We met Greg in 2015 when he purchased a set of Panasport wheels for his S30. He returned later in 2019 for our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with upgraded suspension and triple Mikuni carbs. Greg is a pilot residing in Reno, NV and when he is not flying passengers all over the US he is a 100% gearhead with an award-winning 1970 Dodge Charger. He has owned the ’73 Z for 42 years and we love the story behind it:

“I bought this Z from the original family (two owners, same family) just weeks after I graduated from high school in June of 1978. I had previously owned a 1970 Sublime Green Dodge Charger R/T, but I thought it just wouldn’t be cool to show up to college in a ‘lime green’ car, so I went on the hunt for something that had great looks, and great performance to match. I kept my pursuit of a 240Z a secret from my high school sweet-heart (now my wife of 40 years), who was two years behind me in high school, until I had actually purchased the car and had a chance to give it a good detailing. When I pulled up that first evening with the new Z, she was very surprised! See didn’t know what it was, but she thought it was just “So Cool!”

As life went on Greg moved from Idaho to Reno and the car ended up getting stored for about 20 years.  When their re-acquired ’70 Charger did not make it back from a resto-mod in 2015, Valerie suggested getting the 240z running to enter in Hot August Nights in place of the Charger.

“After sitting for 20 years it needed some work – we called on Dave Rebello for a 3.0 stroker L-28 engine (SU carbs), and while the engine was being built my son and I got busy.  We pulled the fuel tank, dipped it, and refreshed it with a new sending unit, as well as all new hoses.” 

In 2015 Greg purchased a set of 16×7 Panasport wheels from us and though the Z was really nice it was time to take the next step.

 

Taking the Z to the next level

After months of planning, last July Greg and Valerie drove their Z down from Reno to Z Car Garage.  They spent the day with us while we installed new parts, made a few repairs and cleaned up the engine bay.

 

The Rebello 3L was treated to a fresh set of triple Mikuni PHH44 carbs on a Harada intake manifold (Rob’s favorite intake). We anodized the linkage from blue to black to suit Greg’s taste.

 

Out with the old SU carbs. A new 6-into-1 MSA coated exhaust header (merged to existing exhaust system) and ZCG heat shield were installed:

   

Greg also wanted the fuel hoses and AN fttings black which is becoming common from our vintage racing builds like the Rocketbunny Z. Finishing it off is our favorite fuel rail from Japan.

 

The engine bay received lots cleanup. We wanted Greg’s attention to detail to match his Mopar’s. Before/After, triples are hard to beat!

 

Dyno Tuning

 

After the addition of triple Mikuni carbs and an updated MSD ignition we went through the car to ensure it ran well. With Rob’s dyno tuning we greatly improved the way this Rebello 3L drives. Baseline was 186hp/189tq and after tuning it made 215hp/203tq to the wheels:

 

Listen to those triple Mikuni’s sing on the dyno. Also watch for a test drive with Rob running through the gears making sweet L-series music!

 

 

We sorted a few additional items like repairing the parking brake, replacing a lazy tachometer with a nice unit from Rob’s stash and fixing his shift boot.

 

Greg was pleased with modifications and repairs:

“One of the not-previously talked about items that I was most pleased with was the Tension Rod Bushings that Rob replaced. After I installed the new front-end parts a few years back, the car still had a tendency to follow slight grooves in the road. I had written this off as non-stock wider tires, but when Rob took the car he noticed it in his test drive and replaced those for us as well.  The car now literally drives and handles better than new, and the triple carbs with Rob’s tuning magic REALLY brought out the beast in the Rebello motor! The car’s performance now is quite simply stunning!!!”

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

 

With great power from the Rebello 3L Greg needed braking to match. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and also upgaded to Z Car Garage CV Axles!

     

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:

 

We went ahead got Greg dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new 240z brake booster/master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!

  

Front brake installation:

    

At the rear, the OEM drums brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! They also look great behind the Panasport wheels:

 

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 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

  

Greg received ZCG CV Axle set #282.

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

After their visit to ZCG, both Greg and Valerie continued to enjoy the Z at several Hot August Nights shows. It appears they enjoy driving it more than the Charger 🙂

“The Hot August Night Virginia City meet this year.  We had intended to take the Z Friday, and the Charger on Saturday, but we had so much fun driving up and down Geiger Grade with the new ZCG triple Mikuni‘s and the ZCG Big brakes that we took the Z both days!!!”

 

Valerie driving the Z to a local ‘Ladies only’ car show. We love her “all blue” theme! (Right) Their 1970 Dodge Charger:

 

“Valerie and I are very happy with the service and modifications ZCG has completed on our ’73 240Z.  I doubt anyone else has the experience, the knowledge base, and most importantly, the PASSION for working on Z Car’s that Rob Fuller and the staff at the Z-Car Garage have!”

 

We really had a great experience working Greg, thank you both for letting us make your Z car an enjoyable sports car! More pictures in the gallery below:

 

 

LONG LIVE THE Z!

…[read more]

 

The fifth annual HSR Classic 24hr race at Daytona International Speedway was held November 13-17. Racing legend John Morton and co-driver Rob Fuller piloted the #46 BRE Datsun 240z owned by team manager Randy Jaffe.
.

Enjoy our report from the event with pictures, video and commentary from Rob and Randy!

 

Hallowed Ground: #46 Debuts at Daytona Speedway

 

When the BRE 240z was not accepted into the 2019 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion team owner Randy Jaffe was anxious to find a Fall event. Thanks to Michael Eberhardt of Vintage Racing Co. we were able to run the Classic 24 and share a garage with him at Daytona. It was an amazing feeling sharing the same hallowed grounds where all the pros raced for years.

 

Rob: “This is a relatively new event and HSR’s efforts to make it larger were clear: the Classic 24 had people from all over the world (1/3 from Europe), and famous drivers and cars everywhere: Gunnar Jeannette, Derek/Justin bell, Jochen Maas, Daytona prototypes, LMP cars, vintage IMSA cars, 935s and big-boy hardware.”

Paddock pictures from top left to bottom right: AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson with Rob Fuller, Gunnar Racing Team, VM columnist Jochen Maas and a 1955 300SL, 1985 Porsche 962 HR1 piloted by team of Derek Bell, Justin Bell, Rodrigo Sales, and Gunnar Jeannette.

 

Enjoy this video of the sights and sounds at Daytona:

 

Racing at Daytona

     

The Classic 24 race features six race groups with 4 (1hr) sessions and cumulative time deciding the winner. Each session has a 3-minute pitstop with mandatory driver exit during fueling. There were many challenges facing the ZCG team as we prepped the BRE 240Z for big banking of Daytona:

Rob: “Josh Corwin prepped gear ratios for the diff and we went there armed for any scenario. At 3.56 miles, Daytona is much longer than our West Coast tracks so we built a 3.54 and 3.36. After one practice session we realized the 3.36 was needed.”

 

It was an incredible sight to see the #46Z out on the high banking with serious race cars like the Smith Motorworks 1980 Porsche 935 K3:

 

To aid driving during night sessions the Z was fitted with LED lamps:

 

Despite heavy rain the team carried on, making changes to the car and improving with each session.

Rob:  “There were 12 cars in our group with a bunch of 911s and 914s. The Z worked flawlessly.  We made a last minute carb change, sent pics of the spark plugs to Dave Rebello, and we were pumped for it. The sheer size of the stands and banking was overwhelming but we welcomed the challenge!”

Randy:  “As you drive into the infield at Daytona and look at that 31% banking it’s super intimidating and as Rob stated you cannot look straight out of the car as it’s always bending left and he has never experienced that before. Rob did an amazing job of adapting to not only the car but to the track within 2 to 3 laps as he had cut down six seconds plus. John Morton has not run Daytona in over 20 years and he got right in the car and turned a great time which is what professional race drivers do! At 77 years old it’s just amazing how he is so calm and so smooth around these tracks!”

 

Remember those those mandatory pitstops? Thanks to the ZCG team (Josh/Keith) all stops were nailed and we actually had to wait because we were under time.  We also had help from Randy’s friend Barney to help with fueling, and Chris Karl from SCCA. A rally of people excited to see the Z at Daytona all pitched in.

 

The bad weather and lack of track experience didn’t hold John or Rob back. We started 10th in class in the 1st session and by the end of the 1st leg we were in 3rd place.

 

From 10th to 3rd in one session is impressive with John and Rob turning near-identical lap times. Rob was ecstatic not only about the Z’s performance, but also being able to co-drive with his hero:

Rob: “Ben from Retrosport with Alan Terpins’ 1979 Porsche 935 MOMO car kicked ass and won their class.  They were clocked on the front straight under braking at 188mph. The BRE Z did 156mph top speed and our lap times (Morton and Fuller) were within a .1 of each other. I can’t describe the feeling of going from total fanboy to being a co-driver with John Morton. All of this comes from Randy Jaffe’s generosity, drive/passion to celebrate this car and era. These heroes that were making history and didn’t even know it 50years later. All while a new crop of people that love and appreciate this car. Watching people from all over the world come over to find John Morton to have him sign something, shake his hand, tell him a Datsun story. It’s surreal.”

 

Unfortunately our hopes of a first or second place finish in class were cut short at the second session. John Morton got an epic start and as they all went into turn 1 on the first lap (at night) a Lola T 70 lost its grip, then a Chevron panicked and cut hard right in front of John. There was nothing he could do and the car was so low that it flipped us up in the air and onto the roof:

 

John Morton was able to exit the Z safely, without any injuries. The Z was towed in, covered and our race ended. We all had hashbrowns and coffee late night at Waffle House. The next morning Josh and Rob set the tow on the front of the car, took plugs out and turned it over. We actually got to drive it around paddock Sunday morning, knowing we would be back again to take a run at the high banks of Daytona.

Randy: “Most historic race cars have been wrecked so many times and put back together and we will do the same after this Daytona accident. Just a slight bump in the road but we will come back stronger as we have learned and we will continue to write more current history with John at the wheel. We can’t wait until Daytona next year where Rob and John can finish the 24 hour that we started this year.”

Here is a video with in-car footage of both John Morton and Rob Fuller. Enjoy the triple-Mikuni carb’d music and wild banking of Daytona!  At the end is multiple-angle footage of the crash:

 

The BRE 240Z will be rebuilt at Z Car Garage

  

We welcomed back the #46Z to ZCG for a rebuild after damages from the Daytona crash. Stay tuned for progress updates:

Randy: “The car is being shipped to Z car garage on December 13th for repairs and to prep the car for the Walter Mitty races in Atlanta in April. The most amazing part of the fun we’ve had with this car over the past three years is the excitement that Peter Brock and John Morton have shared with all of us to turn back the Hands of time! I think because of social media John Morton may actually be more famous now than he was back in the day and he often thanks me for the efforts to make his accomplishments recognized over and over which he certainly deserves! What 77-year-old race car driver do you know still flies airplanes and rides dirt bikes, jeeps and works out!! Of course none of this would happen without Rob Fuller and Josh Corwin they have been the glue behind us entire program and I would’ve never done any of this without them. Rob takes control of many situations that could be stressful and makes things easier for me!”

 

At 77 years of age John Morton is still formidable behind the wheel!

  

Randy was and continues to be supremely enthusiastic about the Z, John Morton and BRE. His words from Daytona:

“Per usual our pit area always had fans coming up and wanted to know where John was to talk to him and get an autograph as he had raced with many of these legends for the past five decades! I really love the story about Peter Brock and the BRE team and what John accomplished in a short period of time and still lives in high racing lore! Every piece of history from this time s fun for me to gather and collect as all of it is a part of the story!”

Randy and the BRE 240Z Build

While many have seen the BRE 240z at racing events and shows, there is a great story behind this car as told by owner Randy Jaffe:

“I met John somewhere around 2012 and told him I was going to build a tribute to his championship 240 Z car and I’m sure he’s heard that hundreds of times and he was kind of bored with the conversation. Then I started sending him and Peter Brock emails to build it correctly then after I spent several years at an attempt to do a tribute I was with both of them one night and asked about the real story on the remains of the original car. Both of them looked at each other and back at me and I was like – what was that look for? They went on to tell me that the story I had heard for years about the car being totally destroyed and no longer around was not true. Dan Parkinson who lived about a hour and a half north of Los Angeles had the remains of the car that he had re-bodied after a 1977 ball joint failure at phoenix motor Speedway. Casey Mollett – another Datsun racer back in the day was a few hundred yards behind Dan Parkinson when he hit that wall and he was part of the teardown and reassembly to the 1977 to 80 Z that Nissan gave Dan to rebuild a car. They were going to repair the original 46Z which now wore the number five livery of Dan Parkinson but the painter said it would take a month and a half to two months and they had to race in a few weeks so they use the 1977 280 Z that Nissan gave Dan.”

 

“The long and short of it is that they raced the 1977 shell for a few years and retired the car and racing in 1979 and all of those parts just sat there until 2016. Dan and I have had conversations for over a year and many many people were trying to buy these parts because they knew what they were but for some reason he felt comfortable and asked me one day do I really want all the stuff and of course I said yes. John Morton actually said since he owned the original chassis plate which he had taken off the car when he installed the remote Traco oil filter back in 1970 he kept that Vin plate in his toolbox until he gave it to me at the Petersen Museum in 2016. I had already completed my car as a tribute to the BRE team and John Morton when Dan sold me all of the surviving pieces. I then ripped the entire car apart and installing every little piece I could that had integrity and that’s when Rob Fuller stepped in to finish the car build like it was back in the day.”

Pictures from the race prep of Randy’s Z at Z Car Garage:

  

A sampling of the original parts is shown below including the exhaust header with megaphones, SW gauges, and BRE remote oil filter/cooler. Original BRE heat shield and fuel block pictured above.  All assembled by the crew at ZCG prior to testing:

     

Randy’s fanatic attention to detail and our team’s prep culminated in John Morton enjoying the Z at several race events:

“So many of the remaining pieces along with the 1971 championship motor is on display at my shop. After going to a few shows with John Morton in the car I told him I wanted to race it and he kind of smirked and said it’s a show car not a race car and my reply was we’re gonna race it will you drive it and he Sylvia was nonchalant and said yeah maybe… when we signed up and got into the first Rolex reunion in 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.”

 

“John wasn’t really excited about racing the car Rob and I could see that even when he got belted in the car. When he came back after 6 to 8 laps a different man had returned he immediately walked over to Sylvia and said what are my times – He knew he was turning really fast laps and was getting really fired up! He told Brock down at the Carmel car show that the show car was truly a fast racecar! That weekend he terrorized all kinds of Porsches including 935s and was running up front in the top 10 out of a group of 40 to 50 cars. This became really fun so we’ve done it now at Road Atlanta Laguna Seca and now Daytona!”

 

Big thanks to Randy Jaffe, Sylvia and John Morton, the ZCG team Josh and Keith Corwin, Meghan Fuller, Michael Eberhardt and Vintage Racing Company and HSR this was a memorable event we can’t wait to come back to next year. More pictures in the gallery below:

LONG LIVE THE Z!

…[read more]

 

Rommel came to Z Car Garage in 2014 to have work done on his 2013 Nismo 370z. He’s a big car enthusiast with a Camaro ZL1 and Viper ACR and after a few years he reached out to us about his 1971 Datsun 240z.

 

The Z had an EFI setup with Megasquirt and would not start. He made an appointment with us and got the car towed here where we found an ECU failure.  Rob and Mel discussed doing an upgrade to Haltech and fixing all the things wrong with the car from sorting the suspension, better braking and engine bay cleanup.

 

Mel was hesitant to do everything all at once, yet we wanted to avoid future trips back to the shop. Jokingly, Mel said what “I’d really like are some ph44 Mikuni’s.”  Ask and you shall receive as Rob had a set ready to go.  So we cancelled the tow truck and made a plan to go back to vintage.

 

All of the existing EFI parts were removed from the car.  We hooked Mel up with a Harada intake manifold, triple ph44 Mikuni carbs correctly setup for his 2.8 engine, a ZCG heat shield and corrected all fuel system issues:

 

Often utilized on vintage race cars, the fuel lines were plumbed from a junction block on the firewall. Black AN fittings on black fuel lines supply each carb:

 

We think the new triple Mikuni’s look much better than the old setup!

  

The existing fuel pump system (Left) was removed and a cleaner Holley setup installed:

Dyno Tuning

 

Aside from the exhaust header, this is a stock 2.8L engine running Mikuni ph44s.  With timing and A/F adjustments we picked up more power making 150hp/167tq to the wheels:

  

Listen to those triple Mikuni’s sing on the dyno:

Minor Sorting

The rear fenders were cut badly to fit flares, revealing an inner fender gap that would allow air/fuel vapors to entire cabin:

 

We pulled it back, welded the metal and sealed everything up. The exhaust was also rubbing at the rear valance so re-fitted it.

Chassis

   

The chassis was treated to a suspension refresh. We installed lower adjustable control arms and T/C rods 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. Lower control arms replacing OEM parts:

   

Front T/C rods replacing OEM units:

  

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

     

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:

 

We went ahead got Mel dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!

  

Front brake installation:

  

The ZCG brakes fit under the 15×9 Atara Racing wheels:

 

At the rear, the existing old-school disc setup was 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 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

   

The differential area was a mess on Mel’s Z. We corrected the side-flange issues with his R200 and installed our CV axles. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

 

 

Vintage is Best!

Once running we performed a full alignment and dialed in the brakes. Mel’s initial feedback on the car made us happy:

“Well, I’m very happy how my car turned out after picking it up from ZCG. Hearing my baby runs on old school NA triple carbs is very heart warming, the ZCG Big-Brake kit is amazing, the CV axles are beefy and the suspension tweaks made a lot of difference on handling. I can’t thank Rob enough for what he did to my Z. It feels like a totally different car now (in a good way) compared to when I drop it off. Job well done ZCG! Thank you for taking care of my 240Z ZCG. 👍👏🙏”

 

This was a very rewarding project and we are excited to see Mel’s Z evolve into a well-rounded sports car. He’s already thinking about his next upgrade…a 3.0 or 3.2L motor. Thanks for bringing your Z to us Mel! More pictures in the gallery below.

Long Live The Z!
…[read more]

 

***HAPPY HOLIDAYS From Z Car Garage***

 

One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and customers again for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2019 recap and upcoming projects below. Please note our holiday closure below:

 

ZCG will be closed from 12/20/19 to New Year’s Day. We will re-open for business on  1/2/20

 

 

Before we take a look back at highlights from 2019, check out a few of the many customer projects coming along at the shop:

 

Lou’s 1973 Fairlady Z .  You might recognize this RHD Z from local Bay Area fun runs and car shows over the years. What started out as a fairly stock car evolved into a canyon-carving street machine as we began modifications in 2011:

 

The Z featured a 250whp Rebello 3.2L engine, 240sx KA24 5-speed, Recaro seats, LSD, full-suspension, our ZCG Big-Brake Kit and Panasport C8 wheels.

   

Enjoy this short video showing the mellifluous sounds coming from the 3.2 engine:

 

 

Radical Changes

Lou enjoyed his Fairlady Z for many years and after ZCG’s 2nd SEMA build in 2016, Lou was inspired to take his car to the next level.  The 3.2L drivetrain was sold to our customer Tim Ng to be used in his ’72 S30 build. We are currently building an IMSA-flared body Fairlady Z featuring widenened Panasport C8 wheels and a stroker RB28 engine backed by a 6-speed.

  

Several cars delivered will get full reports soon: Cece’s 1977 Datsun 280z, Patrick’sZ32TT and Jay’s Z32TT

  

 

Highlights from 2019

Enjoy these highlights from 2019 and  Z you in the New Year! Stay tuned for our coverage of the 2019 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and Classic 24hr race at Daytona with John Morton and Rob Fuller co-driving the #46 BRE 240z.

 

Great Drives

Norm Balzer Racing 510

Richards’s Series 1 240z

Ben’s 1974 260z

Coastal Range Rally

Skyline Matsuri

Japanese Classic Car Show

John Morton Cup

Solvang Datsun Roadster Show

Golden Week Kyusha Festival

Scott’s Datsun 260z

Enjoy The Ride!

 

We had the pleasure of working with Jeff to help get his Z back on the road after sitting for many years. Our  Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles grace this Z along with upgraded suspension and drivetrain parts.

 

Long Term Project

Jeff visited Z Car Garage early this year with his 1971 S30 for revival from a stalled restoration. Before we delve into our efforts to bring it back to life here is Jeff’s brief history:

“I purchased the car in 2006 and it was white and worn out with a blown engine. I purchased it with the intention of tearing it down to bare metal and restoring it. This is my third 1971 240z and by far the best finished product of the three. It took thirteen years from the time I purchased the car in Clovis until I picked it up from the Z Car Garage in March of 2019. I have had six different cars that were restored over the years and this Z was one of the harder restorations which seemed to fight me at every turn along the way.”

 

As with any restoration project Jeff experienced his share of setbacks. A new dashboard had fitment issues and the rebuilt engine failed requiring more machine shop time. Unfortunately with all of time/effort invested, Jeff’s friend passed away and the project halted:

“I had a friend that owned a body shop that I had paint it. Well my buddy decided that the color chip I picked out was not dark enough so he took it upon himself to change it to a darker color blue. The end result is what I call blurple or blue and purple. My buddy was diagnosed with cancer right after he did the blurple paint job and passed away shortly thereafter. It’s not my favorite color but I am living with it.”

 

Fast forward to 2019, Jeff made an appointment to bring his Z in to us:

“I did my research and Rob and the Z Car Garage had the best reviews.  I called Rob and made an appointment for the blurple Z which was three months out due to their big customer base and quality of their work.  Like the old saying goes ” good things come to those who wait” and I loaded the blurple Z onto my car hauler and drove to San Jose.

Engine Bay and Sorting

After sitting for over a decade, we began the process of making Jeff’s Z roadworthy. We went through the car top to bottom, starting with the drivetrain. It came to us with a previously rebuilt (though never operated) engine requiring a freshened fuel system, re-worked carb linkage and general sorting.

 

With new clutch hydraulics and a repaired speedometer we got the rebuilt engine up and running quite well, until carb issues:

“I had purchased triple 40 mm Webers but the car sat for so long the gas went bad and there was build-up in the fuel system which kept fouling the Webers so I had Rob purchase and install 45 mm Webers and dial them in on his dyno.”

 

We replaced the 40s with new Weber 45 DCOE carbs and velocity stacks, an MSD box and ZCG heat shield. Pictures of the old 40’s and more in the gallery below:

 

MSD ignition and wiring:

New induction setup compete:

 

Dyno Tuning

Rob dyno tuned the rebuilt engine with triple Weber 40s and after the addition of triple Weber 45s.  We saw gains of 19hp/17tq and improved power throughout the rev range:

 

Listen to the L-series sing on this video showing the dyno runs, in-car driving and comments from Rob. You can also see a very happy Jeff enjoying his Z:

 

Backing the L-series was a tired 4-speed transmission:

“I originally took it so Rob could get the triple Webers dialed in on his dyno and a couple other little items.  I was so impressed by the operation that I had them swap out a four speed that had been gone through with a five speed transmission.”  

 

This is an early 5-speed from a ’77-78 280z (0.86 overdrive) rebuilt by expert Steve Pettersen of Pettersen Motorworks in Chico, CA. We also installed a new clutch/flywheel and slave. The trans tunnel was slightly trimmed along with the console to accept the shifter.

 

Chassis

   

The chassis was treated to a full suspension refresh with new parts, bushings and Koni Reds with Eibach springs. We installed lower adjustable control arms and T/C rods 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 CV Axles

Since Jeff’s Z had been sitting for a long time, he had seen some of the cool stuff we’ve been doing and stopped by to sample “Mrs. Butters”, our 1970 Series 1 240z shop demo car. After handing him the keys he was sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our customers 🙂

     

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:

 

We went ahead got him dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels, parking brake, and ZCG full exhaust system. We removed Jeff’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit:

     At the rear, the existing old-school disc setup was 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 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Jeff has set #00271

   

Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

    

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms and ZCG exhaust system using 2.5″ piping to a stainless resonator and Magnaflow muffler with slash-cut tip.

    

The interior receive attention as well with our ZCG upgraded door seal and door treatment. A nice touch that makes solid “thud” sound that we are known for. We dialed Jef in with new tires and he was off Enjoying The Ride:

 

“The car was done when he said it would be and it runs great. I had my first 71 Z when my wife and I started dating and she has loved Zs ever since. The wife loves to drive it too.  I would recommend Rob and the Z Car Garage crew for any repair or a full restoration.  Had I known about the Z Car Garage prior to starting the restoration I would have had them do it. If Rob tells you something he does everything in his power to make it happen.”

Jeff was really stoked. He’s still excited, with plans for a more powerful engine. Thanks for letting us revive your Z, Jeff! More pictures in the gallery below and Long Live The Z!

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