars here in the UK ( London ) are slightly unusual. The main one is a 1972 FAIRLADY ZG ( HS30-H ) that is the only genuine factory-built ZG in Europe. I have owned it for about 5 years now, and it is constantly having parts changed on it; I have a fetish for early 70's Sports Option and race parts, especially factory race parts, and it has quite a few special bits on it now. Most of them are under the skin ( adjustable suspension with rose-jointed compression struts and TCAs, F.I.A four-pot ventilated brakes, LSD with cooler pump, triple Mikunis, Rally cam etc ) and some of them you can actually see ( Option roll bar, Datsun U0175 "Bucket" seats and "Compe" steering wheel ). I even like period stickers, and find that they are the most effective method of making the car go fast.......... The other car is a long-term project ( because money comes in slowly and goes out fast! ) - its an early 1970 Japanese-market S30 model that I am mutating into a Z432-R "Replica", with an S20 engine, Ikeda Bussan factory race seats, Kobe Seiko wheels, 100 litre fuel tank etc etc. The body is now in the paint shop ( 920 Gold - one of the original Z432-R colours, which I love because so many people hate; even in Japan they call that colour "unchi" - which means s**t coloured ). The challenge is to make something that looks and sounds unusual, but is "period correct". There does not seem to be any point in making a 432R replica with an L-series engine. The S20 engine is rather expensive and even more expensive to get big power from, but its all about "flavour". I don't have a website or anything, but I could mail you some photos if you are interested. Australia seems like a bit of a Happy Hunting Ground for cool Z cars and parts. Is that true? I have heard about parts over there that I would be shocked to find over here. My posts always end up so long..................... All the best, Alan T.

Hi Alfadog! Sure. I don't mind getting a chance to preach the Bible!...... ALL the "Export" version right hand drive cars from year dot had five speeds - so that's why your official Australian-market car had one from standard. All these cars had the chassis type "HS30" ( the "H" prefix before the base model type "S30" denotes that it had the L24 engine, and the lack of the "L" prefix between that H and the S30 denotes that it was a right hand drive ). These "Export" ( i.e. non-Japanese home market ) HS30's were made from early 1970 ( they only made home-market PS30, PS30-SB, S30 & S30S types in 1969, apart of course from the USA - aimed HLS30 cars ) and that is why some of the RAREST SURVIVOR variants of the S30 Z car are the early 1970 HS30 types. Very few of these were made in the first year of production, and you got the bulk of them down there in Australia ( you lucky dogs! ). So, ignoring all the brackets and other stuff in the above paragraph, all Export-version RHD cars had five-speeds and most of them had the 3.9 diff. ratio. As the game designers are Japanese, they tend to design the games according to what was locally available. However, they are not necessarily up to speed with all the correct info. from 30 years ago - so they can make mistakes. I noticed a "Fairlady Z" crop up in my GT2 game that had a G-nose on it. This would have to be a "Fairlady 240Z" and the H suffix variant at that, if it were a true factory-built ZG. In October 1971 the Japanese "home" market also got the chance to get the L24-engined variant HS30's ( previous to this, only two-litre L-series engined Fairlady Z and Z-L S30 and S30S types, and the S20 twin-cam engined Fairlady Z432 and Z432-R PS30 & PS30-SB were available in the Japanese home market ). The 2-litre cars were still available, but a whole new addition of L24-engined cars ( badged as "FAIRLADY 240Z" ) became available. All of these had five-speeds and a choice of diff. ratio, and included the Fairlady 240ZG ( HS30-H ) which was a limited-production model intended to homologate aerodynamic body parts that the factory wanted to use for racing. From October 1971, the most expensive model in the Japanese home market was the automatic-transmission equipped version of the ZG ( the HS30-HA ) - which incredibly was more expensive than the S20 twin-cam equipped Z432 ( PS30 ) which was still listed up until 1973! For my money, the Japanese home-market cars have always been the most interesting. They had so many more variants, and many of them, especially after late 1971, had better specs than the "Export" versions. They also had an absolutely astounding factory Options and Sports / Competition parts list available to them. Most Z owners outside Japan do not realise how extensive these lists were, and the books on the Z that are written in English very rarely seem to get it right. They almost always dismiss the Japanese home-market cars as some inferior base-model ( mainly because up to Oct.'71 they could only get 2 litres ). At the risk of starting a whole new thread, ( and probably a small nuclear war! ) I will say once again that in my opinion the USA-market export version HLS30 was a mass-produced "basic" model that was specced down for that particular market to keep prices low. Even the European export version HLS30 types had a five-speed transmission. It seems plain that the S30 series Z was DESIGNED as a RHD car, and that the LHD versions were something of a compromise ( check out that handbrake location ). I am now retreating into my nuclear bunker. Yours etc. Alan T. ( HS30-H ) ( "I love brackets" )..............

Yes, this is an advertisement for a new game for the PS2. It is based on a "manga" ( Japanese comic ) series from the early 90's called "Wangan Midnight", which was published in a series of small paperback book-style episodes by "Yanmaga" ( Young Magazines ). The "Wangan" is the nickname given to the Tokyo Bayshore Route motorway which curves from Yokohama right round to Chiba, and has always been popular with street racers since it was built. There are very many comics and animated videos that use the street racing theme in Japan, but they are all rather childish and the drawings in the comics themselves are rather basic ( because of the quantity in each episode and the amount of episodes they pump out ). The stories leave rather a lot to be desired too. The animated version is rather better, and the game should be better still - but I doubt if it can play better than the mighty GT3 on PS2.... Here is a scan of a couple of the original books;

Hi ALFADOG, Thanks for your reply. I think this has turned into a really interesting and worthwhile discussion, hasn't it? Sorry if I misread your sentiments about that particular car. It seemed to me when I read it that you were putting down that car and the S30-series in general, so I am glad to hear that I am mistaken ( tail between legs ). I really hope that somebody who loves it to death will buy that car ( and take the mirrors and that awful downturned rear pipe off! ) and then drive it and enjoy it. Maybe they will even put in a five-speed and an LSD with a nice ratio. Maybe they will not even mind that the handbrake is on the "wrong" side of the tunnel ( tee hee ). I really think that even in the USA and ( even in California ) such an early and straight car has to be worth more than $12,000 - and maybe this car will eventually change hands for something like $14k to $15k (?). I can't believe that a professionally restored example with many now unobtainable parts can really be worth less than that, can it? COMMENTS PLEASE! Not counting the costs of self-restoration ( I do a lot of work on my cars myself, and I know how much it saves me ) then it would have to be worth at least half the sum of its parts.......... Is anyone taking into account the problems that are looming regarding the non-availability of many body panels for the early S30-series? In the UK, we are scared of any crash damage ( and particularly from the rear ) as we know that these panels are all but unobtainable now. What panels there ARE in circulation over here are changing hands for a LOT of money. I just sourced a RH rear quarter for an early car that was crashed badly, and it cost a fortune. Fitting it professionally and then painting it will take a REAL lot of man-hours. Any insurance company would write the thing off as uneconomical to repair over here. Surely there is a similar lack of original spare body panels to repair crash-damaged cars in the USA and Australia? Some Z specialists in the UK have been importing cars from "dry states" in the USA recently, and although they are generally good bases to start restorations from, I have to say that they are usually REALLy bad in all other areas. These cars are changing hands in the USA for thousands of dollars ( not hundreds any more ) and they are buying them from original owners, not dealers or brokers. Restoring them properly certainly takes the cost way over the equivalent of $20,000 USD unless corners are cut. It would be easy to do this, but even then restoring the parts that need to be restored and replacing the parts that need to be replaced is costing thousands. Putting non-factory parts on the car will surely keep costs down, but in my opinion the quality is often just not there. I know Z specialists and enthusiasts in Japan who are laying down parts like fine wines recently. They know what is being made and what is not, and what they tell me makes me really nervous. If you think of any other "collector" or "enthusiast" car, then I would say that in almost all cases they have a better spares supply ( at least for any model or make that has the equivalent amount of surviving cars out there ). Nissan have been closing down body-pressing plants and throwing away the original tooling over the last few years. Any specialist or after-market supplier who decided to take the risk and start pressing up the unobtainable panels would have to spend a HUGE amount of money to make the tools, and even then they would never be "right"............. I just do not think it will happen. What does everybody think of the situation regarding lack of parts being made in Japan lately? Has anyone else noticed that things that were still available until just a few years / months ago are just not coming through any more? I am thinking particularly of body panels and trim / lighting ( mech. parts seem to be mostly still OK ). Anybody got any views? Great debate - we should do more of this! Alan Thomas ( "HS30-H" ) London, UK.

I quite understand that the MARKET VALUE of any item dictates what people think it will be sold for, this is true for a Monet painting to a Fiat 500. However, I think that the point here is that the car in question in pretty exceptional by any standard and in any market. The car is for sale in the USA, which is admittedly where market values are pretty much at their lowest because of the amount of cars that are out there. However, this car seems to me to be quite exceptional in its condition ( if it was indeed restored in the "right" way ) and is very tastefully modified with some rare period option and more recent parts. This is the point; the car seems to be way above the average market condition, and that is why the owner or vendor is quite justified in asking a high price for it. Whether they actually get all that close to $18,000 is another matter, but what is the harm in trying? If indeed it does sell for close to the asking price, then it sets a precedent that the market must take note of. If these cars start gradually selling for more than the present market value, then we might find that it benefits REAL enthusiasts ( I think that means you and me ) and Nissan might even consider making some more body panels and parts that we cannot get any more. They are recently talking big about the "DNA" of the Z, but they do not want to back it up and supply the parts to keep them going. There is not even a proper Nissan / Datsun museum in Japan! If we were all prepared to pay a little more for the cars and parts ( like as much as Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Lancia owners have to pay for instance ) then we might stand more chance of a better aftermarket parts supply and a little more factory support. Most of us will hate the higher prices, but being able to get what is now unavailable will be a real boon. God knows, I prefer things to be cheaper ( I can get more! ) but there is a very real disadvantage to "talking down" the prices of the BEST examples that are out there. At the rate that old Z cars are being exported from the USA ( and California in particular ) I would think that the Market Value will start to go up soon. There will always be the lucky ones who discover a peach at a low price, but if Joe Public suddenly gets really turned on to these cars then the supply will soon dry up. I have to also very respectfully point out that many early Californian S30-series Z cars are in a really poor and tired condition ( despite their better than average body condition ). Restoring these things properly is NOT cheap!!! I still think that the tone of the first post, and its subsequent reply, were rather too scathing. It seemed to make fun of the car and its vendor ( although the real owner probably did not write that description, or at least the person who restored it did not - they would have better taste ). That is why I wrote in defence of something special being sold for a special price. Maybe this is a good place to talk about these things, don't you think? If we don't take the subject seriously then I don't think we can be taken seriously ourselves. Please don't think me a joykiller or negative or anything - I just think that this is one of the better sites and forums out there and this kind of debate is good for all of us in the long run.

There ARE people who will pay that kind of money, and I think it has to be a good thing as long as the particular car in question is worth it. There's too much inverted snobbery in the early Z world, and people like us should be trying to convince the world at large that the best examples of the S30-series Z are worth every bit as much as the best examples of its contemporaries. When I see examples of MGB roadster, Porsche 912, Alpine A110, Porsche 914, Triumph TR series etc etc for big bucks, it seems funny that anybody would believe that the Z is not worth as much.To hear this from supposed Z fans makes it hard to take. So, please tell me - apart from the mirrors on that particular car, which are in my opinion of questionable taste - what is wrong with the guy trying to sell his car for offers near that price. In the UK, we know that a full and proper restoration of an early S30-series Z would probably cost much much more than this car is for sale at. Have you ever tried to do it for less? How good is YOUR car? I'm not talking about cars as "investments" either; that kind of buyer is not what I consider myself to be. I am all for driving these cars and enjoying them, and I'm not worried about stone chips. However, there are a real lot of BAD CONDITION cars out there that I would not pay hundreds for, let alone thousands. I would much rather buy a car like that one than a $4000 car that is actually a piece of junk. If you think this is a "snobby" attitude and I must be a little rich boy then that's up to you. I have to tell you that I am NOT a little rich boy, and it took me a real lot of saving and trouble to get my car to how it is now. If you tell me that you think it is not worth more than the car in the ad. then pray tell me how much do you THINK it should sell at, and maybe tell us how much you think YOUR car is worth? The car in the ad. looks good to me, and the list of parts that is has on it might well have gone right over your head if your comments are anything to go by. I thought this site was in praise of the S30-series Z, not making fun of it.

Hi WESUK, If you live in Swindon I suggest you go around the back of the HONDA factory and have a look at what they have in their dumpsters. You never know, you might find something interesting! Joking aside, tell me what series carburettor you have and I will have a look in my garage at the weekend ( I keep my cars and parts 10 miles from home, not because I want to - but because I have to ). You will find the "series" number written after the type of carburettor, stamped into the casting on the top cover of the body. EG: "40 DCOE - 18" - in this case "18" will be the "series" number of the carburettor, and signifies the internal passageing / circuitry / standard jetting / pump stroke etc etc. Technically, most of the actual top cover castings will interchange on the 40 DCOE ( apart from the later "emissions" type ) - but you will want to have the right one on it if you can. Like ERIC B - let me know what you have got, and I will have a dig in my garage. Good luck, Alan ( HS30-H )

Hi Eric, Glad you already had the parts diagram. Just wanted to help you identify the pieces that you have. Here are the jet sizes etc. that I used on my mildly modified L24 with 40 DCOE-18 carbs ( 176 BHP at the wheels - not bad for standard valves and no porting ): *CHOKES = 32mm ( 30mm also OK on such a small engine, as you need to promote good airspeed at low RPM for good off-idle performance and good driveability ) *AUX. VENTURI = 4.5 ( standard on most 40 DCOE carb series ) *MAIN JETS = 115 ( leaner is better - those 130s are too big ) *EMULSION TUBES = F2 *AIR CORRECTOR JETS = 175 *IDLE JETS = 0.50 F9 *ACCEL. PUMP JETS = 0.45 *ACCEL. PUMP INLET / DISCHARGE VALVE = 0.5 *NEEDLE VALVES = 1.75 *ACCEL. PUMP STROKE = 10mm That accelerator pump rod stroke is very important for the "driveability of your car on such a mildly tuned engine. Make sure that it is right and you will certainly find the car easier to use. Looks like some of your data already matches with this - so you are half way there. I would recommend a final "rolling road" dyno session to get the jetting spot on. If you can find out the series number on the carb top, I can have a look in my garage and see if I have a spare top that I can send you to replca that damaged one. Good luck. Alan.

And here's the other side;

This might be of help to you;

Hi Eric, I can see what you are up against, and I have been there myself! I too bought some carbs on the vendors' description, only to see an archaeological artifact from the Dung dynasty turn up in the post........... That broken part in your picture is rather serious. This is the mounting for the float pivot, and it will be difficult to repair properly. If you get it welded, the welder will need to be very skilfull and you will need to re-drill the hole for the float pivot spindle. Tell me what series the carbs are ( there is a number on the top cover of the carb after the bit that says "40 DCOE" ) and I might have a suitable spare body of the same series that you can swap all your internals on to. It is most important to get the same series, as all the internal drillings etc. are different for the different series. Restoring the carburettors properly is like restoring vintage wristwatches. It is not easy, and you really need to have all the information and tools to hand. At least you CAN get all the parts OK. There are plenty of specialists in the USA - have a look in a magazine like Grassroots Motorsport for a supplier. The round jet covers are not expensive, and a nice new set of three will make the carbs look much better. The "wing-nut" top cover fasteners are made of brass, and are also still available. As to the emulsion tubes and jets - I would not put too much effort into cleaning them until you are sure that you are in the ballpark for your own engine. What were the carbs on before, and what are the currently-fitted emulsion tubes, main jets and air correctors? I can give you some baseline data for a stock-ish L24 with cam and muffler if you think it would help. You might end up needing new jets, in which case there is no point in scrubbing up the old ones. Certainly you should avoid poking any orifices with wire ( or get ready to see a doctor! ) as you will damage them for sure. I would also pay attention to the accelerator pump rod stroke - which is very sensitive on this kind of carburettor and can change the driving characteristics completely. The "series" of the carburettor will tell you what was fitted in them from the factory, but not necessarily what is in them now ( somebody might have changed them ). These are all still available anyway. Tell me what "series" they are and I will have a dig around and see if I have a spare body for you. I know I am a long way from you, but it might be easier in the long run.............. All the best, Alan ( HS30-H ).

At the risk of starting a whole new thread, here is a picture of what I am REALLY interested in. This is a picture of Works driver Kenji Tohira at the 1971 Japan Grand Prix in the GT race ( in the GT-2 class ) in a Works ( SCCN ) HS30 "Fairlady Z". Just in case you heard that the Z was not very successful in domestic races.....................