Big Sam

[HS30-H]

Bad shot of engine bay:

[HKSZ]

I'm sorry to hear that about Win, wasn't it only last year he was doing some racing in the V8 BRutes.

[Nick H]

Yes he had the operation late last year. There is a group trying to get him racing with an adapted car at the Goodwood Revival Festival in September this year. Let's hope they are successful.

Nick

[Gav240z]

Can you confirm Nick if they are the Panasport C8R's wheels? I really am fond of these wheels.

I also love the "432" or "BRE" rear spoiler as it's commonly mistakenly known. It just looks great on your car and I'm considering putting one on my car myself.

If your not too keen going into engine specs perhaps you could enlighten us as to what makes Big Sam handle so well.

I've always loved the way a 240z handles in stock form. I've also seen what they can do when properly set up.

Any details would be greatly appreciated

[Nick H]

The wheels are Minilites, Gavin. 16" x 12" split rims for the slicks and the original, non split rim, 15" x 10" magnesium Minilites have the wets on. Unfortunately Minilite do not make the split rims any more.

nick

[BenSharpe]

hi nick

just like to say i love everything you have done to the car. my father was martin sharpe who used to race this car, i was wondering when your next event is as i would like to come and watch and see the car.

Ben

[HS30-H]

hi nick

just like to say i love everything you have done to the car. my father was martin sharpe who used to race this car, i was wondering when your next event is as i would like to come and watch and see the car.

Ben

Ben,

Just in case Nick does not see your message........

Nick sold 'Big Sam' last year. It was entered into the Bonham's auction at the Silverstone Classic historic race meeting in July 2010, and was bought by J.D. Classics of Maldon, Essex http://www.jdclassics.co.uk/home

If you want to get in touch with Nick ( if he doesn't see this ) I can give you his e-mail address. I'm sure he'd be interested to hear from you.

Cheers,

Alan T.

[260DET]

This Big Sam certainly gets a lot of attention, I'm not sure why though. Perhaps because it was the only notable Datsun in the UK? Other than that, what was so exceptional about it?

[HS30-H]

This Big Sam certainly gets a lot of attention, I'm not sure why though. Perhaps because it was the only notable Datsun in the UK? Other than that, what was so exceptional about it?

I'm perhaps not the ideal person to try to reply to this ( I've never really been a fan of the whole 'Samuri Conversions' story.... ) but in the absence of any other replies I'll take a shot at it.

First thing you have to understand is that the story of 'Big Sam' encompasses more than one car / bodyshell, but that the bodyshells concerned ( including the one that 'Big Sam' uses now ) were ex-Works Nissan rally car bodyshells, and therefore rather special - not to mention the fact that they had their own history.....

The first iteration of what would later become 'Big Sam' actually started life as one of the Works entries in the 1970 RAC Rally. These were based on the super lightweight 'PZR' bodies ( the cars effectively being Fairlady Z432-Rs with L-series engines ) and were built up by Nissan's competitions department at Oppama in Japan, then shipped to Belgium and driven over to the UK via commercial car ferry by the works team's Japanese mechanics and team manager. Note that this first batch of works team rally cars was all RHD. After the rally, the cars stayed in the UK and one of them was acquired by Englishman Rob Grant and prepped to go circuit racing. Grant took the car far and wide across Europe, living off entry and prize money with a little bit of sponsorship money, and even venturing as far as north Africa. In one of the north African races ( in Angola ) the car was crashed comprehensively and brought home to the UK. A replacement bodyshell was necessary and another of the ex-Works 1970 RAC Rally cars was acquired in order to donate its body to the cause. Grant even made it as far as racing at Kyalami in South Africa, and attempting to qualify for the Le Mans 24hrs in 1972 ( failing to make the cut ). A gallant privateer racer of the Old School.

The Grant car ( which had already encompassed two ex-Works cars, remember ) was later acquired by Englishman Bob Gathercole, who had an interest in 'Samuri Conversions Ltd', a tuning / conversions company fronted by ex-Broadspeed man and cylinder head specialist Spike Anderson. The car was re-painted in the 'Samuri Conversions' colours and signwriting, and went UK club racing. Driver was a young Win Percy ( who you will have heard of....... ) and Percy's driving talent along with the preparation of the car brought some success and a national Modsports championship in 1974, along with a great deal of UK automotive press attention. The success of 'Big Sam' was a great advertisement for the 'Samuri Conversions' business, and the company became synonymous with fast road tuned 'Samuri' and 'Super Samuri' conversions for the 240Z and 260Z here in the UK.

During the '74 season in which the Modsports championship title was won, Percy had a heavy accident at Brands Hatch. The crash was serious enough to write off the bodyshell ( this was already the second bodyshell, remember... ) and yet another ex-Works rally bodyshell was sourced - this time an LHD bodyshell that had started life as one of the Recce / Chase cars on the 1973 Monte Carlo Rallye, had been brought to the UK after the Monte in order to take part in some UK rallies, and had been crashed by Shekhar Mehta on the 1973 Burmah Rally ( with a little bit of masquerade between the Burmah Rally crash and it finally ending up as a stripped 'shell at the Datsun UK Concessionaires compound ). So this was the third ex-Works rally 240Z bodyshell, although this time a 'full fat' non-lightweight HLS30 bodyshell ( note the fact that this was LHD ). A hasty conversion to RHD, some radical bodyshell mods and the transplant of the running gear from the crashed car allowed the team to get the car out for the next round in the championship.

This ex-Works, ex-Monte recce car HLS30 'shell - converted to RHD - is what forms the basis of the 'Big Sam' car as it exists today. It was sold off but carried on racing in several pairs of private hands ( including those of Martin Sharpe, Ben's father ) and was eventually acquired by Nick Howell. I think Nick owned the car the longest out of anybody, took great care of it whilst it was in his hands, and who had Tim Riley rebuild it for him. Nick used the car in race events himself but also allowed Win Percy to get back behind the wheel of the car for a race at Silverstone. Nick was also invited to take part in the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the car, which was no small honour. As I mentioned in a previous post, Nick sold the car at auction last year and 'J.D. Classics' have bought it, refurbed it, and have taken it racing again.

The 'Big Sam' story got a lot of attention here in the UK in period, and people remembered it. That's why it has always been popular here, and why it got a lot of press when it went to auction last year. Very few people realise the full story behind the 'Big Sam' identity, and it's that all but unknown pre-Samuri Conversions story that I personally find so interesting. It's really a story of no less than three ex-Works cars/bodyshells, each with their own individual stories, combined. Complicated and messy, but fascinating.

Hope that helps.

Alan T.