240Z Stage Rally Car at Auction

[CheZ]

I am going to look at this car, seems to have gone up in price unfortunately!

1972 Datsun 240Z Competition car - Richard Thorne Classic Cars

1972 Datsun 240Z Competition car £44,950 1972 Datsun 240Z Competition car. Originally registered in California where it began as a road car and later converted to circuit racing. It was imported to the UK in 2014 as a rot free road/race car. Here it was stripped to a bare shell and rebuilt in...

rtcc.co.uk

 

[SeanDezart]

A bit tatty, seats and belts (fire-extinguiser) to pay on top and those wheels just aint pretty.

What is a "safari spec diff cage" anyone ?

 

[Albrecht]

What is a "safari spec diff cage" anyone ?

It'll be a reference to the spec of the cars that run in the East African Safari Classic rally in recent years, which are not really anything like the cars that ran in period.

 

[SeanDezart]

Thankyou for the illumination.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

As it happens I was talking to Paul Easter at a funeral yesterday. He co-drove on the Safari in the 70s in a works 240Z.

 

[Healey 12]

I am going to look at this car, seems to have gone up in price unfortunately!

1972 Datsun 240Z Competition car - Richard Thorne Classic Cars

1972 Datsun 240Z Competition car £44,950 1972 Datsun 240Z Competition car. Originally registered in California where it began as a road car and later converted to circuit racing. It was imported to the UK in 2014 as a rot free road/race car. Here it was stripped to a bare shell and rebuilt in...

rtcc.co.uk

How did you get on with looking at this car

 

[CheZ]

How did you get on with looking at this car

Seeing it tomorrow.
It looks interesting and from this forum seems to have had a history.

Oddly looks to be the only 240z rally I have seen with flared arches. Not sure why.

 

[Albrecht]

Oddly looks to be the only 240z rally I have seen with flared arches. Not sure why.

The flared arches on this particular car are not 'period correct' for a 240Z rally car and are a strange mismatch with the stickers and livery which evoke the 1971 East African Safari Rally winning car of Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller, which never had them.

Not sure on the eligibility status for a car with such body modifications. Any prospective owner who intends to use the car for sanctioned rallies/regularity events would be wise to check before buying.

Some later Works rally cars *did* use riveted-on fibreglass arches (the factory called them 'Overfenders') but they were of a particular type, were FIA homologated, and nothing like the ones on the car in question:

 

[Rob Gaskin]

The flared arches on this particular car are not 'period correct' for a 240Z rally car and are a strange mismatch with the stickers and livery which evoke the 1971 East African Safari Rally winning car of Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller, which never had them.

Not sure on the eligibility status for a car with such body modifications. Any prospective owner who intends to use the car for sanctioned rallies/regularity events would be wise to check before buying.

Some later Works rally cars *did* use riveted-on fibreglass arches (the factory called them 'Overfenders') but they were of a particular type, were FIA homologated, and nothing like the ones on the car in question:

View attachment 62051

Chris Slater?

 

[Albrecht]

Chris Slater?

Yes, Chris Sclater testing the car he would drive on the 1974 Welsh Rally, navigated by Martin Holmes.

The Japanese 'carnet' number plate for this car (an 'RLS30' prefixed LHD 260Z) was hung on the back of the 1975 Le Mans 24hrs car of Andre Haller (an 'HS30' prefixed RHD Fairlady 240Z), giving rise - falsely - to the story that the '75 Le Mans car was an ex-Works rally car. It wasn't.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Dominic Frattaroli used 'over fenders' too.

 

[MCBladeRun]

Dominic Frattaroli used 'over fenders' too.

That looks fantastic, honestly not seen a rally car in silver before.

 

[Albrecht]

Dominic Frattaroli used 'over fenders' too.

Yes, and they were riveted/bolted on fibreglass pieces as homologated for Group 4 use in the 3023 FIA fiche. Period correct and part of the factory program or parts and data intended for motor sports use.

The distinction being the difference with modifying the original metalwork (with steel flares smoothed into the body, as per the car in question) vs adding legalised pieces to the original bodywork. Some sanctioning bodies will allow it for certain categories, and some won't.

Difficult and expensive to revert to original factory style bodywork, if required. Worth bearing in mind I think.

 

[Albrecht]

Sclater/Holmes retirement on the '74 Welsh.

"It's making a funny noise...."

 

[Healey 12]

Dominic Frattaroli used 'over fenders' too.

Dominic Frattaroli used 'over fenders' too.

All being well I will be popping over to see this car again tomorrow, it is lovely and straight now

 

[Healey 12]

The flared arches on this particular car are not 'period correct' for a 240Z rally car and are a strange mismatch with the stickers and livery which evoke the 1971 East African Safari Rally winning car of Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller, which never had them.

Not sure on the eligibility status for a car with such body modifications. Any prospective owner who intends to use the car for sanctioned rallies/regularity events would be wise to check before buying.

Some later Works rally cars *did* use riveted-on fibreglass arches (the factory called them 'Overfenders') but they were of a particular type, were FIA homologated, and nothing like the ones on the car in question:

View attachment 62051

For historic events wheel arches are not allowed . Unless that is you can prove they were fitted by the relevant Original manufacture in the factory when the car was new

 

[CheZ]

Thank you Albrecht, Rob, Healy 12 etc....

I didn't manage to get there today unfortunately. I am quite intrigued by this car, if not just for finding out the reason the arches were flared like that.

I think there are some other pics of the car in build somewhere, perhaps it was just the preference of the builder/owner.

I can appreciate the time and effort and cost that goes into these things, I do still think it's a little on the steep side. Maybe if it had normal arches I wouldn't mind so much.

 

[CheZ]

 

[CheZ]