In a message dated 30/08/2004 3:36:52 PM Pacific Standard Time,
owner-mgs-digest@autox.team.net writes:
Don't think too hard on this. The fairlady came out in 1962. The MGB
came out in 1963. Who copied who??
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Datsun copied the British car - as they had been doing since the 30s.
Ironically they did it better, or at l east the mechanicals were better, the
styling looks inferior to my eyes until they hit the 240Z, which was
astoundingly
good, although the various bits were again derivative. They just picked the
best bits and put them together, although with the Fairlady I think they
probably used other influences than the then-nonexistent MGB.
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OTOH - I've heard that parts of a 240Z's engine are so similar to those of
a healey that they could actually be interchanged - possibley (I don't
know this for a fact, but have heard it) even as much as a cylinder head.
We know the hitachi carbs were lisenced from SU. So there's certainly
some overlap/collaboration/blatent theft of ideas going on.....but it
seems there is no real clear connection.
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Not as far as I know. The 240 engine was a development of previous 4
cylinders. The MGB engine, however, was the inspiration for the 411 truck and
car
motors, and cams, oil pump bits, rocker shafts etc. were all interchangeable -
and usually better! There were also many transmission bits you could swap
over......and the 44PHH Solex carbs on the 2000 were VERY similar to Webers,
and
the Hitachis were, as you say, built under license from SU.
Bill
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