- 1,115
- Rivera
- Tsukishima-TDUDT
The Z-car is a series of sports cars manufactured by Nissan Motors Ltd.. The original Z was sold in October 1969 in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z and was sold in Japan at Nissan Exhibition dealerships that previously sold the Nissan Bluebird. It was exported as the Datsun 240Z.
Star Road is a respected restorer and tuner based in Tokyo, dealing in all sorts of Japanese classics but specializing in Skylines and Fairladies. The Fairlady Z S30 was their latest creation, barely finished before it was presented at an event at Fuji Speedway, and not surprisingly attracting a ton of attention.
Power comes via an N24 L28 Nissan straight six that has been not only treated to a full rebuild, but quite a lot of tuning to make sure it doesn't disappoint on the performance side of things. A lot of time was spent on the N24 head, porting and polishing the intake and exhaust ports to increase flow capabilities before the special 75º camshaft was dropped in. Valve seats were cut to accommodate the larger diameter valves, 46 mm for the intake and 36.5 for the exhaust, and the increased lift. So the triplet of 44 mm Solex carburetors can supply the right mix of high octane gas and air.
The restoration was one of the most time consuming aspects of the project, taking months upon months to fully eliminate rust spots, spot weld and stiffen critical areas of the ageing chassis and of course spraying both the interior and exterior in a deep, glossy blue. The whole underside of the car was coated in a black sealant to keep the car protected for decades to come. Star Road doesn't shy away from modern components, believing that older cars like the S30 can only benefit from modern and reengineered parts that not only add functionality but also style to the car. So you will find HID projectors in the headlights, a carbon fiber front chin spoiler and carbon bolt-on overfenders.
The car was lowered right down to the lowest possible setting on the adjustable Star Road suspension, giving it a near-perfect stance. The suspension has also been spiced up with Star Road rose-jointed arms and links to tighten up the handling and steering feel. The rear end is finished off with a carbon fiber hatch spoiler.
Text by Dino Dalle Carbonare slightly modified by me.
Specs:
