Plan A to Z
November 13, 2013 3:06 AM Subscribe
"I felt the only way to make any progress with the project was to make a clay model to show Katayama-san, gain his support, and ask him, as the President of Nissan USA, to push for the model's development."
The Datsun 240-Z In The Styling Studio
Concept To Reality 1965 to 1968
The Datsun 240-Z In The Styling Studio
Concept To Reality 1965 to 1968
Loved the Datsun Zs.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 3:52 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 3:52 AM on November 13, 2013
I had a friend in high school whose dad had an orange 240Z, we went for a couple of drives, iconic car.
posted by carter at 4:31 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by carter at 4:31 AM on November 13, 2013
Lovely car, said to be inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO and Jaguar E-Type
posted by exogenous at 4:49 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by exogenous at 4:49 AM on November 13, 2013
I was just wondering about these huge clay models, how car designers could make them so perfect and symmetrical, and whether this is still as much a part of the design process. It's interesting to see the rough original here vs the slick finished models.
I actually prefer the silhouette of option B; it would have been nice to see the front. It's a shame (as it is for a lot of design 'option B's) that this concept was never realized.
posted by Flashman at 5:05 AM on November 13, 2013
I actually prefer the silhouette of option B; it would have been nice to see the front. It's a shame (as it is for a lot of design 'option B's) that this concept was never realized.
posted by Flashman at 5:05 AM on November 13, 2013
Loved the 240Z. Such a beautiful car.
Damned things rusted like crazy if you even got near them with a glass of water, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:20 AM on November 13, 2013
Damned things rusted like crazy if you even got near them with a glass of water, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:20 AM on November 13, 2013
What a classic car! A friend of mine in high school had an orange 240; another friend's father had a (somewhat bloated by comparison) 280ZX. Loved riding in them and hoped to have one when I was able to afford it. I ended up settling for a Miata instead. The later generations of Z cars just don't have the same panache as far as I am concerned.
posted by TedW at 5:47 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by TedW at 5:47 AM on November 13, 2013
It seems many of us had a dad with an orange 240Z. Great car. I had a shot at getting a tennis ball yellow one in high school but my parents steered me toward a Honda civic.
posted by birdherder at 6:23 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by birdherder at 6:23 AM on November 13, 2013
Amazing how boring cars became when they started to be designed by computers. Yeah, they're much better now. And much more boring.
posted by WhitenoisE at 6:32 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by WhitenoisE at 6:32 AM on November 13, 2013
My inner teenager still pronounces it as 24 oz.
posted by fairmettle at 6:40 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 6:40 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I didn't realize just how much I liked this car until seeing this post. Guess I'll keep that idea in my pocket in case I need a resolution to a mid-life crisis anytime soon. Those finished clay models are amazing.
posted by mollweide at 6:48 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by mollweide at 6:48 AM on November 13, 2013
Amazing how boring cars became when they started to be designed by computers.
Humans design cars, not computers.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 6:52 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Humans design cars, not computers.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 6:52 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
You don't suppose they were influenced by the Lotus Elan?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:05 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:05 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Awesome. The only cool car my dad ever had was a Z, but my mom wrapped it around a telephone pole before I could get my hands on it. SAD FACE.
posted by nathancaswell at 7:12 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by nathancaswell at 7:12 AM on November 13, 2013
I really want this car. Too bad it's so old that you can only find rusted out shells or $20,000 complete restorations.
posted by scose at 7:22 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by scose at 7:22 AM on November 13, 2013
$20,000 sounds like a bargain for a completely restored model though. I bet you couldn't do it for anything close to that price.
I was reading about someone restoring one with a rally history, and he spent over $70k on the restoration.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:27 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was reading about someone restoring one with a rally history, and he spent over $70k on the restoration.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:27 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
such an elegant design
it looks just right on Japanese roads
posted by ninjew at 7:29 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
it looks just right on Japanese roads
posted by ninjew at 7:29 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Humans design cars, not computers.
Right, obviously there's people on the other end using computers and programming them, but modern car body designs are based on computer-generated models to maximize safety and fuel economy. I'm not saying they have an autonomous computer just spit out a random design and then use it.
posted by WhitenoisE at 7:32 AM on November 13, 2013
Right, obviously there's people on the other end using computers and programming them, but modern car body designs are based on computer-generated models to maximize safety and fuel economy. I'm not saying they have an autonomous computer just spit out a random design and then use it.
posted by WhitenoisE at 7:32 AM on November 13, 2013
Opinions will vary but I don't think the 370Z is particularly more boring than the 240Z, for example.
posted by ftm at 7:55 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ftm at 7:55 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Just dropping in to say that, although I take public transportation (and generally loathe driving), the original Z car is the only car I've loved enough to consider purchasing. And yes, it would have to be bright orange. And possibly outfitted with a little device that would raise up from the trunk and shoot sparks out the back. You can see I've thought about this.
They can't all be rusted out, can they?
... a man can dream...
posted by evil otto at 7:56 AM on November 13, 2013
They can't all be rusted out, can they?
... a man can dream...
posted by evil otto at 7:56 AM on November 13, 2013
Opinions will vary but I don't think the 370Z is particularly more boring than the 240Z, for example.
I couldn't agree more. I love the look of it. I love the throaty growl of the exhaust even more.
During the friscallating dusk light of our neighborhood's summer nights, I can hear 370z's go by and I know what it is based on the exhaust note. I'll have to use Gran Turismo if I want to drive one, unfortunately.
Yes, I used the phrase "friscallating dusk light" here and I'm glad I did. No regrets.
posted by glaucon at 8:31 AM on November 13, 2013
I couldn't agree more. I love the look of it. I love the throaty growl of the exhaust even more.
During the friscallating dusk light of our neighborhood's summer nights, I can hear 370z's go by and I know what it is based on the exhaust note. I'll have to use Gran Turismo if I want to drive one, unfortunately.
Yes, I used the phrase "friscallating dusk light" here and I'm glad I did. No regrets.
posted by glaucon at 8:31 AM on November 13, 2013
I must be older than a lot of you. My BROTHER had an orange 240Z. Until he wrapped it around a curve in the road that jumped up in front of him. He walked away, but the car was totaled. I was about 13 at the time, so I never got to drive it. SAD FACE.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2013
The modern spiritual equivalent is the 86/FR-S/BRZ. I'm sure it drives great, wish I liked the way it looks...
posted by scose at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by scose at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
As a proud owner of a '73 240Z, my love overflows for this little lady. Fortunately I live in Arizona, where its too dry for old cars to rust out. You have to look carefully, but it is possible to find clean, rust-free vehicles for sale, if they didn't spend their lives outdoors or where it rains frequently. Southern CA, AZ, and NM are all decent areas to find clean Zs for sale.
Nearly every time I take it out, someone walks up to me--often a man, sometimes a woman--to comment on how they love these cars, wish they hadn't sold theirs, and/or ask if I am looking to sell. The Z designers made something pretty special.
posted by insert.witticism.here at 8:53 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Nearly every time I take it out, someone walks up to me--often a man, sometimes a woman--to comment on how they love these cars, wish they hadn't sold theirs, and/or ask if I am looking to sell. The Z designers made something pretty special.
posted by insert.witticism.here at 8:53 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Damned things rusted like crazy if you even got near them with a glass of water, though.
Pretty much every Japanese car from the seventies turned to rust within a few years. My Celica rotted faster than I could slap bondo on it.
posted by octothorpe at 8:54 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pretty much every Japanese car from the seventies turned to rust within a few years. My Celica rotted faster than I could slap bondo on it.
posted by octothorpe at 8:54 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I can still feel the parking brake in my armpit.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:13 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by humboldt32 at 9:13 AM on November 13, 2013
One of my first cars in college was a maroon 77 280z 2+2. Great little car till the water pump failed and she bled out and overheated on the pass, heading back to Olympia from Eastern WA. Gf at the time and I had to hitchhike home with a trucker. I came back for the Z and got it towed home, but she was never the same and I sold her to a wrecker not much after. Wish I'd have known how to work on cars then to the extent I do now...
posted by stenseng at 10:54 AM on November 13, 2013
posted by stenseng at 10:54 AM on November 13, 2013
My first boyfriend had a maroon 260z. That thing flew, and was beautiful. It was also full of rust, and ended up being stolen and involved in a high-speed police chase in which it was driven the wrong way up a freeway. The kid who stole it managed to abscond from the police car while handcuffed, and was on the lam for several weeks before being recaptured. It was an awesome car. When I first heard of the British TV series Z Cars I thought it was about the Dattos, and was rather disappointed it was instead about old police officers who got about in Fords.
Thanks for the post! The clay modelling was really interesting.
posted by goo at 9:38 AM on November 14, 2013
Thanks for the post! The clay modelling was really interesting.
posted by goo at 9:38 AM on November 14, 2013
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posted by adamt at 3:20 AM on November 13, 2013