Fan tours Nissan's Zama storage facility, brings camera
click above image for a photo tour of Nissan's Zama storage facility
One lucky Nissan 300ZX twin turbo fan was recently able to tour the manufacturer's famed Zama Operations Center in Kanagawa, Japan. The location is the home to Nissan's storage facility of historical automobiles and it is also the headquarters for specialty Nissan builder Autech. Amazingly, the visitor was able to escape alive with pictures. Being such a nice guy, he posted them up on TwinTurbo.net for our viewing pleasure, over a 150 photos in all. It would take a lifetime to recount the significance of all the vehicles captured on film (er pixels). However, we have chosen a few interesting finds that should be noted. Follow the jump for Nissan Heaven.[Source: rojoloco aka Travis via TwinTurbo.net]
Gallery: Nissan's Zama Storage Facility
click on any image to enlarge
The only Nissan NP35 in existence. It was developed by NISMO as a modification of the P35 cars that were built by engineering firm Electramotive for the World Sportscar Championship.
The Nissan R390 built for the Le Mans GT1 class. Its best finish was in 1998 with a 3rd place finish behind Porsche.
The only road going R390 GT1 ever built. Who wants to touch it?
A variety of GTP cars built for the IMSA GT Championship by Lola and Electramotive.
The Nissan Mid4 prototype, it was used as a test mule for the VG engine (best known as Z32 powerplant) and Nissan's ATTESA all-wheel drive system.
The facility houses a plethora of former East African Safari rally cars.
A few Super Taikyu endurance race cars show up in the photos.
The white R32 Skyline GT-R raced in the 1994 24 Hours of Daytona.
An S14 240SX chassis, complete with KA24DE engine, modified as an experiment in what direction to head with the next Z car.
A Nissan Frontier truck built for the Dakar Rally.
One of only 250 R34 GT-R M-Spec Nurs in existence.
The storage unit is not without numerous JGTC and Super GT racecars.
One of a handful of four door R33 Skyline GT-Rs built by Autech.
Z33 Fairlady Z (350Z in U.S.) chassis number 1. It is surprising that it wasn't crushed.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
JIM 7:18PM (11/10/2007)
drool. much drool.
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iamhoff 8:55PM (11/10/2007)
Amen.
Temple 11:11PM (11/10/2007)
Wow, a Mid-4. Nissan's mid-engined AWD prototype . Totally forgot that car, drool. . .
Danny Boy 7:26PM (11/10/2007)
y is it a suprise that he has these pics?
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Derek 7:48PM (11/10/2007)
Most automakers are more than a bit touchy about even something like a cell phone camera coming into one of their facilities.
Although, this is more of a historical area so perhaps they had an escort hold onto his camera until they were in a photo-safe area.
Aaron 7:30PM (11/10/2007)
- Love the 300zx lights on the R390's!
- Notice where Honda ripped off the Mid4's design for the NSX
- Wish they restored the rally Z's a little bit... :(
- And what was the significance of saying it was surprising the 350z wasn't crushed?
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Merritt Johnson 8:02PM (11/10/2007)
Typically the early chassis numbers go towards testing and media vehicles. They get used for crash tests, road tests, etc. They usually get crushed once their use has ended since they can't be sold, street registered or insured.
nissanfreak87 8:10PM (11/10/2007)
I need new pants now
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Aaron B Brown 8:14PM (11/10/2007)
Awesome!!!
So guys, if you're ever out cruising the streets of South Florida in your new Corvette or Viper or Lamborghini, and a car that looks a lot like this...
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/nissans-zama-storage-facility/481846/full/
...pulls up next to you, and a guy looks over at you and smiles and says, title for title?
Please, take my advice, don't do it. :-)
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This is one of the most beautiful cars ever. What a fabulous machine.
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/nissans-zama-storage-facility/481776/full/
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http://www.autoblog.com/photos/nissans-zama-storage-facility/481770/full/
I remember when some of these cars were racing, and they were all but untouchable by the Porsches and other cars they were up against. The car on the far left specifically,
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/nissans-zama-storage-facility/481769/full/
its suspension was so good that it looked like it was riding on glass, while all its competitors were bouncing and swaying all over the place on a city street course.
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Pat 8:16PM (11/10/2007)
WOW ... what a day that must have been.
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priusguy 8:33PM (11/10/2007)
wow.
does anyone know why there was no mention of the name "Datsun" anywhere? was Datsun only a US brand?
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Reply
KazO 8:43PM (11/10/2007)
The 'Datsun' was the model name of those tiny 1930s cars in the pics. Nissan was actually a different company that bought the company that made the Datsun (along with other companies, like Prince in the 60s, where the Skyline came from). When Nissan started exporting cars, the models were already called Datsuns. The name of the company, even in the US, was always Nissan.
T. Munday 8:49PM (11/10/2007)
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/nissans-zama-storage-facility/481822/full/
There's a Datsun. Quite a few Datsuns in the unabridged pictures.
I didn't notice any Prince vehicles, unless a few of the older cars are Princes, I'm not sure. I love Nissans and that would be a dream to tour that facility.
chris 9:22PM (11/10/2007)
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/rojoloco/car%20crap/Mad%20Mike%20visit/Day%203/Day3jpg17.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/rojoloco/car%20crap/Mad%20Mike%20visit/Day%203/Day3jpg18.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/rojoloco/car%20crap/Mad%20Mike%20visit/Day%203/Day3jpg19.jpg
There's an original Prince Skyline and a racing version which I didn't even know existed.
da deJai 8:16PM (11/11/2007)
there actually are several datsun vehicles in the gallery, but many of them i recognize from living outside the us in the 70s and 80s. most notable though are the two '63 datsun bluebirds made most obvious by their paintings of mount fuji and falling cherry blossoms respectively.
Aaron B Brown 8:39PM (11/10/2007)
Here's all the pictures on one page, for your scrolling pleasure.
http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=general&msg_id=2079707
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John R 9:17PM (11/10/2007)
Amazing. What a LUCKY bastard! A day like that I would remember for the rest of my life. Great photos.
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Dan 9:31PM (11/10/2007)
Dear Autoblog, I love you, but your gallery resizing is eating my processor.
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RWD fan 9:54PM (11/10/2007)
I always loved those little 510s.
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Noidor 10:04PM (11/10/2007)
Colin McRae's Nissan Dakar truck...*sigh*
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