We met Bruce L at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. He has owned these (two) Series 1 240z cars for decades and wanted us to revive them. Bruce has performed all work himself and never let anyone else touch his Z cars so we were honored to oblige. In addition to getting the cars road-worthy each one sports our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Let’s take a look at how Bruce got into S30’s.

Beginnings

Bruce was introduced to Datsuns with his parent’s Bluebird 4-door 1300 (he took his driving license in this in 1969). He even purchased a brand new 1971 Datsun pickup in 1970 for $1800 and got a glimpse of the Z car:

“In the dealership showroom floor while purchasing this Pickup was a brand new early production Dark Green 1969 240Z with a Tan interior. The price tag was 3,400.00 ish. There was no way I could afford that kind of money for another car, let alone a sports car, and I needed a truck to haul my Dirt Bike to and from the Hollister Hills off-road park. Still, I wanted a 240Z instead of any of the muscle cars of the era. They just didn’t speak to me. Too big and bulky and the Cobra had no top to speak of in those days and it didn’t say buy-me.”

  

In 1973 Bruce walked into that same dealership to see and purchase a used ’72 Lime Yellow 240z.  Leap forward to 1982 and he purchased “Christine” from the same Datsun mechanic that used to work on his yellow ’72. Later in 1989 is when he purchased “Valerie” from a lady named Valerie who wanted to sell right after the ’89 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

 

“I love both of my Z’s even if I had to store them both for ten years. Rob brought them both back to life for me and added all of the improvements to make them come alive. And a thrill to drive once again. I still do all the small general maintenance for the most part on both Z’s, but have given the chore of anything else that I don’t wish to tackle at 67 years old to Rob.”

Bruce and his wife are fantastic people that have been active in the Z car community for a long time. After seeing us at the Rolex event, our operations and many happy customers Bruce wanted us to go through all of his personal cars. Both Series 1 S30’s came to Z Car Garage, starting with Valerie and later the Hot Rod, Christine.

 

Valerie

 

Valerie had been sitting for about 10 years and we performed the basics to get it back on the road again. The fuel tank was removed, boiled out and all fuel/vapor-associated lines were replaced:

 

Chassis

 

The chassis was treated to a light refresh with new parts and bushings from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff.  T3 adjustable front T/C rods and lower rear control arms:

 

Bruce had already done springs and struts on Valerie long ago…but nothing had serious miles on it so we just had to correct a couple of things, trimmed front springs for a nicer stance and trimmed bump stops. We also replaced the rack and moustache bar bushings.

 

The diff was removed and re-sealed:

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

 

Our readers are likely familiar with “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car with full suspension and our ZCG Big-Brakes. Following a test drive in Butters, clients are sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Read below for a brief description of these parts:

     

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:

 

We removed Bruce’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit on both Valerie and Christine. Up front:

 

The rear drums were replace with the ZCG setup and factory hand brake functionality remains!

 

The ZCG Big-Brake Kit fits nicely behind 15″ (Valerie) and 16″ (Christine) Panasports and Bruce is really happy with the disc brake upgrades.

 

 

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 100 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

  

We installed CV Axle kit #258 on Valerie and #266 on Christine. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

 

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms:

  

Engine

 

Bruce gives a little background on Valerie’s drivetrain:

“I originally intended to make Valerie a commute car for my wife to travel between Prunedale and Morgan Hill. The job never materialized and I then decided to make Valerie into a show car. Everything about Christine in terms of how she was built is identical with Valerie, except for the engine which she still retains a 2.4 L with E-31 head, Schneider cam and stock twin” SUs.” Valerie has a 5 speed transmission with custom shift lever.”

 

With the engine gone through by Bruce many years ago, we went ahead replaced the oil pan gasket, pulled/sealed transmission, installed a JWT clutch and updated ignition with Pertronix.

   

 

On the dyno we dialed it in for best performance, making 128hp/127tq at the wheels, video below:

 

 

Just You and Me

Bruce and his wife Enjoying Valerie. He recalls an old car show we both attended (but did know each other then):

“I had Valerie stripped down to bare metal also and repainted in 1989 Mercedes Back Pearl. I then had her wet sanded and polished to a near mirror finish. I took her to the Ohlone College Car Show in 2002 where she won 1^st place in the 240Z category out of Fifty Two 240Z’s. Mr. K was present and awarded Valerie “Best of Show”, signing both awards.”

 

Christine

 

As soon as we finished Valerie, Bruce brought us his second 1970 S30 affectionately named “Christine”. This is his Hot Rod Z:

“I replaced the original 2.4 L engine with a rebuilt 2.8 L engine. I then had an E-31 Head Ported and Polished with a Schneider Cam installed. I installed a 280Z 5-speed transmission that required me to make a custom linkage making the gearshift lever appear to be in a stock position on the console. Then around 1985 I had the car stripped of all way down to bare metal, prepped, sanded along with having deletes welded in on the rear bumper to accommodate the Cobra style bumper.”

 

Christine was also sitting for a decade and we performed similar revival tasks as done to Valerie. The fuel tank was pulled, clutch and oil plump replaced and we did all the corrections that were needed, with ZCG touches. An MSD6AL box with Blaster2 coil was installed and triple-Mikuni PHH 40 carbs (now with titanium velocity stacks) were re-jetted. Rob dyno tuned Christine, making 165hp/159tq at the wheels:

 

Bruce was pleased:

“In 2019 I took Christine to Z Car Garage and had Rob Fuller complete a refresh on the engine to include a Dyno Tune on the Carburetors. Rob did a fantastic job of getting Christine back up and running the way she should be as she had been in storage for 10 years. Rob also did a complete tubular control arm upgrade along with installing solid one-piece half shafts and a complete four-wheel disc brake conversion kit to include the emergency brake.”

As Bruce mentioned, Christine also received our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

  

Both of these products are available now from Z Car Garage. Please email/call Rob!

 

The Big-Brakes look great behind a new set of 16×7 Panasport wheels with s007a tires in 225/50/16:

 

Enjoying the Ride

 

With both 1970 Z cars back on the road Bruce was out Enjoying The Ride. Above, Christine enjoys prime parking at the Pacific Grove Car Show during Monterey Car Week in 2019. Below, Bruce attended the ZONC Annual Car Show in Brisbane, CA earning 1st place with Christine:

 

On that car show note, here is a fun fact: Bruce has been the caretaker of “Sunshine”, a special Z32. Sunshine was previously owned by Carolyn Dudley – ZONC President for many years and personal friend of Mr. K.

 

After Carolyn passed away (RIP), her son sold the Z to Bruce. Under his ownership Bruce has given this 300zx a full restoration and keeps it running well at 157k miles.

“Sunshine was given center stage at Blackhawk Car Show in 2004. People were recognizing Sunshine and they approached her and laid their hands on the car and were praying.  That gave me chills. I stopped taking Sunshine to events until I took her 2 years ago to the ZONC picnic in the bay area and still a lot of people recognized her.”

 

Feelin’ Stronger Everyday

 

We understand that it is hard to entrust a shop with your pride and joy. After purchasing Christine in 1982, all of the work performed on her was completed by Bruce and his best friend in a garage.

“I have never left either of my Z’s at any place to be worked on other than the 2 paint shops. (One in 1985 Sean’s Auto Body in Salinas – Black Acrylic Enamel and One in 1991 or 92 at J&J Auto Body in Auburn Calif – 1989 Mercedes Black Pearl). I also wasn’t concerned in 2019 with leaving either of my 240Z’s with Rob Fuller at  ZCG because of his reputation in the Z World that I explored prior to contacting him at the shop. Christine was never purchased as an investment, she was purchased as a car that I cherished and now 38 years later Christine is still not for sale.”

 

We thank Bruce for giving us the opportunity to help get both of his 1970 Z cars back on the road. Enjoy the picture gallery and  LONG LIVE THE Z!

> 
…[read more]

 

On Saturday I joined six other cars for a morning cruise through the Santa Cruz Mountains. The two S30 Z cars with us were running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

Glenn’s 1972 Nissan Fairlady 240z-L

 

Glenn Chiou drove his RHD Fairlady Z sporting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels). He is an avid vintage race car driver/restorer and found our brake kit offers incredible brake feel and performance all fitting behind his favorite 15×8 zero offset Watanabe wheel:

“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 and the ZCG brakes deliver. WOW, what a difference. The feel, modulation, power, sharpness was amazing. Hands down the best brakes I had ever driven on a Z car”

This is a direct result of working with engineers at 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 some 14″ wheels) and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few pictures of the Big-Brakes being installed on Glenn’s Z:

 

Glenn was having fun on the twistys on our cruise (see video below). Learn more about his Z in this Petrolicious video.

 

James’ 1972 Datsun 240z

 

James is running our ZCG BBK (1st gen, 328mm) and  Z Car Garage CV Axles in his turbocharged L-Series beast:

 

 

You can learn more about this 560whp Z on Speedhunters and see it in action on Hoonigan Autofocus. James also had a blast on our Saturday cruise:

 

Saturday Cruising

 

We started our drive in Downtown Saratoga and made it to the coast via Bear Creek and Bonny Doon Rd. Here is a short video:

 

We were happy to enjoy the company of cool cars and cool folks, also joining us:

Dustin’s 510

 

We’ve known Dustin and Courtney for many years. Dustin’s 510 4-door runs a KA24DE and sweet Longchamp XR-4 wheels. The side exit exhaust is loud!

 

Tony’s Mazda RX-2

 

Tony has had this RX-2 for many years. In addition to the full restoration it now has a full (S5) 13B drivetrain with a Ford 9″ rear end! It is mint. I haven’t seen Tony in many years so it was a joy to have him along:

Lloyd’s AE86

 

Lloyd has a very cool collection of cars and this AE86 is the latest. Although it sports an F20C drivetrain (Lloyd promised me it’s not the same car as this one), it has numerous upgrades for a better drive. Gotta love TE37s:

 

Geoff’s BMW 2002

 

Geoff’s no stranger to our Bay Area cruises and also owns a Lotus 7. He was the only German this time with his BMW 2002 on rare Campagnolo wheels:

 

I drove my SR-powered ‘67.5 Datsun Roadster and it was a great way to spend the morning.

 

Yes, that’s a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso flying by on HWY 1!

 

More pictures in the gallery below!
…[read more]

  

When we learned that a Nissan Silvia was in our area Z Car Garage got excited. This is not the 90’s Silvia (Nissan 240sx here) we know and love, it is the ultra-rare 1965 Silvia CSP311. Only 554 examples were made from ’67 -’67 and never imported to the US.

 

Fortunately for owner Rick K, he was able to acquire this Silvia from our friends at JDM Legends:

“My son (Matt) and I were searching for a nice 240Z. Throughout our search, Matt kept telling me about the Silvia (CSP311).  One became available through JDM Legends. I just wasn’t sure about it until we saw Myron Vernis’ beautiful Silvia featured in a recent JDM exhibit at the Peterson. When we saw the car in person, we were hooked. We purchased the Silvia from JDM-L. It is built on the Nissan/Datsun Roadster chassis and drive train, so it is fun to drive and reliable.”

The Luxurious Datsun 1600 Coupe

 

The Silvia is special for many reasons. As Rick mentioned above, this car was built on the Datsun Roadster chassis, meaning it is a body-on-frame platform sharing the same R16 drivetrain as the Datsun 1600 (SP311). All were hand built and right hand drive with a gorgeous interior. Fairlady owners will notice familiar gauges and switchgear–all borrowed from the contemporary Datsun Roadster. The body was designed by Kazuo Kimura with influence from Albrecht Goertz (of 240z/2000GT fame):

 

Although it was a beautiful, robust little coupe it was not a sales success for Nissan. It did however pave the way for the larger S30:

“Nissan shipped one to the fledgling Datsun distributor in the US. They did not think it would sell in the US (re-naming it a Datsun 1600 Coupe) and that was the end of CSP311. It never made it to full production. We believe ours is one of 5 currently in the US.  Most are in Japan with a large group in Australia as well.  We guesstimate that there may be 150 still in existence world wide.”

 

The Silvia at Z Car Garage

 

Rick brought the Silvia in to us for an inspection and to ensure it was road-worthy. We thank owner Eric Bizek of JDM Legends for referring Rick to us!

“Eric at JDM told us about Z Car Garage and Rob.  Knowing that one of the best shops in the country was 10 minutes from our house gave us the confidence we needed to buy the car.  We knew we had a great shop to work on it in the Bay Area.”

We developed a plan to address some deferred maintenance and sort out the tired suspension. A surprisingly clean underbody (remember this came from Japan!) revealed some corrosion:

 

To satisfy our curiosity we placed the Silvia on the scales and it checked in at a scant 2210lbs:

 

We even put it on the dyno to make sure the engine was healthy. Could this be the only Silvia in the US to be dyno tuned? 😀

 

The Silvia put down a stout 67hp/81tq to the wheels, enjoy the video:

 

 

Rick and son Mat have been enjoying the Silvia and sharing it with other enthusiasts.

 “Matt and I enjoy driving it often. We also have taken it to Cars and Coffee events in the Bay Area and most notably were welcomed with position A at the Wrigley building in Santa Cruz. The Driving While Awesome Cars and Coffee was one of the best we had been to.”

We also spotted it at the 2019 Saratoga Classic Car Show:

 

While Rick and Matt were at the shop we let them drive Butters, our  1970 Series 1 shop demo Z. They were hooked:

“Hi Rob,  It was great to meet you and your team.  Matthew could barely sleep last night after driving Butters.  Thanks so much for letting us take it out.  Truly amazing. We want a Z just like that.”

 

Big thanks to Rick for letting us work on the Silvia. We suggested that a car this rare and significant should be as close as possible to a factory correct restoration which we agree with. For now they are just Enjoying The Ride!

 
Do you remember your first car? For Kevin M, his first car was a 1967 Bluebird RL411 that he purchased as a teenager. For his 50th birthday he bought a Bluebird just like the one he had in high school and came to us for mechanical help.

 

Kevin is a long time Z Car Garage customer with his pretty Cherry Red Pearl Slicktop Z32 300ZX, so we happily obliged to take on the 411 project. We knew that it would be a challenge as his 411 was the very rare, “SSS” model. Not familiar with the 411? It is a hybrid of sorts with a body designed by the Italians and mechanics built in Japan by Datsun.

 

The Bluebird had a 1300 cc engine and its body was designed by Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina. The SSS was a high performance sedan version of the Bluebird that used a slightly modified version of the engine from our beloved Datsun Fairlady 1600 sports car. Let’s take a look at Kevin’s history with the 411…

Bluebird Beginnings

 

In 1978 at the age of 16, Kevin’s first car purchase was this 1967 Datsun Bluebird 411 sedan. He had many fond memories in it as a teen:

“I drove the car all through my time as a student at Cupertino High School and at De Anza College. The 1980s! It was kind of a funny looking car, but I just adored it. I drove it to my high school Junior Prom, as you can see from the photos. My brother and I once even drove all the way from Bay Area up to Sweet Home, Oregon to visit our mom. A bit gutless going over the big grades, but we made it there and back without many issues. 

I drove this car all over the Silicon Valley, to school, to work, Santa Clara Vanguard rehearsal, ‘Tino football games, to midnight movies, to KOME where I volunteered, to KFJC, my college radio home, to the beach in Santa Cruz via the Old Santa Cruz Highway, and especially up and down Highway 9.

 

Birthday Bluebird

 

At some point while going to college, the head gasket blew and Kevin decided to sell the car. He regretted selling it, considering all the memories the 411 gave him. On his 50th birthday Kevin remembered the soft spot he had for his Bluebird and purchased one in 2013 from noted 411 expert Tom Neely:

“I was so excited to have this car in my hands. It was very nostalgic driving the car once again. The sounds, the smell, the look and feel were all too familiar. The difference is that this was the RL411 SSS, a more powerful version of the Bluebird I once new. I drove it all around the San Francisco neighborhood where I live, picking up loads of smiles and thumbs up.”

 

Getting The SSS Back On The Road

 

Kevin was able to enjoy his “new” Bluebird until the engine made a horrible noise. He visited Z Car Garage in 2014 and we diagnosed the R16 with a rod knock. Kevin and Rob discussed a restoration with premium replacement and NOS parts at the heart of the build. We knew that finding parts for a car like this would be very difficult and accepted the challenge. Early stages of the build included a hot-rod R16 engine from Rebello, refurbished brakes/hydraulics, upgraded ignition and gaskets.

  

Unicorn Parts

The original exhaust manifold crumbled to dust once removed so another one was sourced and replaced.  The custom exhaust system built by Neely gets great reviews from other RL411 owners. Note the downpipe is routed through the fender:

 

“Rob Fuller and Z Car Garage’s vast network had somehow found one last RL411 water pump! The unicorn! I could not believe the news. The part was installed, and I received the car shortly thereafter.”

The engine was treated to new upper/lower radiator hoses and a new Nissan gasket set:

 

Chassis

With the hot-rod parts being installed into a chassis from the 60’s, everything needed to be gone through to make it road worthy. The braking system was overhauled with new calipers, F/R wheel bearings and new rear wheel cylinders. We also rebuilt the suspension:

   

What vintage Datsun would be complete without a set of Panasports?! We couldn’t resist fitting some 14×6 Panasports with Star Spec tires. Lowering blocks in rear make it look sharp! More pictures in the gallery below:

 

Interior

 

We really dig the interior on the 411s as they have a very classy look and feel. The dash was worked on with attention to the gauge cluster and trim. The heater core was removed/rebuilt and the control valve pressure tested to ensure the heater/defrost was functional:

 

New seats sourced from another 411 with a matching rear bench and new carpeting were installed:

 

 

Details

We convinced Kevin to breathe some life into the old paint with a cut and buff…the results were impressive.  The car was undercoated and detail painted, here is a before/after:

 

 

While buying some parts for Meghan’s 312 Bluebird we got a set of NOS 411 bumpers and hooked Kevin up.

 

Tuning

We replaced all the fluids, installed an upgraded East Coast Datsun distributor (Thanks Tom!), upgraded alternator and brand new set of factory plug wires. Rob dyno tuned the R16 with Z Therapy SU carbs making 79hp/95tq at the wheels:

 

Kevin took delivery of his refreshed 411 and he was stoked:

“I headed down to Z Car Garage. Rob handed me the keys and said, ‘take it around the block. Tell me what you think.’ I did so. The car was like another beast. The engine roared to life. It seemed was fresher and angrier. That extended out to the test drive. What performance! The Bluebird was was back! More performance than before and zero backfiring. I could really wind out the R16! “Well?’ asked Rob. ‘Amazing!’ I exclaimed.” 

 

 

Enjoying The Ride

Kevin was so excited that his Bluebird was fresh and ready he made the long journey to attend the 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show. There, he was recognized for his long drive in the Bluebird from San Francisco to Long Beach:

“I received an “Iron Butt” award for distance traveled to the show. Even more importantly, the Bluebird made the trip home, as well. Since JCCS, I’ve shown the car locally at the ZONC show and got a lot of interest in the car. Again, it’s so odd that even Datsun enthusiasts had never seen one before. It can’t really win car shows, as there is no category for these oddball 411s!”

Indeed, we were stoked to see Kevin and Bluebird at the ZONC Annual Classic Car Show:

 

He joined us on a local Holiday Fun Run through the Santa Cruz Mtns:

 

He even attended the Route 66 Classic Car Show in Williams, AZ where he joined a few other 411 owners, again driving all the way there and back!

The Bluebird is being daily driven in San Francisco:

 

We enjoyed the journey to bring Kevin’s RL411 back to life and it makes us happy to see him Enjoying The Ride:

“I thank the Datsun gods for putting this project into Z Car Garage’s hands because they came through for me in the end. I don’t believe I would be driving the car if it weren’t for their knowledge and persistence. Here’s how the car looked after I picked it up from Z Car Garage.”

 

Big thanks to Kevin for sticking with us through the build and everyone in the Datsun community that lent a hand like Mike Young. Datsuns Are Driven!

More pictures in the gallery below:

 

Last week we had the pleasure of dyno tuning Eric Straw’s magnificent 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster. Eric is a long time friend of Z Car Garage and we  first dyno’d this roadster in 2012 while a few years later we enjoyed tuning his RB26DETT powered DR30 Skyline. In addition to being a talented fabricator it is clear that Eric has a penchant for white paint, red valve covers…and turbocharged Nissan powerplants!

 

SR20 Roadster: Version 2

 

After restoring his roadster with an S13 SR20DET drivetrain a decade ago, Eric started working on the next evolution with a totally revised chassis and new engine (the previous setup sold for a customer’s roadster).  The new drivetrain consists of an S14 block (JE pistons, K1 rods, P12 oil pump) with a P11 VVL head (Kelford turbo cams, Tomei cam gears, Taarks VVL relocation kit, R35 coil packs) all mounted to the roadster frame using a Spriso Motorsports HD motor mount kit.

 

Providing boost is a GTX3071r turbo with Tial exhaust housing mounted to a Straw-fab’d custom tubular manifold with CNC 1 piece collector. On the cold side is a custom intercooler with Garrett core and custom intake manifold. It’s both pretty and functional considering the roadster’s tiny engine bay:

 

Backing the SR20VE-T is a 6-speed (CD009) transmission normally seen in the Nissan 350z. The SR mounts to the tranny via a Mazworx bell housing with an OS Giken Twin disk. The shining star in Eric’s craftsmanship is the chassis preparation with a heavily modified frame with tubular x-member and bolt-in reinforcements.

 

It would take another blog post to dive into the suspension but if you are curious about the restoration and more please check out Eric’s roadster featured in this Speedhunters article by Naveed Yousufzai HERE.

  

Dyno Tuning

 

The tuning session was conducted with driveability and longevity in mind. Outright peak power numbers were not a priority. Eric’s hometown in Salem, Oregon is where this car would be enjoyed with premium fuel and the occasional 100 octane splash.  Surely more power could be extracted with E85 but Eric is 50 miles from nearest station. Rob comments on the choice of engine management for the SR20VE-T:

“When Eric contacted us about about building the SR20VVL we discussed EMS, and ZCG is a Haltech Pro Tuner. We really like how user-friendly this product is for a tuner. It’s perfect when you need to map out all of the different phases, complete control of ignition/fueling, cam control, idle air…everything to take this car you’ve dreamed of and make it drive like it came from an OEM factory.”

 

Rob dyno tuned the SR equipped with a Haltech 1500 Elite. Initial passes were performed on 92 octane. The plots below show without a boost controller (387hp/287tq) and with a boost controller, making 425hp/331tq to the wheels:

 

Of note is Nissan’s wonderful variable valve timing (VVL) at work with a very flat torque curve and incredible, spine-tingling cam changeover sound. See video below! Eric and Josh drained the fuel tank to add 100 octane for the next passes.  Fueling is supplied by a custom stainless tank (Aeromotive hangler/bladder), custom stainless lines all dash 6, 1300x Injector dynamics and a Radium Fuel rail:

 

On 100 octane the SR20VE-T made 491hp/393tq at the wheels. That is roughly 570hp at the crank. Keep in mind this little Datsun roadster weighs 2250lbs with a hardtop and 14 gallons of fuel!

 

Driving Impressions

 

Following the dyno session we had to take the roadster out for a drive. This video shows multiple dyno passes and test drives, volume up!

 

 

Here are a few driving impressions from the three of us, enjoy!

Eric

“The car went from being an impressive car to completely coming alive and becoming a rocket ship that just keeps pulling. The VVL is like another level of performance. The power comes on very progressive and linear to give the chassis the best chance of getting as much as possible out of it. We made multiple setting to help with driving goals based on the roads and situations we are in.”

 

“The suspension has been a lot of work and has really paid off many times over be able to get this power to the ground and drive the car like it was intended. The rear suspension is so predictable and precise that immediately I had a lot of confidence to be able roll some power out of the corner. Rob had truly made this dream come alive and make this car so very impressive.”

 

Rob

 

“The cam control and air flow from the VVL is staggering, just really super cool. I’m not surprised…from being around the DR30 and seeing all the cars Eric and Michael Spreadbury have built over the years.  This roadster continues to evolve as they continue their craft with each chapter revealing a new level like a boost controller: 5 years ago was 10lbs of boost, 2 years ago 12lbs,  and now 22lbs (this roadster should only be driven on high!) Eric Straw isn’t just one man. He seems to be a mass of people to not only design an engine bay and make it work efficiently but also bolt a non-matching transmission, and then that rear end suspension….obviously one of the biggest things when modifying a 50+yr old Datsun with high power levels is trying to put it down. His engineering accounted for enough tire, brake and balance. The setup Eric built for this roadster I could not believe how we could deliver 500+hp/almost 400ftlbs of torque, and yes we were lighting off the tires but…I still felt like I was in control. We were on ice, but I felt like I was on Speedvision from back in the day of World-rallying Championship..with just a slight motion of the steering wheel I could rotate that car wherever I wanted. 

 

Alvin

 

“As a passenger and long-time roadster owner…it’s not easy for me to ride shotgun in a high-powered car but I still can’t fathom how smooth it felt under intense acceleration. These are super tiny cars and to see both Eric and Rob harness it was a testament to Eric’s chassis engineering. I’ve been in other Datsuns with turbo SRs and they will pitch sideways under full throttle but this one was planted even on our rough downtown roads. Watch the video. It’s epic.”

 

All of us concluded and shared similar sentiments: Eric’s suspension enabled this roadster to manage all that power. When boost hits and the tires break loose it can be seemingly glide controllably with steering input…no hopping or skittering. The rear suspension consists of a hybrid rear axle built by Moser based on a Dana 44 with a Torque arm and 3-Link Watts with Ridetech coil-overs. Up front are custom Ridetech coil-overs and sway bar.  R33 GTR Brembo brakes provide stopping power. The Watanabe wheels are wrapped in 225F/245(!)R tires which are massive for a stock-flared roadster body.

 

We had blast spending the day with Eric and tuning his roadster. We can’t praise him enough for the ingenuity and execution of his build. Eric would like to thank Julie Straw, Michael Spreadbury and Rob Fuller.  More pictures in the gallery below and Enjoy The Boost Eric!