Fairlady Z432 and Z432R

The Z432

When the S30 Fairlady Z went on sale in Japan in late 1969, the Z432 sat at the top of the line, above the L20-powered Fairlady Z and Z-L. Its model code is PS30.

Besides the engine, the Z432 came standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox, a limited-slip differential and magnesium wheels. Its price was ¥1,850,000, nearly double the base Fairlady Z. It was built from 1969 to 1972, with production usually given as 419 or 420 cars.

From the outside, the Z432 looks almost the same as other Fairlady Zs. Look for the 432 badges on the rear quarters and hatch, the special wheels, and under the hood, three big sidedraft carburetors on a twin-cam head.

See Decoding Your VIN for the PS30 model code, and Production Numbers for how the Z432 compares to the rest of the S30 line.

Z432 Specifications

From the Nissan Heritage Collection. Inch and pound conversions are ours.

The S20 Engine

The S20 is a racing engine made streetable. It comes from the Prince GR8, the 2.0 liter twin-cam six that powered the Prince R380 sports-racing car in 1966. Prince merged with Nissan that same year, and the S20 went into production in 1969, first in the Skyline 2000GT-R sedan and then in the Fairlady Z432.

• Built by hand. The heads were ported and polished by hand, and each engine was run on a test bench before it went into a car.
• Short stroke. The GR8's 63 mm stroke was cut to 62.8 mm so the engine would stay under 2.0 liters even with manufacturing tolerances, keeping it in the 2-liter racing class.
• From gears to chains. The race engine drove its cams with gears; the S20 uses timing chains.
• Revs. The Z432's tachometer has a yellow zone from 7,000 to 7,400 rpm and a red zone above 7,400, compared with 6,500 and 7,000 rpm for the L-series cars (see the owner's manual page below).

Where the S20 Was Used

Production numbers are the commonly published figures; the Z432R number is an estimate.

The Z432R

The Z432R (chassis code PS30-SB) was built for privateer racers: a Z432 with everything that wasn't needed to go fast taken out, ready for a roll cage and a race number. Only about 30 to 50 were built, and no official Nissan figure has been found. The engine is the same 160 PS S20; the difference is weight, about 100 kg (220 lb) less than a Z432.

• Fiberglass (FRP) hood, often finished in black.
• Thinner steel body panels.
• Acrylic side and rear windows, with only the windshield in glass.
• 100 liter fuel tank for endurance racing, in place of the stock 60 liter tank, taking up the spare tire well.
• No heater, no radio, and no air cleaner on the carburetors.
• Fixed-back bucket seats that don't recline.

Because so few were built and so many were raced hard, a real Z432R is one of the most valuable Z cars. In recent years, Z432Rs have been offered at Japanese auctions with estimates in the ¥80 million range.

Racing

The S20's fame comes mostly from the Skyline GT-R, which won its first race at the 1969 JAF Grand Prix at Fuji and went on to win 49 races in a row before the streak ended in October 1971.

The Z432R raced in Japan in the 2-liter class, but the S30 itself turned out to be better with a bigger, simpler engine. At the 1970 Fuji 1000 km, an L24-powered Fairlady Z beat six S20-powered Z432Rs despite having less power. From then on, the L-series six became the engine of choice for racing and tuning S30s.

Owning or Buying One Today

• Check the numbers. A real Z432 has a PS30 chassis number and an S20 engine. Many S30s have been dressed up as 432s with badges and wheels, and S20 engines have been swapped into other cars, so check that the chassis number and the engine match the car's history.
• Z432R: look for the PS30-SB identification and documented history. Expert inspection is a must before buying.
• Parts: S20 engine parts are expensive and scarce. The Skyline GT-R community and specialists in Japan are the best sources.
• Outside Japan: the Z432 was never sold new outside Japan. Cars elsewhere were imported later, so check import records too.