Big Hitter

What do you get when you take 70's design and pair it with a 90's tuner engine? A supercar slaying masterpiece.

Owner: Jason Alty - @rb.260z | Photography: @ave_photography

You can see many things in our nation's capital city. Big Ben, the Shard, the London Eye, red buses, and the big house on the river full of hundred's of suit-clad idiots. What you don't tend to see, is a 1978 Datsun 260z perched up curb-side in the soft winter sun awaiting one of the most perfect photoshoots. The modern architecture juxtaposing the delicately designed sweeping lines of this classic coupe.

This theme of old & new combining in harmony to create something unique is a notion that will be prevalent throughout this feature. If you have read many of our previous retro features, you will know that I have a particular soft-spot for resto-mods. There's something so enticing about taking a classic car, mechanically upgrading it with modern derivatives, and running it almost as close to a comfortable modern car as you can. Let's be honest, in recent years, OEM automotive design has taken a downturn. It appears Jay shares this belief:

"I've always been fascinated with the Datsun S30 platform but grew up with a desire to modify cars, so something that combined the two was always the dream. The car still retains the classic design elements that I fell in love with as a kid, whilst having the performance and handling characteristics that far exceed anything I could have dreamed of."

Before we dive into the work that Jay has completed under the bonnet, it's important to understand the starting point in order to fully appreciate the sheer extent of the work displayed.

The 260z was introduced as an upgrade on the 240z housing a bigger, more powerful 2.6l engine producing 163bhp. On top of this it was the chassis and cockpit which saw the majority of the changes.

Inside the cabin, the climate control interface was improved for usability, with the A/C system being integrated into the main panel. The dashboard and centre console received a redesign alongside the seat trim and door panels.

For the chassis, well, it was stiffened-up by featuring larger redesigned chassis rails which extended further back, whilst a rear sway bar was introduced to help keep the rear end in check. At the time, it was positioned to rival other sports cars such as the Alfa Romeo Spider, MGB and Opel GT - all of which having smaller 4-cylinder engines and very lively rear axles making the Z a firm favourite.

Over the test of time, the Z platform gradually dwindled in popularity, that is until Jay got his hands on one and created something capable of re-igniting the Z flame in any petrol head.

"I bought a driving RB project in 2017 after searching for 2 years. I joined the Z Club to learn more about the car and fell in love with a members' RB project that he was also undertaking. This car became a bit of an inspiration for my project as the member had done everything 'right' and had created an incredible car. After owning the original Z for around 5 years, the opportunity came up to move onto that very car that had been the inspiration for my original Z and I've never looked back."

Peel back the carbon-clad bonnet and you reveal the beating heart of Jay's 260z - an RB engine extracted from an R34 Skyline. Whilst the 2.6l twin turbo inline-six RB engine 'officially' produces 276bhp, this still seemed... meek, and so more work was required. The engine has been built up to a capacity of 3.4l by Spool Automotive in Australia. A single big Borg Warner 9180 turbo was then added, feeding a Walton Motorsports manifold and fully custom exhaust.

The end product of this setup - an incredible 630bhp with 535 lb-ft of torque. Essentially enough power to tear the seventies skin from the chassis under acceleration.

To help keep the 287% increase in original power under wraps, some major work has been required when it comes to handling. BC Racing coilovers, Techno Toy Tuning LCA's and TCR's have all been added. On top of this, keeping the 1970's brakes was a one-way ticket to meeting our maker, so a full disc brake upgrade with Wilwood calipers was required. For some additional grip, Nankang CR-S semi slicks tyres dress the 15"x10.5" Watanabe Type-R wheels chunkily to add some extra meat under the arches. The whole car is a beefed-up bar brawler with the body of a swimwear model.

"The power and the way it is delivered would be my favourite part. Although the car has the potential to be an absolute animal on boost, it also drives incredibly civilised when off boost. This means that I can drive it to car shows and coffee meets without it being too much of a handful, whilst always being a small press away from all the noise and power that comes with the engine setup. The sound it gives when on throttle is intoxicating."

What Jay is describing is a feeling that is unique to car enthusiasts and is a reason why electric cars will struggle to catch on within the community. Whilst you can feel power, it's the orchestral symphony from all of the parts working in harmony to deliver the power that's addictive. The spool of the turbo, the suction of the air intake, the bellow of the exhaust, this is the audio of power.

Getting all of this to gel together in a way unique to an owners driver's style can be difficult, as Jay has discovered.

"The biggest challenge so far has been getting the car setup to drive nicely without compromising on its performance. It needs to be something I can hop in and drive without leaving feeling frustrated. I love the look of the small wide wheels but these require careful setup and a fairly significant amount of work to ensure the car doesn't rub whilst driving."

The flared carbon arches matching the bonnet, perched neatly over the wheels to keep everything aligned and in check. Ultimately the static drop and small wide wheels help get this Z closer to the tarmac and have created an aggressive, functional, and performance orientated stance.

"I've always loved the way these cars looked when lowered on small wheels. Watanabe wheels have been used on this platform since the 70's and I was keen to keep that as part of the vision whilst having more rubber available to keep the car on the road during the more spirited drives. The result, was some custom spec wide wheels from Watanabe in Japan who provide the 8-spoke design with a nice amount of dish. In order to fit these without scrubbing, the arches needed to be cut and seam-welded so I installed some custom wide arches made from carbon to suit the car."

The flared arches and small sporty wheels harking back to the racing heritage of the Z platform, bringing back the wider styling seen on late 90's circuits. Although form over function is not something that Jay believes in so everything has been planned to ensure it still provides optimal performance - a refreshing outlook in a scene of super slammed and cambered builds.

"The main compromise is the car's ride height. The Datsun is notorious for having a low slung exhaust due to the bracing setup underneath the car. This means that when driving the car low it will scrape on most speed bumps and can be really difficult to drive in the city.

The benefit of having adjustable coilovers is that you can raise the car as appropriate depending if the purpose is to go for a blast or head out for a cars & coffee meet. The engine characteristics of the car are fantastic, it feels like a torquey V8 when cruising under 2,000RPM but opens up into the screaming high-revving Japanese inline-6 that the RB platform is known for!"

It's a shame that the modern streets don't echo to the noise of a turbo'd inline-6 engine more often, and soon, won't at all if Governments & activists continue on their agenda to ban the combustion engine. For me, there could be nothing better than hearing this sweet symphony whilst adventuring in the modern landscape. One thing I wouldn't be prepared for is to associate the soundtrack of a track tearing monster to a 70's classic. It's fitting then, that this 260z is finished in Ferrari 'Rosso Corsa' Red, as it would happily go toe-to-toe with F430's, F360's and many other Maranello models on the road.

"The car is honestly almost finished. There are some minor aesthetic touches that I am still considering but ultimately it's to get the car driving to shows and meet-ups to enjoy it. I think the most controversial decision I need to make is whether I install some fender mirrors that I've ordered from Japan."

Some final touches to what is already a sensational project, and then Jay intents to spend the time enjoying his 260z and quite rightly, showing it off. Fusing modern performance with the classic design of beloved marques from yesteryear creates a unique and inspiring build that evokes feeling in enthusiasts alike. Jay's 260z is an exquisite example of resto-mod where the power and performance remains usable and well balanced - it's a true driver's car and one that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Spec Sheet:

Power Output: 630bhp / 535 lb-ft

Performance: