HS30-H

Nissan's first official works race Z was something of a star, as it was used for the covers of several 432-R related publications. This was the car that took part in the 'Zen Nihon Suzuka 300km' race at Suzuka Circuit on 18th January 1970, driven by SCCN works team driver Moto Kitano. Sadly, it was to be car's first and last race. Forced to spin to avoid another car blocking the track, Kitano was T-boned by a following car and was lucky to avoid serious injury. The car was a banana-shaped write-off. Pictured: Nissan 'Yellow Book' Race & Rally Manual for the 432-R, front page of the Nissan Sports Options parts list for the 432-R, and the 'no.68' works 432-R race car in the old Suzuka Circuit paddock before that fateful 18th January 1970 race. Alan T.

EuroDat, Just to clarify: This thread is primarily about the PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R. The PS30 Fairlady Z432 had the 'normal' Master Vac brake booster and pedal, whilst the PS30-SB Fairlady Z432-R was the one without the Master Vac brake booster, and had a brake pedal with a greater leverage ratio to suit.

Hi Ron, I would have thought that anyone ordering a PZR new would have been buying into the whole ethos of the car as a 'spartan', lightweight driver's car. The lightweight body, plastic windows and cloth-covered, non-reclining FRP seats would have been a big part of that and I can only imagine him adding some 'essentials' like the heater/demister for example. I would imagine that he didn't have a choice over whether to go with the lightweight panels ( especially the rear quarters and the roof ) if the PZR-specific bodies were already half made, or if there were a few complete cars already built. Officially there wasn't even a colour choice ( all the cars sold to the general public were 918 orange ) and if a customer wanted a few more bells and whistles he might as well have paid a little bit more and plumped for the 'ordinary' 432 with its 'Deluxe' spec. In the C-236 parts list I can see: 78100-E7200 PANEL arse'Y - rear fender ( R.H. ) - PZR 78100-E8201 PANEL arse'Y - rear fender ( R.H. ) - PZR ( from C/# PS30-00402 ) 78101-E7200 PANEL arse'Y - rear fender ( L.H. ) - PZR 78101-E8201 PANEL arse'Y - rear fender ( L.H. ) - PZR Off the top of my head, I'm thinking that this marks the changeover from solid, unvented rear pillars to the vented rear pillars. If they are for the PZR then they should be the thinner gauge steel pressings, or at least the earliest type would be. As we know from their chassis numbers, the PZRs sold to the genral public were all 'early' cars ( with unvented pillars ) - so perhaps the later part numbers were more a theoretical fitment should a car be ordered at that time...? Interestingly, the works rally 240Zs that were made in the mid to late 1971 period - using much of the PZR's bodyshell pieces - used the solid, unvented PZR rear quarters, but had their pillar vent holes cut out by hand and the vented 'Z' pillar emblems attached ( to make them look more 'up to date' no doubt ). They retained the FRP tailgates complete with twin vents and all the venting paraphernalia inside them. So they ended up with vented quarteers and vented tailgates.

The factory Works race team used the Lucas-based sliding throttle mechanical injection on their 432-R race cars almost from the get-go. I think in the first couple of races the cars were still fitted with carburettors ( although Weber 45DCOE-9 as opposed to the stock Mikuni-Solex 44PHH ), but certainly they had followed the Skyline GT-R race cars onto the Lucas mech FI by the time of the PZR's first race win ( April 12th 1970, 'Race De Nippon', Fuji Speedway, Hasemi / Kitano ). Although the Lucas-based mech FI system was not really very sophisticated in today's terms, it did give more outright power than carbs and was more suited to the kind of racing they were doing. The works S20 engines that were built to run the injection system had higher compression ratios, different cams and different timing to suit. It's a big topic of research on it's own, as Nissan were trying new things in almost every race and none of the details were really in the public domain. Of course, the ex-Prince guys at Murayama ( at that time busy building and developing the Skyline GT-R race cars ) considered the S20 to be 'their' engine and it seems they weren't really all that keen on the 432-R getting any particularly trick parts too soon after the GT-Rs. In fact, it was a bit of a strange situation for the Murayama-based group to be prepping the 432-Rs at all; There was a certain amount of competition between the Murayama ( PMCS ) team and the Oppama ( SCCN ) team, and this ultimately hampered the development of the PZR in race guise as it was a little lost between them ( you could say it was an Oppama body with a Murayama engine ). I don't want to talk this up too much, but it did happen and the works 432-R race cars probably could have been better had they not been forced to lag a little behind the works GT-Rs. In the end ( in fact, only mid-way through 1970 ) the decision was made to switch the works circuit race 432-Rs onto L24-based engines and bump them up into a different class of racing that could take advantage of the capacity increase. From then on the Oppama-based works team looked after them. I think induction system was free for the Sports Prototype, GT and Touring Car classes that the works S20 engines were usually competing in ( as long as it was 'normal' aspiration rather than forced / boosted ) and therefore either carbs of FI could be used. There's nothing in the homologation papers with regard to the mechanical injection.

It might be something that pains us to see today, but at the time they were not particularly concerned about it. Nissan ran open trumpets on their race and rally engines during this period ( even using simple wire gauze covers on the trumpets for certain international rallies ) and tended to refresh engines between races anyway. As has been discussed, the homologation of the 432-R was all about saving weight and making a good base for further development. The weight saved on the homologation of the PZR ( I think it was homologated at around 960kg ) allowed Nissan and their privateer customers some scope in further lightening their race cars - whilst also adding weight through safety devices etc - and still being 'legal' to race. The stock airbox, ducting and air filter housing for the S20 engine is quite a large and heavy piece and it would have assisted the weight-saving effort to leave it off. Road users could always retro-fit filters if they really wanted them.

I just wanted to add a few words about the Race Homologation of the Fairlady Z432 and the Fairlady Z432-R: Homologation is the process which enables an auto manufacturer to legalise its product for use in certain classes of national and international competition. Manufacturers sometimes make a short production run of cars specifically to meet the requirements of a racing class, and such cars are often nicknamed 'Homologation Specials'. Both the Fairlady Z432 and the Fairlady Z432-R were examples of this. Nissan had not intended to race the 432 or 432-R outside Japan ( although it did happen, and perhaps more on that later.... ) so it homologated them with the Japan Automobile Federation. The 432 was initially homologated in JAF's 'GT' class ( with a minimum requirement that 250 identical cars be manufactured within a certain period, and 500 or more in total ) and the 432-R was homologated as an 'evolution' of the 432 in JAF's 'Prototype' class ( with a minimum requirement of 25 identical cars manufactured ). Nissan homologated the L24-engined Datsun 240Z and the L20A-engined Fairlady Z/Z-L with the world motorsport sanctioning body, the FIA ( Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ) with an eye on competition use outside Japan as well as within, but with higher production numbers required. Here's where the inspiration for much of the 432 and 432-R comes in: In 1966, Porsche had introduced their 911S model - a hotted up variant of the 911 aimed at the sporting road user, but also intended to homologate parts and specs that would be a sound basis around which to build competition cars to take part in the FIA's GT classes of racing and rallying. In 1967 Porsche went further, and built a short production run of a super-lightweight evolution of the 911S, and they called it the 911R. Just 24 911Rs were built, allowing Porsche and its customers to enter the car in the Prototype racing class. That letter 'R' stood for 'Rennen' ( Racing ) and the 911R was built for just that: It had front wings ( fenders ), engine cover, front lid, bumpers and dash made from lightweight FRP, whilst its doors were made from alloy. All windows except the 'screen were plexiglass, and that front 'screen was made from thinner glass than the 911S. The rear arches were slightly flared to accommodate 7j wheels, whilst 6j were used at the front. The interior was spartanised with the deletion of items such as the passenger sun visor, clock, rear seat squabs, heater, ashtray and lighter, with two lightweight bucket seats added, a ventilated version for the driver and a more basic plastic item for the passenger. A larger fuel tank was also fitted. The engine and the drivetrain of the 911R were improved over that of the stock 911S, with a magnesium crankcase, forged crank, titanium conrods and twin plug heads with triple 46 IDA Weber carbs. With a 10.3:1 compression ratio this engine was quoted as giving 210bhp at 8000rpm. With the R weighing just 830kg ( the four factory prototypes weighed even less ) they were pretty fast for the period. It seems to me that the Porsche 911R set the standard which Nissan used as some inspiration for the specs - and even the name - of their super-lightweight Z. If the Fairlady Z432 was Nissan's 911S, then the Fairlady Z432-R could be seen as their 911R. Here's a scan of the front page of the JAF homologation papers for the Fairlady Z432: Alan T.

I like the "hand built" operation point, as in many respects I keep thinking of these private roadgoing PZRs as something like a bespoke Savile Row suit. And like a bespoke handmade suit, it's quite often the case that what you can't see is the very thing that makes it so special... Hi Chris, Yes, I know what you mean. I've spent many many hours with my head buried in the factory parts lists, trying to make sense of the PZR-specific items and how they were applied so that I could - hopefully - use some of that info for my own replica project. There are quite a few PZR-specific parts that were not in the parts lists, and there are also what appear to be a few mistakes. However, as the PZR was a stripped-out and 'spartan' driver's car, quite a few of the parts used on them were the no-frills 'Z-Std' / 'ZS' / 'S30-S' Fairlady Z stock parts ( as opposed to the deluxe spec 'Z-dx' / 'Z-L' / 'S30' Fairlady Z-L ). I'm thinking of items like the 4.5j steel wheels, the rubber floor mats and the clock aperture blanking plate for example. Which are the parts that fit the PZR, ZS and ZL, but not the 'ordinary' PZ? Generally speaking, it seems logical that some of the ZS-specific parts were used on the PZRs, and that many parts would be used on the PZ as well as the ZS and ( particularly ) the Z-L, and that many parts would be PZR-specific ( brake pedal and BMC, for example ), but parts shared between the ZS, Z-L and PZR but not the PZ I can't think of? What have you spotted? I'm not sure what the "up to 72 model year" ( that would have been the October / November 1971 changeover period ) meant in relation to the PZR either, and wonder if Nissan were just covering the retro-fit replacement parts situation? Always something new to learn about these cars. Cheers, Alan T.

I wish! There's a caveat to that "all built in one batch" statement as it may be the case that a few more were built a little later. I'm thinking of slightly later circuit race cars, and some of the Works rally 240Zs here. The majority of the Works rally 240Zs built in 1970 and 1971 ( before the rule changes for the 1972 season led to Nissan reverting to the 'full fat' bodyshells ) were essentially 432-R bodies with L24 engines. They carried series-production HS30 and HLS30 chassis numbers and they didn't count as actual PZRs, but the 'shells were hybrid versions of the lightweight PZR spec. I think I might be causing some confusion with some of the factory shorthand terms I've been using, so I'll just clarify: 'PZ' = PS30 Fairlady Z432 'PZR' = PS30-SB Fairlady Z432-R The 'ordinary' PZ body was in most areas similar or the same as the L-series variants made alongside it during the same period ( apart from all those S20-engine and ancillary specific brackets, tabs, captive nuts and screw holes ), but the super-lightweight PZR body was radically different in its very fabric. It wasn't just about the special parts that were ( and were not ) hung on that body tub, but about 'Part Number One' - the body tub itself - being special. I really want to get that point across. Cheers, Alan T.

The story is that all of the super lightweight 432-R bodyshells were made in a single batch, and then put aside to be given a chassis number and put through final assembly as-and-when they were ordered. The sequencing of their chassis numbers certainly seems to support this. Most of the PZRs sold to the general public would - I think - have been made during 1969 and 1970, and the majority well before the end of 1970. The "Series 1 " and "Series 2" thing is a retrospective moniker that applies more to the north American market cars and I'm more than wary of applying it to the Japanese market cars ( where small incremental changes seem to have been made in between bigger updates ). Suffice to say that we should probably expect the vast majority of PZRs to have '69 & '70 production dates. I'm not aware of any 432-R chassis numbers over PS30-00300 ( remembering that they shared their 'PS30' prefix with the 'ordinary' 432 ), and according to Nissan less than 30 true PZRs were made anyway. Officially, less than 20 PZRs were sold to the general public for private road use and the rest were race cars. So even if the "Series 2" soubriquet could be applied to the PZR it would probably be moot as it was all done and dusted by the end of 1970. Officially, anyway. I should by now have learned never to say never with respect to the 432-R. I think I probably ought to bring up the race homologation aspect to all this, as it kind of explains some of the numbers and the PZR's relationship with the PZ. Watch this space.....

Point of order: If we are talking 'Datsun 240Z' and concentrating purely on "lowest VIN released for sale to the public", then the RHD HS30-prefixed 'Datsun 240Z' export market variants would be in with a good shout to claim the low VIN bingo prize: HS30-00003, HS30-00004, HS30-00005, HS30-00006, HS30-00007, HS30-00008, HS30-00009, HS30-00010, HS30-00011, HS30-00012 and HS30-00013 were all - according to Nissan - sold to the general public. I've seen the VIN tag ( and firewall-engraved chassis number ) of HS30-00013 hanging on the notice board of a friend's garage.... S30 and PS30-prefixed chassis numbers lower than 00013 were also sold to the general public in Japan. S30-00002 was almost certainly a factory 'mule' of some sort, used for testing / experimentation / instruction, and never originally intended to be sold to the general public. I can't help thinking that this Canadian "extended cold weather testing" thing was actually the 'Kaku-U' North American 'test' ( publicity tour ) itself, and not another trip based on it or an extension of the original trip. Is it not more likely that the two things are one and the same? It seems to make more sense to me. First of all, it was a bit late in the day to be doing any real testing ( this would have been late 1969, and the start of production was already underway ) and Nissan had already been conducting extended cold weather tests up in Hokkaido, Japan. It's not like Japan is short of cold weather in the winter months....

Hi Carl, Thanks for that. I'm a huge fan of the homologation specials and the Works race and rally cars, and I think we are very lucky to see the images that Takeuchi san is showing us. Most of the Rs live well out of the limelight these days, and Takeuchi san is giving us a rare and candid look at his. Manna from heaven for me. Hi Kats, I assure you it's true. However, it's hard to prove without completely cutting one up...... One of the things I love about these homologation specials is that they are the gift that keeps on giving. There's always some new fact to learn, and some new question to ask. Each car seems to have its own specification. They are so mysterious. I love it! Cheers, Alan T.

Just to clarify, Takeuchi san's car is a PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R. It's not a 'normal' Fairlady Z432, it's even more special. I tried to list most of the differences between a 'normal' Z432 and a genuine Z432-R in post #8 on this thread. It's not a definitive list, but it does address many of the things that made the 'R' special even in comparison to the Z432. First and foremost among them is the 'super lightweight' bodyshell... Yes, the 432-Rs didn't have brake boosters. This saved some weight ( very important with regard to the homologation of the model ), but also gave better brake 'feel'. The pedal effort required would have been higher than a boosted system, but this was offset by the fact that the 432-R had a different brake pedal to the boosted brake cars. The amount of leverage given by the pedal was increased, as the pivot point was different in comparison to the boosted cars.

No problem, Takeuchi san. Every picture is worth a thousand words! Kats and myself can help with explanation / translation if necessary. Cheers, Alan T.

A couple of things that I forgot to include in my description of 'showroom stock' 432-R specifications: You would not see any stainless garnish in the windscreen / tailgate rubbers. The rubbers were the same as 'stock' on other cars, but they simply did not put the garnish into the rubber on assembly. Same with the roof gutters: No stainless garnish along the roof gutters in the standard specification of the 432-R.

Hi Kats, I believe that the PZR-specific panel pressings were made from one gauge thinner sheet steel than the other early S30-series Z models. There are also some sections of the bodyshell ( inner sills / rocker panels, and around the diff area ) which are one gauge thicker than on 'normal' cars, but maybe this was not on all 432-Rs. The variation in panel thickness is - I think - part of the result of the manufacturing process. Some areas of the panels stretch, and some are forced to shrink in the dies. I have seen and measured this variation on stock bodyshells too. Yes, received safely. Thank you! I have sent you an e-mail. Cheers, Alan T.

Hi Chris, As far as I am aware, the stock 432-R would not have had any underside protection apart from body colour overspray over the stock primer. I think Takeuchi san's car was possibly protected later? But each car must be viewed on a case-by-case basis. There seems to have been an exception for every rule. In the case of underbody protection, I should think the territory the car was going to would influence the spec. If it was going up to snowy Hokkaido, for instance... Alan T.

Hi Marty, If you saw a Fairlady Z432-R in a Nissan showroom in 1970, you'd be able to recognise it from the following: First of all you'd probably see a 918 Orange paint job, as all the 432Rs sold to the general public were apparently in the one no-option colour. Next you'd notice the anti-glare satin black FRP bonnet / hood, and the smooth all-chrome bumpers with no rubber trims and no trim holes. You should see plain steel wheels with no hubcaps ( the magnesium Kobe Seiko wheels standard on the 432 were an extra-cost option on the 432-R ) and a plain clear glass, untinted, windscreen / windshield. You should also see a satin black FRP rear spoiler - the ribbed type ( for extra sensitivity... ) - sitting on the tailgate. No badging other than 'Fairlady Z' and '432' ( and perhaps an oblong 'Nissan' emblem on the rear spoiler ), and there was no 'R' type badging or emblems. A side stripe kit might have been fitted. Look a little closer and you'd see that the door window, quarter and tailgate glass was actually lightweight acrylic with a 'Nissan' heatstamped logo in the corners. Some - but perhaps not all - 432Rs had an FRP tailgate, with no gas strut ( just a steel rod prop ). Look around underneath and you'd see a full-length FRP undercover for the engine bay at the front ( the front valance subtly shaped, and with captive nuts, to accommodate it ), and the 100 litre fuel tank in the rear ( to homologate the 100 litre tank for JAF-sanctioned GT class endurance racing ). The front grille should be subtly different to the standard Fairlady Z / Z-L / 432 item, with a finer mesh. Peering inside, you would see the spare wheel perched on the rear deck area ( the spare wheel well having been deleted to make way for that 100 litre fuel tank ) and a pair of hopsack weave fabric-covered FRP bucket seats ( manufactured by office furniture maker Ikeda Bussan ), and probably only the driver's seat would have a bolt-on headrest with a black vinyl cover. You should also see a Takata four-point safety harness on each seat. Had the new owner specified it - and paid the extra cost - a leather-covered 'Mach' three spoke steering wheel might be present, but if not then the standard Izumi pressure-moulded wood composite wheel. The plain black moulded urethane / rubber mats on the floor would sit on plain painted metal with no sound-deadening material on it. The diamond quilted vinyl interior covering - as seen on other S30-series models of the same period - would have no sound-deadening / insulating material under it either, although the trans tunnel cover would be plain unquilted vinyl. A thin urethane / rubber mat would sit on the rear cargo area. The firewall should have no sound-deadening mat on it either. The dash would look a bit bare, as stock 432-Rs had a blanking plate in place of the clock. Standard 432-Rs would often have no glovebox lid and no heater / fan - although some buyers paid extra for them to be fitted. Proper 432-Rs would have no radio and no antenna. You'd see just one sunvisor ( for the driver ) and no day/night feature for the rear-view mirror, and no centre console. There would be no ignition key barrel on the steering column, as it was re-located to a bracket just in front of the gearstick ( to make it easier to reach when strapped in by the four-point safety harness ). Door panels should have simple woven nylon pull straps instead of arm rest / door pulls. Looking in the engine bay, you should see no air box on the Mikuni 40PHH carbs ( just steel trumpets ) and no air filter box on the radiator support panel. You'd see an oil cooler standing in front of the ( aluminium ) radiator. You should see no brake booster either, as it was deleted to save weight and give better pedal feel through a brake pedal with a different pivot ratio to other models. You would not be able to see those lightweight body pressings ( made from one gauge thinner steel than stock ) but they'd be there. Apart from all that, it would be the same as the PS30 Fairlady Z432 standing next to it in the showroom... That's the theory anyway. In practice it seems that there was some subtle variation in specs, and that buyers either specced the cars with a few extras ( heater / demister, glovebox, mag wheels ) or added them soon after buying. Many cars will have been modified down the years ( one 432-R even ended up with a G-nose... ) but the trend these days is to bring them back to a period-correct spec. I'm sure to have forgotten something, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I find the cars fascinating, and I'm always learning new things about them. Cheers, Alan T.

If you have a few minutes to spare, please take a look at our fellow forum member take432r's Gallery photos: take432r Gallery - Classic Zcar Club Photo Gallery 'take432r' is Takeuchi san from Japan, and his genuine PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R' has been the star of many Japanese classic car magazine features. Takeuchi san has been refreshing the car recently, and has been adding some very interesting and informative photos to the above gallery. Please take the time to have a look at them, as they reveal many of the 432-R's subtle differences from the 'normal' 432, and of course all other S30-series Z cars. It's a rare treat to see a genuine 432-R in pieces... The 'super lightweight' PS30-SB is the rarest of S30-series production models, and certainly the most valuable today. 'Less Is More' certainly applies here, and the 'PZR' ( in factory jargon ) hides many of its unique features - such as its super-lightweight body with thinner gauge panel pressings, whilst many others are not immediately apparent - such as its acrylic windows and 100 litre fuel tank, until you start looking a little more closely. I've seen this car in the metal ( and plastic! ) several times in Japan, and it's one of the few S30-series Zs that I seriously covet. It's lovely. Cheers, Alan T.

I'm talking about the C30-series Laurel, of course. If you really want to comb through and look for clues ( it's fun! ), I can send you the factory parts manual for the C30 as a PDF.... But my point is that it's daft to call the "350/370 Z Car" ( Z33 / Z34 actually.... ) a "shortened Infiniti" if you still think the ( shout it ) "DATSUN 240Z" is some kind of virgin-pure engineering Year Zero creation and you have little or no idea about the cars that were alongside it in the design / drawing offices or on the production line, let alone alongside it on the showroom floor. Platform sharing is the modern way. It doesn't make the Z33 or Z34 any less of a car. Here's a peek at one page from the 1968 C30 Laurel parts manual. This one's a well-known engineering design share:

Perhaps a reminder of the thread title and the following quote from the first post is in order: The S30 is not all about the "DATSUN 240Z", however loud you shout it.... Japanese market S30-series Z threshold plates ( 'PLATE - kicking, sill outer' ) had no lettering on them whatsoever, and they certainly qualify for this thread.

....whilst you're still in denial that you own a Laurel Sport.

I'd rather trust Nissan, thanks. As has been discussed so many times before on this forum, there's almost nothing on the early Z cars that was Cadmium plated. Almost everything that was plated was Zinc plated, and the characteristic 'yellow gold' of many nuts, bolts fasteners, brackets and other nick-nacks is simply a passivated finish added after Zinc plating. From Nissan technical manuals: 亜鉛 ( 'A-en' ) = Zinc.

No offence to you or the vendor, but I would suggest that unless you are dealing direct with Nishi san from 'Revive Jalopy' in Japan then your 'vendor' is very unlikely to have been dealing with the OEM material manufacturer / supplier. One observation I would make is that I've seen both gold and silver backgrounds on Nissan maintenance stickers, depending on the application and period of manufacture. I've also seen all sorts of patination / discolouration which - over a 40 year odd period - can make such stickers look very different to how they must have looked when new. I would trust MikeB's example for the manufacture date period he has shown.

It's not a GTP car. It's an R90CK ( Lola chassis ) with the VRH35Z V8 turbo engine from the 1990 Le Mans 24hrs. Specifically, the JECS 'sponsored' #25 car of Donnelly / Brancatelli / Acheson. It had qualified 5th, but DNF'd due to terminal transmission trouble.