Datsun 240 or 260Z
Discussion
Had both, ( VPK-426M , Orig Silver, now Red 260Z , sold to Horsham in 87, where are you now ?) Great cars, but a bit hard to see out of/place on the rd, due to the high Scuttle and low seating position.
its an early 240Z, Indicators under the lamps at the front, rear light are wrong, early and US cars didnt have a boot spioler. Just a Slanting 240Z badge on the tailgate.
Front spoiler is a later fitment.
its an early 240Z, Indicators under the lamps at the front, rear light are wrong, early and US cars didnt have a boot spioler. Just a Slanting 240Z badge on the tailgate.
Front spoiler is a later fitment.
It's a mess. But it's definitely a 240Z-based mess. The 260Z was always a more refined (read softer) and more easy on the eye vehicle. Always looked longer wheelbase and better looking in my opinion. However some preferred the "original" 240Z. "Original" in inverted commas because at the time it came out it was considered a Japanese hard-top with styling derivative of the big Healey and E-type, softened for the American (Californian) market.
J
J
Edited by John_W on Sunday 26th December 21:45
neutral 3 said:
Had both, ( VPK-426M , Orig Silver, now Red 260Z , sold to Horsham in 87, where are you now ?) Great cars, but a bit hard to see out of/place on the rd, due to the high Scuttle and low seating position.
its an early 240Z, Indicators under the lamps at the front, rear light are wrong, early and US cars didnt have a boot spioler. Just a Slanting 240Z badge on the tailgate.
Front spoiler is a later fitment.
"Rear lights are wrong" ?its an early 240Z, Indicators under the lamps at the front, rear light are wrong, early and US cars didnt have a boot spioler. Just a Slanting 240Z badge on the tailgate.
Front spoiler is a later fitment.
I dunno about wrong, they are fu
ing hideousThe car in question is a much modified north American market 'HLS30U' model 'Datsun 240Z'. The rear lights are - I believe - from a Lotus Elise, and have been adapted to fit the rear panel and rear garnish of the 240Z. Front spoiler and headlamp covers are aftermarket items.
In design terms, there's no such thing as an "original" model 'Datsun 240Z'. Nissan's S30-series Z was conceived, styled, designed, engineered and produced as a family of models. At launch this included four distinct variants for the Japanese home market ( Fairlady Z, Fairlady Z-L, Fairlady Z432 and Fairlady Z432-R ) as well as at least three distinct variants of export market 'Datsun 240Z' models. All this before the end of 1969.
John_W said:
However some preferred the "original" 240Z. "Original" in inverted commas because at the time it came out it was considered a Japanese hard-top with styling derivative of the big Healey and E-type, softened for the American (Californian) market.
Sad that so often the very first thing that people can come up with when talking about these cars is to point out that they are - in their opinion, or inherited wisdom - "derivative" or even "copied" from something else. As though the 'Big Healey' and 'E-Type' ( both created with that same export market very much in mind ) were styled and engineered in vacuums. Wonder if Wren had that trouble when he came up with St Pauls?In design terms, there's no such thing as an "original" model 'Datsun 240Z'. Nissan's S30-series Z was conceived, styled, designed, engineered and produced as a family of models. At launch this included four distinct variants for the Japanese home market ( Fairlady Z, Fairlady Z-L, Fairlady Z432 and Fairlady Z432-R ) as well as at least three distinct variants of export market 'Datsun 240Z' models. All this before the end of 1969.
Sorry, but as somebody who was around at the time that the 240Z was put on the market, I can only report as they were received.
The 240Z was regarded as the home-grown Japanese version of all the British sportscars which had suffered from the protectionist import regime of Japan at the time (which meant that very few real British sportscars made it there).
At that time "made in Japan" meant "copied". Of course things are different now, and of course Japanese engineering has earned its world-wide reputation which it now enjoys.
However, back when the 240Z came onto the market, it was regarded in the UK as a Japanese pastiche of the traditional British sports car, aimed (very successfully) at the American (primarily Californian) market, with an added roof to get past the anticipated ban on soft-tops. That doesn't take away from the fact that it was a good car in its own right.
J
The 240Z was regarded as the home-grown Japanese version of all the British sportscars which had suffered from the protectionist import regime of Japan at the time (which meant that very few real British sportscars made it there).
At that time "made in Japan" meant "copied". Of course things are different now, and of course Japanese engineering has earned its world-wide reputation which it now enjoys.
However, back when the 240Z came onto the market, it was regarded in the UK as a Japanese pastiche of the traditional British sports car, aimed (very successfully) at the American (primarily Californian) market, with an added roof to get past the anticipated ban on soft-tops. That doesn't take away from the fact that it was a good car in its own right.
J
Edited by John_W on Sunday 26th December 23:08
The British market and the British press may have seen the '240Z' as some kind of pastiche, but that was really just a symptom of their own inward-looking viewpoint. Why were Japanese cars ( and in fact anything else Japanese ) being seen as 'copies' when - arguably - so many other domestic and imported models could be accused of the same thing? Just dismissing everything oriental as 'copied' was lazy and shortsighted, and quite ironic when those making the accusations had themselves been imitating and copying for centuries without even thinking about it.
Its time we got past the situation where the first, middle and last thing anybody can stretch themselves to saying about such cars is that they were 'copies'.
Its time we got past the situation where the first, middle and last thing anybody can stretch themselves to saying about such cars is that they were 'copies'.
What matters is that these were great cars, very very tough and very successful. Great styling as well, just a shame the bodies disolve so fast!!
Shekar Meta ( appologies for the dodgy spelling ) won The East African Safari in one (1972 ? ) and a 240Z also won the Classic Safari in i beleive 2005 ?
Big Sam and Son of Sam were also very successful raceing here, i beleive Win Percy in Big Sam, beat a Furious Nick Faure in his State of the art 911 2.7 Carrera in 74.
They sold very well in the states and rightly so, keenly priced and well marketed. Too expensive to be a huge sales success here, but i remember early 80s late night duels against them ( useually Custom Painted and full of filler ) in either my 3 Litre Capri or my TR6 .
Finally bought my first an early 1974 260Z( very few of the first 260Zs were imported here, possibly no more than 200 ) in 86. Loved it.
Shekar Meta ( appologies for the dodgy spelling ) won The East African Safari in one (1972 ? ) and a 240Z also won the Classic Safari in i beleive 2005 ?
Big Sam and Son of Sam were also very successful raceing here, i beleive Win Percy in Big Sam, beat a Furious Nick Faure in his State of the art 911 2.7 Carrera in 74.
They sold very well in the states and rightly so, keenly priced and well marketed. Too expensive to be a huge sales success here, but i remember early 80s late night duels against them ( useually Custom Painted and full of filler ) in either my 3 Litre Capri or my TR6 .
Finally bought my first an early 1974 260Z( very few of the first 260Zs were imported here, possibly no more than 200 ) in 86. Loved it.
PZR said:
The British market and the British press may have seen the '240Z' as some kind of pastiche, but that was really just a symptom of their own inward-looking viewpoint. Why were Japanese cars ( and in fact anything else Japanese ) being seen as 'copies' when - arguably - so many other domestic and imported models could be accused of the same thing? Just dismissing everything oriental as 'copied' was lazy and shortsighted, and quite ironic when those making the accusations had themselves been imitating and copying for centuries without even thinking about it.
Its time we got past the situation where the first, middle and last thing anybody can stretch themselves to saying about such cars is that they were 'copies'.
(Speaking as a TR6 owner.) If you read any reviews comparing the 240Z to the TR6, then the TR is pretty much destroyed in every respect. Its time we got past the situation where the first, middle and last thing anybody can stretch themselves to saying about such cars is that they were 'copies'.
The only area in which the TR beat the 240 was in its use of girders as basis of construction, which means there are a lot more surviving TR6s than 240Zs.
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