Fully modified 130 Fairlady Z

The Nissan “Fairlady Z” is one of the most popular old Japanese cars. Its sporty looks and simple layout which can be freely modified as only an old car can, has attracted many tuning freaks and has been immensely popular. Mr. Shigenori Kamikubo (上久保茂紀), now 52 years old, has enjoyed creating memories with such a Fairlady Z for 30 years. And that enjoyment continues through ongoing, new evolutionary changes, as he pursues his ideals and tuning.

Fell in love with the Fairlady Z at first sight

The Nissan 130 FAIRLADY Z appeared with a larger, more aerodynamic body than its predecessor and was loaded with luxurious equipment. Although a genuine sports car, its styling was more beautiful than the previous generation S30 FAIRLADY Z. The long-nose, short-deck style form was more pronounced, and the model was truly worthy of the name “FAIRLADY. On the other hand, it also had a highway cruiser-like atmosphere, which was also attractive.

When Mr. Kamikubo purchased this 130 FAIRLADY Z, the tuning industry was just entering its golden age with the appearance of the Nissan R32 “Skyline GT-R,” Toyota “Supra,” and Honda “NSX” 280 horsepower corps from various automobile manufacturers. It was during this time that he learned to play with cars, and while new sports cars were being released one after another, he had no interest in any of them, and had decided that his car of choice would be the Model L Fairlady Z. The reason for this was that he had been living in a place where he had lived for a long time. The reason for this is related to the place where he used to live.

Mr. Kamikubo was a fan of modified cars and went to see them every weekend as a gallery at the street drag race venues that were popular at the time. There he saw a fully tuned Z with an L-type engine, and he fell in love with its speed at first sight. He was completely mesmerized by the sight of the L-type full-tuned Z running at overwhelming speed, doing burnouts with a rumbling sound and tremendous tire smoke.

From there, Mr. Kamikubo says his desire to buy a Fairlady Z as his favorite car only grew stronger. However, at an inopportune time, the movie “Wangan Midnight” was just about to be released, and the devil’s Z became the talk of the town. Perhaps due to that influence, the S30 FAIRLADY Z, which had been rather inexpensive up until then, became a high price.

So he gave up on the S30 FAIRLADY Z, which had become a very popular model and the used car market price had risen, and turned his attention to the 130 FAIRLADY Z, which he decided to buy. That was the car he loves today.

Fully tuned with turbine replacement

Mr. Kamikubo’s car is a 1982 HS130 Fairlady Z. The engine was an L28 modified 3.0L, which is the standard L-type engine specification. Of course, he could have kept the engine as it was, but when it was time to overhaul the engine, he decided to install the RB25DETT as it was less likely to cause problems, easier to maintain, and more likely to produce more power. The turbine was replaced and the car was fully tuned.

To upgrade the engine, a Z33 6-speed transmission was transplanted, the differential was replaced with a mechanical R200, and the front suspension was an S13 Silvia, and the rear was an R32 GT-R with the entire member transplanted to a multi-link. The suspension was modified with a multi-link system. The brakes were also strengthened along with the increased power, with Porsche 6-pot Brembo calipers on the front and R35 GT-R Brembo calipers on the rear. The rotor diameter was also greatly enlarged, with 355mm rotors installed.

Also, about three years ago, the RB25DETT engine that was installed was getting very worn out, so an RB30DETT engine was installed by combining an RB26DETT head under the waist of an RB30DE engine with a single cam for export to increase the displacement more. A single turbo GT2835R turbine was installed on the largest displacement RB unit to achieve even more power, allowing the driver to enjoy a relaxed driving experience.

This specification retains the Z’s character but also has the presence of a supermachine

As you can see, the exterior of this 130 FAIRLADY Z, which has been modified considerably, has also been specially designed. For the exterior, he asked an FRP craftsman I know to create a one-off body in pursuit of my ideal image of a sports car. The front end is based on a nostalgic Eva 130 Fairlady G-nose kit with LFA-style side ducts, and the blinkers are based on those used on the RX-8’s late model. The blister fenders are designed to emphasize the 10cm oversized blister fenders on each side.

Mr. Kamikubo is a car enthusiast who enjoyed the era of blister fenders rather than over fenders. He was particularly particular about the modeling of his beloved 130 FAIRLADY Z. Including the front and rear ducts, the car was designed to show its presence as a super machine while retaining its Z-like appearance.

The blister fenders, which are a particular focus, have a tremendous presence when viewed from the rear, and the solid form of the fenders asserts above all else that they are special specifications. The visual effect of the diffuser set in the under part is also effective.

The interior is also notable for its elaborate all-red finish. The gauges were all replaced with Defi gauges, and a center console was also fabricated so that not only the audio system, but also the commander of the power FC, which is necessary when setting up the system, can be set smartly.

Mr. Kamikubo’s pursuit of the ideal 130 FAIRLADY Z as a sports car did not end there. There are still many things he would like to do, and he is thinking about what the future holds. As we talked, we strongly felt that Mr. Kamikubo, now 52 years old, will probably continue to drive his beloved car, enjoy customizing it, and come up with all kinds of ideas to enjoy tinkering with it even after he reaches the age of 60.