Genuine PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R' refresh story in Gallery

[HS30-H]

If you have a few minutes to spare, please take a look at our fellow forum member take432r's Gallery photos:

take432r Gallery - Classic Zcar Club Photo Gallery

'take432r' is Takeuchi san from Japan, and his genuine PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R' has been the star of many Japanese classic car magazine features. Takeuchi san has been refreshing the car recently, and has been adding some very interesting and informative photos to the above gallery. Please take the time to have a look at them, as they reveal many of the 432-R's subtle differences from the 'normal' 432, and of course all other S30-series Z cars. It's a rare treat to see a genuine 432-R in pieces...

The 'super lightweight' PS30-SB is the rarest of S30-series production models, and certainly the most valuable today. 'Less Is More' certainly applies here, and the 'PZR' ( in factory jargon ) hides many of its unique features - such as its super-lightweight body with thinner gauge panel pressings, whilst many others are not immediately apparent - such as its acrylic windows and 100 litre fuel tank, until you start looking a little more closely.

I've seen this car in the metal ( and plastic! ) several times in Japan, and it's one of the few S30-series Zs that I seriously covet. It's lovely.

Cheers,
Alan T.

[geezer]

Very interesting to say the least and you can be assured that this beautiful example has not gone unnoticed. I hope to see many more pictures of the process and refreshed car, knowing that I likely may never see one in person. It is a real treat and I would like to thank Takeuchi san for sharing this treasure with us.

[John Coffey]

Nice to see how they did the fuel tank mounting.

[spitz17]

Thank you for posting this Alan. Great to see!

[Marty Rogan]

It's beautiful! Doesn't even look like it needs to be refreshed.

I didn't notice any badging that identifies it as an "R" model. Is there anything on the car that identifies it, or do you just need to know what to look for?

Marty

[26th-Z]

Thanks for posting the pictures Alan! I'm sure I'll have more questions but first to mind is the underbody coating. Is that a coating? Black paint? And is it stock?

[AZ-240z]

This car looked very familiar, Alan. Finally found an article with pictures in my copy of "All About Fairlady Z" published in 2005. Also nice pictures, but text is in Japanese, unfortunately.

[HS30-H]

I didn't notice any badging that identifies it as an "R" model. Is there anything on the car that identifies it, or do you just need to know what to look for?

Hi Marty,
If you saw a Fairlady Z432-R in a Nissan showroom in 1970, you'd be able to recognise it from the following:

First of all you'd probably see a 918 Orange paint job, as all the 432Rs sold to the general public were apparently in the one no-option colour. Next you'd notice the anti-glare satin black FRP bonnet / hood, and the smooth all-chrome bumpers with no rubber trims and no trim holes. You should see plain steel wheels with no hubcaps ( the magnesium Kobe Seiko wheels standard on the 432 were an extra-cost option on the 432-R ) and a plain clear glass, untinted, windscreen / windshield. You should also see a satin black FRP rear spoiler - the ribbed type ( for extra sensitivity... ) - sitting on the tailgate. No badging other than 'Fairlady Z' and '432' ( and perhaps an oblong 'Nissan' emblem on the rear spoiler ), and there was no 'R' type badging or emblems. A side stripe kit might have been fitted.

Look a little closer and you'd see that the door window, quarter and tailgate glass was actually lightweight acrylic with a 'Nissan' heatstamped logo in the corners. Some - but perhaps not all - 432Rs had an FRP tailgate, with no gas strut ( just a steel rod prop ). Look around underneath and you'd see a full-length FRP undercover for the engine bay at the front ( the front valance subtly shaped, and with captive nuts, to accommodate it ), and the 100 litre fuel tank in the rear ( to homologate the 100 litre tank for JAF-sanctioned GT class endurance racing ). The front grille should be subtly different to the standard Fairlady Z / Z-L / 432 item, with a finer mesh.

Peering inside, you would see the spare wheel perched on the rear deck area ( the spare wheel well having been deleted to make way for that 100 litre fuel tank ) and a pair of hopsack weave fabric-covered FRP bucket seats ( manufactured by office furniture maker Ikeda Bussan ), and probably only the driver's seat would have a bolt-on headrest with a black vinyl cover. You should also see a Takata four-point safety harness on each seat. Had the new owner specified it - and paid the extra cost - a leather-covered 'Mach' three spoke steering wheel might be present, but if not then the standard Izumi pressure-moulded wood composite wheel. The plain black moulded urethane / rubber mats on the floor would sit on plain painted metal with no sound-deadening material on it. The diamond quilted vinyl interior covering - as seen on other S30-series models of the same period - would have no sound-deadening / insulating material under it either, although the trans tunnel cover would be plain unquilted vinyl. A thin urethane / rubber mat would sit on the rear cargo area. The firewall should have no sound-deadening mat on it either.

The dash would look a bit bare, as stock 432-Rs had a blanking plate in place of the clock. Standard 432-Rs would often have no glovebox lid and no heater / fan - although some buyers paid extra for them to be fitted. Proper 432-Rs would have no radio and no antenna. You'd see just one sunvisor ( for the driver ) and no day/night feature for the rear-view mirror, and no centre console. There would be no ignition key barrel on the steering column, as it was re-located to a bracket just in front of the gearstick ( to make it easier to reach when strapped in by the four-point safety harness ). Door panels should have simple woven nylon pull straps instead of arm rest / door pulls.

Looking in the engine bay, you should see no air box on the Mikuni 40PHH carbs ( just steel trumpets ) and no air filter box on the radiator support panel. You'd see an oil cooler standing in front of the ( aluminium ) radiator. You should see no brake booster either, as it was deleted to save weight and give better pedal feel through a brake pedal with a different pivot ratio to other models.

You would not be able to see those lightweight body pressings ( made from one gauge thinner steel than stock ) but they'd be there.

Apart from all that, it would be the same as the PS30 Fairlady Z432 standing next to it in the showroom...

That's the theory anyway. In practice it seems that there was some subtle variation in specs, and that buyers either specced the cars with a few extras ( heater / demister, glovebox, mag wheels ) or added them soon after buying. Many cars will have been modified down the years ( one 432-R even ended up with a G-nose... ) but the trend these days is to bring them back to a period-correct spec.


I'm sure to have forgotten something, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I find the cars fascinating, and I'm always learning new things about them.

Cheers,
Alan T.

[HS30-H]

Thanks for posting the pictures Alan! I'm sure I'll have more questions but first to mind is the underbody coating. Is that a coating? Black paint? And is it stock?

Hi Chris,
As far as I am aware, the stock 432-R would not have had any underside protection apart from body colour overspray over the stock primer. I think Takeuchi san's car was possibly protected later?

But each car must be viewed on a case-by-case basis. There seems to have been an exception for every rule. In the case of underbody protection, I should think the territory the car was going to would influence the spec. If it was going up to snowy Hokkaido, for instance...

Alan T.

[kats]

Hi Alan,
Thank you so much for creating this thread, I talked with Takeuchi-san this morning and he is very pleased about this forum, many people are seeing his car.

Takeuchi-san's Z432R has been restored by a restorer who has amazing skill, he is exceptional.Now progress is good, Takeuchi-san showed me some pictures the car has been painted beautifully, so we will see them one by one later.

Takeuchi-san told me that he checked each body panel when they are disassembled, he noticed there are various thickness of the panel. He said probably Nissan used some kind of liquid to thinner the metal by hand, quality is not same, the thickness is vary between 0.6 mm and 0.8mm .

He is impressed about frames under the each side of floors, the thickness is almost 0.7mm!! Our cars has 1.0mm for the frame is not it?

kats

PS: Alan, did you get the box safely?

[LeonV]

Fantastic pictures and info! Thank you Alan and Takeuchi-san for sharing.

[take432r]

All of you hello
I am poor at English. I cannot do good expression.
I inform it beforehand.

[HS30-H]

Takeuchi-san told me that he checked each body panel when they are disassembled, he noticed there are various thickness of the panel. He said probably Nissan used some kind of liquid to thinner the metal by hand, quality is not same, the thickness is vary between 0.6 mm and 0.8mm .

He is impressed about frames under the each side of floors, the thickness is almost 0.7mm!! Our cars has 1.0mm for the frame is not it?

Hi Kats,
I believe that the PZR-specific panel pressings were made from one gauge thinner sheet steel than the other early S30-series Z models. There are also some sections of the bodyshell ( inner sills / rocker panels, and around the diff area ) which are one gauge thicker than on 'normal' cars, but maybe this was not on all 432-Rs.

The variation in panel thickness is - I think - part of the result of the manufacturing process. Some areas of the panels stretch, and some are forced to shrink in the dies. I have seen and measured this variation on stock bodyshells too.

PS: Alan, did you get the box safely?

Yes, received safely. Thank you! I have sent you an e-mail.

Cheers,
Alan T.

[HS30-H]

A couple of things that I forgot to include in my description of 'showroom stock' 432-R specifications:

You would not see any stainless garnish in the windscreen / tailgate rubbers. The rubbers were the same as 'stock' on other cars, but they simply did not put the garnish into the rubber on assembly.

Same with the roof gutters: No stainless garnish along the roof gutters in the standard specification of the 432-R.

[HS30-H]

All of you hello
I am poor at English. I cannot do good expression.
I inform it beforehand.

No problem, Takeuchi san. Every picture is worth a thousand words!

Kats and myself can help with explanation / translation if necessary.

Cheers,
Alan T.

[Carl Beck]

Alan - Great Thread. Thanks for pointing us to 'take432r' Photo Gallery - it is good to see some clear pictures that allow detailed views of these unique Z's. Also wanted to say that your summary of the "r" alterations was not only informative, but fun to read.


Kats - very interesting to have some actual sheet metal thickness measurements. I went out to the garage and measured the OEM Frame Rails and Front Fenders that I have - they are

Frame Rail = 1.27 mm / 0.050 inch - 18 gauge {0.478 nominal, 0.0438 Min. and 0.0.518 Max.}
Front Fender = 1.37 mm / 0.0539 inch - 17 gauge {0.538 nominal, 0.498 Min. and Max 0.0548}

Checking the weight of cold rolled sheet metal - per sq. ft.
0.6mm / 24 gauge cold rolled steel weight 1.00 bls per sq. ft.
0.7mm / 23 gauge cold rolled steel weight 1.125 bls per sq. ft.
0.8mm / 21 gauge cold rolled steel weight 1.375 lbs per sq. ft.
1.0mm / 19 gauge cold rolled steel weight 1.75 lbs per sq. ft.
1.27mm /18 gauge cold rolled steel weight 2.0 lbs. per sq. ft
1.37mm/17 gauge cold rolled steel weight 2.25 lbs. per sq. ft

So if the fenders actually are 0.8 mm it looks like about 0.9 lbs could be saved per sq. ft. of sheet metal. A wild guess would be that a front fender has about 8 sq. ft. of sheet metal {fender and brace}. So a "stock" front fender should weight about 18 lbs {8.16 Kilograms} and the "R" fender should weight about 11 lbs. {5 kilograms}

All just a wild guess - but it would be interesting to weight each type of front fender.

FWIW,
Carl B.

[take432r]

If there is Alan, I am fearless. Thank you.

[kats]

Alan, you have got the box, I sent a PM to you too .

I did not know about one gage thinner and even Thicker !
We are tend to focus on only thinner metal on Z432R,
but some erea need to have strength to keep the car on good
Performance .

Hi Carl,
Interesting approach of thinking light weight body of Z432-R,
I only mentioned how thin the body panels are, but on the other hand
we have to look where is normal thickness and even thicker than normal.

I think the most effective part of making the car to be super light is
deleted components from normal Z432,Z432-R is probably 80kgm lighter than
normal Z432.

I put an optional oil cooler system on my Z432,
I can feel the front section became heavy,it is a small system but it is located very
far from CG ,so it is not ignorable.

If you look into only front section, these are already "lightened" in Z432-R,
Z432-R does not have very heavy steel bonnet but light FRP bonnet , also front center apron is FRP,
no air cleaner boxes,
no master vac,
thin fender panel.

Z432-R acts very quick and light than Z432.Negative effects of oil cooler
system to handling performance is ignorable in this case.

And look into whole body, clear acrylic glasses ,no heater,
no sound deadening , these are very good to reduce its weight.


Keep joining ,Takeuchi San ! Yes if you have Alan, everything all right.

Kats

[EuroDat]

Hi Alan,
Great thread and the photo gallery gives great insight into how its built. I have never seen a Z432 in real life.
Like kats mentioned in his post, it doesnt have a brake power booster. Is that normal for all the Z432's or an extra weight saving? You would need a heavy foot for braking, thats for sure.
Love that engine

[Jason240z]

Alan

Thanks again for the link and thanks to your friends for sharing. Its interesting looking at that and a normal 240z to see how they're constructed. Lovely colour too.

[HS30-H]

I have never seen a Z432 in real life.
Like kats mentioned in his post, it doesnt have a brake power booster. Is that normal for all the Z432's or an extra weight saving? You would need a heavy foot for braking, thats for sure.

Just to clarify, Takeuchi san's car is a PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R. It's not a 'normal' Fairlady Z432, it's even more special. I tried to list most of the differences between a 'normal' Z432 and a genuine Z432-R in post #8 on this thread. It's not a definitive list, but it does address many of the things that made the 'R' special even in comparison to the Z432. First and foremost among them is the 'super lightweight' bodyshell...

Yes, the 432-Rs didn't have brake boosters. This saved some weight ( very important with regard to the homologation of the model ), but also gave better brake 'feel'. The pedal effort required would have been higher than a boosted system, but this was offset by the fact that the 432-R had a different brake pedal to the boosted brake cars. The amount of leverage given by the pedal was increased, as the pivot point was different in comparison to the boosted cars.

[HS30-H]

Alan - Great Thread. Thanks for pointing us to 'take432r' Photo Gallery - it is good to see some clear pictures that allow detailed views of these unique Z's. Also wanted to say that your summary of the "r" alterations was not only informative, but fun to read.

Hi Carl,
Thanks for that. I'm a huge fan of the homologation specials and the Works race and rally cars, and I think we are very lucky to see the images that Takeuchi san is showing us. Most of the Rs live well out of the limelight these days, and Takeuchi san is giving us a rare and candid look at his. Manna from heaven for me.

I did not know about one gage thinner and even Thicker !
We are tend to focus on only thinner metal on Z432R,
but some erea need to have strength to keep the car on good
Performance.

Hi Kats,
I assure you it's true. However, it's hard to prove without completely cutting one up......

One of the things I love about these homologation specials is that they are the gift that keeps on giving. There's always some new fact to learn, and some new question to ask. Each car seems to have its own specification. They are so mysterious. I love it!

Cheers,
Alan T.

[xs10shl]

Great pictures of some of the details. Thanks for sharing images of this important car.

To my eye, this car has several series one attributes- I'm looking at the firewall and the gearbox mount- what did the z432r-specific metal stampings look like on the series 2 cars? Were they similar or updated to series 2 specification?

[zpizzaman20]

I had the pleasure to ride in Takeuchi sans car in 2005. It is truly one of the most exciting days of my Datsun life.
Somewhere I have some pictures I took at Tochigi while riding in the car, I will look.

[HS30-H]

To my eye, this car has several series one attributes- I'm looking at the firewall and the gearbox mount- what did the z432r-specific metal stampings look like on the series 2 cars? Were they similar or updated to series 2 specification?

The story is that all of the super lightweight 432-R bodyshells were made in a single batch, and then put aside to be given a chassis number and put through final assembly as-and-when they were ordered. The sequencing of their chassis numbers certainly seems to support this.

Most of the PZRs sold to the general public would - I think - have been made during 1969 and 1970, and the majority well before the end of 1970. The "Series 1 " and "Series 2" thing is a retrospective moniker that applies more to the north American market cars and I'm more than wary of applying it to the Japanese market cars ( where small incremental changes seem to have been made in between bigger updates ). Suffice to say that we should probably expect the vast majority of PZRs to have '69 & '70 production dates.

I'm not aware of any 432-R chassis numbers over PS30-00300 ( remembering that they shared their 'PS30' prefix with the 'ordinary' 432 ), and according to Nissan less than 30 true PZRs were made anyway. Officially, less than 20 PZRs were sold to the general public for private road use and the rest were race cars. So even if the "Series 2" soubriquet could be applied to the PZR it would probably be moot as it was all done and dusted by the end of 1970. Officially, anyway. I should by now have learned never to say never with respect to the 432-R.




I think I probably ought to bring up the race homologation aspect to all this, as it kind of explains some of the numbers and the PZR's relationship with the PZ. Watch this space.....

[xs10shl]

Nice info, Alan. Since all the tubs were built in at once (which makes a lot of sense to do), and 20 or so were sold, I wonder if perhaps some unused tubs are out there hidden away somewhere? Wishful thinking!

With respect to the series 1 and 2 denomination, I suppose it's an old habit. To the best of my knowledge, sometime in 1971 Nissan updated the unibody in several key places, and I've always called them "series 1" and "series 2", perhaps liberally so. It appears that in this case, the PZs all have the earlier bodies anyways, given their early build date.

[geezer]

The story is that all of the super lightweight 432-R bodyshells were made in a single batch, and then put aside to be given a chassis number and put through final assembly as-and-when they were ordered. The sequencing of their chassis numbers certainly seems to support this...

This makes perfect sense and fits in with what I have been able to find from Nissan's manufacturing process at that time. In the Nissan generic flow chart below you can see the manual line depicted. This is where "hand built" operations would have been carried out, at their own pace, independent of the production run. Not shown in this simple chart would be a rather large staging area supporting the special build. Purpose built components could be injected as needed, at any point in the manufacturing process. There is a clue on this flow chart that could identify its location. The manual line is labeled with a physical floor location which is typically found in any metal shop, normally found on the pillars.
Sorry for the side track, and I did post this once before but I thought some may find it interesting.

[26th-Z]

Alan,
Following this thread straight into the parts catalog and I notice with delight some various differentiations. A couple of things; there are a few notes "up to 72 model year" associated with PZR applications and some of the PZR parts also apply to the ZL and ZS models. ?

[HS30-H]

Nice info, Alan. Since all the tubs were built in at once (which makes a lot of sense to do), and 20 or so were sold, I wonder if perhaps some unused tubs are out there hidden away somewhere? Wishful thinking!

I wish!

There's a caveat to that "all built in one batch" statement as it may be the case that a few more were built a little later. I'm thinking of slightly later circuit race cars, and some of the Works rally 240Zs here. The majority of the Works rally 240Zs built in 1970 and 1971 ( before the rule changes for the 1972 season led to Nissan reverting to the 'full fat' bodyshells ) were essentially 432-R bodies with L24 engines. They carried series-production HS30 and HLS30 chassis numbers and they didn't count as actual PZRs, but the 'shells were hybrid versions of the lightweight PZR spec.

It appears that in this case, the PZs all have the earlier bodies anyways, given their early build date.

I think I might be causing some confusion with some of the factory shorthand terms I've been using, so I'll just clarify:

'PZ' = PS30 Fairlady Z432
'PZR' = PS30-SB Fairlady Z432-R

The 'ordinary' PZ body was in most areas similar or the same as the L-series variants made alongside it during the same period ( apart from all those S20-engine and ancillary specific brackets, tabs, captive nuts and screw holes ), but the super-lightweight PZR body was radically different in its very fabric. It wasn't just about the special parts that were ( and were not ) hung on that body tub, but about 'Part Number One' - the body tub itself - being special. I really want to get that point across.


Cheers,
Alan T.

[HS30-H]

This makes perfect sense and fits in with what I have been able to find from Nissan's manufacturing process at that time. In the Nissan generic flow chart below you can see the manual line depicted. This is where "hand built" operations would have been carried out, at their own pace, independent of the production run.

I like the "hand built" operation point, as in many respects I keep thinking of these private roadgoing PZRs as something like a bespoke Savile Row suit. And like a bespoke handmade suit, it's quite often the case that what you can't see is the very thing that makes it so special...

Following this thread straight into the parts catalog and I notice with delight some various differentiations. A couple of things; there are a few notes "up to 72 model year" associated with PZR applications and some of the PZR parts also apply to the ZL and ZS models. ?

Hi Chris,
Yes, I know what you mean. I've spent many many hours with my head buried in the factory parts lists, trying to make sense of the PZR-specific items and how they were applied so that I could - hopefully - use some of that info for my own replica project.

There are quite a few PZR-specific parts that were not in the parts lists, and there are also what appear to be a few mistakes. However, as the PZR was a stripped-out and 'spartan' driver's car, quite a few of the parts used on them were the no-frills 'Z-Std' / 'ZS' / 'S30-S' Fairlady Z stock parts ( as opposed to the deluxe spec 'Z-dx' / 'Z-L' / 'S30' Fairlady Z-L ). I'm thinking of items like the 4.5j steel wheels, the rubber floor mats and the clock aperture blanking plate for example.

Which are the parts that fit the PZR, ZS and ZL, but not the 'ordinary' PZ? Generally speaking, it seems logical that some of the ZS-specific parts were used on the PZRs, and that many parts would be used on the PZ as well as the ZS and ( particularly ) the Z-L, and that many parts would be PZR-specific ( brake pedal and BMC, for example ), but parts shared between the ZS, Z-L and PZR but not the PZ I can't think of? What have you spotted?

I'm not sure what the "up to 72 model year" ( that would have been the October / November 1971 changeover period ) meant in relation to the PZR either, and wonder if Nissan were just covering the retro-fit replacement parts situation?

Always something new to learn about these cars.

Cheers,
Alan T.

[HS30-H]

I just wanted to add a few words about the Race Homologation of the Fairlady Z432 and the Fairlady Z432-R:


Homologation is the process which enables an auto manufacturer to legalise its product for use in certain classes of national and international competition. Manufacturers sometimes make a short production run of cars specifically to meet the requirements of a racing class, and such cars are often nicknamed 'Homologation Specials'. Both the Fairlady Z432 and the Fairlady Z432-R were examples of this.

Nissan had not intended to race the 432 or 432-R outside Japan ( although it did happen, and perhaps more on that later.... ) so it homologated them with the Japan Automobile Federation. The 432 was initially homologated in JAF's 'GT' class ( with a minimum requirement that 250 identical cars be manufactured within a certain period, and 500 or more in total ) and the 432-R was homologated as an 'evolution' of the 432 in JAF's 'Prototype' class ( with a minimum requirement of 25 identical cars manufactured ). Nissan homologated the L24-engined Datsun 240Z and the L20A-engined Fairlady Z/Z-L with the world motorsport sanctioning body, the FIA ( Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ) with an eye on competition use outside Japan as well as within, but with higher production numbers required.

Here's where the inspiration for much of the 432 and 432-R comes in: In 1966, Porsche had introduced their 911S model - a hotted up variant of the 911 aimed at the sporting road user, but also intended to homologate parts and specs that would be a sound basis around which to build competition cars to take part in the FIA's GT classes of racing and rallying. In 1967 Porsche went further, and built a short production run of a super-lightweight evolution of the 911S, and they called it the 911R. Just 24 911Rs were built, allowing Porsche and its customers to enter the car in the Prototype racing class. That letter 'R' stood for 'Rennen' ( Racing ) and the 911R was built for just that: It had front wings ( fenders ), engine cover, front lid, bumpers and dash made from lightweight FRP, whilst its doors were made from alloy. All windows except the 'screen were plexiglass, and that front 'screen was made from thinner glass than the 911S. The rear arches were slightly flared to accommodate 7j wheels, whilst 6j were used at the front. The interior was spartanised with the deletion of items such as the passenger sun visor, clock, rear seat squabs, heater, ashtray and lighter, with two lightweight bucket seats added, a ventilated version for the driver and a more basic plastic item for the passenger. A larger fuel tank was also fitted.

The engine and the drivetrain of the 911R were improved over that of the stock 911S, with a magnesium crankcase, forged crank, titanium conrods and twin plug heads with triple 46 IDA Weber carbs. With a 10.3:1 compression ratio this engine was quoted as giving 210bhp at 8000rpm. With the R weighing just 830kg ( the four factory prototypes weighed even less ) they were pretty fast for the period.

It seems to me that the Porsche 911R set the standard which Nissan used as some inspiration for the specs - and even the name - of their super-lightweight Z. If the Fairlady Z432 was Nissan's 911S, then the Fairlady Z432-R could be seen as their 911R.

Here's a scan of the front page of the JAF homologation papers for the Fairlady Z432:



Alan T.

[26th-Z]

Alan,
I thought my question referenced the brake pedal page; fig. 235-A in section C-7, but I must have been looking at something else. My Fairlady parts catalog is publication C-236 (up through 1972). I also see some references to PZR parts mentioned up to 6-71, for instance the brake pedal clevis pin 46123-E08700. Yes, I know how confusing the parts catalogs can be. But a great reference for the peculiar components.

[Marty Rogan]

Hi Marty,
If you saw a Fairlady Z432-R in a Nissan showroom in 1970, you'd be able to recognise it from the following:

First of all you'd probably see a 918 Orange paint job, as all the 432Rs sold to the general public were apparently in the one no-option colour. Next you'd notice the anti-glare satin black FRP bonnet / hood, and the smooth all-chrome bumpers with no rubber trims and no trim holes. You should see plain steel wheels with no hubcaps ( the magnesium Kobe Seiko wheels standard on the 432 were an extra-cost option on the 432-R ) and a plain clear glass, untinted, windscreen / windshield. You should also see a satin black FRP rear spoiler - the ribbed type ( for extra sensitivity... ) - sitting on the tailgate. No badging other than 'Fairlady Z' and '432' ( and perhaps an oblong 'Nissan' emblem on the rear spoiler ), and there was no 'R' type badging or emblems. A side stripe kit might have been fitted.

Look a little closer and you'd see that the door window, quarter and tailgate glass was actually lightweight acrylic with a 'Nissan' heatstamped logo in the corners. Some - but perhaps not all - 432Rs had an FRP tailgate, with no gas strut ( just a steel rod prop ). Look around underneath and you'd see a full-length FRP undercover for the engine bay at the front ( the front valance subtly shaped, and with captive nuts, to accommodate it ), and the 100 litre fuel tank in the rear ( to homologate the 100 litre tank for JAF-sanctioned GT class endurance racing ). The front grille should be subtly different to the standard Fairlady Z / Z-L / 432 item, with a finer mesh.

Peering inside, you would see the spare wheel perched on the rear deck area ( the spare wheel well having been deleted to make way for that 100 litre fuel tank ) and a pair of hopsack weave fabric-covered FRP bucket seats ( manufactured by office furniture maker Ikeda Bussan ), and probably only the driver's seat would have a bolt-on headrest with a black vinyl cover. You should also see a Takata four-point safety harness on each seat. Had the new owner specified it - and paid the extra cost - a leather-covered 'Mach' three spoke steering wheel might be present, but if not then the standard Izumi pressure-moulded wood composite wheel. The plain black moulded urethane / rubber mats on the floor would sit on plain painted metal with no sound-deadening material on it. The diamond quilted vinyl interior covering - as seen on other S30-series models of the same period - would have no sound-deadening / insulating material under it either, although the trans tunnel cover would be plain unquilted vinyl. A thin urethane / rubber mat would sit on the rear cargo area. The firewall should have no sound-deadening mat on it either.

The dash would look a bit bare, as stock 432-Rs had a blanking plate in place of the clock. Standard 432-Rs would often have no glovebox lid and no heater / fan - although some buyers paid extra for them to be fitted. Proper 432-Rs would have no radio and no antenna. You'd see just one sunvisor ( for the driver ) and no day/night feature for the rear-view mirror, and no centre console. There would be no ignition key barrel on the steering column, as it was re-located to a bracket just in front of the gearstick ( to make it easier to reach when strapped in by the four-point safety harness ). Door panels should have simple woven nylon pull straps instead of arm rest / door pulls.

Looking in the engine bay, you should see no air box on the Mikuni 40PHH carbs ( just steel trumpets ) and no air filter box on the radiator support panel. You'd see an oil cooler standing in front of the ( aluminium ) radiator. You should see no brake booster either, as it was deleted to save weight and give better pedal feel through a brake pedal with a different pivot ratio to other models.

You would not be able to see those lightweight body pressings ( made from one gauge thinner steel than stock ) but they'd be there.

Apart from all that, it would be the same as the PS30 Fairlady Z432 standing next to it in the showroom...

That's the theory anyway. In practice it seems that there was some subtle variation in specs, and that buyers either specced the cars with a few extras ( heater / demister, glovebox, mag wheels ) or added them soon after buying. Many cars will have been modified down the years ( one 432-R even ended up with a G-nose... ) but the trend these days is to bring them back to a period-correct spec.


I'm sure to have forgotten something, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I find the cars fascinating, and I'm always learning new things about them.

Cheers,
Alan T.

Alan,

Thanks for the very detailed response. It is really fun to see the thinking and details that went into these cars. I would love to see one in person some day. However that would be highly unlikely.

It seems a little odd that they would not put any type of air filter over the carbs. Weren't they concerned about sucking dirt into the engine?

Marty

[geezer]

...as in many respects I keep thinking of these private roadgoing PZRs as something like a bespoke Savile Row suit. And like a bespoke handmade suit, it's quite often the case that what you can't see is the very thing that makes it so special...

A very fitting analogy. (no pun intended)

Thoughts about thinner sheet metal stampings and "roadgoing PZRs"?

A question came to me from looking through the parts catalog. It seems, several choices could be made either at the point of sale when the purchase/build order was filled in or sometime after the fact. Were there choices that could be made for the PZR model, including interchangeability of doors and rear fenders at the time of purchase? Nissan had to produce a minimum number of PZR model cars to qualify to go racing under the homologation regulations but did that prevent them from giving a "roadgoing PZR" customer a choice, when it came to the thickness of the sheet metal panels, etc? I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall at the time or ask an original "roadgoing PZR" owner about their purchase experience. I could envision a salesman steering a customer away from the thinner skinned panels for practicality but I think more than likely, to meet the homologation rules, the cars were likely sold with the lightweight parts installed and the heavier pieces were just listed in the catalog as being interchangeable for future fitment information and sales availability.

[xs10shl]

Alan, great analogy on the 911S vs R. Also, the Homologation write up is much appreciated, and helps put some context to the overall picture. Can you additionally clarify the point when Nissan deployed the Lucas FI for the s20, and how that affected performance of the s20 engine? I've seen period pictures of installations in a C10, but not in a PZR. Not much is written or known about it, but some loosely researched articles suggest that properly tuned FI engines could add upwards of 50 BHP (perhaps aided by different internals? Hotter cam? ).

On the topic of Homologation, would FI be homologated for a C10 or PZR, or is that considered more in the "factory prototype" category?


As an aside, I spent only 10 precious minutes driving a 911R a few years ago, and I can confirm that it feels, sounds, and goes like no ordinary 911. I may never get the chance again (sigh!).

[kats]

Hi Alan,
Great thread and the photo gallery gives great insight into how its built. I have never seen a Z432 in real life.
Like kats mentioned in his post, it doesnt have a brake power booster. Is that normal for all the Z432's or an extra weight saving? You would need a heavy foot for braking, thats for sure.
Love that engine

Hi EuroDat,

I found a good note why the 432R dose not have a booster.

From the 432R race manual,
see attached picture in the middle of the page,
6-2 it says
"The reason why PS30-SB dose not have a master vac is to achieve weight reduction and stability of brake feeling.
When the car racing,vacumm pressure increase and decrease abruptly "

kats

[geezer]

I was too late to edit my last post. I had another look at the parts catalog and almost answered my own question. Two different part numbers are given and shown to be interchangeable for the rear fenders, both LH & RH sides. I was mistaken with the doors and front fenders though. It shows the PB model as having its own dedicated part numbers for these pieces. There must a simple reason for the two different part numbers for the rear fenders that escapes me.

[kats]

Hi,

For some of you may be interested in this, race & rally manual "45nen 2 gatsu" (Feb 1970) introducing and points of tuning of PS30-SB.

This book is 80 pages , very interesting to look at.Lots of technical description and data.

Here are some scans (bad quality by my i-phone), general view and comparison between PS30 and PS30-SB.

All in Japanese, I am thinking of translating whole book....when will it be done???

kats

PS: The fuel reservor tank for early US 240Z (plastic tank) could be the same as a tank for race option. The part number is different, but I guess
it must be the same...

[HS30-H]

It seems a little odd that they would not put any type of air filter over the carbs. Weren't they concerned about sucking dirt into the engine?

It might be something that pains us to see today, but at the time they were not particularly concerned about it. Nissan ran open trumpets on their race and rally engines during this period ( even using simple wire gauze covers on the trumpets for certain international rallies ) and tended to refresh engines between races anyway.

As has been discussed, the homologation of the 432-R was all about saving weight and making a good base for further development. The weight saved on the homologation of the PZR ( I think it was homologated at around 960kg ) allowed Nissan and their privateer customers some scope in further lightening their race cars - whilst also adding weight through safety devices etc - and still being 'legal' to race. The stock airbox, ducting and air filter housing for the S20 engine is quite a large and heavy piece and it would have assisted the weight-saving effort to leave it off. Road users could always retro-fit filters if they really wanted them.

[HS30-H]

Can you additionally clarify the point when Nissan deployed the Lucas FI for the s20, and how that affected performance of the s20 engine? I've seen period pictures of installations in a C10, but not in a PZR. Not much is written or known about it, but some loosely researched articles suggest that properly tuned FI engines could add upwards of 50 BHP (perhaps aided by different internals? Hotter cam? ).

On the topic of Homologation, would FI be homologated for a C10 or PZR, or is that considered more in the "factory prototype" category?

The factory Works race team used the Lucas-based sliding throttle mechanical injection on their 432-R race cars almost from the get-go. I think in the first couple of races the cars were still fitted with carburettors ( although Weber 45DCOE-9 as opposed to the stock Mikuni-Solex 44PHH ), but certainly they had followed the Skyline GT-R race cars onto the Lucas mech FI by the time of the PZR's first race win ( April 12th 1970, 'Race De Nippon', Fuji Speedway, Hasemi / Kitano ). Although the Lucas-based mech FI system was not really very sophisticated in today's terms, it did give more outright power than carbs and was more suited to the kind of racing they were doing. The works S20 engines that were built to run the injection system had higher compression ratios, different cams and different timing to suit. It's a big topic of research on it's own, as Nissan were trying new things in almost every race and none of the details were really in the public domain.

Of course, the ex-Prince guys at Murayama ( at that time busy building and developing the Skyline GT-R race cars ) considered the S20 to be 'their' engine and it seems they weren't really all that keen on the 432-R getting any particularly trick parts too soon after the GT-Rs. In fact, it was a bit of a strange situation for the Murayama-based group to be prepping the 432-Rs at all; There was a certain amount of competition between the Murayama ( PMCS ) team and the Oppama ( SCCN ) team, and this ultimately hampered the development of the PZR in race guise as it was a little lost between them ( you could say it was an Oppama body with a Murayama engine ). I don't want to talk this up too much, but it did happen and the works 432-R race cars probably could have been better had they not been forced to lag a little behind the works GT-Rs. In the end ( in fact, only mid-way through 1970 ) the decision was made to switch the works circuit race 432-Rs onto L24-based engines and bump them up into a different class of racing that could take advantage of the capacity increase. From then on the Oppama-based works team looked after them.

I think induction system was free for the Sports Prototype, GT and Touring Car classes that the works S20 engines were usually competing in ( as long as it was 'normal' aspiration rather than forced / boosted ) and therefore either carbs of FI could be used. There's nothing in the homologation papers with regard to the mechanical injection.

[HS30-H]

A question came to me from looking through the parts catalog. It seems, several choices could be made either at the point of sale when the purchase/build order was filled in or sometime after the fact. Were there choices that could be made for the PZR model, including interchangeability of doors and rear fenders at the time of purchase? Nissan had to produce a minimum number of PZR model cars to qualify to go racing under the homologation regulations but did that prevent them from giving a "roadgoing PZR" customer a choice, when it came to the thickness of the sheet metal panels, etc? I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall at the time or ask an original "roadgoing PZR" owner about their purchase experience. I could envision a salesman steering a customer away from the thinner skinned panels for practicality but I think more than likely, to meet the homologation rules, the cars were likely sold with the lightweight parts installed and the heavier pieces were just listed in the catalog as being interchangeable for future fitment information and sales availability.

Hi Ron,
I would have thought that anyone ordering a PZR new would have been buying into the whole ethos of the car as a 'spartan', lightweight driver's car. The lightweight body, plastic windows and cloth-covered, non-reclining FRP seats would have been a big part of that and I can only imagine him adding some 'essentials' like the heater/demister for example.

I would imagine that he didn't have a choice over whether to go with the lightweight panels ( especially the rear quarters and the roof ) if the PZR-specific bodies were already half made, or if there were a few complete cars already built. Officially there wasn't even a colour choice ( all the cars sold to the general public were 918 orange ) and if a customer wanted a few more bells and whistles he might as well have paid a little bit more and plumped for the 'ordinary' 432 with its 'Deluxe' spec.

I was too late to edit my last post. I had another look at the parts catalog and almost answered my own question. Two different part numbers are given and shown to be interchangeable for the rear fenders, both LH & RH sides. I was mistaken with the doors and front fenders though. It shows the PB model as having its own dedicated part numbers for these pieces. There must a simple reason for the two different part numbers for the rear fenders that escapes me.

In the C-236 parts list I can see:

78100-E7200 PANEL ASS'Y - rear fender ( R.H. ) - PZR
78100-E8201 PANEL ASS'Y - rear fender ( R.H. ) - PZR ( from C/# PS30-00402 )

78101-E7200 PANEL ASS'Y - rear fender ( L.H. ) - PZR
78101-E8201 PANEL ASS'Y - rear fender ( L.H. ) - PZR

Off the top of my head, I'm thinking that this marks the changeover from solid, unvented rear pillars to the vented rear pillars. If they are for the PZR then they should be the thinner gauge steel pressings, or at least the earliest type would be. As we know from their chassis numbers, the PZRs sold to the genral public were all 'early' cars ( with unvented pillars ) - so perhaps the later part numbers were more a theoretical fitment should a car be ordered at that time...?

Interestingly, the works rally 240Zs that were made in the mid to late 1971 period - using much of the PZR's bodyshell pieces - used the solid, unvented PZR rear quarters, but had their pillar vent holes cut out by hand and the vented 'Z' pillar emblems attached ( to make them look more 'up to date' no doubt ). They retained the FRP tailgates complete with twin vents and all the venting paraphernalia inside them. So they ended up with vented quarteers and vented tailgates.

[kats]

I think the most effective part of making the car to be super light is
deleted components from normal Z432,Z432-R is probably 80kgm lighter than
normal Z432.

Here is a scan of comparison S30S, S30, PS30, PS30-SB, SR311.

You see Z432-R 960kg, Z432 1040kg.But there is an important note on the far right ," gas tank is full " .

If these cars are no gas, the weight would be 880kg for Z432-R, 992kg for Z432. (I used 1litter High octane is 800g roughly )

There is 112kg difference between them!! It is a lot weight deduction on Z432-R


Stock Z432 is the heviest model amoung S30 family until 1973 .I am curious about 240ZG is 1010kg, this is too optimistic I think, G-nose is quite hevy.(my 240Z once on a scale, it was 1050kg with a 1/3 gas and all the original Bridgestone superspeed tires and hubcaps and tools) .
S20 engine is hevier than L24/L20(S20 199kg, L24 185kg).

Z432 & Z432-R has an alminum radiator, it will not make a big difference but it would have to be alminum to reduce weight as much as possible.

I know data from factory is not honest sometimes, but my 240Z's 1050kg is close and not so bad to the official weight, I have heard Ferrari or other supercars are much different from their official data.

kats

[geezer]

Excellent material Kats! I look forward to the translated book if you ever manage to fit that task into your busy schedule. I am extremely grateful for having this site and such knowledgeable members willing to share and offer their expert tutelage.

Thanks Alan, that sounds like the only plausible explanation. I had briefly thought of that being the reason for having two sets of interchangeable part numbers. The copy of the parts catalog I have is dated March of '71 and doesn't have a chassis number "from" or date associated with the part numbers for that model. The only other things I could think of were, the antenna hole, which has no business being there and the gas filler but it is always on the RH side.
I can not begin to realize the amount of research, parts hunting and fabrication you are doing for your project. My hat is off to you sir!

[EuroDat]

Hi kats,
Thanks for your reply on the brake booster. Makes sense when you think about it. I have to get out of thinking in street car mode. The Z432 was build for the purpose of racing.
Great info btw. I've learnt a lot about this car on this thread.
Chas

[HS30-H]

EuroDat,
Just to clarify: This thread is primarily about the PS30-SB 'Fairlady Z432-R.

The PS30 Fairlady Z432 had the 'normal' Master Vac brake booster and pedal, whilst the PS30-SB Fairlady Z432-R was the one without the Master Vac brake booster, and had a brake pedal with a greater leverage ratio to suit.

[HS30-H]

Nissan's first official works race Z was something of a star, as it was used for the covers of several 432-R related publications.

This was the car that took part in the 'Zen Nihon Suzuka 300km' race at Suzuka Circuit on 18th January 1970, driven by SCCN works team driver Moto Kitano. Sadly, it was to be car's first and last race. Forced to spin to avoid another car blocking the track, Kitano was T-boned by a following car and was lucky to avoid serious injury. The car was a banana-shaped write-off.

Pictured: Nissan 'Yellow Book' Race & Rally Manual for the 432-R, front page of the Nissan Sports Options parts list for the 432-R, and the 'no.68' works 432-R race car in the old Suzuka Circuit paddock before that fateful 18th January 1970 race.

Alan T.

[kats]

Thank you geezer and EuroDat

Alan,I too am big fan of the red Z432-R,it is the best looking Z432-R for me.

I visited Ando san a few years ago (his shop TA auto and him were featured in Discovery channel "Retoro car kings" recently)
this tribute car is so cool, not having thin body panel but it has repro acrylic glasses and repro 100L gas tank,also manythings in interior are his work too.

kats

[kats]

Alan,

I have a question about this race option plug wire and fittings, were these featuring applied on the #68 Z432-R too?

Nissan R382 (1969 Japan grandprix winner) has got the special wire rubber cap and valve cover modify to prevent falling off wire due vibration.

A well known shop in Tokyo, Victory 50 has been doing this modification on S20 engine for the customers who want racing feelings.

kats

[HS30-H]

Alan,
I have a question about this race option plug wire and fittings, were these featuring applied on the #68 Z432-R too?

Nissan R382 (1969 Japan grandprix winner) has got the special wire rubber cap and valve cover modify to prevent falling off wire due vibration.

A well known shop in Tokyo, Victory 50 has been doing this modification on S20 engine for the customers who want racing feelings.

Hi Kats,
Yes, Nissan were using the metal plug cap retainers on the works PGC10 and KPGC10 Skyline GT-R race cars too. They are simpler than the version seen on the GRX V12 engine I think.

Distributor cap cover was rubber, and primarily intended to keep out rain water.

Actually, even though Victory 50 are selling the plug cap retainers, I believe they were reproduced by a good friend of Matsui san ( NP35 ).

Cheers,
Alan T.

[26th-Z]

Excellent conversation! So many things I want to comment about. Notice the time frame of racing development between Japan and what became in America so many months later. The pages you posted ,Kats, are very interesting and I can look up the part numbers in my catalog. My catalog does not show an expansion tank for the fuel system!? The fuel vent is similar to what I have on 26th and 27th.

Great pictures of details I have never seen before! Wonderful!

[HS30-H]

My catalog does not show an expansion tank for the fuel system!? The fuel vent is similar to what I have on 26th and 27th.

Chris,
The explanation is that the Parts Catalog lists and illustrates the stock parts for the PZR, and the PZR didn't have the expansion tank as a stock part.

The 'Race & Rally Manual' for the PZR ( which is sometimes called the 'Yellow Book' ) shows owners how to modify their PZR for competition use, using many parts from the Sports Options list but also from other models ( including the PGC10 Skyline GT-R ).

Please see below a scan of the back page of the Sports Options booklet for the PZR, and a close-up of the 'Reservoir Tank'. This was actually used as a kind of sub-tank / swirl pot in the race prep of the car, holding an amount of fuel drawn from the tank and pumping that up to the carbs. It helped to avoid fuel starvation due to slosh in that 100 litre main tank.

The part numbers are actually different in the 'Yellow Book' and the Sports Options list, and the illustration in the Sports Options list looks a little different to the stock vapour tank, and it may have been the case that both were used. But I think the vapour recovery tank you see on your cars was very similar ( although it had more hose connections ), and I've seen these vapour recovery tank used as a sub-tank in this way. Main reason is that it's a lovely purpose-built snug fit in that right inner quarter area, and is fuel safe.

Alan T.

[26th-Z]

I thought that was a radiator expansion tank. Thanks for the clarification. Kats' great video shows several sports option components. This thread could use a reference to your project too, Alan. Fairlady Z432-R replica project - Classic Zcar Club Photo Gallery

[geezer]

I noticed, the "17350-E7201.... TANK-reservoir" is listed as being optional for the "PB" model in the 1970 S30 - PS30 parts catalog although it is not shown in the illustration nor is it listed in the "OPTION PARTS" appendage.

*Just a note for those who are not confused enough already. "PB" is the model designation used in the 1970 parts catalog. "PZR" can be considered to be synonymous. Correct me if I'm wrong because I don't know what the reason was for the model designation/acronym change.

EDIT: This part can be seen illustrated in the HS30 Sports Option Catalog dated Dec/'73. on page 6.

[geezer]

Just a final thought about the reservoir tank. During the same time period of this "special build", it doesn't appear that the reservoir tanks were simply re-purposed from other models by Nissan. If they were, wouldn't it seem likely that the HLS30 US version would have been used, since it was already designed to fit inside the right quarter location? I think in later years some improvising may have been done by the owners to mimic what wasn't ordered as "optional" equipment from the get-go, whether ordered from the Sports Option Catalog or substituted tanks that were meant for other models.. That would explain the two different part numbers in the publications at the time.

[kats]

Alan, thank you for the answer, I am now very interested in having the plug cap modification!

Hi Chris,I am happy you enjoyed the video

Her Majesty and The Princess lend the front white windshield and fuel filler lid knob for Z432-R. Their parts number have E4600, this number means export model.
( Fairlady Z parts catalog issued 1972 listed E4602 for the knob, but I think earliest Z432-R would have E4600 which sits in vertical style.I have a March 1970 Fairlady catalog,but it does not list parts for Z432-R at all )

In Japan, the knob can be sold very high price because many owners wants "Z432-R look" .

Hi geezer, thank you for inputs about expansion tank. After reading your comments, I more tend to think this part could be used for PZR too.

Same time I want to see the "half cut " version of the tank, I thought its picture was just trimmed due to limited space of the catalog, but thinking about racing, everything are aimed to be small and light, so the tank E4600 could be cut half.

kats

[geezer]

...I have a March 1970 Fairlady catalog,but it does not list parts for Z432-R at all...

...Hi geezer, thank you for inputs about expansion tank. After reading your comments, I more tend to think this part could be used for PZR too...

Hi Kats- The copy I have is dated March 71 and doesn't include many PZR parts but the parts that are shown are labeled as model designation PB. Compare the pages below to the pages Chris posted covering the 100L fuel tank. Note the model designated, then look at page 37-7 and you will see part number 17350-E7201 shown to be optional but definitely listed as being available at the time of the build and only used for model PB.
PB=PZR
Also note that a reservoir tank doesn't serve the same purpose as an expansion tank and Nissan labeled them as such.

[26th-Z]

My book doesn't have a part listing for the reservoir. Even optional. Huh? In my book, the designation is PZ and PZR for the 432 and 432-R. In most cases, the part application is listed as "ALL" but in many instances specific models are listed for the application. I asked some threads ago about the applications across model variants with the PZR, but I see that in those instances, the application should have been noted as "ALL".

Here is one I would like to know about. What is different about the differential cross member 55450-E4200 or E4201 'member comp - differential mounting rear'? I am noticing that the 432-R came with different suspension springs and an 18mm rear sway bar? How about the steering gear ratios? Were they quicker?

[geezer]

My book doesn't have a part listing for the reservoir...

The PZR build was complete by the time your catalog was printed and as Alan has pointed out an alternate tank was listed in the Sports Option Catalog. The tank shown in the "Yellow Book", may be part number 17350-E7201. I'm sure Alan will let us know.

Only a few PB/PZR parts were listed in the Fairlady catalogs. More than likely because the build was so very limited and deemed by those who made the decisions not necessary to include, even before the drawings came off the sketch pads. It must have taken considerable time to draw those beautiful illustrations that they seem to have been teasing us with.

[grannyknot]

I noticed in the pics posted today the new rocker panels, would those be from Motorsport Auto or are they still being pressed in Japan?

[26th-Z]

Very nice pictures, Takeuchi-san! I like the car set on a frame gauge for welding work. Very high quality!

There are several sources for various body panel pressings, granny. I did pretty much the same thing to 26th (just partial rockers). I got my panels from tabcobodyparts.com.

[Mike B]

Thanks to Takeuchi san for sharing his photos and to Alan for starting this thread and posting the details of the unique 432-R items and the homologation information. I'm interested in seeing more photos of the unique pieces and some of the interior, if possible.

-Mike

[take432r]

Unfortunately there is not the panel. It is all a handicraft of God of the hand.

[kats]

Hello geezer,

I have never seen PB=PZR before I saw your catalog ,that is very interesting.
I have 03/1970 and 03/1972 catalog, 03/1970 does not carry any Z432R parts while 03/1972 does.
I found the difference between yours and my 1972, there are Japanese discriptions on top of the english parts name can be seen on mine.
And mine does not indicate OPT parts for the gas tank.

03/1972 catalog is a very small, just like a bible size. It is very useful, I can bring this anywhere I go for shopping.

Thakn you geezer

kats

Hi Kats- The copy I have is dated March 71 and doesn't include many PZR parts but the parts that are shown are labeled as model designation PB. Compare the pages below to the pages Chris posted covering the 100L fuel tank. Note the model designated, then look at page 37-7 and you will see part number 17350-E7201 shown to be optional but definitely listed as being available at the time of the build and only used for model PB.
PB=PZR
Also note that a reservoir tank doesn't serve the same purpose as an expansion tank and Nissan labeled them as such.

[kats]

Hi Chris,

I think I am not answering for your question, but I show you my PZR spring set.

Long time ago, there was an article about Z432-R on "Car Magazine No. 204 Jun 1995" in Japan, a journalist said "it seems to me something odd to see the same part number for PZ and PZR about front spring, PZ's left front is used for PZR's right front, I guess it is just a mistake of listing in the book. PZR should have PZR-only part number for all the suspension springs... "

But this is not right, it is not mistake at all. Engineers wanted to have PZR's spring got lowered, so it is natural to have tested various combination of springs.
Finally they found and settled down to use of normal Z432's left spring (shorter than its right spring) for PZR's right spring.

Anyway, when the car was prepared for racing, they had got there spring modified more competetive special version.

It is unique, if you place an order to local Nissan as an owner of PZ ( Z432), you will get 54010-E4202 as a "spring front LH",
on the other hand,if you place an order as an owner of PZR ( Z432-R) , you will get same part number as a "spring front RH" on the tag.

Please see the attached pictures,first one showing they are all for Z432-R. Other 3 springs have E7200, exactly specific part number for PZR.
Second one is a comparison between PZ and PZR rear spring. All PZR springs have same ratio as a PZ (1.8 for front / 2.0 for rear, not so hard!)
While PZR's front springs are shorter than PZ,
PZR's rear springs are slightly longer than PZ, as it has a big gas tank (100 litter) , when the car is full of gas, it sits lower than PZ.
But you can see my PZR rear springs are shorter than PZ , is it just a result of bad quality control?

Last picture is from Car Magazine No.204.The car is famous in Japan
But some years ago the owner traded the car with a Lamborghini Diablo
Seems he could not forget about PZR, he bought a new PZR (very rough condition ,his exs PZR was a lot better) again.

kats

My book doesn't have a part listing for the reservoir. Even optional. Huh? In my book, the designation is PZ and PZR for the 432 and 432-R. In most cases, the part application is listed as "ALL" but in many instances specific models are listed for the application. I asked some threads ago about the applications across model variants with the PZR, but I see that in those instances, the application should have been noted as "ALL".

Here is one I would like to know about. What is different about the differential cross member 55450-E4200 or E4201 'member comp - differential mounting rear'? I am noticing that the 432-R came with different suspension springs and an 18mm rear sway bar? How about the steering gear ratios? Were they quicker?

[kats]

Way to go Takeuchi-san!

I thank you so much keeping us update.

kats

[26th-Z]

Thanks Kats! Very interesting information about the springs. I have a copy of the bible size parts catalog also but my version does not have Japanese text above the part description. Great information in this thread!

[geezer]

Thank you Takeuchi-san, those are very nice views of the 100L fuel tank. Even though I have never seen one in person, it certainly would be instantly recognizable if I did.
Great spring info and pics Kats.
I can't take my copy of the parts catalog shopping with me, even if there was a place to use it while shopping. It weighs over 30 lbs., is full size, appears to be a Xerox copy from the '70s with each page printed "one side", with a black felt paper backer on each page, enveloped in hard, transparent plastic 3-ring protectors, in hard cover binders. It has a complete index and option parts lists as well, with hand written translations. There is a bilingual mix of descriptions (Japanese & English). The publication number is not shown. I got it from a Nissan dealer that closed in the province of Quebec. It is one of my favorite Z catalogs to thumb through. Sorry for the terrible pics.
Chris, great questions! I have more questions than answers! It is such an interesting model capable of spawning our curiosity, at times far beyond this threads intent. Most times I have to restrain myself from branching too far off from the topic.

[26th-Z]

Love watching the pictures of Takeuchi-san progress. Now this is a guy who knows what he's doing. Lovely metal work - just lovely. What a great documentary this thread has become.

[grannyknot]

I'm just eating these photos up! So glad this collection of pics will be archived so we can all see how it is suppose to be done. The man doing the work, he's the real thing. If it can be replaced with equal or better he replaces, if it has to be patched he does so perfectly but doesn't hide it, accept for show panels of course. A joy to watch.