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Gran Turismo 4 Stuff...


JMortensen

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There is no way thats the list... So many cars.. ok too many BMWs. I love the BM's and they have never been big on putting in the good ones.. M3s, M5s, 850csi instead of the shotty 840s and so on.. makes you wonder. Ido know that it will include tons of the Skylines and Evos.. ah well. Sounds fun.. I'm waiting..

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I thought I had a doppelganger for a little while there.....

 

Well, in Japan the 432R ( Factory code "PS30-SB", also nicknamed "PZR" in the Sports Option parts lists and internal Factory communications ) was the 'trickest' of all the S30-series Z cars.

 

Essentially it was very similar to the Fairlady Z432 ( Factory code "PS30" ) - but it was what the 432R did NOT have that helped to make it special. Think of the American cars of the Muscle Car era, with long 'delete' lists, and you can kind of get the idea. The 432R was a Factory-built race car on sale to the general public.

 

I guess most Z fans will have heard of the 432 - which was ( according to the Factory in their 1969 press releases ) "A Fairlady Z with the engine from the GT-R". The 432 and 432R used the S20 twin cam engine which was first seen in the PGC10 Skyline GT-R of 1968. This engine was a road-going version of the Prince GR-8 race engine first used on the Prince and Nissan R380 series Sports racers.

 

There were thousands of differences between the 432 and the L-series engined Fairladies, but the 432R had hundreds of differences from the 'normal' 432. Difference No.1 was a quite different bodyshell ( although they both shared the "PS30" prefixed VIN ) with some areas strengthened and some areas lightened in comparison to the stock shell. Listing them all up here would be crazy - but for example the roof skin and rear quarters of the R had different part numbers to the normal 432.

 

Big VISUAL clues to the differences between the R and the normal 432 were, for example:

Deletion of the spare wheel well ( in order to accomodate the 100 Litre fuel tank )

FRP Hood, Tailgate, Front Valance ( different shape ) and Engine / Transmission covering belly pan ( very long ).

All windows made from Acrylic, except front screen - which was clear ( no tint ).

Cloth-covered FRP bucket seats with vinyl-covered head rests.

Deletion of heater ( although some road cars had these retro-fitted for demisting help ) and blanking of the eyeball vents in the dash. In fact, these were not even cut out in the first place - so its wrong to call them 'blanked'.

Deletion of the Console. The Ignition Switch was moved down to a bracket welded behind the gearlever, to make it easier to use when wearing a race harness.

No sound-deadening at all, and just vinyl / rubber interior coverings on floor and cargo area.

100 Litre fuel gauge.

10,000 RPM tachometer.

No Brake Servo ( Booster / MasterVac ) with bigger Brake Master Cylinder.

Different Brake Pedal.

Different Accelerator Pedal.

Non-dipping interior mirror.

Only one Sun Visor ( for driver ).

The list goes on and on....................

 

Mechanically, the 432 and 432R were pretty much identical to eachother, with the earliest versions having the FS5C71-A five-speed overdrive transmission ( quite close ratios ). Both had the big R192 Diff ( known as the R190 in the USA ) with a 4.44 ratio and four-pinion LSD. Spring rates and damper rates were the same on both the 432 and 432R - but these were considerably stiffer than the Japanese domestic market Z and Z-L models ( which in turn were more stiffly sprung than the USA market version ).

 

The R usually came with plain steel wheels from the Factory, whereas the plain 432 usually came with the Kobe Seiko "Mag" wheels ( which actually WERE Magnesium ).

 

I could go on about the more minute differences but you will all fall asleep......................

 

The Factory made something approaching 500 432 models ( the number of 420 built is usually quoted by the Factory - but this is acknowledged to be something less than 100% accurate by specialists in Japan ). The total of 432 models built includes something between 17 and 35 "R" models, although it depends who you talk to. The Factory used up something like 10 to 15 cars in their domestic race programme, and there were around 17 sold to the general public in Japan - and not all of these were road registered. Interestingly, the Works ( SCCN ) team in Japan won their first L6-powered Z races in "PS30" prefixed bodyshells. Yes - you read that right. When they decided to step up in the capacity class from 2 litre to 2.4 Litre, they simply installed L24 engines in their old race 432R bodies................

 

I've been learning about these cars ever since I first went to Japan in the mid-Eighties. I've been lucky enough to drive a few, and have followed the strip and restoration of two genuine "R" models too. They are totally fascinating to me. Nobody should doubt that Matsuo and his team put a lot of effort and thought into these variants right from the very beginning of the design process. The 432 and 432R were a LOT more than just their illustrious engine - these cars were QUITE different to the L-series engined variants. In fact, ALL early Z cars ( whether "Export" or Domestic market versions ) carry details on them that are there purely because they needed to be there for the 432.................

 

Don't start thinking that these are rip-snorting track terrors though. The S20 is indeed a high-revving low-torque and very peaky motor, which sounds faster than it really is. The thing that makes the 432 and 432R work so well is the combination of the S20 in a lightweight no-frills shell coupled to a nice close-ratio five speed and that 4.44 LSD rear end. Add in nicely stiff springs, dampers and roll-bars, and the high-ratio steering knuckles ( standard on the 432 and 432R ) and you start to realise what a great little package this is. They truly are a joy to drive.

 

I'm building a 432R replica at the moment. Many of the details will be correct and genuine parts. I have an S20 engine ( now mid rebuild ) and a mid-1970 "S30" ( Fairlady ZL ) bodyshell to put it in. Drawings are complete for the accurate replica of the 100 Litre tank, and I even have a genuine R 100 Litre tank gauge. I have genuine Factory cloth buckets and R type interior trim. Tailgate and Hood ( Bonnet ) are in FRP and all glass except the screen is Acrylic with the "Nissan" heat-stamp mark. I have 6 genuine Works "Rally" magnesium wheels. It might be running mid-2004 unless cash-flow holds me up longer.

 

That oft-quoted fact of the 432 being "most famous for" its use as a Highway Patrol car in Japan is a little annoying. In fact, only two cars were ever used ( they were both 'ordinary' 432 models, and not R's ) and they were not suitable to the use as a pursuit car - with long-periods idle and then a sudden thrashing from cold in pursuit of a speeding driver. This pretty much killed the S20 engines - which need careful warm-up and gentle use until up to temp.

 

The 432R scored Nissan's first Z car race wins in Japan, and should be remembered for this as much as anything else.

 

Apologies for the long post. These cars are my 'pet' subject.................

 

Alan T.

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alan,

any links you could post to pics of a 432-R? i had never heard of one and being a connaisseur of all things z, i'm quite intrigued.

 

thanks for the info on the formula 'busa.... all i can say is at 26k sign me up! now where do i put that car seat?

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Well, that's nice of you to say - but DO remember that my 432R replica project will be just that, a REPLICA.

 

Only the Factory could make a 432 or 432R, and you can't make a real 432 into a real 432R either.

 

I have got a real ( Factory ) Fairlady 240ZG, but the 432 and 432R were far more interesting and exclusive.

 

Once the engine for the replica is in and running I'll try to post some sound clips on the web for everyone to listen to. With hotter cams, race-spec. exhaust manifold and the straight-cut gear-driven oil pump conversion it should sound pretty good.

 

Alan T.

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