We had a great day test driving and tuning two Z Car Garage-built S30 sports cars. Here are a few brief details of each build followed by video with dyno runs and road testing. LONG LIVE THE Z!
James’ 1972 Datsun 240Z
James’s 1972 S30 At the heart of this beast is a turbocharged L-series managed by Haltech. Chassis upgrades include custom full-length subframe connectors, CD009a 6-speed transmission, KW Suspension, ZCG CV Axles and Big-Brake Kit (328mm) behind RS-8 wheels restored by Love20bee. Larry Chen featured James’s Z on this episode of Hoonigan Autofocus. Inside, a stack instrument cluster was integrated into the gauge pod, viewed from leather Recaro Pole Position seats:
Recent upgrades to “Medusa” include a new tubular exhaust manifold, intake manifold and down-pipe from from ProtunerZ. We will have more installation photos and dyno results coming soon to zcarblog.com!
Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z
Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. This is a Honda K-series derived cylinder head with superior flow rates and modern valvetrain components effectively transforming your SOHC L-series into a high-revving DOHC engine. This KN20 is serial #SN10 and it has been installed into our long-time client Gary’s Datsun 240Z, affectionately named the “Behemoth”.
Here are few details on the powertrain setup for this Z:
-Rebello 3.1L Engine
-KN20 Cylinder head SN10 (but the performance level goes to 11)
-Induction type: Jenvey ITB EFI with Injector Dynamics injectors
-Engine management: Haltech Elite 750
-Header: Equal-length, custom fabricated by RacecraftNW
We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles on their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. Ray H added a set to his 1971 Skyline that he acquired from our friends at JDM Legends. Ray also visited Z Car Garage for dyno tuning and alignment services which transformed this Hakosuka.
Ray has been a ZCG client for many years. We first saw his Skyline at the 2019 Golden Week Kyusha Festival where I spoke to him about visiting ZCG for some upgrades and tuning.
Fast forward to 2021 and I spotted Ray at the Driving While Awesome gathering. He pleasantly informed me that he was running our ZCG CV Axles (serial # 00356) and we are happy to report that he installed them himself!
“I have been wanting to go with CV’s for a while on my SR 510. I have been following a few suppliers since they first started showing up about 10 years ago. I did notice that people were having problems with them wearing out and also that there were a few redesigns. On my Hako, I desperately needed to a wheel bearing and half shaft u-joint replacement as it was making some awful clunking noises back there. So, when I started seeing your blogs about the CV’s I was immediately interested. Knowing Rob, I knew these had to be good!”
Ray sent us a few installation pictures of the ZCG CV Axles replacing the old CVs and the R180 STI LSD:
“It was just an optimum time to get these when I had my entire rear suspension out for a rebuild and upgrade. The installation was pretty straightforward.” So far all good, I don’t think my modest power has put these to the test but its nice to know something has been well engineered and its one thing I wont have to worry about, not mention they look bitchin!”
For more information on our Z Car Garage CV Axles please read below. Before we share the dyno tuning results, let’s take a look at how Ray found his Skyline…
Datsuns From the Beginning
It is worth noting that Ray is a die-hard Datsun (510) enthusiast with ties to the old Nor-cal 510 club from decades ago. In the groovy group photo above, Ray is in the back row, last 510 on the right! Here it is, his first Datsun 510 circa 1981 (below, left) and same car with flares and a Cartech turbo kit in the FAR Performance parking lot!
Ray shares the story of his Skyline:
“I have always loved the 510, my first car in high school and still own 3 currently. When the internet started to become a regular thing I noticed these awesome looking boxy cars by Nissan sold only over there and I think Europe. I eventually stumbled upon JDM Legends website about 10 years ago and started inquiring about how much they cost and how to get one. Erik at a couple different times offered me a chance to buy one, however timing was just not right for me at the time. Fast forward a few years and Velocity channel (now Motortrend) starts promoting a show with Hakos running around! I instantly got the bug again and thought “these things are going to explode in value, If I don’t get one now I never will”.
Much to my amazement, I got a call within a month. He said “I got a line on a couple in Japan, one sounds exactly what you looking for”. He sent me pictures and I think I agreed to buy it the next day, still remember July 4th, 2018! Took about 3-4 months to get to Long Beach, then immediately to Utah. Once it was in Utah, Erik and Josh went through the whole car so it was a ready to go.”
“I flew out to Utah after he had it for a month to go over additional upgrades. First off, he said this was one of the cleanest, most solid chassis he’d ever brought over! It really goes to show, you get what you pay for. I cant stress enough, pay the money up front, it is so worth it to get a solid car with everything on it! The additional work they performed included, flaring the front and ordering wider Watanabes, modern fuse block conversion, new spoiler upfront, Mauricio did the paint match! I picked up in November of that year and trailered it all the way home.”
Since picking it up from JDM-L, Ray has been driving the Hako frequently. Quick specs:
1971 Nissan 2000 GTX , finished in white as GTR tribute
Engine:
2.8 L series straight six, Late 5 spd transmission, N42 head, Triple Italian Weber 40’s, Headers with Fujitsubo exhast, All original mechanical linkage.
Suspension:
Watanabe 15×9.5 -26 rear 15×8.5 -6 front, Toyo RA1 225/50/15 rear 205/50/15 front, Modified rear crossmember with FotoFab camber/toe brackets (510), QA1 double adj.rear shocks, ZCG CV’s, Subie R180 3.9 LSD, Finned aluminum rear drums, New Nissan bushings, bearings, driveshaft U-joints, brake cylinders, T3 280ZX front strut with coilover and aluminum hubs and Koni yellow adj. struts.
Exterior:
Protec over flares and front spoiler
GTR front grill and badging
Complete chrome trim and new weather strip
Interior:
Power windows, GTR shift knob and emblem, Stock Seats, Nardi steering wheel, Coco mats, Stock radio. All functioning and complete switches and dash.
Ray also has several 510s including a ’72 510 2dr (S15 SR20DET) “SaRafina”, ‘72 510 4dr “Mossy” and ‘69 510 2dr “project Scotty”. Follow Ray and his Datsun adventures on Instagram.
Dyno Tuning
Ray was experiencing some driveability issues and considered changing his triple-Weber induction to triple-Mikuni to resolve it. We suggested bringing it in for Rob to diagnose, tune and also provide alignment services. Before hitting the dyno, Rob and Josh identified the major culprit-the throttle linkage was not allowing wide-open operation.
The throttle-linkage was fixed and Rob was able to dyno tune the L28 with the triple-Webers for best AFR/timing. The results were astounding: baseline was 53hp/83tq and after tuning 162hp/169tq to the wheels!
It’s not unusual to pick up 10-15whp with Rob’s dyno tuning of your vintage car, but Ray gained a whopping 109hp/86tq. After driving the Hako after ZCG tuning/alignment he was ecstatic:
“My experience at ZCG and the dyno – Freakin awesome! Way exceeded my expectations! I’ve already had many people ask me “can he get me in there, I need that”. It’s actually kind of a bummer, that he is so booked up, I’m sure there are many people that would love to get there car in there and unlock some potential! My Hako is so much more driveable now, tracks straight with the alignment and the power gain, amazing! Like I told you, my Solex 44’s are ready, but I just want to enjoy this now for a while.”
Enjoy this video we made of the Skyline in action: dyno passes, in-car testing with Rob and Ray’s first drive/reactions. Volume up!
Evening shots with Ray in amazement after his test drive…
Alignment Services
Z Car Garage offers full alignment services for your late model and vintage car. Ray’s Hako was fully-aligned by our lead technician Josh who has many hours of street and race car setup experience. Caster was optimized here for better steering/stability.
Enjoying The Ride
We were super stoked to see Ray so happy with the Hako and he continues to drive and enjoy it.
“As I get up here in age, it is very important that my collector cars run! I’m no longer interested in endless project cars. Now I just want to get out there and drive! This leads into my praise for JDM Legends, like ZCG they just get it. Erik Bizek, like Rob, has a crazy passion for these vintage cars which I love.”
Thank you for your support Ray, and for letting us be a part of your Hakosuka. We look forward to working with you again and seeing you on the road!
We have many more photos in the gallery and please read below for more information on our ZCG CV Axles:
ZCG CV Axles
Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 200+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
For years we have used aftermarket CV axles that utilize an aluminum adapter prone to loosening up over time. Despite efforts to keep things tight (Loctite, hardware changes) we had to keep an eye on them. We developed a better solution that eliminates the need for aluminum adapters and remains 100% bolt-in like a factory half-shaft.
Designed and manufactured locally with KAD Models, the ZCG CV axle kit works in both R180 and R200 configurations.
These are the beefiest CV axles on the market. They have been tested on the track by our vintage racing customers and also in high hp* street cars (powershifting, clutch dumps, etc.). Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind:
The CV axle kit is available now from ZCG for 1595.00 + freight and they come with everything you need to install on your car. Contact us at 408-452-0350 or send Rob an e-mail rob@zcargarage.com to purchase. Installation is just like doing a half-shaft: there is even a marking that shows you where to line up bolts and special hardware:
The ZCG CV Axles in action
The video below demonstrates the “looseness” associated with aftermarket CV axles that use adapters compared to the ZCG axles without adapters. Several customer race/street cars running our CV axles are also shown. Enjoy!
Enjoy this video made by our client Hazel. She installed our ZCG CV Axles on her Hazel’s 1970 Datsun 240Z
Over 150 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world:
Z cars may remain with their loving owners for years, change ownership or even get spotlighted in the media at some point. Our “where are they now” series features past Z Car Garage vehicles with updates on their status. In this second installment we catch up with Greg’s 1977 Datsun 280Z, now residing in Seattle, WA.
Z Car Garage Restoration
We met the previous owner, Greg H a few years ago at a Blackhawk Museum gathering where famed Peter Brock (BRE) was speaking. Greg told us that he found a clean, low-mileage 280z and he was really interested in ZCG going through it. After he visited the shop we discussed our previous 280z builds (Cece, Gary and the Roth’s) and got to work building a Z for Greg that would reflect his tastes while keeping the vintage vibe. This 1977 280z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay restoration, total suspension rebuild and more.
You can read all about our work on this Z here HERE. A few highlights include our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes developed with Stoptech:
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.
Greg received ZCG CV Axle set #264, standard half-shafts shown on left:
The Z received a new L31 engine with fresh 280Z 5-speed transmission. The entire engine bay was detailed with new hoses/clamps, plating and wiring:
Full front and rear suspension rebuild:
Panasport wheels:
The interior received a full ZCG-style treatment with our custom high-end sound deadening and carpet. ZCG door seals and sound deadening were applied as well new hatch seals. We modified the floor to accommodate Recaro LXF Specialist seats (in leather) to suit Greg’s height while maintaining full seat travel/movement:
Where is it now?
In August 2020, Greg H listed the Z on Bring a Trailer, you can see the auctionHERE. The auction winner and new owner Greg J reached out to us and we’ve been in touch ever since. He even sent us this nice write-up below of his journey picking up the Z in Fresno, CA and driving back up to his home in Seattle, WA. Enjoy!
You can’t go back, or can you?
By Greg James
There’s an old saying about never being able to go back. In a sense, it’s true. Anyone approaching-or at- senior citizen status knows what I mean. However, with our cars, we can re-live some of our youth even If it means doing so with a bit more weight, less hair, and a more measured approach to what and how we drive. In other words a car can be a great way to go back in time. In the early 1980’s, while in college, I earned my degree from the school of auto hard knocks before getting things more or less sorted out. Impulsive car buying decisions and – admittedly – my poor maintenance of those same cars resulted in a series of duds that ended up junked or unloaded quickly. That list included a Datsun 610, Sunbeam Alpine, Saab 99, and a Datsun 1600 Roadster. Eventually after trial and error and a couple of seized motors, I found my “road mate”: A lightly used Orange/Black 1973 Datsun 240Z. Unlike my previous cars, the Datsun was quick, reliable (By then I’d learned to change the oil), and sleek. Did I mention reliable? I drove it for over 50K miles, and it never let me down. After 3 years of ownership I sold the 240Z and moved on to a 1976 Porsche 911S. I quickly embraced the Porsche marque and over the next several decades, bought, sold, and “drove the wheels off” a dozen 911 cars starting with the original S and up to my current pair of Neunelfers, a 1996 993 Twin Turbo, and a 1985 3.2 Carrera. During Porsche ownership I rarely looked back at – or thought about – any of my former cars, with one big exception, the Datsun 240Z. When I occasionally saw one on the road, I remembered the ‘73 and the numerous road trips I took with my girlfriend to places like Sun Valley Idaho or San Francisco. By today’s standards, the originals Z’s are primitive and underpowered. 40 years ago they were a sexy Japanese import with curb appeal, and performance to match.
At the height of the 2020 summer Covid shutdown, my attention turned to the Internet and many of the popular on-line auctions sites. Datsun 240Z’s had become a staple on Bring A Trailer, and auctions often featured nut and bolt restorations or original low mile “time capsules”. Six figure sales of a Japanese car that originally sold for around $3500 occurred weekly. Eventually boredom, fond memories, and my own curiosity got the better of me and I decided to add a “Z” to my small car collection. That decision then prompted me to soul search as I contemplated buying a 1970’s era Datsun: Would it be a rotisserie restored early series low mile 240Z that could $100k or more? Perhaps a DIY restored high quality “driver” for $30-50k? Or a 280Z with fuel injection, a more robust build and the optional 5-speed transmission?
In the end, after a fair amount of research, chats with local Z owners, and several test drives I settled on the 280Z. I concluded I wanted a car I’d drive, and fuel injection made sense because of lower maintenance costs, and less finicky old school technology. Eventually the ideal candidate came up on BaT. Located in Fresno California, It was a professionally restored 1977 280Z in light metallic blue, with a 5-speed, fuel injection, upgraded suspension brakes and wheels, a new interior, and an impressive stack of receipts from Z Car Garage of San Jose CA. As a bonus, the car had a stroked 3.1 motor built by Hasselgren Engineering of Berkley CA. Dyno’d at 170 RWHP, the straight 6 was producing close to 50 horsepower more than stock and promised performance that would enable it to at least keep up with a modern SUV. I bought the car.
Originally intending to have the car shipped 1000 miles from Fresno to Seattle, I thought back to some of the early road trips I made in my 20’s and convinced my 12 yr. old son Andrew that in the middle of the Covid “summer of boredom” we’d have a great time touring Northern California, and the coasts of Oregon and Washington in the new acquisition. The route we decided on would be nearly 1200 miles, and after explaining what a “Datsun” was to Andrew, and some negotiation, we agreed on two things: We’d drive scenic coastal Hwy 101 from Eureka north, and lunches would be at In-N-Out Burger.
We flew to Fresno on a Saturday and met the owner at the airport. After a short test drive in which the Datsun performed well, and some chit chat about cars, the weather, traffic, money, and why a beat up Porsche 914 is cooler than a modern Mazda Miata, we were off. We left at 3 in the afternoon on a typical 105 degree Fresno summer day. The owner promised everything in the car worked, and true to his word, the A/C blew cold, which was a big relief. On the freeway, the 3.1 straight six performed well. With noticeably more grunt than a stock 2.8 the car accelerated in a predictable linear manner. No hesitation, no carb flat spot, just smooth running. In fact, I judged its acceleration to be similar to my 207 HP US spec 1985 3.2 Carrera. The 5 speed was tight, the steering crisp, and the overall feel told me we’d have some spirited driving ahead of us.
Day 1 took us from Fresno, 300 miles north to Redding CA on I-5, which was uneventful freeway driving. Day 2 was more exciting as we departed Redding early and made our way to CA Hwy 299, a well maintained mostly 2 lane mountain road that snakes 150 miles west through the Coastal range while following the Trinity River to the Pacific Ocean. I’m lucky enough to have driven some spectacular western US “driver” roads in my 60 years, and 299 would rank near the very top for curves, hairpins, fast straights, scenery, and a respectable number of passing lanes. We made it to Eureka and the coast in under 3 hours, and just in time for lunch at In-N-Out Burger, California’s famously good fast food chain. From there we drove north on 101 with a stop at Redwoods National Park and a stroll through The Lady Bird Johnson Grove of Giants. While I’ve always appreciated the amazing machines we humans have managed to build with our big brains and ingenuity, nothing human-made can match the awe you feel standing next to a 2000 year old, 300 foot tall truly enormous tree. From the Redwoods, we proceeded north on 101 along the Southern Oregon coast. Traffic was light, and Oregon State Troopers were few and far between. Andrew and I reveled in the scenery: rugged beaches, breaking waves, jagged near-shore islands, steep cliffs. 101 is a drivers dream! We stopped for the night in the beach town of Florence Oregon, famous for its miles of sand dunes and Honeyman State Park. The next day, after a fisherman’s breakfast and some strong coffee, the plan was to continue north on 101. However, fires closed the road ten miles north of Florence and we were forced to sidetrack east to Eugene Oregon and I-5 for the rest of the trip to Seattle. The last days 300 miles went smoothly, and the Datsun 280Z handled high freeway speeds with minimal effort. At 3000 RPM in 5th, the big 3.1 had us cruising along effortlessly at 80MPH. All in all, a great trip with a great kid in a wonderful car. Ah, the memories…
Enjoying The Ride
In March of 2021, Greg contacted us with a nice update on the Z…he had early bumpers installed and it looks great:
Thanks for sharing your story and passion with us Greg. We are stoked that you got to Enjoy The Ride in the Z with family on an epic roadtrip. Here’s to many more memorieZ. Stay tuned for our next “Where are they now” feature, and if you missed our first installment find it HERE. Long Live The Z!
Matt M called Z Car Garage for an inspection after he purchased this 1972 Datsun 240Z from Denver, Colorado. Once at the shop, we found that it needed some work for Matt to really Enjoy The Ride. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a full suspension refresh and engine tuning make it just right.
Z Destiny
Before we explore the upgrades, let’s take a look at how Matt found his Z car…
“My love affair with the 240Z began in 1972. A school friend of mine said, “Do you want to come with me to Laguna Seca to watch the CanAm and Formula 5000 races this weekend?”. I was all in and early that Saturday I pedaled my bike over to “Roger’s” house (a friend of his older brother) who offered to give us a ride. Unbeknownst to me, Roger had a gorgeous dark blue 240Z. Since there were three of us and I was the tag-along, that meant I rode in the back. Luckily, at that point in life my 6’2” frame was struggling to get over the five foot mark.”
“I can’t claim that it was the most comfortable ride, but it was definitely the funnest ride I’d had in a car. On a lonely stretch of highway 68 out of Salinas we pushed Roger to go 100 mph. He obliged his two early teenage passengers only briefly before slowing down for fear of a ticket. I was hooked though for life. What set the hook even deeper was getting to watch John Morton and the BRE race team tear up the field in their Datsuns that day.”
“Fast forward four decades that spanned a long career in the Marine Corps, some government work, getting three kids through college…I found myself regularly searching the classic car sites for a 240Z. I saw a ‘72 for sale in Denver. It had two previous owners besides the car shop that was selling it and looked to be in good shape. It was July of 2020 so we were in full pandemic mode. It didn’t matter, I was in Denver the next night to see the car. The next morning I drove the car and bought it. The brakes were horrible, the clutch was worse, it needed tires, but the engine ran well.“
Matt driving home West from Denver. Winnemucca, NV
“When I got home I sent a note to a guy I worked with that was building out a 510. He told me about Z-Car Garage so I did a little research before calling Rob at the shop. After reviewing detailed pictures of the car, Rob said he’d work on it. That was a critical turning point for this 240Z. Rob doesn’t typically sugar coat his words, which I love. After going through the whole car he said, “It’s a nice paint job, but the car needs a lot of work before I would consider it even safe to drive.”
After a few conversations we settled on a plan to make Matt’s Z amaZing. Let’s start with the engine bay…
Drivetrain
In February 2021 Matt came in for an inspection and we found a few items that needed attention immediately. We performed a compression/leakdown test to make sure the engine was healthy. A list of items that were addressed/replaced: all new cooling hoses, sparks plugs, new plug wire set, fuel filter, valve cover gasket, valve adjustment, 280ZX alternator/starter, clutch hydraulic service, ceramic-coated MSA 6 to 1 header to our ZCG exhaust system and Z therapy carbs.
More pictures in the gallery! Pertronix igntion with Blaster2 coil and our favorite JWT aluminum flywheel with HD clutch:
Dyno Tuning
With fresh Z Therapy carbs and MSD Blaster 2 coil with Pertronix ignition Rob set the AFR/timing for best performance and drivability. Rob dyno tuned the L24 making 101hp/119tq baseline and now 132hp/139tq at the wheels:
Enjoy the dyno video below:
S30 World Fuel Tank
We found sediment in the fuel tank and decided to start fresh with a new S30 World reproduction unit. This a great product we are really happy with coming from owners Gustav Oplasnik and Chris Visscher, Z enthusiasts/restorers:
Chassis and Suspension Upgrades
With Matt’s Z at the shop we proceeded with upgrades to make it a fantastic, reliable driver. For our clients that are cruising with occasional “spirited” driving we installed our “Stage 1/light street” suspension. New parts from Techno Toy Tuning included adjustable T/C rods and rear lower control arms. We really appreciate Gabriel and his staff at T3. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.
A full front suspension rebuild included new rack bushings, front control arm bushings, ball-joints, tie-rods, new wheel bearings front and rear (OEM genuine Nissan seals/parts), KYB strut inserts, Eibach lowering springs trimmed Macpherson bumps stops for full travel and a ST sway bar set. Powder-coated suspension pieces and plated hardware throughout:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
Brakes: every vintage Z car that we build here gets the ultimate setup: our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for small wheels. Everyone that drives our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car is sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our customers 🙂 Read below for a brief description of these parts:
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! 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 Matt’s brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit with a new brake master cylinder from Nissan, brake booster and parking brake assembly.
New brake master cylinder from Nissan and stock vs Big-Brakes. New brake booster and vacuum hose set from MSA:
At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!
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 90 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Matt’s stock half shafts (L) and ZCG CV axles installed:
Matt is throughly impressed and happy with all of the chassis and engine upgrades:
“The Z-Car components, especially the big brakes and CV axles, perform flawlessly. Most importantly to me, every ride I take brings me back to my youth and the fun I had dreaming about owning one!”
Panasport Wheels
Complementing the new springs and shocks on Matt’s Z are Panasport Wheels with 225/50/16 Toyo R1R tires. The Z was fully aligned afterwards:
Recaro Seats
We replaced the stock seats with our favorite vintage style seat, the Recaro Specialist in leather:
Matt recalls his love for Recaro:
“I love the seats. I remember seeing Recaro ads when I was a kid. I used to subscribe to Motor Trend and Sports Illustrated. I’d see cars in Motor Trend with Recaros. There was a running competition between the Motor Trend that spotlighted the Brock Buster 510, and the swimsuit issue with Cheryl Tiegs.”
One of our favorite upgrades to the interior of an S30 is our ZCG sound deadening package. Usually found in our full-blown ZCG restorations, the result is a less tinny sound and almost Germanic-like “clunk” when you shut the doors.
Enjoying the Ride
We loved seeing Matt at the car corral during the Velocity Invitational at Laguna Seca. He’s super pumped about his Z and we are too:
” I see people pulling out their phones to take a picture when I am stopped at traffic lights. When I parked it recently in the car corral at the Laguna Seca’s vintage races, it got more visits than any of the Mclarens, Vettes, Porches or Lamborghinis.”
Welcome to the Z car family!
“The pandemic and supply chain mess definitely extended the timeline, but it was well worth the wait! I smile every time I drive it now. The Z-car brakes are fantastic, Rob installed a tuned exhaust, built out the suspension system, drivetrain and put in a new clutch. He cleaned or fixed more things than I can list. I got an early reveal (which Rob wanted to avoid) because they needed to make sure I fit into the new Recaro seats. The early reveal just made me more anxious to drive it. When I drove it for the first time about a week later, it was everything I had hoped for.”
Thank you for your patience and support, we loved working with you Matt! Happy that you are a Z car owner, welcome to the family and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Supermachine purchased and installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), complete with parking brake. They added a custom touch to the Stoptech calipers too:
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:
ZCG CV Axles
Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 150+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Supermachine installed a set of our ZCG CV Axles, including a photo of the factory half shafts for comparison:
Over 150 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world. For more information please visit our detailed post our HERE. Below are just a few examples of race cars running out CV Axles:
Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our ZCG CV Axles in this IMSA GTU 260z race car!
Racer Brad H is running ZCG CV Axles in his IMSA GTU race car:
Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running ZCG axles in several of his cars:
Set #246 – installed May 2018 on the “Harry Stewart #52” Datsun 510:
Set #247 – installed April 2018 on the 260z
Set #248 – installed on Adam Carolla’s “Greg Sorrentino #90” Datsun 510.
Thank you for your support Supermachine! We are proud to be a part of your build with solid parts choices like the Jenvey ITB EFI-fed L28 with Kameari header, Haltech ECU, Sachs coil-overs and Techno Toy Tuning suspension.
Can’t wait for the finished product. You can see more of this build on Instagram. Long Live The Z!
