Keepin’ it OG: Jimmy’s Datsun 240Z

Back logged on the posts – mainly on purpose because I don’t have much time to shoot this weekend so I gotta make sure I spread them apart… I was also trying to get to the write up on the weekend but we had awesome weather so I was in the garage mudding, sanding, and painting trying to get it finished before winter. Took a little longer than I expected, but I should be done by next week! I’ll post pics – it’s nothing special cause it’s got absolutely nothing in there but it’ll get there.

JC and I got the chance to go out and shoot Jimmy’s 240Z last weekend and what a great shoot it turned out to be. It’s a little different because it’s so old school, yet so modern at the same time. The combination of the classic Japanese body mixed with Work wheels that also have that oldschool JDM flavour makes this a very fun shoot. One thing that stands out about a lot of the classic Japanese tuner cars is that their body design has truly become iconic and timeless. Even in today’s design standards with fancy body kits, GT wings, big and wide wheels, these cars – much like Jimmy’s 240Z – stand the test of time and still really don’t need much to turn heads. Even today, this car is considered a gem and what many people fail to realize is that although it is a car that is older than a majority of the readers (myself included), there is nothing like sitting in a car so simple yet so matured – even by today’s standards – and just driving.

For those of you that have been around for the last year or so – you might remember the shot I took of Jimmy’s 240Z in his garage the day we went out to shoot all his Lexus’s. He had just acquired it at the time and he was working on getting it up and running smoothly and reliably. Fast forward to today and it’s definitely running like a beaut and there are just a few things that Jimmy wants to finish up… But only time will tell.

The best thing about this shoot (from my photography perspective) is that it’s an awesome colour. If you look at most of my shoots, the cars are almost always black, white, or a colour bordering close enough to black or white that it’s not much different. Albeit, this is not the original paint – it was repainted by the previous owner – but even the original orange underneath this would still be an awesome colour to shoot.

But that’s enough talk from me… Onto the pics!

One of my favourites from the shoot… Dem curves. A nice roller as an appetizer!

When we rolled up, Jimmy was just getting the car ready to go.

Out on the sidewalk, Jimmy’s VIP Lexus LS430 sitting on new step-lipped WORK VS-XX’s and gold hardware. Much better than the Work Gnosis HS203’s IMO. These wheels make the car pop way more.

Peep that shoot I did last year here: https://lifewithjson.com/2013/10/17/poorform-jimmys-lexus-ls430/

En route! Typical cockpit in JC’s car that you see from our photoshoots.

First stop was at a construction-type area. The car would truthfully pop anywhere though.

It was when I was shooting the car here that JC and I both said that this car is just so timeless (like mentioned above). The design – although very retro – still has lines and design features that any car lover would have trouble resisting.

A nice shot of the Work Meister CR01’s in the custom finish.

The profile shot shows more of the awesome lines of the 240Z. Because the car has no specific aftermarket coilover option, the suspension has to be put together using a lot of custom work. Jimmy does a lot, if not most of the work himself and like his LS430, the pick and quality of his parts do not get overlooked.

His suspension consists of custom Zeal function T coilovers that were made to fit the 240Z, paired with Whiteline poly bushings, ST suspensions sway bar kit, and TTT Roll center adjusters to get it sitting how you see it today.

PoorForm Car Club that Jimmy founded in 2009.

A few detail shots of the car show a lot of things many of the modern cars don’t have nowadays. It’s the details the matter!

A better shot of the wheels up front and the Fairlady badging. Behind that sits Endless ME20 brake pads and Project Mu brake shoes. And getting everything going is an OS Giken TS2A extreme lightened clutch. No jokes here.

A close up shot of the BRE spoiler adding a little more aggressiveness to the back end.

I wanted to get a closer shot of the wheel’s custom finish. The anodized bronze is amazing in person and it’s really something pictures don’t do justice. Paired with the gold bolt hardware and the silver face, it all just glimmers so perfectly.

Perfection.

That paint!!!

Jimmy was gracious enough to take me for a ride to our next location… I’ve ridden in my fair share of older vehicles, and can now add this one to that list. The interior has a nice feel to it – classic, simple, refined – really all that you need in a car like this. No fancy gadgets, no blinking lights all over the place – just the feel of a raw car.

The 240Z is fitted with a custom 6-2-1 header, custom exhaust system and an A’pexi-i N1 Evolution-R muffler to end it off the back. One of the things that modern day cars will NEVER get back (In my humble opinion) is the raw sound and feel that you get from a car like this. The L24 engine just purrs and growls at the same time – the closest we ever get to that most of the time is a fart can and we can thank cherry bombs and Canadian tire for that.

A classic “Work Wheels” shot from down low… *cough* Work Wheels look here *cough* 🙂

A shot of the interior. Like I said – simple and everything you actually need in a sports car.

A wooden Nardi wheel to go along with the OG theme.

Check out that classic radio. Not even a cassette player.

A closer look at the heart of the 240Z – the L24.

Tomei oil cap. Shiny shiny.

An overhead. Some other details of the engine, for those that are interested:

Dela camshaft

Mikuni 44mm triple carbs

Mikuni intake manifold

Koyo race radiator

Tomei oil pimp

Tomei valve springs

Nismo fuel pump

… All courtesy of Jimmy’s informative text message 🙂

Just looks so mean from the front.

A shot of the rear. Although it’s not as wide as today’s car, it’s just as good. Everybody is about stance and wide shit these days, that it’s nice to see something so simple put together so nicely.