The Datsun S30's stock 4x114.3mm bolt pattern limits your wheel upgrade options. Every time that perfect set pops up for sale with the right offset and width at a price that actually makes sense, there's always one problem. Your car has four bolt holes, and those wheels have five.
A 5-bolt conversion opens up literally thousands of wheel options that weren't available to you before, and it means you won't have to spend weekends at swap meets or scrolling through classified ads anymore. The downside is that this swap can get expensive pretty fast, and it increases unsprung weight on your car. Then you have to ask yourself if you're actually solving a problem or are just making it harder for yourself. Junkyard Z31 hubs might only run you about $100 if you get lucky, or you could drop $3,000 on a full conversion kit that includes upgraded brakes, too.
Wheel adapters could be worth a look if you have $200 to $400 to spend on them. They'll push your wheels out from the hub, and it's what you want. But you'll run into some compromises if you go this way. The Z31 300ZX swap has been popular for years, and the parts are still pretty available. But when you know that the machine work and new bearings and whatever else needs replacing once everything's apart, the bill climbs up fast.
The price tags matter, and each one of these hits your wallet differently. They're also going to change how your S30 drives and feels when you're behind the wheel. The question is whether your car actually needs any of these modifications at all.
We should determine if this upgrade makes sense for your S30 build!
Table of Contents
The Stock Bolt Pattern Dilemma
The original 4x114.3mm bolt pattern that came on the S30 was pretty common when these cars were new. Japanese manufacturers all ran this same pattern on their sporty models throughout the sixties and into the seventies. The problem is that it was half a century ago, and the entire wheel industry has changed since then.
Any tire shop that you walk into now will have the exact same issue. Modern wheels are usually going to be either 5x114.3 or 4x100. Our bolt pattern is almost impossible to find anymore. The options just get worse and worse each year that goes by. At this point, you're limited to vintage Panasports or Minilites if you want wheels that actually look right for the era. Otherwise, you'll be stuck searching through endless classified ads for some old Celica or 510 wheels that somebody took off their car decades ago and threw them in their garage.
The prices on vintage wheels have also become insane. A decent set of genuine Panasports will run you more money than what plenty of owners originally paid for their entire project car. Even the wheels that are beat up still sell for crazy money just because they have the correct bolt pattern. Supply and demand work against us on this one.
Modern performance tires make the whole situation even worse. Quality rubber now needs wider wheels to work the way that it's supposed to. Those narrow 6 - or 7-inch wheels that originally came on our cars just aren't going to cut it anymore. You need at least 8 inches of width if you want to run a decent 225 or 245 section tire that actually performs well.
I've lost count of how many times I've found what looked like the absolute perfect set of wheels at a swap meet or online. The offset is right for the car, the style matches great, and the seller wants a fair price for them. And then you count the lug holes. 4 holes instead of 5, almost every time without fail. It's the kind of situation that makes you want to start drilling new holes in the wheels right there in the parking lot!
More Wheel Options with Your 5-Bolt Setup
The beauty of a 5-bolt conversion is the doors it opens. When you make the switch to that 5x114.3mm bolt pattern, you have literally thousands of wheel options at your fingertips. We're talking about the exact same bolt pattern that every modern Japanese car uses. Nissan runs it, Honda runs it, and Toyota and Mazda run it, too.
The difference between 4-bolt and 5-bolt patterns gets painfully obvious when you need a replacement fast. With a 5-bolt setup, practically any tire shop in your area will have compatible wheels in stock. You won't waste your entire afternoon on forums or Facebook groups trying to find somebody with a spare 4-bolt wheel that has collected dust in their garage. And the price difference is massive because you're not stuck with specialty parts that command collector premiums.
The modern wheel market has changed the game for S30 owners who make this conversion. Manufacturers are always running group buys on popular designs, and now you can get in on those deals. Those limited edition wheels that normally only fit newer cars will bolt right onto your Z after the conversion. Even the pricing makes sense when you do the math. Vintage-correct wheels can cost double what modern performance wheels run, and that's if you can even find them.
Your wheel choice says something about your build philosophy. Some builders really want to preserve that classic 1970s look down to each little detail. Other builders love mixing vintage body lines with modern wheels. A 5-bolt conversion lets you choose your path without any limitations holding you back.
Modern wheels also bring modern engineering to your classic chassis. Forged aluminum construction has advanced tremendously since the 1970s. Flow-formed wheels give you real strength without adding unnecessary weight to your setup. You'll find wheels today that weigh less and can handle stress better than anything that Datsun could have imagined back when your S30 first hit the streets.
Popular Hub Swaps and The Compatibility Factors
The 300ZX swap has become the standard choice for wheel conversions, and it's either the Z31 or Z32 parts that get used. These parts are everywhere in the aftermarket, and this helps explain why this particular swap has become so popular over the years. Another big benefit is that all your parts stay within the Nissan ecosystem. The Z32 option is especially nice because it gives you better braking performance than what you started with. One aspect to watch out for, though, is CV axle compatibility with your particular setup. The uprights might also need some adjustments to get the geometry and alignment just right where you want them.
A BMW 5x120mm swap is another way that lots of owners go if they want to have access to the different European wheel designs. Maybe you already have a beautiful set of BMW wheels sitting in your garage, or maybe you just love that particular look. Either way, this swap needs more fabrication work than the Nissan option does. It's definitely possible. But you'll be making more custom parts along the way.
Then there's the Mustang 5x114.3mm pattern, and it offers the best of everything. What I love about this swap is that the aftermarket support is incredible because tons of different vehicles use this exact bolt pattern. Walk into any tire shop in the country, and they'll have wheels that fit. Your brake upgrade options are practically unlimited, too.
Axle spline counts are the one factor that can derail your swap project if you don't check them first. Every axle has a specific number of splines, and if yours don't match what you're trying to install, nothing is going to fit together properly. Bearing sizes are equally important because they have to be an exact match for everything to work. Suspension geometry is the other big consideration here. After the swap, your car needs to maintain its correct alignment and handling characteristics, or you'll have something that drives worse than what you had in the first place.
Your speedometer gear might not work with the new parts you've installed. The emergency brake cable could need to be rerouted just to reach your new calipers. None of these problems will stop you from completing the swap. But they will add hours to what at first seemed like a simple project.
True Cost Beyond Your Initial Budget
A quality 5-bolt conversion is going to run you somewhere in the ballpark of $1,500 to $3,000. Every dollar in that price actually has a reason for it, though. The machine work alone costs a fair amount because everything has to fit together just right. New bearings and seals are something you need since you've already got the whole assembly taken apart anyway. And that's where costs can get expensive very quickly - once everything is disassembled, you'll usually discover that your stub axles are worn out and need to be replaced as well.
I've seen plenty of owners go the junkyard way for conversion parts. The math looks great because you can piece together something that costs about $600 less than a kit would. The problem is that those savings disappear fast when the cheap bearings give out after a few thousand miles. Or the parts just don't fit right in the first place. Either way, you wind up paying for the entire job twice, and it defeats the whole point of trying to save money.
The hidden costs add up if you don't plan ahead. Your alignment is going to need a redo after the swap is done. Sometimes the driveshaft won't mate up properly with the new setup and needs modification. Even the little details, like a new set of lug nuts, will run you another $40 or $50.
Lots of enthusiasts figure that with everything torn apart anyway, they might as well upgrade their brakes too, and it does make sense to knock it all out in one shot. Now you're adding at least another $1,000 to your total bill, though. It's also worth considering whether those upgrades are really necessary right now.
Here's an alternative to think about when you're ready to pull the trigger on a conversion. That same $3,000 budget could buy you a few sets of quality remanufactured wheels in your original 4-bolt pattern. Then the money that you didn't spend on the conversion could go into suspension upgrades or engine modifications instead.
The Weight Trade-off with Five-Bolt Hubs
Five-bolt hubs add about 3 to 5 pounds at each corner of your car. That extra weight sits right at the wheel itself and changes everything about how your car behaves.
Unsprung weight is a whole different animal from the normal weight in your vehicle. 20 pounds of groceries in your trunk barely changes your ride because the suspension soaks up most of that load before it ever reaches the wheels. The weight at the wheel hub is another story. Every bump and pothole means your suspension parts have to control that extra mass as it bounces around.
Rough pavement is where you'll feel the difference. Heavy hubs just don't want to respond to the road surface as fast as lighter ones do. Acceleration gets a bit worse, too, because now your engine has to spin that extra weight at all four corners. The brakes also take a little longer to stop you for the same reason.
S30 owners are divided on whether this upgrade makes sense or not. Half of the community will argue that these cars were meant to be lightweight from day one. Any extra pound goes against everything that makes an S30 great in their eyes. Plenty of builders care more about everyday advantages like access to better brake setups and stronger wheels for track days.
Vintage racing is actually a great place to see each side of this argument play out. Dedicated racers usually stick with the 4-bolt setups because the weight savings matter when every tenth of a second counts. Weekend cruisers and show car owners usually go for the 5-bolt conversions. Modern wheels look great, and you get a lot more options to choose from. The performance penalty probably won't even register when you mostly drive to cars and coffee on Saturday mornings!
Build Your Dream Car
After you weigh the angles and options available, your 5-bolt conversion choice depends on your vision for the S30. Period-correct enthusiasts who love to hunt down original parts will probably want to stick with the factory 4-bolt setup - it's the obvious choice for anyone focused on authenticity. Weekend drivers who need readily available replacement wheels have a different priority, though. You won't have to scour the forums and salvage yards every time you need new wheels. The modern wheel market opens up, and this single convenience factor alone sells plenty of owners on the conversions.
These cars are great because they'll become whatever you want them to be. Maybe you want a weekend cruiser that draws a crowd at the local coffee shop. Or you might need something reliable enough for your commute that won't leave you stranded in rush hour traffic. Some owners are after a show car that brings back a certain era of automotive history. An S30 can do any of these roles equally well. I always recommend you take a minute to picture where you and your car will be in five years. That mental picture is actually worth more than any technical spec sheet when it comes time to pull the trigger.
Either path could work well for your build. But the actual costs deserve a closer look first. Those starting prices are just the beginning. New tires usually become necessary, and then you might need fender modifications or alignment work, too. All these extras can push your budget way higher than you originally planned. When the numbers start to feel like too much, wheel adapters become a tempting option. They give you room to test different setups as your car remains unchanged underneath. The S30 community has thousands of members who've already gone through this exact choice process. Most are pretty generous with their advice about what worked and what they wish they'd done differently.
Once you have your wheels figured out, the next step for most S30 owners is usually the rest of the car. At Skillard, we've become a favorite with Datsun enthusiasts who take their builds. We make custom parts designed specifically for the 240Z, 260Z, 280Z and other classic Datsun models. Our catalog has everything that you might need - aluminum door cards, center consoles, aggressive spoilers and modern bumpers that actually fit right. These parts can change how your car looks and feels. Check us out at Skillard.com and browse through what we have available. We have parts for owners who just want a few upgrades, and we've also got what you need for a full build.
