Last week we had the pleasure of dyno tuning Eric Straw’s magnificent 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster. Eric is a long time friend of Z Car Garage and we  first dyno’d this roadster in 2012 while a few years later we enjoyed tuning his RB26DETT powered DR30 Skyline. In addition to being a talented fabricator it is clear that Eric has a penchant for white paint, red valve covers…and turbocharged Nissan powerplants!

SR20 Roadster: Version 2

After restoring his roadster with an S13 SR20DET drivetrain a decade ago, Eric started working on the next evolution with a totally revised chassis and new engine (the previous setup sold for a customer’s roadster).  The new drivetrain consists of an S14 block (JE pistons, K1 rods, P12 oil pump) with a P11 VVL head (Kelford turbo cams, Tomei cam gears, Taarks VVL relocation kit, R35 coil packs) all mounted to the roadster frame using a Spriso Motorsports HD motor mount kit.

Providing boost is a GTX3071r turbo with Tial exhaust housing mounted to a Straw-fab’d custom tubular manifold with CNC 1 piece collector. On the cold side is a custom intercooler with Garrett core and custom intake manifold. It’s both pretty and functional considering the roadster’s tiny engine bay:

Backing the SR20VE-T is a 6-speed (CD009) transmission normally seen in the Nissan 350z. The SR mounts to the tranny via a Mazworx bell housing with an OS Giken Twin disk. The shining star in Eric’s craftsmanship is the chassis preparation with a heavily modified frame with tubular x-member and bolt-in reinforcements.

It would take another blog post to dive into the suspension but if you are curious about the restoration and more please check out Eric’s roadster featured in this Speedhunters article by Naveed Yousufzai HERE.

 

Dyno Tuning

The tuning session was conducted with driveability and longevity in mind. Outright peak power numbers were not a priority. Eric’s hometown in Salem, Oregon is where this car would be enjoyed with premium fuel and the occasional 100 octane splash.  Surely more power could be extracted with E85 but Eric is 50 miles from nearest station. Rob comments on the choice of engine management for the SR20VE-T:

“When Eric contacted us about about building the SR20VVL we discussed EMS, and ZCG is a Haltech Pro Tuner. We really like how user-friendly this product is for a tuner. It’s perfect when you need to map out all of the different phases, complete control of ignition/fueling, cam control, idle air…everything to take this car you’ve dreamed of and make it drive like it came from an OEM factory.”

Rob dyno tuned the SR equipped with a Haltech 1500 Elite. Initial passes were performed on 92 octane. The plots below show without a boost controller (387hp/287tq) and with a boost controller, making 425hp/331tq to the wheels:

Of note is Nissan’s wonderful variable valve timing (VVL) at work with a very flat torque curve and incredible, spine-tingling cam changeover sound. See video below! Eric and Josh drained the fuel tank to add 100 octane for the next passes.  Fueling is supplied by a custom stainless tank (Aeromotive hangler/bladder), custom stainless lines all dash 6, 1300x Injector dynamics and a Radium Fuel rail:

On 100 octane the SR20VE-T made 491hp/393tq at the wheels. That is roughly 570hp at the crank. Keep in mind this little Datsun roadster weighs 2250lbs with a hardtop and 14 gallons of fuel!

Driving Impressions

Following the dyno session we had to take the roadster out for a drive. This video shows multiple dyno passes and test drives, volume up!

Here are a few driving impressions from the three of us, enjoy!

Eric

“The car went from being an impressive car to completely coming alive and becoming a rocket ship that just keeps pulling. The VVL is like another level of performance. The power comes on very progressive and linear to give the chassis the best chance of getting as much as possible out of it. We made multiple setting to help with driving goals based on the roads and situations we are in.”

“The suspension has been a lot of work and has really paid off many times over be able to get this power to the ground and drive the car like it was intended. The rear suspension is so predictable and precise that immediately I had a lot of confidence to be able roll some power out of the corner. Rob had truly made this dream come alive and make this car so very impressive.”

 

Rob

“The cam control and air flow from the VVL is staggering, just really super cool. I’m not surprised…from being around the DR30 and seeing all the cars Eric and Michael Spreadbury have built over the years.  This roadster continues to evolve as they continue their craft with each chapter revealing a new level like a boost controller: 5 years ago was 10lbs of boost, 2 years ago 12lbs,  and now 22lbs (this roadster should only be driven on high!) Eric Straw isn’t just one man. He seems to be a mass of people to not only design an engine bay and make it work efficiently but also bolt a non-matching transmission, and then that rear end suspension….obviously one of the biggest things when modifying a 50+yr old Datsun with high power levels is trying to put it down. His engineering accounted for enough tire, brake and balance. The setup Eric built for this roadster I could not believe how we could deliver 500+hp/almost 400ftlbs of torque, and yes we were lighting off the tires but…I still felt like I was in control. We were on ice, but I felt like I was on Speedvision from back in the day of World-rallying Championship..with just a slight motion of the steering wheel I could rotate that car wherever I wanted. 

 

Alvin

 

“As a passenger and long-time roadster owner…it’s not easy for me to ride shotgun in a high-powered car but I still can’t fathom how smooth it felt under intense acceleration. These are super tiny cars and to see both Eric and Rob harness it was a testament to Eric’s chassis engineering. I’ve been in other Datsuns with turbo SRs and they will pitch sideways under full throttle but this one was planted even on our rough downtown roads. Watch the video. It’s epic.”

All of us concluded and shared similar sentiments: Eric’s suspension enabled this roadster to manage all that power. When boost hits and the tires break loose it can be seemingly glide controllably with steering input…no hopping or skittering. The rear suspension consists of a hybrid rear axle built by Moser based on a Dana 44 with a Torque arm and 3-Link Watts with Ridetech coil-overs. Up front are custom Ridetech coil-overs and sway bar.  R33 GTR Brembo brakes provide stopping power. The Watanabe wheels are wrapped in 225F/245(!)R tires which are massive for a stock-flared roadster body.

We had blast spending the day with Eric and tuning his roadster. We can’t praise him enough for the ingenuity and execution of his build. Eric would like to thank Julie Straw, Michael Spreadbury and Rob Fuller.  More pictures in the gallery below and Enjoy The Boost Eric!

Max Y visited us in 2018 for bolt-ons and returned in 2019 for a Stillen supercharger supercharger and OS Giken limited-slip differential. Power can be addicting so Max visited Z Car Garage recently for more boost and a full Stoptech Big-Brake Kit to reign it all in.

Providing more boost is a 9lb pulley and supporting upgrades to the fuel system including a CJ Motorsports return fuel system with billet hat. Injector Dynamics 1050cc injectors and 485lph Wallbro pump.

A Soho motorsports air to air intercooler kit replaces the Stillen air-to-water setup:

We pulled the transmission to install a Fast Intentions billet flex plate:

 

Dyno tuning was performed via Ecutek making 447hp/324tq  91 octane and 475hp/349tq 100 octane:

 

With more power available the brakes were upgraded to a full Big-Brake Kit from Stoptech:  6-piston calipers with 355mm front rotors and ST22 calipers in rear with slotted rotors :

This kit sports Stoptech 6-piston calipers calmping 355mm front rotors and ST22 calipers in rear with slotted rotors, OEM vs Stoptech front:

 

The brakes also look great behind those awesome Enkei R05rr wheels:

New SPPC front/rear control arms and a full alignment following installation of larger Michelin Pilot SS 275/40/18 F and 295/35/18 R

 

It was very important for Max to monitor boost,  A/F, and trans temperature so we installed a  PLX Devices DM100 gauge in the factory clock lcoation:

 

     

We replaced the headlights with an HID setup(7k), and installed Max’s rear/side diffuser panels:

  

 

Zspeed Performance splash shield:

 
More pictures in the gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

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Being part of a client’s project from start to finish is just one of our favorite jobs at Z Car Garage. Jason P contacted us a few years ago to help find a 240z to call his own and what began as a visit for our ZCG Big-Brakes evolved into building his dream car. Let’s take a closer look at his “ProjectZ” that received a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay clean-up, total suspension rebuild and more.

Jason’s Z Story

We are lucky to work with long-time Z owners and first-time enthusiasts like Jason. It’s no surprise to hear how the Z struck a chord with him at a young age:

“My favorite toy growing up was an old beat-up Transformers Bluestreak I inherited from my cool older cousins. I found out years later this toy was based on a Silver Datsun 280zx and it’s been my dream to get one someday, for the past 20 years I’ve been patiently saving and loosely looking. As weird reminders I’ve done things like make a lego 240Z for my desk to stay passionate about the car.” 

 

Jason recalls how he found us:

“I was looking for a shop from the Bay Area to San Diego that specialized in Zs and who could be a long-term partner in building and maintaining my dream car. I found ZCG on multiple forums and Yelp with stellar reviews and feedback from other Datsun owners.  A couple clicks later I was reading the ZCG blogs and loving how thoroughly the builds were documented. I loved the first time talking to Rob and how he never mentioned any of the prestigious work they had done and was solely focused on what I wanted. Maybe the second time we talked I heard him sing and that sealed the deal.”

Through many discussions about budget and goals we started the search for a chassis to build on. Jason drove one of our older performance-built Z’s and instantly became hooked on triple-Mikuni’s and chassis upgrades…but he was adamant that the color must be silver. He found a local S30 that we inspected and belonged to ZONC member Robert C. It’s a small world and we actually worked on this car in the past. Jason purchased the Z and shared what he liked/disliked about it with a few revelations gained after driving a stock S30:

 

Jason was very specific in his vision for the build:

“My goal was for a resto-mod that would mainly be used to cruise but had the power to kick-ass if needed. It was important to me that some parts of the car like exterior and interior were factory and original and other parts like brakes, suspension, engine were upgraded for better comfort, performance, and safety. This was really clear to me after driving an unmodified RHD Fairlady Z and unmodified series 1 240Z. The 50 year old suspension creaked and bounced, I had to leave huge gaps driving in rush-hour traffic so I could stop on time, and I really love the L24 but it didn’t feel like I was driving a sports car by today’s standards.”

 

 

Taking the Z to the next level

 

Engine

Following Jason’s desire for more power, timing was perfect and a 3.1L that we had done for a customer a years ago became available. We took this entire driveline and installed it in Jason’s Z. Here is the tired, stock L24:

The freshened 3.1L was built by Techcraft many years ago with a P90 head,  rare Clifford 6-3-2 header, triple-Mikuni ph44s on a Harada intake manifold, serial #245 ZCG Heat Shield,  280zx internally regulated alternator and gear-reduction starter, MSD6Al with tach adapter and black coil, and 2.5″ exhaust with a Borla XR-1 muffler:

  

With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay.  All hydraulic lines were removed and zinc’d with many other parts that were bagged/tagged. More pictures in the gallery below:

 

Before/after plating hydraulic lines:

 

New engine bay parts included: all new fuel system, coolant hoses, fuel filter, Koyo race radiator and all drive belts:

 We cleaned up the entire underside and undercoated the chassis. Freshly plated hardware and lines are shown.

Before/after:

   

The fuel system was replaced and gas tank removed as it was in rough shape. We replaced it with a clean unit from the ZCG parts stash. All the fuel vapor/recovery lines in the gas tank area were replaced:

    

This was a 4-speed car, so we grabbed one of the 5-speeds from Rob’s stash. This early 280z 5-speed is like a 4-speed but adds a 0.86 overdrive. The factory 3.36 R180 factory rear end will be upgraded later.

 

With the drivetrain out we installed a JWT aluminum flywheel with HD clutch for the L-series. We use this setup exclusively and it has really good feel with an organic clutch that’s also a breeze in traffic. The key to success to having a powerful vintage car is that it can also be easy to drive.

More detail work was performed:

 

Engine bay before/after:

 

Dyno Tuning

 

Rob dyno tuned the 3.1L now producing 221hp/226tq to the wheels on 91 octane. Great torque and makes all the right sounds!

 

Jason was stoked on the new drivetrain:

“Lucky to have a “purist” 3.1 stroker that looks right at home in the engine bay thanks to the original Nissan and Datsun parts combined together expertly. The triple Mikuni’s sing all through all 5 gears and I’m super impressed by the clutch Rob chose for me and how responsive the throttle is. I can’t wait for Winter now to try cold starting, I’m not going to miss the choke lever at all.”

Enjoy the video below showing the dyno run and test drive with Rob, volume up!

 

Chassis and Brakes

 

Jason originally came in to ZCG for our Big-Brake kit and it was just the beginning of his wishlist.  Now that we replaced the engine it was time to match the power level with braking and suspension upgrades.

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Jason’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 removed Jason’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. The Z also received entire full coil-over (Koni) suspension from Techno Toy Tuning. New parts included adjustable T/C rods, rear control arms, new bushings, rack bushings, steering coupler, ball joints, new f/r wheel bearings and more. 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.

 

We went ahead and got Jason 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 with coil-overs and T3 suspension parts visible:

At the rear, the OEM drums brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

Great feedback from Jason on the Big-Brakes:

“ZCG front and rear BBK dramatically improved the stopping power over stock 240Z brakes, I don’t need to worry about constant drum-brake servicing and can feel all 4 tires stopping when I pump the brakes now. I’m more confident driving it freely knowing it can stop at shorter distances and not wreck a car that took so long to find and with so much work done to it.”

 

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 80 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

 

Jason received ZCG CV Axle set #321:

 

The before/after with full chassis cleanup and new T3 suspension, bushings and ST sway bar:

    
Close-up of the T3 lower rear control arms and our ZCG CV Axles:

  

Panasport Wheels

 

Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind Panasport wheels in our offset allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires.  We replaced the generic wheels with 16×7 Panasports and Bridgestone S-04 tires. We think the wheels/tires are a huge improvement:

  

Jason was pleased with the chassis upgrades:

“Car feels amazingly tight now, it doesn’t creak anymore going over bumps and feels firm entering and doesn’t bounce as much when exiting corners. I’m glad we were able to upgrade so much of it at the same time, the overall suspension package Rob recommended handles so well and really changes the character from a stock 240z.“

Interior

 

The interior got attention as well. We pulled the entire dash and cleaned up the heater controls, pressure tested the heater core, refurbished the heater box, cleaned up the gauges and replaced all light bulbs. We ensured that we never have to go into the dash again.

 

This is our second Vintage Dashes installation and we thank Ivan Jaramillo for making a cost-effective product for Z cars. More pictures in the gallery below. Expect a full report on their products soon!

 

Details

 

The little things are what we excel at. Jason didn’t like the odd, 280zx vented hood so we gave him a NOS S30 hood from Rob’s stash and had our man William paint it. He also touched up the front end:

 

Jason was not fond of the PO’s aftermarket radio/speaker boxes in back.  We removed it all and gave him a factory 240z radio. Also shown below: powdercoated rear sway bar hangers for ST parts, zinc’d pieces.

Enjoying The Ride

Jason was super stoked on his Z and immediately started driving it everywhere. Here is a message he sent Rob, it’s hard to beat enthusiastic clients:

“ZCG is an extremely popular shop and I consider myself super fortunate to be living about 25 minutes away. In my occasional visits I’ve seen everything from 510 wagons, supercharged 350zs, and 240z restorations and upgrades so I know they can do it all. The shop is very clean and organized and filled with all sorts of history and treasure for Datsun + Nissan enthusiasts to nerd out on.

Despite how busy ZCG is, Rob and crew didn’t miss a beat with my car with awesome communication and recommendations, just picked it up yesterday and loving it! The care that went into this car would be appreciated by anyone into details and craftsmanship and it’s clear the years of expertise Rob and crew bring to their work.” 

 

“As a novice car-guy I feel Rob and team really understood my needs for a clean restomod that was easy to drive and could haul if needed. The entire car is super impressive and I find myself daydreaming about driving it around now. “

 

More pictures in the gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

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At Z Car Garage we enjoy working with late-model Nissans as much as earlier Datsuns. Our customer Eric R brought his Infiniti G35 Coupe to us back in 2009 and ten years later we helped him find a 2008 Infiniti FX35.  The FX got many upgrades to make it exactly the way Eric envisioned and he’s been enjoying it with his family as well as backroads.

The first generation (S50) FX-series models have aged rather well and we dig their combination of styling, power and versatility. Eric recalls how he became an FX owner:

“I’ve always been a car enthusiast.  My mom owned a 72 240Z back in the day and in 2007 my wife and I purchased a G35 Coupe 6MT and after a disappointing experience with the local Infiniti dealer, took the car to Rob and ZCG.  Needless to say, the knowledge base and Rob’s unique brand of engagement with his customers was refreshing. It was one of the best customer service experiences I’ve had and ZCG took exceptional care of our G35.  After a couple years of ownership, we had to give up the G Coupe with the onset of…kids.

Fast forward nearly a dozen years and the kids a bit older, I started my search for a new car. It needed to be sporty but still functional as a daily driver. It needed to haul mail and still haul the kids and the bikes and the gear.  The FX covered nearly every one of my criteria in one package, but fell a little short in visual cues and base line performance.

Timing worked out as our customer Chris’2008 FX35 AWD (Sport & Tech pac) was up for sale:

“As I searched for potential candidates, I was thrilled to reconnect with Rob and ZCG.  He helped me focus my search efforts and game plan what I envisioned for the car.   After a year of searching my FX came up for sale.  As luck would have it, it was a car already under the care of ZCG and a number of mods on my want list performed. Rob confirmed the quality and condition of the FX as well as the character of the seller.  It was, as they say, meant to be.”

Eric’s first visit with his FX focused on power and chassis upgrades. The VQ35 was treated to a Motordyne plenum spacer, JWT POP Charger and Uprev street tune providing more power throughout the rev range.

 

Keeping the FX glued to the tarmac are BC Racing coilovers and Stillen strut tower brace paired with a set of Nissan/Rays Eng GT-R R35 (CBA) rear wheels:

 

The wheels were refinished and we mount/balanced Michelin Pilot AS/3+ tires (295/45zr20) with new TPMS. We love the finish on these and they look right at home on the FX:

 

The stock brakes were upgraded to Akebono units from the G37/370z with a Stoptech sport brake kit (pads, slotted rotors, braided steel lines). This required changing the rear knuckle to a FX50 part.

Eric is all smiles with the upgrades and he’s been driving the FX everywhere:

“Rob and the ZCG Team worked incredibly hard to get everything on the car set in place so that I could immediately enjoy this family battle wagon and that’s just what I’ve been doing. Couldn’t be happier.”

 

We even spotted the FX at a local DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) Cars & Coffee event in Santa Cruz, CA:

 

Eric recently came back for a Nismo exhaust.

 

You can hear it in this driving video with Rob:

Thank you Eric for letting us improve your FX we look forward to seeing you at more events and keep Enjoying The Ride! More pictures in the gallery below.

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Z Car Garage is expanding to support our vintage, late model and motorsport work. We are seeking an experienced and skilled automotive technician to join our team. This is not an average automotive job. We work 4-10hr days and offer competitive pay/benefits.

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.

Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? Share this, spread the word and please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.