We enjoy helping Z cars owners get their cars in top shape to Enjoy The Ride. David P purchased this 1975 Datsun 280z on the East Coast and the exotic shop it was at had difficulty with it. David moves between San Francisco and Massachusetts and wanted us to sort his Z out before hitting the roads here. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with tuning and aesthetic upgrades transform this Z.

 

Affectionately called “Triple Six”, the Z arrived at our shop from the East Coast via Masney Auto Transport (Thanks David). David had not seen the Z in person yet since purchasing and it needed some attention, Z Car Garage style.

 

The car was not running upon arrival and Rob had many suggestions after the initial assessment. From David:

“When Rob called to tell me that my car had made it there I said ‘Ok great. Can I tell you what I want done?’ to which Rob replied ‘Nope’. He said ‘I want you to come down here, drive my car and then say to me, OK I want you to do to my car whatever it was that you did to yours’, and after driving his car I did say those exact words.”

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

 

Indeed, we had David test drive “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car with full suspension and our ZCG Big-Brakes:

“I drove Rob’s unassuming, Safari Gold 240Z, that he appropriately named Butters, and God damn was it fun! I was surprised when he told me it had 275 horsepower, not a small number for a car that’s so small and light, its just that it felt much more powerful than I ever thought a sub 300 hp car could feel.”

 
After the test drive he was sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our customers 🙂 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 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 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 David’s brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. Up front:

    

 

We met Cece in 2018 when she contacted us for help with her 1977 280z. She had been a customer for many years at ND Autocare and when Joe Chester shutdown…she stopped driving, fearful that having a vintage car meant you were susceptible to breakdowns. With the right combination of parts and experience a 280z can be as reliable as (dare we say) Honda’s of the 80’s. Datsuns just can’t be killed. Cece’s Z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay clean-up, total suspension rebuild and more.

Cece’s Z Story

She has owned the ’77 Z for 27 years, here is the story behind it:

“I was first introduced to the Z car in 1976 when I was in high school, a friend of mine drove a 1973 240 Z.  I always liked cars and found the Z to be unique.  In the mid 1980s, a Z car was not in our budget nor was it practical for a family with two young children. In the early 90’s while I was working full time and raising my family, I went back to school and earned my college degree.  As a graduation gift to myself, I began my search to purchase a Z car.  A friend who was a master technician for Nissan, suggested I look for a 280Z as they were fuel injected and had less problems than some earlier models.  In 1993 I found an ad in Auto Trader for a  1977 280Z  that was 16 years old, had low mileage ( for a car its age), for sale by the son of the original owner and at a price point I could finally afford.  “

 

The seller gave me all the service records, original bill of sale from the dealer, the original service manual, etc.  At least I knew where the car had been and what maintenance had been done on it.  I felt fortunate that this car had been well taken care of.  In 1999 I had the car painted, got new tires and wheels, replaced the faded interior carpet and had the seats recovered.  I drove the car on weekends and tucked it under the car cover in the garage during the week.”

 

During the last 5 years Cece did not drive the car as much since it was becoming less mechanically reliable.  She heard about ZCG through the Z Owners of Northern California Car Club and made an appointment with us in January 2018.

 

Taking the Z to the next level: Drivetrain

Cece came down to ZCG to discuss the project. We made a plan to give her Z much needed love and began work in the summer. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine and engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!

Engine

The tired engine was removed and we built an L28 with mild cam and clean-up work on the head.

New L28:

  

With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay.  Everything was zinc plated and powdercoated.  New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts.

 

All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up:

 

Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:

 

An MSA exhaust header was installed:

 

This was a 4-speed car, so we went ahead and grabbed one of the 5-speeds from Rob’s stash. This low-miles assembly was installed:

A JWT aluminum flywheel and heavy duty clutch backs the L28:

 

Oil pan detail:

 

With the new engine/transmission and a KOYO race aluminum radiator installed, more detail work was performed:

 

MAF/hose/hardware detail:

    

Engine bay restoration, before/after:

Dyno Tuning

 

Rob dyno tuned the tired L28 and rebuilt engine. Baseline was 118hp/139tq and after tuning the new engine made 146hp/156tq to the wheels:

 

Suspension

 

The goal of this project was to give Cece a Z that she could drive wherever and however she wanted, worry-free. We replaced all of the hydraulics and front/rear suspension assemblies to match the new driveline.  All suspension was either zinc’d or powdercoated:

We installed KYB strut inserts with lowering springs, Suspension Techniques sway bars, Techno Toy Tuning adjustable rear lower control arms, TC rods, and rack bushings. We do offer a full coil-over setup for track day/performance-oriented customers, and  this spring/strut upgrade for those that want a better stance with improved handling.

Before/after suspension refresh with T/C rod and steering rack detail:

 
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:

The best part of this job is the people and their stories. Taking somebody who has the same passion as us and delivering them something they can enjoy and drive gives us immense satisfaction. With updates like real suspension and brakes that can hang with any late model car, the headaches commonly associated with vintage car ownership disappear. From a well-versed Z owner to someone who just like the way a Z looks, let us help you achieve your vision of the perfect S30! More pictures in the galley below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

   

LONG LIVE THE Z!

…[read more]

Randy Jaffe is an avid car guy and Datsun enthusiast. Beyond his fanatic attention to detail and love for Nissan racing he’s excessive–in the best way possible and we love him for it.  Several years ago we teamed up with Randy to turn his BRE Datsun 240z show car into a competitive vintage road-race car.

 

He was impressed with our work on the BRE Z and told us about another Z project that he was working on but stalled out in Atlanta.  We decided it was time to finish this ultimate track/street car with a healthy dose of his personality. The highlight of this Series 1 240z is a full Rocketbunny body kit with plenty of Z Car Garage touches. Let’s take a closer look at the build:

 

Origins

The creation of the Rocketbunny Z changed courses many times as the build evolved, as Randy recalls:

“I wanted to build a series 1 Radical fun Street car with a completely different look. We started off thinking we would do conventional flares and conventional displacement for a 240 Z. Then my painter Bryson was doing the bodywork and had just installed a Rocketbunny kit on a 350Z and asked me to take a look at that particular body kit. I knew of the first one completed by Sung Kang and I think it was the second or third kit to come to the country when we ordered it from Japan directly.”

 

“The paint color which originally was going to be Porsche’s lava orange evolved because of Michael Eberhardt to Porsche‘s late 60s color called Tangerine. Tangerine painted with a white sub-coat pops where Helen Keller could see the color! Since I am color blind, the brighter the color the better I can see it.  Bryson welded an amazing full roll cage as I decided to create the car as a street and track beast.”

The body was amazingly painted and caged by Bryson of Classic Livery of Atlanta. They are known for many high-end commissions including several RWB Porsche’s for Akira Nakai. Randy’s transporter trekked from Atlanta to drop off this gorgeous chassis at ZCG and our work began.

Assembly Required: Race Chassis Prep

 

The chassis was temporarily mounted on rollers while we prepped suspension pieces. Following the “race-car for the street” theme, we re-created the entire front and rear BRE 240z suspension setup. Everything that the #46 race car has is on this street car from DP racing front/rear struts, koni shocks, identical spring rates, sway bar, adjustable end links, plated finish…all of it. More pictures in the gallery below!

Front and rear:

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

There are two versions of our ZCG Big Brakes  and the only three “racing” setups on are on the BRE car, Alex’s Hako and the Rocketbunny Z:

 

Stay tuned for our latest big-brake upgrade from the minds of ZCG and Stoptech!

 

Back to the chassis, the entire hydraulic system was installed starting with freshly plated lines.

 

DP remote reservoir and plated pedal box:

 

Z Car Garage CV Axles

Z Car Garage is proud to offer a CV axle conversion kit for Datsun S30 and 510 cars. We run these on our race cars and the Rocketbunny Z also got a set.

 

Helping put the power down effectively is an OS Giken limited-slip R180 diff properly set up in-house by Joshua Corwin.

 

Wheels Make The Car

 

The biggest hurdle on this car was wheel choice.  Wheels can make or break the car and they had to befit the “KAMIKAZ” nickname.  There was no way we would have a car with massive flares and not use every single square inch of real estate available to fill with wheel and tire.

 

We sourced some Panasport C8 centers and began a custom build with MemoryFab who was instrumental in helping us with fitment/barrel sizing. Up front are 17×10 with a 275/35/17 tire and 17×12 rear with 335/35/17 tire (NT-01R). At the time there were no other RB cars running a 335 in back! .

 

We spent many hours making the kit fit around these wheels/tires so there was no rubbing:

 

Everyone was pleased with wheel choice for KAMIKAZ, especially Randy:

“I had already ordered and received a set of Watanabe wheels from Japan however they would not work with the rocket bunny kit so when I sent the car to Rob Fuller at Z car garage he did his magic and created a set of custom wheels using a set of Panasport racing C8 NOS wheels. 10 inch wheels on the front 12 inch wheels on the back by 17s gives the car and unreal stance.”

 

Race Engine

 

We had Rebello build a nasty 3.2L for the Z running triple-Mikuni’s, 12:5:1 compression (110 leaded fuel) backed by a 280zx 5-speed. Randy gave us a blank canvas to assemble the entire car but ZCG touches really shine in the engine bay.

“I basically wanted my 46Z race car for the street and asked Rob Fuller to further tap into his magic box so we built a 3.2 race motor full race suspension and the whole 9 yards! Rob and his guys built an amazing car using special finishes on some of the metal work under the hood and the car is just insane to drive.”

Here are a few pictures of the assembly with many more in the gallery. Aluminum flywheel with twin-plate setup and comp oil pan just like BRE car:

   

Triple Mikuni induction:

 

Engine going in and detail work beginning. We re-created the cooling system from the BRE car and ran all of the chassis wiring.

 

The catch can, radiator and Datsun roadster overflow are all period parts that BRE used and duplicated for the Rocketbunny:

 

 

Interior

With drivetrain and chassis sorted we moved to the interior. Continuing the race car theme is a stripped (but pretty) body-color interior with that beautiful roll cage from Bryson.

The dash was covered in Alcantara. We installed and wired it up with period gauges. All switch gear similar to the BRE car:

 

A few more detail shots:

 

A Braille battery from our friend Gary Savage sits behind the passenger seat:

 

Sparco Pro 2000 seats:

 

Chassis wiring for Euro-spec lights:

 

ZCG door seal upgrade with sound deadening panels. The Z was nearing completion.

 

Enter the JGRBOMB

 

This was our quickest build to date so we could make a debut at the 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, CA. The night before our roadtrip down to SoCal we applied a Jagermeister livery to the car. Randy’s inspiration came from his obsession with Porsche, and the Max Moritz Racing Porsche 934:

 

“I love race liveries and told the guys at the car garage I wanted to do the Jagermeister racing package on this car and they were not really hip to it but Bryson and I discussed it several times and we both thought it would take the car to the next level.  However I stuck with my gut and flew out to San Jose with the livery kit a few days before JCCS and after the first hood decal Rob and his guys were scratching their head thinking hmmm – This may not be a bad idea LOL.”

 

Rob and I finished applying the decals late in the night before going to Long Beach and we received a lot of positive feedback at that show and then the car came back to ZCon in Atlanta and won a Gold Cup award. The car was also shown at SEMA in 2018 where again the car received an immense amount of positive feedback.”

Indeed, the livery on the Rocketbunny (KAMIKAZ) Z looked fantastic and Randy eventually affixed the JGRBOMB license plate to match. We are happy to report that while at JCCS  Randy’s Z won 1st place, Best 240z in a class filled with incredible Z cars!

 

It was also well-received at Z Con and the SEMA show (thanks to Gary and Braille!). That’s BRE front-man Peter Brock and the designer of the Rocketbunny body kit, Kei Miura both signing the Z:

 

 

That BRE Exhaust

We wanted to do a BRE exhaust so we used the Fujitsubo headers and a straight twin-exit with megaphones exactly like the BRE original set up, Randy notes the white color:

 

“Of course BRE had theirs painted yellow from day one and still are but I wanted to do the rocket bunny exhaust megaphones in white to play off the livery. Many vintage race cars have white headers and exhaust so it made sense to me. So the audio level is the same as the 46Z and will wake up the dead.”

  

How does it sound? Check out this short video with a dyno run, enjoy!

 

 

Details

It would take multiple blog posts to cover all the special details throughout this build. Some highlights include fully polishing all trim pieces like quarters, drip rails, etc. Re-keying locks. Even the mirror was done to Randy’s liking.

Things like the differential temperature gauge behind the old gas fill door have a purpose and pay homage to the Datsun vintage race cars. Contrastingly, there are small modern updates like vintage H4 headlights retrofitted with HID units.

We asked Randy what’s it like to drive:

“To me there’s no difference in driving this and the 46Z it’s almost the same build except more rubber on this one!”

To us that is a great compliment because we set out to finish Randy’s vision of the ultimate street/track BRE-flavored Z.

“I find myself several nights a week just walking around the car in my shop and admiring the build that Rob, Josh and the crew at Z Car Garage created.”

We thank Randy for letting us be creative on this Z and it’s been rewarding to see his taste reflected in other builds. This was a fun project and we enjoyed every moment of it. Browse the extensive photo gallery and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

…[read more]

 

Rommel came to Z Car Garage in 2014 to have work done on his 2013 Nismo 370z. He’s a big car enthusiast with a Camaro ZL1 and Viper ACR and after a few years he reached out to us about his 1971 Datsun 240z.

 

The Z had an EFI setup with Megasquirt and would not start. He made an appointment with us and got the car towed here where we found an ECU failure.  Rob and Mel discussed doing an upgrade to Haltech and fixing all the things wrong with the car from sorting the suspension, better braking and engine bay cleanup.

 

Mel was hesitant to do everything all at once, yet we wanted to avoid future trips back to the shop. Jokingly, Mel said what “I’d really like are some ph44 Mikuni’s.”  Ask and you shall receive as Rob had a set ready to go.  So we cancelled the tow truck and made a plan to go back to vintage.

 

All of the existing EFI parts were removed from the car.  We hooked Mel up with a Harada intake manifold, triple ph44 Mikuni carbs correctly setup for his 2.8 engine, a ZCG heat shield and corrected all fuel system issues:

 

Often utilized on vintage race cars, the fuel lines were plumbed from a junction block on the firewall. Black AN fittings on black fuel lines supply each carb:

 

We think the new triple Mikuni’s look much better than the old setup!

  

The existing fuel pump system (Left) was removed and a cleaner Holley setup installed:

Dyno Tuning

 

Aside from the exhaust header, this is a stock 2.8L engine running Mikuni ph44s.  With timing and A/F adjustments we picked up more power making 150hp/167tq to the wheels:

  

Listen to those triple Mikuni’s sing on the dyno:

Minor Sorting

The rear fenders were cut badly to fit flares, revealing an inner fender gap that would allow air/fuel vapors to entire cabin:

 

We pulled it back, welded the metal and sealed everything up. The exhaust was also rubbing at the rear valance so re-fitted it.

Chassis

   

The chassis was treated to a suspension refresh. We installed lower adjustable control arms and T/C rods from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars. Lower control arms replacing OEM parts:

   

Front T/C rods replacing OEM units:

  

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

     

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 went ahead got Mel dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!

  

Front brake installation:

  

The ZCG brakes fit under the 15×9 Atara Racing wheels:

 

At the rear, the existing old-school disc setup was replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

   

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

   

The differential area was a mess on Mel’s Z. We corrected the side-flange issues with his R200 and installed our CV axles. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

 

 

Vintage is Best!

Once running we performed a full alignment and dialed in the brakes. Mel’s initial feedback on the car made us happy:

“Well, I’m very happy how my car turned out after picking it up from ZCG. Hearing my baby runs on old school NA triple carbs is very heart warming, the ZCG Big-Brake kit is amazing, the CV axles are beefy and the suspension tweaks made a lot of difference on handling. I can’t thank Rob enough for what he did to my Z. It feels like a totally different car now (in a good way) compared to when I drop it off. Job well done ZCG! Thank you for taking care of my 240Z ZCG. 👍👏🙏”

 

This was a very rewarding project and we are excited to see Mel’s Z evolve into a well-rounded sports car. He’s already thinking about his next upgrade…a 3.0 or 3.2L motor. Thanks for bringing your Z to us Mel! More pictures in the gallery below.

Long Live The Z!
…[read more]

 

Frank B is no stranger to Z Car Garage having been a customer for more than a decade. Since 2006, we helped build his Fuelie Z, a modified 1972 S30 with ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles, 231whp fuel-injected L-series and 6-speed Nissan 350z transmission:

 

To accompany his hot rod Z, Frank searched for an early S30 project for a stock-style restoration. Before the Z car craze caught on with S30’s fetching big money (ie Bring a Trailer), Frank found an unmolested early Series 1 240z (11/69 production: HLS30 00486, Original Engine: L24-2189):

“For SN 486, a friend found it on Craigslist and sent me an email. I actually got it for a good price. What I found when I went to inspect the car was a well worn early z with all but one of the original badges, no real rust other than under battery tray, and some spare parts including a perfect dash, stroker crank, spare transmission, set of period 2-piece wheels… A nice project kit somebody had lost interest in and left behind. I arranged to store with the seller for a month while I got myself ready to start the project.”

 

Restoring the “Original Z”

Frank is a very capable man, and jumped right into the disassembly with a plan to perform a total ground-up restoration himself.

“I immediately pressure washed off gunk and started taking things apart. I also ordered a rotisserie, fabricated mounts to attach at the bumpers, and removed everything that wasn’t welded to the unibody. I was pretty careful to bag up assemblies and keep fasteners with the parts they belonged to… lots of detailed work and hundreds of baggies later, I was ready to start restoring stuff!”

 

Frank connected with several folks in the Z Car community he had met through the years to source parts for the restoration:

“Les Cannaday was able to get reportedly the last of the butterscotch interiors (vinyl bits) made for the Z restoration program Nissan had done.  I had Patrick Shank (Patrick Restorations) completely go through all gauges, main and other wiring harnesses, and acquired the correct radio for that car (some other electrical bits too). Norm Murphy got all of the plating business and had or helped me find some hard to find items like a NOS cover for the wiper motor, a new double lever choke/throttle assembly, a pair of the early taillights, etc.” 

 

The stripped body and all associated body parts went to Andy Schenk for painting while on the rotisserie…Frank was also able to get a complete set of stainless brake and fuel lines made to the original pattern, greatly simplifying restoration of these systems.

“Once the bottom was done, I took the car off the rotisserie and put it back on it newly restored suspension and the restoration of the inside began (other than the headliner which I also installed while on rotisserie while car was upside-down). The detailed assembly of the car took a couple of years total since I prioritized getting the car right over getting it done…”

 

The end result of Frank’s efforts was an outstanding restoration. You can see more in-progress pictures in the gallery.

Finishing Touches With Z Car Garage

At the very end of his restoration, Frank realized for that last 10% it was time to call up his friends at Z Car Garage. He brought his freshly restored, low-vin S30 in for us to sort out all the little things.

 

He had an early transmission that was making noise so we replaced it with another unit fro our supply. We replaced his lower control arm and moustache bar bushings. The entire underside of the car was nut and bolted, and his work was double-checked. A ZCG exhaust was also installed.

 

Key items in the restoration process were reviewed: verifying brake lines, clutch lines, bleeding the hydraulics, and adjusting the rear brakes.

Dyno Tuning

Frank identified what was needed to make a “Canada” car without the emissions controls of US models.  He restored all of the “smog” stuff so it can stay with the car and be put back on one day if desired… but fully original wasn’t what he had in mind for the drivetrain…

 

The engine went to Dave Rebello for the 2.7l “purist” build: this is the original L24 block stroked (E31 head) so numbers still match while gaining more power. Otherwise stock when you open the hood:

 

We installed a Pertronix ignition, changed the plugs to hotter range, adjusted the valves, set the timing, installed a new alternator and starter and made the wiring at the distributor look OEM. Rob performed a street tune on the dyno yielding 179hp/172tq to the wheels:

 

We also installed an LSD to help get the newfound power to the ground effectively. Next items on the list were electrical issues and interior bits. We got the turn signals operational and replaced the flasher. We went through his interior and got all the missing rivets and cowl clips. Kick panels were installed. The clevis pin in the clutch-pedal assembly was removed, sanded and lubed to eliminate any noise.

 

Time to Enjoy The Ride!

With minor sorting complete we focused on a few aesthetic items like final adjustments of the hood and doors. Frank’s stock wheels  were mounted/balanced, ensuring the “D” hubcaps were secure.  He had lowered the car from stock height with Eibach springs, so we did our trim to the fronts for a nice stance.

 

16×7 Panasports were installed for daily driving:

 

Frank did a fantastic job on this Z:

  

It was great to see Frank driving, here he is on the freeway en route to the ZONC Annual Car Show.

“Three years from when I started the project, I took the car to Rob Fuller to help me bring it back to life… after a couple weeks of dealing with somewhat funky carbs and an improperly rebuild transmission, SN 486 was on the road again and, maybe not surprisingly, drove like a new car from the beginning… everything worked as it should and 80mph freeway travel was delightful. We do drive the car… for now it is being kept as perfect as possible for shows. Here’s where it resides in one of my shops in Oregon.”

 

Here is a short video of Frank in his Z and his wife in the Fuelie Z, enjoy!

 

 

The “Original Z”

 

If you are wondering about that license plate… “Ur” is a slang German term for “Original”.

“The first Audi Quattros are referred to as the UrQuattro.  Since the legend of the z includes some design work by Goetz, a German designer reportedly hired by Katayama-san to develop initial concepts, I took the liberty of naming my z the “Original 240z” or UR 240Z for short…  got the same plate in Oregon.”

Frank and his wife retired to Oregon and we miss the enthusiastic couple. It was our pleasure working with Frank and we appreciate  him being a customer and friend of Z Car Garage.

LONG LIVE THE Z!
More pictures in the gallery below
…[read more]