TWO WORKS RALLY CARS>

P

pmac

Well-Known Forum User
Once upon a time a long long time ago there were two works Datsun 240Z Rally cars.
They were registered as TKS33 SA694 and TKS33 696.
If you have any books on the subject of Zed history you will find these two listed as taking part in early 70s rallies with well known rally drivers of the period.
Who they are and what events is not of much relevance to this story , so I wont bore you with any more details.
Once these cars were of no further use to the Datsun rally team they were sold off.
Tax concessions on export from Japan and other factors meant that it wasnt a viable idea to send them back to Japan. So they had new owners.
What these new owners did and how the cars(or at least the remnants of the cars) eventually ended up in a classic car collection hidden in the wilds of East Anglia is a fascinating story.
Now I knew about the cars a bit back and some of the dubious changes that had been made..:eek:...BUT you're gonna have to wait now for someone else to take up the tale of these cars.
He is coming... so just wait!!!:D
 
East Anglia you say. Possibility I might be able to pop round and have a look at them. Now that would be cool.
 
Cmon Pete..... I can't wait to get right to the end to the Goodwood Festival of Speed :D
 
I think pmac started this thread with reference to what was being discussed on another thread, here:

http://www.zclub.net/forum/showthread.php?p=42445&posted=1#post42445

To cut a long story a little shorter - at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bonham's auctioned some of the "Arthur Carter Collection" of classic cars. Amongst these were three lots that are of interest to us here as Z enthusiasts - two cars and one rolling bodyshell.

Here are scans of the relevant pages for the two cars from the Bonham's auction catalogue. PLEASE NOTE that the photos for the lots were accidentally switched in the production of the catalogue, and that therefore the photo of Lot No. 619 is actually of Lot No. 622, and vice-versa:
 

Attachments

  • Bonhams-Lot 619 catalogue scan.jpg
    Bonhams-Lot 619 catalogue scan.jpg
    139 KB · Views: 55
  • Bonhams-Lot 622 catalogue scan.jpg
    Bonhams-Lot 622 catalogue scan.jpg
    108.9 KB · Views: 50
 
Last edited by a moderator:
For some years before the Bonham's auction, these two complete cars and the rolling shell had been offered for sale by owner Mr Arthur Carter ( and parties acting on his behalf ) - but never on the open market. They were being described as two "Ex-Works 240Z Rally Cars" plus spares, and the Japanese registration numbers 'TKS 33 SA 694' and 'TKS 33 SA 696' were being linked to them.

In actual fact, these two cars and the rolling shell were only the remains of two ( or more ) ex-Works rally cars, mixed up with a standard UK road car shell, a 1970 Fairlady Z-L shell and the ex-Samuri Conversions / Win Percy / Clive Richardson / Jeremy Walton-linked 240Z road / race car 'LAL 909K'.........

Arthur Carter bought the cars from Jonathan Bradburn ( of Datsun dealers 'Bradburn Brothers' reknown ) who had actually owned the original cars at one point. Z Club members with a good archive of the Z Club Magazine will be able to find an article from many years ago that offered these cars - plus many spares - as a 'for sale' package by Mr Bradburn. In the end, Mr Arthur Carter bought the whole lot from Bradburn.

Unfortunately, Mr Bradburn had 're-shelled' the original 'TKS 33 SA 694' ( chassis number 'HS30-00024' ) and 'TKS 33 SA 696' ( chassis number 'HS30-00026' ) and their original - very special - bodyshells were lost.

Parts from '694' and other ex-Works rally cars ended up attached to the bodyshell of 'LAL 909K', and parts from '696' ( which was given the UK registration number 'PTD 524K' after a very long and distinguished rally career ) ended up attached to a 1970 Fairlady Z-L bodyshell that had come to the UK from Japan in the hands of an Air Force officer.

Unfortunately, the re-shelling wasn't carried out very scientifically. Here's a pair of pictures to illustrate the point - taken in the engine bay of the 1970 Fairlady. Note that the original Fairlady chassis number is still unchanged on the firewall, but the engine bay data plate has been re-stamped:
 

Attachments

  • S30 chassis number-01.jpg
    S30 chassis number-01.jpg
    110.4 KB · Views: 35
  • Restamped S30 chassis plate-01.jpg
    Restamped S30 chassis plate-01.jpg
    111.1 KB · Views: 33
when you say " very special body shells" Albrecht, can i ask in what way were they?
 
grolls said:
when you say " very special body shells" Albrecht, can i ask in what way were they?
Click to expand...
grolls,
To cover the subject properly would be a book on its own......

However, in short, the bodies of the Works rally cars were purpose-built in small batches from a mixture of special pressings. Most of these special pressings were derived from parts manufactured specially for the 'PZR' ( Nissan Fairlady Z432-R ), and were either thicker gauge than standard, or lighter. Even the rear quarters were lighter........

These special bodyshells ( effectively a 'PZR' body unit ) were then adapted to rally duties in their build-up - each one hand built.

Remember that I am talking about the very first Works 240Z rally cars here - built in 1969, 1970 & 1971. Later rule changes dictated revisions and spec differences, and the cars got heavier and tougher.
 
Albrecht said:
grolls,
To cover the subject properly would be a book on its own......

'PZR' ( Nissan Fairlady Z432-R ),

These special bodyshells ( effectively a 'PZR' body unit )
Click to expand...

jeeze i wished i hadn't of asked now! :eek: spose i had better do a google search:)
 
PZR , What happened to PS30-SB as designation for the Z432-R ?????

Count, you're confusing me deliberately :) ?
 
well i gave up on google, all i found was half a million posts for toy cars. that wouldn't be so bad but i hat to wait for each post to be translated from japanese to english.:mad:
 
SeanDezart said:
PZR , What happened to PS30-SB as designation for the Z432-R ?????
Click to expand...
grolls said:
well i gave up on google, all i found was half a million posts for toy cars. that wouldn't be so bad but i hat to wait for each post to be translated from japanese to english.:mad:
Click to expand...
It's Nissan's internal shorthand:

'ZS' = S30-S
'ZSA' = S30-SA
'ZL' = S30
'ZA' = S30-A
'PZ' = PS30
'PZR' = PS30-SB
'HZ' = HS30
'HZA' = HS30-A
'HZS' = HS30-S
'HZSA' = HS30-SA
'HZG' = HS30-H
'HZGA' = HS30-HA

.....and so on.

From the middle of that list:

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

Easy isn't it? :)
 
Albrecht said:
It's Nissan's internal shorthand:

'ZS' = S30-S
'ZSA' = S30-SA
'ZL' = S30
'ZA' = S30-A
'PZ' = PS30
'PZR' = PS30-SB
'HZ' = HS30
'HZA' = HS30-A
'HZS' = HS30-S
'HZSA' = HS30-SA
'HZG' = HS30-H
'HZGA' = HS30-HA

.....and so on.

From the middle of that list:

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

Easy isn't it? :)
Click to expand...
albrecht
any chance you could complete the list the same as
'PZR' = 'PS30-SB' = Fairlady Z432-R.

it would go some way to inform new and a lot of old Z owners exactly what these codes mean
 
STEVE BURNS said:
albrecht
any chance you could complete the list the same as
'PZR' = 'PS30-SB' = Fairlady Z432-R.

it would go some way to inform new and a lot of old Z owners exactly what these codes mean
Click to expand...
Not that much point really, as only one of these model types was officially exported outside Japan. But anyway.....

'ZS' = S30-S = Fairlady Z ( L20, 4-speed, no frills ).
'ZSA' = S30-SA = Fairlady Z ( L20, Auto, no frills ).
'ZL' = S30 = Fairlady Z-L ( L20, 5-speed, Deluxe ).
'ZA' = S30-A = Fairlady Z-L ( L20, Auto, Deluxe ).
'PZ' = PS30 = Fairlady Z432 ( S20, 5-speed ).
'PZR' = PS30-SB = Fairlady Z432-R ( S20, 5 speed, Lightweight ).
'HZ' = HS30 = Fairlady 240Z-L ( L24, 5-speed, Deluxe ).
'HZA' = HS30-A = Fairlady 240Z-L ( L24, Auto, Deluxe ).
'HZS' = HS30-S = Fairlady 240Z ( L24, 4-speed, no frills ).
'HZSA' = HS30-SA = Fairlady 240Z ( L24, Auto, no frills ).
'HZG' = HS30-H = Fairlady 240ZG ( L24, 5-speed, Deluxe ).
'HZGA' = HS30-HA = Fairlady 240ZG ( L24, Auto, Deluxe ).

....and so on.
 
So there you go Mr Burns... Youve got your numbers. :)
Now lets get back to the story eh??
Roy Fidler/Barry Hughes- Withers of Winsford- KEJ 1 etc
Wheres Albrecht when you really need him!!!!:eek:
I only know half this story!!!:confused:
Albrecht????
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top