Andreas visited Z Car Garage to get his 1983 Nissan Skyline running correctly. We admire these 80’s gems, working on several DR30 Skylines and with a few tweaks plus dyno tuning Andreas was back on the road in proper form.
The Sixth Generation
Not familiar with this right-hand drive specimen? Most Americans are familiar with the classic 70’s Skylines and later GT-R series, but this 6th generation (R30) chassis is often overlooked, yet very special in its own right. Andreas’ model is a ’83 Nissan Skyline RS-X and it’s the first iteration of the distinctive “Iron Mask” front end. This generation also marked introduction of the FJ20 engine, though Andreas’ is an early, non-intercooled model:
In Japan the R30 sold well and had a great following with Nissan enlisting the famous actor/racer Paul Newman to appear in ad campaigns. The R30 also formed the basis for the insanely cool SuperSilhouette race car:
DR30 Ownership
With its angular styling, pillar-less windows, killer graphics and FJ20 power what’s not to like? Andreas had been wanting a DR30 for the past 10+ years and after driving Reid’s DR30, it motivated him to finally get one:
“With the help of The Import Guys, I purchased it from auction in June and picked it up in November in Washington and drove it straight home to Northern California. 2 days, almost 1000 miles and it did it perfectly. I have been fixing a few things here and there like a new front lip, interior trim, suspension, brakes and threw back on some OEM parts but my journey with the car is still young. I have auto-x’ed it already and do have my eyes on potential track days.”
Andreas was having problems with the car not revving properly and recalled his discussion with Reid (thanks!) about his and getting work done at Z Car Garage:
“I reached out to Rob for help. Kind of funny, on the day of the appointment to get this issue checked out my car broke down a mile from the shop and he was nice enough to help me tow it there. I have pretty modest goals, I just want a good looking, fun to drive DR30. This one has its issues like most 35+ year old cars but the idea was to get myself a nice project (but a driver). No need for a beauty queen, and no real need for massive power. Give it a refresh, and then just drive the hell out of it.”
Skyline Sorting at ZCG
Since purchasing, this R30 was not running correctly so we started troubleshooting the fuel system. We figured out some of the issues (bad fuel pump, running extremely lean, no fuel getting to motor) and we got Andreas running.
Despite new injectors, fuel filter, fuel pump we kept hitting these limiters. The factory ECU wouldn’t allow it to rev over 5krpm so we called our friends from JWT. Clark Steppler is the master of all vintage ECUs and he worked his magic on the delicate, vintage unit. As you can see from the dyno plot we have full rev range power/tq.
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the FJ20ET, now with full power available to redline it put down 178hp/158tq to the wheels. Impressive power for the time, with a hot-pipe. Nissan really was special in the 80’s!
Enjoy this video of the dyno run and Andreas enjoying the DR30:
While the Skyline was here we replaced the front control arm bushings with new Superpro bushings:
Andreas was driving the car when he felt a loss in power. We discovered a boost leak in the hot pipe and resolved it. In Andreas’ words “No issues now and car runs like a dream.”
Enjoying The Ride
With the engine sorted Andreas has been driving his Skyline everywhere, happily boosting. Ps…did we mention how good it looks on the Longchamp wheels?
He even made it out to the recent Norcal Skylines Matsuri 2020, an event we were lucky to attend last year:
“I want a car I can have fun with and drive hard), not something that I just take to cars and coffee. So I appreciate all the help he gave me to get my car back up and running and back to its former glory!”
Thanks for letting us work on your DR30 Andreas. We love the direction you are taking it!
We met Bruce L at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. He has owned these (two) Series 1 240z cars for decades and wanted us to revive them. Bruce has performed all work himself and never let anyone else touch his Z cars so we were honored to oblige. In addition to getting the cars road-worthy each one sports our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Let’s take a look at how Bruce got into S30’s.
Beginnings
Bruce was introduced to Datsuns with his parent’s Bluebird 4-door 1300 (he took his driving license in this in 1969). He even purchased a brand new 1971 Datsun pickup in 1970 for $1800 and got a glimpse of the Z car:
“In the dealership showroom floor while purchasing this Pickup was a brand new early production Dark Green 1969 240Z with a Tan interior. The price tag was 3,400.00 ish. There was no way I could afford that kind of money for another car, let alone a sports car, and I needed a truck to haul my Dirt Bike to and from the Hollister Hills off-road park. Still, I wanted a 240Z instead of any of the muscle cars of the era. They just didn’t speak to me. Too big and bulky and the Cobra had no top to speak of in those days and it didn’t say buy-me.”
In 1973 Bruce walked into that same dealership to see and purchase a used ’72 Lime Yellow 240z. Leap forward to 1982 and he purchased “Christine” from the same Datsun mechanic that used to work on his yellow ’72. Later in 1989 is when he purchased “Valerie” from a lady named Valerie who wanted to sell right after the ’89 Loma Prieta Earthquake.
“I love both of my Z’s even if I had to store them both for ten years. Rob brought them both back to life for me and added all of the improvements to make them come alive. And a thrill to drive once again. I still do all the small general maintenance for the most part on both Z’s, but have given the chore of anything else that I don’t wish to tackle at 67 years old to Rob.”
Bruce and his wife are fantastic people that have been active in the Z car community for a long time. After seeing us at the Rolex event, our operations and many happy customers Bruce wanted us to go through all of his personal cars. Both Series 1 S30’s came to Z Car Garage, starting with Valerie and later the Hot Rod, Christine.
Valerie
Valerie had been sitting for about 10 years and we performed the basics to get it back on the road again. The fuel tank was removed, boiled out and all fuel/vapor-associated lines were replaced:
Chassis
The chassis was treated to a light refresh with new parts and bushings from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. T3 adjustable front T/C rods and lower rear control arms:
Bruce had already done springs and struts on Valerie long ago…but nothing had serious miles on it so we just had to correct a couple of things, trimmed front springs for a nicer stance and trimmed bump stops. We also replaced the rack and moustache bar bushings.
The diff was removed and re-sealed:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
Our readers are likely familiar with “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car with full suspension and our ZCG Big-Brakes. Following a test drive in Butters, clients are sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles! 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 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 removed Bruce’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit on both Valerie and Christine. Up front:
The rear drums were replace with the ZCG setup and factory hand brake functionality remains!
The ZCG Big-Brake Kit fits nicely behind 15″ (Valerie) and 16″ (Christine) Panasports and Bruce is really happy with the disc brake upgrades.
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.
We installed CV Axle kit #258 on Valerie and #266 on Christine. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:
More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms:
Engine
Bruce gives a little background on Valerie’s drivetrain:
“I originally intended to make Valerie a commute car for my wife to travel between Prunedale and Morgan Hill. The job never materialized and I then decided to make Valerie into a show car. Everything about Christine in terms of how she was built is identical with Valerie, except for the engine which she still retains a 2.4 L with E-31 head, Schneider cam and stock twin” SUs.” Valerie has a 5 speed transmission with custom shift lever.”
With the engine gone through by Bruce many years ago, we went ahead replaced the oil pan gasket, pulled/sealed transmission, installed a JWT clutch and updated ignition with Pertronix.
On the dyno we dialed it in for best performance, making 128hp/127tq at the wheels, video below:
Just You and Me
Bruce and his wife Enjoying Valerie. He recalls an old car show we both attended (but did know each other then):
“I had Valerie stripped down to bare metal also and repainted in 1989 Mercedes Back Pearl. I then had her wet sanded and polished to a near mirror finish. I took her to the Ohlone College Car Show in 2002 where she won 1st place in the 240Z category out of Fifty Two 240Z’s. Mr. K was present and awarded Valerie “Best of Show”, signing both awards.”
Christine
As soon as we finished Valerie, Bruce brought us his second 1970 S30 affectionately named “Christine”. This is his Hot Rod Z:
“I replaced the original 2.4 L engine with a rebuilt 2.8 L engine. I then had an E-31 Head Ported and Polished with a Schneider Cam installed. I installed a 280Z 5-speed transmission that required me to make a custom linkage making the gearshift lever appear to be in a stock position on the console. Then around 1985 I had the car stripped of all way down to bare metal, prepped, sanded along with having deletes welded in on the rear bumper to accommodate the Cobra style bumper.”
Christine was also sitting for a decade and we performed similar revival tasks as done to Valerie. The fuel tank was pulled, clutch and oil plump replaced and we did all the corrections that were needed, with ZCG touches. An MSD6AL box with Blaster2 coil was installed and triple-Mikuni PHH 40 carbs (now with titanium velocity stacks) were re-jetted. Rob dyno tuned Christine, making 165hp/159tq at the wheels:
Bruce was pleased:
“In 2019 I took Christine to Z Car Garage and had Rob Fuller complete a refresh on the engine to include a Dyno Tune on the Carburetors. Rob did a fantastic job of getting Christine back up and running the way she should be as she had been in storage for 10 years. Rob also did a complete tubular control arm upgrade along with installing solid one-piece half shafts and a complete four-wheel disc brake conversion kit to include the emergency brake.”
Both of these products are available now from Z Car Garage. Please email/call Rob!
The Big-Brakes look great behind a new set of 16×7 Panasport wheels with s007a tires in 225/50/16:
Enjoying the Ride
With both 1970 Z cars back on the road Bruce was out Enjoying The Ride. Above, Christine enjoys prime parking at the Pacific Grove Car Show during Monterey Car Week in 2019. Below, Bruce attended the ZONC Annual Car Show in Brisbane, CA earning 1st place with Christine:
On that car show note, here is a fun fact: Bruce has been the caretaker of “Sunshine”, a special Z32. Sunshine was previously owned by Carolyn Dudley – ZONC President for many years and personal friend of Mr. K.
After Carolyn passed away (RIP), her son sold the Z to Bruce. Under his ownership Bruce has given this 300zx a full restoration and keeps it running well at 157k miles.
“Sunshine was given center stage at Blackhawk Car Show in 2004. People were recognizing Sunshine and they approached her and laid their hands on the car and were praying. That gave me chills. I stopped taking Sunshine to events until I took her 2 years ago to the ZONC picnic in the bay area and still a lot of people recognized her.”
Feelin’ Stronger Everyday
We understand that it is hard to entrust a shop with your pride and joy. After purchasing Christine in 1982, all of the work performed on her was completed by Bruce and his best friend in a garage.
“I have never left either of my Z’s at any place to be worked on other than the 2 paint shops. (One in 1985 Sean’s Auto Body in Salinas – Black Acrylic Enamel and One in 1991 or 92 at J&J Auto Body in Auburn Calif – 1989 Mercedes Black Pearl). I also wasn’t concerned in 2019 with leaving either of my 240Z’s with Rob Fuller at ZCG because of his reputation in the Z World that I explored prior to contacting him at the shop. Christine was never purchased as an investment, she was purchased as a car that I cherished and now 38 years later Christine is still not for sale.”
We thank Bruce for giving us the opportunity to help get both of his 1970 Z cars back on the road. Enjoy the picture gallery and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Last Saturday I attended the Breakfast Club Rally held in Santa Rosa, CA. This was my first time at the event and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. I took my Datsun Roadster and left San Jose Saturday morning with fellow roadster owner Raj (1969 SPL) and enthusiast Naveed Yousufzai (Porsche 911 CS), driving 100 miles North to the gathering.
We spotted Daniel Wu in his Honda S800 buzzing along the freeway! Many more vintage cars were on their way:
Cars & Coffee? Yes Please!
The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) is fairly new. What started out as a small group enjoying weekend drives blossomed into a full-on Cars and Coffee meet just before the rally participants are given the green light to head out (rally map available to pre-registrants only). The parking lot was filled with a great variety of vintage and interesting cars. Of course, yours truly is always on the lookout for Datsuns:
Andrew’s RHD Fairlady Z looking sharp on Gotti wheels:
Raj’s Datsun Roadster (“Spike”) with full U20/5 speed drivetrain and rally-prepped suspension, and one of three S30s:
R32 Skyline and two Datsun 510s:
411 wagon and two more Datsun Roadsters!
So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos!
Rally On!
The rally started at 9am and I embarked on what would be epic adventure to the coastline. Naveed and Gen invited me join their Porsche 911 group as they trekked off-route through Skaggs Springs Rd. Weather and terrain changes abound, with rain and unpaved bits all engaging drivers.
This is a grand, picaresque part of the North that has seen recent fires, yet still remained totally mesmerizing. The fog, drizzle and clouds combined with changing forest and hillsides always had me fighting to admire and keep my eyes on the road! We eventually winded our way to the Stewart’s Point for lunch. It was an intense trip.
As folks parted ways most chose to take it easy and head down HWY back home. Our group decided to take Skaggs back again to Healdsburg! We were rewarded with less damp conditions and a gorgeous view of local vineyards. I headed back home to San Jose to complete the almost 400-mile trip.
A short video capturing the day:
Thanks BCR!
Many thanks to the organizers we had a blast at Breakfast Club Rally. I want to do it again! Also, many thanks to Naveed and Gen for leading the way and letting me tag along for the adventure. California never ceases to amaze me with driving roads galore. #DoItInADatsun
The 2020 Rally From Home South was held October 1 and we had a wonderful driving experience. Hosted by Driving While Awesome, the one-day event brought interesting cars and their drivers sharing a common passion for enjoying the best driving roads in Northern California. We participated with the Z Car Garage 1970 Datsun 240z and this is our report from the day filled with open roads, seemingly endless stretches of curvy mountain passes and good company.
The ZCG Datsun 240z
Rob handed me the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z that serves as the shop demo car and I happily obliged to drive. While this S30 deserves its own feature, here are a few details on the build:
Engine: 3.2L L-series with triple Mikuni 44 carbs and ZCG Heat Sheild
Suspension: Full KW coil-over suspension (ZCG-spec)
Brakes: Z Car Garage Big-Brakes
Drivetrain: Nissan CD009a 6-speed, Z Car Garage CV Axles, OS Giken 4.11 LSD
Wheels: 16×7 Panasport with 225/50/16 Toyo Proxes RA1
Interior: Recaro LXF seats
The Z performed admirably without a single problem over the 300+ mile event. This is a testament to thorough rally-prep (thanks ZCG crew) and the wonderfully upgraded suspension/chassis. These modifications offered a great balance of ride compliance and stiffness for the canyons with a seamless transition between rough to smooth surfaces. The ZCG Big-brakes also delivered great feel and zero fade…truly confidence-inspiring. Icing on the cake was the Nissan CD009a 6-speed transmission :
This gearbox completely transforms the driving experience in Butters. Gone are the long throws of the close-ratio ZX 5-speed and any feelings of fragility with high-speed shifting. The 6-speed simply clicks-off shifts with minimal effort and the gear spacing is truly a match made in heaven for the L-Series. More details with full testing (weights/dyno etc.) coming soon. Enjoy this video of Ms. Butters and hear that L-series sing!
Rally Start: San Juan to Coalinga
With the recent fires and COVID changing how we live, the typical 3-day format of previous DWA rallies (CRR Rewind 2019) was changed to a one-day event. I really enjoyed it and though a single day sounded appealing I did miss the extra driving and mingling of former events. This year the rally was dubbed Rally From Home South, as the start was very close to the South Bay Area. I joined fellow enthusiast Geoff W in his 1972 BMW 2002 Monday morning to blast down to the starting point in San Juan Bautista, CA.
The mini-cars and coffee of rally participants was full of wicked metal, both old and new. The DWA organizers encouraged us that this isn’t a race, and to enjoy the roads at our own pace. I can’t emphasize enough how great this group of folks is. A good portion are DWA-veteran rally drivers and the positivity was contagious. We were the only Datsun/Nissan represented!
Geoff and I grabbed our swag bags and rally maps and hopped into our cars heading South through HWY 25. A few brief stops along the way, at Condon Peak (Ron’s S2000) and oil fields in Coalinga:
King City to Fort Ord
The next stages leaving King City were a mix of long sweepers with a few technical sections. Despite the smoky sky and blistering heat we made it to the Green Bridge. Here, Geoff and I took a nice break under some trees. Soon we were joined by Naveed, Brendan, Marcelo and a few others!
Carmel Valley Road to Laguna Seca
This was my favorite stretch of road on the rally. We enjoyed it so much that we turned around and drove it again, while capturing some video of the cars in action. While Geoff and I were putting in work wrestling our vintage cars, Naveed was comfortably living the dream in the Porsche GT3RS from Abrahim of StealthLabs:
It is difficult to describe the driving experience through photos, so please enjoy this video I made!
Geoff and I switched cars for a bit. I was really impressed with the 2002’s handling, it’s a gem. The rare Camapagnolo wheels also look incredible with the sticky CR65 tires. We arrived at the entrance to Laguna Seca and it was another car show representing a great feature of DWA rallies: diversity. So many cool cars from all era’s and marques! This was a fun time chatting with fellow rally’ers
Our final stop was a relaxed gathering at Fort Ord under a filtered sunset. A great way to end a day of driving. More picture in the gallery!
Thank you DWA!
Rally From Home South was a surreal experience. I am still day dreaming about the incredible stretches of roads that we travelled all in one day. For what seems like a brief moment in time we were transported to another world with changing landscapes, smells, sights and sounds. Big thanks to the crew at Driving While Awesome and old/new friends met during the rally. We are definitely signing up for the next event! Enjoy the picture gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
