These
days, if you are going to build a car from the 1960s or ’70s you’re
likely to choose one of three directions for your project. First off
there’s the restoration route, where you do your best to return
everything back to how it was when the car came out of the showroom.
It’s surely the most traditional way to revive an old car. Then
there’s the resto-mod option. You repair and restore the problem areas
on the car, and then add in some aftermarket bits for extra performance
and style. It’s a method that seems to get more popular each year. And
the third way? Well, that’s when you decide to get a little bit crazy.
Rather than embracing the old school way, you take the shell of your
vintage car and transform it into something much different and much more
powerful than anyone could have dreamed when it was originally built. Toni
Laari’s Datsun 260Z out of Finland is a car that falls into the that
third category. It’s got the unmistakable look of an early ’70s Z, and
the kind of streetable power that no one could have imagined back in 1974. When
Toni originally acquired the Datsun it wasn’t as if he was searching
high and low for an old Z to build into his dream car. He simply found
the car for sale nearby his house and thought it had a good look to it.
Not only that, but he liked the fact that it was rear-wheel drive and
had plenty of room in the engine bay to accommodate whatever wild power
plant he might decide to go with. Also
of interest is that Toni’s Z is not the more popular two-seat body
style, but the less commonly seen 2+2 shape. While some think 2+2 Zs are
a bit awkward looking, I think Toni’s car shows they can look just as
good as their two-seat counterpart. It also gives the whole thing an
added layer of uniqueness. Even
before he acquired the 260Z, Toni knew he wanted to build a street car
with tons of power for the track, great handling and a very cool style.
With the Datsun in his possession, he rolled the car into his garage and
began on making his vision a reality.
CHAPTER TWO
An Eight Year Journey
It
was never going to be one of those builds that takes just a few months
from beginning to end. In fact, it was way back in 2007 that Toni first
picked up the car, and it wasn’t until the spring of this year that it
finally emerged from the garage. As
I mentioned, serious power was going to be a big part of the project
from the start, and originally Toni’s plan called for about 600
horsepower. But that was before things started to get out of hand. Toni
is far from a purist, so for him it wasn’t a tough decision to go with a
Toyota 2JZ-GTE setup. The 2JZ’s legendary reliability made it an easy
choice, as did its endless aftermarket support. And
this would be an important thing as Toni began to build the motor. With
so much potential power on tap, his 600hp goal was soon left in the
dust. When it came to output, he was now aiming for a four-figure digit. The
engine itself has been fully built with heavy-duty Eagle rods, low
compression pistons along with an upgraded valvetrain and cams. The big
story though is the turbo – a Holset 71.5/88mm turbine on a custom KKD
Motorsport manifold with 4.5-inch downpipe and a 3-inch exhaust all the
way back. The
result is over 1,000 horsepower to the wheels – 1,036 to be exact – and
just over 900 foot pounds of torque for good measure. They’re extremely
impressive numbers when you consider that the whole car weighs in at
just 1,200 kilograms, or about 2,600 pounds. With the Z now making in the vicinity of seven
times the power it did stock, some serious drivetrain upgrades were in
order. The gearbox is a Toyota R154 with a Carbonetic clutch, and the
diff is an ultra-strong R200 with a Nismo LSD, heavy-duty axles and
300ZX Turbo hubs.
FINAL CHAPTER
The Never-ending Project
Toni
didn’t just want to make his Z fast – he also wanted a car that would
handle well at the track, so he spent a lot of time on the Datsun’s
suspension and chassis. The suspension itself consists of custom Tein
Flex coil-overs with an EDFC controller, and he also improved the
geometry to make the car more predictable at speed. Just
as important was the work done to stiffen up the old chassis. Over the
course of the build Toni completely tore the car down, fabricated
stronger frame rails, reinforced the chassis wherever possible and also
built a custom rollcage. When
it comes to the exterior it’s all about function. The fender arches
have been widened and fitted with ZG-style flares, the front bumper and
front spoiler are fiberglass, while the rear end has been trimmed and
de-bumpered. Toni even did the paint and bodywork himself. The
wheels are 17×10-inch and 17×11-inch BBMs from UK’s Image Wheels, and
they do a great job of maintaining an old school look while allowing for
modern Toyo R888 rubber and larger brakes. For
the latter, Wilwood 4-piston calipers and 300mm rotors feature all
around, and Toni also fitted the car with a hydraulic E-brake setup for
those times he wants to go sideways. Although
Toni wanted the Datsun to be friendly for street use, his primary goal
was to build a capable track car, and that’s clearly evident when you
peek inside. Along with the aforementioned rollcage, you’ll find a pair
of Sparco Evo seats with matching 6-point harnesses and a Sparco R345
steering wheel. The
original dashboard is still in place, but it’s been fitted with things
like Defi-Link gauges, a Tech Edge wideband o2 controller and a digital
speedometer. The pedals are from Tilton and a Jaz fuel cell sits in the
rear hatch area. Toni
says that by far the most challenging part of the project was the long
build time. The car was under the knife for nearly eight years and he
says there were times when it was hard to find the inspiration to keep
going. But once he had the car running and on the track, he’s more
excited than ever to keep improving it. Among
his current plans are more suspension upgrades to further improve the
handling, and fitting a traction control system to make better use of
the 1000-plus horsepower when the car’s on track. It’s been a
never-ending project for Toni, and he doesn’t see himself ever
‘finishing’ the car. With
its unusual body style, cross-maker engine swap and ridiculous amount
of power, Toni’s Z is about as far from your average S30 build as it
gets. We can’t wait to see what’s next for a car that’s surely one of
the most unique Datsuns on the face of the planet.
Няма коментари:
Публикуване на коментар