We have several exciting projects at the shop that will get full reports on zcarblog.com but today we want to highlight a few cars that we prepared for next week’s ZCON event. Please tune into our Instagram story for more sights and sounds as we have Z32, R35, S30, 370z, 350z, S130 and yes, even some Z31 updates heading your way!
ZCON Here We Come!
Z Car Garage is proud to be a sponsor for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA in Colorado Springs 8/16-20. This is the largest Z-car event in the US and we are stoked to participate. Here are three client cars destined for ZCON, enjoy!
The OMS Pace Car
This is a 1972 Official OMS Pace Car Duplicate. It is at present one of only two known survivors . Fifty were originally produced by Nissan Motors to commemorate the DATSUN 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 “U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship”. It really is a small Datsun world, as the official OMS pace car is none other than our very own Joel Anderson #49 IMSA GTU 240Z .
This OMS duplicate belongs to our long time customer and friend Linda. She acquired it from a family in SoCal and tasked ZCG with making it a nice driver. Full report soon but it got loaded up today for its journey to Colorado!
Jack’s LS3-Powered Z32
Jack and Yolanda have been a part of our lives since the beginning of ZCG. Being long time members of The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) and supporting our shop along the way, we are grateful to them. ZCG will be restoring the Primadonna Z back to its former glory this year! We are also helping the couple finish their LS3 V8 engine swap into their “Primadonna” Z32 Convertible. Yes, Jack had to get back in the game after building those 240z cars so he built a Z32 body kit from scratch. Like the S30’s he built, this widebody Z32 has evolved over time:
ZCG finished the LS3 swap and dialed it in with road-testing and dyno tuning.
It even sports full A/C and OEM shifter for the automatic transmission. The Z was loaded up with the OMS pace car today and heading to ZCON, full report soon!
Mike’s Datsun 240Z #193
Mike’s vin # 193 Series-1 S30 was ZCON bound but needed further work to be truly show-worthy. We love that he’s on board with us to finish the car correctly. It’s a beauty and it will be sensational.
Z You There!
This will be an eventful week for us. ZCG will be attending the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion this weekend, then it’s on to New York for the Global Reveal of the New Z and finally we will be in Colorado on Friday for ZCON! We are stoked to see the cars, faces and meet new people. Watch our IG/FB and twitter for updates!
More Projects
Jas D’s red 300ZX (above) and one of many Z32s we are working on, Steve’s (below) will get a full report soon as well as the Stillen SMZ:
Randy’s 1970 Safari Tribute Z returned from its trip to Los Angeles to be filmed for Nissan’s commercials! We installed a new engine and made some suspension changes, full report soon!
Watch for Randy’s Z running through the desert!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kigk38DCFs
David’s 240Z
Long-time friend and client David attended a track day at Laguna Seca. This Z was built over 15 years ago and sill running strong. We prepped his Z for the track, full report soon!
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:
Aaron’s Q50:
LONG LIVE THE Z! Check out our Instagram story for more updates!
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.
Datsunworks founder Derek Minetti is the pioneer behind the KN20 DOHC cylinder head. This is a custom (very limited production), 6-cylinder head derived from Honda’s venerable K-series 4-cylinder engine. The KN20 offers superior head flow rates combined with modern valvetrain components to effectively transform your L-series single-overhead cam into a high-revving, dual-overhead cam engine. The power potential is impressive.
Gary’s Datsun 240Z
There are ten KN20 heads in the wild with only three installed and currently running in cars. Z Car Garage has two KN20 cylinder heads. This KN20 is serial #SN10 and it has been installed into our long-time client Gary’s Datsun 240Z, affectionately named the “Behemoth”. ZCG is always exploring the boundaries of powertrains and Gary’s Z has seen a few engines including an RB30DET, OS Giken TC24 and now the Datsunworks.
Here are few details on the powertrain setup for this Z:
-Rebello 3.1L Engine
-KN20 Cylinder head SN10 (but the performance level goes to 11)
-Induction type: Jenvey ITB EFI with Injector Dynamics injectors
-Engine management: Haltech Elite 750
-Header: Equal-length, custom fabricated by RacecraftNW
Pictures of the initial engine installation, with more in the gallery:
For further information on the KN20 cylinder head we urge you to visit the Datsunworks blog: Datsunworks Blog
Performance
We are still in the tuning phase so Gary’s car is on a comfortable (conservative) setting. With the Datsunworks head it made 350hp/248tq at the wheels on 91 octane:
Even in a testing stage it is absolutely thrilling to drive. Gary’s car is a full ZCG-style restoration so it has the chassis to harness the power. The sound it makes is a sonorous tone only the K-series derived KN20 head creates…with a gnarly exhaust note to match. The ITB induction also provides a healthy wail…it’s a sensory overload and revs seem to climb endlessly.
To illustrate the Datsunworks experience we captured some video of what it is like to drive around town…the 6-speed and EFI really allow this car to be docile, especially when cruising on the freeway and at part throttle. Drop a gear and its becomes a wild animal. Not going to lie…it gave me goosebumps both as a passenger and spectator.
Watch the video complete with multiple dyno passes, street acceleration and fly-bys. VOLUME UP!
Potential
Z Car Garage is stoked to be a part of the Datsunworks KN20 development. It is a clever design that pushes the envelope for L-Series engines. Sharing this experience is also part of the fun so we anticipate having a KN20 setup in a dedicated shop 240Z for clients to test drive and further evaluate. Although each application is different, we envision offering a bolt-in setup for your six-cylinder L-Series engine. The power potential is tremendous with the KN20…both NA and forced induction. We thank Derek at Datsunworks for giving us the opportunity to work with this innovative product.
Stay tune for more updates and LONG LIVE THE (TWIN CAM) Z!
The stories behind every Z car and their owner play a huge part in our love for keeping them on the road. The Nunes family has owned this 1978 Datsun 280Z 2+2 from new, starting with Gilbert and soon to be passed on to his son Dillon. This S30 was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay restoration, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles, total suspension rebuild and more.
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We admire the 280z cars (see Cece, Greg and the Roth’s builds) and met with Gilbert to discuss his needs. Updating the Z while preserving the exterior patina was the vision. First, let’s take a look at the Nunes’ family history with their Z.
From Father to Son to Grandson
Gilbert recalls how he got the Z:
“It was Christmas of 1977 and my parents decided to reward me for doing good during my first year of College at San Jose State. On Christmas Day by surprise I was handed a little box with keys in it. They knew I wanted a sporty car, but they had their own requirements. My dad wanted it to be an automatic, and he wanted a back seat so our whole family could fit in the car. The first attempt at buying a 280z didn’t work because of a dumb salesman at Downtown Datsun…
…They went there and asked to look at the Z’s however the salesman didn’t want them to buy a Z thinking they were too old for one. So they went to Stevens Creek Datsun and found a salesman who was dying to sell a car since Christmas was close. So in no time at all they found a automatic 280Z 2+2. I had no idea of the color or exactly what I was getting when I pulled up to the dealership, but I was very happy with the car.”
Gilbert would daily drive the Z that he got from his parents for 30+ years. His son Dillon grew up in the back of the 2+2 and has fond memories:
“My dads 280 is actually still in his possession, it will be left to me some day. I have a lot of stories from growing up in this car, mainly being a little kid and my dad letting me ride in the backseat with no booster seat because the seats are small enough. I remember of my dad driving my sister through a decent sized flood making sure she made it to her piano recital, all in the Z…
…I was very excited about getting my Dad’s car restored (it’s something we have literally talked about for 20 years). I’m not sure how he heard of Z Car Garage but I know I have been going there almost all my life. My earliest memory at ZCG was at a Friday car meet (Our 5th Anniversary gathering) where bbq burgers and hotdogs were being served. I was about 12 years old, and loved seeing all the Z’s and other Nissans, especially the GT-Rs.”
The Nunes family dropped off their beloved 280Z at the shop and the transformation started.
Drivetrain
Gilbert’s Z received a total engine bay restoration along with upgrades to the driveline for smoother driving and improved torque. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!
Engine
A fresh 2.8L “street” engine with replaced the tired L28 (above), new L28 below:
With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay. Everything was zinc plated or powdercoated. New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts.
Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:
An MSA exhaust header was installed. Powdercoated and plated parts laid out for installation. We bag/tag every nut and bolt:
All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up (full re-paint by our man William) before/after. More pics in the gallery!
More detail work:
Engine bay restoration, before/after:
Suspension
Gilbert wanted a fantastic driver that was 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, all new wheel bearings and new ball-joints. 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 without getting beat up.
Suspension refresh with T/C rod and steering rack detail:
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Gilbert’s 280z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and also upgraded to Z Car Garage CV Axles! These products have been standard on numerous ZCG builds.
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 went ahead and got Gilbert dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new brake booster/master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!
Front brake installation:
At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS 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 130+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Gilbert’s standard half-shafts shown on left and ZCG CV Axles on right. Also note plated brake lines:
Panasport Wheels
Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind Panasport wheels in our offset allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires (Bridgestone S-007a). Gilbert really wanted black so we had the spokes powdercoated in black with the polished lips cleared…they look sharp!
Details
The little things are what we excel at. The rear differential was refurbished. All electrical connections re-done. The original A/C system was retrofitted to use R134a refrigerant and made to blow super cold. New battery cables and wiper blades. We also replaced all of the fuel vapor hoses in the hatch. Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!
Enjoying The Ride
Gilbert’s son Dillon came down to ZCG pick up the 280. He was impressed:
“As far as how the car performs, its amazing. I have taken the car on a few drives and from my perspective the car corners like its on rails and stops on a dime. I took it up Sierra road and had a blast, still waiting to take it up highway 9. I was also surprised by how smooth it was driving on the freeway to a car meet at the USS hornet. With the stiff suspension I expected an unpleasant ride all the way to Alameda but was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was cruising at 85mph on 880. My only complaint is the auto trans, I would personally prefer to have it converted to a 6 speed that I have seen on your blog but my dad hates manuals:(“
Dillon and the Z at the local VALT Cars and Coffee in Alameda:
Here is a short video from Dillon shortly after picking the Z up:
Gilbert is enjoying the Z as well!
Thank you Gilbert for letting us re-birth your Z car. It makes us happy to see it being driven and soon passed on to your son Dillon. ZCG is honored to help keep the family Z on the road.
At Z Car Garage we love keeping Z’s on the road. From concours-level restorations to light refurbishments, making a client’s goals reality is our passion. Richard W brought his 1971 Datsun 240Z from Eureka, Ca for a full mechanical restoration, ZCG-style. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles and Z Car Garage Heat Shield along with a new drivetrain and full suspension transformed this Series 1 S30.
In 2017 Richard contacted us to inquire about restoration work. He understood we were booked, and we spoke again later, but this time he visited the shop with a photo album filled with photos of his beautiful, Sunshine Yellow Z.
“I did my due diligence and researched what ZCG could do, and arranged for a meeting with Rob to discuss my car. I asked if he would be interested in restoring my 1970 240 Z. He was pretty adamant, ‘I don’t restore those rust buckets anymore.’ A little disheartened but I persisted. Would you take a look at the album I have of my car? He flipped through he pages and you could see him light up and the enthusiasm came forth. He said, ‘Where is the rust?’. I told him there was none as the car has been indoors for the last 40 years.”
Rob and Richard agreed that since the exterior was in great shape ZCG would perform a mechanical restoration. Richard is in his 70’s and still practices dentistry in the small town of Eureka. After being parked for decades he trailered the Z down and arrived at ZCG in January 2018 . Here is VIN #12291, with 63k original miles:
He bought this Z brand new 12/70 and absolutely adores it, being an integral part of his life for half a century! We love the story behind Richard’s Z lets’ take a look before going into the mechanical work…
Life With The Z
“We all have defining moments in our lives and those moments need to be prioritized. The marriage to my wife of 50+ years is of course the most important moment. She provided the resources to live in San Francisco and was so supportive of my graduation from college. That same year she became pregnant with our first born. We moved to Eureka at the same time. I was able to start my own business in 1970 and begin an adult life. All the important hurdles were checked off. We moved to Eureka with $300 in our pocket and a mountain of debt. But wait, there was one more hurdle…”
“…From across a parking lot, in Eureka no less, stood a bright yellow Ferrari. Upon closer inspection I was even more baffled. What was a Datsun 240Z? I went to the local Datsun agency, long before Nissan came along and made my inquiry. Yes, the new 240Zs are very special and very desirable. They were being shipped in but there is a waiting list. Just add my name. Sure enough they called a few weeks later and said there was an Orange Z on the lot. They made the mistake of letting me wring that car out and I was sold. While I was in school in San Francisco, I saw Cobras and Porsches that cost $6 – $7,000. Way out of my league but I could afford the $3,600 Z. Even if it meant borrowing $1,200. In early December 1970 I took possession of my Z. It became my car and my identity. It has remained just that for the last 50 years.“
“My oldest son was born the following February. Now all the pieces for my life fell into place. Marriage, college, moving to a permanent home, birth of our son and the final piece, my sports car. Being a young family in the ‘70s was simple. We just put Jason between our two seats the Bull Dog in the back and off we drove. No thought of a car seat. Before he was six months old, we had been the 700 miles to San Diego and the 700 miles to Canada. Not a care in the world and a wonderful way to see the country.”
“My car was a daily driver. For the next 20 + years that was my car. As my boys grew up and learned to drive, I needed to provide a car for them for high school. Well, not my car. So, I bought them an upgraded and modified ’71 240Z. I bought the Z because I felt they would be safer in that car. I didn’t want a larger car they would put a lot of friends in. Later on, I heard they actually had put 5 guys in the Z car.”
Of course, over time, tastes changed and Richard succumbed to buying a 1992 Corvette. You know, the ones you fall into and climb out of. Fast forward to 2015 and his 240Z is in the garage, covered with the things a guy collects in a garage. The ‘vette became useless and the family all preferred the Z. This is where ZCG becomes part of Richard’s Z car journey. Let the mechanical restoration begin on this Series 1 that has not run since 1985…
Drivetrain
We got the original L24 with SUs running after sitting for years, but Richard wanted more power and Rob suggested a Rebello 3.1L engine. Supporting parts included an MSA 6-into-1 header, ZCG exhaust system, internally regulated 280ZX alternator, 280ZX gear reduction starter, KOYO race radiator (custom upper hose) and Z Car Garage Heat Shield. Here are a few pictures of the engine build/installation with many more in the gallery:
Powdercoated and plated parts adorn the engine:
Induction is handled by triple-Mikuni PH44 carbs on a Harada intake manifold.
Before/After the engine bay restoration, more details below:
To handle the power from the 3.1L engine we replaced the stock transmission with a Nissan KA24 (FS5W71C) transmission. This was a common swap (before the CD009a came to market) performed by modifying a 280Z L-series bell housing. The KA24 unit is significantly stronger than early S30 transmissions.
When we upgraded the transmission we also installed a JWT HD clutch with aluminum flywheel. Helping put the power down efficiently is an OS Giken LSD. The R180 houses a 4.11 R&P and the assembly is setup in-house (by Joshua Corwin). Rounding out the drivetrain upgrades are a set of Z Car Garage CV Axles (shown below)
Engine Bay Services
Richard’s Z received a total engine bay restoration. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!
With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay. Everything was cad plated or powdercoated. All new fuel hoses, every cooling hose and all new hydraulic lines. Every nut/bolt is bagged and tagged before re-plating.
The Z’s body had been painted once before but the engine bay was left un-touched. We called upon our man William from William’s Auto Body re-spray the 919 Sunshine Yellow and it turned out fantastic. Before/After:
More before/after shots showing fuel pump, hydraulic an coolant lines:
With the new engine/transmission even more detail work was performed:
Final Before/After in the engine bay:
Our ZCG Exhaust system using 2.5″ piping to a stainless resonator and Magnaflow muffler with slash-cut tip. Listen to the sound in the video below!
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3.1L engine making a stout 199hp/221tq to the wheels. Enjoy the L-series music in this extended video of Richard’s Z including dyno runs, test drive with Rob and drive-bys:
Suspension
Richard’s chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts, bushings and a full coil-over (Koni struts with our spring rates) suspension 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.
New parts included the T3 adjustable T/C rods, T3 rear control arms, T3 front/rear strut tower bars, new ball joints, new front bushings, all new bearings and seals and ST sway bars. Richard wanted a fantastic driver that was 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:
Front Suspension refresh with T/C rod, crossmember and steering rack detail:
Rear end with T3 lower control arms and ST Sway bar:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Richard’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and also upgraded to Z Car Garage CV Axles! These products have been standard on numerous ZCG builds.
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 went ahead and got Richard dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new OEM Nissan master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!
Front brake installation:
At the rear, the OEM drums brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS 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 130+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Richard’s standard half-shafts shown on left:
Panasport Wheels
Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind Panasport wheels in our offset allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires (Bridgestone S-007a). The Z was fully aligned afterwards.
Interior
One of our favorite upgrades to the interior of an S30 is our ZCG sound deadening package. Usually found in our full-blown ZCG restorations, the result is a less tinny sound and almost Germanic-like “clunk” when you shut the doors.
We are really proud of the HVAC system in this Z. A vintage A/C unit was modified to work with the factory heater box and OEM controls. Our client Kurt W 3D-printed us a vent part to allow the A/C to blow cold and hard…see the video! We are working on a solution for all our customers stay tuned!
New, high-end carpet throughout:
The stock seats were replaced with Recaro Specialist in black leather, we love these seats for the S30:
Details
The little things are what we excel at. Exterior items include straightening and re-chroming both f/r bumpers. We also removed the 80’s style front spoiler and replaced it with the the correct 3-piece setup from our Series 1 parts stash:
We installed electric power steering, it is a wonderful upgrade see how effortless low-speed steering is in our video above!
Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!
Enjoying The Ride
In December 2020 Richard made the trek from Eureka down to Z Car Garage to pick up his restored Z. After he came back from his test drive it was quite emotional for the two Z car enthusiasts. Rob recalls…
“Richard got out of the Z and told me he had bought this Z 50 years ago that week, it’s been with him through alot of stuff and now his kids and grandkids will get to enjoy it. I looked him in the eye and said I’ll be here for their chapters, any time they need me. I’m attached to this Z now too.”
Richard was ecstatic. It was the reaction we live for at ZCG:
“I delivered the car to Rob and put a lot of trust in him. Nothing happens fast but what happened to my car is truly miraculous. Rob’s attention to detail is unsurpassed. It was just last December that I was able to pick up the car. It was exactly 50 years to the day that I bought the original car. It is not the Z car of yore. Rob had replaced everything. If it was bolted to the frame, all the original equipment came out. From new Recaro seats, interior upholstery replacement and sound deadening. He started up front with the radiator through new larger engine with 3 -2 barrel carburetors to tranny, exhaust system, suspension tires and wheels. It is a brand new car inside but still looks like the Ferrari I saw so many years ago.”
Richard began Enjoying the Ride in his fresh Sunshine Yellow Z back home. He sent us an e-mail of his adventures.
“It has been a whirlwind 4 days in my life. Friday was my drive to San Jose hauling a trailer and all the while the anticipation of seeing the Z after the restoration. Saturday morning was nothing short of exhilarating. There was my little beauty, long in tooth but brought back to its original radiance. Not just radiance but purposeful modifications. What you have done with the car is truly remarkable. It is not the same car beneath that unmistakable glow.
Our visit and talk was also a highlight for me. Your exuberance is contagious. I do so love out of association. You have given me a link to my past and the wonderful times I have spent with Cheryl and my boys. So ends an odyssey that began a few years ago. I could not be happier for two reason. My car has been brought back for me to enjoy and I have made friends with an amazing man. Thank you Rob for all you have done for me.”
Richard, thank you for letting us be part of your Z car journey. We love your passion and connection to your Z. Enjoy the photo gallery and…
We promised our readers a full, zcarblog.com report on Trevor’s 280Z after it was featured on Hoonigan Autofocus with Larry Chen. Let’s take a closer look at this fantastic daily driver+canyon carver showcasing our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, CD009 Six-speed transmission and more.
The Next Big Thing
It’s no secret that S30 chassis values have skyrocketed in the past few years. While the 240Z commands top dollar it has become out of reach for many enthusiasts. Not to worry, Datsun offered the 260Z/280Z models and both are great, attainable chassis in the S30 world. Trevor shares how he found his 280Z:
“I met my Z in almost completely stock form with 94k original miles. I travel for work, ending up in a new town every 6 months or so. As soon as I had an inkling of where I was going to be sent next, I would start hitting the internet classifieds for a 280z. While the 240z had seductive weight savings over the later versions, my attention turned to the 280z for its fuel injection (with constant travel I didn’t want to have to tune carbs), it’s price/ availability, and they are easier to find with air conditioning.” Below, left is the night Trevor bought his Z:
“I found my silver Z in Phoenix, Arizona. The only things it had on it that weren’t original from the Hiratsuka factory were the wheels, springs, and Toyota 4×4 front brake calipers. The rest of it was stock, and most importantly, complete. I did a little work to get it running smoother, basically replaced all maintenance items and swapped out a few sensors that weren’t working, and then drove it as much as I possibly could.”
Trevor was looking for a shop to take care of his 1978 Datsun 240z and heard about ZCG from a shop tour with Larry Chen on this episode of Hoonigan Autofocus (Thanks Larry!). Trevor brought the Z in last summer and we performed a full inspection before upgrades.
“I chose to send my Z to Z Car Garage after watching Larry Chen’s Autofocus episode on the shop. I could really tell that Rob had a ton of passion for what he does and I knew I could have confidence with him at the helm. Before I had showed up at the shop, Rob and I had talked on the phone about doing the brakes, control arms all the way around, and a couple of other smaller things. I wanted it to handle as best as it possibly could and that meant stopping when it should and having the adjustability in the control arms to set up a proper alignment. ”
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
We handed Trevor the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 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 🙂 Read below for a brief description of these parts:
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 engineers at 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 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:
We removed Trevor’s existing brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. The stock suspension (with Tokico struts/Eibach springs) was replaced by Apex Engineered parts, as supplied by Trevor. Shown below are front/rear control arms and T/C rods being installed, more pictures in the gallery:
Front control arms and TC rods:
ZCG Big-brakes replacing the Toyota 4×4 caliper setup:
At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!
Trevor is impressed with the braking performance:
“I quickly found out that even after just a short spirited mountain drive, the Toyota brakes would get hot and fade. It didn’t help that after getting a taste for driving her quickly, I wanted to do a few track days in the future. I knew I wanted a brake upgrade, one that I would only have to do once. After getting back to Southern California I was really able to put the car through its paces on the canyon roads. The ZCG Big-Brakes proved their worth and were consistent and didn’t fade even after a few good rips up and down the mountains. This car sticks to the road insanely well. With the alignment and new tires it just carves.”
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 130 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Trevor has CV Axle set #335. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:
More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible is the ZCG Exhaust system:
Panasport Wheels
Complementing the new Big-Brakes on Trevor’s Z are Panasport wheels! We replaced the aftermarket wheels with 16×7 Panasports and sticky Bridgestone RE-71R tires in 225/50/16. The Z was fully aligned:
Engine
We knew the car would be stopping and handling better than before, so we installed a Moroso oil pan and Koyo aluminum radiator to keep temperatures in check. Other than cooling and fuel system work, the engine was largely untouched to maintain factory reliability.
We replaced intake and exhaust manifold gaskets with factory Nissan parts and few ZCG tricks including a certain exhaust nut and exhaust stud.The exhaust manifold was replaced with a Pacesetter header ( to clear six-speed) leading to our ZCG exhaust system with stainless resonator and slash-cut tip.
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the L28 with OEM EFI. Baseline was 133hp/149tq and with Rob’s tuning it made 143hp/159tq at the wheels:
Enjoy the dyno run video below:
Driveline Upgrades
We built Trevor an OS Giken LSD, a perfect upgrade for anyone doing spirited driving.
“As with the brakes, I figured the best way to do the driveline was once so I also went with an OS Giken LSD and Z Car Garage CV axles.”
We changed the final drive, installing a R180 4.11 OSG LSD built in in-house:
The clutch hydraulics were replaced to work with new aluminum flywheel/JWT HD clutch combo:
Six Speed Transmission
Next on the update list, we were really excited to install a Nissan 350z 6-speed manual transmission behind the L-series in Trevor’s Z. You read that right! S30 owners can now bolt-in this robust, 6-speed manual behind their L-series engine! You might remember our first application of Austin Hoke’s custom 6-speed adapter kit on the OS Giken TC24B1Z-powered 240z:
Using the 6-speed conversion kit from Hoke Performance we installed a new CD009a transmission from the 2003 -2008 Z33 in Trevor’s 280Z:
Here is the brand-new transmission from Nissan being unboxed:
The kit necessitated exhaust header changes and after testing a variety of headers we found the Pacesetter 6-2-1 unit provided enough clearance. Serial 9 provided the shifter relocation assembly and we are really happy with its performance. Also shown is the aluminum driveshaft.
It fits! More installation pictures in the gallery. It’s a very discreet look from the cockpit…until you feel the amazingly direct and precise feel of the CD009a!
Trevor is in love with the six-speed, we are as well:
“I had done my absolute best to convince myself that I didn’t need a transmission swap and my wallet and I were on the same page as I went to drop the Z off at Z Car Garage. Where my wallet and I started to have a disagreement was after Rob let me take Butters for a spin. After feeling the CD009 perform there was zero chance I was going to get my car back without one on the back of my L28. However, the more I was driving the car in the twisties, the more I started to become unhappy with the uneven gear ratio gaps between shifts.”
Details
We sorted out little things for Trevor like making his Speedhut tach and speedo functional. The car was fully detailed:
The Z was cut/buffed with a detail from JB mobile detail. We’ve worked with Veto at JB for years and he’s a big Z car enthusiast:
Driving is Believing
When Trevor picked up car, he was blown away:
“The car I got back is a totally different machine from the one I had dropped off. The result of the perfect combination of driveline parts is a sore face caused by either smiling the entire time or from your face almost leaving your head as Rob shows you just how well the brake kit works. Rob also threw her on the dyno and finally got the stock system performing perfectly. I’m sure it’s making more power than it did even new back in ’78.”
The Z was recently featured on Hoonigan Autofocus with Larry Chen. Larry and Rob discuss the work ZCG performed and take it for a spin. Watch the video to get an idea of the six-speed and power from Trevor’s280Z:
We enjoyed working with Trevor and he’s been Enjoying The Ride in his Z:
“I had flown up from the LA area where I was working to the shop in San Jose. My plan was to drive the car back down the PCH to get a feel for my new machine. I couldn’t believe how much fun the car was to drive on curvy roads. The CD009 feels great behind my L28. The shift pattern is short and precise, it’s fantastic. The rear end has no play and pairs nicely to the race feel of the CD009. One of the best parts of the combo is how easy it is to drive. It feels like you have a race car transmission but with the ease of use of a street car.”
“She’s back at Z Car Garage right now as my job has me in Omaha for the rest of the year. I have been talking to my wallet about coil overs and maybe an engine build while the car is in San Jose. My Z and I are apart right now but I cannot wait until I’m able to eat up more miles with her. She is a wicked joy.”
Thank you for entrusting us with your S30, Trevor. We are so fortunate to work with owners that appreciate the Z and believe in our ability to make them better! LONG LIVE THE Z!
