Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles continue to win over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Elmo P recently purchased a set of both for his 1972 Datsun 240Z and had them installed himself in SoCal. Before we go into the installation details let’s take a look at how Elmo got into Z cars…

 

ELMO: In 2005, I decided to sell my first 240z, a 1973 which I owned for almost 17 years, and the car on which I learned almost everything I know to this day about wrenching. I felt I had outgrown the Z and it no longer fit in my life. However, immediately after the sale, I felt sick to my stomach for weeks and never really got over its sale. Over the next 13 years, I would periodically search for a replacement 240z, only to find out prices had skyrocketed and I could no longer afford one. Fast forward to 2019, I was now ready to resume my search. I found a 1972 240z that had been meticulously cared for by its 2nd owner of almost 47 years. The car was mostly stock, minus the addition of an L-28, and Panasport wheels. 

 

My goal was to modify the car tastefully, with modern components where needed to increase driving pleasure, yet leave the classic body-line largely unmolested to not disturb or detract from the design’s natural beauty. Over the past 4 1/2 years, I’ve made modifications to every area of the car and I can finally say that I’m at about 95% of attaining my vision. As mentioned previously, Elmo wanted the body to remain mostly unchanged. The only additions have been a front grill and spoiler from Star Road in Japan, front bumper delete plates from Skillard, one-piece rear bumper, and Euro tail lights and front turn signals. Wheels are Volk TE37V, 16×8 +0, and 16×8.5 +10 with Toyo R888R tires in 245/45/16.

Interior

 

ELMO: The interior received many upgrades including Recaro seats, Speed Hut gauges, re-upholstered door panels, tranny tunnel, and rear shock towers, billet pedals, new dash cover and a Sparco steering wheel. However, one of my favorite modifications is that of cleaning up the rear shock towers by removing the old vinyl covering and plastic caps, and smoothing off and painting the tops of the towers, along with the addition of aluminum cover plates and new covering on the towers.

  

Drivetrain

 

ELMO: When I bought the car, I knew the drivetrain and suspension would be my main focus area and hence, the area where I would divert most of my modification funds. All suspension component upgrades are from Techno Toy Tuning., including adjustable coilovers, control arms and diff mustache bar. Gear shifts are handled via a rebuilt close-ratio 5-speed from a ZX which transmits power to a 3.9 OS Giken LSD. Although the L-28 that was in the car when I purchased it was recently rebuilt, my goal was to replace it with a larger displacement street/race engine to increase the fun-factor. After months of searching for a reputable L-Series builder, I came across a renowned Datsun engine builder by the name of Jeff Winter at Rallye Sport in Westminster, CO.

 

For my mostly street driving application, we decided on an L-28 bored .080 over, forged rods and flat top pistons, and one of his special cam grinds on my car’s original E88 head with a mild street port, all resulting in just under a 3.0L. Induction is handled by triple 44 PHH Mikuni carbs rebuilt by Taka from Kyusha House.

 

The exhaust is scavenged via a custom-made header from a small shop in Japan, fabricated bu Humble Engineering with a  2.5” straight pipe terminating into a 3-chamber Flowmaster. Below, also visible are T3 coil-overs, LCAs, diff brace and Z Car Garage CV Axles:

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

  

ELMO: Although my new engine makes more power than the original L-24, and the stock brake system and half- shafts likely within their operating limits to support the increased power, I felt now was the time to make those upgrades to mitigate any future performance or drivability issues. Enter Z Car Garage. I had been following ZCG for a few years and knew that Rob was very well respected in the Datsun community, and offered many products to enhance the performance of the S30. I wanted to upgrade to rear disks, not just for better overall braking, but also for aesthetic reasons.

 

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

  

ELMO: In other words, the look of drum brakes sitting behind my new wheels just wasn’t cutting it, at least not in 2023. There is no shortage of aftermarket (AM) brake kits for the S30; however, after speaking with many owners who installed AM kits, they all shared one thing in common: No one seemed to be fully pleased with their performance. Most kits are sort of a “Frankenstein” collection of parts which often required different brake boosters, proportioning valves and other mods just to make them work somewhat effectively. In addition, most AM brake kits either did not come with a parking brake, and if they did,  functioned poorly.

 

Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!

Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Elmo’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:

 

Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. Elmo successfully installed the BBK on his Z with and they look great behind the Volk TE37 wheels. Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! 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. Elmo shares his feedback after replacing his existing brakes with the ZCG BBK:

  

ELMO: I contacted Rob to secure a set of his brakes but he advised me they were on backorder but that they’d be worth the wait, so I committed. Due to Covid supply chain issues, the wait was almost a year long, but as the saying goes, “some things are worth the wait”. I finally received my brakes and can confirm that aside from looking great, they meet or beat my performance expectations. Braking is effective, predictable, and confidence-inspiring. However, the best part is that there are no tricky performance issues that you have to figure out as they were designed from the ground-up for the S30, while still utilizing the stock brake booster and other components. All you simply have to do is install them as directed and you’re good to go. Oh, did I mention the parking brake works great!

Z Car Garage CV Axles

  

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

ELMO: Now that the brake department was taken care of, all that was left to replace is the Achilles’ heel of any S30 with a much more powerful engine, the half-shafts. I had issues with them and their U-Joints on my first 240z which had a 3.0 and I felt that my current Z would benefit from an upgrade. Again, multiple AM options to choose from but given the research and quality of the ZCG brake kit, I felt the CV axles that Rob offered were the logical choice. The axles are beautifully machined and more than robust enough to handle my new engine’s power. I installed the axles myself and have noticed less clunking and vibration, and an overall smoother drive.

Elmo’s ZCG CV Axle set, #0446 installed:

 

What’s in store for Elmo’s Z?

ELMO: So, what’s left? Well, there’s a few odds and ends but nothing major, at least not until Rob introduces the next upgrade. I’m a firm believer that most of us never truly finish modifying our cars because they are like an ever-evolving canvas of ourselves.

 

Thanks for your support Elmo we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

   
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Happy Friday from Z Car Garage! Today we are installing engines into a Hakosuka and R32 Skyline. Sebastian’s Hako is getting a 3.0L stroker engine to complement the suspension refresh and Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech).

 

Kurt’s R32 R32 Skyline GT-R is getting a fresh RB26 motor and turbo upgrade to complement the new KW coil-over suspension:

 

Our Datsun forklift is putting in work! Full reports on both Skylines coming to zcarblog.com!

 

 

We love to see our parts installed and used on client’s cars. Race car driver and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our Z Car Garage CV Axles in this 1968 Datsun 510 U2.5L Trans-Am race car!

Glenn was preparing to debut his freshly restored 510 for the 2022 Velocity Invitational event at Laguna Seca. A half shaft failure is not something he wanted to worry about while racing so he replaced them with ZCG CV Axles. Glenn installed the set himself with ease:

 

We also provided dyno tuning services to prepare him for the race weekend. The fresh Rebello L18 with Solex/Mikuni 44phh induction and BRE intake made great power.

 

Listen to this 510 make sweet L-Series music on our dyno in the video below. There is also race/paddock action with Glenn behind the wheel:

 

Privateer Spirit

We are happy to report that Glenn successfully raced at the Velocity Invitational event. It’s worth noting like privateers of the period, Glenn builds his race cars, maintains and manages racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his passion and work ethic. Glenn builds some beautiful Datsuns and this historically-significant 510 is a shining example.

Photo by Alex Trang

Glenn championed a vintage race group dedicated to the Historic B&C Sedan class and organized a “Celebration of the Two Five Challenge” display at the 2022 Velocity Invitational event. Two of the most iconic cars were present: the ex-Morton #46 BRE Datsun 510 (with Pete Brock below) and ex Kwech #3 Wetson’s Alfa. Yes that is Glenn with the legendary John Morton! Let’s take a look at the history behind Glenn’s Trans-Am 510 before we get into the restoration:

 

The Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Datsun 510

 

Glenn has a passion for re-telling the stories of legendary privateer Datsun racers and his penultimate restoration project was this 1968 Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Datsun 510, serial number PL510-023047. It is one of very few surviving cars that competed in the SCCA Trans-Am Two-Five Challenge, or more commonly known as the Under 2.5 Liter Series.

 
In 1972, Bob Finn acquired the car from a used car dealership in Santa Barbara, California. The car was sponsored by Bob Nolan Datsun and Chuck’s Shell Service in Santa Maria, California. Competition Street and Rally (CSR) Racing, a shop Finn ran out of Chuck’s Shell Service, prepared the car for competition. It is one of two cars in which an entire package of go-fast parts were purchased from Brock Racing Enterprises in El Segundo, California, as part of their “BRE kit car” program. Mac Tilton, then BRE Crew chief and engineer – later Tilton Engineering, developed the suspension and provided all machine work. Bob Finn and Ron Harris began racing #37 in late 1972.

 

Its first two races were the two final races of the 1972 SCCA Trans-Am Two-Five Challenge season at Laguna Seca and Riverside International Raceway, finishing 15th and 23rd. Unfortunately 1972 would see the end of the Trans Am Two-Five Challenge, but that would not stop Finn and Harris from continuing to race the car. They competed throughout the 1970’s in the SCCA B-Sedan class both regionally and nationally with numerous first place finishes, often beating out factory race teams. While Riverside International Raceway was its home race track, the car could also be seen racing at Willow Springs International Raceway, Laguna Seca Raceway, Sears Point, Portland International Paceway, Ontario Motor Speedway.

  

In that time, Finn and Harris competed against the likes of John Morton, Horst Kwech Harry Theodoracopoulos, Bobby Allison, Walt Mass, Dave Madison, Corky Bell, Norm Balzer, Pat Daily, and many other prominent racers. Bill and Jack Johnston acquired the car in 1979 and would go on to race the car for the next 33 years. Bill Johnston and Steve Dragus shared driving duties, while Jack was the crew chief. Dragus, who was best known for the building engines for Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, prepared the engines. Johnston and Dragus won three regional Cal Club Championships in the 1980’s, and would go on to win the last SCCA GT4 national race at Riverside Raceway before the track closed in 1989. (images and history courtesy of Glenn Chiou)

Restoration

 

The Ex-Finn/Harris Datsun 510 was not always in the orange livery shown above. When Glenn acquired the car several years ago it was red and he ran with this livery at many vintage racing events…until it was time to restore it back to its former glory…

 

Glenn is no stranger to vintage race car restoration. You may have seen Glenn’s FAR Performance 240Z in VIPS Restaurant livery as raced in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence. Glenn restored this car himself and it is now back to the Bay Area Datsun Dealers livery as raced by FAR Performance privateer Walt Maas. Glenn also restored the Different Drummer Racing Z raced by Greg Sorrentino. This IMSA GTU Datsun 260Z features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and dyno tuning:

 

The 510 was dissembled for paint and bodywork, using period photos to guide the livery hand-applied by the talented Real Ralph:

 

As usual, Glenn’s painstaking efforts and diligence result in a faithful restoration…where parts are not available he has gone to extraordinary lengths to re-create pieces or use period-correct/surviving parts with archival guidance…shown below: vintage SW oil cooler, BRE remote oil adapter, expansion tank and BRE intake manifold:

 

Glenn assembled the interior with Mil-spec switches & motorsports grade wiring:

 

The fresh Rebello L18 is about to be installed…all done by Glenn himself in his home garage:

 

I was lucky to visit Glenn to see the restoration in-progress and it was simply a feast for the eyes…plated chassis parts, cool bits of history everywhere…plus the BADD 240Z nearby 🙂

 

Datsuns Are Driven!

With the restoration complete, Glenn has been enjoying the Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L 510 at vintage racing events throughout the year. Follow his racing adventures on Instagram with more photos in the gallery below:

 

Thanks for your support Glenn! Congratulations on the restoration and we love racing with you #racingislife. Learn more about our Z Car Garage CV Axles below:

 

Z Car Garage CV Axles

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 200+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

   

For more information please visit our detailed post our HERE. Below are just a few examples of race cars running out CV Axles:

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running ZCG axles in several of his cars:

Set #246 – installed May 2018 on the “Harry Stewart #52” Datsun 510:

  

Set #247 – installed April 2018 on the 260z

  

Set #248 – installed on Adam Carolla’s “Greg Sorrentino #90” Datsun 510.

  

Supermachine in Tokyo, Japan is running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles in their Series Datsun 240Z:

  

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our ZCG CV Axles in this IMSA GTU 260z race car!

  

Racer Brad H is running ZCG CV Axles in his IMSA GTU race car:

 
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Our Z Car Garage Big Brakes have been winning over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Jason purchased a set for his 1974 Datsun 260Z and performed the installation himself. Before we go into his Big-Brake experience let’s hear his Z-story…

 

JASON: “I first heard about Z Car Garage by following Larry Chen’s 240z build on his YouTube Channel. I saw his various interviews with Rob Fuller and was really impressed with his knowledge and passion for the Datsun 510 and s30 chassis. Quickly, I started researching more about the pain points of the s30’s, and noted the lack of support from many other companies in the area of suspension and braking locally. The kits available were Wilwood, Endless, Star Road, among others. No complete kits that were torture tested and raced like what Z Car Garage was doing with their ZCG CV Axles , Brake Kits and other components they were selling. Research and development are key to me, and I was thrilled to see ZCG taking this on themselves. In addition, Rob is a real human being who’s on top of answering questions via email and in person at Z car events. That’s a HUGE deal to me, and it’s so rare to meet someone that of course is just as passionate about his cars as the enthusiasts building them.”

 

“My 1974 Datsun 260z is an Early model s30. When I purchased it, a few years ago I quickly removed the stock seats and reupholstered Recaro LX vintage seats in Black. I loved the netted headrest, and the clean recaro stitching at the center of the seat. I also removed the Greddy Oni wheel that was originally in the car and swapped it out with a new old stock Nardi Nismo Deep steering wheel with a Black and Gold finish. I went through the interior and purchased a NOS Datsun center console, and replaced the stock door cards with Skillard flat cards with leather pull straps.”

 

“In addition to the door cards, I added Skillard powder coated heel plates. The car came with BC adjustable coil-overs and Swift Springs which I will be updating in the near future. The BC Coilovers are perfectly fine for the street applications I’m using the car for currently. My suspension underneath the car is the full T3 catalog including the power cradle, control arms, bushings, and even their steering elements. It’s finally sorted, and I really enjoy driving the car the way it currently feels.”

 

“The car is equipped with a L28, ZX 5 Speed transmission, and 44pHH Mikuni triple carbs built by Taka at Kyusha House. The header and exhaust system are Fujitsubo Legalis R. The engine has since been updated in every way from the ignition system, oil pump, spark plug cables, and brake new seals and belt. The oil pan was replaced with a Moroso baffled racing pan with higher oil capacity.” 

  

“I have two sets of wheels and tires for the car. One set is Volk Racing TE37v custom gold 15×9 at 0 offset on Toyo Proxes R888 205/50/15, and the other set is Work Racing Equip 03 15×8.5 at -3 offset custom bronzed lip, and Gold Center on Falken Azenis RT660 205/50/15. The front bumper is a carbon MSA, and the rear tail light bezels are carbon fiber made by Vintage Carbon. The wing is a Carbon Fiber BRE spoiler.”

 

You can see Jason’s Z in action in the video below:

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

  

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.

  

Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!

Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Enjoy these pictures of Jason’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:

 

Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. Jason successfully installed the BBK on his Z with PitstopMotorTuning, and they look great behind both the Work Equip 03 and Volk TE37 wheels:

    

Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! 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. Jason shares his feedback after replacing his existing Wilwood brakes with the ZCG BBK:

JASON: “The Stoptech ZCG Big-Brakes are really a solid kit. The lead time was pretty rough, but again Rob reassured me every month over the course of a year of waiting that it would be worth it. He was right! These brakes do not disappoint. Once the kit was completely bedded and broken in, I quickly put the brakes to the test on Angeles Crest highway here in Los Angeles. I know this road well, and that’s where I usually push the car at a safe limit, and see where the pain points lie. The ZCG brakes are worth every penny. They are precise, they are confidence inspiring, and also feel great under late braking situations. I had a blast carving around the canyon knowing my brakes would safely hold up. My next test would be to get a couple of track days on them, and see how they hold up under extreme conditions and multiple sessions.”

 
What’s in store for Jason’s Z?

“The goal for the 260z is to refine my current setup. The paint is a bit rough since it was a garage paint job, and I would love to repaint the whole car including the interior. At the moment, I’m building a high compression 3.1L stroker motor with Jenvey 50mm ITB being managed by a Haltech Elite 750 stand alone ECU. My goals long term are for big power, but with street car reliability. I would love to confidently do a track day, but also be comfortable driving my wife to car shows, and even to grab a cup of coffee together. The engine has a custom designed valve cover designed by myself, and commissioned to be created by BSpeed in New Zealand. Big updates to come in the new year!”

 

Thanks for your support Jason we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

    …[read more]

 

Vincent S’ 1973 Datsun 240Z has a long history with Z Car Garage having received upgrades like our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, full suspension refresh and dyno tuning.

 

The Z came back to us in March of 2022 for more power, drivetrain and interior improvements. Before we explore these upgrades, let’s take a look at how Vincent found the Z car of his dreams…

Z Destiny

 

Vincent: “I’m from Le Mans, France and attended the 24 hours race, or Le Mans Classic numerous times. In 2016, I was on the Le Mans racetrack with the car I had then (a Lotus Elise 220), and one of my very best friends, Fabrice. That day, we saw a gorgeous blue, track prepared 240Z that we loved. I took several pics and videos of it.”

 

A few months later, Vincent saw our friend Dave Scholz’ video on Petrolicious and found his Z highly inspirational. In Summer 2019, Vincent’s job offered him the opportunity to move to San Diego for a few years and he decided this is where he would search for his own Z car, and eventually send it back to France. It truly is a small world, and our client Brian P had listed his ’73 S30 on Bring a Trailer in September of 2000. Vincent saw the Z, bid and won the auction!

 

Vincent: “I bought my Z on BaT, from Brian P, who had Z Car Garage restore it. He loved his car and had to sell it, but the modifications he wanted to do included a Rebello stroker with Mikunis, etc…Living in the US for only 3 years, I decided to continue the story with Rob, and the Z is now what I wanted and what Brian wanted (I’m still in touch with him). Knowing that I was going to relocate to FR, I also became a member of the Datsun Club of France. ZCG was highly recommended by the group, and is a worldwide reference for Zs! The posts on zcarblog.com with all the pics, etc….are also great to see how the work is done.”

 

Back for the Z Car Garage Touch

While previous owner Brian P was a little bummed about selling the car, he was stoked that Vince shared his vision and dream to take it the rest of the way. We spoke with Vince and discussed all the upgrades he wanted to do, knowing it had to be completed before his expatriation June 30, 2022. The Z arrived at Z Car Garage from SoCal on March 1, and it was so good to see it again:

 

Drivetrain

 

When Brian was coming to ZCG it was during the “Butters” phenomenon: our clients wanted a similar setup for their own S30s. Our 1971 shop demo Z Mrs. Butters proudly features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission, full KW suspension (releasing soon) and 3.2L engine with triple-Mikuni induction. While Vince’s Z had the upgraded brakes, CV axles and suspension, the drivetrain was not touched.

We began drivetrain upgrades by replacing the stock L24 with twin-SUs/4-speed transmission with a Rebello 3L, triple-Mikuni induction and KA24 5-speed transmission. ZCG supplied the ph44 Mikuni carbs (jetted) with velocity stacks, ZCG mesh filters, Harada intake manifold, ZCG fuel rail and all of the things we do on the intake/exhaust side of the engine. Spark is provided by an MSD6AL ignition box. We also installed what every triple-carbed L-series needs: a ZCG Heat Shield!

 

A Moroso competition baffled oil pan prevents oil starvation with high cornering loads:

 

The Fujitsubo exhaust system from exhaust header to muffler was installed. These newer units have better fitment.

 

With the engine out we had our man William repaint the engine bay. ZCG engine bay services followed with freshly plated and plumbed hydraulic lines, hoses and general clean-up:

 

The engine bay turned out great and Vince wanted a red, powdercoated wrinkle valve cover. More photos of the engine bay details in the gallery below!

 

Driveline Upgrades

With the 3L engine in we focused on the transmission and rear axle. To handle the power from the 3L engine we replaced the stock 4-speed with a Nissan KA24 (FS5W71C) transmission. This was a common swap (before the CD009a came to market) performed by modifying a 280Z L-series bell housing. When we upgraded the transmission we also installed a JWT HD clutch with aluminum flywheel:

 

Helping put the power down efficiently is an OS Giken LSD. The R180 houses a 4.11 R&P and the assembly is setup in-house (by Joshua Corwin):

 

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

  

Stock half shafts (L) and Vincent’s ZCG units, set #00295. Also visible are the T3 control arms:

     

Dyno Tuning

 

Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine making a stout 239hp/211tq to the wheels:

 

Enjoy the L-series music in this extended video of Vincent’s Z including dyno runs, test drive with Rob and drive-bys:

ZCG Big-Brakes

We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Vincent’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds.

    We removed the stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit.  We also installed a full coil-over (Koni) suspension 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.

  

ZCG Big-brakes and T3 coil-overs replacing stock setup:

     At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. New OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

   

Panasport Wheels

Complementing the new coilover suspension on Vincent’s Z are 16×7 Panasports and Hankook R-S3 tires in 225/50/16. We wanted the look and feel of Mrs. Butters Z so we obsessed over ride height until we got it exactly where he wanted it. The Z looks fabulous from any angle:

   

Recaro Seats

The stock seats were replaced with Euro-spec RECARO Pole Position in leather:

 

Driving is Believing

Vincent visited Z Car Garage for the first time when he picked up his Z on 6/22. Here is Rob showing Vincent the engine bay and going on a test drive:

  

Vincent:  “Rob and team ended up working 24/7 in the last few days so that this could happen. I picked it up on the 22 of June, early morning, when I believe I also met Alvin. It was amazing to meet you, Rob, and ZCG ! I then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, to drop the auto in LA, where the logistics/freight company is. They finally put it on a boat 3 months later (and I now live in FR).”

 

Vincent was impressed with the upgrades from Z Car Garage:

Vincent:“What’s it like to drive??! Brian already had the brakes and axles done, so all good there. With the engine, gearbox, clutch, exhaust done + Recaros, it’s a complete different car to drive. Much more lively, direct, raw…the Recaros filter less than the original seats, but are now on par with the global performance and grip of the Z. I feel much more connected to the road.”

 

We are happy to report that the Z is now in France! Vincent picked it up in Le Havre (north of FR) and drove it all the way to Lyon (South east, where he resides). The engine started right away, and trip was a pleasure. He sent us some great photos (above):

Vincent:“Hey Alvin, I believe only 750 240Zs were ever sold in France back in the day…so you can imagine the looks I got! Some people thought it was a Ferrari 275 or a Type E…So grateful to Rob and the awesome job he’s done on the auto, and Brian, to whom I bought it, can be reassured…The Z’s being taken care of!”

 

Since owning the Z Vincent found out that the Blue Z he saw in Le Mans belongs to another member of the Datsun club of France, David Donne. Vincent also has been in touch with Dave Scholz, via Instagram who has been super friendly and helpful.

We enjoyed working with Vincent:

Rob: “All in all Brian would be super proud. Car was scheduled to be put on a container to go back to France and we made it with 1 day to spare. Huge thanks to Brian and Vincent. Super excited about this car and my only regret is that he doesn’t live local so we could enjoy it together.”

Thank you for entrusting us with your S30 Vincent and LONG LIVE THE Z!

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