Chris Haubrich's 1977 Datsun 260z 2+2 - Driven!

Take a look at the first incarnation of the Nissan Z-Car, I wonder if Mr. Matsuo had any idea of the juggernaut he was creating, the two-door rear wheel drive, front engine design that would ultimately define a generation and form some of the most iconic cars out of Japan. The idea that would later spawn the Skyline, its super hero cousin, Italian stallion scaring, GTR and not to mention the more sedate and gentlemen...or porn producer.. friendly Z-Cars of the current era.  

The reality of the 260Z is, no matter what camp of car consumer you identify to, the bite your hands good looks and outright beauty in appearance has survived the test of time, the long sweeping bonnet, swept back windows and flared guards are something that we still see today, need proof; Ferrari California, Corvette, the BRZ/86. Put simply the absolute stunning nature of this timeless beast would surely even impress Nas Campanella

But, I want to get this off my chest early, the 260Z I was given to review was terrible. We all have these romantic notions about cars from a previous generation, the sound of the exhaust, the feel of a carburetted engine, rolling through the hills on a sunny afternoon with our lady friend, to park right outside the café and drink latte, while passes by admire the elegance and simplicity of what is presented before them. But, the simple reality is, classics are about as temperamental as a Greens back-bencher. Trundling the 260Z around the place is downright hard, once a not insignificant amount of time is spent letting the engine warm up, it then needs to be feathered between shifts to stop the horrendous sound of misfires, the gear shift is implausible difficult, it weighs in at broadly what you find a track ready V8 Supercar and to get the thing moving from lights requires the skill set of Garth Tander. 

But the dichotomy of this is the incredible sound of the exhaust that comes from the 130kw, straight 6, triple Webber Carby fed engine, while not deafening, it is a sound that could replace pacemakers. The feel of the 255 wide tires and Koni adjustable suspension offers a ride quality that is nothing short of impeccable. The 260Z will glide over undulations and potholes without a second thought and the steering while heavier than gravity itself offers a kind of lazy, relaxed feel to corners, as if, apexes are no longer important. And this leads me to perhaps the best defining factor of the 260Z; the fact it is, simply, slow. Hear me out here; we have all taken a girl for a drive up in the hills with every intention to impress, to only end up with nothing more than a passenger side full of vomit and a crying specimen of the breed (this has literally happen to me, several times). But in the 260Z, you experience the thrill of a Sunday drive, while actually moving forward at a really slow rate. The vast and downright simplicity of the 260Z would possibly make it the ultimate Sunday tourer, the car you use in a mating ritual with the opposite sex. While The 260Z is not a car you would even humour the idea of daily driving; next time I have a lady friend to take to dinner, I’ll take the slowest car I have driven in the a long time, I’ll take the 260Z. Did I mention I am single?

Will Young's 1970 Lotus Europa, S2 1.6L single cam

Will, cheers for your time.
First up, your Lotus is by far the most unique and exotic car I have featured on this blog. Just give us a run down on and general history of your car

Where to start! I’ve got a folder jam packed with documentation. I’ll start by saying that no 2 Europa’s are the same. They are an absolute rarity, and were all built slightly differently depending on how the people at lotus were feeling on the day. Mine was imported standard, in 1970. Since then I have documentation of 7 owners throughout QLD, NSW, Victoria and SA. Over that time everyone’s added their own little touch. It’s had 3 engine rebuilds since being in Australia (most recently by knight engines, can only say good things), and in the mid 80’s also had a complete body restoration – including a tasteful change of colour from bright orange to black. There has been a lot of other work done to it, but I’ll touch on that later.

How did it come to be in your world?

I was lucky enough to have it given to me from a great friend, and the most generous person I know – not only to me, but in many ways and to many different people and organisations.

Some people say you never really own a car like this, you are simply its custodian, that in it self gives you a level of responsibility well beyond your years. What made you want the Lotus over some Turbo’d out locked diff track pig?

My interest in the Lotus from the first time I saw it was obvious, and I was lucky enough to have the stars align and end up with it. At 19 I couldn’t afford one, but in owning it have definitely come to appreciate classic cars a lot more than I otherwise would have. Don’t get me wrong, I love going sideways in Nissans (and Fords!), but no feeling can compare to how this thing goes around corners.

You mention to me prior to this interview it has been out at Mallala a few times, I won’t ask for lap times, that’s irrelevant, but tell us what it’s like to steer in anger?

Its straight line speed is a little underwhelming but when it comes to corners, It’s unbelievable. The previous owner has compared it to several modern supercars and says it is by far more fun, responsive, and simply goes around corners faster. To me that says it all.
It sticks like shit to a blanket. It really is something you need to feel to believe, you just point and go. Flying around a track in 600kg’s and your bum about 8cm of the ground is about as good as it gets. Having said that, it doesn’t mind a little bit of a slide if you niggle the clutch enough.
I know you have had the engine rebuilt; did you make any major modifications to the engine or chassis in the process or have you left it largely true to form?
The engine block is primarily rebuilt to factory specs, but that and the body are perhaps the only standard remaining parts. It’s got an r16ts cross flow head (a factory option on some Europa’s, not mine), which also had some slight modifications – performance valves/seats, ported polished etc. On the induction side of things it’s got twin Webbers, and also has a custom built exhaust to suit the cross flow head.
It’s also got stronger BMW 320 drive shafts and fully adjustable coil overs at each corner. A tune is next, and then I might need to look at how to make it slow down faster.

Will, cheers for your time, if you have any businesses or what not you want a shout out to, please feel free.

No worries cheers Ben, a shout out to Adelaide hills touring wouldn’t go astray. It’s my family’s business, we hire out sports/touring cars for people to have a blast in on our fantastic Adelaide roads. We have a Boxter, Z3, MX5, MGB roadster, Alfa Romeo GTV spider, and a stupidly quick Audi TT Quatto. Something for everyone! Find us on facebook or at
www.adelaidehillstouring.com

Thanks mate; I might hit you up for a drive in that GTV!

Chris Haubrich's 1977 Datsun 260z 2+2

 I took the time to speak to Chris Haubrich about his Car Culture United Rickos Road and Race promoters choice award winning 1977 Datsun 260z 2+2

BC: Thanks for taking the time for Car Culture United. First up, tell us some vital statistics about your car

- Model type – 1977 Datsun 260z 2+2
- Rear wheel kilowatts – About 120kws (not much in today’s terms)
- Engine type – A Nissan L28 2.8lt, Single O/Head Cam, Triple Side draft 40mm Dellorto carburettors, Wade Cam, Modified Head

 
Give us a run down on how you came to be custodian of this car? 

CH: Well I’ve always had toys like motorbikes, jet skis, cars and had recently sold all my toys to purchase a business, after 6 months I had itchy feet to get something new and I happened to be looking through gumtree and saw this car located in Melbourne.
So I spoke to my wife pleaded my case she said nooo way so the next day I phoned the guy in Melbourne and put the $1450.00 into his account and arranged transport.
I hadn’t seen the car apart from photos, hadn’t heard it run or anything, I based my purchase on his description….. and what a bad decision that was…..

As you presented your 260z at the last CCU meet, it was near as immaculate as you will ever find on the road and to be honest, the level of attention to detail was simply exquisite by any standard. However, you made mention to me it didn’t start that way, tell us what kind of condition it was in when you acquired it and what needed to be resolved?

CH: When the car arrived I was shocked, I was planning on driving it as a bit of a rat rod idea but that wasn’t to be, soooo much rust and bog and rust and bog, the engine wouldn’t run, nothing worked, no lights, no nothing.
So I brought it home stripped the car to a rolling shell had it soda blasted then took it to Mick’s restorations in Murray bridge for the rust repairs and body work, over the course of a year all the rust was removed and there was a lot, rad support was removed and repaired, seal panels replaced etc. etc.
But while that was happening I had all the suspension components powder coated, every bush and seal was replaced, rear brakes where rebuilt, the front was changed to Hilux callipers. Everything has been replaced, rebuilt or customised. I took pictures at every stage to document it
A lot of items came from overseas seals, flares, trims, seals, bling etc.

The triple Webber setup is somewhat of a rarity these days, with most people taking the fuel injection route. Is it much work to keep the engine running smooth? 

CH: It’s hard to find a good tuner in Adelaide without spending a lot of money, it’s a dying art. It’s bad enough tuning one carby let alone three.
I tend to have to tune is once every 6 months but I only do a few hundred kilometers in that period if I’m lucky.

I think there would be a lot of guys right now, that have never driven a carburetted car, do you think that is something people should experience or did we move forward for a reason?

CH: Fuel injection is fantastic, smooth acceleration, no chokes, no coughing and farting when it’s cold but on the same token no soul,
Carburetted engines is where racing and motorsports all started from, a tuned carburetted engine sounds awesome but you have to learn the flat sports on acceleration and the tricks to driving one smoothly.
A true car person should really experience a nice carby engine to truly experience driving and the history around cars, but don’t get me wrong I love my fuel injected daily driver

At the previous CCU meet, you won the Ricko’s Road and Race Promoters choice award, what are you planning on doing with your $200 gift voucher?

CH: She’s already booked in for an exhaust system, Thanks Ricko’s

Is there anyone you would like to thank or businesses you would like to promote?

Micks Restorations – Facebook
Spencer Motor Trimmers - Hampstead Gardens
SAS Paint and Panel - Wingfield

Thanks for your time, and thank you for presenting such a divine car with CCU; we can’t wait to see you out on the road again

It's not a Countach!

So it’s not a Countach, Let’s just clear that bit up right now. Not a single component on this Frankenstein monster originated out of Italy in the eighties, the body is not even the same, the roof is flatter, the lights are not matching to era and the entire car is wrapped in fibreglass, not steel like the real deal.

The car does however, have a story to tell, it was originally built as a space frame chassis by some guy hiding from his wife in a back shed of Western Australia. The suspension linkages were donated from a Kombivan and engineered to accommodate coilovers, the steering originated in a Falcon, meaning unlike ‘real’ Lambo steering, it actually takes you broadly in the direction you point the front wheels and the pedal box was sourced from a Toyota Corolla, that works awesome, if you have a bit of small-man-syndrome going on down there. The gearbox was another donation from a Kombivan, I’m guessing the guy in his shed must have had one laying out the back, as was the LSD diff. What didn’t come from the Kombi was the X-Sprint car 500 horse power 360 Chev with MSD ignition and Edelbrock Victor intake manifold. 

So it’s not a legit Countach, but when you’re in it, ears bleeding, 500HP under foot, its legit, 500 horses is always legit. 

Driving this incredible replica is something that is difficult to explain, even for someone who has a grasp on hyperbolic English. The first thing you notice, is just how spatially unaware most drivers are, particularly as they go grasping for their phones to get a quick photo, but that’s not too bad, because you can’t see what is about to run in to the back of you anyway, there is no rear window. The interior is surprisingly true to form, deep bucket seats and lots of period spec gauges telling you things you can’t see while your head is being smashed in to the roof lining. The brakes, or lack thereof, with cheap Falcon drum items on the back and single piston callipers on the front are not exactly matched to the tasking of the 500 horsepower sprint car engine, meaning you REALLY need to think ahead of where you are on the road. The Chev V8, produces a noise that would scare the gods of thunder, and quite possibly keep your physio in business as it violently rips your neck off every time you even sneeze while resting your foot on the loud pedal, the old fashion carby and single cam push rod thing really is something you need to experience to believe. 

Driving up through the twisty stuff it’s not hard to see how these cars gained their notoriety, even heading past random old ladies cutting their grass turned heads. A quick stop at the top of the hill to clear our lungs from an alarming smell of petrol quickly found us a crowd including two young females and a police officer who was actually friendly and didn’t threaten to defect us even a little bit!   

 Driving this monster is hard to summarise, it’s not the real deal, but it does seem to match all my preconceived notions of what the real thing would feel like. Additionally; it’s hard not to think if the space frame had been wrapped in some other body work, I would probably label it terrible and get back in my daily driver. But it’s not, it’s a Lambo in my mind, it was never intended to challenge G-forces, it was intended to challenge G-strings. Think about it like this; we have all seen a cover band, you know they’re not the real deal, but by the end of the night you are still going home with a stranger and it only cost you a Tenner. For all its shortfalls, this car is brilliant!

Godzilla! The R35 GTR

So It’s no secret I get to drive a lot of rad cars, the other day I was blasting up Windy point in a VE SS Commodore, not long before that I was lapping a GT86 around Bathurst, then there was of course the completely unforgettable replica Lambo Countach I drove last year. All these cars are unique and share their own level of personality. But I have a confession to make, you probably know it anyway; I have always dreamed of driving something mental, not just a street tuners hypo nut job, but a proper super car, the kind of thing that tops lap times around the Nurburgring, so when the surprise opportunity to drive a R35 GTR Skyline came up....yeah.... normal daily operating procedures got put on hold and yes, let’s not beat around the bush, it’s epic!

I’ll start with the simpletons bit, 300kw at the wheels, which to be honest in current times might not sound like a lot, but the way this car puts power to the road is nothing short of incredible. The duel clutch flappy paddle gear box is razor sharp, short shifting will rip your head clean off, run it out to red line and you will run out of road before third gear. The all-wheel drive system has this clever way of assessing when a wheel starts to lose traction under acceleration and instead of just cutting power from the engine like you would expect in a traditional traction control system, the computer cuts torque from either the front or rear wheels leaving the other end to continue pushing the car forwards. This system takes quite a bit of accustomization, bury your foot out of a corner, wait for the front wheels to break traction and then the car continue to accelerate essentially as a rear wheel drive. This system really comes in to its own when you realize that 300kw’s has zero turbo lag. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure on a Dyno there is some visible lag, but on the road, where it matters, it feels every bit as torquey down low as a lumpy old V8. 

The next thing you notice about the GTR is just how quickly corners arrive. Now I know that’s an old cliché about driving fast cars, but in the GTR 160kph really does feel like 60 and by the time you glance down at the dash, you’re already late on the application of the carbon ceramic 6 piston front callipers, that will, in a hurry, stop you so hard it literally hurts your face. Once you arrive at the next corner the precision in the steering is like threading a needle, despite the fact it’s a big, heavy car, weighing in at near on 2 ton with a two people in it, you point the wheels at any apex, at any speed and you will be millimetre perfect every time. This is partly from the incredibly well set up chassis, but again down to that traction control system that comes screaming in like rocket the minute it senses something is going wrong.  And that leads me to the biggest problem, driving the GTR while requiring an incredible amount of concentration is very disconnecting from the road, and I don’t mean by the feel through your feet or hands. Driving a GTR is a bit like having a conversation with a personal assistant “Sir, where would you like to go” “I would like to be at the next corner please” “And how fast would sir like to get there?” “Well, as soon as we can please”. It sort of feels like, you’re just telling the car where to go and it is doing the rest....

When I got told ‘you’re driving the GTR tonight’ I honestly thought I would have that same sensation I get right before I go skydiving, that sense of adrenalin that reminds you, you are now doing something humans are not inherently meant to do, I just didn’t really get that the GTR. Please don’t get me wrong, The GTR was the best car I have ever driven, and by a long way... But it just feels, unrewarding. ....