RE: Spotted: Datsun 240Z
Discussion
Lovely car! I remember back in the early 70s my Dad went to buy a Datsun Bluebird at a Datsun dealer in Finchley Road and in the showroom was a green 240Z. I fell for it immediately! The only car I liked as much at the time was a Lamborghini Miura I saw at Bristol Street Motors in Kensington. See how highly I rated the Z! 
If I had the drive space I'd have a Z in a heartbeat!
If I had the drive space I'd have a Z in a heartbeat!
BeirutTaxi said:
There have been several owners on here who have said they are over-rated as a barge and no more refined than the German equivalents.
The Lexus LS did however teach the world that money doesn't necessarily equal zest or an ounce of excitement.
The LS may have lacked some of that "Teutonic character", but it was a generation ahead of the W126/E32 in terms of mechanical refinement. That fact has become almost folkloric, but it doesn't change the truth.The Lexus LS did however teach the world that money doesn't necessarily equal zest or an ounce of excitement.
As for zest and excitement, these are not things the Merc/Jag had in great spades, either.
Always liked the 240Z. It was my understanding at the time that Datsun (nee Nissan) used the Austin Healey 3000 as the inspiration for the 240Z. It's certainly well documented that Datsun ran a couple of Healeys at the time. The 240Z was also predated by the Datsun Fairlady roadster which was available in both 1600cc and 2000cc forms. I recall that in 2 litre form the Fairlady roadster was as fast as a Triumph TR6.
In the USA, this was no muscle car. Not even close. In fact, if you said that to a real Mustang owner he probably would have hit you over the head with his bottle of Bud lite. However, for the ones who wanted some spirited driving and a bit of handling (unlike a real muscle car) it was great fun. One of my best friends had one and we had the life of Reilly driving around on Friday and Saturday nights. Compared to newer cars now, probably not so great. Loved it then however.
ridaow said:
It was my understanding at the time that Datsun (nee Nissan) used the Austin Healey 3000 as the inspiration for the 240Z. It's certainly well documented that Datsun ran a couple of Healeys at the time.
Nissan had all sorts of cars knocking around for comparisons at Oppama and Tsurumi when they were designing, engineering and developing the S30-series Z range in the late 1960s. These included - famously - a Porsche 912 and an E-type Jaguar, but never any big Healeys. No idea where you got that from. Lightningman said:
The one in the original ad, seems to suggest it has the engine from a 280 or do they simply mean 280bhp? Surely top money would be paid for originality?
It is an extremely common mod to switch the 2.4 L24 (or 2.0l L20 in the case of a FairladyZ) engine for the 2.8 L28 as found in the later 280zx (also fitted to the US market-only 280Z). It's a straight bolt-in and is popular because, albeit lower revving, it is a torque-ier motor. It also is easier/cheaper to get more HP out of than building up an L24. A definite contributor to the scarcity of 280zxs in the UK is the number that have lost their engines to 240zs! My car has a relatively beefed up L28, now putting out somewhere in the 200-220 region (need a new rolling road run to confirm since exhaust changes this year). That compares to the official 240z figure of around 145bhp.TBH, people have been modifying Zs since they came out and the vast majority are non-original (all tend to be very individual in fact - makes for a nice variety in character). That doesn't seem to be limiting their growth in value, although I'm sure a top condition, as it left the dealership car spec-wise would fetch strong money (if you can find one!).
Stunning restoration of one of the most iconic car of any age. I recall as a young boy, as a subscriber to Popular Science and opening my monthly edition and seeing a full-page ad debuting the car and just staring agape at one of the most stunning machines I had ever seen. I must have been seven years old, already a car geek and in full dibelief at the beauty and speed encapsulated in the static photos.
It's selling this car short to call it a Japanese pony car reproduction. It was so far beyond anything that a MoTown machine encapsulated. At the time, it truly was a Japanese Ferrari or Maserati and no less. Today, the Motown recreation is surely the Nissan GT-R which surely is a Camaro Z28 done right. Size, scale, mass and unadulterated speed accomplished with burnt fuel and amazing technology. If only Motown would choose to make one of those.
One more thing. Though the vision of this Z-car is overwhelming it is still a very old car. Having driven one a few years back, it is a reminder how far cars have come. Relative to today the steering is amazingly sloppy, the brakes are barely that, the power feels like a base-level Civic, and the seat date back to the Spanish Inquisition. I don't need such reminders of 'back in the day'.
V
It's selling this car short to call it a Japanese pony car reproduction. It was so far beyond anything that a MoTown machine encapsulated. At the time, it truly was a Japanese Ferrari or Maserati and no less. Today, the Motown recreation is surely the Nissan GT-R which surely is a Camaro Z28 done right. Size, scale, mass and unadulterated speed accomplished with burnt fuel and amazing technology. If only Motown would choose to make one of those.
One more thing. Though the vision of this Z-car is overwhelming it is still a very old car. Having driven one a few years back, it is a reminder how far cars have come. Relative to today the steering is amazingly sloppy, the brakes are barely that, the power feels like a base-level Civic, and the seat date back to the Spanish Inquisition. I don't need such reminders of 'back in the day'.
V
Verde said:
Having driven one a few years back, it is a reminder how far cars have come. Relative to today the steering is amazingly sloppy, the brakes are barely that, the power feels like a base-level Civic, and the seat date back to the Spanish Inquisition. I don't need such reminders of 'back in the day'.
V
You drove a north American market model, yes? Softened up and dumbed down?V
The north American market got softer spring and damper rates, a tiny front anti roll bar ( and none at the rear ), a much slower steering rack ratio, a wide ratio four speed transmission and 3.3 diff ratio and an engine with less power ( smog controls ) in comparison with other markets, which got much sportier springs and damping, a rear anti roll bar as well as a front one, a nice 'quick' steering rack ratio, a close ratio five speed overdrive transmission and 3.9 diff ratio. We even got some aero stuff too.
I might agree about the seats though....
Verde said:
Relative to today the steering is amazingly sloppy, the brakes are barely that, the power feels like a base-level Civic, and the seat date back to the Spanish Inquisition. I don't need such reminders of 'back in the day'.V
You have forgotten that this is PH, where the golden age marches on (irrespective of whether it ever existed) and new technologies are not to be trusted! At least, that's what they Tweet on their Smartphones!Why is the Capri being compared to the 240z? List prices...
240Z £2389
Jaguar E-Type 4.2 £2882
Capri 3000GT £1484
Alfa GTV £2439
Austin Maxi £1083
Cortina 1600 £1013
The 240z is closer to an E Type in price. The Capri was a cheap coupe. I dislike the PH suggestion that Ford was caught unprepared with the low tech Capri. Poor journalism.
240Z £2389
Jaguar E-Type 4.2 £2882
Capri 3000GT £1484
Alfa GTV £2439
Austin Maxi £1083
Cortina 1600 £1013
The 240z is closer to an E Type in price. The Capri was a cheap coupe. I dislike the PH suggestion that Ford was caught unprepared with the low tech Capri. Poor journalism.
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