Many of our clients perform work on their Z cars by themselves, and we love to help when they are ready. Kai N installed a bunch of parts on his 1972 Datsun 240Z and got to the point where he didn’t feel comfortable taking it further. He took his Z to several local shops and was not getting it sorted so he visited Z Car Garage. We got him dialed in by sorting out his Weber carbs, brakes and fuel system. Our ZCG Heat Shield also graces his induction setup.
“A while back I installed triple DCOEs, headers and exhaust. I got some professional help to get the car running, but it was not quite right, so I knew my next call would be to ZCG. But before I made the call the pandemic hit, I found myself with a bit more free time and started working on other bits of the car. I ended up working on the cooling system (new radiator, electric fans), fuel system (electric fuel pump), new brakes and suspension.”
Z in the Family
Kai shares his Z history:
“The Z belonged to my Uncle Donnie until the late 90’s. He sold the car to our local mechanic. I’ve always wanted a Z and my Dad always reminded me where I could find Uncle Donnie’s old Z if I was ever ready to own one. When I was finally able to acquire my dream car in 2017, I asked the mechanic a few times if he would sell me the car while I was shopping for a Z, but he was on the fence about it. BTW I think he had 2 or 3 Zs at the time. After a few months of me bugging him, a generous offer and my uncle (along with his friends) putting in a few good words on my behalf, he was finally convinced to sell me the car.”
“I will never forget that after I purchased the Z, my Dad told me a story. Before my uncle sold the car to the mechanic; Uncle Donnie had asked my Dad if he wanted the Z. I was a few years from being old enough to drive and the Z could have been my first car. Of course, my Dad declined the offer. I got my Z, it just happened 20ish years (and a lot of $) late.”
Mechanical Sorting
Kai wanted us to address a list of items and we knocked each one out. Littles things like installing a temperature sensor, replacing motor and transmission mounts, re-wiring his fuel pump and new rack bushings were taken care of. We also sorted out his braking system and nut/bolted the entire suspension followed by a full alignment.
The engine bay was cleaned up, drive belt replaced and we sorted the Weber carbs. Kai purchased one of our Z Car Garage Heat Shields and we modified it to work with his throttle cable linkage:
More info on our ZCG Heat Shield below:
ZCG Heat Shield
We are excited to offer the Z Car Garage Heat Shield for your triple-carb’d L-series Z car. This is a one-piece 304 stainless unit with laser-etched serial number. Proven on all of our L-series engine builds and dyno testing.
This heat shield will fit Mikuni, Weber, Dellorto and Jenvey induction with several intake manifolds like the Harada:
Dyno Tuning
The triple Webers were dialed in on the dyno. With Rob’s tuning the Z went from running poorly to running well, making 141hp/141tq to the wheels:
Listen to that L-Series music on the dyno:
Kai is really happy with the work we performed:
“It’s a completely different car. It still needs work, but I can finally enjoy the car. I didn’t want a track car or a pristine show car, I simply wanted my Z to be something that I could enjoy. ZCG brought the joy. My Z’s journey isn’t done, it will continue to evolve and I’ll be counting on ZCGs help. I approached ZCG without much of a plan. I think Rob and crew formulated and executed the perfect plan for me (and my budget). The car is fun and safe, while having potential for more growth. I had not driven the car in 2 years, So I’m sure you can imagine how happy I was.”
What’s next for Kai’s Z? He’s driven Mrs. Butters, our 1971 shop 240Z and he is returning to ZCG for our ZCG Big Brakes!
“My experience at ZCG has been amazing, I’m pumped for the next step in my car’s journey. ZCG BBK is next for me! Also being at the shop is cool too, there is always something there that blows my mind (like the BRE Z or the IMSA).”
Thanks for your support Kai, we are honored to be a part of your Z car journey!
On May 1-2, Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) hosted the Trans Am Speedfest at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage was fortunate to participate and support several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 8. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with photos and exclusive in-car footage!
Z Car Garage Supports Three Datsun 510s!
It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno. Below is a video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Rob and Tom) and Kelvin in the second video on the dyno prior to the Speedfest weekend. Enjoy the sweet L-series music!
510s Galore!
With ten Datsun 510s in Group 8 it was a Dime-lover’s dream to be in the paddock and watch the races. Although the event did not allow spectators, we’ve got you covered!
Let’s take a look at the Datsun 510s that we supported, beginning with our clients. All of our cars ran flawlessly:
#7 Kelvin Tse
Here is Kelvin’s re-telling of his race weekend with us:
“Driving Laguna Seca during the spring time is a wonderful experience in itself. Racing Laguna with other B Sedans in a well prepped 510 is a racers high on another level. Track conditions were perfect with sunshine and daytime highs in the mid 70’s. The weekend was uneventful as far as mechanical problems were concerned a fact that has not always been the case for me. 5 years and far too many let downs. I have really never had a 510 that I felt like I could just drive at the limit with a fair degree of control. Z car garage has given me a proper race car. MOTOR, TRANSMISSION AND SUSPENSION have been sorted out and now the car could be driven at the limit. I finally was able to trust the car to steer correctly after full compression of the shocks and springs. The car was very predictable . I have also been working on getting use to the new dogleg transmission installed recently and finally have learned how to properly downshift thru the gears.
Saturday Race I started in position 8 and had a battle for every corner with David Murray in his BMW 2002. We pretty much changed positions for every lap. I was excited to have a car that I felt comfortable enough to go door to door racing with. David said that this is the best race he has had in years and I have to agree with him as we were duking it out. On the last lap, he left the door slightly open entering the Wayne Rainey curve and I took it. After passing him I knew that he would try to set me up for turn 11. Well, he did put his nose in there, and we both got thru 11 with me having a slight advantage. Drag racing down the straight bumper to bumper … Yep , the 510 came out ahead. Position #7
Sunday morning … a mix up with SVRA tech paperwork DQed me and put me at the back of the grid. I was listed as a 2L and need more weight to qualified as a 2L.Problem… My car has a 1800cc. In fact I could still loose a 100lbs. hey Rob and Josh next project….
Starting at the back of the grid was not where I wanted to be. So my start was going to have to be something else. Years of racing cars and karts have helped me on my starts. Well , I did get a good jump when the starter started to move his hands up. I dived all the way to the right of the track in turn one kicked up a little dirt and put the car exactly where I wanted on the outside of turn two (SEE VIDEO BELOW). Full power on the inside of turn 3 made me go from the last position to position #6 behind Tom Dockery. Whew…that was fun…We only got in 2 laps before the race was red flagged because of an Alfa who’s driver got out of his vehicle in turn 5. A big no no… Position #6
Overall, Rob was the winner, Tom finished #5 and little old me got a #6. I am still developing and learning how to drive this wonderful car. But what strikes me as a successful weekend is when everything just seems to go your way, the sun is shining and you are out with some great friends having FUN!!! This was accomplished only with the help and support of everyone at Z Car garage. The racing gods were smiling at me this weekend.”
#72 Tom Dockery
Tom Dockery drove his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510. This car made its debut in May 2019 and we are excited to share its full story and profile Tom’s journey into racing.
Tom had a blast here are his thoughts on the race weekend:
“The SVRA TA Speedfest was so much better than I expected. Coming in I set myself up for disappointment, mostly because my last experience on Toyo 888Rs was so disappointing, almost scary. But my first practice flushed those fears away. In the first practice I beat my previous PR, breaking the 1:50 mark which I did earlier in the year on fresh R7s. Over the course of the weekend, I continued to set new PR’s finishing up on Sunday with a mid 1:48. I think the trick was me continuing to get comfortable with the new engine and the idea of sliding though a corner. There might have been some additional benefit of the small diameter Toyo tire giving me a final drive the fit really well with my speeds at Seca.
The run group was large with a strong mix of 510’s and 2002s. GTV accounted for just 2 of the 35 cars. Strangely the field set up with all the 510’s qualifying ahead of the 2002s for the most part. My experience with Steve Walker and John Murray suggests this was probably just drivers and not cars. Although I was able to keep reasonably attached to the top five cars (though Troy and Rob were pulling away at a steady rate) I really enjoyed watching my rear view in car video as Kelvin and I pulled away at a pretty good rate from the rest of the field ….. that was fun.
My car was perfect, no issues and ran in top form all weekend long thanks to Josh and Rob.”
In-car video is the Sunday afternoon session from Tom’s 510, enjoy: The rear facing is cool because of Kelvin’s go-kart talents and near Troy-like start behavior. The front video I thought was encouraging has I was able to keep a line of sight and partial contact with people who historically have been much faster than me.-Tom
#7 Rob Fuller
With the assistance of ZCG crew Josh and Keith we also supported ZCG owner Rob Fuller in the Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car:
Rob performed admirably with a fastest time of 1:44.068, here is his experience:
“SVRA is mostly an East coast association, coming out West a few times a year so we were happy to be a part of their events. This year they did back-to-back events with a weekend at Sonoma (unable to attend ) and Laguna Seca April 30-May 2. We supported three cars with Josh as crew and myself as driver/crew. All had a great weekend with each car running really well. SVRA rules require us to run a Toyo R888 tire, not as sticky as Hoosier R7s we typically use. Dockery and Kelvin finished in the top 10 with personal best lap times, I am really proud of them. On Saturday I finished right behind Troy Ermish.
Race 2 on Sunday was dramatic. Wherever you finished Race 1 is where you start in Race 2. Troy and Rob were just .002s apart in qualifying!
“To be close to Troy was fun, because he can drive like hell. In Sunday’s race both of us were out in front, a good 3 seconds ahead of the 3rd place car when suddenly an Alfa oiled down the track outside of Turn 4. I saw Troy’s car move around, and then my car got loose. As he moved into turn 3 I a saw strip of shiny oil across the whole tack and as I changed my line to avoid oil I watched Troy go off outside of Turn 4. Most drivers would have tried to correct this and probably hurt their car…not Troy! He drove right through it, foot to the floor dirt-track style. For the next laps I didn’t look in my mirror, just drove the defensive line and hoped I could stay in front…as we approached Turn 11 I could see Troy throw his car into the turn but overcook it…we finished under yellow flag.”
Rob got the checkered flag finishing in front of Troy and took First place on the podium, though not under ideal circumstances…
“I don’t take it as a real win, even though I placed ahead of him. Troy is an amazing driver and I love the challenge he brings. I hope to enjoy many more races with him, under green flag conditions.”
You can see in-car footage of Rob below:
Rear view, same race from Rob. Catch more of Rob’s sessions on his Youtube Channel
Here’s is Troy’s in-car video from Sunday’s Race 2:
The Race 2 Results:
Thank you!
We hope you have enjoyed our report from the 2021 Trans Am Speedfest! SVRA did an amazing job with the event running like clockwork considering the sheer number of race groups. Kudos to them for excellent safety and organization. We hope October’s event with CSRG will be open to spectators!
*See you in October for the CSRG Charity Challenge in Sonoma!*
Vince S called Z Car Garage after he scored this 1973 Datsun 240Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer. After we got the Z up here from SoCal we found that it needed some work for Vince to really Enjoy The Ride. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a full suspension refresh and engine tuning make it just right.
Z Destiny
Before we explore the upgrades, let’s take a look at how Vince found his Z car…
“I’m incredibly lucky to own my Z. It was sold new in Decatur, IL on August 10, 1973. The car was supposedly purchased from the 2nd owner who reportedly had it for over 30 years in 2018 by a dealer in Oakland who then sold it to the collector I bought it from. I first saw the car in 2019 parked in my neighbor’s driveway. At the time, I was looking for a 240Z to buy. In high school I had a 1978 280Z that I took to college but it was prone to overheating and I blew a head gasket and didn’t have the money to fix it. I sold it in 1990 and regretted it ever since. So, when I saw a 1973 240Z sitting in that driveway, I knocked on my neighbor’s door and asked if he wanted to sell it.”
“Turns out the Z didn’t belong to him. He was transporting it from Oakland to Carmel and then on to L.A. for a friend who was a collector. The friend already owned two 240Zs (he has one of the 37 Zs that were part of Nissan’s Vintage Restoration Program) and he wanted my Z for it’s a/c components and other bits to complete one of his cars (he later decided it was too good of a car to use for parts). Although I couldn’t buy my Z that day, my neighbor let me go for a quick drive around the block. Fast forward to April 2020 and that very same Z is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer.”
Vince watched the auction, confirming with the seller that it was the same car he had driven. Although he was outbid, 20 minutes after the auction ended the seller informed Vince that the winner backed out. They agreed on a price and he became the proud new owner of the 240Z.
Chassis and Suspension Upgrades
With Vince’s Z finally at the shop we proceeded with upgrades to make it a fantastic, reliable driver. For our clients that are cruising with occasional “spirited” driving we installed our “Stage 1/light street” suspension. New parts from Techno Toy Tuning included adjustable T/C rods and rear lower control arms. We really appreciate Gabriel and his staff at T3. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.
A full front suspension rebuild included new rack bushings, front control arm bushings, ball-joints, tie-rods, new wheel bearings front and rear (OEM genuine Nissan seals/parts), KYB strut inserts, Eibach lowering springs trimmed Macpherson bumps stops for full travel and a ST sway bar set.
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
Brakes: every vintage Z car that we build here gets the ultimate setup: our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for small wheels. Everyone that drives our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car is sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes 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 Vince’s brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit with a new brake master cylinder from Nissan, rebuilt brake booster and parking brake assembly.
New brake master cylinder from Nissan and stock vs Big-Brakes:
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 90 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Vince has CV Axle set #341. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:
ZCG CV axles installed:
Panasport Wheels
Complementing the new springs and shocks on Vince’s Z are Panasport wheels! We replaced the stock steel wheels (kept for shows) with 16×7 Panasports and Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires in 225/50/16.
Drivetrain
We performed a full drivetrain inspection with compression/leakdown test to make sure the engine was healthy. A list of items that were addressed/replaced: sparks plugs, new plug wire set, fuel filter, valve cover gasket, valve adjustment, MSA 6 to 1 header to our ZCG exhaust system and Z therapy carbs. More pictures in the gallery!
A Koyo race aluminum radiator replaced the stock unit:
All coolant hoses were replaced, new water pump, fan clutch, fan blade, all new drive belts, new battery hold-down/cables and a e…we even lubed chokes cable everything to make this car a solid driver… everything to allow Vince to just hop in to his vintage Z and enjoy some back roads. The aging 4-speed transmission was replaced with a 5-speed from our parts stash.
This early 280z 5-speed. came in the 1977-78 S30s and has the same gearset with an 0.86 overdrive perfect for the factory rear end. Our go-t0 JWT alum flywheel/clutch back the engine:
Dyno Tuning
With fresh Z Therapy carbs and MSD Blaster 2 coil with Pertronix ignition Rob set the AFR/timing for best performance and drivability. Rob dyno tuned the L24, now making 138hp/139tq at the wheels:
Vince is throughly impressed and happy with all of the chassis and engine upgrades:
“My experience with Rob and ZCG has been exceptional. When I bought my Z, it was essentially stock with the exception of one or two paint resprays of the 113 green and an added electric fuel pump. It was clear the car had a fair amount of deferred maintenance, I knew I needed to improve both its drivability and reliability. So, I upgraded to the ZCG Big Brakes, ZCG CV axles, did a full suspension rebuild and drivetrain refresh. Well worth the wait…The Z I picked up was nothing like the Z I dropped off — it was better in every way.”
Enjoying the Ride
We loved to hear that Vince is out an about with his Z. He attended the Valt gathering in Albany where our friend Geoff snapped these pictures. He also just completed a rally with Breakfast Club Rally group:
“The 2nd best road trip was a recent 100 mile rally in the east bay foothills and my daughter rode with me for that as well. She shares my love of cars and passion for Zs. It reminds me of the times I shared with my dad who could fix anything on wheels and for years owned his own repair shop. That’s why this Z is so important. As much as I appreciate the beauty of its design and brilliance of its engineering, it’s the memories I have and will make that I cherish most”
Welcome Back to the Z car family!
“My Z performs far better than I expected. I just did my first 100-mile rally and had complete confidence that the car would go, turn and stop like I needed and expected it to. This isn’t my first Z but it’s my first 240 and first major mechanical refresh of a car. As they say, “you don’t know what you don’t know,” so I really valued (and needed) Rob’s experience and advice. My Z means a lot to me (my daughters joke that she’s the favorite in the family) and it was important to do things right. It’s not that money wasn’t an object but I was willing to invest in the things that mattered most, which is what Rob and the crew helped me do.”
Thank you for your support and we loved working with you Vince! Happy that you are a Z car owner again, welcome back to the family and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Z CAR GARAGE IS LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS
**PLEASE SHARE THIS**
ZCG is expanding to support our vintage, late model and motorsport work. We are seeking experienced and skilled automotive technicians to join our team. This is not an average 9 to 5 automotive job:
-We work 4-10hr days and offer competitive pay/benefits with opportunities for growth
-Requirements: Automotive experience, your own set of tools, willingness to learn, and be part of a team.
-Nissan/Datsun experience is NOT a requirement, you just need to have passion.
-We are heavily involved in motorsports and the automotive community. From race cars to street cars and performance tuning…to routine maintenance and keeping vintage cars on the road, we love what we do!
Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? PLEASE SHARE THIS, spread the word and please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.
Check out our shop on this episode of Hoonigan Autofocus with Larry Chen:
Rob Fuller is the latest guest on the Bring a Trailer Podcast with BaT co-founder Randy Nonnenberg and Howard Swig. Listen to them chat about Z Car Garage, the burgeoning Z-car market and Rob’s passion for all things Datsun and racing. You can listen to the podcast via this link HERE, and check out BaT’s other cool podcasts too!
We are fortunate to work closely with Bring a Trailer and you can see our work on their personal BaT 240z that gets driven on major rallyes/events.They even drove the Z across the country from their headquarters in San Francisco to Road Atlanta for the historic races at The Mitty
(Below) Randy Jaffe and Bat Co-founder Randy Nonnenberg at the Mitty with their Z cars!
