An arrangement of one of Japan’s most iconic sports cars for daily use

Mr. Akihiro Fukuchi, introduced here, is one such person who enjoys old cars by making them just as easy to drive as modern cars. He has arranged his beloved Nissan S30 “Fairlady Z” to make it cool and comfortable to drive.

Tuned to run comfortably on the stock base

Old cars are filled with elements that have been lost in modern cars. If we had to sum it up in one word, it would be “the joy of playing sports with a car. Driving is fun not only because of the handling, but also because of the engine, whose revolving feel and exhaust sound have been developed as a sports car. And each model has its distinct personality. The interior and seat positions are designed to be worthy of the name “sports car,” and the atmosphere and appearance are exquisite and cool. The thoroughness of the production process satisfies the hearts of adults who know what it was like in those days. This is a sentiment shared by many old car drivers.

Mr. Akihiro Fukuchi, who drives a Nissan S30 “Fairlady Z,” one of Japan’s most popular sports cars, is one of those who acquired a Fairlady Z, which he had long admired when he was an adult. He has loved riding and tinkering with cars since he was young and is a highly skilled mechanic. However, if he was going to own a car as his favorite vehicle, he wanted to avoid a car that he would have to keep an eye on its condition. Therefore, he tuned the car to make it easy to drive, eliminating the “it’s an old car, so it’s inevitable that it will have problems” compromise that is often made with old cars. He did not want to change the engine, so he modified the car based on the stock base.

The highly unique Star Road parts kit is installed

For the exterior, Mr. Fukuchi’s vision of a Fairlady Z sports car was expressed. The body is a rare yellow color, safari gold, and is equipped with a parts kit made by Star Road. The front end features an impressive wide-open front grille, which in combination with the sharp-edged lip spoiler creates a powerful nose. From there, a line that flows backward is created by combining wide fenders and a three-part rear wing.

The stock Fairlady Z has a clean, long-nose design, but Mr. Fukuchi’s car has a sharp, straight-edged design with curves, creating a simple yet distinctive presence. The tires that fit the works-style over fenders are Falken’s ZIEX ZE912, and the wheels are Star Road’s Gloucester. The center disk of the wheels is painted the same color as the body, and the rims are polished to emphasize the stepped rims.

Engine assembled to run comfortably

For reliability reasons, the standard L28 modified 3.1L engine is installed. This unit has already reached the point of maturity, so as long as the oil and water temperatures are well controlled, no problems will occur on the street. Fukuchi-san’s good friend who drives an old car also drives the same spec, so he decided to go with this spec because it has been proven to work.

Although not particularly aggressive or power-oriented, the high-efficiency engine with high camshafts and port grinding produces a mechanically tuned sound and is fast when the accelerator pedal is depressed. In particular, the roaring sound of the engine as the rpm rises is unmistakable.

“Old cars are not for decoration, but for fun,” says Mr. Fukuchi.

So far, he is not dissatisfied with the style, the engine runs smoothly, the suspension is comfortable, and he is very happy with the ride. He plans to enjoy the car as it is until he gets tired of it, and then gradually upgrade the features he notices while driving it.