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Hagerty recently produced a video featuring local Bay Area Datsun owners Courtney and Dustin Frisk. The couple got married last year and Z Car Garage prepared Courtney’s 240z in time for their special day. Check out the video below and find out more about their love for Datsuns in Hagerty’s article HERE.
Learn more about ZCG’s work on Courtney’s 240z HERE. Enjoy The Ride, you two!
Frank B has been a Z Car Garage customer for many years. His stable includes an ultra low-vin Series 1 S30 (report soon) and this 1972 Datsun 240z that he acquired in 2005:
Affectionately named “Fuelie Z” this hot rod sports a fuel-injected Rebello 3L running Borla TWM induction. The old-school setup utilized RC injectors, a composite intake plenum and Electromotive Tec3 engine management.
With powerful L-series motivation Frank wanted to improve braking and we installed one of our very first sets of Z Car Garage Big Brakes roughly 8 years ago. These large, 328mm units at all 4-corners performed admirably and fit nicely behind his vintage 17″ Chevlon Racing Mesh wheels:
Frank has enjoyed the Z for several years, attending local ZONC events and fun runs. Below left: The ZONC Blackhawk Museum Show in 2008!
After a recent meeting with Frank we agreed it was time to update this Z car and make it as smooth as we could. He was our first customer to run the new Z Car Garage CV axles. This upgrade really inspired him to continue improving the car:
Next on the update list, we were really excited to install a Nissan 350z 6-speed manual transmission behind the L-series in Frank’s Z. You read that right! S30 owners can now bolt-in this robust, 6-speed manual behind their L-series engine! You might remember our first application of Austin Hoke’s custom 6-speed adapter kit on the OS Giken TC24B1Z-powered 240z:
Using the 6-speed conversion kit from Hoke Performance we installed a new CD009a transmission from the 2003 -2008 Z33 in Frank’s Z:
The kit necessitated exhaust header changes and after testing a variety of headers we found the Pacesetter 6-2-1 unit provided enough clearance:
We changed the exhaust and updated the driveshaft to an aluminum one. The old Spec clutch mated to the L-series transmission was removed and a JWT aluminum flywheel and HD clutch installed for work with the 350z transmission:
The 6-speed bolted in, more pictures of the install in gallery below:
The ZCG CV axles and 6-speed transmission transformed Frank’s Z. You can see the shifter location/operation in this video below. Enjoy!
Frank also asked why not update the engine management system and Rob said, “I’m in!”. Replacing the Tec3 unit we installed an Elite 750 from Haltech. This is a wonderful stand alone ECU company with very user-friendly products we love to use on our S30 builds.
With dyno tuning we improved the drivability of Z in addition to significant power gains. Final numbers were 231hp/210tq to the wheels:
We received great feedback from Frank after 100 miles of mountain roads. His wife could even notice the difference: super smooth, seamless operation with fantastic throttle response and more power. The Fuelie Z has been thoroughly updated, mission accomplished! We love that Frank is Enjoying The Ride in his Z stay tuned for a full report on his Series 1 240z!
LONG LIVE THE Z!
More pictures in the gallery below!
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This 1972 Nissan 240Z-L however is “the list” car for Glenn that started his Datsun passion. Glenn has owned it for several years, enjoying it as a back-road burner on the street and rallye events.
Find out more about the story behind this right-hand-drive survivor over on Petrolicious and also watch this great video:
We’ve known Glenn for many years and we actually tuned his Fairlady back in 2012. The 3L stroker produced one of the highest dyno numbers we had seen!
The Z clearly had more than enough power, but braking was always something Glenn wanted to improve and once he heard about our latest Big-Brake Kit for small wheels he became a believer after test driving them. Rather than tell you how we feel about this product, let’s hear Glenn’s experience.
Throughout my years of Z car ownership, I have run a variety of brake setups. My Z cars have seen everything from restored OEM Sumitomos, Toyota 4×4’s, trick Wilwood setups, even frankenstein’d Baer calipers. There is no doubt that it has been one area that I have never been completely satisfied with. Over time, after many years and attempts to find the ‘perfect’ setup, I had given up and just settled for what I had.
The most important aspect to me when it comes to braking on a street driven car is feel. Yes, stopping power is extremely important, but also is not that difficult to achieve on an early Z car that is naturally light to begin with. Feel, however, is something that has always managed to escape me. On my vintage 240z race car, we use multiple master cylinders, swap them in and out, fiddle with our brake proportioning valves, fine tuning them to fit our driving style and preference. We are trying to find that “racer’s edge.” In all honesty, when it comes to a street car, I want nothing to do with all that.
Wheel sizing and style was also extremely important to me. I love old school wheels and the sizes they came in. I needed a brake caliper that would fit under my 15” Watanabe RS wheels without having to shave or drastically modify my setup. If it was not for being in love with these wheels, I would have opted for Z Car Garage’s larger big brake kit.
A few words about our latest big-brake kit solution. Our successful, larger ZCG BBK utilizes 328mm rotors and 4-piston calipers requiring a 16″ or 17″ wheel. This kit was made with our friends Tyler and Eric from Stoptech over ten years ago. Recently our customers asked us to make a BBK for smaller wheels so even a guy running 14″ vintage 5-slots slots could brake like a modern sports car. Typical big-brake kits use a 4-piston setup up front and a ZX in back; Proportioning is hard to get right, varying from car to car. We wanted a brake system that suited the car and totally bolted in, no M/C change, no proportioning valve, no booster change.
Working with Stoptech again, we developed this smaller BBK as a direct bolt-in solution for the 1970 to 1978 S30 Z cars. We’ve been with Stoptech since the beginning and love their products. We aim to release this product to the masses once our local installs are completed. Let’s get back to Glenn and hear his initial impressions of the big-brake kit:
Rob informed me he was working up a solution and he wanted me to be test the brake kit. Rob promised three things – they would brake amazing, they would fit under my 15” Watanabes, and they would feel as if they belonged on the car. Did I doubt it at first? Sure, a little. However, I also knew that the fit and finish of all products that came out of ZCG were top notch, and that Rob thoroughly tested all his products against his own standards. Which I’m sure everyone knows, are extremely high.
In preparation for the Monterey Historics last year, I had brought the Z race car to the shop for dyno time. Rob gave me the keys to his Butters Z and said “Go drive it.” Under 14″ wheels sat his brand new ZCG brake kit. I gladly accepted and took the car for a ride.
WOW, what a difference. The feel, modulation, power, sharpness was amazing. Hands down the best brakes I had ever driven on a Z car, and these were on a car with stock suspension, tires and probably cruddy tires! I told Rob, “sign me up!”
Glenn wanted to run the brake kit on his Fairlady and we happily obliged. He had also been gearing up for a road rallye so the braking system would be throughly used. You can see his Z (top left) along with his buddy Erich C’s S30 (top right, also getting a ZCG BBK!):
Then came the day Rob called me up and said they were ready to rock and roll. Lucky for me, I was just about to head out on the 1000-mile Coastal Range Rally! The kit came with beautifully anodized front and rear calipers, hats, rotors, brakes lines, reversible brackets (for early and later Z offsets), and a factory ⅞” master cylinder. Read that again… Yes, a proportioning valve was left out from that list! The brakes were a straight bolt on and ZCG did all the math to get both the master cylinder size and piston sizes correct. We brought the car in for install and within a day the car was ready to rock.
Glenn’s 240z now had 4-wheel disc brakes ready to tackle the street and rallye:
And of course, the brakes fit beautifully under the 15″ Watts. Kane approved, and Glenn was stoked:
I could hardly wait to jump in the seat of the car and take it for a spin. The brakes were now on a car with suspension, tire, power, and a proper alignment. It was everything I had remembered from driving the Butters Z and MORE. The brakes performed flawlessly on the Coastal Range Rally, taking abuse from California’s most challenging roads:
Attention to detail goes a long way. This is exactly what these brakes delivered, and what continues to be delivered by ZCG.
LONG LIVE THE Z!
We are happy to report that Glenn is still braking late and still braking deep all while Enjoy The Ride! You can find him carving through the Santa Cruz Mountains:
Big thanks to Glenn for letting us work on your Fairlady! We also thank Eric and Tyler from Stoptech for supporting us and our precious Z cars!
More pictures in the gallery below!
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This 1973 Datsun 240z has been in owner Erich C’s family since new. He is also a good friend of fellow Z-car racer Glenn and both enjoy carving through the winding back roads of the Bay Area. Erich decided to finally restore his S30 and placed it in the capable hands of racer and Datsun guru Troy Ermish. Fresh from a restoration at his shop the Z had plenty of hot rod parts including a Rebello 3L with triple Mikuni carbs:
Erich came to Z Car Garage for inspection services and sorting before entering the car in the fabled Coastal Range Rally held on Feb. 22. His Z came to us at a great time with plenty of familiar company in the shop:
On the short list of items needing attention: clutch hydraulics, brake booster issue, wiring issues, speedometer not working, exhaust leaks, engine oil leak and transmission leak.
We addressed the clutch hydraulics by replacing the clutch M/C and re-drilling the clutch slave cylinder mounting holes. The system was bled and we adjusted everything to ensure the clutch pedal worked beautifully. The brake booster was also adjusted to allow full travel and full pressure with pedal application:
Next, we diagnosed a leak at the bellhousing. First, we removed the transmission and confirmed that the clutch/flywheel surfaces were dry and unaffected:
The source of the leak was from the transmission’s front seal:
We separated the transmission to replace the seal:
Bellhousing cleaned and front cover assembled:
The reverse switch was not operable. On the KA24 transmission conversion the reverse gear switch is located about 22mm further back on the F4W71B than on the FS5W71B or C. While the transmission was out we relocated the reverse switch and it now functions:
Let’s take a brief pause for this beauty:
A few wiring issues were diagnosed like the the brake lights: we found a broken wire at the pedal switch, removed all the bolts cleaned up the connections and replaced the switch with a NOS Nissan part. Brake lights work now!
The speedometer was not functioning so we replaced the speedo cable assembly with some ZCG stock. We also traced wiring from the tachometer to engine bay and got it working. Tach and speedo now operable!
Moving towards the rear of the Z, look how ultra-clean it is!
What may not be apparent from the photo above is the exhaust was hitting the diff, so we clearanced it:
The differential “fill” bolt with was replaced with the correct square plug:
On high power Z’s like Erich’s the diff fluid can overflow out of the vent, so we add a little hose here:
There was an oil leak at the oil pump so this part was replaced, no more leaks:
The combination of 15×8 wheels with 225/50/15 Toyo R888 tires was rubbing badly on the rear fender lips:
We rolled the lips and confirmed no rubbing:
Before tuning the car we identified and fixed exhaust leaks at the header flange and collectors:
Fresh spark plugs, an O2 sensor and we were ready for some dyno time.
After we corrected some jetting issues Erich’s S30 made a stout 261hp/234tq to the wheels!
Erich’s S30 left Z Car Garage just in time to participate in the Coast Range Rally and we are happy to report that he completed it!
We are proud of Troy and his restoration of this Z. It is also great to see Erich out Enjoying The Ride where these cars are meant to be. Thank you Erich and Troy for letting us work on this canyon carver. Stay tuned as Erich made another appointment with us to replace his Wilwood brakes with…our ZCG Big Brake Kit!
LONG LIVE THE Z!
Enjoy more pictures in the gallery below
Lou S is no stranger to Z Car Garage, having built several cars with us since we opened our doors in 2004. Although the red Z shown above is the focus of this blog post, let’s spend a moment recalling 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:
The pretty triple Weber carb setup on the 3.2L was pictured on SpeedHunters and the Z was a feature car in JNC’s booth at the highly-successful Bayline show:
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 wider Panasport C8 wheels and a stroker RB engine backed by either a close-ratio 5-Speed or 6-speed.
While Lou’s Fairlady Z was being torn down, Rob had been daily-driving his Monte Carlo Red (#905) 1970 Series 1 S30. Rob had this car for a few years and every time Lou saw it he would hound Rob to sell it to him. Here is the low vin (6143) S30 back when Rob acquired it, before a cut and buff, stock hubcaps and refreshening:
Lou finally acquired Monte Carlo from Rob. While the Fairlady Z sat in storage Lou was driving around in the bone-stock Monte Carlo. We thought, why not take the pieces in storage and upgrade Monte Carlo? ZCG went to work and transferred all of the suspension, wheel/tires and Big-Brakes from the Fairlady Z to Monte Carlo:
Lou has our ZCG Big-Brake kit. Not to be confused with our current Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), this Big-Brake kit was our initial setup from over a decade ago. This 328mm sized kit requires 17″ diameter wheels and the massive ST-42 calipers are finished in bright red. We actually did all the R&D in-house for this setup…using a 280ZX master cylinder and our own mounting brackets. Full suspension (Coil-overs) and ZCG Big-Brakes F/R replace OEM parts:
Another look at those massive ZCG Big-Brakes!
The 280z 2.8L engine received a 5-speed transmission with new clutch/flywheel.
5-speed transmission fitment required trimming the shifter area as early cars came with 4-speeds:
While the Z was on the lift we also addressed a few engine bay items like a new brake booster:
The interior also got attention with nicer, complete seats from our parts supply. The original seats were badly torn:
The resulting transformation is impressive. From a stock, early series 1 Z to a hot rod with killer brakes, suspension and footwork that is familiar to Lou. We know these upgrades to Monte Carlo will keep him Enjoying The Ride while his Fairlady Z gets built.
We love Lou’s passion for Z’s and he is a Z car fanatic. Thanks for letting us work on Monte Carlo!
Long Live The Z!
More pictures in the gallery
