“Great Drives” is a new Zcarblog series highlighting scenic routes and destinations we have enjoyed from the past and present. Whether it is a nice cruise or thrilling adventure, we hope to inspire Bay Area vintage car owners to Enjoy The Ride! Have a great drive of your own that you want to share? Feel free to contact us on Facebook, Instagram or by e-mail.

Mt. Umunhum, San Jose 7/1/18

Growing up in the Bay Area I have always been fascinated with Mt. Umunhum. Dominating the peak is an 84-foot tall radar tower built to watch over the nation’s airspace during the Cold War. Decommissioned and closed off to the public since 1980, last year this former Air Force station was converted into a place where you can view the Santa Clara Valley from 3,486 feet.

Mount Umunhum is the fourth-highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains just south of San Jose and can be reached by the new five-mile Mount Umunhum Road which is off Hicks Road in Los Gatos. The road is freshly paved and filled with a mix of hairpins and blind corners. Elevation gain is impressive with 2000ft+ over 4 miles.

Enjoy this short video of the drive up to Mt. Umunhum:

At the summit we had a 360-degree view from the Pacific to the Sierra Nevada.  The sunset was spectacular and I just had to bring my family back again the following day to share the experience.

Though it is only a few miles from our home, the drive to Mt. Umunhum is exhilarating and the summit well worth the climb. If you are driving your vintage car make sure the cooling and braking systems are up to the task!

Interested in the history of Mt. Umunhum? Watch the video below:

Stay tuned for the next Great Drives feature and enjoy more pictures in the gallery below!
…[read more]

The ZONC Annual Car Show will be held Saturday July 28 in Brisbane, CA. This a fun event in a great location so bring out your Z, G, Datsun or GT-R! Pictures from last year’s show can be seen HERE with more details below. Z you at the show!

When Lehan brought his 1991 R32 GT-R to Z Car Garage it was barely moving under its own power…the clutch failed.  We installed an OS Giken TS2CD clutch and flywheel along with an OS Giken T/O bearing.

 

The OS Giken clutch/flywheel combo weighed 32.8lbs compared to the old setup at 39.6lbs:

Clutch removal/installation:

 

 

We also replaced the rear main oil seal while we in there with an OEM seal. The R32 was treated to new clutch hydraulics including master and slave cylinders + hose.  It is prudent to replace these units if they haven’t been done in the last 3-5 years.

 

With a new clutch and hydraulics sorted Lee was back on the road.  He was really surprised that we could do a 2-day turn-around clutch replacement on on his 25-year old Japanese classic supercar.  Enjoy the Ride Lee and thanks for your support!

Hagerty recently produced a video featuring local Bay Area Datsun owners Courtney and Dustin Frisk. The couple got married last year and Z Car Garage prepared Courtney’s 240z in time for their special day. Check out the video below and find out more about their love for Datsuns in Hagerty’s article HERE.

Learn more about ZCG’s work on Courtney’s 240z HERE. Enjoy The Ride, you two!

Frank B has been a Z Car Garage customer for many years. His stable includes an ultra low-vin Series 1 S30 (report soon) and this 1972 Datsun 240z that he acquired in 2005:

Affectionately named “Fuelie Z” this hot rod sports a fuel-injected Rebello 3L running Borla TWM induction.  The old-school setup utilized RC injectors, a composite intake plenum and Electromotive Tec3 engine management.

With powerful L-series motivation Frank wanted to improve braking and we installed one of our very first sets of Z Car Garage Big Brakes roughly 8 years ago. These large, 328mm units at all 4-corners performed admirably and fit nicely behind his vintage 17″ Chevlon Racing Mesh wheels:

 

Frank has enjoyed the Z for several years, attending local ZONC events and fun runs. Below left: The ZONC Blackhawk Museum Show in 2008!

After a recent meeting with Frank we agreed it was time to update this Z car and make it as smooth as we could. He was our first customer to run the new Z Car Garage CV axles. This upgrade really inspired him to continue improving the car:

 

Next on the update list, we were really excited to install a Nissan 350z 6-speed manual transmission behind the L-series in Frank’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 Frank’s Z:

The kit necessitated exhaust header changes and after testing a variety of headers we found the Pacesetter 6-2-1 unit provided enough clearance:

We changed the exhaust and updated the driveshaft to an aluminum one. The old Spec clutch mated to the L-series transmission was removed and a JWT aluminum flywheel and HD clutch installed for work with the 350z transmission:

 

The 6-speed bolted in, more pictures of the install in gallery below:

The ZCG CV axles and 6-speed transmission transformed Frank’s Z. You can see the shifter location/operation in this video below. Enjoy!

Frank also asked why not update the engine management system and Rob said, “I’m in!”. Replacing the Tec3 unit we installed an Elite 750 from Haltech.  This is a wonderful stand alone ECU company with very user-friendly products we love to use on our S30 builds.

 

With dyno tuning we improved the drivability of Z in addition to significant power gains. Final numbers were 231hp/210tq to the wheels:

We received great feedback from Frank after 100 miles of mountain roads. His wife could even notice the difference: super smooth, seamless operation with fantastic throttle response and more power.  The Fuelie Z has been thoroughly updated, mission accomplished!  We love that Frank is Enjoying The Ride in his Z stay tuned for a full report on his Series 1 240z!

LONG LIVE THE Z!
More pictures in the gallery below!
…[read more]