When you think of time attack, what car comes to mind first? The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is there, as is the Nissan Skyline GT-R and the Honda Civic. But a 1970s S30 Fairlady Z? I don’t think anyone would choose that.
But it’s not just the base car that makes the Common Snapper time attack Fairlady unique; it’s the engine of choice, which is just as far removed from our own lives. For this week’s throwback post, we travel back 10 years in time into the Speedhunters archives to take a look at Noriaki Miyamoto’s wild creation.
2014 function
Time attack is by its very nature a simple yet extremely focused form of motorsport. It’s all about shaving fractions of a second off lap times and using every trick in the book to do so.
In a world where lap times are everything, there usually isn’t much room for personal style. That’s not to say there aren’t great time attack machines out there – because they are – but if a modification doesn’t help the car go around the track quicker, there really isn’t a place for it in this discipline.
This time attacker is different. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s built and driven by Common Snapper’s Noriaki Miyamoto – one of Japan’s most eccentric car builders.
As you saw in Dino’s shop visit storyCommon Snapper is not your typical Japanese workshop. It’s the place where you’ll find Cadillac lowriders next to wide-body Porsche 911s and Nissan Bluebirds with a different engine. How can you not love it?
Although he enjoys many types of vehicles, Miyamoto-san’s absolute favorite is the first-generation Nissan Fairlady Z. He’s built several, including the white RB-powered street machine that introduced the modified car world to Common Snapper many years ago.
Miyamoto-san loves the S30 so much that he decided to convert one into a special time attack car a few years ago. His home track happens to be Japan’s legendary Suzuka Circuit, and from the start he had visions of attacking Suzuka’s iconic corners in his beloved Fairlady Z.
Now the choice to build a time attack car out of an old Z was an unusual one, but with its light weight and large engine bay, he felt the classic Nissan could be built to run with the modern machines that populate most track days and time attack meetings in Japan. Starting with a base left-hand drive car, he set about building one of the craziest S30s in the world.
One of the first things on Miyamoto-san’s list was to decide on the Z’s power plant. There was the option of a built L-series, but that would make it difficult to achieve the power figures he would need. There was also the RB option – but he had been there and done that. This one would be different – terribly different.
Despite his love of the S30 platform, Miyamoto-san is no purist, and his eventual engine choice was about as unconventional as they come. No turbocharged four-cylinder, no straight-six, no V8… In fact, he’d skip the pistons altogether.
That’s right, we’re talking about a Mazda rotary engine. And not just any each rotor engine, but the famous 20B triple-rotor unit used in the top-spec JC Mazda Cosmo in the mid-90s. The donor car still sits in the yard next to the workshop.
There are a few reasons why he decided to go with the 20B. Firstly, it was the ability to deliver power, secondly, the unmistakable sound it makes, and finally, the simple fact that it would be so unexpected.
The engine itself is largely stock, but the big story is the addition of a single Trust T88-33D turbocharger with an HKS twin wastegate setup and a custom v-mounted Blitz intercooler that dominates the engine bay. Management is handled by HKS’s popular F-CON V Pro ECU.
Needless to say, the Z sounds absolutely radical, as it emits amplified three-rotor roars from an exhaust valve in the front right fender. In terms of thrust, the whole setup is good for around 450 horsepower – a perfect amount to propel the old Z through Suzuka’s legendary 130R corner.
Of course, it would take a lot more than just a powerful engine to make the Z drive like a modern race machine, so much attention has been paid to other aspects of the classic Nissan. The engine is mated to a five-speed FD3S RX-7 manual transmission that feeds an upgraded R200 differential with an ATS limited-slip differential and a 3.7 final drive ratio.
In addition to building cars at Common Snapper, Miayamoto-san has also begun producing his own original parts, including Kanden-brand coilovers that were recently fitted to the Z. Not only has the new footwork stiffened up the old girl, but the adjustability will come in handy in the Suzuka paddock.
The Z also gets beefy five-bolt hubs with Brembo brakes sourced from an R33 Skyline GT-R – a huge upgrade over the four-bolt hubs and rear drum brakes the Z originally came with.
In addition to suspension components, Miyamoto-san has also been very successful with his line of Barramundi ‘BMD’ forged wheels. The Z is equipped with a set of BMD Snook wheels, measuring 17×9-inch -10 up front and 17×9.5-inch -30 in the rear. Tires are sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE-11s, sized 235/40R17 and 255/40R17 respectively.
Vintage weapon
Weight (or lack thereof) and aerodynamics are both very important when it comes to time attack, and the Z received major upgrades in both areas during the build. While the standard Z is a lightweight machine by today’s standards, Miyamoto replaced the stock hood, doors, and fenders with lighter FRP components.
As befits a true race car, the standard window glass has also been replaced with lightweight Lexan panels.
Aerodynamics have been improved with the addition of an aggressive front splitter and a rear diffuser, along with a sizeable GT wing at the rear.
But despite the necessary aerodynamic adjustments, the car is still instantly recognisable as a Fairlady Z, and that was important to Miyamoto-san.
Additional weight savings are achieved by the headlights and taillights, both of which have been replaced with FRP panels.
The Z’s cockpit is a full-fledged race car, with little of the factory Nissan interior. There’s a single Bride bucket seat with a Takata harness for the driver and a suede steering wheel that’s positioned perfectly.
The custom-made Common Snapper roll cage leaves just enough room for the fuel cell in the hatch.
To save even more weight, the entire dashboard was removed and replaced with a custom setup that neatly houses the car’s electronics and a full suite of Auto Meter gauges.
The first-generation Z is a car that has been modified in every conceivable way, from a classic race car of the era to a V8-powered drag racer, a fast street cruiser and everything in between.
But with its unconventional rotary engine and complete focus on the track, Common Snapper has created one of the most unique Zs in Japan, and perhaps the world.
With this momentous creation, Miyamoto-san has not only shed new light on the ever-popular S30, he has also added unmistakable style and a whole lot of attitude to the time-attack establishment.
We expected nothing less from one of the craziest figures in Japanese car culture.
TheSpeedhunters
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Mike Garrett
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