We met Cece in 2018 when she contacted us for help with her 1977 280z. She had been a customer for many years at ND Autocare and when Joe Chester shutdown…she stopped driving, fearful that having a vintage car meant you were susceptible to breakdowns. With the right combination of parts and experience a 280z can be as reliable as (dare we say) Honda’s of the 80’s. Datsuns just can’t be killed. Cece’s Z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay clean-up, total suspension rebuild and more.
Cece’s Z Story
She has owned the ’77 Z for 27 years, here is the story behind it:
“I was first introduced to the Z car in 1976 when I was in high school, a friend of mine drove a 1973 240 Z. I always liked cars and found the Z to be unique. In the mid 1980s, a Z car was not in our budget nor was it practical for a family with two young children. In the early 90’s while I was working full time and raising my family, I went back to school and earned my college degree. As a graduation gift to myself, I began my search to purchase a Z car. A friend who was a master technician for Nissan, suggested I look for a 280Z as they were fuel injected and had less problems than some earlier models. In 1993 I found an ad in Auto Trader for a 1977 280Z that was 16 years old, had low mileage ( for a car its age), for sale by the son of the original owner and at a price point I could finally afford. “
The seller gave me all the service records, original bill of sale from the dealer, the original service manual, etc. At least I knew where the car had been and what maintenance had been done on it. I felt fortunate that this car had been well taken care of. In 1999 I had the car painted, got new tires and wheels, replaced the faded interior carpet and had the seats recovered. I drove the car on weekends and tucked it under the car cover in the garage during the week.”
During the last 5 years Cece did not drive the car as much since it was becoming less mechanically reliable. She heard about ZCG through the Z Owners of Northern California Car Club and made an appointment with us in January 2018.
Taking the Z to the next level: Drivetrain
Cece came down to ZCG to discuss the project. We made a plan to give her Z much needed love and began work in the summer. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine and engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!
Engine
The tired engine was removed and we built an L28 with mild cam and clean-up work on the head.
New L28:
With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay. Everything was zinc plated and powdercoated. New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts.
All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up:
Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:
An MSA exhaust header was installed:
This was a 4-speed car, so we went ahead and grabbed one of the 5-speeds from Rob’s stash. This low-miles assembly was installed:
A JWT aluminum flywheel and heavy duty clutch backs the L28:
Oil pan detail:
With the new engine/transmission and a KOYO race aluminum radiator installed, more detail work was performed:
MAF/hose/hardware detail:
Engine bay restoration, before/after:
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the tired L28 and rebuilt engine. Baseline was 118hp/139tq and after tuning the new engine made 146hp/156tq to the wheels:
Suspension
The goal of this project was to give Cece a Z that she could drive wherever and however she wanted, worry-free. We replaced all of the hydraulics and front/rear suspension assemblies to match the new driveline. All suspension was either zinc’d or powdercoated:
We installed KYB strut inserts with lowering springs, Suspension Techniques sway bars, Techno Toy Tuning adjustable rear lower control arms, TC rods, and rack bushings. We do offer a full coil-over setup for track day/performance-oriented customers, and this spring/strut upgrade for those that want a better stance with improved handling.
Before/after suspension refresh with T/C rod and steering rack detail:
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
As fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C mentioned in his review, on top of braking performance, pedal feel is extremely important and our Big-Brakes deliver. This is a direct result of working with Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few details below:
Calipers: Stoptech ST42 4-piston front & rear race calipers (Alum 6061 mil-spec Type III anodized)
Rotors: 280mm x 20.6 with Alum 7075 hats
Pads: Stoptech 309 sport street pads
Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE.
A few closer detail shots of the calipers, rotors and hardware:
We went ahead and got Cece dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new brake booster/master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!
Front brake installation:
At the rear, the OEM drums brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!
Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. We have over 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Cece received ZCG CV Axle set #255.
Panasport Wheels
Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind Panasport wheels in our offest allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires. We replaced the old-school wheels with 16×7 Panasports and Bridgestone S-04 tires:
We think the wheels are a huge improvement:
Cece was pleased with modifications and repairs:
” After having Rob go thru my car in detail and run a compression test on the engine, he suggested a mechanical restoration of the car, to make it more reliable and so that I would be able to drive it anytime and anywhere I wanted. I brought the car to Rob in July and he transformed my car into a mechanical work of art.”
Details
We sorted a few additional items like repairing a past distributor issue, installing new motor mounts and alternator/starter assemblies. The little things are what we excel at though like a fully restored A/C system retrofitted to R134A (blowing 41 degrees out the vents!), battery cables, a Momo steering wheel and full stereo system:
Enjoy this short video of the Z:
Enjoying The Ride
Cece was super stoked on her Z and immediately started driving it everywhere. She was even spotted at Alice’s Restaurant after cruising on the famous twisty Skyline Rd. She also attended the ZONC Annual Nissan/Datsun car show in Brisbane, CA. Here is a message she sent Rob:
“—–Original Message—–
From: Cece B
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2018 3:59 PM
To: rob@zcargarage.com
Subject: Sunday ride – Alice’s RestaurantSteve & I took the Z on a nice long drive today down Highway 1 to Pescadero Road to Highway 84 & 35 to Alice’s Restaurant. The Z did not disappoint. It was an awesome ride & the Z performed excellently hugging the road.“
” Rob is very passionate about what he does and every car has its individual personality. My car turned out amazing! Now I have a vintage Z car that is fully restored and I am able to drive it without worrying about its reliability. From Nissan’s TV ad campaigns from 1996, “Any car can get you where you want to go, a special car can get you there with a smile on your face. Life is a Journey, Enjoy the Ride”. And as for Mr. Rob Fuller of Z Car Garage, he ends every communication he has with you with , “Long Live the Z”. Thanks to Rob and his staff at the Z Car Garage, these iconic Japanese sports cars are able to exist, and their owners are able to continue their journeys and thoroughly enjoy their rides. Long Live the Z!”
We really had a great experience working with Cece. We love that with husband Steve they are one of those couples that have been together for a long time and they’ll be together forever.
The best part of this job is the people and their stories. Taking somebody who has the same passion as us and delivering them something they can enjoy and drive gives us immense satisfaction. With updates like real suspension and brakes that can hang with any late model car, the headaches commonly associated with vintage car ownership disappear. From a well-versed Z owner to someone who just like the way a Z looks, let us help you achieve your vision of the perfect S30! More pictures in the galley below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
LONG LIVE THE Z!