Love for the Z is strong in Northern California as hundreds of enthusiasts visit Z Car Garage to see the 2023 Nissan Z.

 

Z Car Garage opened our shop to the public to see the new Nissan Z sports car on 10/23. This was the first public showing of the new Z in Northern California since its 9/17 Global Reveal in New York.

 

ZCG had several vintage Z cars on display to celebrate the lineage. A representative from Nissan was present to answer questions and it was the perfect opportunity for photography of the new Z. Enjoy our report from the event with plenty of photos and video below.

Two DayZ With The New Z

Although the event was officially on 10/23, we were given the opportunity to spend time with the Z beginning on Friday 10/22. The itinerary:

Friday 1-4pm: Nissan held a media slot with high-profile automotive journalists including Jason Cammisa:

 

Friday  4-6pm: ZCG shop team got to spend some alone-time with the new Z

 

Friday 6-9pm: Private viewing of new Z…

 

An Intimate Setting With the New Z

On Friday evening from 6pm to 9pm we hosted a private viewing of the new Z. Close friends, family and clients of Z Car Garage were able to sit inside the Z and enjoy it without security ropes. We had light refreshments, our famous popcorn machine running and plenty of time to hangout.

 

This was our way of showing gratitude to our clients—while alleviating foot traffic and crowding for the following day’s public viewing. We wanted everyone to have chance to see the Z without wading through a sea of people. Mission accomplished.

   

A Display For Enthusiasts to Enjoy

 

The New Z was the center of attention but make no mistake we wanted give everyone a chance to explore our shop and see some really cool Nissans and Datsuns. More than “just a viewing”…inside the shop we staged our client cars to show a range of old to new. Surrounding the 2023 Z were historically significant Datsun racing 240Z’s, Z32 300ZX’s (tail light inspiration for the new Z), R32 and R35 GT-Rs, S30 VIN# 193 and James’ turbocharged L-Series 240z:

 

IMSA GTU Corner!

 

These two Datsun 240Z race cars are historically significant. The #49 IMSA GTU Z was built and raced by our friend, the late Joel Anderson and the #47 Transcendental Racing IMSA GTU Z was raced by Brad Frisselle (currently owned by Randy Jaffe). Both cars will be racing at the Velocity Invitational Nov. 11-14 at Laguna Seca. Rob Fuller is eager to be in the driver seat again behind the wheel of the #49 IMSA GTU Z. (Below) The BRE Datsun 240Z, also owned by Randy Jaffe:

 

Venturing to the back of the shop, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, and more were on display:

 

The Big Day: Meet The New Z!

 

Saturday’s 10am to 4pm public showing of the Z was a huge success. We had a steady flow of people throughout the day with 400+ attendees enjoying the company of fellow enthusiasts inside and outside the shop.

 

Huge thanks to  Nissan for making Z Car Garage the premier venue for sharing the new Z. It really gave us some 2008 vibes when our shop was chosen to host the first stop on the “Follow The Z” Tour of the then-new 2009 Nissan 370Z:

  

It is hard to capture the energy and vibe of the two-day event so I made this video showing a few highlights: from loading the new Z into the shop, private event, preparing for the public event, parking lots gems and more. Enjoy!

Parking Lot Gems

 

While the spotlight was on the new Z inside the shop there was a constant rotation of cool Nissans and Datsuns outside. We had VIP parking for our clients and anyone with a Nissan or Datsun. A few notables:

Gary’s Datsunworks KN20-powered 240Z:

 

Alex’s Datsun 510 Wagon. This LSX V8-powered Dime will be dyno tuned this week at ZCG! CJ’s 240Z getting our Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles:

 

Jeremy’s ’73 G-Nose 240Z with long-time clients Lou (R32 GT-R) and Craig K (350Z):

 

Rob J’s Series 1 and Jeff B’s 240Z. Jeff recently got some TE37V wheels, full report on this LS-powered Z soon!

 

Kevin’s Z32 and Henry’s 370Z

 

With the shop lot full it made us happy to see attendees finding nearby street parking. Check out this Datsun Violet 710!

 

If parking was difficult to find we had an overflow lot provided by Bay 101 Casino just a short walk away. The lot turned out to be quite useful, though it was only at 30% capacity. We even spotted some Z’s and a B210 in the parking lot!

 

More pictures in the gallery!

 

New and Old Friends

It’s been so long since we could gather in public and mingle with fellow enthusiasts. We treasure our relationships built over the years through Z Car Garage. Many long-time clients visited us and we also met new Z-car fans, all with stories we love to hear.

 

Speaking of friends, fellow racer and client Glenn Chiou and I could not resist taking some photos of our Datsuns next to the new Z 🙂

 

 

Long Live The Passion

 

The 6hr long event came and went too soon! Just before 6pm we were loading up the shop and sending the new Z off when the most amazing thing happened to Rob. You may have seen the motto on our ZCG license plate frames “Performance with Passion”… It’s the passion of enthusiasts that drives us. Jose Magana had just got off work when he heard about our event. He knew he as going to miss it but he took a chance and stopped by the shop anyway. He was lucky as the new Z was still outside, staging to leave:

 

Jose greeted Rob and began telling us all how he got his Datsun 240Z…

“You may not remember me but YOU are the reason why I have this Z! In 2013 I visited your shop with my Dad. I didn’t even have a Z at the time but I remember you were so humble and kind to us. You even let me sit in your race car.”

 

Rob, listening to Jose tell him this story said let’s go inside, and showed him the very same race car that Jose sat it in, the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Z. It was a special moment for Rob, myself, Meghan and Jose. We had to take a picture with Jose. He continued:

“It because of you I saved up enough money to buy my own Datsun Z, and I had to tell you this and how you inspired me, even if I couldn’t make the event on time, so thank you!”

 

We were so overwhelmed with joy. Thank you Jose for your passion and giving us some wonderful inspiration on top of an already incredible weekend.

 

Thank you!

 

Thank you to everyone that made the trip down to Z Car Garage to spend some time with the 2023 Nissan Z.  The outpouring of love on social media about our event and your thoughts on the new Z mean so much to us. We appreciate it deeply.

 

Thanks to Nissan for letting ZCG host the new Z and hanging with us for event. Lastly, none of this would be possible without the help of our small, but invaluable ZCG team including Joshua Corwin, Nick Filip, Rob and Meghan Fuller. The event was an overwhelming success, thoughtfully planned and executed.

 

Please continue to share your thoughts and love for the new Z…it’s a homerun from Nissan and we are excited to see them in the hands of current and next generation Z-car enthusiasts. Don’t forget the photo gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

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Dear Z-car enthusiasts we are excited to announce the new 2023 Nissan Z will be at Z Car Garage on Saturday, October 23 from 10am to 4pm. This will be the first public showing of the new Z in Northern California since its 9/17 Global Reveal in New York. Join fellow Z car fans at our shop and see the new Z in person! Bring your friends, family and please spread the word. 

**PARKING DETAILS FOR THE EVENT**

 

Our shop has limited street parking. Please refer to the map above for FREE PARKING on Saturday, October 23. We have secured a section of the Bay 101 Casino parking lot right off N 4th St., highlighted by the red square on the map. From this lot it is just a short walk to Z Car Garage located on 140 Archer St. Please be courteous and do not loiter or park outside of the designated area Bay 101 Casino has provided us. We look forward to seeing you and share in the excitement of the 2023 Nissan Z. Long Live The Z!

 

  

ZCG will also have several vintage Z cars on display to celebrate the lineage. A representative from Nissan will be present to answer your questions and this is a perfect opportunity for photography of the new Z. Big thanks to Larry Chen for sharing these photos with us.

 

We know this is a busy time of the year so mark your calendars for 10/23 to spend some time with the new Z! More details to follow (like parking suggestions) with updates on our social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook and here on zcarblog.com.

 

Huge thanks to  Nissan for making Z Car Garage the premier venue for sharing the new Z. It really gives us some 2008 vibes when our shop was chosen to host the first stop on the “Follow The Z” Tour of the then-new 2009 Nissan 370Z:

 

Long Live The Z!

 

Khang D is from Modesto and we first met him in 2012 when he visited Z Car Garage with a green 1975 Datsun 280z. We serviced the car, fixed several items and he enjoyed it for a few years before selling. In 2017, Khang purchased this white 1973 240z from our client Brent B, and returned to ZCG for full suspension upgrades including Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, new OEM mirrors, Panasport wheels and a complete tuneup.

 

It wasn’t long before Khang came back to ZCG with a request for more power to match the excellent chassis improvements. Let’s take a closer look at this fantastic daily driver+canyon carver showcasing our  Z Car Garage CV Axles, Z Car Garage Heat Shield, Jenvey ITB fuel injection, CD009 Six-speed transmission and more.

Suspension

 

In September 2017 we overhauled the suspension. The Z received coil-overs from Techno Toy Tuning including T/C rods and rear control arms. The entire front suspension was re-done with new bushings, wheel bearings, rack bushings, steering coupler, etc.

Struts, OEM T/C rods replaced with coil-overs:

   

T3 Rear lower control arms replace OEM units:

 

ZCG Big-Brakes

“WOW, what a difference. The feel, modulation, power, sharpness was amazing. Hands down the best brakes I had ever driven on a Z car” -Glenn

As fellow 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 master cylinder change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments, etc. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel (and some 14″ wheels) 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:

  

Khang’s S30 got the full 4-wheel brake kit with new OEM Master Cylinder:

 

We also installed the fully functioning parking brake that works with factory linkage/handle:

 

 

BE ON THE LOOKOUT!!!
Our trailer was stolen last night in San Jose, CA. Please share and contact us immediately if spotted. License plate# 4LA8323 Thank you!
**photo with car for reference: just the trailer was stolen, luckily not the race car**

 

 

UPDATE: Video surveillance shows a black First-gen Cadillac Escalade SUV taking the trailer at 4:11am. It was a single person with a white hat and he broke our trailer lock to hitch his Escalade up. Please spread the word.

 

 

 

To appreciate the 1991 Aztec Red 300ZX Twin Turbo pictured above we must tell you a story of love, heartbreak, persistance and ultimately satisfaction. Z Car Garage client Jas D has been with us since 2014 when we helped build his 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo. This Super White, 44k original-mile example was treated with all the ZCG touches that make a Z32TT go from wonderful to extraordinary. We dubbed it the “Z Masterpiece” (see more here) as it embodied the total package: Power. Handling. Braking. Aesthetics:

 

Jas totally Enjoyed The Ride in this Z, adding 28k thrilling miles with ZCG maintaining it over the years:

“My brother and I have been ZCG customers for almost a decade. I met Rob when I called about getting a PPI on what became Z Masterpiece. At the time, a Super White manual came up on AutoTrader (I LOVE Super White-OMG). It was a low-mile, one-owner, meticulously-maintained time-capsule. Rob actually said WOW after the PPI, and we worked with ZCG over a couple years on a few iterations until we got Z Masterpiece. That car was perfect!  My dream Z; I loved driving that car EVERYWHERE! It is probably my favorite car of all time!”

  

Unfortunately, in 2016 the Z was stolen.

“On October 29, 2016, Z Masterpiece was stolen. We cried, we laughed, we got angry, we sulked for a couple months, forgot about it, and then my dad found the car driving into SF on January 25, 2017. The car had clearly been driven like it was stolen. But, believe it or not, all the expensive components were still on there. We sent it to Rob right away, and he helped us turn Z Masterpiece into the Red Devil Z (which I purchased on April 20, 2017 with 66,XXX miles).”

From Z Masterpiece to Red Devil

 

Persistance paid off, and Jas found a really clean Aztec Red ’91 Z32TT with only 66k miles. All of the upgrades from the Super White, Z Masterpiece were transferred over:

“Rob pulled the motor from the Super White, re-did all the seals/gaskets, and then put the driveline back together into the red Z32TT.  Coincidentally, both cars and engines had 66,XXX miles when this was done in summer 2017.”

 

 

Let’s take a look at the modifications that turn the already stellar Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo into a superb, balanced sports car.

Engine

 

Though bone-stock with an amazing 44k miles on the clock it needed some attention. We went through the hydraulics and performed full 60k-mile services.

 

Jas wanted to improve power and handling and we happily obliged with a comprehensive list of upgrades this year.  Starting with the drivetrain, the original transmission was replaced with a brand new(!) unit from Nissan:

 

The clutch had seen better days so we replaced it with a JWT unit including their heavy duty aluminum flywheel:

 

A JWT ecu w/boost jets manages uprated NISMO 740cc injectors and the Selin dual MAF. Improved breathing comes from Ash-SPEC inlet piping and dual JWT pop chargers:

   

On the exhaust side, restrictive original downpipes were replaced with these beautiful Specialty Z 3″ downpipes. Note the divorced wastegate piping:

 

Following the new downpipes are more parts from SPZ including 3″ mid-pipes and a cat-back exhaust system to replace the OEM setup:

 

OEM vs SPZ:

 

More upgrades. We installed 4.08 Leader gears, Ash-SPEC Massive SMICs, 2.5 IC tubing, and  SPZ Hi-5 upgraded clutch. The BDE low-profile Z32 motor mounts are a smart alternative to OEM that allows more clearance larger for intakes:

   

Rob recently dyno-tuned the red Z, making 353hp/353tq to the wheels on 91 octane:

 

Stoptech Big-Brakes

 

With all of the speed parts installed next we tackled chassis improvements. Let’s begin with brakes followed by suspension:

We love Stoptech’s products and use them on our own vehicles.  Z32s are relatively heavy and with higher hp the stock caliper/rotors can be taxed quite easily. Jas took it up a notch and ordered a Stoptech 4-wheel Big-Brake Kit for his beloved Z.  Shown above is the ST40 caliper (front) squeezing 332 mm rotors and at the rear are ST22s on 328mm rotors.

The installation:

 

Yes, they are pretty but also very functional. Speaking of aesthetics (that are functional, too), the new calipers are nicely framed between the spokes of these sweet VOLK TE37SL wheels, finished in bronze and sized 18×9.5/10.5 in high-pad offset with center caps.  We like your taste, Jas.  The lightweight TE’s were wrapped in Yokohama tires:

 

Suspension

The suspension was gone through completely with all new parts. KW V3s are our favorite coil-over setup, replacing the Stance coil-overs that the Super White Z had. Stillen sway bars are also shown:

 

Stock vs KW V3s installed front:

  

Rear:

  

Every little nook and cranny of the suspension was handled. New SPL tension rods, upper front control arms, new rear wheel bearings and HICAS removal/eliminator:

  

T/C rods, Stillen sway bar, we also replaced the rack bushings:

 
The Z looks great!

  

The interior is in great condition as well:

  

Jas and his brother love the Z. Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey!

“The Red Devil Z is vicious and so fun to drive. It is the quintessential 1990s Japanese sports car  – red – gold wheels – TTs – exhaust.  It goes fast. It stops fast. It turns fast. Z32TTs are the BEST! We love and respect Rob and the team at ZCG. Rob is a total big brother. He and the team have been with us through the passion and pain.”

**This Red Z32TT is for sale on Bring a Trailer!**

 

The quest for the perfect Z is almost complete as Jas just found one of the cleanest Super White z32s on Earth. That means the red car is for sale! Jas is listing it on Bring a Trailer. We will update this post and social media when the auction goes live so you don’t miss out! For now, enjoy the extensive photo gallery below, and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

Lots of pictures in the gallery, enjoy!
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