Nissan Just Announced the Ultimate NISMO Upgrade for One of Its Most Adored Z cars

From the first S30 of the 1960s to the RZ34 of today, the Nissan Z has always been (and continues to be) a tuner’s car. There’s a rich aftermarket full of upgrades to take your Fairlady — vintage or modern — to new performance heights.

Even still, the fact that the NISMO arm is now expanding its parts support to include a kit suitable for classic Zs amounts to big news. Beyond being a factory-backed item, it also has the potential to provide a sizable boost to the car’s numbers.

Nissan

For these reasons, the latest Nissan heritage offering could be the ultimate upgrade for diehard Z enthusiasts and classic Datsun owners. If you’ve got an eye for OEM, it’ll certainly be worth the price of admission.

NISMO double whammy

It’s a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) cylinder head kit for the L-series engine. In practice, this means that it will enable the conversion of Nissan single overhead camshaft (SOHC) inline sixes produced during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Nissan

This not only doubles the number of camshafts but also the number of valves, giving the engine a more efficient 24-valve head and making it better suited to producing power across a broad rev range.

In the context of the S30 and S31, this is a huge upgrade. Despite their good looks, such vehicles weren’t exactly screamers from the factory.

Nissan

Nissan fitted the Fairlady Z with L-series engines ranging in displacement from 2.4 liters up to 2.8 liters, depending on the market. At most, even the larger L28 straight-sixes tallied around 160 horsepower.

However, thanks to the new NISMO conversion parts, “engine tuners who are well versed in L-type engine tuning” will now have the potential to unlock some serious performance.

To showcase the possibilities of the kit, Nissan fitted a prototype to an engine that had been bored from 2.8 to 3.0 liters. In combination with some other upgrades, it was built to handle a much more substantial 295 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque.

In other words, you can effectively double the output.

Living classic heritage

Nissan

Assuming you’re an S30 or an S31 owner interested in fitting the DOHC conversion kit on your L-series engine, it’s worth noting that Nissan recommends a series of optional accessories to facilitate installation.

Along with some new engine mounts, there’s also a new oil pan, an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold. Together, such components ensure that the new head doesn’t interfere with the rest of the bay.

To that end, this isn’t Nissan’s first time manufacturing parts for its legacy vehicles. The Japanese automaker launched its NISMO heritage parts program in December 2017, and it’s continued to expand its support since that time.

Nissan

Of course, up until now, Nissan has primarily focused on legendary JDM cars like the R32 and R33 Skyline GT-R — and for good reason. As those vehicles have become increasingly sought-after on the secondhand market, they’ve climbed into true supercar territory.

Accordingly, with the Z becoming more of a collector’s vehicle by the day, projects like this NISMO DOHC conversion kit solidify its position among classic sports car royalty.

Pricing and availability

At least, Nissan certainly seems to think so. Considering that it will be charging 3,850,000 yen (~$25,000) for the kit, it’ll take a well-heeled Nissan Z collector to appreciate the effects of these upgrades.

Nissan

Moreover, it’s set to be exclusive as an initial offering, with just 300 sets sold starting in 2026. According to Nissan, the “release date, price, and specifications for sets 301 and beyond have yet to be determined.”

Nevertheless, it’s exciting to see that the brand is still willing to cater to enthusiasts, considering the tumultuous year that it’s had. While aftermarket names have come out with similar solutions for the L-series in the past, the fact that Nissan is doing so speaks to its continued focus on its legacy. You can head to the brand’s website to learn more.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics