Max Y visited us in 2018 for bolt-ons and returned in 2019 for a Stillen supercharger supercharger and OS Giken limited-slip differential. Power can be addicting so Max visited Z Car Garage recently for more boost and a full Stoptech Big-Brake Kit to reign it all in.
Providing more boost is a 9lb pulley and supporting upgrades to the fuel system including a CJ Motorsports return fuel system with billet hat. Injector Dynamics 1050cc injectors and 485lph Wallbro pump.
A Soho motorsports air to air intercooler kit replaces the Stillen air-to-water setup:
We pulled the transmission to install a Fast Intentions billet flex plate:
Dyno tuning was performed via Ecutek making 447hp/324tq 91 octane and 475hp/349tq 100 octane:
https://youtu.be/Z5U_tCjfzlk
With more power available the brakes were upgraded to a full Big-Brake Kit from Stoptech: 6-piston calipers with 355mm front rotors and ST22 calipers in rear with slotted rotors :
This kit sports Stoptech 6-piston calipers calmping 355mm front rotors and ST22 calipers in rear with slotted rotors, OEM vs Stoptech front:
The brakes also look great behind those awesome Enkei R05rr wheels:
New SPPC front/rear control arms and a full alignment following installation of larger Michelin Pilot SS 275/40/18 F and 295/35/18 R
It was very important for Max to monitor boost, A/F, and trans temperature so we installed a PLX Devices DM100 gauge in the factory clock lcoation:
We replaced the headlights with an HID setup(7k), and installed Max’s rear/side diffuser panels:
Zspeed Performance splash shield:
Enjoy The Boost, Max!
More pictures in the gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
At Z Car Garage we enjoy working with late-model Nissans as much as earlier Datsuns. Our customer Eric R brought his Infiniti G35 Coupe to us back in 2009 and ten years later we helped him find a 2008 Infiniti FX35. The FX got many upgrades to make it exactly the way Eric envisioned and he’s been enjoying it with his family as well as backroads.
The first generation (S50) FX-series models have aged rather well and we dig their combination of styling, power and versatility. Eric recalls how he became an FX owner:
“I’ve always been a car enthusiast. My mom owned a 72 240Z back in the day and in 2007 my wife and I purchased a G35 Coupe 6MT and after a disappointing experience with the local Infiniti dealer, took the car to Rob and ZCG. Needless to say, the knowledge base and Rob’s unique brand of engagement with his customers was refreshing. It was one of the best customer service experiences I’ve had and ZCG took exceptional care of our G35. After a couple years of ownership, we had to give up the G Coupe with the onset of…kids.
Fast forward nearly a dozen years and the kids a bit older, I started my search for a new car. It needed to be sporty but still functional as a daily driver. It needed to haul mail and still haul the kids and the bikes and the gear. The FX covered nearly every one of my criteria in one package, but fell a little short in visual cues and base line performance.
“As I searched for potential candidates, I was thrilled to reconnect with Rob and ZCG. He helped me focus my search efforts and game plan what I envisioned for the car. After a year of searching my FX came up for sale. As luck would have it, it was a car already under the care of ZCG and a number of mods on my want list performed. Rob confirmed the quality and condition of the FX as well as the character of the seller. It was, as they say, meant to be.”
Eric’s first visit with his FX focused on power and chassis upgrades. The VQ35 was treated to a Motordyne plenum spacer, JWT POP Charger and Uprev street tune providing more power throughout the rev range.
Keeping the FX glued to the tarmac are BC Racing coilovers and Stillen strut tower brace paired with a set of Nissan/Rays Eng GT-R R35 (CBA) rear wheels:
The wheels were refinished and we mount/balanced Michelin Pilot AS/3+ tires (295/45zr20) with new TPMS. We love the finish on these and they look right at home on the FX:
The stock brakes were upgraded to Akebono units from the G37/370z with a Stoptech sport brake kit (pads, slotted rotors, braided steel lines). This required changing the rear knuckle to a FX50 part.
Eric is all smiles with the upgrades and he’s been driving the FX everywhere:
“Rob and the ZCG Team worked incredibly hard to get everything on the car set in place so that I could immediately enjoy this family battle wagon and that’s just what I’ve been doing. Couldn’t be happier.”
We even spotted the FX at a local DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) Cars & Coffee event in Santa Cruz, CA:
Eric recently came back for a Nismo exhaust.
You can hear it in this driving video with Rob:
Thank you Eric for letting us improve your FX we look forward to seeing you at more events and keep Enjoying The Ride! More pictures in the gallery below.
Richard M has been our customer since he moved to California years ago and together we built his 2009 370z into a balanced sports car with power and style. We are really proud to see him enjoy his Z and be an active member of the community. Let’s take a look at the journey with a few highlights along the way…
Humble Beginnings Lead to Boost
“My experience with ZCG has been nothing but exceptional. Rob Fuller has taken care of me since day one and currently we are so close I call ’em family.”
Rich simply grew up loving cars, being a young enthusiast back in Philadelphia enjoying the street racing scene and drag strip at Atco and Englishtown NJ. His vision of a quick, balanced car started off as a bone stock 370z touring addition purchased from the original owner with just over 20k on the clock.
“I had just moved to California from Philadelphia and was searching for a reputable tuner in the Norcal region. That’s when I found ZCG and brought the car to see Rob to determine if this motor was worth investing in. We put it on the dyno and made over 313whp & 268wtq with just Uprev Osiris management and a Top Speed Pro 1 Track edition catback exhaust.”
That was in 2015, and indeed 313whp for a basically stock Z34 was well-above average, but Rich wanted a bit more:
“Then 2 months later we reached out to Stillen to bless the Z with the full Stillen Supercharger kit and oil cooler. The kit was installed and dyno’d making 433whp and 340wtq. We transformed the Z into a new car. The new driving characteristics were improved drastically and the kit, compared to the naturally aspirated setup was day and night.”
We added a Stillen 25-row oil cooler and GTR plugs:
The installation was seamlessly, before/after:
With a CAN tune out of the box we saw 376hp/284tq to the wheels. This wasn’t terribly impressive considering baseline NA numbers were 305hp/251tq, netting gains of 69hp/33tq:
After Rob’s custom tune we squeezed another 58hp/55tq for a total of 433hp/339tq to the wheels. The gains were significant all the way to the VQ’s sweet 7500rpm redline, even with slightly less boost!
Richard was happier now with over 400whp 🙂
“The performance of my Amuse 370Z from the beginning has met both my expectations and Rob’s expectations. Rob and I always talk about how this car has been a stand out in regards to reliability with added power enhancers.”
“Working with Rob was the best decision I could’ve made in allowing someone to tune my car and keep me grounded as it’s easy to get sucked into the battle of “who has the most horsepower”? Although it can always be done, I am proud to daily drive and make repeated trips between Norcal/Socal without any issues.”
We thank Rich for the kind words, and the Z certainly has been a workhorse. Here are some of Rich’s memorable moments with his 370z.
Highlights
Landing the front cover of DSPORT Magazine (Feb. 2018) which was also their SEMA issue and my first car cover and centerfold.
Being featured on Matt Farrah’s youtube channel “The Smoking Tire” which has over 500k views. We love to see our customer’s cars spotlighted in the media! Check out the video:
Winning 1st place Best Import at The San Jose Auto Show inside the “Spider Section” for custom cars at the Convention Center
Being invited & featured by Super Street Magazine to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Nissan GTR & Z Heritage in Monterey California for car week
The final and most special to Rich is being invited to be featured in the “2020 Toyo Tires X SuperStreet” calendar which has also been declared the very last Calendar that Toyo Tires and Super Street Magazine will do. SuperStreet has been such a pillar for all of us import enthusiasts so to be recognized by them has been a childhood dream come true.
Style
Rich added his own touch to the Z, including a full Powerhouse Amuse kit and custom paint job with Silver with Gold flakes:
“The PowerHouse Amuse body kit is a kit that is also functional for cooling purposes but is also one of those kits that I actually fell in love with. The sharp body lines that I think enhances the Z. I imported the kit from Japan after becoming friends with Hitoshi Matsui and becoming more confident in Amuse now known as R1 Titan.”
We love the Work Emotion CR KAI wheels (F: 19×9.5 +15 R: 19×11 +18) with Muteki 12×1.25 Neo Chrome Extended open lug nuts and Toyo Proxes T1 Tires 285/35/19R -255/35/19F:
The Z was then fitted with ISC Suspension 32 way fully adjustable coilover kit with custom spring rates. We also included SPC front and rear camber + SPC bolts to dial in the alignment. The brakes were upgraded to Stoptech slotted Rotors and performance pads with the addition of Stainless steel brake lines and Motul fluid. Rich continues to daily drive his Z and visits us for routine maintenance. Next up will be an OS Giken rear end
Rich would like to thank his sponsors: Toyo Tires, Stillen, ISC Suspension, Socal Z, and ZCG.
Jim H has a great story behind this Series 1 S30. We know the previous owner through Datsun Roadsters from over a decade ago. Jim’s kids actually found this Z for him! Full story HERE. The Z received an upgraded cooling system, ZCG Big-Brakes an CV axles and 16″ Panasport wheels with Bridgestone S007a tires. He returned in the fall for a new 3L engine and more!
David L and Jason P brought their 240z cars in for ZCG Big-Brakes and CV axles:
A 240z Rally Car in for ZCG Big-Brakes!
We love Z32s and we have several in the shop including an NA 2+2 with a Twin-Turbo swap!
R32 Skylines. Kurt’s KH2 is getting engine/performance upgrades:
R32 in for tuning (Love the R34 wheels) and a 4-door R32 with an RB26DETT!
Richard M’s 370z (full story soon), Anniv and Nismo 370z:
Z Car Garage is expanding to support our vintage, late model and motorsport work. We are seeking an experienced and skilled automotive technician to join our team. This is not an average automotive job. We work 4-10hr days and offer competitive pay/benefits.
Requirements: Automotive experience, your own set of tools, willingness to learn, and be part of a team.
Nissan/Datsun experience is NOT a requirement, you just need to have passion.
Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? Share this, spread the word and please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.
