Treat your Z to a brand new set of Panasport wheels! Z Car Garage is an authorized Panasport dealer with limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car. We special order this 16×7 +11 offset to enable fitment of a 225/50/16 tire on the 1970 to 1978 S30s and even S130s.
Price is $330 each or $1320 for a set of 4 wheels + freight. Includes center caps
Contact us to order: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350. Limited availability (recent pallet pictured)
Wondering how a set of Panasports would look on your Z car? They are timeless just like your Z. Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars in jus about every color imaginable with Panasport wheels:
We have the pleasure of continually developing Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240z to help achieve his vision of a Z car that is adept on the street and track. Improving the driving experience are our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, Silvia 6-speed transmission and a host of chassis and driveline upgrades.
Dirk shares his experience working with us:
“Collaborating closely with Rob and ZCG has elevated the optimization process. Rob will frequently talk me out of a bad idea, or into a good one (like the OS Giken LSD). Sometimes I talk him into a bad idea and it turns out to work really well, like the S15 gearbox. The most fun is when we brainstorm stuff together like turning the catch can setup into an improvised simple PCV system, eliminating all hints of oil fumes from the car while running.”
Datsun 510, 620 and Z car love
Since our last iteration, Dirk as been back to Z Car Garage for a few major projects. Let’s take a look at his Datsun story first. Dirk bought his first Datsun in 2014, a 1970 510, to learn how to work on cars himself. After learning more about the history of Datsun, and the significance of both the 510 and the 240Z in establishing Japanese cars in the American market, he knew he had to own a Z as well.
A year later, the right Z showed up on eBay in Texas, a 1973 in silver gray. After pouring over the photos and talking to the seller, Dirk bought the car sight unseen. The idea was to have a nice Z to enjoy and drive, while continuing to work on the (sometimes not) rolling restoration of his 510. The car was lovingly restored by a dad and his children and in mostly stock condition. Dirk also has Datsun 620 work truck complete with dual-Mikuni’s:
After many more tweaks, different induction setups, spring rate changes, rebuilt stock brakes, and 24K miles of driving including a few track days, Dirk’s Z was inching closer and closer to his vision.
“After installing a Datsun Spirit STR-3 engine with a set of Nismo Mikuni PHH44 carburetors, the biggest weak spots left were the rest of the drivetrain (especially the stock 4-speed transmission, but the Subaru diff had also developed some bearing issues), the stock brakes, and of course the loose nut behind the wheel – but sadly that last component typically takes too much money and time to modify thoroughly.”
After comparing the Z to his Subaru BRZ on the track, it was clear the Z was better at everything except for shifting gears. Since his engine made a healthy amount of torque, but not enough to warrant a CD009 (350z) transmission, Dirk kept looking for alternatives. He also wanted something with slightly closer gear ratios to better suit the engine’s power band. An S15 Silvia 6-speed seemed like the perfect fit and we installed it back in 2019.
S15 6-speed transmission
The first S15 box had some weak synchros, so Dirk sourced another one that was installed with OE trans fluid, as well as a set of fresh OE motor and trans mounts to help with shifter feel and reduce vibrations in the car.
“The S15 transmission fit surprisingly well. ZCG built a custom crossmember to locate it, and the shifter lined up almost perfectly. No transmission tunnel mods were necessary. The modern shifter looked out of place, so ZCG built a custom unit that would look stock, and work with the Datsun competition shift knob. A small 6-speed shift pattern sticker modeled after the one used in the Silvia is the only clue there’s something different going on under this car. And of course the driving experience.”
Making the S15 shifter look factory, we are happy with the result and Dirk’s subtle shift pattern sticker:
The Datsun Comp shift knob complements the steering wheel:
Chassis and Driveline Upgrades
First, there was work to upgrade the steering geometry and suspension. With the car being lowered quite a bit, despite having 1″ RCAs installed, it had a ton of bump steer. Rob installed DP racing adjustable tie rods, removed the front springs, and completely eliminated the bump steer on the alignment rack while moving the suspension through its full range of motion.
New DP Racing tie-rods and in-house alignment:
We also refurbished Dirk’s steering rack with fresh parts from our stash:
With the Z back in the shop for bodywork we took the opportunity to make more suspension changes. New Koni Race shocks from T3 were installed, which were a much better match for the 300# and 350# spring rates than the Koni Sport shocks they replaced (as Dirk initially ordered the coil overs with lower spring rates, he never replaced the shocks after adjusting the spring rates, and the car always felt underdamped, particularly on the not-adjustable compression stroke):
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
Dirk visited ZCG and drove “Mrs. Butters”, our 1970 Series 1 240z shop demo car and 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:
At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality 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.
Also visible on Dirk’s Z are the excellent adjustable lower control arms from Techno Toy Tuning.
3 Liter L-Series Power
Unfortunately, the Datsun Spirit engine developed rod knock which was the impetus for a big drivetrain upgrade. Several other parts of the car where refined as well.
The L28 engine was pulled, sent to Rebello, and built into a 3L powerhouse. Dave bored out the 44PHH venturis to a custom 38.5mm, to hit the perfect compromise between peak power and drivability. We also installed a fresh water pump, alternator, new fan blade, OEM fan clutch and fresh air filters. The beautiful DP Racing oil pan remained. More photos in the gallery below:
A custom stainless 2.5″ mandrel-bent exhaust mates with a new set of coated Pacesetter headers and Z Story Street muffler (in a search for a reduction in volume while keeping a nice note). Dirk discusses the clutch/flywheel combo below:
“The STR-3 already was able to slip the Exedy clutch and we were never fans of the Chromoly steel flywheel. A Jim Wolf Technologies clutch and flywheel combo was installed after first trying a newly developed Kameari single plate street clutch kit, which we both found too loud and racy for this street car. While the JWT pressure plate yielded a different pedal feel that took some getting used too, it was not too heavy and perfectly comfortable to drive in traffic. More importantly, it never slipped under any kind of abuse.”
The clutch hydraulics were replaced to work with new alumimum flywheel/JWT HD clutch combo:
We installed a ZCG-built 4.11 OS Giken limited-slip differential in the R180 along with a custom aluminum driveshaft:
Dyno Tuning
The previous L28 made 202hp/194tq at the wheels with Rob’s tuning. Now with the fresh 3L it baselined at 245hp/226tq with more area under the curve:
Rob tuned the car further on the chassis dyno, setting it up with a very lean idle at Dirk’s request (to minimize gasoline fumes at idle). With A/F optimized and Nismo Mikuni carbs massaged, Rob unlocked another 20hp yielding a stout 265hp/232tq to the wheels:
With gains of 62hp/37tq at the wheels over the L28, Dirk is very happy with the new 3L:
“While the Datsun Spirit engine had a very peppy mid-range and made more delicious induction noises, there’s no argument that the more powerful Rebello engine elevated the car to the next level of performance and fun. The entire setup worked incredibly well together, and we hit an impressive 265hp at the rear wheels, or 60hp more than the engine made in its previous iteration, putting it in the 100hp/liter ballpark at the crank. Not bad for a dinosaur engine on California pump gas!”
Enjoy the dyno video and L-series music!
Sorting
The little things are what we excel at and Dirk had a list for us to knock out. While at ZCG, we replaced the heavily sandblasted OE windshield, and did some rust remediation in the cowl area, as Dirk had started noticing water making it into the interior fan assembly after washing the car. More photos in the gallery below:
The heater and blower motor assembly was refurbished with new ducting seals and lubed linkage:
The headlight switch had also developed some issues where sometimes the lights would turn off completely when switching between low and high beam, and was replaced with a good used example from the ZCG parts stash.
“The headlights now worked reliably, the new engine didn’t consume any significant amount of oil, and the whole drivetrain worked together even better than before with the new clutch and flywheel combo.”
Unfortunately, 7 months and many miles later, Dirk was back after a minor nighttime crash that took out the left fender, front bumper and valance, and dented the hood. After bodywork and paint from our man William from William’s Auto Body, we installed a euro front bumper, used turn signal assembly, cleaned up electrical wiring from alternator through firewall and sorted his Speedhut GPS speedo box.
To improve safety, comfort, and avoid future crashes, Dirk upgraded his headlights to a new set of Holley Retrobrights, and GTR Carbide 2.0 turn signal bulbs front and rear from Headlight Revolution.
“The headlights are a world ahead of the old Maxxima LED units, which themselves outperformed the Sylvania Halogen sealed beams, while staying very under the radar, with their sealed beam-inspired looks. And the turn signals are now highly noticeable, even in the brightest daylight.”
Enjoying the Ride
Dirk’s been driving his Z-car pretty much every day since the latest upgrades, and it’s been working phenomenally well:
“The drivetrain + brakes make it as happy to accelerate as it is to stop, and with the quick, closely spaced shifts and eager engine, it’s fun to do a casual grocery run, and to drive quickly. With the electrical systems and all fumes well under control, it’s truly a car you can do anything with, and probably more reliable than my BMW.”
We loved to see Dirk driving his Z on rallies and fun runs this year. Most recently we joined fellow Japanese vintage car owners on the Tokyo Calling event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally:
Dirk also joined us for a New Year’s Day drive through our favorite Bay Area Backroads:
We enjoyed working with you Dirk and it was rewarding to help improve your Z.
“Some say good is the enemy of great, but that’s true if you think you’re done. I don’t see my Z car less as a “build” that’s done. I’m always developing it, just like continually developing a race car (e.g. my Lemons car, http://instagram.com/bittersc243) to stay competitive. In this case the competition is merely for making the Z into the most fun driving experience I can imagine, and the journey of continuous refinement and improvement is a big part of the fun for me.”
While Dirk works through a few interior projects (new carpets, stereo upgrade) on his own, we’re getting ready to further revise the front suspension/steering, and wider wheel + tire options. Enjoy more photo documentation of our work in the gallery below. Thanks for your support Dirk and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Nikon F6 | Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G | Cinestill 50D 50
Scanned with Noritsu HS-1800
Lab developed in | Dip and Dunk
Mamiya 645E | Mamiya 45mm f/2.8 N | Lomography Color 100 100
Scanned with Epson V750 | Epson V850 120
Lab developed in | Dip and Dunk
Our Z Car Garage Big Brakes have been winning over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Jay recently purchased a set for his 1972 Datsun 240Z and performed the installation himself at home in South Carolina. Last year Jay also purchased a set of Panasport wheels from ZCG and he’s been enjoying the ride. Before we go into his Big-Brake experience let’s hear his Z-story…
“The car was from California and made its way to Gainesville FL and was put in storage. I had been looking for a good 240 and this one was taken by the owner to a shop owned by a friend of a friend. The guy wanted to get it running and sell it. That triggered a phone call to me while on a anniversary trip with my wife to Italy, we were living in St Augustine Florida at the time. My buddy sent me some pics and a quick video and he grabbed the car for me. It was all there and very little rust. I had not really considered a Blue one, much less one with white interior.”
Jay and 3 friends restored the car (minus paint and the head work) in his 2 car garage over 3 years. Jay has met so many people in the Z community and learned much about Z cars:
Beautiful engine bay with new engine:
Check out the before/after on the interior…great work Jay and friends!
Jay recalls how he found ZCG and eventually purchased a set of Panasports from us:
“I found the Z Car Garage videos on YouTube very early on which led me to your website. I went to Daytona to see Randy Jaffe’s #46 BRE 240z car run and left just before John rolled it. I met Rob at the Amelia Concours earlier this year and bought a set of Panasports from the shop. I also have become friends and an Insurance client of Jim Frederick in Lutz Florida who I believe has the finest collection of low VIN original Z’s in the World! Jim has also helped me with parts and advice on this build. I am hoping Larry Chen will make it down to film Jim’s collection.”
Z Car Garage Big-Brakes
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:
Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!
Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Enjoy these pictures of Jay’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:
As mentioned, our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake. Jay successfully installed the BBK on his Z along with a full suspension rebuild:
“The kit was packed and labeled extremely well, everything was included except for brake fluid. The manual Rob sent me was very good. If you are looking for a great bolt on brake solution for your S30 with no need to cut n paste parts to make it all work, look no further than Z Car Garage. Great quality and Great folks to deal with. I had a small hiccup and Rob jumped on the phone and had me fixed up. Very happy with my purchase!”
Jay used OEM bushings and parts for his suspension refresh and full exhaust system from Zstory:
Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! 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. Jay was very happy as well with great feedback:
“The performance of the brakes is awesome. My car is essentially a stock L24 but I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains and we have a lot of great driving roads and frankly the stock brakes sort of didn’t inspire confidence. This allows me to drive the car a lot harder with no worries. Super happy with the fit, finish & performance of the brakes. Thanks to you guys for making parts that take these old cars to the next level.”
Enjoying the Ride
Jay has been braking deeper and with more confidence on those Blue Ridge mountain roads, we love that this Z gets driven! Enjoy the short video Jay sent us the Z in action:
You can see more pictures in the gallery and thanks for your support Jay! Stay tuned for more customer installations of our ZCG Big-Brakes! Check out our ZCG CV axles HERE. Long Live The Z!
Panasport wheels for your Z car
Treat your Z to a brand new set of Panasport wheels! Z Car Garage is an authorized Panasport dealer and have limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car. We special order this offset to enable fitment of a 225/50/16 tire on the 1970 to 1978 S30s.
Contact us: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350 Limited availability (pallet pictured)
Wondering how a set of Panasports would look on your Z car? Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars in jus about every color imaginable with Panasport wheels:
