Z Car Garage CV Axles on Dirk’s 500hp Datsun 510

Filed under: 510,Events,Parts
by Alvin G @ 4:55 pm on April 29, 2022

We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles in their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. This 1971 Datsun 510 is owned by Dirk D. and he replaced his failing CV Axle kit with our ZCG CV Axles. You may have seen this Specialty Z-built Dime at events in the SoCal area and we are proud to be part of it!

We saw Dirk’s 510 last year at the Japanese Classic Car Show and noticed he was running ZCG CV Axles with an R200 diff and Quaife (ATB) limited slip differential. Great to hear that these parts earn Sebastian’s approval and he installed them with ease at the Specialty-Z facility in Simi Valley, CA. Dirk is stoked:

“After receiving them I was even more impressed. Sebastian said the installation went very smooth. I’ve been running them now for over 2000 miles and haven’t had any issues. Even after putting the wood to it a few times. And the fact that we put 498 horse power to the rear wheels proves to me that they are high quality”

Datsun 510 Dreams

Dirk has bee working for 10 years perfecting this 510 mechanically and visually. Here is a brief overview…

MOTOR: SR20DET Red top, Mazworx intake, 1320 Injector dynamics, dual scroll exhaust manifold with Garrett 30 GTX twin Scroll, Forged Pistons (CP), Rods (Eagle), ARP Studs, O-Rings, BC Stage 3 Cams (Adjustable cam sprockets), R35 GTR PRP Coil Kit, S15 Oil pick up, High Capacity Oil Pan, Setrab oil cooler, modified Mishmoto radiator, OEM Nissan Fan Clutch, High Capacity Fan, Canton remote oil filter

DRIVE TRAIN: 5 speed, RPS Carbon Fiber Clutch, Pressure Plate & Fly Wheel (billet aluminum), Custom Built Drive Shaft 300ZX Yolk & U Joints, ZCG CV Axles and Power steering.

Sebastian at Specialty Z dyno-tuned the 510 using a Haltech ECU with maps for E85 and 91 octane fuel. It made 369whp at 16psi and 498whp at 20psi. Enjoy this video of the dyno pass:

Interior

Inside, a finished custom interior features carbon fiber and alcantara touches:

Dirk’s 510 was featured in the February 2019 issue of D Sport Magazine:

Enjoying the Ride

Dirk has been driving his 510 everywhere, most recently to the Petersen Museum Japanese Car Cruise-In last weekend. Both Sebastian and Dirk are impressed with the Z Car Garage CV Axles:

“Sebastian from Specialty Z told me about your axles after informing him that I just snapped a set aftermarket CV Axles the first time I put the wood to it. So I decided to upgrade to ZCG CV’s. I thought that weak link was going to be an issue that was unsolvable because prior to your CV’s there was nothing on the market that would hold up to the power that this car has. It’s great you guys have offered this solution to the market.”

See more of Dirk’s 510 on his Instagram.

Sebastian of Specialty-Z

Dirk purchased this 510 with the SR20 swap already in it, assuming it was a turn key car. Unfortunately the engine failed due to the previous owner’s tuning and 76 mm turbo. Dirk knew Sebastian for quite awhile and talked him into helping him rebuild the car to its fullest potential.

“I wanted a car that wasn’t only for drags or track but could also be driven as a daily driver and still haul ass. With no cooling or tuning issues whatsoever. With major help from Sebastian at Specialty Z and Jamie @ Fab Tech I’ve got everything I asked for and more out of the car couldn’t be happier.”

We asked Sebastian what his thoughts were on building Dirk’s 510:

“The thing I enjoyed most about Dirk’s 510 project was that it was something that we normally don’t do as far as the platform goes. So it was new and refreshing. We never worked in depth with the SR20 in the past or the 510 chassis. We stuck to high quality (as we usually do anyway) parts for the build so it was hard to leave others out, overall we were happy with the fit and finish of the Mazworx intake and exhaust manifolds. We used a Garrett GTX 3076 for the turbo and Garrett never disappoints. As far as the drivetrain goes, the ZCG axles were a pleasure to install and the quality was second to none. We had issues with the previous axles and immediately noticed the difference in noise (lack of) and even a nicer feel while driving the car.”

We have known Sebastian for many years and Specialty Z is a legendary Z32/late-model Nissan tuning house. Seb is a trusted friend and is always willing to help ZCG. It goes without saying that his shop is top notch with many high-profile projects like tuning pro-racer Chris Forsberg’s TT 370Z. Time flies: (L). Ginash and Eric from JDM Legends at SEMA. (Below) Rob and Seb at Z Car Garage:

You won’t see too much from Specialty Z in regards to Datsun related work, but we frequently refer local clients to Seb that have late-model powerplants. Indeed, we sent Bay Area local Jose P to SPZ for tuning on his SR20-powered Datsun 510! We are also super excited to see Seb restoring our Box-flared Datsun 510 that he purchased it from Rob a few years ago:

Seb plans to run a Rebello 2.2L with dual-Mikuni induction, here are a few photos from fresh paint and assembly:

Thank you Dirk and Sebastian for your support! Happy to see you enjoying the Z Car Garage CV Axles in the Dime. Enjoy The Ride!

We have many more photos in the gallery and please read below for more information on our ZCG CV Axles:

ZCG CV Axles

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 200+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

For years we have used aftermarket CV axles that utilize an aluminum adapter prone to loosening up over time. Despite efforts to keep things tight (Loctite, hardware changes) we had to keep an eye on them. We developed a better solution that eliminates the need for aluminum adapters and remains 100% bolt-in like a factory half-shaft.

Designed and manufactured locally with KAD Models, the ZCG CV axle kit works in both R180 and R200 configurations.

These are the beefiest CV axles on the market. They have been tested on the track by our vintage racing customers and also in high hp* street cars (powershifting, clutch dumps, etc.). Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind:

The CV axle kit is available now from ZCG for 1595.00 + freight and they come with everything you need to install on your car. Contact us at 408-452-0350 or send Rob an e-mail rob@zcargarage.com to purchase. Installation is just like doing a half-shaft: there is even a marking that shows you where to line up bolts and special hardware:

The ZCG CV Axles in action

The video below demonstrates the “looseness” associated with aftermarket CV axles that use adapters compared to the ZCG axles without adapters. Several customer race/street cars running our CV axles are also shown. Enjoy!