Mark your calendars for June 5th to celebrate Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) 50th birthday at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville!
The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) is one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. In its prime they had over 600 members with close ties to Yutaka Katayama (“Mr. K”) and Nissan USA. Of the many events and fun runs they host throughout the year, the famous Blackhawk Museum will be the venue for the June 6 birthday party.
Local Datsun specialists/racers Troy Ermish and Rob Fuller will be displaying their race cars. Datsun and Nissan cars will be on the plaza and lower lots for everyone to see. Z you there!
Richard W brought his 1971 Datsun 240Z from Eureka, Ca to Z Car Garage for a full mechanical restoration back in 2020. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles and Z Car Garage Heat Shield along with a new drivetrain and full suspension transformed this Series 1 S30.
With a few thousand miles on the build Richard visited ZCG earlier this year for routine maintenance. We changed the fluids, resolved a charging issue, checked the driveline and overall health of the Z.
While the Z was with us we performed extensive road testing with acceleration, freeway cruising, dyno runs and more all shown in the video below. Turn those speakers up and enjoy!
I could not resist taking more photos of the engine, interior and chassis on this gorgeous Sunshine Yellow Series 1. Enjoy some photos from his recent visit and of course zcarblog has the full report on our restoration of Richard’s Z.
Drivetrain
We got the original L24 with SUs running after sitting for years, but Richard wanted more power and Rob suggested a Rebello 3.1L engine. Supporting parts included an MSA 6-into-1 header, ZCG exhaust system, internally regulated 280ZX alternator, 280ZX gear reduction starter, KOYO race radiator (custom upper hose) and Z Car Garage Heat Shield. Here are a few pictures of the engine build/installation with many more in the gallery:
To handle the power from the 3.1L engine we replaced the stock transmission 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).
Engine Bay Services
Richard’s Z received a total engine bay restoration. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine! Final Before/After in the engine bay:
Suspension
Richard’s chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts, bushings and a full coil-over (Koni struts with our spring rates) 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.
Front Suspension refresh with T/C rod, crossmember and steering rack detail: Rear end with T3 lower control arms and ST Sway bar:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Richard’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and also upgraded to Z Car Garage CV Axles! These products have been standard on numerous ZCG builds.
We went ahead and got Richard dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new OEM Nissan master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!
Front brake installation:
At the rear, the OEM drums brakes were 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 200+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Richard’s standard half-shafts shown on left:
Interior
One of our favorite upgrades to the interior of an S30 is our ZCG sound deadening package. Usually found in our full-blown ZCG restorations, the result is a less tinny sound and almost Germanic-like “clunk” when you shut the doors.
The stock seats were replaced with Recaro Specialist in black leather, we love these seats for the S30:
Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!
Enjoying The Ride
It was great to see Richard again and meet his wife this time, recalling how he purchased the Z new in December of 1970! We love that this restoration is out on the road and being enjoyed. It’s also a great example of how no matter how far away you live from Z Car Garage we will help our clients any way we can. Long Live The Z!
“Richard got out of the Z and told me he had bought this Z 50 years ago that week, it’s been with him through alot of stuff and now his kids and grandkids will get to enjoy it. I looked him in the eye and said I’ll be here for their chapters, any time they need me. I’m attached to this Z now too.”
Z Car Garage is proud to bring this 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car back to life for our long-time client and friend Linda Williams. Only 50 of these Ontario Motor Speedway (OMS) “duplicates” were created and this is one of only two known survivors .
Join us as we revive this historically-significant Z from its slumber to make it a nice driver for Linda while retaining its survivor status. In addition to documenting ZCG’s work we will look at this Z’s history, our relationship with Linda and share her Enjoying the Ride.
History and Acquisition
Before we dive into the OMS Pace car story let’s take a look at Linda’s Z-car story. We first met Linda in 2008 when she reached out to Z Car Garage for work on her low-mileage 1978 Datsun 280Z:
“I had just bought my blue 1978 280Z and had taken it over to Steven’s Creek Nissan Parts Department to have a replacement key made. One of the guys came out and suggested I show it to “Rob” at Z Car Garage. It was my lucky day as ZONC was having a meeting and a Dyno Day at Z Car Garage! Of course, I didn’t know who Rob was and he was busy but took a few minutes to look at my Z. That’s how I met Rob and began a great friendship and a wonderful working relationship. I also joined Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) that day too!
Linda became a big part of the local Z car community and eventually became (currently) President of ZONC, one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. We have enjoyed helping her keep her Z cars on the road over the years, from Car Show prep to routine maintenance:
“Rob has taken very good care of my car and I have a lot of respect for him as a business person. He is honest, open and I don’t feel pressured to do anything on the car that isn’t necessary. In 2012, Rob called and asked if he could ‘borrow my car’ and of course I said ‘yes’, but can you please explain? He then told me he wanted to display it at the San Jose Auto Show in January 2013. I felt honored having it displayed with another restoration Z Car Garage had done, along with many other client Z’s.”
The OMS Pace Car Duplicates
Nissan Motors created 50 “Pace Car Duplicates” to commemorate the Datsun 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship (shown above). The cars were originally brought over from Japan by Mr. K and were all white with red interior. The blue livery was added here in the states with the “O” that represented the Ontario Motor Speedway. After the race, the cars were given to Datsun Dealerships in the Los Angeles area as a promotion and later sold to the public.
Fast forward to 2021 and Linda has located one of the Pace Cars: (shown above) The OMS Pace Car in a period photo from the previous owner in Glacier National Park, and on the day Linda purchased it:
“In August of 2020, a gentleman from Porterville, CA who was handling his father’s estate contacted me and asked if our car club (ZONC) would like to have a car (actually 3 cars) donated to us. I had to explain that we were a 501(c)7 and not a 501(c) 3 and would not be able to accept them, but I was personally very interested in the Z and that began the quest to acquire it.”
We told Linda this was a “must buy” as the car advertised had original paint/interior, 45k miles and above all it was 1 of those 50 “tribute” cars made by Nissan. Of those 50 cars, it is currently one of only two known survivors! You might be wondering what happened to the actual OMS Pace car? This is what makes Linda’s tribute Z special, beyond its rarity…as per Carl Beck and other noted Z-car historians, the original OMS Pace Car car was this Z shown below (L):
Above (R) is a photo of Mr. K presenting the keys to the Datsun 240Z Pace Car to Mr. John Cooper, President of Ontario Motor Speedway. This Z was used as the Official Pace Car for the ” California 500″ held on Sept. 3, 1972. It really is a small Datsun world and amazingly this exact car is in our shop at Z Car Garage…it is none other than the Joel Anderson #49 IMSA GTU 240Z !
After running as the official OMS Pace Car in 1972, it was purchased by Joel Anderson from the Datsun Competition Dept. for $1.00 and Joel picked it up at Sears Point from Bob Bondurant in 1979. Joel prepared the Z for IMSA GT-U competition sporting wide aero and his iconic black livery. Yes, #49 still has the checkered flag holder in the driver’s rear quarter panel from its OMS career. We are stoked to have both Tribute and original OMS Pace Cars at the shop!
Z Car Garage Revival
Linda had the OMS tribute towed to Z Car Garage and we sat down to discuss the future of the car. We both agreed to keep it as original as we could, while updating critical parts to bring it back to life and make it a safe, fun car to drive. Our goal was to have it ready for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) in August of 2021.
“My plans are to drive the car and enjoy it as a ‘survivor car’. It draws a lot of attention and I love sharing it with the car community, and telling her story to those that haven’t heard anything about the Tribute cars. I have the paperwork back to the original owner, many invoices that corroborate the mileage and original Warranty Book with the ‘credit card’ warranty card.”
Indeed, Linda has a treasure box of period photos/records all relevant to her OMS tribute Z:
Engine
The Z had not been running since 2006 so we went through the fuel and cooling systems, suspension, brakes and supporting parts to make it a fantastic driver. Starting with the engine bay, we performed general clean-up of the inner fender/firewall areas.
A fresh set of Z therapy SU carbs were installed along with an MSA 6 to 1 header and full ZCG exhaust system:
All coolant hoses were replaced and radiator refurbished:
Fuel tank refurbishment with new hoses and all new evap lines:
On the dyno, the stock L24 made 120hp/125tq at the wheels:
Enjoy this video of the dyno run and a walk-around of the Z after our revival:
Chassis
With respect to the low mileage of this chassis and provenance we performed a “sympathetic” refresh to make it road-worthy. The suspension was removed and replaced with new hardware and bushings throughout. New parts from Techno Toy Tuning included adjustable T/C rods and rear lower control arms. Before/after shots below with more in the gallery.
New tie-rods, rack bushings, and engine mounts. KYB strut inserts, Eibach lowering springs trimmed Macpherson bumps stops for full travel and a ST sway bar set:
We rebuilt and replaced all factory brake components including new calipers with Stoptech rotors, rear drums/shoes+wheel cylinders, new wheel bearings front and rear:
Fresh brake master cylinder and booster:
New drum brake components:
Details
Finishing touches for Linda’s Z included completing the OMS livery. We did not repaint the car because of its survivor status. A cut/buff was sufficient, and “O” decals were sourced/applied just before heading to ZCON. As it arrived (L) and after (R):
Interior
The original interior was refreshed with a nicer set of seats from fellow ZONC members Paul and Ann Devor:
All weatherstripping was replaced from hatch to doors.
Small details like a a new shifter gasket, heater core/ducting refurbishment and window regulator sorting make driving enjoyable:
Enjoying The Ride
Linda drives her Datsuns. We got the OMS Pace Car tribute in great mechanical shape and she has been driving it everywhere on local runs and gatherings. Most recently on April 10 she joined fellow Z owner Bryan for a local Bay Area drive and the odometer turned 47,000 miles!
In March she completed a 300-mile Breakfast Club Rally with us in Sonoma, CA. The OMS Pace Car ran like a champ, handling the twisty roads with zero mechanical issues:
In August 2021 we finished preparing the Z just in time for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA in Colorado Springs. The OMS car was well-received at the show, Pete Brock approved!
At ZCON with the new Z and track laps!
Photographer Larry Chen and Rob Fuller highlighted Linda’s Z in their walk-around from ZCON, enjoy:
“When I bought the car, I did not drive it due to it not being operated for so many years. The last thing that I wanted to do is possibly damage it before I even got to drive it. When I delivered the car to Rob, he went through it and did everything he could to maintain the ‘Tribute Car’ provenance, yet give me a car that I could enjoy driving. She is kept garaged, but she’s driven and enjoyed. The car drives like a “Z” and I am so thrilled that Rob did his magic with her.”
Thank You!
Z Car Garage thanks Linda for her unwavering support. We love your passion Linda and how you wave the flag for Nissan/Datsun history. The OMS Pace Car tribute is in great hands for the next generation to appreciate. From Rob:
“We live for this. Finding these hidden gems that have been sitting and bringing them back to life because Datsuns are Driven. Linda’s Z became a wonderful driver that puts a smile on my face not only when I’m behind the wheel but when I hop out and look back at it. How small and magical is this Datsun world where we can have the actual pace car (1 of 3) and tribute (1 of 50) in the same shop and work on them both. Thanks to Linda for believing in ZCG”
More pictures in the gallery below and…LONG LIVE THE Z!
Brad L is the original owner of this 2008 Nismo 350z #1188. He generally uses this Z for fun road trips and wanted a little more power so we installed a Stillen supercharger kit last year. Brad recently visited Z Car Garage for routine maintenance and we spent some time admiring the details Nissan added to this rare Z33. Enjoy the photos!
When the Nismo Z33 made its debut 15(!) years ago its aero package was considered downright shocking. We think it has aged well, from the aggressive front fascia and side skirts to that unmistakable SuperGT-inspired rear spoiler/diffuser.
Brembo brakes, and super-sexy NISMO forged wheels still make our mouths water:
The interior also reminds you that this is a special Z with red-accented seats, NISMO white and gray tach, and a serialized NISMO-etched aluminum plaque:
With roughly 1,600 units produced for 2007-2008 the Nismo 350Z is quite rare. We still love them. How rad would it be if Nissan offered a Nismo model of the new Z?
Filed under: 370z,Performance
by Alvin G @ 3:42 pm on April 13, 2022
Sean M visited Z Car Garage for dyno tuning on his 2010 Nismo 370Z. We specialize in UPREV and EcuTek Tuning to maximize power gains from individual modifications like intake and exhaust upgrades. Let’s hear how Sean found his Pearl White V1 Nismo Z34:
“I obtained this car through my father’s best friend. A couple of years ago, I found this car on craigslist and I wanted to jump on it very badly. I had just gotten a car six months before, so I couldn’t get it and knew it was going to be gone within the next couple of days. Sure enough, that’s what happened. I showed up at the Thunder Hill 3-Mile course that weekend, and spotted the car parked next to our trailer when we arrived. It turns out my father’s best friend bought the car, and from that moment I told him that if he ever wants to sell it, I want to buy it from him. About a year and a half later, thats what happened!”
Once he got the car Sean started modifying it immediately with Stillen G3 intakes, Z1 headers, Magnaflow cat-back, Z1 motorsports 34 row oil cooler, Z1 clutch, KW V3 Coilovers, Hawk DTC60 pads, and AEM Oil pressure and wideband AFR gauges.
“After installing those parts, I knew it was going to need a tune. Thats when I found the man the myth the legend Rob at Z Car Garage! I found them online looking for Z tuners in the bay, and after coming into Z Car Garage I knew I brought it to the right place. Rob got the car squared away with the UPREV ARC license, and with his knowledge about how hard the car gets driven he dialed it in.”
Dyno Tuning
We specialize in UPREV and EcuTek Tuning to maximize power gains from individual modifications like intake and exhaust upgrades on Sean’s Z. On the dyno, Rob UPREV tuned with gains throughout the rev range. Peak gains of 20hp/20tq for a total of 335hp/272tq at the wheels was achieved:
Enjoy this dyno video that Sean filmed:
Sean was stoked on the dyno results:
“Being a huge racer himself, he knows what it takes to keep a car maintained and up to date, and the motor running safely and efficiently. Z Car Garage is always my recommendation to fellow Z enthusiasts, as I know Rob is a wealth of useful information as well as a brilliant mechanic. After the tune, the car has fantastic throttle response on partial throttle and tons of top end!”
We also added the ARC (Advanced Racing Controls) license. This add-on service to the existing UPREV Flash allows you to have adjustable launch control, burnout mode, and flat-foot shifting. This is for cars with manual transmission, VDC/cruise control. Call Rob for more details and to schedule your Z/G tuning appointment.
Here is a video of the exhaust and launch control (courtesy of the UPREV ARC License):
Enjoying The Ride
Sean is an avid driving enthusiast and this Z sees the track 2+ weekends per month, running strong each and every time. It is a car that gets driven close to its limit, and is often featured on Sean’s YouTube Channel, Milburn Motorsports. You can also catch Sean and his racing adventures on Instagram.
Rob had a great time with Sean:
“We met Sean through tuning his car. He’s an awesome young man and even brought some of his friends (some we’ve also worked with) with him to the shop. It’s good to see passionate, enthusiastic young people in motorsports. Whenever Sean is here we talk about his Z car and how much he enjoys it and how we both enjoy driving. He’s got a really cool YouTube channel that we subscribe to and he’s an excellent racetrack driver.”
Thanks for your support Sean, Long Live The Z!
Contact us for tuning!
Z Car Garage offers the ARC (Advanced Racing Controls) license. This add-on service to the existing UPREV Flash allows you to have adjustable launch control, burnout mode, and flat-foot shifting. This is for cars with manual transmission, VDC/cruise control. Call Rob for more details and to schedule your Z/G tuning appointment.
