Nissan Fairlady 240ZG (1972)
Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Test
Date: March 1972
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)
Summary: The Z’s displacement has been enlarged to 2.4 liters, and compared to the 2-liter model, the acceleration has improved significantly, and flexibility has increased. If you use fifth gear frequently, the fuel economy is good. In other respects, it is the same as the existing model. The disadvantage of being prone to clutch slip is the same.
Road testing the Fairlady 240ZG
Since the Fairlady Z debuted in December 1969, C/G has tested various models from time to time. First, we did a full test of the DOHC 2-liter 160ps Z432 at Yatabe (C/G, February 1972), then we drove the race-spec 240Z (the SCCN team car Z432R equipped with a SOHC 2.4-liter engine tuned to 200+ps) at FISCO (C/G, June 1971), then, when the domestic 240Z was officially released, we tested the automatic model, which we had never tried before (C/G, January 1972). We also went to Yatabe to test the 240ZG with a five-speed gearbox for last month’s issue, but unfortunately, the valve gear was damaged and we had to stop the test. So, early in the new year, we tried again with a different 240ZG.
The 240Z series has three models, each with variations in the interior and exterior. The standard 240Z (1.15 million yen) includes car stereo, reclining seats, headrests, and so on, the Z-L (1.35 million yen) adds headlight covers and other accessories, and the top-of-the-line is the ZG (1.5 million yen). This model comes with an FRP nose cowling and urethane bumper attached to the front, and the nose is extended by 200mm to improve aerodynamics. It also has FRP over-fenders to accommodate wider tires, and comes standard with 175HR-14 radial tires. The ZG’s catalog top speed is listed as 210km/h, 5km/h faster than the other 240Zs.
The car we tested was the long-nose 240ZG. Let’s start with the power performance. In terms of top speed, the 240ZG was a bit disappointing. The average speed on the 1km straight at Yatabe was far below the catalog data (as is the case with the majority of domestically produced cars) at 192.5km/h, while the average speed on the 5.5km circuit was only 189.6km/h. The Yatabe oval course is not completely flat, with a slight drop in one 200m section, where we briefly reached 198km/h (the car’s unusually accurate speedometer showed exactly 200km/h, and the tachometer showed about 5800rpm). Still, among the Japanese-made cars we have tested, the 240ZG marked the fastest top speed; the previous fastest record was the old Fairlady 2000 (SOHC four-cylinder) at 190.0kmh, followed by the Capella Rotary Coupe GS at 187.5km/h.
For better or worse, the 240Z’s character is defined by its large, heavy, mildly tuned engine designed for family sedans. Although it is a SOHC, it is not a crossflow head, and it is by no means a type that likes high revolutions. When foreign magazines describe the 240Z as a modernized Big Healey, they are certainly correct. Despite its large, slightly sleepy 3-liter six-cylinder engine, the Big Healey was known for its toughness, and the British still miss the Healey 3000, which made its name in races and rallies for many years before finally disappearing last year, and they will find a sense of affinity with it in the 240Z. The 240Z’s power peak is 150ps/5600rpm, and it starts to struggle a little when it goes over 6000rpm. The rev counter optimistically places the yellow zone at 6500-7000rpm, but this is unrealistic and anything over 6500rpm should be the red zone. However, this seven-bearing engine is very smooth from its 650rpm idle to over 6000rpm (except for a slight vibration period around 5000rpm).
The engine is equipped with two large SU carburetors with a diameter of 46mm, and it is easy to start cold. If you pull the choke, located in a good position on the console, it will start in one go and warms up very quickly. The choke has a long stroke and can be adjusted finely, which is convenient. We recently tested two 240Zs (automatic and manual), both of which had a lot of stiff resistance when you first pressed the throttle, which we criticized for making it difficult to start off smoothly, but in this test car, the pedal operated completely smoothly.
On paper, the torque peak is surprisingly high at 4800rpm. In reality, however, the absolute value of the torque is large, so it shows strong and smooth acceleration over a very wide range. For example, in third gear, it takes almost exactly 7 seconds to accelerate from 20 to 120km/h, and when accelerating in fourth gear over the same speed range, it takes around 9 seconds. By the way, 20km/h in fourth gear is only about 700rpm, barely off idle, but when you step on the gas, there is only a momentary hesitation, and it accelerates smoothly from around 1000rpm, which is almost eerie. However, to really go fast, you need to pull at least 4000rpm in each gear.
The ultimate acceleration is very fast. The 0-400m time was recorded at 15.5 seconds, beating the catalog time (15.8 seconds), and was the best time among the cars C/G has tested (the previous record was 15.8 seconds, set by the old Fairlady 2000). We have never officially timed the 2-liter Z, so we cannot compare them, but the 240ZG’s time was 0.9 seconds faster than that of the DOHC Z432 (which unfortunately was not performing well at the top end in our test). The 0-160km/h time was 24.1 seconds for the 240ZG, 26.8 seconds for the Z432, and 23.4 seconds for the old Fairlady, so it is interesting that the small, light, and rugged Fairlady 2000 is still the record holder.
The Porsche synchro 5-speed gearbox is one of the attractions of the 240Z. The long throw of the gearshift is a drawback, but the synchro is extremely powerful and it is not heavy to operate. Some staff members complained that the spring pushing the lever towards the 3-4 plane was too strong. Regardless, the gear ratios are close to ideal. In first, second, and third gears, the car can reach speeds of 69, 111, and 153km/h if you push the engine to 7000rpm, and in direct fourth gear the car can reach a top speed of 191km/h (6600rpm). The gearbox is constantly whining, and the propeller shaft does not seem to be perfectly balanced, so vibrations are transmitted to the body at high speeds. The mechanical noise of the engine itself is low, and high-speed cruising using fourth and fifth gears is the 240Z’s specialty.
We found that high-speed cruising is surprisingly fuel-efficient if you use fifth gear frequently. From FISCO to the C/G office in the city center, we drove mostly on the highway at a gentle pace, and achieved a good fuel economy of 8.5km/l. The fuel economy of the fifth gear is also clear from the constant speed fuel economy data. Even at a relatively low speed of 60km/h, we achieved 14.1km/l in fifth gear compared to 13.1km/l in fourth. At 100km/h the difference was 11.5km/l in fifth and 10.6km/l in fourth, and at 160km/h the difference was 7.1km/l and 6.3km/l. As you can see from this, with absolute torque like the 240Z’s, it is possible to achieve unexpectedly good practical fuel economy by frequently using high gears. The specified fuel was regular grade, and there was no pinking even at low speeds, but for some reason the phenomenon of dieseling was severe. Incidentally, this condition was the same even when the standard spark plugs, NGK BP6Es, were replaced with BP8Es. The fuel tank holds 60 liters, ensuring a cruising range of over 400km.
The 222mm front disc/228mm diameter rear drum brakes have a moderately powerful servo and show a good feeling of effectiveness regardless of the speed. There is remarkably little nose dive during sudden braking, but on the other hand, the rear end squats during acceleration. In the 0-100-0 fade test, the initial pedal force of 16kg increased slightly to 19kg on the eighth stop and 23kg on the tenth stop, so the braking can be described as stable and fade-resistant. The handbrake, conveniently located behind the gear lever, is easy to operate and extremely powerful.
Even at speeds close to top speed, the directional stability is excellent, and with just a light grip on the steering wheel, the car travels straight as an arrow. This would be improved further with the addition of a front spoiler and ducktail. Due to the large front wheel load (53%/47%) and the wide contact patch of the 175HR-14 radials (our car was equipped with Bridgestone RD150s), the steering is always responsive, which contributes to the powerful GT car feel and is quite appealing. As is typical of rack-and-pinion steering, the response is quite quick (2.8 turns lock to lock, minimum turning radius 4.9m) and it conveys a good sense of the road surface. On uneven roads, the kickback is too strong, so holding the wheel firmly is a “must.” The steering wheel is a moderate size, but a softer, thicker leather wrap would be preferable rather than the current wood rim.
The handling of a high-performance car like the 240ZG can only be fully tested on a circuit. We tried this on the FISCO left-handed course. By simply increasing the standard tire pressure of 2.0kg/2.0kg to 2.5kg/2.5kg, the 240Z can be lapped safety. Cornering is very stable, and the chassis maintains a slight understeer up to high cornering speeds. The Bridgestone RD150 tires have high adhesion on dry roads, at least, and as a radial tire, it has high lateral rigidity and holds up well to side forces. But in high-speed bends, the 240ZG does not have enough power to make the tail slide with the throttle, so in that sense it is rather difficult to drive. We have also driven race-spec 240Zs on this course, and strangely enough, the race cars had the strongest understeer of any 240Zs we have driven. On the other hand, they were powerful and easy to control with the throttle, and we felt that they were easy to drive despite the much faster speeds. The Z432 we tested ran on Bridgestone Super Speed 5 bias-ply tires instead of radial tires, and these allowed for more appropriate sliding, making that car easier to control as well. Of course, the Z432’s suspension was stiffer than the 240ZG’s, and it was more suited to this type of driving, so as a result, the lap time was slowest for the 240ZG, with the Z432 being 1 second faster and the 240Z race model being 16 seconds faster.
The suspension has plenty of wheel travel, but mainly because of the stiff gas-filled dampers, it’s not as smooth as you’d expect from an all-wheel independent suspension when driving over rough roads at city speeds, and it’s not perfect at isolating road noise and vibrations. As speeds increase, the ride becomes more comfortable, with larger undulations being absorbed by the suspension and no tendency to float or pitch.
The appeal of the Fairlady as a GT is its extremely comfortable and livable interior environment for two people. The large, supportive high-back seats have an exceptionally wide range of adjustment fore and aft, and when moved all the way back, even our tester, who is 178cm tall, could not reach the pedals with his feet. For drivers of average build, the seating position is actually too low, and at least at first, it is difficult to gauge the position of the left front fender. With this ZG, in particular, you must always keep in mind that the nose, which you cannot see in front of you, is extended by about 30cm. In this respect, it is similar to the E-Type, but you sit even further back in the Fairlady, making the body feel even larger. For many drivers, it would be easier to drive if they put the 2cm spacer (provided) under the seat to raise it.
The various controls are very well placed and easy to use. The pedals are particularly good, being perfect for heel-and-toeing, and the footrest for the left foot is a great help when cornering. The combination stalk control on the left side of the steering wheel allows the lights, wipers, and washer to be operated by the fingertips, a design we hope other cars will emulate. All of this can be done while wearing the three-point seat belt, making driving at night or in difficult conditions completely safe. However, the standard headlights with plastic covers are nowhere near bright enough to keep up with the speed of this car. We would highly recommend replacing them with more powerful iodine lamps.
The tailgate opens wide and easily on hydraulic struts like the E-Type, and the huge luggage compartment behind the seats makes loading and unloading easy. It can hold an incredible amount of luggage for a long-distance trip for two people; we were able to fit a fifth wheel speedometer for our testing inside, so a folding bike would probably fit in easily too.
So, is the 240Z worth its price, which is 220,000 to 350,000 yen more expensive than the 2-liter Z, plus the additional tax you have to pay for a 3-number vehicle? In terms of performance, the difference of 400cc certainly has an effect, especially in terms of acceleration, and it is true that it is much easier to drive because of the extra power. However, if you are looking for an easy-to-drive car of this type, the automatic 240Z is more suitable. If you plan to use it as a true GT car, and if you are already willing to spend 1.5 million yen to buy the 240ZG, we think you should splurge a little and buy the Z432.