We have the pleasure of continually developing Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240z to help achieve his vision of a Z car that is adept on the street and track. Improving the driving experience are our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, Silvia 6-speed transmission and a host of chassis and driveline upgrades.

 

Dirk shares his experience working with us:

“Collaborating closely with Rob and ZCG has elevated the optimization process. Rob will frequently talk me out of a bad idea, or into a good one (like the OS Giken LSD). Sometimes I talk him into a bad idea and it turns out to work really well, like the S15 gearbox. The most fun is when we brainstorm stuff together like turning the catch can setup into an improvised simple PCV system, eliminating all hints of oil fumes from the car while running.”

Datsun 510, 620 and Z car love

Since our last iteration, Dirk as been back to Z Car Garage for a few major projects. Let’s take a look at his Datsun story first. Dirk bought his first Datsun in 2014, a 1970 510, to learn how to work on cars himself. After learning more about the history of Datsun, and the significance of both the 510 and the 240Z in establishing Japanese cars in the American market, he knew he had to own a Z as well.

  

A year later, the right Z showed up on eBay in Texas, a 1973 in silver gray. After pouring over the photos and talking to the seller, Dirk bought the car sight unseen. The idea was to have a nice Z to enjoy and drive, while continuing to work on the (sometimes not) rolling restoration of his 510. The car was lovingly restored by a dad and his children and in mostly stock condition. Dirk also has Datsun 620 work truck complete with dual-Mikuni’s:

  After many more tweaks, different induction setups, spring rate changes, rebuilt stock brakes, and 24K miles of driving including a few track days, Dirk’s Z was inching closer and closer to his vision.

 Photos: Dito Milian/Gotbluemilk.com 

“After installing a Datsun Spirit STR-3 engine with a set of Nismo Mikuni PHH44 carburetors, the biggest weak spots left were the rest of the drivetrain (especially the stock 4-speed transmission, but the Subaru diff had also developed some bearing issues), the stock brakes, and of course the loose nut behind the wheel – but sadly that last component typically takes too much money and time to modify thoroughly.”

  

After comparing the Z to his Subaru BRZ on the track, it was clear the Z was better at everything except for shifting gears. Since his engine made a healthy amount of torque, but not enough to warrant a CD009 (350z) transmission, Dirk kept looking for alternatives. He also wanted something with slightly closer gear ratios to better suit the engine’s power band. An S15 Silvia 6-speed seemed like the perfect fit and we installed it back in 2019.

S15 6-speed transmission

  

The first S15 box had some weak synchros, so Dirk sourced another one that was installed with OE trans fluid, as well as a set of fresh OE motor and trans mounts to help with shifter feel and reduce vibrations in the car.

“The S15 transmission fit surprisingly well. ZCG built a custom crossmember to locate it, and the shifter lined up almost perfectly. No transmission tunnel mods were necessary. The modern shifter looked out of place, so ZCG built a custom unit that would look stock, and work with the Datsun competition shift knob. A small 6-speed shift pattern sticker modeled after the one used in the Silvia is the only clue there’s something different going on under this car. And of course the driving experience.”

Making the S15 shifter look factory, we are happy with the result and Dirk’s subtle shift pattern sticker:

   

The Datsun Comp shift knob complements the steering wheel:

 

Chassis and Driveline Upgrades

First, there was work to upgrade the steering geometry and suspension. With the car being lowered quite a bit, despite having 1″ RCAs installed, it had a ton of bump steer. Rob installed DP racing adjustable tie rods, removed the front springs, and completely eliminated the bump steer on the alignment rack while moving the suspension through its full range of motion.

New DP Racing tie-rods and in-house alignment:

 

We also refurbished Dirk’s steering rack with fresh parts from our stash:

 

With the Z back in the shop for bodywork we took the opportunity to make more suspension changes. New Koni Race shocks from T3 were installed, which were a much better match for the 300# and 350# spring rates than the Koni Sport shocks they replaced (as Dirk initially ordered the coil overs with lower spring rates, he never replaced the shocks after adjusting the spring rates, and the car always felt underdamped, particularly on the not-adjustable compression stroke):

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

    Dirk visited ZCG and drove “Mrs. Butters”, our 1970 Series 1 240z shop demo car and he 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 🙂 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 Dirk’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit.

 ZCG Big-brakes replacing stock setup up front:

   

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

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

  

Also visible on Dirk’s Z are the excellent adjustable lower control arms from Techno Toy Tuning.

  

3 Liter L-Series Power

Unfortunately, the Datsun Spirit engine developed rod knock which was the impetus for a big drivetrain upgrade. Several other parts of the car where refined as well.

 

The L28 engine was pulled, sent to Rebello, and built into a 3L powerhouse. Dave bored out the 44PHH venturis to a custom 38.5mm, to hit the perfect compromise between peak power and drivability. We also installed a fresh water pump, alternator, new fan blade, OEM fan clutch and fresh air filters. The beautiful DP Racing oil pan remained. More photos in the gallery below:

 A custom stainless 2.5″ mandrel-bent exhaust mates with a new set of coated Pacesetter headers and Z Story Street muffler (in a search for a reduction in volume while keeping a nice note). Dirk discusses the clutch/flywheel combo below:

 

“The STR-3 already was able to slip the Exedy clutch and we were never fans of the Chromoly steel flywheel. A Jim Wolf Technologies clutch and flywheel combo was installed after first trying a newly developed Kameari single plate street clutch kit, which we both found too loud and racy for this street car. While the JWT pressure plate yielded a different pedal feel that took some getting used too, it was not too heavy and perfectly comfortable to drive in traffic. More importantly, it never slipped under any kind of abuse.”

The clutch hydraulics were replaced to work with new alumimum flywheel/JWT HD clutch combo:

  

We installed a ZCG-built 4.11 OS Giken limited-slip differential in the R180 along with a custom aluminum driveshaft:

   

Dyno Tuning

 

The previous L28 made 202hp/194tq at the wheels with Rob’s tuning. Now with the fresh 3L it baselined at 245hp/226tq with more area under the curve:

 

Rob tuned the car further on the chassis dyno, setting it up with a very lean idle at Dirk’s request (to minimize gasoline fumes at idle). With A/F optimized and Nismo Mikuni carbs massaged, Rob unlocked another 20hp yielding a stout 265hp/232tq to the wheels:

  

With gains of 62hp/37tq at the wheels over the L28, Dirk is very happy with the new 3L:

“While the Datsun Spirit engine had a very peppy mid-range and made more delicious induction noises, there’s no argument that the more powerful Rebello engine elevated the car to the next level of performance and fun. The entire setup worked incredibly well together, and we hit an impressive 265hp at the rear wheels, or 60hp more than the engine made in its previous iteration, putting it in the 100hp/liter ballpark at the crank. Not bad for a dinosaur engine on California pump gas!”

Enjoy the dyno video and L-series music!

 

Sorting

The little things are what we excel at and Dirk had a list for us to knock out. While at ZCG, we replaced the heavily sandblasted OE windshield, and did some rust remediation in the cowl area, as Dirk had started noticing water making it into the interior fan assembly after washing the car. More photos in the gallery below:

  

The heater and blower motor assembly was refurbished with new ducting seals and lubed linkage:

 

The headlight switch had also developed some issues where sometimes the lights would turn off completely when switching between low and high beam, and was replaced with a good used example from the ZCG parts stash.

“The headlights now worked reliably, the new engine didn’t consume any significant amount of oil, and the whole drivetrain worked together even better than before with the new clutch and flywheel combo.”

 

Unfortunately, 7 months and many miles later, Dirk was back after a minor nighttime crash that took out the left fender, front bumper and valance, and dented the hood. After bodywork and paint from our man William from William’s Auto Body, we installed a euro front bumper, used turn signal assembly, cleaned up electrical wiring from alternator through firewall and sorted his Speedhut GPS speedo box.

  

To improve safety, comfort, and avoid future crashes, Dirk upgraded his headlights to a new set of Holley Retrobrights, and GTR Carbide 2.0 turn signal bulbs front and rear from Headlight Revolution.

“The headlights are a world ahead of the old Maxxima LED units, which themselves outperformed the Sylvania Halogen sealed beams, while staying very under the radar, with their sealed beam-inspired looks. And the turn signals are now highly noticeable, even in the brightest daylight.”

 

Enjoying the Ride

Dirk’s been driving his Z-car pretty much every day since the latest upgrades, and it’s been working phenomenally well:

“The drivetrain + brakes make it as happy to accelerate as it is to stop, and with the quick, closely spaced shifts and eager engine, it’s fun to do a casual grocery run, and to drive quickly. With the electrical systems and all fumes well under control, it’s truly a car you can do anything with, and probably more reliable than my BMW.”

 

We loved to see Dirk driving his Z on rallies and fun runs this year. Most recently we joined fellow Japanese vintage car owners on the Tokyo Calling event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally:

 

Dirk also joined us for a New Year’s Day drive through our favorite Bay Area Backroads:

 

We enjoyed working with you Dirk and it was rewarding to help improve your Z.

“Some say good is the enemy of great, but that’s true if you think you’re done. I don’t see my Z car less as a “build” that’s done. I’m always developing it, just like continually developing a race car (e.g. my Lemons car, http://instagram.com/bittersc243) to stay competitive. In this case the competition is merely for making the Z into the most fun driving experience I can imagine, and the journey of continuous refinement and improvement is a big part of the fun for me.”

 

While Dirk works through a few interior projects (new carpets, stereo upgrade) on his own, we’re getting ready to further revise the front suspension/steering, and wider wheel + tire options. Enjoy more photo documentation of our work in the gallery below. Thanks for your support Dirk and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

 

On Saturday, September 24 the Breakfast Club Rally is hosting Tokyo Calling 2, their second All-Japanese car rally in San Rafael, Ca.

To register and see more details, please visit their website HERE

 

We have run several rallies with Breakfast Club and it is a total blast, you can see my previous event reports HERE.

Stay tuned for caravan information from Z Car Garage.

Z you there!

 

 

 

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 Jay W and he replaced his old CV Axle kit with our ZCG CV Axles.

 

Z Car Garage is proud to offer a CV axle conversion kit for your Datsun S30 and 510. We have sold over 200 sets of axles globally, with customers installing and enjoying them on everything from street cars to full-blown IMSA racers. These CV axles will help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts.

  

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. 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. Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind and the kit comes with everything you need to install on your car.

 

Jay was looking for CV Axles to run on his 1971 Datsun 510 with Subaru R160 diff and stock 510 bolt-in stub axles:

“I’ve followed ZCG since you launched the Z Car blog years ago. When I first saw the axles on the blog I wanted to purchase them, but I already had the WCR CVs with adapters. I got tired of checking the adapters and safety wiring the bolts. The ZCG axles appealed to me due to their overall design and race proven duties. Talking to Rob about them earlier this year made the decision easy.”

 

Like many enthusiasts Jay wanted to install them himself as he enjoys working on his Datsun. He kindly sent us a few installation pictures of the ZCG CV Axles (set #0403) replacing the old CVs.

 

We were pleased to hear Jay’s installation went smoothly:

“I work in Mountain View, so I picked them up in person. Rob walked me through the process and pre-greased the CVs so installation was very simple. I had to adjust my exhaust a bit to clear the axles, but that was pretty easy. The build quality of these is top notch, I really like the details: The hole alignment marker and clearance for a box wrench. “

More install photos can be seen in the gallery below:

 

 

Datsun 510 Dreams

 

We actually know Jay from the days of the All-Datsun Meet at Mt. Shasta many years ago. Let’s hear how he got into his Dimes:

“I purchased my 510 wagon in Oakland in 2005. The seller had this green sedan in his garage he purchased new in 1971. He was performing an engine compartment refresh and swap. I offered to purchase the sedan too and a year later he called me back. The car was rolling, but all the parts were in various boxes or missing. Besides a clean body the car came with a DL Potter engine and Nissan competition transmission which had zero miles on them. I fell victim to project delays and scope creep due to work, family and moving.”

“I didn’t get the car on the road until May 2020. I also enjoy doing as much work as possible myself which definitely slows down progress. The goal with this car is to build a dependable well-handling driver which is period correct in appearance but can still be comfortable for my family. Much like the BTW 510 from Car and Driver. I plan to use the cars in some driving rally’s and the occasional autox- and track days.”

  

The car has changed a lot over the last two years and will continue to evolve as a driving project. As of today the car has this configuration:

Engine: L18, dual 40mm Mikuni carbs, custom roadster air filter, Fujitsubo exhaust

Drivetrain: Nissan comp transmission, Kameari flywheel, 4.11 R160 LSD

Suspension and brakes: 280ZX front struts and brakes, 240Z rear drums, Koni struts and shocks, 225 lb/in F and 900 lb/in R Swift springs, DPR bushings, 25mm F and 20mm R sway bars

Body: Resprayed body in early 80s, but close to factory color.

 

Interior

   

FloFit front seats, full carpet with extra sound deadening. Jay added some footwell lights which turn on with the dome light. Makes night access a lot nicer.

 

 

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

Shown above are our clients:

Lou

Khang

Glenn

 

Z Car Garage spent a few days with the new 2023 Nissan Z at our shop in San Jose, CA. We enjoyed driving the Z on our favorite Bay Area backroads and sharing the experience with our clients. First impressions were unanimous: the new Z is fantastic right out of the box.

 

Our journey with the new Z began last year in May when Nissan invited us to their Headquarters in Tennessee to get up close and personal with the Z Proto:

 

Later in August we were guests at the 2023 Nissan Global Reveal event in New York:

 

In October we hosted a 2023 Nissan Viewing Event at Z Car Garage for the public to enjoy:

 

Just a few weeks ago Nissan kindly offered to lend us a 2023 Nissan Z for five days. We happily obliged and once again thank Jonathan Buhler (Sr. Specialist Corporate Communications at Nissan) and industry veteran Dan Passe (Director, Nissan Corporate Communications) for including Z Car Garage as the new Z makes its glorious return. Enjoy our recap of the week with photos and video of the Z in action.

The New Z at Z Car Garage

 

Our time with the Z began at the ZONC 50th Birthday Celebration in Danville, Ca. I had the opportunity to drive it from the show back to our shop with a group of die-hard Nissan fans.

 

Once at ZCG we admired the new Z’s styling and Passion Red paint. We couldn’t resist parking next to a 300ZX Twin-Turbo to see how Nissan drew inspiration from the Z32 generation’s rear tail light section. The new Z also has a blacked-out strip stretching the width with quad-horizontal (now 3-D LED) tail lights. See that “Z” badge? It reminds us of the S130 era:

  

Up front the large rectangular grille opening and headlights are evocative of the 240Z. That large front grille opening is also there for function, providing air to several heat exchangers including an intercooler, oil and transmission coolers. This makes sense visually in person and when you catch a glimpse from your rearview mirror-it’s undeniably a “Z” view:

 

We put the Z on a lift and examined the chassis. The Z was also placed on scales for weight distribution and results will be shared soon. We are really excited to see the aftermarket’s offerings for this platform.

 

Interior

 

This was our first time seeing the red interior and we spent a few hundred miles behind the wheel. The dash features a large TFT gauge display, designed with input from Nissan Super GT500 driver Tsugio Matsuda. Familiar analog gauge pods are mounted atop a central touchscreen reminiscent of the S30 Z car’s center stack. The steering wheel (tilt/telescope) feels great and actually draws its dimensions from an R32 Skyline.

 

The interior is a comfortable place to be, devoid of gimmicks or over-styling. Nissan really spent time in this area and it shows. We liked the little details like leather stitching on the dash and real rotary knobs for radio volume and tuning. Lighted “Z” logo on door sills- something absent from the Ikazuchi-Yellow Proto-Spec Z we saw at Nissan HQ. The two-tone red theme is not as “loud” as the all-blue seats in the Seiran Blue Z that spent a few days with us last year.

 

Interior room is similar to the 370Z but seating position and outward view is greatly improved with a lower dash height. You can even see the Z’s broad hips in the rear through side mirrors, again another nice thought from the designers. Below, Rob (5’10”) and Tyler (6’5″) demonstrate headroom in the Z. Rob still has headroom with a helmet on and Tyler has a few inches of headroom as well:

 

 

On the road

 

We were impressed with the Z’s driving experience straight from the factory. Our 400-mile test drive included a mix of city/highway and canyon driving. Starting in San Jose we headed North to San Francisco via our favorite Bay Area backroad, Skyline (HWY 35).

   

Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of our time with the new Z. In this video: in-car acceleration, drive-bys, walk-arounds and road testing action from our shop and road trip to San Francisco:

 

Enjoy The Ride

 

One of our favorite parts of spending time with the new Z was sharing it with our clients. They were all ecstatic after riding along with Rob:

“Hey this is Rick, just giving my feedback on the experience of riding in the new Z car. I have to say it exceeded my expectations in every way. From the interior to the feeling of the power, to the way it commands attention. Absolutely flawless. But probably the most shocking thing was the braking and the grip it seemed to have in the corners. Just astonishing performance! Home run Nissan! Long live the Z!”

“Nissan did an outstanding job and really hit a home run. The design pays homage to the original Z while elegantly embodying modern styling cues. The interior is upscale and I really like the digital display, retro gauge cluster, and bucket seats. The performance was absolutely incredible and the way it handled made me the suspension was aftermarket. Overall Nissan did a great job with the car. I am very impressed and I cannot wait to get mine. The hardest decision for me is if I want a red one with two tone interior or white with all blue interior. Manny”

“Hello, my name is Lou Strickland and I recently had the pleasure of visiting Z Car Garage and riding in the new Nissan Z with Rob Fuller. I have owned or currently own a 1971 240Z, 1973 Fairlady Z, 1990 300ZX TT, 1993 300ZX TT and a 2003 350Z. Without hesitation I can say the 2023 Nissan Z is the best stock Z car I have experienced. The 2023 Nissan Z checks all of the sports car boxes.  It looks great, it accelerates, turns and brakes very well.  It is also comfortable, feels solid and does a great job minimizing road noise.  Nissan did a great job reimagining the Z for the next generation of driving enthusiasts.”

“Thank you for giving me a ride in the new Z! It does look better than in the photos and videos. Once inside, the quality of the interior, clever digital displays and, important for me, headroom impressed me. Then there was the drive! The power comes on so smooth and linear that it really doesn’t feel like a turbo car. I felt no turbo lag at all. I agree with you that in many ways it feels like my 300ZX Twin Turbo—it can be both a GT car and a sports car depending on how you want to drive it. I would definitely consider purchasing one of these. So glad the Z is back! Mark”

 

IconZ

 

The drive to San Francisco was thrilling. We had to snap some photos of this iconic Z car with another icon, the Golden Gate Bridge:

 

The Passion Red paint is stunning and hard to capture on camera. Direct light brings out a retina-searing metallic red while in shade it looks almost burgundy. Check out the photo gallery below:

 

Leaving San Francisco we drove the Z down the famous Lombard St. People stopped us to check it out:

 

Thank You Nissan!

We thank Nissan, Dan Passe and Jonathan Buhler for the opportunity to enjoy the new Z.  As our clients and friends mentioned after going for a test drive…the Z is a winner. Great job Nissan we are so excited to see it on the road and in the hands of Z-car enthusiasts. Z Car Garage can’t wait to get our Z and share it with the community. LONG LIVE THE Z!

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