Dear Zcarblog readers, it’s been a busy year and we are catching up on blog posts, so please enjoy our belated race report from November 2021.

WE LOVE RACING! On November 11-14 we attended the Velocity Invitational at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting several client’s IMSA GTU Z cars running in Group 7A (1966-1977 IMSA GT). This vintage racing event was just as fun for spectators with a friendly, immersive vibe. Enjoy our report from the weekend with photos and in-car video of the action.

 

Z Car Garage IMSA Race Car Support!

 

If you missed our earlier post, we prepared and supported three IMSA race cars for the Velocity Invitational (VI). Here’s a quick review:

#49 IMSA Joel Anderson GTU Z

Rob Fuller in the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z:

 

#47 Brad Frisselle IMSA GTU Z

We supported our client Randy Jaffe who recently acquired the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z. This famous 1976 IMSA-GTU Championship-winning 240z will be driven by ex-driver Brad Frisselle’s son, Brian Frisselle. Randy recently had the Z re-painted by William with correct graphics and hand-applied livery by the Real Ralph.

  

#93 Different Drummer Racing Datsun 260Z

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his  Ex-Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z. Glenn built and prepared this race car by himself, ZCG simply dyno-tuned it prior to race week.

  

Ready for some L-series music from these historic race cars on the dyno? Check out the video below and turn those speakers up!

 

We also prepared our client Kelvin Tse’s Porsche 911 RSR, because if it’s not the Z-car, it’s the P-car!

 

Epic Racing With Group 7

 Group 7’s IMSA GT and FIA race cars (1966 and 1977) was dominated by big-power Porsche 911 RSRs with a few BMS CSLs and 4 S30 Datsuns. Speaking of powerful Porsche’s, the organizers did not allow turbocharged cars to run so we thought an NA motor race would make things interesting. Read more about Group 7 here with driver Jeff Francis in Larry Oka’s 1970 Ex-Glemik IMSA Datsun 240Z (#54):

 

Friday’s qualifying race was eventful. Rob and Brian Frisselle were doing well and putting down some great lap times. Unfortunately, a Porsche oiled down the track between turns 4 and 5 and both Z cars skidded off the track. They recovered under their own power but the Frisselle Z sustained minor body damage from hitting the tire barrier. Good news: Glenn, Jeff and John Murray avoided the mess and Rob Fuller qualified on Pole Position!

Racing in to the Night

 

Saturday’s Group 7 would start at dusk, a rare exhibition for both drivers and spectators. I zipped up to my favorite vantage point at Turn 6 to catch the sunset. Auxillary lights were placed at each apex and few cars had headlights of their own to navigate the evening’s race. It was magical to watch. Here is Rob Fuller re-capping his sessions from the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z:

 

“We had a great first session, made some adjustments to the cars and clicked-off good times. The qualifier was pretty scary as I lost control from a Porsche’s oil spill but I made it out ok. Brian Frisselle is an ex-IMSA professional driver and he safely negotiated the oil slick, avoiding a potentially severe impact with the sitting Porsche and softly hitting the tire barrier. I was surprised to make Pole-Position. Saturday’s evening race was intense. Though I started on Pole, by Turn 2 the Porsche gapped me 3-4 car lengths…

…We were racing our Datsuns with skilled drivers like Ned Bacon, Alan Terpins, and Martin Lauber in their multi-million $ Porsches. I was able to hold on to 2nd place, trying hard to reel Ned in but caution struck again, another Porsche had oiled down the track between Turn 5-6. Now its really dark and I’m trying to stay with Ned then I see these lights coming up hard on me and I know it’s Terpins. Tried to defend but he got around me. Honored to be amongst these guys who never let up. We finished the race in 3rd place.”

Enjoy this video we made highlighting the Group 7 races with in-car, Turn 6 and Goodwood livestream footage mixed in. Volume up!

You can see full, in-car footage from Rob in  the#49 Joel Anderson IMSA 240Z over on his YouTube Channel, check out the Qualifying and Saturday Evening sessions. Here is Rob recapping the Sunday race from Group 7:

“Final race was midday with plenty of sunshine. Frisselle started 4th. Three lead Porsches took off,  while Brian and I battled for P4. He then got around me and we both enjoyed the magic of driving our IMSA cars. Drivers around me were in expensive machines giving it 100%. Really happy to see 4 Datsuns in top 10 places. Honorable mention to John Murray (narrow body 260Z), Glenn Chiou did a really good job (Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z) and Jeff Francis (Ex-Glenn Klemik IMSA Z).“

 

Joel Would Be Proud

  

You might recall the story behind this special, 1972 IMSA GTU 240z as it was owned, built and raced in the 70’s by none other than Joel Anderson.  ZCG restored #49 back to its former glory and it debuted at RMMR 2014. John Morton would drive #49 at RMMR 2015. Rob Fuller would drive #49 for the first time at the RMMR 2018. Joel was present at all of those events but sadly passed away March 2021 and we miss him dearly.

“This was unbelievable…driving the Z without Joel around was so emotional. Thinking about the fact that all of the vintage race support and seat time we have is all because we met Joel. He taught us how to be racers. His memory was shared by us all at the race.”

 

Privateer Spirit

Our friend and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z. It’s worth noting that not unlike privateers of the period, Glenn builds his Z cars, maintains and manages his racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his work ethic.

 

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

Formerly known as the Sonoma Speed Festival (2019), the Velocity Invitational re-imagined the vintage race experience with a Goodwood-inspired vibe. One of the best experiences for spectators is the paddock and organizers made access to drivers and their machines seamless. Fans could get up close and personal with race cars without the typical ropes or 45-foot RVs in the way. It was a dream come true for me to share vintage racing with my family, they loved it!

 

The hot pit area where all run groups stage before heading out to the track is an amazing place to be. Typically, access is only granted to pit crews and media. At the Velocity Invitational however, organizers staged a “false grid” where any spectator could walk amongst the race cars. Our family loved the artificial turf and hay bale seating lining the grid:

 

Though the fresh format was immediately enjoyable for spectators, it did come as a surprise to drivers and race teams. Rob’s initial reaction was met with eventual praise:

“Upon arrival to ‘Seca we knew this was going to be a different kind of event. All race cars were displayed together under white tents in the paddock for a Goodwood-like experience. It allowed spectators to see all cars within each race group but it was challenging for the team as our tools and support vehicles are usually near us. Initially we were intimidated but got the hang of it with just our essentials.  The layout encouraged interaction and it was super fun to meet other racers, new folks and see old friends. Kudos to the organizers for doing something new and absolutely knocking it out of the park!”

Enjoy this video we made showcasing the sights and sounds of the Velocity Invitational. Rob Fuller gets interviewed by the Goodwood Livestream just before the evening race, and I included the lineup from my favorite vintage race group (other than IMSA), the Trans Am cars!

 

If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out Goodwood’s live streaming coverage Day one and Day Two.

 

Paddock Finds

At each corner there was something special in the paddock to see like exotics, Muscle Cars, personal sports cars and even Ragtime racers. The paddock never disappoints. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery! Where else can you see a brace of McLaren Speedtails, Lamborghini Mirua, Mercedes Benz 300 SLR and Lotus Cortina in one place!

 

Exotics abound with Bugatti and McLaren hypercars:

 

Really excited to spot this Datsun 240Z in the car corral…it is Z Car Garage client Matt K. Full report soon on this pretty Z car that features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

We have more photos in the gallery below. ZCG would like to thank the following photographers for sending us photos from the event, you can click on their name to see their photo albums or Instagram handles: Kristina Cilia, Larry Chen, Pall Kornmayer, Todd Lapin, PnutProductions and Paul and Ann Devor, enjoy!

ZCG Race Crew

 

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including the Corwins, Meghan, Nick and Josh. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

RADWOOD

The weekend of racing also included the popular RADWOOD car show. On Saturday and Sunday they are took over the famous island in the center of all the action at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca with a curated display of 50 of the most iconic, unique, and RADical rides of the era. Check out ZCG client Pall Kornmayer’s coverage in his photo album HERE:

 

People

 

We enjoyed spending time with friends and meeting new folks. The Velocity Invitational really helped create such a friendly atmosphere. Below: Larry Chen, Randy Jaffe with Brian Frisselle.  Rob, Anna, Randy Jaffe, Brian Frisselle and his Dad Brad Frisselle. Brad is the original builder/racer of the Transcendental Racing IMSA GTU 240z!

 

Racing Legend John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson were both present and having a blast. Yes, that’s Jim Froula of Racecraft photo-bombing us in back:

 

Meghan sporting the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU livery shirt. More pictures in the gallery below!

Racing into 2022!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for this year’s race season. Here is list of events we will be attending. Please join us!

April

4/1-3  Sonoma with CSRG

4/21-24 Laguna with SVRA

4/28-5/2 Sonoma with SVRA

May

5/21-22  Laguna with CSRG

August

8/13-14  Laguna with HSR Pre Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

8/17-20 Laguna  with HSR  Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

October

9/30-10/2 Sonoma with CSRG Charity Challenge

9/13-16 Laguna   VI

November

11/4-6   Thunderhill with CSRG

 

Thank you Velocity Invitational for an incredible event. We look forward to running with you again! LONG LIVE THE Z!

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Our client Jas D listed his 1991 Aztec Red 300ZX Twin Turbo for auction on Bring a Trailer. You can view the auction HERE. Below is our blog feature of the Z, enjoy and happy bidding on this stunning Z32.

 

To appreciate the 1991 Aztec Red 300ZX Twin Turbo pictured above we must tell you a story of love, heartbreak, persistance and ultimately satisfaction. Z Car Garage client Jas D has been with us since 2014 when we helped build his 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo. This Super White, 44k original-mile example was treated with all the ZCG touches that make a Z32TT go from wonderful to extraordinary. We dubbed it the “Z Masterpiece” (see more here) as it embodied the total package: Power. Handling. Braking. Aesthetics:

 

Jas totally Enjoyed The Ride in this Z, adding 28k thrilling miles with ZCG maintaining it over the years:

“My brother and I have been ZCG customers for almost a decade. I met Rob when I called about getting a PPI on what became Z Masterpiece. At the time, a Super White manual came up on AutoTrader (I LOVE Super White-OMG). It was a low-mile, one-owner, meticulously-maintained time-capsule. Rob actually said WOW after the PPI, and we worked with ZCG over a couple years on a few iterations until we got Z Masterpiece. That car was perfect!  My dream Z; I loved driving that car EVERYWHERE! It is probably my favorite car of all time!”

  

Unfortunately, in 2016 the Z was stolen.

“On October 29, 2016, Z Masterpiece was stolen. We cried, we laughed, we got angry, we sulked for a couple months, forgot about it, and then my dad found the car driving into SF on January 25, 2017. The car had clearly been driven like it was stolen. But, believe it or not, all the expensive components were still on there. We sent it to Rob right away, and he helped us turn Z Masterpiece into the Red Devil Z (which I purchased on April 20, 2017 with 66,XXX miles).”

From Z Masterpiece to Red Devil

 

Persistance paid off, and Jas found a really clean Aztec Red ’91 Z32TT with only 66k miles. All of the upgrades from the Super White, Z Masterpiece were transferred over:

“Rob pulled the motor from the Super White, re-did all the seals/gaskets, and then put the driveline back together into the red Z32TT.  Coincidentally, both cars and engines had 66,XXX miles when this was done in summer 2017.”

 

 

Let’s take a look at the modifications that turn the already stellar Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo into a superb, balanced sports car.

Engine

 

Though bone-stock with an amazing 44k miles on the clock it needed some attention. We went through the hydraulics and performed full 60k-mile services.

 

Jas wanted to improve power and handling and we happily obliged with a comprehensive list of upgrades this year.  Starting with the drivetrain, the original transmission was replaced with a brand new(!) unit from Nissan:

 

The clutch had seen better days so we replaced it with a JWT unit including their heavy duty aluminum flywheel:

 

A JWT ecu w/boost jets manages uprated NISMO 740cc injectors and the Selin dual MAF. Improved breathing comes from Ash-SPEC inlet piping and dual JWT pop chargers:

   

On the exhaust side, restrictive original downpipes were replaced with these beautiful Specialty Z 3″ downpipes. Note the divorced wastegate piping:

 

Following the new downpipes are more parts from SPZ including 3″ mid-pipes and a cat-back exhaust system to replace the OEM setup:

 

OEM vs SPZ:

 

More upgrades. We installed 4.08 Leader gears, Ash-SPEC Massive SMICs, 2.5 IC tubing, and  SPZ Hi-5 upgraded clutch. The BDE low-profile Z32 motor mounts are a smart alternative to OEM that allows more clearance larger for intakes:

   

Rob recently dyno-tuned the red Z, making 353hp/353tq to the wheels on 91 octane:

 

Stoptech Big-Brakes

 

With all of the speed parts installed next we tackled chassis improvements. Let’s begin with brakes followed by suspension:

We love Stoptech’s products and use them on our own vehicles.  Z32s are relatively heavy and with higher hp the stock caliper/rotors can be taxed quite easily. Jas took it up a notch and ordered a Stoptech 4-wheel Big-Brake Kit for his beloved Z.  Shown above is the ST40 caliper (front) squeezing 332 mm rotors and at the rear are ST22s on 328mm rotors.

The installation:

 

Yes, they are pretty but also very functional. Speaking of aesthetics (that are functional, too), the new calipers are nicely framed between the spokes of these sweet VOLK TE37SL wheels, finished in bronze and sized 18×9.5/10.5 in high-pad offset with center caps.  We like your taste, Jas.  The lightweight TE’s were wrapped in Yokohama tires:

 

Suspension

The suspension was gone through completely with all new parts. KW V3s are our favorite coil-over setup, replacing the Stance coil-overs that the Super White Z had. Stillen sway bars are also shown:

 

Stock vs KW V3s installed front:

  

Rear:

  

Every little nook and cranny of the suspension was handled. New SPL tension rods, upper front control arms, new rear wheel bearings and HICAS removal/eliminator:

  

T/C rods, Stillen sway bar, we also replaced the rack bushings:

 
The Z looks great!

  

The interior is in great condition as well:

  

Jas and his brother love the Z. Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey!

“The Red Devil Z is vicious and so fun to drive. It is the quintessential 1990s Japanese sports car  – red – gold wheels – TTs – exhaust.  It goes fast. It stops fast. It turns fast. Z32TTs are the BEST! We love and respect Rob and the team at ZCG. Rob is a total big brother. He and the team have been with us through the passion and pain.”

**This Red Z32TT will be for sale on Bring a Trailer!**

 

The quest for the perfect Z is almost complete as Jas just found one of the cleanest Super White z32s on Earth. That means the red car is for sale! Jas is listing it on Bring a Trailer. We will update this post and social media when the auction goes live so you don’t miss out! For now, enjoy the extensive photo gallery below, and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

Lots of pictures in the gallery, enjoy!
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***HAPPY HOLIDAYS From Z Car Garage***

 

One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and customers again for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2021 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:

 

ZCG will be closed from 12/24/21 and we will re-open for business on 1/3/22.

 

 

We had a busy year and though the shop will be closed, we won’t leave you hanging for the holidays. Many zcarblog features have yet to be published like our belated race report from the 2021 Velocity Invitational in addition to client stories.

Before we take a look back at highlights from 2021, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:

 

Jeff and Ryan B’s LS3-powered Z came to us for mechanical sorting. It’s now sporting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Ryan successfully ran the Targa California Rallye in blistering summer heat. He recently got a new set of VOLK TE37V wheels full report soon!

  

The OMS Pace Car

 

This is a 1972 Official OMS Pace Car Duplicate. It is at present one of only two known survivors . Fifty were originally produced by Nissan Motors to commemorate the DATSUN 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 “U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship”.  It really is a small Datsun world, as the official OMS pace car is none other than our very own Joel Anderson #49 IMSA GTU 240Z .

  

This OMS duplicate belongs to our long time customer and friend Linda. She acquired it from a family in SoCal and tasked ZCG with making it a nice driver. Full report soon but it got loaded up today for its journey to Colorado!

  

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z returned for a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake and CD009a 6-speed transmission:

    

David’s 240Z

Long-time friend and client David attended a track day at Laguna Seca. This Z was built over 15 years ago and sill running strong. We prepped his Z for the track, full report soon!

Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G

We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:

Aaron’s Q50:

   

Randy’s 1970 Safari Tribute Z lived an eventful life this year. It was in Los Angeles to be filmed for Nissan’s commercials and also served as Randy’s ride for cruising around Monterey Car Week. We installed a new engine and made some suspension changes. Though it’s back at home in Georgia it will get a full ZCG-style feature.

    

One of many Z32s we are working on, Steve’s will get a full report soon:

 

 

Highlights from 2021

 

Even though 2021 was crazy year for all of us we still managed to have fun on and off the track. The shop made some really great progress as well.

Enjoy these highlights from the year and Z you in 2022!

Datsunworks

 

Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. You can read all about it HERE

  

2021 was a development year for this drivetrain setup. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast. More updates to come, but for now enjoy the music this KN20 head provides in the video below!

240Z

Click on each link to see the full features!

ZCG PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles on Brad’s IMSA 240Z race car!

Ole Orange Bang: Larry Chen’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

Stock is Good: Mike’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z

ZCG Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles and Panasports for Greg’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

ZCG Big-Brakes, 6-Speed and EFI for Khang’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

HISTORY: 1970 Datsun 240Z Salt Flat Racer Lives!

Panasport Wheels for Jay’s 240Z

Vince’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

TRIBUTE Z: Michael’s RB25DET-Powered 1972 Datsun 240Z

The Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z

Friends for 50 Years: Richard’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Kai’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

For Love of The Z Car: Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

SERIEZ 1: Wayne’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

PARTS: Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for Jeremy’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles for Chris’ 1970 Datsun 240Z

PARTS: ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles for Hazel’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

The Well-Sorted Series 1: Rob J’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z is Alive!

One Owner Time Capsule: Ed’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Tony’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

 

260Z

  

TUNING: Glenn’s 1974 IMSA GTU Datsun 260Z

ZCG PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles on Glenn’s IMSA 260Z race car!

280Z

 

ZCG Parts: ZCG CV axles-For Peters 1977 Datsu 280Z

Trevor’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Z Car For Generations: Gilberts 1978 Datsun 280Z 2+2

 

280ZX

  

 

300zx

 

Red Devil Z: Jas’ 1991 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

Patrick’s 1994 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

Arsia’s 1994 Nissan 300ZX Convertible

 

 510 and Fairlady Roadster

 

PARTS: ZCG CV Axles for V8-Powered Datsun 510

Happy 510 Day!

Happy 311 Day!

 

350Z

 

Datsun Destiny: Christine’s 2004 Nissan 350Z Roadster

Brad’s Stillen-Supercharged Nismo 350Z

 

370z

TUNING: Gordon’s 2010 Nismo 370Z

TUNING: Gentry’s Nismo 370Z

Henry’s Stillen Supercharged 370Z

 

R32

 

TUNING: Pall’s R32 Skyline GT-R

More Upgrades For Lee’s R32 Skyline

Racing

 

RACE REPORT: B-Sedan Datsun 510 Racing at Sonoma with CSRG

EVENTS: IMSA Datsuns Racing at the Velocity Invitational November 11-14

RACE REPORT: B-Sedan Datsun Racing at Laguna Seca With SVRA 5/21

 

 

Rallyes/Events

EVENTS: The 2023 Nissan Z Viewing at Z Car Garage Was A Success!

The 2023 Nissan Z Unveiled!

Z Car Garage visits Nissan Headquarters to spend time with the Z Proto

EVENT REPORT: Z Car Garage at SEMA 2021!

EVENTS: The 2021 Japanese Classic Car Show

EVENTS: The 34th Annual Z Car Convention!

EVENTS: DWA Morning Motors Cars & Coffee 6/13

EVENTS: Breakfast Club Rally Report 6/12

EVENTS: Super Drive Sunday

 

Media

MEDIA: Larry Chen’s 1970 Datsun 240Z on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: 1970 Datsun 240Z Salt Flat Racer Featured on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: ZCG’s 1971 Datsun 240Z Featured in Petrolicious

DATSUNWORKS: Road & Track Features the KN20 Cylinder Head!

MEDIA: Rob Fuller’s Datsun 510 Featured on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: ZCON With Rob and Larry Chen on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: 1970 Datsun 240Z Safari Tribute on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: Trevor’s 1978 Datsun 280Z Featured on Hoonigan Autofocus!

 

 

LONG LIVE THE Z! Check out our Instagram story for more updates!

 

 

Pall K acquired this Pearl Red (AH3) R32 from our friend Sean and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. It goes without saying, if you are in the market for a vintage Skyline (or any JDM car) IVI is the place to go. We love the gorgeous paint color and Volk TE37SLs:

 

Pall brought the R32 to ZCG for a full inspection in 2019 and we have serviced it since. On that visit we found one of the CV boots torn and he had some Nismo stainless lines for us to install. We checked the timing, changed the engine oil, transmission fluid, installed the new brake lines front/rear and performed a full alignment. He visited us again for a new clutch:

  

Pall has driven the Skyline frequently since we met in 2019, and he does most of the work on his cars himself. We spotted him last summer at the 6/13 Morning Motors Cars & Coffee event hosted by DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) in Santa Cruz, CA:

 
I had fun chasing Pall in our shop Datsun 240Z (Mrs. Butters) on this earlier 2020 Drive:

  

Pall was experiencing some intermittent issues with car, so he purchased a Haltech Platinum Pro ECU from our client Kurt W since he’s going to an Haltech Elite box for his own R32 GT-R build.

“My car was pinging on 91 octane trying to run on the stock ECU at higher load / RPM. I purchased a Haltech Planimum Pro plug-in ECU to resolve the pinging issue and make the most of my modifications. Rob installed the Haltech with a wideband O2 controller and dyno tuned the whole setup. The pinging issue is gone and the car feels incredible. Smoother initial throttle tip-in and lower end, pulls hard all the way out redline. Extremely pleased!”

 

As Pall mentioned above, his R32 came in to Z Car Garage in Novemeber and Rob dyno tuned it using Haltech. It put down a very strong 381hp/320tq to the wheels on 91 octane:

This Skyline does have basic performance upgrades including: Apex’i intakes, boost restrictor removed (~14psi), Fujitsubo equal-length downpipe, HKS high-flow cat, Fujitsubo Legalis R-Type Evo exhaust, divided intake pipe, PRP R35 coil conversion kit. Despite the modifications, a subtle chop at idle and the dyno results may indicate aftermarket cams from Japan. Nevertheless it has great power, enjoy the dyno video!

 

Enjoying The Ride

We are happy to report that Pall is already back on the road in his R32, post ZCG-tuning. Just yesterday he attended the final Morning Motors in Santa Cruz:

 

Pall attended the 2021 Skyline Matsuri hosted by the Norcal Skyline Owners group, you can see Pall’s own photography from the event by clicking on the photos below:

 Can’t get enough of this beautiful Skyline. It doesn’t get any better than driving a Skyline on Skyline!

 

Pall is a wonderful client and enthusiast with a pretty serious E30 M3 in addition to the R32. The 90’s were good for iconic sports cars!

 

Thanks to Norcal Skyline Owners group we get to work with many cool cars like Kurt W and Mike R (here for timing belt, tuning and clutch job, report soon). Thanks for your support Pall and for trusting us with your R32!

More pictures in the gallery below:

 

“Performance With Passion”. These are words that describe our work at Z Car Garage and we are passionate about making your Z perform as good as it looks. Photographer Larry Chen commissioned ZCG to transform his beloved SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z from an “ok driver” to a no-excuses, multi-dimensional sports car with power, handling, braking, comfort, reliability and performance to match its eye-catching beauty.

 

Join Rob and Larry as they share the story of Larry’s Z, affectionately called “Ole Orange Bang”, featuring our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, chassis preparation, dyno tuning and more. Enjoy the videos with behind the scenes footage and photo gallery below!

 

 

Car enthusiasts and motorsport fans recognize the name Larry Chen as the greatest automotive photographer. Larry has made a career out of his passion for capturing the right moments in racing. We are huge fans of his work since the days of covering Formula Drift, time at Speedhunters, and recent work with Hoonigan Autofocus. Our favorite Larry Chen moment is his photography of Ken Block’s 1400hp Hoonicorn at Pike’s Peak for the filming of Climbkhana.

 

Larry Chen is regularly exposed to some of the coolest builds across the globe, so you can imagine our joy hearing that Larry’s personal car is a Datsun 240Z. Larry’s Z is a Series 1 (VIN# 2868) that he purchased on his 21st birthday for $3000. He started autocrossing immediately with his buddies circa 2006, and it became an integral part of his life:

 

“It’s been such a big part of my adult life, and it will continue to be a part of it for the rest. The name actually came from a Mexican drink that we love in SoCal. My car is Orange and it backfired a lot when I got it especially when I was low on gas. So it was only appropriate to call it Orange Bang. On my wedding night instead of being ferried away in a fancy limousine, I drove my beautiful wife home in the Z, after some wedding burnouts.”

 

Following years of autocross and track use, in 2013 the tired L28 was replaced with an SR20DET straight out of a former Formula Drift car.

 

Like many enthusiasts, Larry continued to modify and upgrade the Z to fit his needs…adding A/C, coil-over suspension and creature comforts along the way. We spotted a freshly painted Ole Orange Bang at the 2019 Japanese Classic Car Show:

“In 2019 my friends at Bells and Vaughn in Pasadena, California did a full ground up restoration. It has all new paint and it was taken all the way down to the metal. Just this month I picked it up from Z Car Garage in San Jose California. ZCG pretty much went through the entire car and they fixed everything that was mechanically wrong with it.”

 

When Larry Met Rob: A ZCG Story

 

We first met Larry when he visited us at the 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, CA. We talked about Z cars, and how he really wanted to get our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and ZCG treatment on his personal Z. In 2020 he trailered his Z up from LA to ZCG in February, literally a few weeks before the pandemic.

“I actually found out about ZCG on Instagram and met Rob for the first time in SoCal at JCCS. I inquired about getting brakes for my car since it couldn’t stop even with a Toyota 4×4 conversion and Nissan Maxima rear disk brakes. They were absolutely horrible. There is a reason why people ship their Z cars across the country to ZCG. The passion is there and you can see it on everything they touch.”

While visiting Z Car Garage Larry featured a few of our client cars and did a shop tour for his YouTube channel Hoonigan AutoFocus. You can click on the thumbnails below to watch the videos:

 

Fast forward a year later and Larry returned to pick up his beloved Z. He shot a few more vehicles like my my 1967 Datsun Roadster and Randy’s 1970 Salt Flat Racer but most importantly Larry finally filmed a 1hr-long Hoonigan Autofocus episode of his own Z, Ole Orange Bang. Larry was so happy with his Z he recorded a separate lock-down video for our friends at Haltech.

 

We couldn’t leave our readers hanging without our own ZCG-style feature complete with dyno videos and behind the scenes footage, so if you can’t wait any longer here it is below. Turn those speakers up and enjoy, read on for an in-depth look at our work.

The ZCG Touch

 

Larry and Rob developed a plan for Ole Orange Bang. The Z had past work performed by many folks including Larry’s buddies. We simply wanted his Z to be a multi-dimensional sports car with power, brakes, handling and comfort. Cosmetics were already handled, it just needed some mechanical love with ZCG-products that you will find on many of our ZCG builds. Let’s begin with the chassis upgrades, then go into dyno tuning/engine bay work and final details like the interior and weatherstripping.

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We handed Larry the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car and he was sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our clients 🙂 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 Larry’s existing Toyota 4×4 front calipers and rear Maxima setup and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit front and rear:

 

He got a new, OEM brake master cylinder as well:

 

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

 

Larry was impressed with the braking performance:

“The ZCG brakes and axles really give the 240z an update with modern top of the line performance where the Z badly needs it. These cars are lightweight and easy to make fast, but everything else that goes along with it is very lacking. While the 240z is a great car to drive in stock form, there is nothing like having a lightweight turbo rear wheel drive sports car.”

Wheels By Love20bee

Complementing the new Big-Brakes and suspension on Larry’s Z are a fresh set of Southern Ways Epsilon mesh wheels from Love20bee. It was an absolute pleasure working with owner, Matt K. to adjust the offset on the wheels just before Larry picked his Z up from ZCG.