Windtunnel results for 240z

[Ian Patmore]

Datsun Dave,

I am pretty sure the picture you showed in not a genuine or copy of a genuine G nose, I was thinking more along the lines in the link attached, if I have got it pasted right


http://home.att.ne.jp/sky/FairladyZ/ZG/Lower/Lower_new.htm


I don't think this is a genuine Gnose, but I think its pretty close. Alan, please tell me otherwise. Scroll down on the link and you can see "air deflection boards" on the lower section.
Cheers
Ian

 

[datsun dave]

Datsun Dave,

I am pretty sure the picture you showed in not a genuine or copy of a genuine G nose, I was thinking more along the lines in the link attached, if I have got it pasted right


http://home.att.ne.jp/sky/FairladyZ/ZG/Lower/Lower_new.htm


I don't think this is a genuine Gnose, but I think its pretty close. Alan, please tell me otherwise. Scroll down on the link and you can see "air deflection boards" on the lower section.
Cheers
Ian

It was the air deflection in the spoiler so russ could see what you were explaining about.

 

[Albrecht]

As been talked about, this is why I presume that the inner "floor" of a genuine G nose has air boards that angle the air towards the side and encourage the air to escape before entering into the engine bay, rather than a repro G nose.

I am pretty sure the picture you showed in not a genuine or copy of a genuine G nose, I was thinking more along the lines in the link attached, if I have got it pasted right
http://home.att.ne.jp/sky/FairladyZ/.../Lower_new.htm
I don't think this is a genuine Gnose, but I think its pretty close. Alan, please tell me otherwise. Scroll down on the link and you can see "air deflection boards" on the lower section.

Ian,
The parts that you linked to are genuine factory parts - but they are the later type. When the 'HS30-H' Fairlady 240ZG model was first introduced, the lower panel did not have the ducting attached in the 'mouth' before the radiator. My car is an early production ZG, and does not have them.

In fact, these ducts were nothing to do with 'aero' per se. They were introduced in an attempt to help cooling issues with air con rads on the ZG models. The G-nose limits the amount of air coming into the front of the car, and in hot weather ( Japan's summers are very hot and humid ) and in heavy stop-start city traffic, and with the air-con switched on, cars were found to be stalling and overheating. The ducts were added in an attempt to help cure this, and in fact this is explained in a Nissan technical service bulletin that I have.

The main problem ( as discussed ) with some of the repro parts is that the basic shape of the inner part ( the part that you can't really see ) does not meet the rad support panel properly, and does not channel air at its sides - causing a large volume of trapped air to try and escape wherever it can, which of course is disruptive. The later-added ducts seen on the later factory items do not really have anything to do with this.

Some reference pics:

 

[Albrecht]

So what's the story about this mouth? Less drag? Cold winter start shield (guess not)

Because if it's 180° away from your all time Beef-Eater's favourite Big Sam, which is nothing but a hole, and did quite good on the track

Could Big Sam have been even better?
Is the SCCN Works a turd
Is it none of the above

boomer,
Your questions are quite subjective. Difficult to answer objectively.

The Works ( Nissan SCCN team ) front panels in the pics I showed were simply aimed at reducing the amount of air going into the front of the car. At race speeds, there was no need for the amount of cooling / induction air that the 'normal' front end lets in, and this unwanted air becomes a problem. But of course they were running to a set of rules, and were not allowed to change too much on the car without it being deemed illegal. This was why the ZG model was produced, and the 'aero' parts homologated for race use. In any case, the SCCN cars were quite a long way from being "turds" - even if you have never seen or heard of them before.

I can't really comment on the 'aero' situation with 'Big Sam' ( and anyway, which version do you want to discuss? ) except to observe that plenty of air must have been going into the rad area and the engine bay. It was quite a few years later than what I am talking about anyway.

The fact that 'Big Sam' "did quite good on the track" could well show that - up to a point anyway - it might not be worth worrying too much about having "nothing but a hole" up front if you have a decent bit of power, enough grip, and a bloody good driver behind the wheel.

 

[boomer]

Albrecht I like your style!

Are you in politic as well?
If not you should consider it!

The SCCN 240ZR is my all time favorite Z, period!

As for Big Sam aero, I think it's a proof that aero is important but not more than every composing parts of a race car.

Like the modern F1 that need winglets all around to go after 1000th of second for the pole, and can drive half a grand prix and win with a smashed front end

 

[Albrecht]

Exactly!

 

[Ian Patmore]

Hi Alan,
Thank you for correcting me.

 

[Russ]

Is this said car?