Zedd - my idealised version of the first car that made me buy a poster, the Datsun Z series (aka Fairlady).

Visually, it's all my favourite features from the 240Z, 260Z and 280Z, with some bodykit parts and low-profile tyres (snippet of my reference images below).

The car's specs and major geometry are closest to the 280Z, with a V6 Turbo borrowed from the later (Nissan) 300ZX.

Done so far:

- Suspension
- Wheel size / position / tyres
- Mass arrangement
- Engine specs
- Default set (Cruise)

(It might just be a slab with wheels, but it's a slab that behaves as I want it to! No mean feat for me )

To do:

- Modelling (skinnable)
- Engine sound
- Aerodynamics
- Other sets (Race/Drift/Derby)

Interesting!

Seeing the engine as a block in the editor there: Were you able to adjust the mass of the engine? That's a question that came up in another thread …

EDIT: Also, please kindly consider ditching the turbo V6 and swapping in this: https://www.lfs.net/forum/post/1973107#post1973107

The engine weight is done automatically in the editor from the engine size/type - this one comes out at 150kg, but those engines are somewhere around 225kg. I couldn't see anywhere to adjust the engine weight itself (I may have missed it), but I've used the black mass-distribution bars to add weight in the engine area to compensate. (I used four side-to-side members top/bottom/front/back to adjust F/R balance and COG height to match the specs, but starting with a very chunky bottom-front for the extra engine weight).

That other engine looks and sounds good, but I don't want to go too far with the modifications or stray too far from common Z mods - taking a newer engine from a later model in the same series seems more authentic to me. There's a lot of 280s out there with 300 engines

Thanks for the explanation.
I really hopw it is/will be possible to adjust the engine mass exactly.

Sorry for my ignorance, but do the black mass bars affect deformation in any way? I suppose not, right?


EDIT:
I hope you are not insinuating that the TC24-B1Z is expensive???
You can order one here for under 50 grand:
https://www.greenline.jp/catal ... carcode=S30&fromlink=

I don't think the bars affect deformation - only the suspension components and the bodywork get mangled. I appreciate it would be easier to bundle up the weight with the engine file for others, but the workaround is easy enough that it's not a show-stopper.

I'm not going by cost on anything

put the VG30DET_Sound in the= LFS>Data>engine Folder
put the VG30DETT in the Modeler>Data>engine Folder and then you can load them both in the modeler the engine it self and then the sound under transmission/audio

That's awesome, thank you!

It goes through the gears much more naturally now, and the sound is amazing. Top job

I will add a before-and-after vid with the next update.

(I might turn the turbo sounds down a little - just personal preference, but I can hear the looping in the sample a bit too much at that mix)

Of course, make sense too, old 240z less turbo noise IMO too.
Im glad you liked it!
If you want any changes or any more engine request just let me know

Yeah the engine felt pretty good just the right amount of power and the right amount of turbo pressure it was linear power band

Is the Devil Z that got published this one?
Its' stunningly beautiful
https://www.lfs.net/files/vehmods/FE5CF2

Wait, it's another one? So we'll have two 240Z's already

Yeah, the Devil Z is another Z altogether... but you can't have too many Zs!

Slow, but steady progress on this one continues with more setup tuning, and a start to the modelling proper

So, I've spent more hours than I can count on the modelling, more hours than that on the building, setups and test-driving beforehand, and more hours still just enjoying it around the roads of Westhill... not least the sound of the engine, it really growls and roars! We're not worthy, martin18

Some quick progress/testing (potato quality, sorry) clips (excuse the lumpy bits: I'm not done refining the bits that are there xD)

As you can see, it's more 240 at the rear, more 280 at the front, but neither exactly - my own take on the series rather than a replica.











Edit: Some hybrids action. The set was a bit stiff for offroad, but

In the hands of a pro!

Thank you Dlocky

The letter Z has was harmless when I started this mod, but now a new name is required. I didn't want to go with 'fairlady' either (too old boys' club). I've settled on the name Firefly.

Slowly, slowly filling in gaps and adding details.

First pass submitted for testing!

Still plenty more to do, but there's enough there it can be driven online now. (I spend more time driving it than building it, it will be nice to have some non-AI company )

Some parts from LFS cars used as is: seats, rear mirror, gearstick
Some parts modified from LFS cars: wing mirrors, steering wheel,
Some textures from LFS cars used: leather

To-do:
- Mesh smoothing (quite a few lumpy bits to fix)
- Skinable (after mesh fix)
- More interior detail (+ better texturing)
- Better body-kit arches (more detail + better fit)

Lookin' hot

Thanks Ibta!

Feedback consensus on discord is fairly solid in that the wheels are too big and too low-profile (you guys missed the 80s? ), and that body-kit arches are no good if the wheels aren't flush to them. Fair enough - I was trying to keep the stock arches as an option but it's too much compromise visually.

So, I'm thinking of putting the kit-arches in all the configs and moving slightly smaller wheels out to fit them flush... but I'm worried about the stability. (By that I mean it's got just the right amount, IMHO, of "roll danger" and I don't want to remove too much.)

I've also been driving this a lot at TBO spec (22/23% res), and with the wheels/handling of the 300 changing I'm now thinking of making a smaller-engined version that is TBO-spec with no/small restriction - that one could have the stock arches and the current wheel track.

I will experiment

--

I've also got (much longer term) plans for a 500 version, around GTR-spec (ref pics attached). Rolling over is a problem on slicks, so that one will be more rocket bunny style, and can have all the arches and wheel-track it can handle visually

Get rid of the no flare config… Flare only
Push out the wheels further out and use smaller rims no more than a 15 maybe 16 if you want but that’s it give it more sidewall on tires!
Car is too fast for wheel track and tire width

Thanks all for the feedback (here, discord and online).

I've been experimenting a lot over the weekend with 17, 16 and 15 inch rims, and it's clear I have been trying to get too much from one car. So, I have finally decided in favour of the split: the 300 will be as before with changes listed below, and a new 200 will be TBO-spec engine, with 16" tyres in the original placement (no arches/flare in any config) and reduced rear tyre width.

The idea being that the 200 is the late 70s/early 80s base car, and the 300 is what happened when someone got hold of one in the late 80s and gave it the works. The 200 is feeling great, but needs a few set tweaks before it's ready.

For the 300, the wheels are now 15" and flush with the flare. Visually it's working, but the grip has taken a huge hit with all that sidewall - much more than the gain made from increasing the track. I'm still working on that with tyre widths, setups and suspension tweaks. It seemed much easier to work with at 16", so if all else fails I will go back to that size.

Nearly there with the new wheels...

The 200 and 300, as Angel & Demon:

New wheels are here!

The 300 is updated with smaller rims, more tyre profile, wider track and some suspension and setup tweaks to fit.

The 200 (TBO spec, new wheels & tyres but no change to track) is now submitted for initial review

Both have a few tweaks to the mesh since the last version, but mostly that is still to-do.

Develpment plan for both (simultaneously) will be:

- (Any Fixes)
- Mesh finish/smooth
- Skinable
- More interior detail

I just wanted to say a big thank you for these two cars (200&240). I really enjoy driving them . I hope that we will soon have a finalized version with beautiful skins.

Awesome, thanks

I can't promise it'll be soon (lots to do and little time to do it), but they will definitely be skinable eventually. I won't stop till they are

Hey there!
CESAV's League Round 10 (May, 1. AS3) will be featuring this beauty
https://www.cesav.es/index.php?pid=12&idTemp=178&idRace=951

There is no skin map, apparently, nor LODs. If you have the time to put some work on this it would be much appreciated

Awesome news I will definitely be there for that one. (Mondays are awkward for me, but I'm hoping to manage at least one other event before then too).

I have been working on the skin mapping recently, making good progress so far. LODs are all there. I won't make any changes to tyres/engine/suspension/etc before the race, so it will drive the same as it does now

Excellent!