Yousef purchased a set of Panasport Wheels from Z Car Garage that we shipped to Saudi Arabia. We are an authorized Panasport dealer and have limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car. Before we show you how a set of these 16×7 wheels look on almost every Z color imaginable, enjoy these shots of Yousef’s Series 1 S30 featuring a 3.1L ITB EFI L-Series engine. Full story coming to zcarblog.com soon!
Panasport wheels for your Z car
Treat your Z to a brand new set of Panasport wheels! We special order this offset to enable fitment of a 225/50/16 tire on the 1970 to 1978 S30s.
Contact us: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350 Limited availability (pallet pictured)
Wondering how a set of Panasports would look on your Z car? Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars in jus about every color imaginable with Panasport wheels:
At Z Car Garage we love keeping Z’s on the road. From concours-level restorations to light refurbishments, making a client’s goals reality is our passion. Gary Roser brought his 1978 Datsun 280Z from Monterey, Ca for a full restoration, ZCG-style. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a new drivetrain, full suspension and body restoration transformed this S30.
Our journey with Gary began 15 years ago and blossomed into a strong friendship. Gary and Rob recall their first meeting:
Gary: “In Oct/Nov 2007, after selling my ’99 Corvette I went online looking for Z Car restoration shops. I called Rob and introduced myself and discussed what he could do for me. Obviously he was very cautious in his response and made no promises. He also stated that he would have to see the car before he would consider taking on the job. My next move was to drive to San Jose and meet him in person. Needless to say I was immediately impressed with his shop cleanliness and the scope of his business. He also impressed me with his no-nonsense approach to our discussions and pulled no punches. Also, as a retired Marine, I noted with some degree of amusement his individual shop uniform. Fortunately for me he gave me a thumbs up, had it towed to his shop and off we went!”
Rob: “Gary came to ZCG when I was very young in my business ownership and asked me to restore his ‘78 280z. We were going to restore it as if Nissan didn’t have a budget. At the time we were really into the C8 Panasport wheels, doing 3L engines, KA24 5-speeds, and suspension work etc. I wanted to build Colonel Roser a car that we could both be proud of.”
He bought this Z brand new 1978 and absolutely adores it, being an integral part of his life for decades! Before going into the restoration work let’s take a look at the story behind Gary’s Z and his airborne career…
Fighter Pilot, Z Pilot
Gary: “I bought the car on June 4, 1978 at Terry Allen Autos in El Cajon, CA (just east of San Diego). The original window sticker, faded, but still readable: $9543.00. While shopping to replace my wife’s Ford station wagon with a Datsun 510 wagon I saw my black 280Z in the showroom. I needed that car like a hole in the head, as I already had a 1968 GTO convertible, stick shift, with air conditioning, that I had ordered just prior to leaving Vietnam in June, 1968. Anyway, I made an offer to buy both the Z and the 510. It took a lot of sweet talking to convince my wife that it was a good deal! I drove the Z regularly the first couple of years, putting 13,000 miles on in the first year”
“In February 1980, I received orders to move up the I 5 to MCAS El Toro, and back into a flying billet, flying A-4 Skyhawks. We bought a nice home in Mission Viejo and life was good. Then the winter rains came. We had a two car garage and the Z and the GTO occupied both stalls. It was a hard decision, but I put the GTO up for sale. I took command of Marine Attack Squadron 311 (Call sign Tomcats) in May of 1981. For my birthday, my wife got me the California License Plate: 311 TCATS which remains on the car today!”
“In the spring of 1982 I was approached by Jim Lau, the owner of The Foreign Works auto shop in Lake Forest, CA where I had been getting the Z serviced, about installing a turbo on the car. With 48,500 on the odometer, it was turbocharged with about 10 PSI of boost. I finished up my tour in 311, and then received overseas orders to Japan in July 1983. In July 1984 I returned stateside with orders to Washington, DC. I flew the family and pets to Virginia and then drove the Z across by myself. In 1986, after being promoted to Colonel, I fell in love with the new C4 corvettes, and just had to have one.” Below, Gary with his 280Z and C4 ‘Vette:
“After 4 years in DC, we headed back out to California for my final tour as Commanding Officer of Marine Air Group-42, located in Alameda. The Z Car had about 90,000 miles on her and the trip west was a hilarious adventure. As an aviator I was very used to radio communications, so I equipped all three cars with CB radios: I drove the corvette, my 18 year old son drove the Z, and my wife, daughter, and animals were in the OLDS. Needless to say, radio discipline broke down numerous times on the trip. I tried to keep everyone on a discreet channel, but the ladies liked talking to all the truckers. We safely made it to Alameda, and I spent the last two years(1988-90) flying my ass off. I had several squadrons in the air group, including a helo squadron. Not having any helo time prior to then, as Group Commanding Officer, I was able to get a little over 100 hours of helo flight time and I grew to have great respect and appreciation for their type of flying-it was a great way to finish my aviation career.”
“I retired from the USMC and moved to Monterey, Ca in the fall of 1990 to take a staff position at the Naval Postgraduate School as the assistant Dean of Students for International Affairs. I bought a 1999 C5 Corvette convertible which became my primary driver and while I maintained the Z with regular checks, she sat most of the time. I needed to get rid of one of them and agonized over that decision. The Z car was in bad shape, rust and engine issues, and tired after 113,000+ miles, but my 27 year attachment kept tugging at me, and I just couldn’t let her go. I made the decision to sell the ‘Vette, and started looking into restoring the Z car. And that is how I met Rob Fuller…”
Above: The 280Z prior to restoration in 2007. Let’s dive in to the work…
Body/Chassis
We began the restoration process with body and chassis. Gary’s 1978 Datsun 280Z had severe rust issues. Many would have written this car off due to the extensive repair it needed but Z Car Garage and Williams’ Auto Body were tasked with the job of saving it. Photos below show multiple problem areas including frame rails on both sides, lower and upper radiator support, the quarter panel just under the rear quarter windows, door jams and rocker panels on both sides. More photos of the rust repair can be seen HERE.
Gary wanted the Z painted black and William worked his magic in 2009. The result was stunning, and remains just as slick to this day:
The front/rear bumpers were re-chromed. Following the body repair and paint, PQR-15 was applied to the interior and underside. We bagged/tagged every nut/bolt for plating along with fresh hydraulic lines:
Newly plated parts and suspension being mocked up. We love the gold (hydraulic) and silver (fuel) lines against the gorgeous black paint in the engine bay:
All front and rear suspension parts were powdercoated with struts/coil overs mocked up. Note additional plated hardware:
Drivetrain
Replacing the L28 in Gary’s 280Z is a 3.1L Rebello engine using factory fuel injection. Below you can see how the unsightly stock intake manifold was transformed into a thing of beauty…
Engine bay completed. See more in-progress photos in the gallery below:
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. The KA24 unit is significantly stronger than early S30 transmissions.
When we upgraded the transmission we also installed a JWT HD clutch with aluminum flywheel. Helping put the power down efficiently is a Quaife LSD. The R200 houses a 4.11 R&P assembled in-house (by our very own Joshua Corwin). Rounding out the drivetrain upgrades are a set of Z Car Garage CV Axles (shown below)
The factory EFI was updated with a fuel pressure change and custom tuning of the MAF. Gary’s car ripped, with the 3.1L making 190hp/205tq at the wheels… fantastic for a factory EFI car back in 2007. After driving and initial break-in we performed a valve adjustment and it just shined. It was awesome to see the Colonel driving and enjoying it again!
Interior
Following the body/paint restoration Gary visited Z Car Garage and he would find interior upgrades on other client/project cars for his 280Z:
“Over the next 5 years more work was done and “upgrades” became a common occurrence. I was like a kid in a candy store-let’s do Recaro Leather seats, power windows, power door locks, and hey let’s do power steering (absolutely love it). And a whole host of other things, including Autometer gauges recessed into the dash which I saw on another Z in Rob’s parking lot of Z’s.”
A complete dash restoration was performed with full HVAC/ducting and A/C refurbishment:
Autometer gauges, fresh wiring and re-furbished center console:
The power window and door lock conversion with more plated hardware:
Recaro Specialist seats in leather are our favorite upgrade to the S30 interior. Gary enjoys modern creature comforts like Bluetooth, back-up camera, power steering and full sound system:
The A/C compressor was upgraded to a Toyota unit that we like to use. All weatherstripping was replaced:
Suspension
The chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts, bushings, Ground Control coil-overs (Koni struts with our spring rates) and ST sway bars front and rear:
Z Car Garage Big-Brakes
Gary has our ZCG Big-Brake kit. Not to be confused with our current Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), this Big-Brake kit was our initial setup from over a decade ago. This 328mm sized kit requires 17″ diameter wheels and the massive ST-42 calipers are finished in bright red. We actually did all the R&D in-house for this setup…using a 280ZX master cylinder and our own mounting brackets.
A few more detail shots of the Big-Brakes, they really pop behind the black Panasport wheels:
Gary also got a set of our custom Panasport Racing C8 wheels. These 3 piece, 17×8 wheels allowed fitment of a 255/40/17 tire under stock fender flares:
When ZCG was starting to build a series of RB-powered S30s, Rob brought in a pallet of C8 wheels destined for the builds. Gary wanted a set so we hooked him up and his desired black spokes with black anodized lip and hardware. They look great on his Z:
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.
We built Gary a set of CV Axles, shown below:
Details
The little things are what we excel at. All window trim including quarter windows was powdercoated black at Gary’s request. This general “blacked-out” look was a point of contention:
Rob: “We had so many arguments over it…he wanted everything ‘murdered out’ and I suggested keeping the chrome/stainless, We fought tooth and nail and he always won…Gary outranks me since he’s a Colonel and I’m a civilian.”
The blacked-out theme carried on to many exterior parts like tail light bezels, side marker housings and the Z Car Garage license plate frame…even the white lettering changed to black:
The 280Z’s front/rear bumps did remain chrome after re-finishing. Below: More plating and hardware details:
HID headlights. Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!
Enjoying The Ride
With the restoration completed, we drove down to Monterey and delivered the 280Z to Colonel Gary:
Gary enjoyed driving the Z for a few years. It was hard not to grab attention with this s30…people were intrigued with the wheels, stance and of course that blacked-out look:
Gary: “Let me mention here that I get compliments on the car practically every day, many from thumbs up or yelling from cars and motorcycles in moving traffic. Quite often folks want to see the engine, and when I raise the hood, people remark that it looks like a factory install and are absolutely amazed at how beautiful it is. William’s paint job still looks amazing as well. I constantly get quotes like ” I used to have one of those, I am so sorry I ever got rid of it”; “what a beautiful Z, I just don’t see them on the road anymore”. Best one though, was “Yes, I had one until one night I wrapped it around a tree and almost killed myself, but it was my favorite car”. And when I tell them I am the original owner they are blown away.”
In ~2015 a persistent electrical issue was traced to the wiring harness which led to an unorthodox (but exciting) solution:
Gary: “I was frustrated after the electrical problems. Rob explained to me we had to use a 1978 wiring harness to make everything work. As I recall we changed out 3 wiring harnesses and even sent the computer module to San Diego to be reworked. Rob actually went to the Central Valley and purchased a 280Z for parts, so as to get another wiring harness. At that point I was thinking of other options and approached Rob about doing an engine swap, but that is a story for another day! “
Rob: “We located an unmolested harness and still couldn’t get it sorted. Colonel said ‘I love this car, but since we can’t solve this gremlin I want to do something different with it’. Years ago we were not into V8 Z cars until the LS-based engines came around. Perfect power delivery and balance…it just works in Japanese (and other) platforms. We had done Ben Sutton’s LS-powered FD RX-7 and it worked really well with incredible torque. The Colonel talked us into it… ‘There’s two loves in my life: I love my corvette and I love my Z car.’ We had to bridge the two together for him.”
LS3 V8 Power
Gary: “Well, after three tries I just didn’t see a way forward with the Nissan motor, and asked Rob about doing a V-8 conversion. He had not done an engine swap, so he was cautiously optimistic about trying one. In his typical attention to detail fashion, he did a lot of research, found a way forward, and off we went. Lots of growing pains, and a few curve balls, but the end result has been spectacular!”
Rob: “We did an LS3 swap, our first V8 S30 conversion ZCG performed start to finish. Super proud of it. There were some initial teething issues: a larger twin-fan radiator eliminated cooling problems and our upgraded ZCG CV Axles solved axle issues. We de-tuned the LS3 to give the Colonel a Z car that is fast but but also reliable.”
The LS3-crate motor came with a warranty from GM and weighs less than the L-Series engine it replaced. Engine and 6-speed transmission were installed using the Hoke Performance kit:
The larger, twin-fan radiator and A/C plumbing and wiring:
Ovalized exhaust from headers to catalytic converter help with ground clearance:
Dyno Tuning
The LS3/6-speed T56 drivetrain was dyno tuned after installation, making 405hp/410tq at the wheels, a significant increase of 115hp/206tq compared to the L-Series:
Enjoy this video with dyno run, in-car driving, cruising and fly-by action with Gary’s LS3-powered 280Z:
We love how happy Gary is with his V8-powered Z:
Gary: “The car is an absolute gas to drive. I will tell you up front that it is not a refined ride. The suspension is tight and pretty stiff, but gives you great road feel. The T-56 6 speed transmission, mated to the LS-3, required some getting used to, but is solid and efficient. The turning and maneuvering capability of the car in its two dimensional environment is terrific. It reminds me of when I did aerobatic maneuvering in the A-4 SkyHawk! What can I say about the power and torque the engine puts out-405 HP at the wheels!”
“I have had my way with a lot of other fast cars, and even a motorcycle who tried to take me on, who have no idea what is under the hood of my little Z Car. (Sometimes the wide tires give me away!) Best acceleration is in 2nd and 3rd gear. I don’t like to take it much over 90 mph, because the front end gets a little lifty. (I have over 4000 hours in fighter and attack aircraft, and I know what lift off feels like, so I don’t need to get airborne again!)”
Thank You Colonel Roser
Rob:“We have so many great stories with Colonel Gary. He’s more than a client, somebody we really admire and look up to. Such a fan of his. My father was so proud to be a Marine and Colonel understood this with his Military background.”
Gary: “I will be 81 in May and I don’t see another adventure like this one in my future so let me comment about Rob Fuller and his Z Car Garage. We have been friends now for 15 years. We have been on this journey together, through all the ups and downs and twists and turns. He has been there for me every single time, night or day. I just can’t imagine there is another car guy out there who would have had the compassion and understanding to shepherd me and my Z Car through this adventure.”
Below: Colonel Gary Roser and Rob on May 23, 2023
“Over these 15 years I have watched his business expand and grow, and am amazed at the breadth and width of his knowledge and his reputation in the auto industry. His leadership skills and the way he runs his shop is suitably impressive, and he has good people working for him. And, by the way, he is a pretty topnotch driver as well. With him at the wheel and aggressively putting my Z Car through its paces, I am reminded of my fighter pilot days when I could fly an airplane like he drives my car. In another time and place I would have been honored to have him fly on my wing.”
Filed under: 240z,Events
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on July 21, 2023
Z Car Garage is proud to be a sponsor for the 36th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA and Group Z Sports Car Club in Ontario, Ca July 31 to August 5. This is the largest Z-car event in the US and we are stoked to participate.
We will also have a Nissan CD009a 6-speed swap for you to see, touch and feel. Don’t forget to pick up some ZCG swag/merchandise!
Highlighting the Z Car Garage booth will be our client Gary’s S30 with the Datsunworks KN20 twincam cylinder head. Our #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z will also be on display in the convention center lobby entrance all week:
The Datsunworks KN20-powered 240Z
Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z with the Datsunworks KN20 twincam cylinder head. Supporting the 3.1L engine are our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, Jenvey ITB EFI with Haltech Elite management, Nissan 6-speed CD009s transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.
Enjoy this video showing the KN20 Datsun 240Z in action:
The #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z
The #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z has a rich racing history and actively runs in vintage race groups with Rob Fuller behind the wheel. It is a fitting car to be displayed in the lobby as it has ties to the Ontario Motor Speedway Pace cars that Nissan/Datsun campaigned in the 70’s.
Enjoy this video showing the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z in action:
Z You There!
We are excited to share the passion and check out everyone’s Z cars at the show. Hope to Z you there and LONG LIVE THE Z!
At Z Car Garage we love getting Z’s back on the road. Garett is a Bay Area local and visited us for mechanical sorting on his 1972 Datsun 240Z. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles combined with a suspension rebuild improved the chassis. Power comes from a Rebello 3L with our Z Car Garage Heat Shield and in-house dyno tuning to make it sing.
“I first learned about Z Car Garage just searching on the internet to see who works on Z cars exclusively in the Bay Area. Then I started watching videos of Larry Chen and all the amazing work that Z Car Garage provides and I knew I wanted to go with them for their expertise on my 1972 240z, which I couldn’t just trust any mechanic to work on this beautiful car.”
Before we describe the mechanical work, let’s hear how Garett got in to his Z car…
History
Garett’s love for the Z starts at a young age. His Dad purchased this S30 brand new in June of 1972:
“Ever since I laid eyes on that car I wanted it and eventually when I turned 20 years old I bought it off of him and after driving for a while it blew a head gasket. I learned about Rebello racing, located in Pacheco at the time and I put in a fully ported and polished 3 liter with triple-Mikuni carbs. The amazing Mike Yoes lived one town over from me in Crockett, and installed my engine right out of his garage.”
“After a while my Z sat in the side of my parents house for a while due to lack of money to fix other parts. After 6 years I’m slowly reviving her and now she’s back better than ever with a lot of love put in. My goal with the Z was to basically restore it back to original look and functionality with the mechanical upgrades to really enjoy the car to the fullest.”
Drivetrain
Garett’s Z sports a Rebello 3L engine with 280ZX 5-speed from many years ago. We installed what every triple-carbed L-series needs: a ZCG Heat Shield! Garett has #HS00257.
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine with jetting, A/F and performance in mind. Baseline was 215hp/202tq and it left with 229hp/209tq to the wheels:
Enjoy the L-series music in this video of Garett’s Z on the dyno…volume up!
Driveline Upgrades
Helping put the power down efficiently is an OS Giken LSD paired with our Z Car Garage CV Axles. The R180 houses a 4.11 R&P and the assembly is setup in-house (by Joshua Corwin). More photos in the gallery below:
Z Car Garage CV Axles
Garett initially contacted us to have Z Car Garage products installed on his 240Z. 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.
We replaced his existing CV Axles (left) with ZCG units (Right). Garett received set #00426. Also visible are the T3 lower control arms:
ZCG Big-Brakes
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Garett’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds. 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.
At the rear, factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! Not only do they perform, they look great behind the 16×7 Panasport wheels!
Suspension
The front suspension was overhauled with new adj. T/C rods from Techno Toy Tuning, new control arm bushings in OEM control arms, rack bushings, ball joints, outer tie rods, steering rack boots and more.
Old, torn rack boots vs new units and new T/C rods:
The rear suspension received new T3 lower control arms and rear wheel bearings.
Details
Small items that make a difference: we corrected his brake booster issues, fixed the emergency-brake lever that popped out of its housing and corrected his speedometer:
While were in the engine bay we also upgraded to a 280ZX alternator with Motorsport bypass and corrected throttle linkage issues to make the gas pedal feel awesome:
Panasport Wheels
We installed 16×7 Panasport wheels in our offset allowing 225/50/16 tires (Bridgestone RE-71R). The Z was fully aligned afterwards.
Driving is Believing
Garett was happy with the mechanical upgrades and ZCG parts:
“I got the work done over last December. Z Car Garage works so fast and everything was done and ready in about 4 days. I know there were supply chain issues but after 2 plus years of waiting it was worth the wait. I could really feel the difference when driving in hard turns and how the other wheel grips and really pushes my car through the turns compared to the original open diff. The low drone sound went away as well. The Z Car Garage Big Brake kit works well. I put them to the rest and they do their job. I love the drive and acceleration.”
We enjoyed working with Garett and loved that he’s owned this Z for a long time. He’s also into music, playing in bands in the Bay Area. What’s next for his Z car?
“Future plans include new or aftermarket seats which are comfortable on long rides with no lower back pain, while keeping me planted in my seat and maintaining a time period classic look. New gauges and a dash restoration down the line would be nice as well, but all in due time.”
We’re here to help you when ready, Garett. Long Live The Z! …[read more]
We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles in their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. This 197o Datsun 240Z is owned by Mark W and he replaced his old CV Axle kit with our ZCG CV Axles.
Z Car Garage is proud to offer a CV axle conversion kit for your Datsun S30 and 510. We have sold over 200 sets of axles globally, with customers installing and enjoying them on everything from street cars to full-blown IMSA racers. These CV axles will help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts.
For years we have used aftermarket CV axles that utilize an aluminum adapter prone to loosening up over time. Despite efforts to keep things tight (Loctite, hardware changes) we had to keep an eye on them. We developed a better solution that eliminates the need for aluminum adapters and remains 100% bolt-in like a factory half-shaft. These are the beefiest CV axles on the market. They have been tested on the track by our vintage racing customers and also in high hp* street cars. Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind and the kit comes with everything you need to install on your car.
Mark wanted to eliminate a weak point of the stock half shafts and have a “fit and forget” CV Axle solution to run on his Series 1 Datsun 240Z. He actually visited Z Car Garage from London to pick up his ZCG CV Axles (serial # 0407) and check out the shop:
“After seeing many YouTube videos, articles and photos about the place it was finally my turn to meet the gentleman that is @rawbfuller who runs the place in person, and boy was I in for a treat. I think rob realised I was a little Z mad when I told him I was going to carry a pair of your ZCG CV Axles home in a backpack via Canada and back to London. They were al little heavier than I’d imagined.”
Like many enthusiasts, we share the same passion for Datsuns and the sports car experience. We enjoyed showing Mark a few of our fun Z cars:
“Not only did I manage to collect some shiny new parts to bring back for the 240z but Rob was kind enough to throw me the keys to their test car ‘Butters’ to experience all of their hard work first hand. What an incredible driving machine that car is and such a credit to the whole team at Z Car Garage. That not being enough I even happened to show up on a day when Behemoth was in. One of the few Zcars in the world to be running a Twin Cam head on an L series engine. Not only did I get to see this but I also got to experience it first hand, making for an unforgettable day. A huge thank you to all involved 🤘”
Datsun 240Z Dreams
Mark shared his Z car history with us:
“This is a 09/70 car registered in’71 which I bought off Ebay back in 2016 sight unseen and shipped back to the UK. It was totally stock at the time and I’ve slowly been transforming it into a fast road car while trying to retain a factory aesthetic from the outside. I’ve taken it to LeMans, Spa and toured down to Italy to visit the car factories and complete a rally with Petrolicious.”
Some brief specs: T3 adjustable front control arms, ST sways, BC coil-overs, R32 GTR front brakes with vented disks, S14 5-speed transmission, 3.9LSD, DSI stage 3 engine, 123 ignition, OS Giken lightweight flywheel/clutch and Panasport 16X7 wheels with Yokohama AD08R tires:
The exhaust is a Zstory Racesport header going back to a JDM style muffler using their complete system:
Mark recently made a switch from SU to triple OER45 induction with a bespoke cold air box setup. We admire his build ethos:
“I love using cars as intended so his build ethos has been to make it functional, reliable and useable as possible with modern levels of performance with L-series charm and soundtrack. .”
Enjoying the Ride
More photos of Mark driving throughout Europe, Datsuns Are Driven!
Enjoy this video of mark’s 240z in action:
Thank you for your support Mark, it was great meeting you! Please read below for more information on our ZCG CV Axles:
ZCG 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 150+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
For years we have used aftermarket CV axles that utilize an aluminum adapter prone to loosening up over time. Despite efforts to keep things tight (Loctite, hardware changes) we had to keep an eye on them. We developed a better solution that eliminates the need for aluminum adapters and remains 100% bolt-in like a factory half-shaft.
Designed and manufactured locally with KAD Models, the ZCG CV axle kit works in both R180 and R200 configurations.
These are the beefiest CV axles on the market. They have been tested on the track by our vintage racing customers and also in high hp* street cars (powershifting, clutch dumps, etc.). Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind:
The CV axle kit is available now from ZCG for 1595.00 + freight and they come with everything you need to install on your car. Contact us at 408-452-0350 or send Rob an e-mail rob@zcargarage.com to purchase. Installation is just like doing a half-shaft: there is even a marking that shows you where to line up bolts and special hardware:
The ZCG CV Axles in action
The video below demonstrates the “looseness” associated with aftermarket CV axles that use adapters compared to the ZCG axles without adapters. Several customer race/street cars running our CV axles are also shown. Enjoy!
Enjoy this video made by our client Hazel. She installed our ZCG CV Axles on her Hazel’s 1970 Datsun 240Z
Over 150 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world:
