In Progress: 240Zero

About This Project

240Zero is a custom Datsun/Nissan 240Z inspired by a real car painted in the theme of a World War II Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft.

The project caught my attention because it connects two interests I really enjoy: classic cars and WWII aviation. Instead of building the 240Z as a standard road car, I wanted to give it a more aggressive custom stance and slowly blend in aircraft-inspired details.

Full Story

The inspiration for this project came from a photo of a customized Datsun/Nissan 240Z painted in the style of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft. I liked the idea instantly, because it connected my interest in cars with my fascination for World War II aviation.

Since the real car was heavily customized, the model quickly became a much larger project. One of the first challenges was making the front light lens covers, which are not included in the kit. I filled the openings with Tamiya two-part epoxy putty, shaped them by hand, made a plaster mould, and started experimenting with a small vacuum forming machine to create the clear covers.

The car also needed a stronger stance, so I widened the wheels and adjusted the ride height into a more sporty, muscle-car-inspired look. The original single exhaust was replaced with a custom dual exhaust system, using mufflers designed in Cinema 4D and printed on my Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra resin printer. New pipes were made from wire, the gas tank was rebuilt from styrene, and the exhaust was finished with hand-shaped brass tips.

The engine bay has also received several upgrades, including a scale timing belt, ignition wires, added pipes, a reworked battery, an engine bay light, and a scratchbuilt throttle assembly made from brass, aluminium, nickel-plated steel guitar string, and other small metal parts.

To continue the aviation theme, I started turning the interior into something closer to a fighter cockpit. I added many tiny rivets by hand and designed Zero-inspired seats, with cushions sculpted from Tamiya two-part epoxy putty. I also added front and rear strut braces, a styrene roll bar, and began opening the rear trunk so more of the interior work will remain visible.

Tjaša helped prepare the custom decals, which were sent to SpotModel.com for printing. There is still a lot of work ahead, but the project is already starting to find its own identity: part 240Z, part aircraft tribute, and part custom-built experiment.

Model: Nissan Fairlady 240Z Street-Custom (Tamiya 24367)