A restomod for a JDM classic

The Nissan S30, or popularly known as the Datsun 240Z, (sold in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z ) was Nissan’s first generation of the Z GT two-seat coupes, produced from 1969 to 1978. This iconic two-seater is one of the most successful sports car lines ever produced by Nissan Motors of Japan and was penned at Nissan’s famed Sports Car Styling Studio whose design team was led by none other than chief designer Yoshihiko Matsuo.

At the onset, the 240Z was engineered and designed to compete with established European sports cars. The 240Z’s sleek styling, modern engineering, relatively low price and impressive performance struck a major chord with the motoring public, whose sales skyrocketed. It immediately became a media favorite, as a number of Hollywood stars also put themselves behind the wheel of this Japanese sports car.

Decades after its inaugural launch, hard core Datsun collectors and JDM enthusiasts keep the fire burning for this two-seater wonder. The photos of the car here is a fourth-generation Datsun 240Z S30, model year 1973 built in 1972. It is believed to be the most satisfying driver’s Datsun as it had some improvements over the previous series but still remains truly a sports car. This particular car is not quite in its original shape – it’s built to remain a classic, an era correct car but customized for

performance driving. The builder also wanted to maintain the vintage feel and look. Therefore, the engine is still the “l series” but the original head has been paired with a 2.8-liter block and round top Hitachu SU carburetors. The engine was fully rebuilt, just like the body along with paint and interior. The paint is Honda Spectrum white Pearl. The 240Z’s body has been widened using ZG flares to accommodate wider 15-inch HRE 501 mesh alloy wheels (8 inches in the front and 9.5 inches in the rear). Brakes were also changed for a four-piston front calipers, steel brake lines, but kept the ventilated drums in the rear. Suspension is now fully adjustable (stiffness, height, camber), thanks to Tokico struts, Ground Control coils, urethane bushings and camber adjustment pulleys. Also the whole underbody was sprayed black and the whole floor has been replaced with new panels. All the suspension arms, mounting brackets and other components were powder coated black or gold. Fuel tank was powder-coated gloss black. Gold theme goes along with powder coated wheel rotors and roll bar.

The interior was totally redone and equipped with period correct accessories such as the Nardi Torino Classic steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake, plus OMP Brands Hatch Seats on custom brackets. The whole interior upholstery was restored and some parts like carpets and roof liner were replaced with new ones.

To make this classic a Restomod project, the builders undertook small modifications like fabricating “FairladyZ” emblems from the Japanese 240Z, H4 conversion headlights with clear covers, clear lower front indicators and marker lights, BRE duck tail and Xenon front air dam. The bumpers had their holes smoothed out and the rear bumper is now a one-piece unit as it was welded together and smoothed. All the emblem holes were filled along with a radio antenna hole.