At Z Car Garage we love getting Z’s back on the road. Garett is a Bay Area local and visited us for mechanical sorting on his 1972 Datsun 240Z. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles combined with a suspension rebuild improved the chassis. Power comes from a Rebello 3L with our Z Car Garage Heat Shield and in-house dyno tuning to make it sing.
“I first learned about Z Car Garage just searching on the internet to see who works on Z cars exclusively in the Bay Area. Then I started watching videos of Larry Chen and all the amazing work that Z Car Garage provides and I knew I wanted to go with them for their expertise on my 1972 240z, which I couldn’t just trust any mechanic to work on this beautiful car.”
Before we describe the mechanical work, let’s hear how Garett got in to his Z car…
History
Garett’s love for the Z starts at a young age. His Dad purchased this S30 brand new in June of 1972:
“Ever since I laid eyes on that car I wanted it and eventually when I turned 20 years old I bought it off of him and after driving for a while it blew a head gasket. I learned about Rebello racing, located in Pacheco at the time and I put in a fully ported and polished 3 liter with triple-Mikuni carbs. The amazing Mike Yoes lived one town over from me in Crockett, and installed my engine right out of his garage.”
“After a while my Z sat in the side of my parents house for a while due to lack of money to fix other parts. After 6 years I’m slowly reviving her and now she’s back better than ever with a lot of love put in. My goal with the Z was to basically restore it back to original look and functionality with the mechanical upgrades to really enjoy the car to the fullest.”
Drivetrain
Garett’s Z sports a Rebello 3L engine with 280ZX 5-speed from many years ago. We installed what every triple-carbed L-series needs: a ZCG Heat Shield! Garett has #HS00257.
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine with jetting, A/F and performance in mind. Baseline was 215hp/202tq and it left with 229hp/209tq to the wheels:
Enjoy the L-series music in this video of Garett’s Z on the dyno…volume up!
Driveline Upgrades
Helping put the power down efficiently is an OS Giken LSD paired with our Z Car Garage CV Axles. The R180 houses a 4.11 R&P and the assembly is setup in-house (by Joshua Corwin). More photos in the gallery below:
Z Car Garage CV Axles
Garett initially contacted us to have Z Car Garage products installed on his 240Z. Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. We have over 200 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
We replaced his existing CV Axles (left) with ZCG units (Right). Garett received set #00426. Also visible are the T3 lower control arms:
ZCG Big-Brakes
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Garett’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the 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 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.
At the rear, factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! Not only do they perform, they look great behind the 16×7 Panasport wheels!
Suspension
The front suspension was overhauled with new adj. T/C rods from Techno Toy Tuning, new control arm bushings in OEM control arms, rack bushings, ball joints, outer tie rods, steering rack boots and more.
Old, torn rack boots vs new units and new T/C rods:
The rear suspension received new T3 lower control arms and rear wheel bearings.
Details
Small items that make a difference: we corrected his brake booster issues, fixed the emergency-brake lever that popped out of its housing and corrected his speedometer:
While were in the engine bay we also upgraded to a 280ZX alternator with Motorsport bypass and corrected throttle linkage issues to make the gas pedal feel awesome:
Panasport Wheels
We installed 16×7 Panasport wheels in our offset allowing 225/50/16 tires (Bridgestone RE-71R). The Z was fully aligned afterwards.
Driving is Believing
Garett was happy with the mechanical upgrades and ZCG parts:
“I got the work done over last December. Z Car Garage works so fast and everything was done and ready in about 4 days. I know there were supply chain issues but after 2 plus years of waiting it was worth the wait. I could really feel the difference when driving in hard turns and how the other wheel grips and really pushes my car through the turns compared to the original open diff. The low drone sound went away as well. The Z Car Garage Big Brake kit works well. I put them to the rest and they do their job. I love the drive and acceleration.”
We enjoyed working with Garett and loved that he’s owned this Z for a long time. He’s also into music, playing in bands in the Bay Area. What’s next for his Z car?
“Future plans include new or aftermarket seats which are comfortable on long rides with no lower back pain, while keeping me planted in my seat and maintaining a time period classic look. New gauges and a dash restoration down the line would be nice as well, but all in due time.”
We’re here to help you when ready, Garett. Long Live The Z! …[read more]
Happy New Year from Z Car Garage! We are excited for 2023 and have many projects to share with you. Enjoy these photos from the shop today, Friday 6 with full reports coming to zcarblog.
Rick’s BRE 240Z tribute track car
Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car just received our first set of Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension from our latest batch. Clients that have already placed an order: kits will ship soon pending an instruction manual first. We also finalized the CD009 6-speed transmission swap on Rick’s Z that also features our (Race) Z Car Garage Big-Brakes.
Cameron’s Z32
Cameron’s Z32 is here for maintenance work and downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to have him back.
Nissan/Infiniti
We continue to maintain and upgrade late-model Nissan/Infiniti sports cars. Sean’s 370Z is in for an engine replacement and Mark’s 350Z got an alignment and UPREV dyno tune today.
Outside in the parking lot we’ve got more S30 goodness. Mike’s yellow V8-powered Datsun 280Z sports a real G-nose and Tremec 5-speed. We just removed the transmission and replaced the clutch to prepare this Z for its new owner. Beau’s orange Datsun is 280Z coming together. Fresh from paint featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, T3 suspension and more. This 280 has many 240Z parts retrofitted and it will be cool hot rod.
Ken’s green Series 1 Datsun 240Z (#1762) is getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, KA24 5-speed transmission and Fujitsubo exhaust. The L28 now has Jenvey ITB EFI managed by a Haltech 750. With a cam, dyno tuning and exhaust Rob gained 40hp! Shown on the lift next to Beau’s Z is Eric’s Infiniti FX35 sporting upgraded suspension and R35 GT-R wheels in today for routine maintenance.
Vincent S’ 1973 Datsun 240Z has a long history with Z Car Garage having received upgrades like our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, full suspension refresh and dyno tuning.
The Z came back to us in March of 2022 for more power, drivetrain and interior improvements. Before we explore these upgrades, let’s take a look at how Vincent found the Z car of his dreams…
Z Destiny
Vincent: “I’m from Le Mans, France and attended the 24 hours race, or Le Mans Classic numerous times. In 2016, I was on the Le Mans racetrack with the car I had then (a Lotus Elise 220), and one of my very best friends, Fabrice. That day, we saw a gorgeous blue, track prepared 240Z that we loved. I took several pics and videos of it.”
A few months later, Vincent saw our friend Dave Scholz’ video on Petrolicious and found his Z highly inspirational. In Summer 2019, Vincent’s job offered him the opportunity to move to San Diego for a few years and he decided this is where he would search for his own Z car, and eventually send it back to France. It truly is a small world, and our client Brian P had listed his ’73 S30 on Bring a Trailer in September of 2000. Vincent saw the Z, bid and won the auction!
Vincent: “I bought my Z on BaT, from Brian P, who had Z Car Garage restore it. He loved his car and had to sell it, but the modifications he wanted to do included a Rebello stroker with Mikunis, etc…Living in the US for only 3 years, I decided to continue the story with Rob, and the Z is now what I wanted and what Brian wanted (I’m still in touch with him). Knowing that I was going to relocate to FR, I also became a member of the Datsun Club of France. ZCG was highly recommended by the group, and is a worldwide reference for Zs! The posts on zcarblog.com with all the pics, etc….are also great to see how the work is done.”
Back for the Z Car Garage Touch
While previous owner Brian P was a little bummed about selling the car, he was stoked that Vince shared his vision and dream to take it the rest of the way. We spoke with Vince and discussed all the upgrades he wanted to do, knowing it had to be completed before his expatriation June 30, 2022. The Z arrived at Z Car Garage from SoCal on March 1, and it was so good to see it again:
Drivetrain
When Brian was coming to ZCG it was during the “Butters” phenomenon: our clients wanted a similar setup for their own S30s. Our 1971 shop demo Z Mrs. Butters proudly features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission, full KW suspension (releasing soon) and 3.2L engine with triple-Mikuni induction. While Vince’s Z had the upgraded brakes, CV axles and suspension, the drivetrain was not touched.
We began drivetrain upgrades by replacing the stock L24 with twin-SUs/4-speed transmission with a Rebello 3L, triple-Mikuni induction and KA24 5-speed transmission. ZCG supplied the ph44 Mikuni carbs (jetted) with velocity stacks, ZCG mesh filters, Harada intake manifold, ZCG fuel rail and all of the things we do on the intake/exhaust side of the engine. Spark is provided by an MSD6AL ignition box. We also installed what every triple-carbed L-series needs: a ZCG Heat Shield!
A Moroso competition baffled oil pan prevents oil starvation with high cornering loads:
The Fujitsubo exhaust system from exhaust header to muffler was installed. These newer units have better fitment.
With the engine out we had our man William repaint the engine bay. ZCG engine bay services followed with freshly plated and plumbed hydraulic lines, hoses and general clean-up:
The engine bay turned out great and Vince wanted a red, powdercoated wrinkle valve cover. More photos of the engine bay details in the gallery below!
Driveline Upgrades
With the 3L engine in we focused on the transmission and rear axle. To handle the power from the 3L engine we replaced the stock 4-speed with a Nissan KA24 (FS5W71C) transmission. This was a common swap (before the CD009a came to market) performed by modifying a 280Z L-series bell housing. When we upgraded the transmission we also installed a JWT HD clutch with aluminum flywheel:
Helping put the power down efficiently is an OS Giken LSD. The R180 houses a 4.11 R&P and the assembly is setup in-house (by Joshua Corwin):
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 200 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Stock half shafts (L) and Vincent’s ZCG units, set #00295. Also visible are the T3 control arms:
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine making a stout 239hp/211tq to the wheels:
Enjoy the L-series music in this extended video of Vincent’s Z including dyno runs, test drive with Rob and drive-bys:
ZCG Big-Brakes
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Vincent’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds.
We removed the stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. We also installed a full coil-over (Koni) suspension from Techno Toy Tuning. 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.
ZCG Big-brakes and T3 coil-overs replacing stock setup:
At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. New OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!
Panasport Wheels
Complementing the new coilover suspension on Vincent’s Z are 16×7 Panasports and Hankook R-S3 tires in 225/50/16. We wanted the look and feel of Mrs. Butters Z so we obsessed over ride height until we got it exactly where he wanted it. The Z looks fabulous from any angle:
Recaro Seats
The stock seats were replaced with Euro-spec RECARO Pole Position in leather:
Driving is Believing
Vincent visited Z Car Garage for the first time when he picked up his Z on 6/22. Here is Rob showing Vincent the engine bay and going on a test drive:
Vincent: “Rob and team ended up working 24/7 in the last few days so that this could happen. I picked it up on the 22 of June, early morning, when I believe I also met Alvin. It was amazing to meet you, Rob, and ZCG ! I then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, to drop the auto in LA, where the logistics/freight company is. They finally put it on a boat 3 months later (and I now live in FR).”
Vincent was impressed with the upgrades from Z Car Garage:
Vincent:“What’s it like to drive??! Brian already had the brakes and axles done, so all good there. With the engine, gearbox, clutch, exhaust done + Recaros, it’s a complete different car to drive. Much more lively, direct, raw…the Recaros filter less than the original seats, but are now on par with the global performance and grip of the Z. I feel much more connected to the road.”
We are happy to report that the Z is now in France! Vincent picked it up in Le Havre (north of FR) and drove it all the way to Lyon (South east, where he resides). The engine started right away, and trip was a pleasure. He sent us some great photos (above):
Vincent:“Hey Alvin, I believe only 750 240Zs were ever sold in France back in the day…so you can imagine the looks I got! Some people thought it was a Ferrari 275 or a Type E…So grateful to Rob and the awesome job he’s done on the auto, and Brian, to whom I bought it, can be reassured…The Z’s being taken care of!”
Since owning the Z Vincent found out that the Blue Z he saw in Le Mans belongs to another member of the Datsun club of France, David Donne. Vincent also has been in touch with Dave Scholz, via Instagram who has been super friendly and helpful.
We enjoyed working with Vincent:
Rob: “All in all Brian would be super proud. Car was scheduled to be put on a container to go back to France and we made it with 1 day to spare. Huge thanks to Brian and Vincent. Super excited about this car and my only regret is that he doesn’t live local so we could enjoy it together.”
Thank you for entrusting us with your S30 Vincent and LONG LIVE THE Z!
