At Z Car Garage we are fortunate to be a part of many Nissan/Datsun enthusiasts lives. Here is a great story of how we helped re-kindle one couple’s love for their Z. Ruth and Larry bought their 1978 280z brand new and immediately enjoyed it with Ruth daily driving for several years. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and Ruth put the car in storage for a long period.

  

We met the couple in 2008 when Ruth came in to ZCG to get the Z up and running which resulted in a full mechanical refresh.  All hydraulics (brakes/clutch) were restored. The suspension was treated to urethane bushings and Tokico 5-way struts with Eibach springs and a set of beautiful set of Panasports. Finally, we cut and buffed the paint and Ruth’s Z took on a new look…it was almost like 1978 again!

 

  

The next step for them to drive and enjoy the car happened a few years later when we restored the entire interior of the car: a full dashboard restoration, Recaro LXF seats (Leather!), custom carpet kit, sound deadening, all weatherstripping, seals, etc.  These are all the details that ZCG performs to take a 280z from an awesome car from the 70’s to a timeless classic that can be driven anywhere.

The Little Things:  sill lock trim!

 

Dashboard: gauges and knobs:

    

The result of the interior restoration:

 

It had been years since we had seen the Roth’s other than routine maintenance. It was time to dive back into the project with a full external restoration.  The cut/buff from a few years back wasn’t sufficient and it showed in areas like the hood. Those amazing pinstripes and lower rocker trim were looking a bit tired as well:

 

We called upon our man William from William’s Auto Body and both Ruth and Larry had two requests: 1) The Z car must be as awesome inside as outside and 2) we absolutely must keep the pinstriping that had been on the car since new. William was more than up to to the task. This time we went ahead and installed electric power steering for ease/use, our upgraded rearview mirror (as featured on Gary Roser’s car, report later) which includes a backup camera, GPS, temp:

 

 

Re-chromed bumpers and restored guards:

    

Full glass/chrome trim/weatherstrip R&R. All NOS Nissan!

 

Inner fender liners:

 

NOS emblems replace pitted/fading orignal pieces:

 

Rear tail light panel:

 

Restored side moulding:

  

William applied the factory paint color and the Z looks fantastic. We cleaned up the louvers too.

 

The best part, of course, is that Ruth and Larry are still in love with their 280z! Enjoy The Ride and thank you for letting us be a part of your journey. Your dedication and passion for the Z is contagious and we love it!

More pictures in our gallery below: …[read more]

 

We love to hear about Datsun owners enjoying their cars with family. Pervis E has owned this 280z for many years and wanted to pass it on to his (lucky!) daughter. He thought it would be prudent to install some new tires for safety and also add some stylish wheels. We happily obliged with a set of 225/50/16 Bridgestone RE760 tires and timeless 16×7 Panasports:

 

Here are a few before/after shots:

 

Give us a call if you would like Panasports for your Z!

 

Hemming’s Motor News features a Buyer’s Guide for Datsun Z cars in their current May 2015 issue. Aimed specifically at the 280z spanning 1975 to 1978, it provides a detailed overview with great pictures. You can preview the article online HERE or purchase a hardcopy at your local Barnes and Noble bookstore.

 

It’s great to see some love given to these later model S30’s and positive exposure for the marque. Icing on the cake of course is that Rob and Z Car Garage are mentioned in the article!

So brace yourselves…higher Z-car values are coming!

ZcarBlog fans gather around! We have major developments in Gary R’s 280z restoration! Our first installment in this build chronicled the extensive body rehab, followed by chassis developments and now we can report that the drivetrain is ready along with many body trim pieces.

The engine is a Rebello built 3.1L using the factory fuel injection system. Below you can see how the unsightly stock intake manifold was transformed into a thing of beauty…

Another ZCarGarage modification is the modern 5-speed transmission conversion. The old 280z’s 4-speed is replaced by a late-model  Nissan 240SX 5-spd transmission. To top it all off the whole thing was powdercoated and a JWT aluminum flywheel and JWT HD clutch were installed. Note the beautiful ceramic coated exhaust header:

As we move past the engine and transmission it keeps getting better! The stock rear differential is replaced by a beefy R200 with 4.11 gears and a Quaife LSD unit, that’s one pretty pumpkin!

Sending power to those massive 255-width tires are Wolf Creek Racing CV axles. Why convert to CVs?  CV joints articulate better, reduce unpsrung mass, and transmit power better than stock u-joints:

The power window and door lock conversion is complete! Remember all of those zinc plated nuts/bolts/hardware? These pieces are finding their way back to the Z. The rear quarter windows with trim powdercoated black have been installed too:

The front/rear bumpers needed some love and now they are back on the car looking pretty:

The fuel system is also complete and the Z is at the interior shop. There are many more pictures in the gallery, stay tuned for more updates as Gary’s Z gets closer to completion!
…[read more]

Gary R.’s 280z restoration continues. Our last report described the extensive metalwork rehab to the unibody, detailed HERE.

The brake/fuel lines along with itemized nuts/bolts are ready to be zinc’d in either gold or silver plating.

Having spent money on the paint and bodywork, protecting the underbody was a must for Gary’s restoration. To keep rust away the next step was sealing the underside and interior bare metal areas with POR-15. We have heard positive things about this product and its rust prevention in vintage restorations. Once the inside was coated we undercoated the entire bottom of the Z.

After a day of drying it was time to install coil overs and the amazing ZCG BigBrakeKit

The wheels will be 17″ Panasport C8s custom built to ZCG specs with a 255/40/17 tire on a stock-flare 280Z chassis! Awesome!!
Next chapters will be the wiring and the mock up of the driveline.  Look for more chassis/running gear photos later this week!
Stay tuned..

Long Live the Z!
Rob