Jim H has a great story behind this Series 1 S30. We know the previous owner through Datsun Roadsters from over a decade ago. Jim’s kids actually found this Z for him! Full story HERE. The Z received an upgraded cooling system, ZCG Big-Brakes an CV axles and 16″ Panasport wheels with Bridgestone S007a tires. He returned in the fall for a new 3L engine and more!
David L and Jason P brought their 240z cars in for ZCG Big-Brakes and CV axles:
A 240z Rally Car in for ZCG Big-Brakes!
We love Z32s and we have several in the shop including an NA 2+2 with a Twin-Turbo swap!
R32 Skylines. Kurt’s KH2 is getting engine/performance upgrades:
R32 in for tuning (Love the R34 wheels) and a 4-door R32 with an RB26DETT!
Richard M’s 370z (full story soon), Anniv and Nismo 370z:
Jay H has been our customer since the beginning. He has a Datsun 240z, Mazda (FD) RX-7 and this 1990 Aztec Red 300ZX Twin Turbo that he’s owned for many years. Living in a rural, wooded area the Z’s wiring got chewed on by rodents. We fixed the wiring and got the car running again but more issues surfaced. Jay loves this Z so much and it had 122k miles so he decided it was time give it some serious attention.
Z Car Garage was happy to oblige as we think the Z32 is one of the best Japanese sports car of the 90’s.
Engine Bay and Drivetrain
The engine bay was in need of major cleaning and restoration. First, we performed a compression/leakdown test and the Z passed. With the engine out now we could focus on cleanup:
We installed a new engine room wiring harness. Every coolant hose, bypass hose, vacuum hose was replaced. A new underhood insulator with clips replaced the torn oem piece.
All p/s hoses were replaced and we modified the p/s steering pump to reduce clutter and eliminate the HICAS completely:
The engine was treated to full reseal and timing belt services, more pictures of the engine build in the gallery!
With a clean bill of health we installed several performance upgrades including JWT sport 500 turbos, BDE billet half moons/motor mounts, Ashpsec inlet piping, Selin dual-MAF with HR low-profiles filters/two Z32 MAFs and Nismo 740cc injectors:
No turbo upgrade is complete without the Mike Smith turbo manifolds with EGR ( to pass emissions). Unfortunately we will install the last set of these on Felix C’s 300, and that’s it!
BDE motor mounts:
Nismo 740cc injectors:
Ashspec inlet piping:
Selin dual-MAF with HR low-profile filters:
Before the engine went back in we installed a new JWT HD clutch and aluminum flywheel:
The drivetrain was re-installed with numerous items like a new fan and engine cover:
Exhaust upgrades included a full SpecialtyZ 3″ exhaust with 3″midpipes:
Finally, a GReddy Profec boost controller was installed in the super tidy interior:
Rob dyno tuned the Z, making 384hp/348tq to the wheels:
Exterior
With the engine bay and drivetrain sorted we turned to the body and and exterior trim. Jay wanted to do a full repaint on the car so we had it had it towed engine-out to our man William. Some before shots showing the faded paint and cracked/peeling tail light panel:
At William’s the body got some choice parts to make it look like 1990 again: Wings West Pre-’94 rear wing, JDM front fascia (with shaved license plate mount) and Jspec tail lights. With the freshly painted Z back at the shop we tackled re-assembly of new cowl panels, mouldings and various trim. All of these parts really make this Z pop:
Extensive moulding/trim replacement: T-top trim before/after shown below
Door and window trim:
Jspec rear and front looking sharp!
Icing on the cake are Jay’s super cool set of old WORK Equip 05 wheels. We re-finished and polished/painted them running Bridgestone S-04 tires.
Wheels make the car and this Z looks incredible standing still and on the road:
Suspension
The chassis received a few upgrades including Stillen sways and SPL titanium HICAS delete We also replaced ABS module the clutch and brake master cylinders
One Z Car…Coming Up!
Jay didn’t have a car for the duration of the revival and he was on foot running errands near his home. We handled all of the DMV fees foe him and Rob and Alvin delivered the Z to Jay at his residence.
It was a great experience to pull up in the 510 and Z to present it to Jay, he was all smiles:
Thank you Jay for bringing your 300zx to Z Car Garage. We admire your love for the Z and passion to keep it on the road in top form! Z32s ROCK! Enjoy the extensive photo gallery below:
Jeremy visited Z Car Garage to dyno tune his Rebello 3.5L powered S30. This G-nosed beauty baselined at 238hp/229tq and with Rob’s tuning produced 288hp/257tq to the wheels! With gains of 50hp/28tq this is a great example of the benefits of dyno tuning. We are really excited to unlock more power with a few upgrades. Long Live The Z! Volume up!
We last saw Jeremy in last January at a Drive that Naveed organized. You can see more pictures of the Z on Speedhunters HERE. Looking forward to more tuning sessions and thanks for bringing your Z to us Jeremy!
We met Greg in 2015 when he purchased a set of Panasport wheels for his S30. He returned later in 2019 for our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with upgraded suspension and triple Mikuni carbs. Greg is a pilot residing in Reno, NV and when he is not flying passengers all over the US he is a 100% gearhead with an award-winning 1970 Dodge Charger. He has owned the ’73 Z for 42 years and we love the story behind it:
“I bought this Z from the original family (two owners, same family) just weeks after I graduated from high school in June of 1978. I had previously owned a 1970 Sublime Green Dodge Charger R/T, but I thought it just wouldn’t be cool to show up to college in a ‘lime green’ car, so I went on the hunt for something that had great looks, and great performance to match. I kept my pursuit of a 240Z a secret from my high school sweet-heart (now my wife of 40 years), who was two years behind me in high school, until I had actually purchased the car and had a chance to give it a good detailing. When I pulled up that first evening with the new Z, she was very surprised! See didn’t know what it was, but she thought it was just “So Cool!”
“We dated in the car for another two years until we married in 1980. One of the best memories we have of the car is taking my now wife to her High School Senior Prom in the car. We both also really enjoyed cruising the back mountain roads of Arizona on the weekends during the year I spent in Air Force pilot training outside of Phoenix. The car was my daily driver until 1987, when it received a new paint job and then became more of a “nice day” car.”
As life went on Greg moved from Idaho to Reno and the car ended up getting stored for about 20 years. When their re-acquired ’70 Charger did not make it back from a resto-mod in 2015, Valerie suggested getting the 240z running to enter in Hot August Nights in place of the Charger.
“After sitting for 20 years it needed some work – we called on Dave Rebello for a 3.0 stroker L-28 engine (SU carbs), and while the engine was being built my son and I got busy. We pulled the fuel tank, dipped it, and refreshed it with a new sending unit, as well as all new hoses.”
In 2015 Greg purchased a set of 16×7 Panasport wheels from us and though the Z was really nice it was time to take the next step.
Taking the Z to the next level
After months of planning, last July Greg and Valerie drove their Z down from Reno to Z Car Garage. They spent the day with us while we installed new parts, made a few repairs and cleaned up the engine bay.
The Rebello 3L was treated to a fresh set of triple Mikuni PHH44 carbs on a Harada intake manifold (Rob’s favorite intake). We anodized the linkage from blue to black to suit Greg’s taste.
Out with the old SU carbs. A new 6-into-1 MSA coated exhaust header (merged to existing exhaust system) and ZCG heat shield were installed:
Greg also wanted the fuel hoses and AN fttings black which is becoming common from our vintage racing builds like the Rocketbunny Z. Finishing it off is our favorite fuel rail from Japan.
The engine bay received lots cleanup. We wanted Greg’s attention to detail to match his Mopar’s. Before/After, triples are hard to beat!
Dyno Tuning
After the addition of triple Mikuni carbs and an updated MSD ignition we went through the car to ensure it ran well. With Rob’s dyno tuning we greatly improved the way this Rebello 3L drives. Baseline was 186hp/189tq and after tuning it made 215hp/203tq to the wheels:
Listen to those triple Mikuni’s sing on the dyno. Also watch for a test drive with Rob running through the gears making sweet L-series music!
We sorted a few additional items like repairing the parking brake, replacing a lazy tachometer with a nice unit from Rob’s stash and fixing his shift boot.
Greg was pleased with modifications and repairs:
“One of the not-previously talked about items that I was most pleased with was the Tension Rod Bushings that Rob replaced. After I installed the new front-end parts a few years back, the car still had a tendency to follow slight grooves in the road. I had written this off as non-stock wider tires, but when Rob took the car he noticed it in his test drive and replaced those for us as well. The car now literally drives and handles better than new, and the triple carbs with Rob’s tuning magic REALLY brought out the beast in the Rebello motor! The car’s performance now is quite simply stunning!!!”
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 got Greg dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new 240z brake booster/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! They also look great behind the Panasport wheels:
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 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Greg received ZCG CV Axle set #282.
Enjoying The Ride
After their visit to ZCG, both Greg and Valerie continued to enjoy the Z at several Hot August Nights shows. It appears they enjoy driving it more than the Charger 🙂
“The Hot August Night Virginia City meet this year. We had intended to take the Z Friday, and the Charger on Saturday, but we had so much fun driving up and down Geiger Grade with the new ZCG triple Mikuni‘s and the ZCG Big brakes that we took the Z both days!!!”
Valerie driving the Z to a local ‘Ladies only’ car show. We love her “all blue” theme! (Right) Their 1970 Dodge Charger:
“Valerie and I are very happy with the service and modifications ZCG has completed on our ’73 240Z. I doubt anyone else has the experience, the knowledge base, and most importantly, the PASSION for working on Z Car’s that Rob Fuller and the staff at the Z-Car Garage have!”
We really had a great experience working Greg, thank you both for letting us make your Z car an enjoyable sports car! More pictures in the gallery below:
The fifth annual HSR Classic 24hr race at Daytona International Speedway was held November 13-17. Racing legend John Morton and co-driver Rob Fuller piloted the #46 BRE Datsun 240z owned by team manager Randy Jaffe.
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Enjoy our report from the event with pictures, video and commentary from Rob and Randy!
Hallowed Ground: #46 Debuts at Daytona Speedway
When the BRE 240z was not accepted into the 2019 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion team owner Randy Jaffe was anxious to find a Fall event. Thanks to Michael Eberhardt of Vintage Racing Co. we were able to run the Classic 24 and share a garage with him at Daytona. It was an amazing feeling sharing the same hallowed grounds where all the pros raced for years.
Rob:“This is a relatively new event and HSR’s efforts to make it larger were clear: the Classic 24 had people from all over the world (1/3 from Europe), and famous drivers and cars everywhere: Gunnar Jeannette, Derek/Justin bell, Jochen Maas, Daytona prototypes, LMP cars, vintage IMSA cars, 935s and big-boy hardware.”
Paddock pictures from top left to bottom right: AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson with Rob Fuller, Gunnar Racing Team, VM columnist Jochen Maas and a 1955 300SL, 1985 Porsche 962 HR1 piloted by team of Derek Bell, Justin Bell, Rodrigo Sales, and Gunnar Jeannette.
Enjoy this video of the sights and sounds at Daytona:
Racing at Daytona
The Classic 24 race features six race groups with 4 (1hr) sessions and cumulative time deciding the winner. Each session has a 3-minute pitstop with mandatory driver exit during fueling. There were many challenges facing the ZCG team as we prepped the BRE 240Z for big banking of Daytona:
Rob:“Josh Corwin prepped gear ratios for the diff and we went there armed for any scenario. At 3.56 miles, Daytona is much longer than our West Coast tracks so we built a 3.54 and 3.36. After one practice session we realized the 3.36 was needed.”
It was an incredible sight to see the #46Z out on the high banking with serious race cars like the Smith Motorworks 1980 Porsche 935 K3:
To aid driving during night sessions the Z was fitted with LED lamps:
Despite heavy rain the team carried on, making changes to the car and improving with each session.
Rob: “There were 12 cars in our group with a bunch of 911s and 914s. The Z worked flawlessly. We made a last minute carb change, sent pics of the spark plugs to Dave Rebello, and we were pumped for it. The sheer size of the stands and banking was overwhelming but we welcomed the challenge!”
Randy:“As you drive into the infield at Daytona and look at that 31% banking it’s super intimidating and as Rob stated you cannot look straight out of the car as it’s always bending left and he has never experienced that before. Rob did an amazing job of adapting to not only the car but to the track within 2 to 3 laps as he had cut down six seconds plus. John Morton has not run Daytona in over 20 years and he got right in the car and turned a great time which is what professional race drivers do! At 77 years old it’s just amazing how he is so calm and so smooth around these tracks!”
Remember those those mandatory pitstops? Thanks to the ZCG team (Josh/Keith) all stops were nailed and we actually had to wait because we were under time. We also had help from Randy’s friend Barney to help with fueling, and Chris Karl from SCCA. A rally of people excited to see the Z at Daytona all pitched in.
The bad weather and lack of track experience didn’t hold John or Rob back. We started 10th in class in the 1st session and by the end of the 1st leg we were in 3rd place.
From 10th to 3rd in one session is impressive with John and Rob turning near-identical lap times. Rob was ecstatic not only about the Z’s performance, but also being able to co-drive with his hero:
Rob: “Ben from Retrosport with Alan Terpins’ 1979 Porsche 935 MOMO car kicked ass and won their class. They were clocked on the front straight under braking at 188mph. The BRE Z did 156mph top speed and our lap times (Morton and Fuller) were within a .1 of each other. I can’t describe the feeling of going from total fanboy to being a co-driver with John Morton. All of this comes from Randy Jaffe’s generosity, drive/passion to celebrate this car and era. These heroes that were making history and didn’t even know it 50years later. All while a new crop of people that love and appreciate this car. Watching people from all over the world come over to find John Morton to have him sign something, shake his hand, tell him a Datsun story. It’s surreal.”
Unfortunately our hopes of a first or second place finish in class were cut short at the second session. John Morton got an epic start and as they all went into turn 1 on the first lap (at night) a Lola T 70 lost its grip, then a Chevron panicked and cut hard right in front of John. There was nothing he could do and the car was so low that it flipped us up in the air and onto the roof:
John Morton was able to exit the Z safely, without any injuries. The Z was towed in, covered and our race ended. We all had hashbrowns and coffee late night at Waffle House. The next morning Josh and Rob set the tow on the front of the car, took plugs out and turned it over. We actually got to drive it around paddock Sunday morning, knowing we would be back again to take a run at the high banks of Daytona.
Randy: “Most historic race cars have been wrecked so many times and put back together and we will do the same after this Daytona accident. Just a slight bump in the road but we will come back stronger as we have learned and we will continue to write more current history with John at the wheel. We can’t wait until Daytona next year where Rob and John can finish the 24 hour that we started this year.”
Here is a video with in-car footage of both John Morton and Rob Fuller. Enjoy the triple-Mikuni carb’d music and wild banking of Daytona! At the end is multiple-angle footage of the crash:
The BRE 240Z will be rebuilt at Z Car Garage
We welcomed back the #46Z to ZCG for a rebuild after damages from the Daytona crash. Stay tuned for progress updates:
Randy: “The car is being shipped to Z car garage on December 13th for repairs and to prep the car for the Walter Mitty races in Atlanta in April. The most amazing part of the fun we’ve had with this car over the past three years is the excitement that Peter Brock and John Morton have shared with all of us to turn back the Hands of time! I think because of social media John Morton may actually be more famous now than he was back in the day and he often thanks me for the efforts to make his accomplishments recognized over and over which he certainly deserves! What 77-year-old race car driver do you know still flies airplanes and rides dirt bikes, jeeps and works out!! Of course none of this would happen without Rob Fuller and Josh Corwin they have been the glue behind us entire program and I would’ve never done any of this without them. Rob takes control of many situations that could be stressful and makes things easier for me!”
At 77 years of age John Morton is still formidable behind the wheel!
Randy was and continues to be supremely enthusiastic about the Z, John Morton and BRE. His words from Daytona:
“Per usual our pit area always had fans coming up and wanted to know where John was to talk to him and get an autograph as he had raced with many of these legends for the past five decades! I really love the story about Peter Brock and the BRE team and what John accomplished in a short period of time and still lives in high racing lore! Every piece of history from this time s fun for me to gather and collect as all of it is a part of the story!”
Randy and the BRE 240Z Build
While many have seen the BRE 240z at racing events and shows, there is a great story behind this car as told by owner Randy Jaffe:
“I met John somewhere around 2012 and told him I was going to build a tribute to his championship 240 Z car and I’m sure he’s heard that hundreds of times and he was kind of bored with the conversation. Then I started sending him and Peter Brock emails to build it correctly then after I spent several years at an attempt to do a tribute I was with both of them one night and asked about the real story on the remains of the original car. Both of them looked at each other and back at me and I was like – what was that look for? They went on to tell me that the story I had heard for years about the car being totally destroyed and no longer around was not true. Dan Parkinson who lived about a hour and a half north of Los Angeles had the remains of the car that he had re-bodied after a 1977 ball joint failure at phoenix motor Speedway. Casey Mollett – another Datsun racer back in the day was a few hundred yards behind Dan Parkinson when he hit that wall and he was part of the teardown and reassembly to the 1977 to 80 Z that Nissan gave Dan to rebuild a car. They were going to repair the original 46Z which now wore the number five livery of Dan Parkinson but the painter said it would take a month and a half to two months and they had to race in a few weeks so they use the 1977 280 Z that Nissan gave Dan.”
“The long and short of it is that they raced the 1977 shell for a few years and retired the car and racing in 1979 and all of those parts just sat there until 2016. Dan and I have had conversations for over a year and many many people were trying to buy these parts because they knew what they were but for some reason he felt comfortable and asked me one day do I really want all the stuff and of course I said yes. John Morton actually said since he owned the original chassis plate which he had taken off the car when he installed the remote Traco oil filter back in 1970 he kept that Vin plate in his toolbox until he gave it to me at the Petersen Museum in 2016. I had already completed my car as a tribute to the BRE team and John Morton when Dan sold me all of the surviving pieces. I then ripped the entire car apart and installing every little piece I could that had integrity and that’s when Rob Fuller stepped in to finish the car build like it was back in the day.”
Pictures from the race prep of Randy’s Z at Z Car Garage:
A sampling of the original parts is shown below including the exhaust header with megaphones, SW gauges, and BRE remote oil filter/cooler. Original BRE heat shield and fuel block pictured above. All assembled by the crew at ZCG prior to testing:
Randy’s fanatic attention to detail and our team’s prep culminated in John Morton enjoying the Z at several race events:
“So many of the remaining pieces along with the 1971 championship motor is on display at my shop. After going to a few shows with John Morton in the car I told him I wanted to race it and he kind of smirked and said it’s a show car not a race car and my reply was we’re gonna race it will you drive it and he Sylvia was nonchalant and said yeah maybe… when we signed up and got into the first Rolex reunion in 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.”
“John wasn’t really excited about racing the car Rob and I could see that even when he got belted in the car. When he came back after 6 to 8 laps a different man had returned he immediately walked over to Sylvia and said what are my times – He knew he was turning really fast laps and was getting really fired up! He told Brock down at the Carmel car show that the show car was truly a fast racecar! That weekend he terrorized all kinds of Porsches including 935s and was running up front in the top 10 out of a group of 40 to 50 cars. This became really fun so we’ve done it now at Road Atlanta Laguna Seca and now Daytona!”
Big thanks to Randy Jaffe, Sylvia and John Morton, the ZCG team Josh and Keith Corwin, Meghan Fuller, Michael Eberhardt and Vintage Racing Company and HSR this was a memorable event we can’t wait to come back to next year. More pictures in the gallery below:
