New 2011 Racing stripes option!!
 

OK not really...... my current project car is my '83 280ZX which I am building a turbo motor, etc for this winter. I'll be painting the car but I wanted to smooth it out by getting rid of some of the badging, etc but at the same time I didn't want to go with a solid colour or a full on two tone so I decided to do something along the lines of some BRE racing stripes. The ZX is sitting outside and it's almost freezing outside so the 370Z in the heated garage was just too tempting a workspace to resist..... so before I get asked 1.8 billion times why it says Datsun on the side.... it's similar to the original BRE stripes and the Datsun in the middle is part of the stripe. I've gone with more angle (actually the angle of the window) a thick and thin stripe and the "Datsun" fits perfectly within the imaginary lines between the two different coloured stripes. The flash makes the "Datsun" pop but its actually very close to the colour of the car so it's fairly subtle. The door as you know is pretty curvy so the angle makes the stripes look out of whack but they are perfectly straight when you look at them straight on.

Sorry the pictures suck but it's dark and cold outside so I took what I could in the garage.

http://www.the370z.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1294109313

http://www.the370z.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1294109313

:wtf2:

hmmm wheres that thread about what not to do to your Z..

:shakes head: :shakes head: :shakes head:

You tricked me. I like the Datsun part.

i mean the stripes are "oooook" i guess if thats the look you want.. especailly on blue i mean i get the whole BRE inspired thing...... but i would immediately loose the datsun lettering.... to put it nicer than anyone else that posts after me will.....it cheapens the car by about hmm about.... 30K

Lol - the Datsun 240Z was THE car that changed people's perspective of Japanese cars in North America. You might associate Datsun with cheap but it's the reason you're driving a GT-R in the first place. It's also the reason the 370Z even exists. Not everyone buys a car as a penis extension....

Lol - it's vinyl guys - it peels right off.

I'm pretty sure this is it.

:ugh:

Really? :rofl2:

:gtfo2:

Man... what ever happened "to each their own" style of attitude... ive seen much worse on this site... my favorite is when people do the CF-vinyl thing... now thats BAD!

I'd get right on that if I were you.

There's a reason there's no racing stripes option coming out of the factory. I mean, I understand what you're doing, but even the best done homage isn't going to plaster the Datsun name on the 370z.

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...2k/240zBRE.jpghttp://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a..._bre_brock.jpg

That is not bad looking...

Arroz con pollo!!

The internet is a funny place. We get all worked up about nothing and when something serious happens people pretend it never did, step over it and continue on their way....

Remember guys... sticker... lol... breath....

I think I'll rock the Datsun and see if I can get some more convulsions while I'm driving around although I suspect it's just the Internet that this gets really serious. Hehe

Sorry, not feeling the "Datsun" on the side of a current generation (or any Z car made after 1986) Nissan. ...but that's my opinion though. Sport it if you love it.

Stripes are ok. Datsun lettering looks out of place, especially since the emphasis is dead in the middle of the fender.

wow didnt know my manhood would be questioned for not liking the letters... weve all been there.... when i was 19 i had this really cool black C5 vette.. i had BBS LM wheels on it and i had these white BBS decals down by the wheel wells which looked meh ok ...but then i decided man it would look really race car(ish) if i got one of those white CORVETTE Lettering GT style decals to go at the top of the windshield...

so i ordered it ... got it... put in on off centered as hell ..... kept it for about 2 hours and thought what the hell am i doing and took it off..... what i drive has nothing to do with it.... im not putting down Z's at all i think my reputation in the Z community the last 5 years speaks for itself....you got a nice car just sayin the letters are gonna distract and take away from the car... its the same as what if i put skyline on the side of my car?

to each their own just giving my opinion since you posted it for everyone to see


enjoy!

Lol - I think everyone is looking at the pictures without reading the text that goes with it. These are vinyls for my 280ZX - I was just using the 370Z because it's sitting here in the heated garage. I've got a couple of layers of synthetic wax and applied a couple of coats of synthetic detailing spray before I applied the vinyl. The "Datsun" lettering is what the striping has to fit around so it needs to go on to figure out the sizing, etc for the stripes based on the angles, etc. I may as well put the disclaimer that it's not really a dealer option for 2011 either ;P

Everybody take a deep breath. It's not really staying there.

I don't know why people are sooo anti stripes here. And the few people who have had the balls to put them on, do so tastefully and they don't look terrible. Personally I think these look alittle Meh on a 370Z, the Datsun just doesn't go with it. But on your 280, I think they'll look just fine!

I just don't like the Datsun font. It is like the Facebook font in the Facebook color. The font should match the BRE #46 IMO.

Traslation:

RICE! :roflpuke2:

It's after 1983 actually.... although if you really want to get technical when the 300ZX was introduced in 1984 it did have both the Datsun and Nissan logos but emphasis of course was on Nissan since that was the year they changed back to the Nissan name

OK. According to Wikipedia, "Datsun" brand was phased out in March 1986. That was what I was basing my info on.

Datsun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm going to put Infiniti logos on my car to keep it classy :icon17:

Do you mean "Translation"? :stirthepot: :tup:

right....

"Ultimately, the name change campaign lasted for a three year period from 1982 to 1984 (Datsun badged vehicles had been progressively fitted with small "Nissan" and "Datsun by Nissan" badges from the late 1970s onward) until the Nissan name was given prominence in 1983 - although in some export markets vehicles continued to wear both the Datsun and Nissan badges until 1986."

... so my 1983 model year 280ZX has the "Datsun by Nissan" badge on the rear hatch (big Datsun small Nissan) and in 1984 when the 300ZX came out they all said Nissan and some had a Datsun badge as well. By 1984 there weren't any Datsun's that I know if in North America. The Datsun 720 pickup truck from 1980-1983 was renamed the Nissan D21 from 1983.5 to 1986.5 when the "Hardbody" came out. The Datsun/Nissan tailgates were interchangeable so you might see a Nissan pickup with a Datsun tailgate and vice versa. So yea - no Z cars carried the Datsun name after the 1983 model year other than some of the 1984 300ZXs that had a large Nissan with a small Datsun on the opposite side on the rear hatch.

Cool historical tidbit. :bowrofl:

Interesting responses. I agree that a lot of people on here do much worse mods and don't get the same negative reaction (carbon fiber, lame lighting mods, etc). I wonder how a datsun emblem would look to replace the burger.. Not that anyone would make such a thing..

:ugh2:

FricFrac, you do whatever you wanna do. It's your car, it's your money. You got a cool collection of Zs and you know more about the history of Datsun/Nissan then half the punks driving the newest edition. Funny thing about people today, they all think that their opinions matter. Do your own thing and ignore those who think their opinions are more important than yours.

Vinyl, people! Peels off like a condom after a freaky night with J. Cuervo--no harm, no penicillin required.

LOL... I built a V8 Datsun 240Z track car because it is freaking SCARY FAST!

I instruct with several groups and I have driven just about everything including all out hot laps in several GTRs. I even yacked in a GTR with an inexperienced driver pushing it too hard. The fact I'm still alive after that is a testament to that car's unique abilities.

Anyway,
When I finally completed the Datsun; my wife commented that I could have bought a brand new Nissan Z, paid it off completely with interest and driven it the entire time it took me to build up the race car... and it still would have been cheaper.

I'll keep my BMW M3 for streetable track duty, the glorious Datsun is all race all the time and the most thrilling beast I have ever had my gloves on.

Pics?

:iagree:

Also OP, Have you driven any stock or modified 370z?
If so did you realize a difference at all on the track?
Thanks! :tup:

My L24 powered Datsun 240Z track car chasing down a modified 350Z.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...myredtruck.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...orthcourse.jpg

Terrible video inside a GTR. Srry but my camera was new and I had not gotten used to it's auto iris function. I am not pushing 10/10ths in this video. I was trying to figure out how the nanny behaved for my student.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...incarshort.jpg

My BMW E36 M3 having some fun showing off for the camera man.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...97/M3drift.jpg


Tow vehicle on the skidpad in the rain. I only had slicks that day and this was good clean fun.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ruckdriftB.jpg


Ohh yea... and my V8 powered Datsun holy terror.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...t/Sunangle.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...eriorright.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...Datsun240Z.jpg

The Datsun 240Z was a smashing hit and it was a pure/nasty little sports car. The Datsun beat everything even 5 times as expensive. It absolutely turned the sports car market upside down. Nissan has never had the guts to do it since they dropped the Datsun name. Nissan Motor Co. thought Datsun sounded "less Japanese" and would appeal to Americans better. Once they crushed the old plastic-doggy-doo-makers misnomer they dropped Datsun and used their maiden name Nissan. They also made more expensive Zs to suit a wider market. It was just not the same incredible Z after that.

The 370Z is a limited car. It only has 2 seats and you can't fit 3 occupants with 2 mountain bikes inside it. It is also too soft and delicate for track use. It has potential, but only with a great deal of money and effort.

My beef with all of the Nissan cars built on that chassis is the complexity of the suspension and sub-frame mounting points. By the time you have replaced all the squishies you have a NON-streetable car. If I ever wanted one I would buy the base model, toss everything chassis and brake related, and go pure aftermarket.

The BMW offers higher performance and durability for occasional track time with a perfectly streetable car. It has 4 doors, 4 seats, fold-down rears with a large trunk. It has 50/50 balance, fantastic brakes, holds 8 quarts of oil in reserve, durable driveline, and solidly mounted suspension components. Track prep is easy and weekday-reversable. Change brake pads/fluid, change wheels/tires, align for track duty and go tear it up. The BMW was a much more expensive car to buy, and a much better car for dual duty track/street.

The Datsun 240Z was meant to make an impression. Nissan Motor Co. did their best, when it counted, to get a strong foothold in N. America.

Who the hell wanted a spartan sports car with a cardboard and vinyl interior? Gearheads and dreamers of all ages bought the Z and put up with it's cheapness because it was quick, nimble, reliable, and had a one hell of a mean reputation. People bought it because it was cheap and badass.

They could do it again with hybrid/electric in a bonded composite chassis. Make it cheap, light, and fast as hell. It needs a Datsun badge to work.