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The SFW image thread

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1971 Datsun 240Z

In the late 1960s, Nissan executives realized that in order to achieve greater international prominence and success, they would have to up their sports car game, and produce something better than the Fairlady roadsters to serve as a range-topping halo car. The design of the new car (internally designated 'S30' by Nissan) was heavily influenced by Yutaka Katayama, the maverick head of Nissan's North American operations as part of his effort to get Nissan to develop products that would appeal to American buyers. These influences included making the new car a coupe with bodywork inspired by European GT cars, such as the Jaguar E-type, having that design changed to be more low-slung with a roomier interior, in the choice of powerplant (a 150 hp 2.4L OHC L6 with twin carburetors,) dropping the Fairlady name entirely from non-JDM models, substituting the more macho-sounding '240Z.' and having the car sold at a price point within $200 of the MGB.

For a little over $3,500, a price comparable to the MGB and Porsche 914, and over a thousand less than other sports cars like the Volvo P1800, Corvette, and Jaguar E-type, the 240Z buyer got a modern sports car that could outperform most other sports cars on the market outside of the high-end stuff like the Corvette, E-type, and Porsche 911S, in a package much more reliable than the British cars, as well as offering better fuel economy than most of its competition, making it an instant hit, and Nissan was selling the 240Z as fast as it could build them. The 240Z put Japanese manufacturers on the map as not only being capable of making first-class performance cars that did well on both the street and in competition, but also cars that American buyers would find truly attractive.
 
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Always had a soft spot for the 240Z since my father rented one in a trip to the US. Unfortunately, since I was 5 years old then, I barely remember being inside the car.
 
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1974 Datsun 260Z

The 1974 model year brought the first major changes to the first-generation Datsun Z-car. The power-draining equipment needed to meet strengthening emissions regulations as well as the heavier bumpers and structural bracing to comply with new crash safety rules sapped the performance of the 240Z, so that the 1973 edition was notably slower than the original 1970 model. In an effort to restore the performance of their sports car flagship, Nissan engineers elected to enlarge the engine so that the more power a larger engine could put out would offset the losses caused by smog and safety equipment not included in the original design. Accordingly, the stroke of the car's L6 was increased by just over 5 mm, enlarging the displacement to 2.6L, and the model designation was changed to 260Z in order to reflect the new engine size. The output of the 2.6L motor was 165 HP in most markets, but early US market 260Zs only produced 140 HP as a result of several tuning changes made to the car because of an EPA crackdown on a number of tuning practices and engine management components commonly used across the auto industry that were ruled to be illegal emissions defeat devices. (Approximately half-way through the model year, Nissan worked out a series of modifications that allowed the full 165 HP output to be restored to US models while still being compliant with all relevant regulations.)

The 260Z also received a number of refinements over the 240Z, including a revised rear structure that notably increased structural stiffness, a rear sway bar for improved handling, automatic choke (the carburetor choke had to be manually set by the driver on a 240Z) and much more user-friendly HVAC controls. Furthermore, both the taillights and the interior were revised.

The 260Z would only be sold for for one year in the US, as the new type of carburetors used on it, which were supposed to be better able to deal with emissions controls, turned out to work poorly in practice, since between certain aspects of the design of the carburetors and certain government-mandated equipment, they were difficult to keep properly tuned, resulting in many drivability issues. In response to this, as well as in anticipation of further US emissions requirements, the 260Z would be superseded by the new, fuel-injected 280Z in North America the following year, although in other markets, the 260Z would continue to be sold alongside the 280Z as the base version of the car for the remainder of the S30's production run.
 
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