When we featured Kotaro’s 240z  in December ZCG had transformed the car with a monstrous 268whp 3.2L stroker motor. Within one week of picking up the Z from us Kotaro came back, realizing the car needed several things to handle the newfound power. We love to help customers achieve balanced performance. Having a classic sports car that can accelerate, brake and handle as well(or better) than modern cars is what we set out to do for Kotaro.

 

To address braking issues that come with a high power engine we developed the ZCG Big-Brake Kit. This track-tested setup provides the ultimate in fade resistance and pedal feel. Kotaro’s Z now has 13″ rotors, 4-piston calipers(finished in red), stainless lines and a new master cylinder to ensure correct proportioning:

 

In addition to almost infinite reserves of braking capacity even with street pads, the ZCG Big-Brake setup looks as good as it functions:

 

With higher acceleration and braking forces the stock seats just weren’t up to the task of holding Kotaro in place so we installed the quintessential sport seat: RECARO LXF. Now he can focus on driving!

  

With 300hp on tap it was prudent to upgrade the transmission to cope with that extra power. One of ZCG’s special touches is the marrying of modern and old-school technologies. We backed Kotaro’s L-series motor with a 5-speed transmission from a late model Nissan 240sx. This is the same setup we installed on Rick and Gary’s 280z cars and offers smoother shifting, 5-speeds, and late model service/reliability. A Z32 shift knob finishes off the new transmission install:

 

Kotaro’s S30 is now a three-dimensional sports car with acceleration, braking and handling that would put some current sportscars to shame. Let ZCG help you acheive this with your vintage Z Car!

More pictures below! …[read more]

 

Before we discuss this nasty little box-flared Datsun we must take a trip down memory lane…in their youth Rob and his good friend Tony both had Datsun 510s and enjoyed modifying and autocrossing them. Here are some pics of the box flare car before Tony transformed it:

 

Rob and Tony on the auto-x in Georgia. Yes, GO GA 510 used to be white and ran a turbo L-series!

 

Fast forward to 2011, Rob acquired the box flared Datsun from Tony with plans to get it running again one day and track-worthy. The car sat for a several years until Tony decided to visit us just a few weeks ago. Rob thought it would be a nice surprise to get the car running so Tony could drive it again and re-live his youth! Working late nights and on the weekend not only did the Datsun become road worthy, it got a new drivertain in the form of a Turbo L-series!

 

A few words about the car…Tony did all the work himself to create this car. It has a full roll cage tied into the front strut towers, 280zx brakes/front suspension, stock rear drums, ZX transmission with welded diff, Z31 hood scoop, fiberglass hood/trunk, plexiglass windows, and a completely gutted interior with custom gauge panels.

 

The Petty Blue paint was badly faded and surface rusted, especially around windows. We cleaned these areas up and simply rattle canned color-matched paint

 

Tony ran some 15×7 ARE wheels but Rob knew he could fill out those massive fenders with a more substantial wheel/tire setup. He found some old school Riken meshies in 16×7 and wrapped them in 225/50/16 Hankook RS-3s which now tuck nicely in the box flares.  We think it looks perfect. Don’t mind the negative 4 degrees of rear camber…penultimate member on the way!

The heart transplant only the box flared 510 could deserve:  Draw-Thru turbo L-series! This drivetrain  started out in Rob’s 510, made its way to Forbes’ and now resides in the box flare car:

 

More close-ups of turbo setup/downpipe in gallery! Note before/after engine bay shots. It was pretty gnarly before:

When Tony arrived from Georgia he was amazed to see his old 510. Then he drove it and the smile on his face was priceless.  We made him wash it before taking it out on the fun run 🙂

 

I was lucky to take the box flare for a spin. Driving this beast is a sensory overload. There is no passenger seat, window crank handles, sound deadening or any interior panels whatsoever. The welded diff and on/off clutch make low-speed sharp turns interesting(lsd on the way). But I forget all of this the moment I roll into the throttle and hear that semi-truck like hiss and whirl from the turbo…it is so addictive! I tried to capture this sound on video. Crank up the volume, enjoy, and please forgive the crooked quick-release steering wheel as I was very anxious to get in and drive!

 

 

Thank you Tony for keeping your Datsun in the family and we hope you enjoyed your visit to ZCG. The Box Flared 510 lives!

…[read more]

Congratulations to Patrick Chio for his 2nd place finish in the Unlimited RWD class at the 2013 Redline Time Attack race. Besides running his awesome CityTech track day group, Patrick is a heroic Nissan 350z driver on the track:

Here he is running his personal best and Time Attack winning lap time of 1:58.517 at Buttonwillow:

He was also selected to run in the SuperSession with top drivers from each class:

He brought his Porsche orange Z to us early last year for an UPREV tune. To be more competitive he came back to ZCG last month for more engine tuning and track-spec alignment in preparation for the Redline Time Attack racing series.

We installed a new and improved Kinetix SSV intake plenum and replaced his failing MAF/intake with a JWT POP charger and stock MAF intake pipe. Rob re-tuned the engine and the Z was corner-weighted and aligned. Icing on the cake was a Z Car Garage windshield banner 🙂 Great work Patrick! You are a beast behind the wheel and ZCG looks forward to working with you and getting that 1st place trophy!

Historic Japanese Car Gathering is hosting their 2nd vintage meet on April 20, 2013 in San Leandro, CA. They were the masterminds behind the fabulously successful Bayline show last year:

To find out more details about the April show go to the HJCG website or Facebook and read their message below:

Hello everyone HJCG will be hosting a Car Show for Oldschool Japanese vehicles. This will be our version of meals, wheels and Car Show. We have also contacted some local food vendors to come out so this event should be a good one!

Registration will be $10 per car open to all Classic Japanese Cars. This event will also have a swap meet section and it will cost $15 if you would like a spot. For swap meet information and signup email hjcg_jamesv@historicj.com

This Show will be held on April 20, 2013 at the San Leandro Marina, 40 Mulford Point Drive, San Leandro, CA 94577. Start time is 10am and will end at 5pm.

Hopefully you guys/gals can attend. If your cars are currently not running, restorations in progress or fully built track cars just bring out whatever you have and come support the classic car community.

Registration will be open March 5, 2013

Some of you may remember this amazing Nissan commercial that started the “Enjoy the Ride” campaign. Here is a high-resolution version on Vimeo. It still gives me goosebumps to watch…
http://vimeo.com/41519940