Nissan Project 370Z vs 1970 Datsun 240Z with RB26 Track Battle! - The Downshift Episode 54
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 พ.ค. 2024
- Many months ago, Nissan asked their fans to help them create the ultimate 370Z track car. They called it Project 370Z. To put it to the test, Nissan fans were asked to vote for a challenger to compete against it. They chose a 1970 Datsun 240Z with an RB26 engine transplant built by Gordon MacSwain. On this episode of The Downshift, we head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for an epic David vs Goliath battle between these two amazing machines.
The Downshift appears every other Tuesday on the Motor Trend channel.
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The real winner is the 240Z and it's owner.
The guy with the 240 didn't lose he got to go home in a 240
mzondi1970 the dream
A 240 with a rb26*
I have 1981 t top 280zx this are really work of art cars in my opinion.they put so much thought in this cars.i have fun driving it.
@@nikomoin7604 exactly
I’d much rather have that 240. He is absolutely the winner.
Anyone else almost get emotional once they first started to talk about the 240z? Damn that guys a true car enthusiast. He built a truly beautiful car congrats man
I know bro, I'm on that feel train too.
Right? Especially at the end of the episode, when he's talking about being there at the track with other people who are into cars as well. Not to mention just him talking more about his car and it just really goes to show how much that car means to him and how much he loves that car. It's not just another thing he owns, but a part of him and who he is. And to be honest, I think that while he only won one out of four of the tests, it was still a really respectful difference with the biggest one being the road course. And shit, even then, roughly 1.9 secs slower against a brand new car on a track is something I'd be really happy with. Work on the brakes, and then maybe turn up the boost a little bit and I'd imagine it may just go the other way around. I look at this man, his car, and how it performed to something new and I see it as something to strive for as a life goal.
The 240Z owner is my hero. What a car guy
And what a beautiful car, he really put in the wrench time. mmmmmm...
I just respect anyone that can understand the spirit of fun in a competition. Too many kids and ricers and meatheads get so caught up in numbers and what car is the best.
DUDE IS THE EXAMPLE! Thank you for setting a real standard.
The 240 is the real winner here
Soo a near unlimited budget 370Z vs very nicely modded 240Z by a single person. With the results sounds almost like the 370Z team needs to go back to work, lol.
The 370z designers are relying on computers to do all the work. What they need to do is go back to the original designs of the engineers from 1969 and understand that the car was built with purpose, ingenuity and feel design for the driver to feel the response of the car under driving conditions. There are several obvious influences on the 240Z, among them the Jaguar E-type coupe, the Toyota 2000 GT, the Porsche 911 series, and even a bit of Ferrari 275 GB. With that said the designers took a look at DNA from other brands and and took the best to formulate the 1969 240z.
50 year old car lags by a little more than 2.5 seconds?? I say the 240z has excellent DNA that rivals a modern day sports car. Nissan has to take it very seriously if they want to continue manufacturing sports coupes. People always put horse power first but with the 240z it was never about the horse power with the original design. It was all about the driving experience.
@@danielmelendez9943 a 370Z is a very nice car to drive, it's just extremely dated now. Hopefully what the chief engineers at Nissan have said is true and that they take the next gen Z and GTR very seriously and that the names carry so much weight that they really want to get it right.
I'd be quite surprised if we don't see a Twin Turbo V6 300Z in the future.
Facts
@@sigmaprojects i would argue it being dated is a good thing. new cars will be paper weights because of the failed electronics in 20 years. the 370 will still be alive and well
240z any day. That 370 is a nice car but the 240z is a piece of art. Would love to own one of those!
I couldn't agree with u more definitely a work of art ..
A 1973 240Z was my second car as an 18 yr old kid. It was clean and I loved that car, I wish I still had it....I later bought a 280ZX but it lacked the magic of the 240.
370z is expected but for a 40 year old fairlady to do that. Sorry but the 240z is a winner in my book.
Still, its got a young heart of a monster. Its also much lighter because of the lack of technology in it. Both cars are sick!
David El-Kahwaji Yes SIR
MoeJae86 I can't believe i just saw two people agree on youtube comments!
Louis Dunseith Hahaha...true!
Louis Dunseith Welcome......... to the internet.
That 240 though.... Fucking beautiful!
McClover yeah, 240 look fuck*ng sweet .Wouldnt mind own one though.
+McClover My Neighbor has a 240z, a 260z, and a 280z work in progress
+88musicrox No what you neighbour has is an addiction.
Stephen Rudolf *collection
That 240z owner. I like him. And his car.
Even if the 240 lost, the fact that it could keep up that closely while being 40 years old is crazy. Differences were 0.9, 0.2, win (0.12), and 2.13. That's pretty damn good when you're home built and near the same age as the driver.
Also, why do they keep showing the 240 owner in black and white with sad music like he got dumped on the Bachlorette or something?
That 240 is far from stock tho lol.
That's an odd statement though cause if that 240z really did have its original 240 engine it would lose significantly... they had to put a gtr skyline engine to compete... that's like having the 370z put twin turbos to compete with a z06 corvette... which I would love to see anyways. Great video though. Cheers
Thats what im saying.
Sam Hsu and that's why I agree with you lol
I'm thinking it was a stylistic choice to underscore the classic vs modern comparison. Classic in black and white, modern in full color.
I really can not stand the snideness of the presenter towards the gentleman's passion project.
Just bought my dream car this Saturday; a 1974 Datsun 260z 2+2 at the age of 18, couldn't be happier, I've always had a hard attraction to the 240/260/280z series and the guy i bought it from had a total of 14 Z cars on his property... I was in lala land the whole time.
She came not running but with a couple hours' work on this guys property revealed only two things were needed to get her home: a clutch slave and a carb rebuild.
As much as I like new sports cars, old classics have always taken my heart, I plan on owning this '74 260 for the rest of my life and restoring her to a condition like this guys. That was a beautiful car indeed.
Jordan Fournier i need a job so i can do the same i love the datsin 240z with a passion once i get mine im also going to keep it forever
Jordan Fournier Those old ones will be as good to you as you are to them. Hope you can take good care of her.
Good. I love the Datsuns too.
How is this going makka pakka!? Be good to hear an update 😁
im fifteen and one I know a man down my street that has the same car parked just parked there. It's orange but it isn't a 2+2. I am going to ask him if he is going to sell wish me luck guys
How can the 240 owner stand there and listen to the host talk crap about his baby car???????
nicholas moore it pissed me off
I know i was soo mad at him for that
Because Gordon is one of the nicest and down-to-earth guys you'll ever meet
And this vid doesn't do the car justice, it really is a stunner.
I'll take the 240z over the370z any day.
Agreed
I wish the host would just shut up for a second. I wanted to hear the cars performance, but was not possible due to this guy not giving his mouth a brake. Gosh!
I totally agree dude, that english accent of his sounds fake and I got super annoyed of it and all the lame ass commentary and story... with such muted sounds of the cars wtf! Thumbs DOWN due to terrible audio throughout!
Everyone knows who the real winner was, I mean come on... build team vs a hobbyist(in a good way). You know Gordon was honest when he said it was a great experience, because he knew his car would be in the spotlight(winner or loser is beside the point). Imagine having a professional driver drive your project and your project actually held its own against a build teams car... that says it all. Anyones smartass remarks would mean nothing to me if I was ever in that situation, I'd be to stoked to care!
Yeah and the 240z is a classic and way harder to find than a 370z
a brake upgrade and the 240 would have trounced the 370. Manual brakes just don't cut it.
no they aren't...they had no power brakes for the 240Z in 1970.
saleem83
skip to 5:35...thought so
brakes, suspension and tyres. it would be less of a daily driver but it would win that contest. the 370z has a miserably harsh ride. i'd take that 240 any day.
saleem83 I have some questions for you. Does your Datsun have ABS? I am pretty sure it doesn't but I am not an expect for your car's make. I have a 92" Nissan 240sx with all new calipers and z32 calipers in the front. I don't have ABS. Do you think that would effect my braking on a road course?
saleem83 yeah I think that dumb ass means ABS lol
The 240 is so much better looking.
ohh yeahh definately
I own a 1981 t top and yes this cars are awesome
Two amazing cars, from two different eras, love them both.
That is the way I feel. I'd take either. Or both, lol!
That 240z just looks fantastic,
and as Jeremy Clarkson said,
it's nut about how fast you go,
but how good you look!
TBH I would rather take the 240z than the newer car.
That 240 is absolutely amazing ! It looks soo good !
I'm surprised 240Z did as well as it did. With better brakes it might have won it all around, I think.
If you were given either one of these, which would you have? :) Personally I'd prefer the 240.
Yea but the 240 is a 40 year old antique that holds it own
45 year old :)
Daniel Bargas the datsun 240 is a masterpiece just a gorgeous lady
It's not a lady it's a car. Hate it when people call a car "she". It's an inanimate object.
I believe he was calling it a lady because the 240z went by the name of "fair lady z" in Japan. Besides that, people for 100's of years have been naming or referring to inanimate objects as she/he as a way to express attachment and respect (as if it was a person not an object) so it is hardly abnormal or weird. You reserve the right to your opinion, I just don't understand youre need to attack and discredit those of others.
Kyle, the only vehicle that should be referred to as "she" should be a naval ship. When dudes call a motorcycle a "she" it's weird and a bit creepy. And it's lame when dudes badge their Z's fairlady, why pussify your Japanese muscle car?
This was a good competition for Nissan, in themselves. They showcased the old vs the new here, and then they also showcased the potential of one of their engine swaps. That is pretty cool.
So this was the ULTIMATE 370Z track car build, and it just BARELY beat a 43 year old 240Z that some dude from Columbus built in his garage in his free time... Plus he had set it up to have fun in AutoX, so it wasn't even a dedicated track build itself. That is a huge win for Gordon in my book. With some more modern brakes or suspension, he could've swept every challenge.
the man should be very proud of his 240, I would rather have it any day over the new car
This guy is awesome. I heard 40 years old a few times through the video but he made himself a practically new 240. You can see the pride shining through even though he is so cool and humble...Awesome
I tip my hat t the Datsun owner what great person..real enthusiast.
I've owned my 1970 240z since 1973. Been the best car that I have owned and really enjoyed this video. Granted this guy did all his own work and I applaud him for his labor of love. Had he put another 20 g into his 240 the outcome would have been different. Having said that, one can see that the Z was years ahead of it's time.
One reason for the 370 being faster is the brake balance. Way too much front on the 240z.
And the academy driver was definitely used to technology filled cars.
I've driven Non ABS cars for 15 years. Every one of my race cars before GT Academy had no ABS. All of my "daily" cars have no driver aids. Cars have come a long way in 40 years! Thanks for watching.
Wow, if you're the driver then im sorry for making hasty assumptions :D
Would you agree about the brake balance part?
It was pretty biased towards the front. I told Gordon my opinion on it, over night he gave it a turn towards the rear. This helped it quite a bit but it still could have used a little more. He likes it this way as it is safer for a street car not to snap oversteer on the brakes. Some of the video is from practice day! TV magic :)
Thanks for a reply :D Keep on driving!
Datsun wins because its a classic that handles
Man, that sure was something else ! The 240Z looked so sweet out there on the track: too bad it wasn't equipped with a more formidable brake setup.
Isn't that half of its beauty...imperfect doesn't always mean lacking ;)
Totally agree with you, bro !
An old school car needs an old school driver, he's too dependent on technology to use manual brakes properly. AND hitting the rev limiters is a NO NO! (Gawd I hate rev limiters, they just scream "I have no skills! I can't read a tach!) Dude aint worth a crap as a driver.
Yeah, the 370Z won, but which would you rather get into in the morning to go to work? I'd have the 240z myself.
Definitely take the 240, way cooler! I see 370's all day long
even though I knew the 370z was gonna win since of how modern it was I still wanted that beautiful 240z to win
god damn bruce jenner knows how to build a track car.
Hahahaha
+Patrick Santiago I think you mean Tim Robbins.
abs doesnt make you stop quicker, it helps you to be able to turn while braking in a low traction situation
not a fair battle, home built 240z vs new z with new technology
Rachael Gobbel that 240z tho with the rb swap is a truly amazing machine.
Rachael Gobbel Not fair? Racing is racing. It would be unfair if they had different drivers but they don't. I gotta say I enjoyed watching that 240 close to its limits than I did the 370z. It looks more untamed and controllable at the same time.
It’s not about the cars, but it's about the drivers.
Last 15 seconds.. what puts the biggest smile on every car enthusiast out there
Gordon who owns that 240 earned a lot of respect from me. Fantastic car, I'm glad to see it went that well on the track.
Wow that 240z looks great. I wish cars were still designed in a similar manner.
I'd say the winner is truly the 40 plus year old 240Z. After all they took one man's dream that was built in a home garage with a budget & put it with the newest thing out there built by a tuner shop with a dream list of parts. Had they done the same formula with an unlimited build budget on both cars the 240 would have cleaned up with ease.
370 is a good car but I'd rather stick with the 240 because the love of classics and its just simply beautiful
This isn't a challenge; it's a marketing video.
and ofcourse in looks, there's absolutely no competition..
240z looks so much better and much more fun to drive. I'd take a dead 240z over a new 370z any day.
I can only dream of this. I just recently bought my first ever JDM car. I’ve always been a VW/Audi guy but I had a 73 240z offered to me at a stupid low price that I couldn’t pass up and man it’s an experience. It’s definitely raw, I don’t need stupid horsepower to enjoy the experience. I plan on restoring it as well, but as of now it shares the daily driving duties with my 1993 Audi S4 (2.2 Inline 5 turbo) and I couldn’t be happier waking up in the morning trying to choose which one to drive
Need to tell us more about that Z and get some videos of it good sir
This is a true car enthusiast's video, enjoyed it immensely.
I like both but nothing beats a classic, it;s a legend that drove the others to follow.
The take away here, is upgrade the brakes on the 240z and bump up it's boost a few pounds, and sell it too me!
P.S Host needs to never make an appearance again.
To me it has nothing to do with him being cocky.
+Snafu he was subtly degrading the 240 and could tell he was giving the 370 all the praise.
*****
Exactly.
YES!!! Perfectly said! Everytime he would praise the ugly modern POS and disrespect and regrade the classic beauty i wanted to either stab him a few times (I know a bit overboard) or just kick the living shit out of him! You could see he is one of the brainwashed biased modern car dirt bags with very little respect for classic beautiful art in car form!
Really nice reportage ! People are more aware about différences between that two mythics cars !
well done.
I'd take the 240Z any day. Just a much "prettier" build. That car is properly pretty. The 370Z is also bad ass. I'd take both to be honest.
I would still rather have that bad assed 240z
240z with a Skyline GT-R engine... My dream car...
Respect to the owner for building that masterpiece and to the driver.. boy what skill!!!
That 240 deserves a show on Jay Lenos channel.
240z>370z.
Is there any way I can get a hold of the music starting at 1:36?
Hamsterwheel , yes. Search Etho Escobar.
both those cars are beautiful! 40 years separation and nothing between them for looks
It was really gratifying to watch a home built car give a credible challenge like Gordon's 240Z did. I'm not dissing pro-built cars but it's just nice to see that the sport is still something a guy can do in his own garage.
that 240z reminds me of the devil z from wangan midnight it has the same body kit only the one from the cartoon was blue and had a ls30
*****
close enough :))) i thing the ls30 is american :))) but not sure . ehhh...my bad
The 240z lost, but not by much!
t0f0b0 You know what Dom would say about wining right? lol
Will M. ...you know Dom is not real right...?...
Deric' Anslum What? He's not real?
It surprised me that the 370 has so much more tech and engineering yet it only barely won to a car that is over 40 years old.
joemygod1960
see hillclimb races. The only hightech are materials to lighten a car or tune an engine and tires....
Its not a 40 years old car anymore.... a chimera or something ;)
Nice video,great cars,both of them and the driving was just incredible.
The relationship between an owner/builder and his/her car is priceless. Beautiful 240z...
The guy built the 240z very well.
Older cars just have more personality and style
loved the video! thank you
Wow I didn't know this was Gmac's build. I watched him and his son build his S14 years ago. This guy is just pure awesomeness. Wish my dad was like that
dude, i almost had you
You almost had me? You never had me. You never had your car!
240 is beautiful. Much more charisma. I know which one I'd want.
This 370z was factory built to handle and drive like a race car, so it's obviously going to look better on paper. But the 240z has heart, soul, blood, and sweat poured into it, making it a part of the owner. Gordon did a wonderful job at making, not only a wonderful track/road car, but a beautiful piece of art as well.
What a humble, and great guy. Much respect for his enthusiasm and good sportsmanship, not a single biased statement was said when he compared his car to the 370. That 240z is still a beautiful, and well built machine, Congrats to him!
that rb in the 240 is pretty much stock, i'd of built it up to about 500-600hp, that 370 wouldn't have stood a chance. that being said, that 370z was a nice ass car too
man that 240 looks like so much fun i got a g37 its kinda boring
Its fun cause its a track made car. Make your g37 into a track made G and there you go. I just hope its a coupe at least. G37 are fast cars... faster than my ser altima :/
its all the technology in the steering i can whip my tail end around whenever i choose but theres something more rewarding about working a car to make do what you want, u know what i mean, it is a coup but i don't see why that matters at all a sedan is actually like 200 pounds lighter still rear wheel drive and just as easy to get sideways
That 240z is AMAZING to even be able to be that competitive! We're talking about a 40 year old car going head to head against a 40 minute old car, and it was that close. I know that they've both been modified to the teeth, but keep in mind that you can get any part you want for the Z34, but parts are much more limited for the S30. Either way, 2 incredible cars and a great video all around!
This video was very cool to watch I enjoyed every second of it I come from a car family as to say the family of Dodge vs Chevy then as years went on me and my brother got into imports I had an 86 Toyota Celica 82 Toyota Corolla 76 Honda Accord 84 Honda Accord and in a need for Nissan Maxima out of all of those vehicles my absolute favorite was the Toyota Celica with the classic 22re in it. I could do burnouts in that car bone stock and racing vehicles that was new were and keep up the car would do 140 with no problem and still had more juice . I only gave the car up because I had a young child and that was my primary vehicle so I went back 2 American vehicles and got an 86 Chevy Caprice put a 4 barrel carburetor on it open the exhaust with a chip and headers needless to say my capris had a little bit of beast under the hood.. But again this video was awesome thank you for posting
Alright. i won't do it at home, i will do it on the street!
The 240 let his son win that´s obvious
Well done building that beautiful 240. Great job!
Great video... I am in love with the Zs.....
let's take a 40year old car from a builder with no sponsor to go head against a modern car with top notch parts and see which is better...lol
i love the 240z. ill like it with the l28 better.
Freaking nissan 300Z series cars. They all look like cars that only old men going through their mid life crisis would buy. Give me that datsun any day of the week.
saw that 240z at Carlisle Performance and Style and couple years back, real clean build.
Give me the 240 any day. Nice build man. Congrats on a great showing. I'll have to look for you next time I'm in Cbus.
Is it just me or it felt like the host was a jerk towards the 240Z guy?
Should have gotten a proper driver.
and a proper host.
That 240zed is bloody beautiful and went really well. A credit to it's owner. Done well mate, oh, and quicker in the autocross, which he set it up for, gotta be a lot of personal satisfaction there
Beautiful car! What the owner said was very well spoken and humble. Its his passion for the car that makes others"smile ear to ear" thank you.
Hey Justin it's pronounced NEE-SON
+Noah Hildreth No actually, there is only one "I".
+Noah Hildreth In Japan it is
Nahh it's actually Datsun.
240z all the way
This contest should be a yearly event..!
Weight transfer is referred to constantly in this video, and these cars do not feature weight transfer. No weight is moving left or right or front to back on either of these cars. The correct term is load transfer, to the rear on acceleration, to the front on braking, and side to side on cornering. I own a '73 240Z with a carbed 2.8L and a 5-speed with some upgrades (springs, shocks, brakes, braces, aero). A unbreakable, reliable, fun to drive car that always starts a conversation and gets a thumbs-up!
Wow a beautul 240z.
too bad this video is to promote the 370z.
totally
Well it wouldn't make much sense to promote the 240 when they no longer make them lol.
TheRealCxixmx right?... their both Nissan so who cares!?!?
Jonathan Pontel yup, both amazing cars in their own respect.
Great cars and great video!
His description of owning the car at the end.. made me want a hug. But then again I'd probably grow a big rubbery one and it would be awkward.