HS30-H

I don't know where you heard it from, but it's not correct. None of the factory works rally team 240Zs used KONI shock absorbers.

It's a mistake to talk about the 'L20' six as though it is just one thing. From 1964/5's 'L20' through L20(A), L20AT, L20AE, L20E, L20T and on into the mid 1980s there were many, many variants. 130ps 9.5:1 L20(A) as fitted to the first Fairlady Zs in 1969 and 1970 certainly had flat top - not dished - pistons.

File it in the same place as people saying/writing "240Z" when they should be using 'S30-series Z'.

Baloney.

No, that was a pizza.

The description says that it has been fitted with a 5-speed transmission. If it came from the same source vehicle as the engine (?) then it would be an FS5C71-B, which would require shifter and/or tunnel mods in this 1970 production bodyshell. An FS5C71-A would be a straight fit, so I presume it is a B-type 5-speed.

As I've posted on BaT, the carburettors appear to be Hitachi HJG38W-8 type, which would be correct for the '74-up Japanese market L20AT engine that this seems to be. They are not North American market 'Flat Top' carburettors. As for "why?", how about because the owner had the engine available, having taken it out of his Fairlady Z, which had received a modified L24 engine...?

You might want to stop, think and try again with that one.

I noted that the other 432 in the auction was fitted with the same reproduction KS 'Rally Mag' wheels too. Personally speaking, I don't think this kind of high profile 'showbiz' type auction is suited to the automotive world in Japan. When you buy one of these cars, everyone knows what you have paid. That's not a good thing for many Japanese enthusiasts. In my experience, they would usually prefer to keep that information away from their wife/family/work colleagues/friends...

100% reproduction. Not original.

Since Mikuni-Solex PHH carbs came in top-inlet, right hand side-inlet and left hand side-inlet form depending on exact model, the factory E4620 triple carb fuel supply tube might be considered universal... The 40PHH carbs in the above photo (that's my G.P. Maroon Fairlady 240ZG) were originally part of a period Sanyo Kiki 'Sanyo Sports Kit', and I simply added curved soft fuel lines to join up with the triple carb rail. Works perfectly well.

17520-E4620 fitted examples:

@Patcon@240260280 Have you never seen the factory triple-outlet fuel pipe before? 17520-E4620 was offered as a Nissan Sports/Race Option part pretty much from the beginning, and is still available today. Here's an example from 1971:

Try posterity. It lasts longer...

1983: Post crash:

HS30-00034 It was given UK road registration (license plate) 'UAR 603J' and eventually embarked on a career as a race car in the 'Post Historic Road Sports Championship' during the early 1980s with owner/driver Ian Pearce, and later in the HSCC's (largely stock) Roadsports Championship in the hands of ex-BMC works driver Peter Riley and his son Tim. Tim Riley undertook a major rebuild/update in the late 1990s/Millenium period, with more extreme modifications for different racing classes. In mid to late 2002 the car had a big accident and required yet another build, but the comprehensive roll cage protected the 'shell and it was saved after being pulled straight on a jig. I supplied some of the panels. I'm not sure where the car is now. I heard that Tim took it with him to New Zealand some years ago.

That was the case, but Uemura san, Ozawa san and the other members of the 'Kaku U' team from Nissan Shatai had no direct responsibility for internal engine issues which were domain of Nissan Kohki. The 'Kaku U' team could report their experiences to Nissan Kohki, but Nissan Kohki were undertaking their own testing in Japan and were already fully aware of the problem. I've said it before and I'll say it again: There's too much emphasis on the north American side of the story here, and that's why everybody is ready to believe the BRE-narrated story of 'discovering a problem' and prescribing the cure. Meanwhile Nissan Kohki - having designed the crankshaft with six counterweights to save money on a de-contented, cost-sensitive product - were fully aware of the problem and were arguing with the white shirts about the costs and implications (not least homologation) of going to eight counterweights. It's almost like people are ready to believe that Nissan was some tin pot company which didn't know what it was doing...

Here's a perfect example of this impetuosity I'm talking about. Within a couple of posts you've turned your imagined scenario into fact, and you're looking for "the notes" which document that imagined scenario. It's not scientific, it's not scholarly and it flies in the face of common sense. You told me that you are an "Automotive Historian" and that you have written books and magazine articles. I don't think this is how they work. NEWS FLASH: NMC USA was not directly involved in "developing the 240Z for racing". They passed that task onto the likes of BRE and Bob Sharp Racing to take it on by proxy, supplying them with (mostly stock) hardware and supporting funds. The surrounding stories are all out there, readily available for you to look into and research yourself. We've touched on the topic many times on this forum in the past so there's a rich seam of knowledge to be mined here, but there's plenty available in period and contemporary publications too. You just have to do the due diligence yourself. Nissan Japan - through their 'works' team(s) - carried out their own activities and developments, and it is a BIG topic. There's no single one-shot injection of knowledge about all this and - once again - if you want to research it then you have to do your own due diligence. At some point it will become apparent to you that the real truth about the activities of a Japanese company, a Japanese car and related matters largely happening in Japan are - if you're lucky - written in Japanese and passed between interested parties in Japan. Quite a lot of it is even now - 50 years later - considered as private corporate property not for the consumption of 'civilians' like us. The implication is that you will need to start mining Japanese sources in Japanese, getting in touch with prime movers in Japan and spending a fair bit of precious time and money gathering documentation and evidence. Sometimes you will be trusted with information and documents that you will be asked not to make public and not to 'share'. That's the nature of the beast. My best advice to you is to slow down, research what is already out there and then pursue your own particular line of enquiry. Nobody is going to make a one-shot post for you on here, or give you a memory stick with 'everything' on it.

More like 15 years on here, I'd say. And still we are learning, aren't we? Indeed, we still don't know what we don't know... Our impetuous new friend is currently paddling in shallow waters, unaware of just how cold, dark and deep are the waters that await him the further he gets from shore.

Sorry to say it, but you're barking up the wrong tree. In fact, you might not even be in the right forest...

Kats, About the Kameari 'Kyoka' bolts/studs for the S20 engine: This is not really any different to the upgraded bolts and studs offered for any other engine today. In fact, Kameari proudly state that they are made by ARP - probably the most trusted brand for this kind of item worldwide. ARP are almost a byword for quality and integrity, and they offer parts for our L-gata engines too. The advantage of such bolts and studs is that they are stronger for the same or similar torque settings, are often made from better materials than the OEM equipment due to advances in metallurgy, heat treatments and finishes, as well as retrospective re-engineering. Replacing factory bolts with ARP studs and nuts is very common these days and is certainly wiser than using old and/or untested parts. And when you can't see them inside the engine they are not going to be offensive to the eye. I think you could easily rebuild an S20 yourself, Kats. They are beautifully designed and engineered, and a pleasure to assemble. It's not one big job, it's just lots of small ones. You can do it! When I start to build S20 no.3 I'll let you know. I'll probably be needing some of those parts you've got there! But before that, I have to build an 'interesting' L24-based engine for the ex-Kuwashima san 240ZG. It's in the body shop being painted now.

Indeed. What would have been the point for the factory engineers to bring an S20-engined car to a territory where there were no intention to sell and/or race it. I put it down to either a misunderstanding or mis-remembering something else. A lone S20 (race) engine cutaway was shown at some European car shows in the late 1960s as a general promotional tool, but no S20-equipped cars. North America? Closest proximity I could ever get was somewhat more southerly... In December 1970, SCCN works team drivers Haruhito Yanagida and Masami Kuwashima took a race-prepped 432-R over to Brazil to compete in two rounds of the 'Copa Brasil de Automobilisimo Internacional' race series at the Interlagos track in São Paulo: I've talked to them both about it, and it was an interesting story.

Except that's not really what happened, is it? You PM me totally out of the blue with a list of chassis numbers and many other associated questions (a full and proper answer would almost be a book in itself) and I replied that I wanted to know a bit more about you - and what was behind it all - before entering into a conversation with you about it. Some of what you asked about is sensitive information (especially the questions regarding ownership of certain cars in Japan) and I have learned to be cautious about sharing stuff like that with people who are - effectively - strangers. Before I could give you another answer you sent me a snarky PM and then start talking about "armchair experts" on the forum? You addressed me by my first name, but you still insist on calling yourself 'Roo'? You claim to be an "Auto Historian" who has "written a number of books and magazine articles", and yet you apparently haven't heard of the late, great Griffith Borgeson? Well forgive me if my spidey senses tingle a little and I don't feel convinced about you just yet... Q.E.D. Haven't, let alone haven't yet, isn't the same as cannot.

Jeff, Have you got a copy of the factory parts manual for the RHD 240Zs? If not, why not? Ask us! And if you have, then maybe you would be wise to be reading it in the bath, in bed and in front of the telly - before you start drilling holes in things and cutting off bits of Harada manifold that you don't really need to. Don't spoil the ship for a Ha'penny worth of tar.