Savouring The Moment – Datsun S30

Today, we live in a world where we demand instant results, news and gratification. No longer have we the patience or time to linger on something and truly appreciate its value. We live in a culture where it seems we are all rushing towards our death, not taking the time to savor the moment. We quickly skim over things, often missing out on the important things in life.

I’ve been hovering over this feature for a couple of days now, in-between writing and preparing the rest of our Gatebil coverage. Putting together this story has always been in the back of my mind, and I’m not really sure how to approach it. I don’t want to do it just to have it done, I want you to know this car. Ironically,  whilst I’ve been changing words here and there and adjusting color tones in post processing, our friends at StanceWorks pipped us to the post with this one. Thankfully, the StanceWorks crew, like us, are here to celebrate all that is wonderful with cars and we now have some more celebrating to do …

When I first spoke to Erik Jonasson, he was busy preparing his S30 to attend Gatebil at Mantorp Park. The car needed a head gasket change and a fresh vehicle inspection to travel on the Swedish roads. Time was against him. ‘Wish me luck’ he wrote as he signed off.

As it would happen, luck was on his side. With the sun sitting low in the Swedish sky, I was proud to be on hand to watch as Erik rolled into Mantorp Park on Friday evening. Wherever this car goes, it makes a big entrance. The low slung body designed by Yoshihiko Matsuo gently rolling across the smooth pavement with the 2.8 litre L28E barking as Erik prodded the loud pedal.

The car has been a labour of love for Erik. You can see when he stands back from the car that he’s always inspecting every inch of the car. Inspecting for what I’m not sure, but it’s reassuring to see a guy who knows every last inch of his motor vehicle.

The car has been constantly evolving since Erik’s purchase in 2010. Some small changes, like the JDM wing mirrors …

… and some big changes like the Ferrari Rosso Red respray.

The car is driven regularly and as such needs to retain a sense of sensibility and practicality.

The custom glass fibre fenders sit neatly atop the customized SSR Formula Stars which measure in at 14×8 ET+15, wrapped in 185/65/14 Toyo Proxes CF1s.

A front mount oil cooler with stainless steel braided lines adorns the front bumper. Just below it you can see the carbon fibre splitter with stainless steel support rods.

An IMSA style rear wing has been riveted to the rear of the car.

Twin 2″ pipes exit from the centre of the rear bumper at a sharp angle.

The rear SSRs are even more impressive than the fronts – measuring 14×10 ET-47 with a 195/65 Toyo tyre. Further to this, the rear quarters have been widened by 130mm over stock.

Gatebil at Mantorp was the first annual ‘Fresh & Fitted’ show organized by Dailyfresh Not a bad first show at all it must be noted.

For me though, it’s under the hood where the magic really happens.

The 2.8 litre straight six was sourced from a 280Z (whilst it’s mounted to a 260Z 5 speed gearbox).

With triple Weber 45s, custom pistons, L24 conrods and a Sneider Stage 2 274 degree camshaft amongst others – power has been raised to around 260BHP. Every one of these horsepowers sounds like the apocalypse.

As I wrote previously, Erik has strived to keep the car as functional as possible.

Sports seats with Takata harnesses help express the vintage Japanese look that Erik is trying to create.

The rest of the interior has been kept relatively standard but fresh – Momo wheel and pedals with a Nismo shift knob and Nardi handbrake being the major changes.

Erik doesn’t know this yet, but he’s just added 80BHP with this.

Am I the only one who has a fascination with vintage clocks?

Custom coilovers have been welded into the car with modified strut tops to allow for camber adjustment.

Before you move on to the next story, or head to the comments section – take a minute to really appreciate the thought and hard work that goes into creating a car like this. The countless hours researching and sourcing parts, the never ending maintenance that goes into an older car etc. Then remember if it wasn’t for people like Erik, we wouldn’t have cars like this to appreciate.

Paddy McGrath

More Datsun Love

Gatebil Mantorp 2012 on Speedhunters

Erik Jonasson’s Datsun S30 

ENGINE

New Balanced i6 sourced from a 280Z; L24 Conrods; Custom Pistons; Triple Weber DCOE 45s; Mangoletsi Inlet Manifold; Sneider Stage 2 274 Degree Camshaft; Front Mount Oil Cooler with S/S Braided Hoses; Custom Headers & Stainless Steel Exhaust System; 2 x 2″ Tailpipes; Custom Fuel Tank; 2x 10″ Cooling Fans;  260HP / ??? nM

TRANSMISSION

260Z Sourced 5 Speed Gearbox; R200 Differential; Lightened Flywheel; Solid Differential Mount;

SUSPENSION

Custom Coilovers; Info Design Control Arms; Aluminium Sway Arms; Aluminium Tie Rods; Modified Strut Towers with Adjustable Camber; Fully Polybushed; TME Strut-brace (front);

WHEELS

Customized SSR Formula Stars – Front: 14×8 ET+15; Rear: 14×10 ET-47; Toyo Proxes CF1 – Front: 185/65/14; Rear: 195/65/14

BRAKES

Ford Transit 4-Piston Calipers (front); Earl’s S/S Braided Brake Lines;

INTERIOR

Sports Seats; Electric Windows; Z Logo Floormats; Momo Pedals; Nismo Shift Knob; Momo Steering Wheel; Nardi Gear Stick; Nardi Handbrake Grip; Takata Four-point Harnesses; Pioneer USB-MP3-CD; Denon Amplifier; JBL 6x5s;

EXTERIOR

1050 Kgs; Fully Welded Chassis; Re-painted Ferrari Rosso Red; Rear Quarters Flared 130mm; Widened Fibreglass Front Fenders; CM Carbon Fibre Splitter with S/S Rods; Rear Bumper Removed; Side Indicators Removed; JDM Wing Mirrors; Crystal Headlamps; Euro / JDM Taillights; IMSA Wing; Custom Tow Hooks Front & Rear; Window-frames & Door Handles Painted Black; ’77/’78 280Z Air In-take on Hood;

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1

You said : "Today, we live in a world where we demand instant results, news and gratification. No longer have we the patience or time to linger on something and truly appreciate its value. We live in a culture where it seems we are all rushing towards our death, not taking the time to savor the moment. We quickly skim over things, often missing out on the important things in life."
 
You are 100% correct.

2

Like your new take on the tight shots. 7th. pic - the classic "day at the track" with the background (especially with the NGK sign)!

3

Gimme dat motor!!! Mmmm nothing like a triple Weber carb'd L-series when it comes to sound... I'll reserve my comments about the rear wheel fitment, though...

4

Shots look great Paddy, thanks for the shout out!

5

Wow, see this car before and have pics on the hard drive, excuse me while i pick my jaw up from the ground, exterior and interior are spot on, and paddy i share your interest in vintage clocks, they dont make them like they used to, id love to hear that l series motor sing, Presence is the word that comes to mind when looking at this beautiful car, and the colour is brilliant, but then red is my favourite colour of them all

Author6

Thanks Kielan, was nice meeting you BTW!

7

@PaddyMcGrathSH you at home

8

@wxmotorsport I am begorrah.

9

Rad. I'm feelin this

10

not to nitpick, but his rear wheel/tire combo looks like it could use a little more meat. which is hard to say about 14x10's. less offset, less tire stretch, and maybe less camber would negate the "i'm rolling around on a pair of black basketballs" stance. can't be doing anything positive from a performance perspective and it's not overly aesthetically pleasing either. also i read that it was a 3.1 stroker but i don't see that mentioned here?

11

What a wonderful Z!!!! but are you sure those front wheels are 14x8 +15??? I have 15x8's +0 on my s30. It looks nowhere as deep as those.

Author12

 @ylee Just double checked the spec list Erik gave me and that's what's wrote down :-)

Author13

 @ChristopherDow I read that in Kielan's article too but Erik didn't mention it / I never asked if I'm honest. I'll fire him off an e-mail to confirm. Also, kudos for making some criticism in a sensible and well thought out manner. Don't see that too often these days!

14

 @PaddyMcGrathSH thanks, i love the craziness of this car existing anywhere outside of Japan. very obvious the owner was true to the stylistic influence in almost every detail.

15

It's not a bad looking car....but seeing it at the track, with the illest sticker.....LOL

Author16

 @JDMized Not you again.

17

as i wrote on Stanceworks, in general, i like the car.. it's just some elements of it that makes me doubt if i like it or not, i still don't decide

18

 @PaddyMcGrathSH I said; this S30 is not a bad looking car at all! Seeing it at the track with illest stickers, makes me question....actually laugh.
Both you and I (actually now I question myself whether you know that those slammed cars do not perform well at any given track, you know that right? If so, stop advertising slammed cars as track cars....'cause lots of kids buy it).
 
There's nothing wrong with idolizing Arcenal's business.....but taking THIS S30 to the track and making people believe that he "track" his S30, that's a stretch, and makes me laugh.

19

Meaning of a sexy Datsun

20

This car is perfect! it just looks sooo perfect. I can only imagine how cool the owner feels bitching around in it!

21

I guess a lot of people will be saying this but... i love ALMOST everything about it - especially the pumped rear arches, beautiful job that - but EASY NOW ON THE REAR OFFSET & TYRE FITMENT DUDE!!! He could reduce both offset & stretch to merely crazy levels - as opposed to utterly tapped, AKA loco levels - and the car would still look radical, in fact it would look a whole lot better IMO. Oh yeah, and he would be able to drive it!
 
PS
Never knew how much i loved the S30 dashboard until i saw these photos, excellent work Mr McGrath, thanks again.

22

"The car is driven regularly and as such NEEDS to retain a sense of sensibility and PRACTICALITY."
 
Yes.... Wait, no I think he failed at that, still looks gorgeous though.

23

Not sure how well the oil cooler is working.  

24

Cool looking? Undoubtedly. But sensible and practical? Maybe not.Super stretched 195 tyres and the front wheels already being underneath the guards when the car is static are not conducive to a practical car. How do the wheels turn? Where do they go when there's any suspension travel whatsoever?Don't get me wrong, like I said it's very cool looking. It's just not a practical or track car. Which Paddy (no offense intended) does have a habit of saying these stanced cars can somehow still perform as well as functional cars. Simple physics and suspension knowledge would tell you it's just not possible. Paddy, you've freely admitted you don't have the greatest technical knowledge before. And there's nothing wrong with that. Just remember that and please stop telling us stanced cars are also track cars.

25

Very unique s30. Though i am more interested in his motor. Did he build it himself or did he work with a builder? It says in the article that its a 2.8L and making 260BHP. Is that really to the wheels or from the flywheel? For a 2.8 to make that kind of power is really impressive, Rebello engines make that kind of power to the flywheel and need to punch it out to 3.0 to make that to the wheels. Something tells me though that this might be a stroked engine as L24 rods are commonly used for stroker builds. Either way this engine is really well built to make that kind of power.

26

 @Hotcakes I think he meant functional on the roads, not track.

27

 @ylee Im assuming your wheels have a different design and most likely more caliper clearance. Both affect dish.

28

 @Vilko It's still not functional though. If anything it'd be worse. Tracks are smoother than roads. This car looks like it's almost on it's bump stops while stationary. I'm just trying to say there's a difference between (just about) drivable, and actually practical. And unfortunately Paddy has a history of saying stanced cars can genuinely handle.

29

Awesome looking car, only thing i don't like is the oil cooler at the front and the stretch of the tyres.

30

@Hotcakes Well said Hotcakes.

31

this car is obviously not set up for performance and theirs nothing wrong with that. but if your going to build a car for looks, at least make it different or outstanding in some way. im a huge z fan but i cant bring myself to like this car. besides the hideous tumor like rear fenders, this car looks like every other s30 thats jumping on the hellaflush oldschool jdm bandwagon. dont get me wrong, i like fatlace/illest/hellaflush but its getting to the point where the cars are losing all individuality and just following preexisting cookie cutter recipes to achieve the look.

32

Another great car ruined by the "stance" fad. Aggressive wheel and tire fitment is great, but there's a limit. That limit being when you start thinking about compromising grip for looks. 

33
SickofIllestandfatlace

I think this is a prime example of people trying to execute japanese styling with all the parts but not being able to pull it off with style.IMO most things clash with this car But it's not my car and if the owner is happy with the outcome then good on him.
 

34

widen the front more to match the rear! other than that I'm digging it!

Author35

 @Hotcakes @JDMized I'll reply to you both as you're both on a similar wavelength with your arguments. 
 
Hotcakes - I never mentioned once that it was a track car or that it would be effective on track in its current setup. I've also never once stated that stanced cars are also track cars. Please stop imagining things to strengthen your argument. 
 
My argument lies with people who automatically dismiss lowered cars as useless. I can only speak from my own experiences but I've seen plenty of 'stanced cars' as you call them, surprise people on track (the Track Culture V10 E46 M3 comes to mind). What people seem to forget is that the car isn't permanently stuck at this ride height but can be raised when required. Erik drove this car 500KM to the event, along with all his luggage, so yes it does have a sense of practicality about it. It's not Toyota Prius practical sure, but it is practical and useable on the roads. Although, I will concede that there are a lot of slammed cars out there which have been dropped on coilovers or whatever with no consideration to other factors. This isn't one of those cars. 
 
The only person to bring track usage into the argument was JDMized. I never mentioned it was a track car or whether it would be a good or bad track or anything along those lines. It was photographed on a track because it was the cleanest background we could find at the event, and even then it's not ideal.

Author36

 @Hotcakes @JDMized I'll reply to you both as you're both on a similar wavelength with your arguments. 
 
Hotcakes - I never mentioned once that it was a track car or that it would be effective on track in its current setup. I've also never once stated that stanced cars are also track cars. Please stop imagining things to strengthen your argument. 
 
My argument lies with people who automatically dismiss lowered cars as useless. I can only speak from my own experiences but I've seen plenty of 'stanced cars' as you call them, surprise people on track (the Track Culture V10 E46 M3 comes to mind). What people seem to forget is that the car isn't permanently stuck at this ride height but can be raised when required. Erik drove this car 500KM to the event, along with all his luggage, so yes it does have a sense of practicality about it. It's not Toyota Prius practical sure, but it is practical and useable on the roads. Although, I will concede that there are a lot of slammed cars out there which have been dropped on coilovers or whatever with no consideration to other factors. This isn't one of those cars. 
 
The only person to bring track usage into the argument was JDMized. I never mentioned it was a track car or whether it would be a good or bad track or anything along those lines. It was photographed on a track because it was the cleanest background we could find at the event, and even then it's not ideal.

37

Ive got no beef with tyre stretch per se, its just when theres no rubber left on the tarmac that i start to worry. He could have achieved the same appearance at the rear with wider barrels, wider rubber, and a correspondingly adjusted offset.
 
I think people react strongly to these types of build because they come so close to perfection... and then... aaargh! Its frustrating. All he would have to do is raise it about 10mm at the front and about 15mm at the rear... get wider barrels for the rear rims and and fit wider tyres... adjust the offset (ie bring the outer lip inboard by about 15mm)... keep the stretch if you insist ;) ...and thats my favourite s30 ever!
 
But what do i know? Respect to the build anyways. Peace.

38

Ive got no beef with tyre stretch per se, its just when theres no rubber left on the tarmac that i start to worry. He could have achieved the same appearance at the rear with wider barrels, wider rubber, and a correspondingly adjusted offset.
 
I think people react strongly to these types of build because they come so close to perfection... and then... aaargh! Its frustrating. All he would have to do is raise it about 10mm at the front and about 15mm at the rear... get wider barrels for the rear rims and and fit wider tyres... adjust the offset (ie bring the outer lip inboard by about 15mm)... keep the stretch if you insist ;) ...and thats my favourite s30 ever!
 
But what do i know? Respect to the build anyways. Peace.

39
Double Wishbone

could you make the pictures in the car feature desktops?

40
Double Wishbone

could you make the pictures in the car feature desktops?

41

@PaddyMcGrathSH @Hotcakes @JDMized

Apologies Paddy, I may have taken some poetic licence early in the morning... However I believe comments you've previously made have been something along the lines of "there's no reason stanced cars can't also handle" or similar. Drivable almost, but you can't GENUINELY say cars like this and the Track Culture M3 "handle". Suspension wise it's just not possible. I've nothing against Hellaflush per se, but the more impressionable car fans out there don't need to be told it doesn't have any negative effects on the car performing as, well, a car.

42

Am I the only one who has a fascination with vintage clocks? : NO.   .....Then remember if it wasn’t for people like Erik, we wouldn’t have cars like this to appreciate. : Thanks Erik! Your car just gain another 80bhp because of this like and thanks. :)

Author43

 @Hotcakes     I'm not making sweeping statements saying that ALL stanced cars can or cannot work, but I'm saying some cars can. Take a look at the last generation of Super Tourers in the BTCC in the 90s. Yes, they're racing cars but goddamn they were low and they worked very successfully too. I guess it comes down to doing things properly or not. 
 
And yes, the Track Culture M3 CAN handle. 
 
Let's see if I can link to images ...
 
btcc9805.jpg
 
btcc98_03.jpg
 

Author44

@Hotcakes
I'm not making sweeping statements saying that ALL stanced cars can or cannot work, but I'm saying some cars can. Take a look at the last generation of Super Tourers in the BTCC in the 90s. Yes, they're racing cars but goddamn they were low and they worked very successfully too. I guess it comes down to doing things properly or not. 
 
And yes, the Track Culture M3 CAN handle. 
 

45

Beautiful! Only a real car lover would keep a regularly driven car like this, especially one so old <3

46

Beautiful! Only a real car lover would keep a regularly driven car like this, especially one so old <3

47

Beautiful! Only a real car lover would keep a regularly driven car like this, especially one so old <3

48

Beautiful! Only a real car lover would keep a regularly driven car like this, especially one so old <3

49

guys that's why I do appreciate your work- the Speedhunters!
Reading article about this particular Datsun on Stanceworks is like eating a slice of stale bread, while Your's article is like a fresh fruit.
You know what it is all about. Thanks!

50

 @ylee They are "flipped face"

51

Thanx for all the comments, . thanks Paddy for a most loving feautre i ever read. tears are almost coming... really like you not hating on stanceworks. you are awsome guys.

52
Andrew Rogerson

Beautiful car! Are there iPhone versions of these wallpapers? Specifically the top one?

53

form over function arguments aside, since those discussions are completely subjective, and represent individual tastes vs a 'right' vs 'wrong' way to do things, I just want to say thank you to the owner for saving an older Z from it's customary, inevitable rust-bucket-ness

54

This has to be one of my all time favourite 240Z's by a long shot!! I shared a photo of it almost a month ago on my blog and now I see it is getting even more love from the StanceWorks and Speedhunters guys! Erik, thank you for keeping this car old school and not giving in to the urge to "modernise" it... It looks simply stunning! Can only imagine what it must sound like...

55

hold up, 195's on a 10 inch rim? sheeeeeaat

56

is ti possible to get this picture in high resolution???  http://cdn.dev.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_7816.jpg

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