Nissan’s (Z32) 300ZX is a model that we specialize in at Z Car Garage and our shop is always filled Twin-Turbo, NA or convertible variants. Chris G visited us for suspension and engine work on his “slicktop” NA 300ZX:

 

Chris’ Z has always been a handful in the suspension department he just wanted to make it more “adult” so we happily obliged. Full suspension upgrades included  SPL Upper control arms, SPL rear traction arms, SPL front T/C rods, Suspension Techniques front/rear sway bars, Stillen rear strut bar and KW V3 coil-overs. We also replaced the steering rack boots and rack bushings:

 

The NA VG30DE engine was pulled to service the valve covers, perform timing belt services and total re-seal with Nissan valve cover gaskets / BDE billet half moon seals / Gates bypass hose / fuel lines. A JWT aluminum clutch/flywheel was installed:

 

Dyno Tuning

 

We dyno tuned the Z following the engine refresh, making a healthy 201hp/180tq at the wheels:

 

Watch the dyno runs in the video below:

Enjoying The Ride

 

Chris immediately felt a difference after the upgrades and services:

“The Z is a completely different car now. The KW V3 suspension and some real tires make the car feel brand new. All the new goodies they added just took this car to the next level for me. The engine rebuild made a world of difference, pulls hard in every gear, sounds 5x better than before, no more leaks/smells. Just overall an amazing transformation I could feel as soon as I rolled out of the shop.”

 

The Z32 is super fresh with gold BBS LM wheels and timeless good looks. We loved working with Chris, knowing him since he was young and now he’s got a kid of his own…

“I was first introduced to Z’s when my friend bought an 85’ Z31. From there I found the Z32 and fell in love. I really wanted a slicktop, after about a year of looking I found one in the Bay Area and drove out the next day to see it and ended up buying it. I first brought my car to ZCG in 2015. I did research on shops in the bay area, and everything kept pointing back to ZCG as the best of the best. So, I scheduled time with Rob and after meeting him and seeing his true passion for the Z I knew I had found the right people to bring my car to! From beginning to end Rob helped plan everything, I had a list of wants and to-do’s and they made it happen. Along with other recommendations which really helped bring everything together. I could not have done it without them and their abundance of Z knowledge. Some roadblocks occurred during the build, but Rob kept me updated the entire time and followed through to the end to make sure everything was spot on before the next step. Their mindfulness is top tier.”

Thanks for your support Chris. We live for this. Long Live the Z!

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From all of us at Z Car Garage we hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!
Long Live The Z

Shown above in Red, White and Blue are our clients:

CJ’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

Rob J’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Paul K is a local enthusiast out of Campbell, Ca and he visited Z Car Garage for basic performance upgrades on his 2011 Nismo 370z:

 

Photographer and car culture ambassador Larry Chen commissioned Z Car Garage to transform his beloved SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z from an “ok driver” to a no-excuses, multi-dimensional sports car with power, handling, braking, comfort, reliability and performance to match its eye-catching beauty.

  

Larry just released a video chronicling his journey with his Z, affectionately known as “Ole Orange Bang”, featuring our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, chassis preparation, dyno tuning and more. It’s a wonderful video with some killer action of Larry enjoying the Z in the canyons. Check it out below or on his YouTube Channel. Volume up and enjoy!

Thanks for the love Larry! You can see our report of the work ZCG performed on this Z on zcarblog.com HERE and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

Z Car Garage routinely services and modifies Nissan’s R35 supercar and today we have two that visited us for transmission work.

Anthony’s R35

Anthony came to ZCG after a dealership pulled a transmission failure code on his 2009 R35 GT-R. There is a common defect in the pressure sensors inside the transmission of specific model year R35s and ZCG can provide a client a little more than a dealership simply replacing a part. If we see something that is a known issue we like to offer an upgraded solution.

After getting a quote for a substantial amount at the dealership, Anthony reached out to us, brought the car in and we confirmed the failure. Jack’s Transmissions out of Colorado is a well-known R35 transmission builder and we had them build a “hot rod” unit with upgraded pressure sensors and clutches.

 

We removed the transmission and sent it to Jack’s. With the upgraded pressure sensors we needed to re-program the ECU and dyno tune to make sure it performed well. Anthony’s R35 made 511hp/478tq at the wheels, enjoy the dyno run video below:

 

 

Hector’s R35

 

Two weeks later, Hector visited us with is R35 having the exact same transmission code issue. We removed the transmission and re-installed the rebuilt unit from Jack’s. In the exhaust area we found downpipe issues… the passenger side turbo had a really terrible repair on the turbo charger housing in an attempt to get it to seal:

 

We removed all of that and repaired it correctly. With the exhaust off we were able to replace the outlet gaskets, all of the turbo studs and nuts plus a missing exhaust bracket. All exhaust system issues were corrected.

  We also dyno tuned Hector’s R35 after the fresh transmission was installed and it made 501hp/494tq to the wheels. Enjoy the dyno video below:

 

 

Both GT-Rs are making great power and driving at full power with beautifully shifting transmissions. This is another great example of why independent specialty shops exist…we take over when the dealership says just replace it with a stock part…Long Live Boost and Long Live the R35!

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