We love to hear about Datsun owners enjoying their cars with family. Pervis E has owned this 280z for many years and wanted to pass it on to his (lucky!) daughter. He thought it would be prudent to install some new tires for safety and also add some stylish wheels. We happily obliged with a set of 225/50/16 Bridgestone RE760 tires and timeless 16×7 Panasports:

Here are a few before/after shots:


Give us a call if you would like Panasports for your Z!
Comments Off on The Z Stays in the Family: Pervis’ 280z

Daniel R owns this 280zx with a turbo swap and it developed a leak from the exhaust manifold. We repaired broken studs in the manifold, injector connections, oil feed to the turbo, replaced the oil dipstick and breather hose.





The valve cover was treated to wrinkle coat red finish:


The engine bay in Daniel’s 280ZX looks better and is fully functional!
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ZcarBlog fans gather around! We have major developments in Gary R’s 280z restoration! Our first installment in this build chronicled the
extensive body rehab, followed by
chassis developments and now we can report that the drivetrain is ready along with many body trim pieces.
The engine is a Rebello built 3.1L using the factory fuel injection system. Below you can see how the unsightly stock intake manifold was transformed into a thing of beauty…


Another ZCarGarage modification is the modern 5-speed transmission conversion. The old 280z’s 4-speed is replaced by a late-model Nissan 240SX 5-spd transmission. To top it all off the whole thing was powdercoated and a JWT aluminum flywheel and JWT HD clutch were installed. Note the beautiful ceramic coated exhaust header:


As we move past the engine and transmission it keeps getting better! The stock rear differential is replaced by a beefy R200 with 4.11 gears and a Quaife LSD unit, that’s one pretty pumpkin!



Sending power to those massive 255-width tires are Wolf Creek Racing CV axles. Why convert to CVs? CV joints articulate better, reduce unpsrung mass, and transmit power better than stock u-joints:



The power window and door lock conversion is complete! Remember all of those zinc plated nuts/bolts/hardware? These pieces are finding their way back to the Z. The rear quarter windows with trim powdercoated black have been installed too:



The front/rear bumpers needed some love and now they are back on the car looking pretty:



The fuel system is also complete and the Z is at the interior shop. There are many more pictures in the gallery, stay tuned for more updates as Gary’s Z gets closer to completion!
…[read more]
Comments Off on Gary’s 280z Restoration UPDATE: Drivetrain!

Rick B. owns this very clean 280z and ZCarGarage has been taking care of it for several years now. Rick has an extensive car collection including a Ferrari and Porsche 911, but he really loves this Z, and we can all relate to that 🙂
The 280z recently got a late model 5-speed transmission upgrade to replace the factory 4-speed manual.


A transmission from Nissan’s KA24 engine was used (FS5W71C) and it is commonly found in the ’89 to ’96 240sx. The KA’s transmission is mated to the existing 280z bell-housing with a few modifications. You can see the custom ZCG transmission mount below:


A JWT heavy duty clutch and Z32 shift knob finish the swap in style. ZCG can also perform this conversion on your S30-chassis Z as well and give you precise shifting, 5-speeds, and late model parts reliability/service.
Comments Off on Got 5-speeds?: Rick’s Clean 280z

The slick black paint on Gary R’s 280z makes me drool. Then my eyes widen when I see the gigantic
ZCG BigBrakeKit AND new Panasport wheels. This is just a mock-up, but I can’t help but feel excited! The restoration moves forward with all of the newly plated parts and suspension being installed by Josh C. Hydraulic/fuel lines were beautifully plated in gold(brake) and silver(fuel):



The engine bay is glossy and the firewall is gleaming!


In our last update the interior and entire underbody was stripped and treated with POR-15, seen
HERE. After drying, the front and rear suspension is in place with struts/coil overs mocked up. Note additional plated hardware:


Here are some shots of the coilovers and ZCG Big Brake Kit in all its all glory. Wheels/tires are 17″ Panasport C8s with black spokes and 255/40/17 tires under stock flares:







Stay tuned for our next update as Gary’s 280z gets a drivetrain!
Comments Off on Black 280z Restoration…Chassis Update