Perhaps one of the most iconic sports cars to ever come out of Japan, the Nissan Z car has become a true classic. The original Z manufactured between 1969 and 1978 sold over 500,000 units globally. It featured great looks and performance at an affordable price. The ZG version was the top of line with an extended aero nose and fender flares but was only available in Japan.
This is an all-new tooling from Tamiya, and it is fabulous! We’ve all come to expect nearly flawless kits from Tamiya, and this one will not disappoint. Molds are crisp with not a bit of flash to be found. Mold lines are so faint as to be nearly invisible on most parts. Body parts are molded in white and the rest in black or silver-gray. Instructions break the assembly process into 37 clear steps. Metal transfers are included for the mirror faces, some trim, and body badging.
Construction starts with the chassis. All suspension components are handled with individual pieces, so painting is relatively pain free. I deviated slightly from the instructions by gluing the firewall, radiator support, and spare-tire well to the main chassis and painted the unit as a whole rather than adding them separately after. It does make installing the engine a little tight but it will fit. Engine bay details look great and include parts for the brake master cylinder and booster, clutch master cylinder, battery tray, steering shaft, windshield washer bottle, and horns.
A total of 25 parts make up the in-line six-cylinder engine. I followed the paint colors as instructed but used a few different shades and textures of silver to try to better capture the differences between cast and sheet metals and the different alloys used. Parts fit is excellent throughout and most are keyed to make it nearly impossible to assemble things in the wrong spot. A metal transfer for the rocker cover and decals for the oil filter and air cleaner finish off the engine nicely.
I’m not a huge fan of the styling of the stock wheels, but Tamiya has done a superb job of breaking them down, so they are easy to paint and assemble. The chrome metal transfer ring was a little tricky to position: make sure to cut the inside of the carrier film as close to the ring as possible so it doesn’t have to conform over the rim.
If I had to make one complaint about the kit, it would be there are several ejector-pin marks on the floor of the interior. I know the shape of the part dictates where they have to be so sometimes it’s inevitable. Even so, they are fairly light and sanded out easily. However, as insurance, I used flocking on the floor to make sure they disappeared. There are a whole bunch of pilot holes on the underside of the floor suggesting that a left-hand drive version and a racing version are possible in the future. Decals are provided for the dash, steering wheel hub, and shift lever. Be careful with setting solutions because the decals are very thin.
The most standout feature of the kit is the trim parts for the windows. They are molded as separate parts and chrome plated, eliminating one of the least favorite tasks for most of us. And yes, the sprue attachments are positioned so, if carefully trimmed from the tree, no touch up of the chrome is needed!
I did not add the fender flares because with the skinny stock wheels I think they just look silly. Thankfully, Tamiya did not mold the locating holes for them open, so you have the option.
This is most certainly a kit designed with the modeler in mind. The engineering and forethought that has gone this kit is truly outstanding. I built the Hasegawa kit of the Nissan Fairlady 240ZG several years ago, and, while it’s a decent kit, this new one from Tamiya surpasses it by miles. While it may be a little complicated for a newcomer, as well engineered as it is, almost anyone could put it together and get a great result. It gets my highest recommendation!