The Beginning of Nissan Z Cars: Fairlady Z

Beautiful car, and lets not forget how well this car did outside USA, winning the grueling East African Safari Rally 1971 the true marker of a well engineered car!

I owned a 71 back in the day. In your video I noticed a lot of front/ back up and down movement over pretty smooth roads. I do not recall this issue. I’d like to know if this was a common problem or my memory not being what it should be.

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.

“It should be vice versa, right?” I laughed out loud to that 😂

Beautiful z! I wish they talked about the modifications though. This has to be lowered with stiffer suspension just by watching them bounce around. Looks like a competition steering wheel in there too

Everybody needs to read Halberstam's "The Reckoning" to really understand how Japan ate the US automakers' collective lunch in the 1970s.

Great car and conversation!
Thank you.

I still cant believe the amount of car data/history/information inside of Jay's head.

It's gorgeous from every angle.

I don't know if US engine specs where different than Canadian back in the 70's . But my older brother's Cdn spec 71 240Z was rated at 151Hp and about 145 torque. One of the 1st cars i rode in that i actually saw the speedometer go past 120mph while roaring down the highway.

I dig those SU sidedraft oil filled carbs..

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....

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

Absolutely gorgeous. I’ve always loved these and agree with everything jay has to say about them. It’s such a shame that they were so mass produced and yet, a clapped out roach is worth outrageous money still because of the market. My dream build is to RB26 swap one of these (or LS but i’d like to stay within the Nissan family). No way in hell I’ll ever afford an original or restored one lol.

Datsun Datsun we are driven! Always Loved the Z cars.

really cool guy - what a car ! art on wheels

I had a 260Z back in the day, great car.

It's an incredible car, beautiful design, you can feel the spirit within, a marvelous philosophy! If there is anything to be changed, then the color; I like a dark green or something different than the white. I think the white color doesn't suit it well, but that is just my humble opinion.

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.

I wonder why jay doesn't have a 240 in his collection, he seems to love them.

Who noticed the Isuzu Trooper?, probably rarer than the 240.

It looks a lot like an E type.

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.

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

This car one of my favorite Japanese cars, I would love to own one.

My very first car was a 1984 Datsun by Nissan Sentra. It was my knowledge the Sentra was the last model to have the Datsun name on it. But either way I loved that car.

1981 280 ZX Great car!

What a nicely restored Z. Love it! The restorer did an excellent job.

Love this one Jay, my cool aunt had the 240, she always had the latest hot car. VW Bug, MB 300D, Datsun Z, MB 190E, Quattro etc. She sparked my love of automotive toys and excellent engineering.

Immediate predecessor was their Datsun 1600 Fairlady and 2000's. The 2000 w/ 4 cyl DOHC engine and a 5 speed transmission in two seat configuration and convertible was quite the powerful package. I still regret selling mine. The Z was the grown up version with 2.4 liter 6 cyl. I believe this car has 2 SU carbs like the 2000.

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.

Those steelies are so sick

Great video

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.

I have owned a slightly mod '73 240Z for 40 years. Puts out 250 hp. I thought the 240Z were advertised at 150 hp. Maybe that was at the crank. 🤷🏾‍♂️

No way that guy sold me my z bumper 😂

Jay, do you get kinda screwed up driving a right hand drive car? How about the shift pattern, is it like ours, 3-4 next to the driver and 1-2 next to the passenger?

Based

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.

I had a 72. You would flash your lights when you saw another Z because they were so rare.

I Love Your Videos

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

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'm pretty sure, I know the Colorado owner. Nice Z

These guys really know this Nissan. Great episode!!!

Gorgeous, iconic silhouette.

my first car was an 83 Nissan Datsun Sentra 5 on the floor 😂 that thing was friggin awesome 👍🏽 the mpg was great too

What a beautiful car. The first gen 240Z has been on my dream car list since they arrived.