Gustavo L has been bringing his 2004 Infiniti G35 Coupe for bolt-ons the last few years. His first visit was for a Motordyne plenum spacer and UPREV tune. Last May, Gustavo came back to ZCG with a plan for more new parts including a full exhaust system, ART pipes, 60k service and a TransGO shift kit.

Motordyne exhaust:

   

Firmer shifts on this automatic with the shift kit:

  

Quicker acceleration with shorter gearing courtesy of Z1 rear diff. Gustavo purchase an entire assembly from Z1 and we installed it with Whiteline diff bushings”

 

We performed a re-tune with UPREV and saw gains of 19hp/10tq for a total of 247hp/233tq to the wheels.  Power is increased throughout the entire rev band:

 

Gustavo brings his car from Watsonville which is a bit of a hike but totally worth it for the power of ZCG! He is stoked and Enjoying The Ride!

 

 

 

Scott N visited ZCG because he felt the suspension on his 1994 Z32 ‘Vert could be improved.  The Z33 Rays wheels look sharp on this 300! We installed TEIN coil-overs and a few other goodies:

Here are the existing shocks and the new TEIN street coil-overs going in front and rear:

Z1 upper control arms:

 

SPL tension rods so we could fully adjust camber up front:

 

The rack bushings are vey common problem on z32s so we replaced them. In the back: the aftermarket adjustable upper control arms were making noise so we replaced them with OEM parts and performed a full alignment.

Scott is super happy and Enjoying The Ride!

 

 

 

“Love cars. Love people. Love life”
-Mr. K

Here is a memorable throwback that inspires us at ZCG, enjoy!

 

To Rob and team of Z Car Garage,

Thank you for being a big part of reuniting me with my 1971 240Z on my 50th birthday.

I’m not sure whether you know, but this was my very first car, purchased for me by my father when I was 16 years old. Did I have a cool dad or what? He paid $4700 for the car in 1978. Although it was about 7 years old when I got it, it was in great shape and probably the most awesome car I could have had during high school. After a year, the seller experienced seller’s remorse and actually contacted my Dad to buy the car back. Of course, there was no way I was giving that car up, and over the next 20 years, my 240Z was my pride and joy.

Besides being a reliable means of transportation, I have numerous fond memories of this car, most notably proposing to my wife in this car 19 years ago. On that night, we had dinner in SF and afterward, I drove to the Marin headlands. With a romantic view of the City, Golden Gate Bridge and some champagne and strawberries, I proposed to my then girlfriend, who might very well have said yes because the car made me so cool.

 
But, after 20 years, I unfortunately started to notice exhaust fumes seeping into the car, and by this time, it was no longer my primary mode of transportation (more of a weekend car). With the exhaust issue and the fact that I didn’t have room at my new home for three cars, I decided to store the Z at my father’s place. My plan to temporarily store the car until I had time to address the exhaust issue turned into a 12 year separation between me and my 240Z.

  
For my 50th Birthday, my cousin, Trent coordinated with my wife to get my car running again and secretly moved the car from my dad’s place to your garage. Along with many assorted relatives, they planned to surprise me with the restored car during a party we held at my house. Of course, it was a HUGE surprise to walk out my front door and see the Z sitting on my driveway after 12 years in storage! It’s amazing how good it looks, and I especially appreciate how the restoration is not “over-the-top”- as close to stock as I maintained it.

 
Everywhere I drive now, someone comments on how good it looks. Besides looking great, it also runs great. The carburetors are perfectly tuned, the clutch is tight, and the suspension has greatly improved the handling. And it’s not bad for my ego either.

It’s great to have my 240Z back and I can’t help but smile whenever I get in it.

Thank you again to you and your team,
Ken M.

As you can imagine we were very eager to help Ken’s family bring the Datsun back to life and back on the road. ZCG focused on making this car sharp looking with an emphasis on driver enjoyment. Cosmetic upgrades included re-chroming and straightening both f/r bumpers with fresh OEM rubber trim:

   

Requisite 16×7 Panasport wheels shod with Bridgestone Pole-Position Re760(225/50/16) tires are at all four corners:

  

Underhood the engine bay received some serious attention with a full clean/detail, all new coolant bypass hoses and upper/lower radiator hoses:

  

The intake manifold was removed, cleaned and de-smogged. New intake/exhaust manifold gaskets installed along with a new header and full exhaust system. Driveability being a priority Rob and the crew tuned the carbs to perfection: steady idle, crisp throttle response, and smooth power delivery in all gears. I drove the car briefly to take photos and even I fell in love with it 🙂

   

The chassis also got some serious love with a complete front/rear suspension rebuild that included new bushings throughout, 5-way Tockicos, Eibach springs, sway bars, and new steering rack bushings. The interior on this 240 is incredibly clean. We added a Kenwood head unit and an MSA rear speaker box: Nothing flashy in this handsome cabin!

  
Thanks to Ken and his family for letting ZCG be a part of their Z Car passion. This is what we live for!

Please view more pictures of the restoration in the original gallery HERE

 

Mike W has been a Z Car Garage customer for many years and he decided it was time to go forced induction on his 350z with a Vortech supercharger kit. It is very important at ZCG to offer packages that are proven and a customer can count on us to do the homework for them. All they need to to is enjoy the ride…

 

We installed a V3 supercharger kit with JWT S1 cams, Bosch EV14 1000cc injectors, Aeromotive 340 fuel pump, DC Sports headers, ART pipes, and Stillen oil cooler:

 

 

We also added a few ZCG refinements including our cold air intake kit,  silencer bypass (quiets the race gate from Vortech), and a ZCG heat shield to protect fuel lines from header heat.

 

On the dyno we UPREV tuned using a GT MAF and saw gains of 169hp/98tq for a total of 419hp/341tq to the wheels:

 

Even though Mike’s Z is a 2003 it only has 30,000 miles!  While the car was at the shop we performed 30k services including replacement of all fluids, drive belts and going over the entire suspension and brakes. We also performed a fender roll:

   

DEFI gauges were installed in the dash:

  

Mike wanted us to take care of a few things that were bothering him like a failed passenger side window motor. This is common in Z/G35s and we have fixed it many times. Thanks for letting us work on your Daytona Blue Z33 Mike. Volk SF Challenges are sweet.  Enjoy The Boost!

 

 

 

 

Martin B has owned this 1991 300zx Twin Turbo Z for a very long time. With 237,000 miles on the clock he visited Z Car Garage for the first time in 2013. The difference between a general repair shop, an independent repair shop and a Z car expert is a big deal on a Z32 because it is a car that you can get behind on quickly. If you are not well-versed in this chassis you will throw parts at it endlessly, often leading to more repairs.

 

After more than two decades of working with Nissans, the crew at ZCG have got it down. The 90-96 Z32s are some of the raddest Japanese sports cars of the era. We know what to do and what not to do. For Martin’s first visit we corrected the knock sensor and harness, replaced the clutch with a JWT HD unit, turned the existing flywheel, replaced center support bearing, clutch M/C, power steering hoses and corrected rack bushings:

 

 

JWT Clutch and flywheel

 

Heater core repair:

    

We installed a few suspension parts including new adjustable camber arms:

   

SpecialtyZ exhaust and downpipes:

 

The transmission had several leaks needing attention:

 

After 237k miles the driver’s seat had seen better days so we rebuilt it from frame to padding and sent Martin on his way…

  

 

Later that year, after enjoying the car with the ZCG touches he felt that it earned a place in his collection. With 240k miles on clock,  we removed his engine/transmission for a rebuild using a Rebello VG30DETT with JE pistons, Eagle rod and balanced with ACL bearings. Full engine bay harness service as well. Many more pictures of the build in the gallery below!

     

All hoses and parts in the engine bay that are relatively inexpensive were replaced while the engine was out:

  

The drivetrain is installed and buttoned up. A clean Z32TT engine bay is a treat to look at, despite the complexity:

  

On the dyno the freshened engine made 318hp/320tq to the wheels:

 

It has been since 2013 and Martin’s Z now has 255k mile on the clock. We touched up everything and added some Work Emotion wheels (not pictured).

Enjoy The Ride, Martin!

 

Please browse our picture gallery after the jump

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