We met Cece in 2018 when she contacted us for help with her 1977 280z. She had been a customer for many years at ND Autocare and when Joe Chester shutdown…she stopped driving, fearful that having a vintage car meant you were susceptible to breakdowns. With the right combination of parts and experience a 280z can be as reliable as (dare we say) Honda’s of the 80’s. Datsuns just can’t be killed. Cece’s Z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay clean-up, total suspension rebuild and more.

Cece’s Z Story

She has owned the ’77 Z for 27 years, here is the story behind it:

“I was first introduced to the Z car in 1976 when I was in high school, a friend of mine drove a 1973 240 Z.  I always liked cars and found the Z to be unique.  In the mid 1980s, a Z car was not in our budget nor was it practical for a family with two young children. In the early 90’s while I was working full time and raising my family, I went back to school and earned my college degree.  As a graduation gift to myself, I began my search to purchase a Z car.  A friend who was a master technician for Nissan, suggested I look for a 280Z as they were fuel injected and had less problems than some earlier models.  In 1993 I found an ad in Auto Trader for a  1977 280Z  that was 16 years old, had low mileage ( for a car its age), for sale by the son of the original owner and at a price point I could finally afford.  “

 

The seller gave me all the service records, original bill of sale from the dealer, the original service manual, etc.  At least I knew where the car had been and what maintenance had been done on it.  I felt fortunate that this car had been well taken care of.  In 1999 I had the car painted, got new tires and wheels, replaced the faded interior carpet and had the seats recovered.  I drove the car on weekends and tucked it under the car cover in the garage during the week.”

 

During the last 5 years Cece did not drive the car as much since it was becoming less mechanically reliable.  She heard about ZCG through the Z Owners of Northern California Car Club and made an appointment with us in January 2018.

 

Taking the Z to the next level: Drivetrain

Cece came down to ZCG to discuss the project. We made a plan to give her Z much needed love and began work in the summer. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine and engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!

Engine

The tired engine was removed and we built an L28 with mild cam and clean-up work on the head.

New L28:

  

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.

 

All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up:

 

Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:

 

An MSA exhaust header was installed:

 

This was a 4-speed car, so we went ahead and grabbed one of the 5-speeds from Rob’s stash. This low-miles assembly was installed:

A JWT aluminum flywheel and heavy duty clutch backs the L28:

 

Oil pan detail:

 

With the new engine/transmission and a KOYO race aluminum radiator installed, more detail work was performed:

 

MAF/hose/hardware detail:

    

Engine bay restoration, before/after:

Dyno Tuning

 

Rob dyno tuned the tired L28 and rebuilt engine. Baseline was 118hp/139tq and after tuning the new engine made 146hp/156tq to the wheels:

 

Suspension

 

The goal of this project was to give Cece a Z that she could drive wherever and however she wanted, worry-free. We replaced all of the hydraulics and front/rear suspension assemblies to match the new driveline.  All suspension was either zinc’d or powdercoated:

We installed KYB strut inserts with lowering springs, Suspension Techniques sway bars, Techno Toy Tuning adjustable rear lower control arms, TC rods, and rack bushings. We do offer a full coil-over setup for track day/performance-oriented customers, and  this spring/strut upgrade for those that want a better stance with improved handling.

Before/after suspension refresh with T/C rod and steering rack detail:

 
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:

The best part of this job is the people and their stories. Taking somebody who has the same passion as us and delivering them something they can enjoy and drive gives us immense satisfaction. With updates like real suspension and brakes that can hang with any late model car, the headaches commonly associated with vintage car ownership disappear. From a well-versed Z owner to someone who just like the way a Z looks, let us help you achieve your vision of the perfect S30! More pictures in the galley below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

   

LONG LIVE THE Z!

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At Z Car Garage we are fortunate to be a part of many Nissan/Datsun enthusiasts lives. Here is a great story of how we helped re-kindle one couple’s love for their Z. Ruth and Larry bought their 1978 280z brand new and immediately enjoyed it with Ruth daily driving for several years. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and Ruth put the car in storage for a long period.

  

We met the couple in 2008 when Ruth came in to ZCG to get the Z up and running which resulted in a full mechanical refresh.  All hydraulics (brakes/clutch) were restored. The suspension was treated to urethane bushings and Tokico 5-way struts with Eibach springs and a set of beautiful set of Panasports. Finally, we cut and buffed the paint and Ruth’s Z took on a new look…it was almost like 1978 again!

 

  

The next step for them to drive and enjoy the car happened a few years later when we restored the entire interior of the car: a full dashboard restoration, Recaro LXF seats (Leather!), custom carpet kit, sound deadening, all weatherstripping, seals, etc.  These are all the details that ZCG performs to take a 280z from an awesome car from the 70’s to a timeless classic that can be driven anywhere.

The Little Things:  sill lock trim!

 

Dashboard: gauges and knobs:

    

The result of the interior restoration:

 

It had been years since we had seen the Roth’s other than routine maintenance. It was time to dive back into the project with a full external restoration.  The cut/buff from a few years back wasn’t sufficient and it showed in areas like the hood. Those amazing pinstripes and lower rocker trim were looking a bit tired as well:

 

We called upon our man William from William’s Auto Body and both Ruth and Larry had two requests: 1) The Z car must be as awesome inside as outside and 2) we absolutely must keep the pinstriping that had been on the car since new. William was more than up to to the task. This time we went ahead and installed electric power steering for ease/use, our upgraded rearview mirror (as featured on Gary Roser’s car, report later) which includes a backup camera, GPS, temp:

 

 

Re-chromed bumpers and restored guards:

    

Full glass/chrome trim/weatherstrip R&R. All NOS Nissan!

 

Inner fender liners:

 

NOS emblems replace pitted/fading orignal pieces:

 

Rear tail light panel:

 

Restored side moulding:

  

William applied the factory paint color and the Z looks fantastic. We cleaned up the louvers too.

 

The best part, of course, is that Ruth and Larry are still in love with their 280z! Enjoy The Ride and thank you for letting us be a part of your journey. Your dedication and passion for the Z is contagious and we love it!

More pictures in our gallery below: …[read more]

 

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!

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!

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!
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