Daisy’s 1972 Datsun 240z

Filed under: 240z,370z,Featured Cars and Projects
by Alvin G @ 4:34 pm on May 22, 2020

We had the pleasure of working with Daisy to help get her 1972 Datsun 240z back on the road. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with upgraded suspension parts transform this Z into a fantastic sports car.

Before we dive in to the upgrades let’s take a look at Daisy’s story:

“My Z history actually started with a 370Z–it was my first car, bought even before I knew how to drive a stick. When I was ready for my next automotive chapter, I tried to think of another beautiful, fun, sporty coupe that wasn’t going to cost 60k, and realized it was my car’s great-great-great-etc-grandmother–the 240Z. So I was on the lookout through Craigslist for almost a year, in search of an S30 that hadn’t had a ton of performance work done to it already, but was still in overall good shape…

… I migrated to eBay and found my car in Texas. I have a vivid memory of standing in a drizzly parking lot a 7AM on a Sunday, watching the car transport guy reverse the Z up a slippery metal ramp to get it off the truck. I chugged it around the parking lot to get a feel for everything, couldn’t get the seat close enough to the wheel and had a TERRIFYING drive back to San Francisco. But I was obviously, already in love…I spent a couple of years really doing the bare minimum to get the car roadworthy, and it was a real champ, flawlessly performing on one very hot and sweaty drive to and from SoCal, but it started to feel like I wasn’t using the car as much as I’d like because it simply wasn’t practical–the suspension was super soft, we were getting tons of cabin fumes, the brakes made my parents incredibly worried (ha!) “

Daisy was looking for a shop to take care of her 1972 Datsun 240z and heard about ZCG from a few different sources–the Z Car FB group and from following Courtney Frisk (Cutchen) the automotive photographer, who’s also worked with us:

“I knew that it was time for some more significant work, so I got in touch with Rob. Ultimately, the goal was to make this a capable daily driver (though I only really use it on the weekends)–not super powerful, just safe(r), reliable, capable, reasonable to drive on contemporary streets–a joy to drive.”

Daisy brought the Z in late last year and we performed a full inspection.

The inspection revealed many items to be addressed from brakes, suspension to carburation which was really off. Initially we spent a few hours getting it driveable while we put together a plan to add some ZCG touches to her S30.

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We handed Daisy the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car and she was sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our customers 🙂 Read below for a brief description of these parts:

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 engineers at 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 some 14″ wheels) 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 removed Daisy’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. The chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts, bushings and a full coil-over (Koni) suspension from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

ZCG Big-brakes and T3 coil-overs replacing stock setup up front:

More pictures of the front suspension refresh with T3 T/C rods and lower control arms, ST sway bars, rack bushings and f/r wheel bearings. We also replaced the steering coupler:

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

Rear T3 lower control arms, and more refreshed suspension parts and rear Big-Brakes also shown:

We replaced the brake booster and master cylinder with NOS parts: our Big-Brakes require nothing more than the factory hydraulics!

Daisy really wanted the look and feel of Mrs. Butters Z without being too low or riding rough. Mission accomplished: the Z looks fabulous from any angle:

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 90 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

Daisy has CV Axle set #329. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms and re-sealed diff:

Engine

With suspension sorted, Daisy signed on for a major service tune since we had trouble getting it to run correctly. We replaced the plugs, plug wire set, cap/rotor, fuel filter, replaced VC gasket, installed a MSD blaster2 (black) coil and performed a valve adjustment and oil/filter change.

We replaced intake and exhaust manifold gaskets with factory Nissan parts and few ZCG tricks including a certain exhaust nut and exhaust stud.The exhaust manifold was replaced with an MSA 6-1 coated header and our ZCG exhaust system with stainless resonator and slash-cut tip

Details

A few more items were sorted: the differential was resealed with new front/side seals:

The Z was cut/buffed with a detail. Finally, the tension springs for hood were replaced and the Z now ready for Daisy to pick up.

Driving is Believing

When Daisy and her fiance picked up car, they were blown away:

“I’ve only had the Z back for a few days, but it’s incredible! I knew Rob’s tuning was great from the first “check-up” he did on the car, but getting the car back with the Big Brakes, the new suspension, and axle kit–it’s honestly like a new car. My fiance and I were finding ourselves bracing for the bottoming-out-scrape we’ve become used to from the old suspension, and the Z now just sails over them! The exhaust note is beautiful, I can stand behind the car without choking on fumes, and it’s what I really hoped it would be–both practical, and a joy.”

The Z was a big part of their engagement photographs in the hills above Bolinas (photographer, Helena Martin)

We enjoyed working with Daisy and she’ll be back for either triple-Mikuni’s or rebuilt SU’s and some dyno tuning:

“Working with Rob and ZCG in general is what working with a shop should feel like. When I first got in touch with Rob, we had a detailed “intake” conversation about what I was looking to accomplish with my Z. This was an early, awesome indication that ZCG really values listening to what customers want, not just churning out identical builds or upgrades, or pushing one kind of perspective. While I’d heard that lead times working with ZCG could be long, Rob was always available to chat and check in, answer a question about the work, or listen when I found a new nit to pick about the car. Rob is also just an excellent guy–It’s clear to anyone who’s met him that he’s deeply passionate about this work, and it’s infectious, even for folks who have already caught the Z bug.“

Thank you for entrusting us with your S30, Daisy. We are so fortunate to work with owners that appreciate the Z and believe in our ability to make them better! LONG LIVE THE Z!