XYZ Racing Top Sport Coilovers — Nissan 240/260/280 Z φ51 welding 1970-1978

The S30-generation Z’s live axle and long-travel factory dampers were built for a 1970s ride, not for the loads a modern fast-road drive or track day session puts through the rear end. XYZ Racing’s Top Sport coilover kit for the 240/260/280 Z φ51 Welding chassis replaces that setup with a fully adjustable platform sized for exactly this application, giving owners a car that can still be driven to the circuit and back without living on a trailer.

Top Sport sits in XYZ’s range as the occasional track day and aggressive road-driving spec, and that’s reflected in the way it’s set up: firmer than a comfort-biased kit, but not tuned exclusively around slick-tyre lap times.

What this coilover does for your 1970-1978 Nissan 240/260/280 Z

Spring rates on the Top Sport kit are set 30-50% stiffer than a standard street coilover, with damping increased to match, so body movement over compressions and mid-corner bumps is controlled rather than absorbed and re-released a beat later. On a car this old, that matters more than the numbers suggest: the S30’s chassis was never that stiff to begin with, and reducing unwanted body roll takes load off the bushings and mounting points that have already done 50-plus years of work. The suppressed shock body movement also keeps the contact patch working under braking and direction changes instead of skating over the bump, which on a narrow, lightweight Z translates into a noticeably more planted rear end. Ride height is adjustable through the coilover collar, so the aggressive, low stance associated with a well-sorted 240Z can be dialled to your exact preference without touching the spring rate.

About the Top Sport coilover

The Top Sport sits between XYZ’s street-focused kits and its full race dampers. Spring rate is increased by roughly 2 kg/mm over the street baseline, and damping force is raised 30-50% in step, so both ends move together rather than the springs outrunning the shock’s ability to control them. That combination is what lets the kit absorb a hard hit from an expansion joint or broken tarmac without the body pitching afterwards, and it keeps the tyre loaded evenly through a lap rather than skipping across the surface. The spec comes directly from XYZ’s own Top Sport testing programme, aimed specifically at drivers who split their time between road use and a handful of track sessions each year rather than full-time competition. Construction uses the φ51 welding-body format specified for this Z chassis, matching the shock body diameter and mounting arrangement the S30/S130 platform needs.

Fitment for the Nissan 240/260/280 Z (1970-1978)

This kit is built for the φ51 Welding chassis variant of the Nissan 240Z, 260Z and 280Z, covering the 1970 to 1978 model years. Confirm your car uses the φ51 welding-type shock body mounting before ordering, as this spec is matched specifically to that configuration rather than a bolt-in cartridge type.

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Configure your Top Sport spec for the 240/260/280 Z below and set the ride height to suit your car.