The Beginning of Nissan Z Cars: Fairlady Z
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.พ. 2023
- On close examination, there were many differences between the Japanese market Nissan Fairlady Z and the American market Datsun 240Z. Jay Ataka and Jay Leno point out all the details of this factory restoration.
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I sold my high school “LS swapped 240z” that I built with my dad to Jay Ataka several years ago. Very cringy that I swapped that beautiful inline six, but I found out years later it was featured in the 2015 vol 3 issue of Bullet magazine and is now terrorizing the streets of Japan. That magazine is one of my favorite mementoes of my dad. He purchased a copy for me before he passed. Thank you Jay for the lasting memories and the role you played.
Very cool story!
Very cool Kyle!
V8 swaps were THE thing back in the day. The swaps never bothered me too much since you can always put an L6 back in. The fender flare choppers however......
That's a great story!👍
Which Jay?
In the 80s, my friend's Japanese-American mom had a black 81 280ZX Turbo and often wore her Jane Fonda workout leotard ... making it the best decade to be a kid.
Love this car. That is all.
I had a buddy in the 90's who had a candy apple red 280z. It had pipes so loud you could hear it was a half mile away
Love classic JDM! Nissmo power Baby! I own an 1989 240 sx
@@alannaramone3821 And your 240 is still on the road isn't it? I tell ya, Japanese cars from the 80's and 90's were the best. I still have my high school 1986 Honda CRX. 647,000 miles on it and still going strong. Plus 52MPG on the highway.
I owned a Fairlady Z while stationed in Japan between 84-86. It was white like this car with the fender mounted chrome bullet mirrors, covered headlights and had modded huge rear rubber and mag wheels. The in-line six cylinder engine was highly “overpowered”for the narrow Japanese twisties and 2 foot deep benjo ditches/gutters on the sides of the back roads. My wife used to get speeding tickets trying to test top end in a half mile long tunnel near our HQ on Eta Jima island, in Hiroshima Bay :). Great car, great memories. Thanks Jay.
My wife had ski racks on her ‘72. Drove it all winter, to and from the ski MT. 250lbs in the back.
Saw Paul Newman racing a 240z back in the early 80s. Dude could drive, and had good taste.
Datsun’s model names in the ‘70s were awesome - the Sunny, Bluebird, Cherry, Laurel, Fairlady, etc.
Skyline as well
Cedric and Gloria.
Very popular rally car in it's day.
Finally...A (mostly) stock Z on the show. Love the modded ones but the original is always the most intriguing to me.
Yeah I much prefer original style S30 not the body kits ones
The only mod they need is watanabes 😎
Such a beautiful car.
The original Z will always be a legend in my book. Those curves on the body and the way the lines flowed. There's other nice cars from this era but the Z will always be in the top 3.
I wonder if anyone has showed a Z432 online for us Americans?
I've seen pictures on JDM nostalgic car. It has the S20 engine out of the Skyline GTR. There are a bunch of other detail changes. It's essentially a hi po Z from the factory. I know they also made a Z31 version with the GTR engine. Sadly both were JDM market only and are very rare and very expensive when they show up for sale.
Amennn, ... but, what happened to those black wheels ??? Awww ...
Love it when Jay gets experts like this to talk about these cars. Great video!
Only thing is that the 81-83 turbo cars did not have 5 lug wheels and the 5 speed did not come out till 1975, and the wheel HP was closer to 100-105, The rest was pretty accurate.
@@arthurfoyt6727 5 speed didn't come out until 77'
@@shanetyler9391 My mis-type. Sorry. Yes 77 for the 5 speed in the USA. ( I had a silver 77). Thanks for the correction.
I had a 72 240Z when in the Air Force. Loved that car. Drove the snot out of it. Took it with me when I got stationed in North Dakota and drove it to Texas for training. It was Highway Yellow and depending on the angle, looked yellow or green. Definitely stood out in a parking lot.
I also had a 72 240z in yellow. I also was in the Air Force at Mt. Home Idaho 1973 1974. Loved that car. Sold it when I went to Thailand, wish I never did Sgt Craig Pitre (retired)
@@craigpitre3035 that's pretty crazy you both had the same story. I'm surprised you two hadn't bumped into each other. Couldn't have been many of those cars on base. Especially in that color.
@@craigpitre3035 Vietnam war baby killers !!
No im kidding even though 80% of the soldiers there did very foul bad stuff.
@what you make of it
We were at two different Air Bases Never crossed paths.
@@craigpitre3035 Sorry for the late response. I joined in '82 but it is crazy how similar it is. I bought a 260Z quite a few years later and learned they are not as easy to get in and out of when older.ha
A to Z knowledge from Mr. Ataka on the 240. What a great video!
Thank you very much for your compliment!
I love this car. When I was a kid, I coveted my neighbors orange 240Z. The analog, minimalist, clean design is the same reason I also love a late '60s 911T. A simple, perfect sports car, no frills or luxury BS. I was born in 1972 and If I can afford it, I'm going to make a '72 240 Z my retirement gift to myself. We'll grow old together.
Melted right to the door knobs on salted rods on salted roads wasn't built for northern roads
@@donaldhancock3810 Well it's a good thing I'm from Southern California then!
Rumour has it that not only were they not under sealed at the factory but some were shipped on deck from Japan and subjected to sea spray and salty air so we’re doomed before they arrived at the dock the other end. Here in the UK only about 1500 240Zs were ever imported and the survival rate even by the 80s was poor. Any remaining original RHD cars are now super rare and worth big bucks if they’re true survivors or properly restored.
@@markbennett6658 I feel like most Z's of that era (especially California Z'a) still in decent driving shape haven't suffered too much from corrosion. But I'm definitely aware of this problem.
@@GabeRamirez15 You’re right that those California cars survived well. The business I’m involved with over here have brought back a good few since the ‘80s including a couple very recently and they’re holding up well body wise. However, a good few seem to have deteriorated badly over with you in less dry states. Check out the channel Dusty Mac’s Garage where he’s doing a labour of love restoration on a really bad one over in the Carolinas
Hope you're healing well, Jay...love your collection. Now, can you learn how to drive in the center of your lane?
A good friend of mine in college in the late 1980's had a 1976 280Z in red. I drove it once on the highway. I looked down at the speedometer and couldn't believe I was doing 100-110. It was so comfortable at that speed, and I've never driven that fast since.
Jay Ataka's knowledge is amazing. A beautifully restored car and in the perfect colour.
huge respect to Japanese automakers
No other car that I have ever owned put a bigger smile on my face then my 1975 280z
なんて素敵な車.
ありがとうございます. best wishes from Doncaster, Yorkshire
Beautiful ! Totally agree with you Jay, the purest shape of 240z, no fender flares, g-nose, wider wheels, safety inflicted plastic bumpers, none of those crap. Those Zs with all kind of fancy mod stuff upset me. Thank you so much for bringing and sharing our national pride to your show. Mahalo from Jay in Hawaii
Being a S30Z owner myself, this is great to see appreciation for this car. It's everything described in this video & more ❤ Such a joy. They really got it right on the first try.
Never seen one of these cars in person. Cool. 👍❤😎🤑
Same here i own a 75' 280z :) used to own a clean 72' 240z kick myself for selling that one huge mistake!
Such a pretty car as it sits. No fender flares or crazy wheels, just the simple elegant uncluttered shape. If I were to own one, it would be just like this.
Awesomely restored. I like how he upgraded the suspension and kept mostly original. I wanted to get a 240 back in the late 90s but ended getting a 510. Fun car
Nissan had a Limited Time upgrade program in the 1990's to restore Z270 Z280 cars
@@markplott4820 That's insane, I've never heard of a car company doing that.
Had a 280 2+2 and loved that car
I'm the proud owner of Charlie, born on 4/1970. All original. Runs perfectly. Will restore with my own hands. Let's hear it for the Series 1 🏁🏁🏁
I can tell ya, in the 70’s, these cars were all the rage among young, junior grade military officers. I rode in one, a wonderful car. 😀
What a nicely restored Z. Love it! The restorer did an excellent job.
Thank you very much for your compliment. Jay Ataka
I was but a wee lad in the early 70s and remember drooling over the 240z cars, they really captured the imagination of young American soon to be drivers. Even today, I drive a straight 6 with manual trans in BMW form, I find the smooth linear power curve sublime.
had a 76 back in the day. it needed a lot of work and i didn't have the time or money to work on it at the time, so i sold it. wish i still had it. driving it around just felt awesome!
I had a '75 that I got used and never had a lick of trouble out of it , In the 100k miles I put on it the only thing I ever had to do was replace the fuel injectors one time and get the suspension refreshed. I loved that car the only reason I sold it was because I needed the money for a unexpected life expense............I guess I got lucky .
You're the best Jay, we love your show!
Wow, I was really interested in this episode, because I bought a 240Z the first year it was sold in the US. IIRC, that was in 1969 but it was called a 1970 1/2 (my memory's a little fuzzy). I was on a waiting list at the dealership with the proviso I take or leave whatever came off the transporter when a shipment arrived. As it turned out, I ended up with a bright yellow one (would not have been my first choice). I lived in Maine at the time and that car rusted out in no time. Still, I replaced it with a 280Z when it came out (1975?). I loved both cars for their sportiness plus they were real chick magnets (I was single at the time). Fond memories of the seventies. Thanks for the history lesson of this iconic sports car.
My father had a Datsun 2000 roadster and that thing was amazing.
I remember first seeing the Datsun 240Z in 1972. I was 27, owned a 1966 Datsun 410 sedan and loved it. In 1973 I read a Road and Track article about the 'Z car,' its design features - where the 'sugar scoop' headlights came from, etc - and became a fan. I later learned that in Japan it was called the Fairlady Z and that the Datsun 1600/2000 Roadster which preceded it was the first to wear the 'Fairlady' badge. One night in1993 I was driving down E. Garland Ave. in Dallas, TX when one zoomed around me. I wasn't sure what I saw and caught up with it. Sure enough, it was a Nissan Fairlady Z, right hand drive and all! I gave it a quick once over and then gave the driver a thumbs-up and let him go.
I would never drive a car named a Fairlady!
A great piece of history Jay, THANKS
Living in Japan I see many vintage sports cars, and I still geek out when I see these.
I bought a 240z in 1971 drove it from Lubbock Texas back to San Diego where I was stationed. It was the best car I have ever owned.
Timeless design. Beautiful car!
This car is a work of art. A car I want and always will want.
Awesome guest with an awesome car. Nothing like hearing car guys talk cars in a great car
I met Jay at the 2017 JCCS in Long Beach. I had a 1970 Subaru 360 Sanbar(van) and a 1971 Subaru 360 Yacht. His restored Subaru 360 sedan won best Subaru 360 and Best of Show!! There were about 1000 vehicles at the show. Peace
Thank you very much! We will at JCCS this year, too! See you there!
These things were everywhere in the 1970s. They were so cool. You could start to see it slipping all away with the 280Z, plush, electronics everywhere, etc.
Love the og Isuzu trooper in background starting at 17:50
Excellent. Another wonderful innovation to the 240Z and to the Datsun 510 (which used the same pistons and many other parts as the 240Z, as a 4cyl, where Z was 6): The 240Z & 510 came with OHC (overhead cam) engines. In America, only high priced performance cars like Jaguar and Ferrari previously had OHC. --OHC made the engines zippy, rev-happy, quick to rev up and down (tho nicely not as high revs as Honda at the time). The Nissan designers/ engineers/ managers deliberately created the Z and 510 to be more car for the money than USA was expecting. --Doing so, very successfully, partly to overcome Americans' then prejudice /low opinion of Japanese cars. Changed to admiration and high appreciation.
Datsun Datsun we are driven! Always Loved the Z cars.
I own a 1980 280zx and yesterday it has over 300,000 miles on it and I have replaced or rebuilt almost everything on it but I have kept it because I love it and also I used to drive around rock stars in the 80s when I was a professional concert photographer and they all just loved that car !
It’s rare that people keep their cars, that’s cool you kept yours.
my brother had an early 240Z US model, and it came with a 4 speed, which he swapped out for the 5 speed from a 260Z along with a 'blueprinted' race spec motor based on the 260 block with big webers. that car was dangerously fast for the early 70s.
The Z cars are much more substantial than you would guess at first glance. My one year at a prep school, my roommate brought up his '74 240Z, orangey red of course, and the first weekend promptly went out and flipped it on it's roof. This was during winter, and he and his passenger walked back to the dorm, thankfully, and rallied everyone to help him flip it back over. Even with the whole football team, we couldn't do it, he had to call in professional help. But he and hi passenger were uninjured and the roof was intact and unbent, very solid. I gave me MUCH more respect for Japanese cars from then on.
My dream car. Ever since I was little and laid my eyes on one and saw a documentary about them, fell in love. Bother my professors about the Z all the time 😂
Beautiful works of art
I'm a muscle car man but I love these.
I HAVE A 72 240Z
DROVE IT FROM HUNTINGTON BEACH CA TO BOSTON MA 💥💥💥
Tastefully restored 240Z. Looks perfect. All the Z cars are a joy to drive.
My high school auto shop teacher had a 280Z that he had me and another guy do body work on. While the rest of the class was doing greasy mechanic work, we were making dust. They called us the dust bunnies and they were the grease monkeys. But anyway, doing the body work on that car felt right. I enjoyed it and I was pretty good at it. Now 30+ years later I work at a collision repair/body shop and I still enjoy it. I'd be happier if I worked at a restoration shop so I could fix cars like this. But fixing an elderly person's crossover is still rewarding. Just not as satisfying creatively
Had a 76 280z and loved it,, that straight 6 screamed. 160 speedometer, 5 speed. Never got it to 160 but did get it to 140ish and still felt pretty planted. I miss that car
My Dad had a 260ZX in the Uk . !978 T reg. It was way before its time. Fantastic. Only the rust let it down.👍
The steel wheels and the dual stacked exhaust tips makes this perfect ❤
This video brings back memories of when the 240 came to our market here in my part of Canada. What a car it was then!
Today, Jay Ataka's Fairlady is a wonderful example of this Datsun/Nissan automotive excellence!
I learned to drive on a Datsun 510 hatchback and the badge did indeed say, Datsun by Nissan. Love that Fairlady! Great video as always. Thank you 😊
What are stunning motor car? They were so clever, took looks of British American and Italian sports cars and made a beautiful JDM baby and it sounded great, drive well and wouldn't break down. It was an icon
I LOVED the guys face when Jay stated that Mazda miata was actually the most sold sports car.... shows Jays knowledge..... BUT I wouldn't trade that Nissan Fairlady for 5 miatas.....lol.... LOVE the Z's
I had a buddy in high school that had an early 70s Z. That was in the 90's and it was so different from all of our 70's muscle cars. It just had a different feel, more nimble and sat much lower.
Glad to see you are back, presenting such wonderful cars.
Protect Jay at all costs, no more accidents. I love watching these videos. ❤️
Problem is...Jay himself still, at his age, likes to take chances!
Appreciate Jay so much for bringing people on and letting them talk and just having a Conversation with them. He brings Ataka on and is there to listen and learn from another Expert and just talk about what they both know, it's so natural and respectful.
I had a 260Z back in the day, great car.
I had a1974 260Z I bought from the original owner in 1978. I'm 6'2" and it had plenty of leg room, loved it. I had 2 1967 corvette , 1974 corvette 2 1970 Boss 302 mustangs and I miss it the most.
Yeah, ok.
I remember seeing one of these in the small town I grew up in when I was a kid in the 70's and just being awe struck by it. I still think they are one of the best looking and well-proportioned cars ever. I would trade my '74 MGB for it any day. If only I could find someone crazy enough to trade me. Regardless, these older sports cars remind you of a simpler time when people actually got involved in driving their cars. A time when you had no destination. A time when getting lost on a winding back road was what you were actually looking for.
Those days still exist, just go do it.
Jay ‘s show is awesome. One of my favorite cars here. I always enjoyed the fantasy in my early twenties of owning a 240 Z.
I worked at the dealership in the 70's and since I had motorcycle experience, I was given all of the twin carb 1600 Roasters, 2000 Roadsters, 240Z, 260Z. I own a 69 1600 Roadster which are all convertibles but a hard top was sold. The 240Z came in mid year of 1970, 260Z mid year 1974 and the EFI 280Z came early 1976. This is the highest horse power show floor Z you could but until the Anniversary model 280ZX with T top with turbo. The 76 had a hotter cam, higher compression and no gear reduction starter for just one year and rated on the badge at 175HP. The 77 was de-tuned for emissions and 280ZX July / 1979 was the last regular fuel car sold. If the production date was 8/79, 280ZX was un-leaded with sticker under gas lid, dash with arrow pointing which side took gas. I did everything but the electrical and 3-gas analyzer allowed checks out the tail pipe and these were may main customers. I did not work on other brands.
DK, ASE Master Tech since 1978, Retired.
These guys really know this Nissan. Great episode!!!
One of the prettiest cars ever made. Love it so much
Sung Kang from the Fast and Furious franchise has one of these in his collection.
One of the best car channel on TH-cam, you should definitely review Yutaka Yamagishi car collection. He has some vintage 1-Off cars!
That engine sound is bringing back memories. As a kid I‘ve seen lots of 240 and 260 here in Switzerland and they sounded exactly like this one
The sound of a lusty 6cyl engine, is 2nd only to V8 engines!
18:18 Oh so that's how Jay communicates with his crew without breaking the law and speaking on a mobile phone while driving.... a two-way radio! ☺
I might have a love for American muscle cars but I do know a beautiful car when I see one and this is a beautiful car.
Same. Plenty of room to love both. Years ago before the Z finally got its street cred, if you saw one at a car show it was tucked way in the back like a kid with a dunce cap on.
Awesome info. I love Z cars almost as much as my British stuff. My 73 Triumph GT6 is the competition the Z had, but it wasn't too much of a contest, swinging in the favor of the Z quickly. As to roadsters year round, you just lived with it. My dad drove his 59 TR3a as his only car from 1959 to 1965, and covered about 90k miles with it. Year round, any weather, side curtains and soft top in upstate NY...
My friends mother-in-law gave me a ride in her 85 Z with 300k miles on it!
It sounded warn out, but felt very reliable.
She told me that was her 3rd Z that she put over 300k miles on!
Made me a believer.
Get well Mr. Leno, we want you here for a long time, please take less risk!!!!
Hey, I'm getting my JLG notifications again! Wonderful. I lost them for about a year there.
Love these cars - so expensive to buy in the UK, especially ones that haven't rusted in our weather. Wishing Jay all the best and a quick recovery from his injuries.
Here in the US these cars were all over the place in the 70’s. Most of the Datsun Z’s made in the 70’s rusted away because the winters in most of the US are awful. If you find one in perfect condition now you can expect to pay between $50-100,000.
What a beautifully styled car.
My neighbor had one and loved it, while in college break he took a road trip to Upper Peninsula Michigan and a deer jumped over the hood and left 2 deer prints deer was ok but car had 2 dents on hood
I owned a '70 Datsun Z / 4 speed, purchased in late summer that year (in Mustard Gold) Price: $3,793 plus sales tax!!!!!. I fielded more question about that car than any other thing I have ever owned. The cool factor was 'off the charts'. However, mechanically it was a pain in the butt to keep running properly. The side drafted carbs (Hitachi's as I recall) repeatedly required replacement of the mica plates mounting to the engine, the hub caps would fly off the car on fast tight turns, I scored the cam in cold weather, and the standard trans developed a whirring sound requiring a major fix. That stated I loved that ride, especially when I traveled at a sustained 110mph on a ride approaching the Canadian border. Indelible great memories of this Japanese ICON.
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S. Thompson
Great car and conversation!
Thank you.
When these cars came out my mom took my dad to a Datsun dealer somewhere near Birmingam Michigan out side of Detroit. Tried to convince my 6'5 dad to buy one. He couldn't do it. It was Japanese and he couldnt park it at the different car factories he worked at. He was an electrician. Didn't know what would happen to it. Wish he would have gotten one. I remember that day 50 years ago. Miss my mom and dad.
Jay,
I hope this finds you healing nicely.
What a nice example of a great car.
It's interesting to learn that this was Nissan's take on the 911.
I always thought of it as a Japanese Corvette.
Thanks for everything Jay. Feel better soon ❤️🩹
I enjoy hearing from people who are very proud of their accomplishments but without an inflated ego.
IIRC, the reason for the "donkey ear" fender mirrors was Japanese safety regulations at the time. The rear-view mirrors had to be visible through a portion of the windshield swept by the wipers.
Gorgeous, iconic silhouette.
I had a metallic green larger scale Corgi toy of this car in 1973. It cemented in my brain that the 240Z was the most perfectly designed car ever. Still have never owned the real thing...
Thanks, Jay, Jay, and crew for taking me back to being 4 years old! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
Love that Isuzu Trooper behind them.
First time I have seen a Nissan Fairlady Z and I'm very impressed.
The most beautiful sports car ever. Period.
Jay nailed it when he spoke about keeping a car stock or with period correct parts.
“It should be vice versa, right?” I laughed out loud to that 😂
We had a Datsun wagon growing up. It was my moms car but I remember my dad using it to take the goats to the vet once. I remember how mad my mom was and even today if you bring it up.
I had a Datsun 510 by Nissan badged with a z engine.... that thing would pin you to the seat....LOVED that car.... Amazing options on it also....
Very well done 👍 Japan 🇯🇵 😘