Working with owners that have a long history with their Z gets us excited. This early Series 1 240z (vin# 2144, March 1970) was Bill R’s very first sports car, owned since 1976. The car had been sitting in storage for over 20 years and Bill contacted us for mechanical sorting.
Beginning in 2019 we had the pleasure of working with Bill to help get his Z back on the road. Our Z Car Garage CV Axles along with refurbished brakes, suspension, interior and engine tuning all transform this Z back into the sports car Bill remembered enjoying. Before we dive in to the restoration let’s take a look at his Z car story.
Love at First Sight
“On December 30th 1976 I purchased my Datsun 204z from Niello Volkswagen in Sacramento, I happened to drive by this dealership and noticed a small two door blue sports car. After driving into the lot to check it out I kinda fell in love with it. The asking price was $3,676 and it had 072260 miles on it. At this time I was only 21 years old and wanted a 2-door sports car…
…The next day I returned to the dealership to put a downpayment on this car. I signed the purchase agreement and I was on my way home. Finally my first sports car! From this date in 1976 I always took great pride and joy in this car. Always kept in a garage. At one time I had purchased another 1971 Z for my wife and we had matching 240z’s”
Over the past 44 years of owning his 240z, Bill began to drive it less as his family grew and mechanical issues arose. After being in and out of different repair shops he was not satisfied with the work completed to get the Z running properly. It sat for many years. After finding ZCG, Bill decided to drive from Elk Grove to San Jose to check out the shop and meet Rob.
Bill towed his “AWWSUM Z” to our shop in January 2019 and we performed a full inspection. The plan to get Bill’s Z back on the road included a full suspension/brake refresh, engine tuning, interior refurbishment with weatherstripping and restoration of those groovy True Spoke wire wheels.
Chassis
With the Z happily in our shop the chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild. We installed all new ball joints, bushings, tie rods, wheel bearings and had all parts powder coated. Before removal:
Below: New KYB front/rear struts with Eibach springs and ST f/r sway bars. We also installed new adjustable T/C rods and lower control arms (see below) 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.
New suspension parts installed up front:
Rear suspension, before and after:
The underside was steam-cleaned and undercoated:
Brakes
We restored the OEM brakes with all new lines, new brake master cylinder and remanufactured calipers with Stoptech slotted rotors and 309 pads:
Z Car Garage CV Axles
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 100 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Bill has CV Axle set #281. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:
More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms:
The differential was resealed with new front/side seals:
We gave Bill regular updates on his Z:
“Throughout the 2019 year I was in contact with Rob, he sent me pictures of the work in progress performed on my 240z. In October of 2019 I took a drive to the shop to take a look at what was completed. I was able to take my 240z out for a drive around the neighborhood, I was surprised and shocked to drive my z for the first time in years, just the look at all of the work performed on my Z was unbelievable!
Engine
The engine bay was next. We steam cleaned the entire underside of the car to reveal any drivetrain leaks. The radiator was removed and boiled out. All cooling system hoses were replaced. A new 280zx starter, new fan clutch, upgraded alternator and new battery with cables were installed:
With 148,876 miles on the odometer we performed a compression/leakdown test and the stock L24 passed. A full service tune was performed including new plugs, plug wire set, cap/rotor, fuel filter, valve cover gasket, MSD Blaster2 (black) coil, new drive belts, water pump, oil change and a valve adjustment. Before/after:
New Z-therapy carbs and cleanup of the intake manifold/air injection. The valve cover was also powder coated. More pictures in the gallery below:
We replaced intake and exhaust manifold gaskets with factory Nissan parts and the exhaust manifold was replaced with an MSA 6-1 coated header:
The old twice-pipe exhaust was replaced with our full ZCG exhaust system with a stainless Magnaflow resonator and slash-cut tip:
With the new SU carbs, exhaust/header and engine service Rob dyno tuned the Z making 133hp/133tq at the wheels:
Enjoy the L24 music in this dyno video:
Interior
Bill requested a full interior refresh back to blue vinyl. The entire dash assembly was removed along with the gauges which were all tested for functionality. We corrected all of the heater vents and installed new light bulbs throughout. All of the inner workings/wiring of the dash were sorted:
More hidden details:
Heater core and fan assembly restoration:
We replaced the clock motor in the dash, upgraded to a MSA fuse box, and replaced the center panel for heater controls with a nice looking MSA unit.
A new reproduction dash was sourced from Vintage Dashes. This is our third Vintage Dashes installation and we thank Ivan Jaramillo for making a cost-effective product for Z cars. More pictures in the gallery below. Expect a full report on their products soon!
The seats were re-done in blue vinyl:
We removed the steering wheel cover revealing a nicely patina’d Series 1 unit in need of light restoration:
What a difference!
A new shift knob complements the refreshed steering wheel:
New pedal covers, many more pictures of the interior refresh in the gallery below:
Extensive weatherstripping replacement was performed. Our ZCG door seals to eliminate the “tinniness” when you shut the door. We removed the door panels to restore inner parts, made sure that windows roll up/down smoothly and installed new window felt and runners for the channels:
New weatherstripping including hatch seals, doors and window frames:
Details
Many Series 1-specific parts were in need of replacement. Hard to find items like the Series 1 map light and inner shift boot were sourced and replaced:
Bill wanted a newer stereo system so we installed our ZCG speaker box with 6x9s:
The fuel system was completely gone through. We replaced all of the vapor-recovery hoses and refurbished the fuel tank.
No more leaks or fumes!
The vintage True Spoke wheels were re-finished and new 185/70/14 tires with tubes sourced. These wheels were added by Bill in the 70’s and he loves them!
The Z was fully detailed inside and out:
Driving is Believing
“On May 15th 2020 I returned to the Z Car Garage to bring my 240z home! Before we put my Z on the trailer Rob took me for a test ride in my Z around the neighborhood and on the freeway to check out the performance and the handling of my newly restored 240z. I didn’t know my car had that much power and cornering capability with stopping power! I thought I was on a race track riding with Rob. After we returned to the shop Rob asked me to take my z out for a test drive by myself, man it never felt so good after many years of not being able to drive my Z without any problems.”
Bill owned a Barbecue and Deli business several years ago (Reedsribs and More) and still caters. He thought it was a nice way to thank the shop with a BBQ lunch, an amazing gesture we are thankful for.
“I would like to personally thank each employee that worked on the restoration of my 240z. Rob I would like to thank you personally for the professional way you communicated with me every step of the way with the restoration of my 240z. Since my z has been back home home I showed several friends and previous Z owners the work that was performed in your garage. Everyone was speechless!
Thanks for the restoration and putting me back on the road in my AAWSUM Z”
Bill Reed
We are so fortunate to work with owners that appreciate the Z and believe in our ability to make them better! Bill we thank you for supporting Z Car Gar Garage, and LONG LIVE THE Z!
More pictures in the gallery below:
