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This is the "Z" I remember. I was living in Bangkok, Thailand from '69-'71 and a few of my friends ordered them direct from Japan and had them shipped to Thailand. The great thing about foreign service at that time was being able to get them incountry without having to pay the 120% duty the Thais put on cars not assembled there. Anyway, these new Fairladys were such a styling upgrade from the prior models which had good performance (bhp was mid-140s) but looked like an MG with a really bad nosejob.
Ebbro's got most of the bells and whistles you want on a diecast like this. The lines on this car are perfection. I don't know what Ebbro does, but their finished diecasts look like sheetmetal... crisp and perfectly scaled. The fit and finish is superb. The shutlines are almost invisible so the doors are impossible open without a tool. Hatchback opens supported by a single hydraulic support. The hood which opens rear to front has a rather intricate hinging system that prevents the hood from banging into the PE grill. The engine compartment reveal the 151bhp 2400cc OHC 6cyl engine plumbed and wired. Interiorwhich can be seen through full distortion-free glazing seems right on. The seats are hard plactic, but have the right vinyl sheen to them. The hatchback window is a gem that features tiny gauge wires for the defrosting grid with silvered edging that fits into 3-D weatherstripping.
The carpeted rear deck does not open to the spare tire pit, nor is there a working suspension. The car sits on the stock black steel wheels with those tiny chromed hubcaps the tires are well done but generic. Inside and out, all the trim, handles, badging, are all 3-D metal &/or plated parts. Only the scripts and the door and gas filler door locks are tampoed (I punched out 3 in polished aluminum and had them on in 5 minutes). The scripts are exceptionally opaque and 'shadowed' giving them a pretty decent 3-D look. All in all it's the "Z" I wanted. I'd been putting off buying the FM 240Z for various reasons, but I couldn't pass this guy up. As you can tell, I'm glad I didn't.
(06/13/2003)
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