At Z Car Garage we are fortunate to be a part of our client’s sports car journeys. We first met Derek Y in 2014 when we worked on his 2005 Infiniti G35 back. A few years passed by and he visited us with his latest Nissan, this 2015 GT-R:
The R35 had only 11k miles and ZCG installed a host of power upgrades from AMS, EcuTek, SpecialtyZ, Turbosmart and more. You can read about this work from 2019, including the E85 flex-fuel and exhaust upgrades all in this previous blog post.
More Power and a New Look
Derek latest visit was earlier this year for dyno tuning, interior items and AirLift installation. When it arrived at the shop this R35 sported a complete Varis Kamikaze-R Ver. 2 widebody “Super Sonic” kit and Varis Kamikaze-R Ver. 2 Vented Carbon hood. The Air Lift 3H air suspension strut kit was installed with polished 5 gallon tank.
We ran all of the air lines, checked ride height and clearances for the slick Advan R6 Candy Red wheels (20×11 +15 front – 20×12+20 rear) with Toyo R888R tires (305/35/20 Front – 325/30/20 Rear), more installation photos in the gallery below:
We also installed a new, Overtake 100-V Saikou Exhaust:
A few minor items like a new battery, TPMS sensors in the new wheels and a final health check for Derek’s VR30DETT…but first we performed a re-tune with Ecutek for even more power. Our last dyno session yielded 612hp/604tq to the wheels and it left with 640hp/622tq. What’s impressive is that this remains a supercar that’s easy to to drive:
Enjoy these dyno runs:
Interior
Derek had several interior items for us to install including: Mines Steering Wheel, Nismo Cluster, Nismo cluster shroud and shiftter paddles:
Derek is happy with the latest upgrades to the R35:
“I have been going to Rob for a while now, he worked on my car october 2019 (bolt on and e85 work done) and again recently with a new tune and air suspension and some interior mods. The work is always great its making more power now and more responsive linear power.”
Here are the SpecialtyZ 3″ intakes and AMS front-mount intercooler being installed:
More engine bay work including the AMS crankcase breather setup, ID 1300cc injectors (plus DW fuel pump upgrade), Turbosmart BOVs and a SpecialtyZ Flex-Fuel kit:
AMS crankcase breather being plumbed:
Stock vs Turbosmart BOV:
On the lift, AMS cat-less downpipes are installed:
At first glance it is difficult to catch all of the power upgrades in the engine bay, Stock (L) vs Modified (R)
Derek also needed new tires so we mounted fresh Michelin Pilot Sport4S sized 245/40/20 and 285/35/ 20.
Dyno Tuning
Back in 2019 , Rob dyno tuned the GT-R using an EcuTek flash and Derek also received a USB dongle for datalogging. Baseline power was 495hp/446tq with final numbers of 612hp/604tq to the wheels on E85:
A few plots showing the tuning session: Baseline to 91 octane tune with gains of 65hp/93tq (Left), and the final E85 tune for even more gains of 52hp/51tq (Right):
Video of the R35 on the ZCG dyno:
Thanks for letting us work on your GT-R Derek and enjoy the boost!
Filed under: Performance,z32
by Alvin G @ 3:00 pm on May 23, 2022
The Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is one the best Japanese sports cars of the 90’s. Keeping them on the road is our passion and we love to see our clients like Peter H Enjoying the Ride after some Z Car Garage power, chassis and aesthetic upgades.
Let’s take a look at how we made the already-fantastic 300ZX a well-rounded sports car, starting with Peter’s Z-story.
It’Z Never Too Late to Z
Peter was not always a Z-car enthusiast, but as we all know it there is no time like the present to own one and he acquired his Z32 from a prior Z Car Garage client:
“My experience with ZCG started back in end of 2016 when I acquired the Z from one of their former customers. To be honest, I had a very limited knowledge on Nissan Z cars before 2016 as I had a heart on rotary engine (Mazda FD RX-7) until I connected to the Z and its timeless design. I first brought my Z in to ZCG for power steering leak as the car was exclusively maintenance by ZCG and I want to keep it that way and I was impressed with the quality work of ZCG and their knowledge. Istarted to chat with Rob about the car and learned a lot from Rob about Z cars.”
Over the last 5 years we helped Peter with regular maintenance along with performance upgrades. Peter really wanted to give this car the attention it deserves while enjoying the occasional open track day.
Power Upgrades
Prior to power upgrades a few items were addressed. The 1990-1994 Z32TT’s have fuel injector problems because Nissan used a wet coil design. This left the injector coil wire prone to oxidation over time and eventual shorting. The solution? Convert to later style injectors using the early fuel rail. For Peter’s Z we wanted to run 740cc injectors which is only available in the new style:
More engine work including full timing belt services along with valve cover removal/refinishing:
Driveline was upgraded with a JWT HD clutch and flywheel. Keen observers may note that the exhaust has changed too!
Larger downpipes greatly improve flow over the stock manifolds. The best downpipes for your Z32TT can be found at SpecialtyZ. These are 3″ units:
The Z was treated to a chassis steam clean, making a clean grime-free backdrop for the new exhaust system. Downpipes were mated to 3-2.5″ SPZ mid-pipes and Greddy SP1 Exhaust:
We installed more parts from our friends at SpecialtyZ like their Selin dual MAF. To improve breathing we also installed larger Stillen intercoolers and charge plumbing from Ash-spec. Managing boost is a Greddy Profec E Boost Controller:
Finally, low-profile engine mounts from BDE offer more turbo inlet clearance and oil temps kept in check with a Concept Z Performance full Flow Oil Cooler Kit:
Recent work at Z Car Garage included a repaired turbo actuator, oil plan replacement, repaired heater core, new OEM wiring harness and minor electrical sorting from a 3rd party gauge installation.
Dyno Tuning
We dyno tuned Peter’s Z picking up 25hp/32tq for a total of 36hp/341tq at the wheels:
Enjoy this video below showing the dyno run, a walk-around, take-off and brief track footage:
Big-Brakes and Chassis
As every Z32 owner knows, the stock brakes just aren’t up to the task for track duty or even spirited driving. More power exacerbates the issue and you know how we feel at ZCG: It’s Stoptech Or Don’t Stop At All. Peter eventually experienced the difference:
“The Z was cranking out 355wHP but with stock brakes and heavy wheels. The acceleration was great but it had a big problem on stopping. I first upgraded with bigger rotors but it did not feel enough stopping power when going downhill. I brought my concern to Rob and Rob made it clearly to me Stoptech BBK is the only solution on Z32s.”
We installed the 332mm Big-Brake Kit using red calipers and rotors. Stock vs Stoptech:
At the rear, stock Z32 calipers were paint-matched to the Stoptech red up front. Sport kit slotted rotors with 309 pads and SS lines throughout:
In addition to their function, the Stoptech’s look nice too!
A few chassis upgrades included Powertrix Front Strut Tower, Stillen Front Rear Sway Bars, SPL Titanium Tension Rods, full Tein Flex Z Coilovers and new steering rack boots/bushings:
Interior
Peter wanted us to sort out his aftermarket gauges (Prosport Boost Gauge, Oil Temperature, Water Temperature Gauge), install a new steering wheel and upgrade lighting:
The dim stock displays benefitted from new LED sources. Check out the difference:
Even the climate control display is improved:
More LED upgrades throughout the cabin:
Peter’s interior touches include a Custom Alcantara on factory steering wheel with thumb rest:
Recaro Speed Racing Seats with Bride Seat rail/bracket, Nismo Clutch and Brake Pedal, Cusco accelerator pedal, and custom carbon fiber interior door sill with a logo “Fairlady” :
Aesthetics
We did Peter’s choice of exterior design items including a Stillen Type III lower bumper lip, TwinZ Design side skirts, TwinZ Design Rear diffuser, TwinZ Design Rear Spoiler Lip, and rare Veilside Polyurethane Exterior Mirrors:
Unfortunately while we were on group drive we saw Peter roadside as the Z stepped out a bit on him. This gave us an opportunity to get some loving from William on the front end with his famous “extractor mod” as Rob describes:
“For almost two decades William has taken the factory aluminum hood and created a functional vent. All of th h igh hp cars have this hood mod and it looks OEM. Peter got lucky, we want our clients to enjoy their cars but please be safe out there. They are not making these epic sports cars anymore like the 90-96 Z32.”
Wheels Make the car
Peter obsessed on a set of proper wheels and tires for the Z, choosing the 18″ Advan Racing TC4:
“I had 3 brands in mind, SSR GT V01, Advan Racing TC4, Volk Racings TE37 Time Attack Saga. As Z32 is an older car, finding modern wheels with the right offset is challenging. After 3 months of back and forth communication/verification with Rob, we finally came to a conclusion with Advan Racking TC4 with 18×8.5” (offset 31) and 18×10” (offset 35) as I want to reserve some room to go with wider tires in case the car runs more HP in the future. There was a 10 months wait time on these wheels.”
We mounted the wheels with Bridgestone RE71R tires and they do look fantastic, framing the Stoptech calipers well, more photos in the gallery below!
Enjoying The Ride
Peter has been driving his Z on the street and on the track:
“Rob was trying to talk me out of the track, saying the Z32 is not a good track car but to me, I have made the car this far, I am not out there to compete with anyone, just to have fun and proved a well maintained Z32 can be enjoyed on the race track.”
Indeed, Peter took the Z to an open track day at Thunderhill Raceway and had a blast:
Thanks for your support and passion for the Z32, Peter. Keep Enjoy The Ride!
The 2020 Rally From Home South was held October 1 and we had a wonderful driving experience. Hosted by Driving While Awesome, the one-day event brought interesting cars and their drivers sharing a common passion for enjoying the best driving roads in Northern California. We participated with the Z Car Garage 1970 Datsun 240z and this is our report from the day filled with open roads, seemingly endless stretches of curvy mountain passes and good company.
The ZCG Datsun 240z
Rob handed me the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z that serves as the shop demo car and I happily obliged to drive. While this S30 deserves its own feature, here are a few details on the build:
Engine: 3.2L L-series with triple Mikuni 44 carbs and ZCG Heat Sheild
Suspension: Full KW coil-over suspension (ZCG-spec)
Brakes: Z Car Garage Big-Brakes
Drivetrain: Nissan CD009a 6-speed, Z Car Garage CV Axles, OS Giken 4.11 LSD
Wheels: 16×7 Panasport with 225/50/16 Toyo Proxes RA1
Interior: Recaro LXF seats
The Z performed admirably without a single problem over the 300+ mile event. This is a testament to thorough rally-prep (thanks ZCG crew) and the wonderfully upgraded suspension/chassis. These modifications offered a great balance of ride compliance and stiffness for the canyons with a seamless transition between rough to smooth surfaces. The ZCG Big-brakes also delivered great feel and zero fade…truly confidence-inspiring. Icing on the cake was the Nissan CD009a 6-speed transmission :
This gearbox completely transforms the driving experience in Butters. Gone are the long throws of the close-ratio ZX 5-speed and any feelings of fragility with high-speed shifting. The 6-speed simply clicks-off shifts with minimal effort and the gear spacing is truly a match made in heaven for the L-Series. More details with full testing (weights/dyno etc.) coming soon. Enjoy this video of Ms. Butters and hear that L-series sing!
Rally Start: San Juan to Coalinga
With the recent fires and COVID changing how we live, the typical 3-day format of previous DWA rallies (CRR Rewind 2019) was changed to a one-day event. I really enjoyed it and though a single day sounded appealing I did miss the extra driving and mingling of former events. This year the rally was dubbed Rally From Home South, as the start was very close to the South Bay Area. I joined fellow enthusiast Geoff W in his 1972 BMW 2002 Monday morning to blast down to the starting point in San Juan Bautista, CA.
The mini-cars and coffee of rally participants was full of wicked metal, both old and new. The DWA organizers encouraged us that this isn’t a race, and to enjoy the roads at our own pace. I can’t emphasize enough how great this group of folks is. A good portion are DWA-veteran rally drivers and the positivity was contagious. We were the only Datsun/Nissan represented!
Geoff and I grabbed our swag bags and rally maps and hopped into our cars heading South through HWY 25. A few brief stops along the way, at Condon Peak (Ron’s S2000) and oil fields in Coalinga:
King City to Fort Ord
The next stages leaving King City were a mix of long sweepers with a few technical sections. Despite the smoky sky and blistering heat we made it to the Green Bridge. Here, Geoff and I took a nice break under some trees. Soon we were joined by Naveed, Brendan, Marcelo and a few others!
Carmel Valley Road to Laguna Seca
This was my favorite stretch of road on the rally. We enjoyed it so much that we turned around and drove it again, while capturing some video of the cars in action. While Geoff and I were putting in work wrestling our vintage cars, Naveed was comfortably living the dream in the Porsche GT3RS from Abrahim of StealthLabs:
It is difficult to describe the driving experience through photos, so please enjoy this video I made!
Geoff and I switched cars for a bit. I was really impressed with the 2002’s handling, it’s a gem. The rare Camapagnolo wheels also look incredible with the sticky CR65 tires. We arrived at the entrance to Laguna Seca and it was another car show representing a great feature of DWA rallies: diversity. So many cool cars from all era’s and marques! This was a fun time chatting with fellow rally’ers
Our final stop was a relaxed gathering at Fort Ord under a filtered sunset. A great way to end a day of driving. More picture in the gallery!
Thank you DWA!
Rally From Home South was a surreal experience. I am still day dreaming about the incredible stretches of roads that we travelled all in one day. For what seems like a brief moment in time we were transported to another world with changing landscapes, smells, sights and sounds. Big thanks to the crew at Driving While Awesome and old/new friends met during the rally. We are definitely signing up for the next event! Enjoy the picture gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Dan J has been with Z Car Garage for all of the maintenance and performance modifications on his 2015 GT-R. You may remember his last few visits when we installed the AMS Alpha Kit and brake/suspension upgrades:
We love that Dan not only owns a lovely supercar but drives it hard. Whenever we see him it’s either at ZCG or a track day! Dan is getting faster on the track and at his last Laguna Seca event he noticed transmission temps starting to rise.
To make sure there were no further temp issues he visited us to install the HKS DCT cooler kit. This kit works extremely well and we can’t stress the high quality of this product. Everything fits as if it were an OEM part. It’s that good. Here are a few pictures of the installation:
Factory oil cooler assembly:
Aluminum oil lines:
Oil cooler, air ducting, kit-supplied washer tank tank installed:
Dan J is the owner of this gorgeous 2015 GT-R finished in Regal Red paint with Ivory interior. In June ’15 he visited Z Car Garage for more power via the AMS Alpha 7 package making 577hp/562tq to the wheels.
Dan has been enjoying the newfound power on the street and racetrack. Speaking of the racetrack, Rob was at Laguna Seca recently with a few other customers and spotted Dan who was also tracking his car. Rob noticed that the GT-R’s front tires were worn and he had braking trouble. Immediately following the track day Dan reached out to us and discussed upgrading the brakes and suspension to reign in all that new power.
