At Z Car Garage we love keeping Z’s on the road. From concours-level restorations to light refurbishments, making a client’s goal a reality is our passion. Beau brought his 1976 Datsun 280Z from Castro Valley, Ca for a full cosmetic and mechanical restoration, ZCG-style.

 

Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a new drivetrain, full suspension and body restoration transformed this S30. Before we explore the work performed, let’s take a look at how Beau found the Z car of his dreams…

Z Beginnings

 

BEAU: I am the second owner of the car – the original owner passed away and the children decided to sell the car. I saw it posted on Craigslist and knew immediately that this was the car for me. My brother-in-law took it on a test drive and it performed great, appeared to be in good condition – no rust, dings or signs of being mistreated. The owners told us that there were several interested buyers but the first person to show up with cash would get the car. We scrambled to quickly find cash at 6 PM in the evening and headed back to purchase. 

 

The Z Car Garage Touch

 

Shortly after acquiring the car in 2018, Beau joined the Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) and asked for recommendations on a mechanic.

BEAU: Everyone that I spoke with recommended that I connect with Rob. He is an artist – not just a mechanic. As such, the process takes time and involves patience. That patience is rewarded with a car where all of the details are considered and thought through. Rob listened to all of my requests – a car that looks like it came off the factory floor in 70’s but with performance, handling and upgrades that reflect what is possible today. 

    

 

BEAU: I wanted to note that we’ve named the car, “Orange Julius”  – somewhat inspired by Larry Chen’s Ole Orange Bang and Randy Jaffe’s Rocketbunny Z  which I saw at Z Car Garage and was floored by the color. The process took nearly 3 years and I endured a lot of questions from friends and family about when the car would be done – my patience was rewarded! Thank you Rob!

 

Drivetrain

 

Beau acquired his 280Z from the original owner with 50k miles. We started a mechanical overhaul so he could enjoy driving it. A 4-core radiator upgrade is something we do anytime a car has an automatic transmission along with cooling line replacement. Beau wanted more power so the stock L28 was bored and stroked to 3.0L by Rebello with forged pistons and light port work:

 

With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay. Everything was zinc plated and powdercoated. New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts. The 3.0L still utilizes the factory EFI and intake manifold that was cleaned up and powdercoated:

 

MAF/hose/hardware detail:

 

Engine bay restoration, before/after:

 

We installed our full ZCG Exhaust system with slash-cut tip:

 

Dyno Tuning

Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L/Automatic transmission making 161hp/175tq at the wheels, a significant gain over the stock L28:

  Enjoy this video of Beau’s 280Z in action including the dyno run, test drive and drive-by:

Z Car Garage CV Axles

  

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 200 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Stock half shafts and Beau’s ZCG units shown below:

   

Suspension

 

A full suspension refresh was performed, including coil-overs (Koni), T/C rods and control arms from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

 

All front and rear suspension parts were powdercoated:

 

We bagged/tagged every nut and bolt for plating along with fresh hydraulic lines for the chassis:

   

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Beau’s 280z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds.

     

Stock disc/drum brakes  were removed and we installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit.

   At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. New OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

    

Panasport Wheels

Complementing the new coilover suspension on Beau’s Z are 16×7 Panasports with Bridgestone S-007a tires in 225/50/16. Our ZCG BIg-Brakes also look great behind the wheels!

 

Interior

 

With the Z back from paint/bodywork we installed the interior, door panels, windows and all new weatherstripping. A complete dash restoration was performed with full HVAC/ducting using a reproduction piece from Vintage Dashes. ZCG has done several Vintage Dashes installations and we thank Ivan Jaramillo for making a cost-effective product for Z cars.

 

Recaro Specialist seats in leather are our favorite upgrade to the S30 interior. Beau enjoys modern creature comforts like Bluetooth, back-up camera, power steering and full sound system:

   

Another upgrade to the interior of an S30 is our ZCG sound deadening package. The result is a less tinny sound and almost Germanic-like “clunk” when you shut the doors. All weatherstripping was replaced:

 

Details

The little things are what we excel at. Below, fuel cap plating with drip gasket, 240Z OEM mirrors and stainless window trim, microphone for hands-free Bluetooth mounted near steering column. Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!

The Transformation

Beau’s 1976 Datsun 280Z before and after:

 

Driving is Believing

ROB: This is a full ZCG-style restoration top to bottom and the best part is that Beau has been Enjoying The Ride. The Z has so many details/features in it and we are just happy to make his dreams come true. He comes back for a 1,000 mile checkup soon… and it’s back on the road again.

 

BEAU: From the exterior, I wanted the car to look as original as possible but I wanted better handling, more power, modern braking and some nice amenities like the back-up camera and power assisted steering. I wanted the car to be as original as possible – so, the engine was restored/upgraded by Rebello, many of the original parts were cleaned and re-plated and I stayed away exterior modifications like fender flares.

 

BEAU: Right now, I’m just enjoying the car. Nearly every weekend I go on rides with my 10 year old daughter and my son and I just attended the Tokyo Calling 3 and had a fantastic time taking turns driving the car and seeing what others have done to their Zs. At some point in the future, I’d like to replace the 3 speed automatic transmission with a more modern transmission.

We loved seeing Beau driving his Z on the Tokyo Calling 3 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. He’s attended a few more of their drives as well:

 

BEAU: After the restoration was completed, I met up with the children of the original owner to have them see the car and they were floored by the work. It was great to drive in the car with them and hear their memories of growing up with the car. They were delighted to see the car have a new life with me and my family.

  
More good news…Beau purchased a 2023 Nissan Z to complement his 280Z!

 

Thank you for entrusting us with your S30 Beau it was a pleasure working with you. LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

…[read more]

 

Our Z Car Garage Big Brakes have been winning over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Jason purchased a set for his 1974 Datsun 260Z and performed the installation himself. Before we go into his Big-Brake experience let’s hear his Z-story…

 

JASON: “I first heard about Z Car Garage by following Larry Chen’s 240z build on his YouTube Channel. I saw his various interviews with Rob Fuller and was really impressed with his knowledge and passion for the Datsun 510 and s30 chassis. Quickly, I started researching more about the pain points of the s30’s, and noted the lack of support from many other companies in the area of suspension and braking locally. The kits available were Wilwood, Endless, Star Road, among others. No complete kits that were torture tested and raced like what Z Car Garage was doing with their ZCG CV Axles , Brake Kits and other components they were selling. Research and development are key to me, and I was thrilled to see ZCG taking this on themselves. In addition, Rob is a real human being who’s on top of answering questions via email and in person at Z car events. That’s a HUGE deal to me, and it’s so rare to meet someone that of course is just as passionate about his cars as the enthusiasts building them.”

 

“My 1974 Datsun 260z is an Early model s30. When I purchased it, a few years ago I quickly removed the stock seats and reupholstered Recaro LX vintage seats in Black. I loved the netted headrest, and the clean recaro stitching at the center of the seat. I also removed the Greddy Oni wheel that was originally in the car and swapped it out with a new old stock Nardi Nismo Deep steering wheel with a Black and Gold finish. I went through the interior and purchased a NOS Datsun center console, and replaced the stock door cards with Skillard flat cards with leather pull straps.”

 

“In addition to the door cards, I added Skillard powder coated heel plates. The car came with BC adjustable coil-overs and Swift Springs which I will be updating in the near future. The BC Coilovers are perfectly fine for the street applications I’m using the car for currently. My suspension underneath the car is the full T3 catalog including the power cradle, control arms, bushings, and even their steering elements. It’s finally sorted, and I really enjoy driving the car the way it currently feels.”

 

“The car is equipped with a L28, ZX 5 Speed transmission, and 44pHH Mikuni triple carbs built by Taka at Kyusha House. The header and exhaust system are Fujitsubo Legalis R. The engine has since been updated in every way from the ignition system, oil pump, spark plug cables, and brake new seals and belt. The oil pan was replaced with a Moroso baffled racing pan with higher oil capacity.” 

  

“I have two sets of wheels and tires for the car. One set is Volk Racing TE37v custom gold 15×9 at 0 offset on Toyo Proxes R888 205/50/15, and the other set is Work Racing Equip 03 15×8.5 at -3 offset custom bronzed lip, and Gold Center on Falken Azenis RT660 205/50/15. The front bumper is a carbon MSA, and the rear tail light bezels are carbon fiber made by Vintage Carbon. The wing is a Carbon Fiber BRE spoiler.”

 

You can see Jason’s Z in action in the video below:

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

  

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.

  

Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!

Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Enjoy these pictures of Jason’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:

 

Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. Jason successfully installed the BBK on his Z with PitstopMotorTuning, and they look great behind both the Work Equip 03 and Volk TE37 wheels:

    

Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! 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. Jason shares his feedback after replacing his existing Wilwood brakes with the ZCG BBK:

JASON: “The Stoptech ZCG Big-Brakes are really a solid kit. The lead time was pretty rough, but again Rob reassured me every month over the course of a year of waiting that it would be worth it. He was right! These brakes do not disappoint. Once the kit was completely bedded and broken in, I quickly put the brakes to the test on Angeles Crest highway here in Los Angeles. I know this road well, and that’s where I usually push the car at a safe limit, and see where the pain points lie. The ZCG brakes are worth every penny. They are precise, they are confidence inspiring, and also feel great under late braking situations. I had a blast carving around the canyon knowing my brakes would safely hold up. My next test would be to get a couple of track days on them, and see how they hold up under extreme conditions and multiple sessions.”

 
What’s in store for Jason’s Z?

“The goal for the 260z is to refine my current setup. The paint is a bit rough since it was a garage paint job, and I would love to repaint the whole car including the interior. At the moment, I’m building a high compression 3.1L stroker motor with Jenvey 50mm ITB being managed by a Haltech Elite 750 stand alone ECU. My goals long term are for big power, but with street car reliability. I would love to confidently do a track day, but also be comfortable driving my wife to car shows, and even to grab a cup of coffee together. The engine has a custom designed valve cover designed by myself, and commissioned to be created by BSpeed in New Zealand. Big updates to come in the new year!”

 

Thanks for your support Jason we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

    …[read more]

 

***HAPPY HOLIDAYS From Z Car Garage***

 

2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of Z Car Garage. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and clients for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2023 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:

ZCG will be closed from 12/21 through 12/26 and we will re-open for business on 1/2/24

 

Client Updates for 2024

We had a busy year and though the shop will be closed, we won’t leave you hanging for the holidays. Many zcarblog features have yet to be published like our belated race report from the Velocity Invitational in addition to client stories. Before we take a look back at highlights from 2023, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:

 

Both Ryan and Beau’s Datsun 240Z cars left the shop recently. Ryan’s Z has LS3 V8 power while Beau’s 1976 280Z has an L28 with stock EFI. Both cars feature our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech), Z Car Garage CV Axles, Recaro Specialist seats, A/C and dyno tuning. Full features on both coming to zcarblog.com!

  

Ken’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z (#1762) is getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles, KA24 5-speed transmission and Fujitsubo exhaust. The L28 now has Jenvey ITB EFI managed by a Haltech 750:

 

Kevin’s Nismo 350Z got full KW V3 coil-overs and Recaro seats and more:

 

Kurt’s Kenmeri Skyline is in for sorting. We also helped Dirk prepare his ’73 Datsun 240Z. Full reports coming to zcarblog.com, enjoy the photos!

 

ZCG Parts on JDM Legend’s Epic Build

 

We are really excited to see our Z Car Garage parts on the JDM Legends Safari Gold Datsun 240Z build! This S30 features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles and our Z Car Garage Heat Shield on the 3.2 Rebello L-Series engine. Backing the drivetrain is our CD009a 6-speed transmission kit:

  

Rashid lives in Dubai and his Datsun 240Z is getting 3.2L L-Series with pH44 Mikuni induction and exhaust header, ZX 5-speed transmission, OS Giken 4.11 LSD, Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) and 16″ Panasport wheels:

  

 

David’s 1972 Datsun 240Z is getting a Rebello 3.0L, 240SX 5-speed transmission and 4.11 OS Giken LS. It is also getting our Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension and already has our V1 (328m) Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Both cars will feature the T3 steering rack that we are big fans of:

  Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! It is now getting a new dash and Jenvey EFI

   

Nissan 300ZX (Z32)

 

We have several Z32 NA and TT cars currently at the shop. Gary’s Twin Turbo (above) just got a new set of BBS LM wheels. Full update on this car soon! Paul Ferrari returned to ZCG since we completed his Epic Z32 Build in 2017. He’s ready for ethanol, after running this car on race fuel for many years. We will be installing dual fuel pumps, BDE top fuel rail and all the fixings:

 
Kevin’s Slicktop Z32 is in for a driver’s side window replacement and some touch-up. Love this Z with WORK wheels and Stoptech Big-Brakes:

 

Cameron’s Z32 is here for maintenance work and downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to have him back.

  

William’s Z32TT is getting 740cc injectors, downpipes and more:

 

Hakosuka Skyline

 

Sebastian’s Skyline is at the shop and we are doing a suspension refresh, engine work adapting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) to this Hako. We hope to offer this in the future for C10 clients.

 

Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car is getting a CD009 6-speed transmission, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, coil-over suspension and track preparation.

  

Datsunworks

 

Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. You can read all about it HERE. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary’s Datsun 240Z, who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast affectionately named the “Behemoth”. This car has been sold and we will update you in the New Year

 

Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G

We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:

    

R35 and R32 GT-R

R35s in for service and upgrades. Mike and Kurt’s R32 GT-Rs got power and chassis upgrades deserving their own blog features:

 

Race Cars

Several race cars to report on including the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z, Glenn Chiou’s Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510 (sporting ZCG CV Axles), the Corky Bell Trans-Am 510 and more!

 

Highlights from 2023

 

Even though 2023 was crazy year for all of us we still managed to have fun on and off the track. The shop made some really great progress as well. Enjoy these highlights from the year and Z you in 2024!

Click on each link or photo to see the full features!

CJ’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

CJ’s 1971 Datsun 240Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, and ZCG Heat Shield! We also installed triple-Mikuni induction and dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine backed by a 240SX 5-speed transmission.

 

 

Our 2023 Nissan Z

Huge thanks to Nissan for giving us the opportunity to experience the 2023 Nissan Z. We finally took delivery of our Performance 6MT in April:

 

The Bring A Trailer Datsun 240Z

To celebrate their 100,000 listing, Bring a Trailer is auctioning their 1973 Datsun 240Z, prepared by Z Car Garage. Finished in Lime Yellow (#112) paint over black vinyl upholstery, it is powered by a numbers-matching Rebello Racing-built 2.7-liter straight-six with triple Weber 40 DCOE carbs. The total sale amount for the auction will be donated to the Piston Foundation, a nonprofit that will use 100% of the funds to help young technicians build rewarding careers in the collector car industry by funding programs in the skilled trades.

  

Colonel Gary’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Enjoying The Ride

 

Mike’s 1970 S30

At Z Car Garage we enjoy both modifying Z cars and restoring them back to factory spec. Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z came to us from North Carolina and we delivered it in July. This ’69 production VIN#193 is a beautiful driving example of how wonderful these cars were from the factory.

 

Vincent’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Stan K (VIN #511) and Tony H’s Series Datsun 240Z cars came in for mechanical sorting, interior work and Z Car Garage CV Axles

  

We are stoked to see our #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240z currently on display at ZCON this week. It’s in great company next to our clients Linda Williams and her OMS Pace Car Tribute and Mike’s Fairlady Z432. Photos by Gary Savage.

   

Mike’s Stillen GTZ

 

Garrett’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

 

Rick’s 1965 Nissan Silvia

 

Bill’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Kim’s 1970 Datsun 240z

 

Alex’s Sunny Truck

 

Adam’s RB25-powered 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Yousef’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

 

Vince S’ 1973 Datsun 240Z

300zx

 

 510 and Fairlady Roadster

 

350Z

 

370z

R32

Updates on Mike and Kurt’s R32 Skylines!

Racing

 

RACE REPORT: 2023 Charity Challenge with CSRG Sonoma

RACE REPORT: Laps for Laguna 2023

RACE REPORT: Vintage Racing with SVRA 3/4/23

RACE REPORT: David Love Memorial with CSRG 3/25

RACE REPORT: GRIDLIFE Laguna

 

Rallyes/Events

 

EVENTS: Built By Legends Gathering 8.13.23

https://www.zcarblog.com/2023/09/08/events/event-report-tokyo-calling-3-rally.html

EVENTS: 36th Annual Z Car Convention 7/31 to 8/5

https://www.zcarblog.com/2023/06/12/events/event-report-zonc-gathering-6-11-23.html

EVENTS: 2023 Japanese Classic Car Show October 7

EVENTS: Nissan Adventures on the Pacific Coast Highway!

 

Media

Gary’s Datsunworks-powered Datsun 240Z featured in OPTION Magazine. ZCG was featured in Nostalgic Hero Magazine:

 

MEDIA: Sung Kang’s FUGUZ Featured in OPTION Magazine

MEDIA: Z Car Garage in Nostalgic Hero Magazine

MEDIA: Gary’s Datsunworks DOHC 240Z featured in Option Magazine

 

LONG LIVE THE Z! Check out our Instagram story for more updates!

 

 

On Saturday, August 26 we attended the Tokyo Calling 3 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. Z Car Garage participated with a group of client cars and enjoyed a wonderful day of driving through the foothills of Northern California. The event also featured 200+ Japanese classics and 90’s-era wonders to appreciate during the morning social gathering and rest stops. Enjoy our report with mega-photo gallery and video!

 

Breakfast Club Rally

 

The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) started 3 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into a monthly event with one hour of hanging out drinking coffee, followed by two hours of driving on the second Saturday of the month. Registration is free and always open to all makes. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see our previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event and Tokyo Calling 2 follow-up were a huge success. We did not want to miss their third all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC3. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Sonoma, here is a preview of our cars:

 

Beau’s 1976 Datsun 280Z

 

Beau’s Datsun 280Z is fresh from  Z Car Garage full cosmetic and mechanical restoration featuring Recaro Specialist seats, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

 

Rob drove our client Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240z. This is VIN#1762 Series 1 features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), Z Car Garage CV Axles, L28 with Jenvey ITB EFI and KA24 5-speed transmission.

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240z is Enjoying The Ride with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles.  He scored this Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer and regularly drives it on rally events.

Mrs. Butters

 

Cooper was in Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z. This Series 1 S30 features a 3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW suspension (releasing soon).

Armon’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Armon’s Z has a great story we will share in its own feature. He got this car running on his own and even performed rust repairs. He’s running our  ZCG Heat Shield on his triple-Weber carb’d L28:

Rob’s 1971 Datsun 510 Wagon

I drove Rob’s Datsun 510 Wagon. It features a 2.4-liter KA24DE engine with five-speed manual transmission sourced from a Nissan 240SX. The car is a wonderful driver and it is FOR SALE.

Linda’s 2023 Nissan Z

 

Linda Williams drove her 2023 Nissan Z. This is the special,”Proto Spec” edition limited to just 240 units. We love her “1OF240Z” tribute license plate. Linda joined us on the last two Tokyo Calling events in her 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate. She loves driving it everywhere.

Nick’s 1972 Datsun 510

 

Nick drove his 510 Wagon with recently added L18/twin mikuni ph44s and dyno tuning. In true rally-style, Nick and co-pilot Ben wore their headsets to communicate. This Dime has so much character!

Bluebird

 

Our client drove this Bluebird Coupe. It is a RHD example that was not sold here. Built by our friends at RacecraftNW it features an S15 SR20DET with 6-speed transmission, TSR Brembo brakes and VOLK wheels. Full feature coming to zcarblog.com soon!

The Z Car Garage Nissan Z

 

Josh drove our shop 2023 Nissan Z with Fast Intention TDX cat-back exhaust system. Full report with audio coming to zcarblog.com. Our morning caravan of 11 cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 through the Golden Gate Bridge. Nothing beats driving with fellow Z car owners!

 

Tokyo is Calling before the Rally!

 

Our crew arrived at the rally start in Sonoma and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin nestled between the vineyards of Gundlach Bundschu winery. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 7:30-9am so we could take in all the glorious cars. The vibe was tremendous, and as usual it went by too quickly. Let’s go through some of the highlights, with more photos in the gallery below!

  

Over 25 S30 Z cars were present!

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 7 in attendance including a genuine 1967 2000. One of the most sought after Datsuns, these “half-year” models were introduced mid-1967 offering a 5-speed transmission and 150hp twin-Mikuni carb’d 2L engine…hot stuff for the era.

 

Ian’s SRL is #601 (out of ~1000 cars) and it was fully restored years ago by Les Cannaday in San Diego. Ian is meticulous about maintaining this car, but it is no garage queen, attending monthly rally events. The (655) Off-white paint with red interior is one of my favorites. Yes, it even sports a factory Nissan hardtop with all the stainless trim!

   

This familiar Honda S2000-powered ’69 2000 is now local with current owner Mark, nice meeting you!

 

A right-hand drive ’69 2000:

 

High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:

  

There were 15 Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510. Jay is a hardcore rally driver  and also brought his mint wagon with family!

  

Back to Z cars, Pratibha and Andre recently acquired this ’73 240Z, welcome to Z family!

 

Our client Cameron’s Z32 Twin Turbo visited Z Car Garage for maintenance work, downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to see him driving again. More Z32s were on the rally!

 

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 2 and he returned again for TC3! This RHD, JDM hot-hatch is known as “Baby Godzilla”, sporting all-wheel drive and an SR20DET drivetrain. What’s wild is that this Pulsar used to be owned by our very own Gary at Z Car Garage! Leo purchased it back in 2017 and drove it all the way from Reno, NV.

 

There were a handful of S14 and S13 240SX:

   

Nissan Skyline

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou has been a friend and client of Z Car Garage for many years. He drove his R32 Skyline GT-R with BBS LeMans wheels and period exhaust/aero. It was great to see our R32 Skyline clients Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W. (in his GC8 Subaru). All will be getting zcarblog updates:

  

The lone S130, with T-tops off for proper Napa motoring!

 

Enjoy this walk-around and driving video from Tokyo Calling 3:

 

So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos! Next, let’s check out some non-Nissan/Datsun action…

Kei Classics

 Suzuki Cappuchino and Autozam AZ-1 and mesmerizing the crowd with their size and neat features.

Honda

  
There were no less than 25 Honda S2000 sports cars on the rally!

 
Honda was well-represented including late model DC2 Integras, a few NSXs, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

 

Toyota

 

Some of our favorite Toyota’s including Supra (A60, A70, A80), first gen MR2s, and AE86s! The Lexus IS300 SportCross with A80 Supra wheels was sweet!

      

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Pajero Evolution, HiACE, REPU and Nissan:

   

The wildest car I found was this 4th gen Toyota Corona Coupe:

 

Rally On!

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rally printout. I enjoyed hustling the green 510 Wagon through the backroads:

 

One of the perks of BCR events is their team of professional photographers at various stages capturing epic rolling and detail shots so people can focus on enjoying the drive. I encourage you to visit each of these SIX photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides:Blaine Olguin, Ben Kim, Alex Nibyt, Vijay Sankar, Everett Lederer, and Zack Hubbell.

  

Arriving at Sam’s General Store in Calistoga was another opportunity to see cars I missed at the starting point. Folks took a snack/coffee break here in the quaint town. I was just admiring each vintage ride cruise by…like this Isuzu Vehicross!

  

The rally concluded back at the Gundlach winery where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. Folks enjoyed Donburi surrounded J-Tin everywhere. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.

 

Thanks BCR!

  

Many thanks to the organizers, we had a blast and I urge you to register for their next event, especially if you are in the South Bay area like me and want to see what driving bliss lies North.  Here are a few thoughts from Rob re-capping the Tokyo Calling 3 event:

“We headed out from Z Car Garage with our clients and friends and made the 100-mile drive up to Sonoma wine country. Saw familiar faces and new ones it was really cool to see the Non-Datsuns. There was a REPU rotary-powerd truck which I really love. I grabbed some coffee, chatted and had fun admiring the variety of cars with friends.  We got on the road and the routes BCR selects are really fun with great scenery and people along the way. “

  

“We met up in Calistoga, had lunch with friends. Loved seeing our clients on the drive… and one car had an exhaust weld failure. I took one of my shoelaces to secure it and this temporary exhaust bracket got us back on the road. I love Datsun adventures and we do anything to keep driving! Highly recommend the Tokyo Calling events, actually all the BCR events are loads of fun. They are a great group and we will Z you at the next rally!”

 

The Drive Home

Our adventure was not over as we had to travel another 100 miles South to the shop. We caravanned back, traveling through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco.

 

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us. Huge thanks to BCR for extending their hospitality to our crew, everyone was thrilled. Here’s to the next rally and always, always #DoitInADatsun! More photos in the gallery below…

 

…[read more]

 

We have great news for clients that have purchased our Z Car Garage Big Brakes. Happy to report that the product is now in-house and we will begin fulfilling all backorders in the next coming weeks. We sincerely apologize for the delay in what is quite possibly the world’s longest back order. Thank you all for your patience, believing in us and supporting ZCG.

 

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

    

The JDM Legends Safari Gold Datsun 240Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes:

 

CJ’s 1971 Datsun 240Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes:

 

Jay’s 1972 Datsun 240Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes: