We met Ken W last summer when he stopped by Z Car Garage to meet Rob and have his S30 inspected. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with upgraded suspension parts and a Rebello 3L engine transformed his 1971 240Z into a fantastic sports car.

 

The Right Z

Before we dive in to the upgrades let’s take a look at how Ken got into Z cars and finally found the right one…

“When I was a junior in High School, the cool kids were driving Mustangs, Camaros, and ‘Cudas. Always different, my imagination was captured by the ’71 Datsun 240z. Being a Kansas farm boy on the lower end of the economic scale, had to settle for a ’64 Ford Fairlane 500 4-door with the 269 V-8. Knew that someday I’d own a 240z. Spent 2018 researching the 240z market. In January 2019, bought a red ’72 240z with Wilwood brakes, QA1 coil-over suspension, 17” wheels. A little rough but convinced me that owning a 240z as a daily driver, was going to make me happy.”

 

We inspected Ken’s red ’72 240z and found many problems. Rob suggested finding a chassis in better shape to make his own. After our evaluation Ken consulted with fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C to affirm that ZCG was the right place to be. Ken was convinced that the S30 is a great rally car and began searching again, finding this green ’71 on Craigslist, near Sacramento.

“Rob gave this car his approval as a basis for the rally car that I wanted to build. ZCG is so popular that we weren’t able to get it in for the chassis upgrades before the Mother Lode 400 rally in June 2019 . The car was fine, but only fine. Yes, the brakes and suspension worked and the motor was dependable, but with the enthusiastic style of rally driving, showed they really weren’t up to the task.”

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

The upgrade process began, giving Ken the ability to brake on a dime, perform well and daily drive. We handed him 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 customers 🙂

    

As fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C mentioned in his review, on top of braking performance, pedal feel is extremely important and our Big-Brakes deliver. This is a direct result of working with Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few details below:

Calipers: Stoptech ST42 4-piston front & rear race calipers (Alum 6061 mil-spec Type III anodized)

Rotors: 280mm x 20.6 with Alum 7075 hats

Pads: Stoptech 309 sport street pads

Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE.

A few closer detail shots of the calipers, rotors and hardware:

 

We removed Ken’s brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. The Z also received Tokico 5-way struts with Eibach springs and suspension parts from Techno Toy Tuning. New parts included adjustable T/C rods, rear control arms, new bushings, rack bushings, steering coupler, factory Nissan ball joints, new wheel bearings and more.  We really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

 

ZCG Big-brakes up front:

 

T3 T/C rods and new brake master cylinder/booster:

 

Suspension Techniques sway bars installed front and rear:

 

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality retained! Ken was pleased with the brakes:

“I really the brakes. Having experienced stock brakes and the Wilwood’s (Stage 4 front and rear), was really interested to discover if the ZCG Big Brake kit was all that I’d heard about. I’m here to say that the Big Brake kit exceeded all expectations. Under hard braking, feels like I’ve just driven into a huge pool of thick super glue or that someone immediately behind me has just switched on a huge electromagnet. Undeniably shorter braking distances. Huge confidence when diving deep into corners.”

 

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. Ken’s Z received set #298. We have over 100 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

 

Stock half shafts and control arms (L):

   

Before/After suspension upgrades. Not shown is the ZCG exhaust system using 2.5″ piping to a stainless resonator and Magnaflow muffler with slash-cut tip:

 

Great feedback again from Ken regarding the suspension upgrades:

“In August 2019 it went into ZCG shop for the upgrades. Let’s talk about the suspension first. My red ’72 had QA1 coil-overs and it wasn’t particularly balanced or optimized. Too soft in front, too harsh in back, little squirrely under brake or gas. By comparison the ZCG components showed care in selection, thought in design and clear goals in creation of a balanced package. The car is impressive under braking, squatting uniformly and smoothly. Under hard acceleration, it tracks straight. The CV axles are works of art and well suited to handle the Rebello motor to come.”

 

More Power

 

With braking and suspension sorted all Ken needed was power to match. Without going too wild we opted for a Rebello 3L, retaining SU induction. The 3L still leaves room for aggressive cam/Mikuni induction upgrades should he feel the need. A few pictures of the fresh motor, more in the gallery below:

 

Ken enjoys tinkering with vintage motorcycles and rallying. While running the Snowball Rally the car did really well and he had a great time but unfortunately, it was hit by a motorist (not part of the rally). We called upon our man William from William’s Auto Body to fix everything and re-spray.

 

While the motor was out, we cleaned up the engine bay. Everything came out, the bay was painted, new seals around all hoses going through the firewall. The engine got an MSA 6 to 1 header, all intake/exhaust gaskets, MSD6Al box with tach adapter, Koyo race radiator, zinc’d hardware and new alternator/starter. We  ensured that he would be able to rally wherever and whenever.

 

Backing the 3L is a 5-speed with JWT aluminum flywheel and Exedy clutch:

 

Rob dyno-tuned the Z with the stock L24 (109hp/128tq) and the 3L, now making 199hp/209tq to the wheels:

 

Enjoy the L-Series music!

 

Panasport Wheels

 

What is the perfect companion for Ken’s Z, now that it has full suspension and wicked brakes and fresh paint? Panasport wheels! We replaced the old-school slotted wheels with 16×7 Panasports and Bridgestone’s killer S-007a tire in 225/50/16.

“The Wilwood Stage 4 front brakes required a spacer to move the generic Japanese front wheels out far enough to avoid fouling the calipers. This meant running 215/45/17 tires. A drawback to the 17” wheels is that the space-saving spare can’t exceed 16” in the spare tire well.  I totally love the beautiful Panasport wheels! When I take the car to Z car meet-ups, everyone says “this car has been to ZCG, right?” The wheel and brake combo means I gained 10mm tire width and no spacers. We agreed that for rally purposes, I’d change the tires every 3 years, so Rob picked out some nice sticky ones.”

 

Rallye On!

 

Ken was smiling ear to ear and told us we built him a Z car he really enjoyed:

“The results are fabulous! My car is such a hoot to drive. Quick off the line, easy to spin the tires. Now I understand why Rob recommended the CV shafts. The car was awesome on the 2019 California Melee. Had so much fun driving the rally with my brother who flew in from Kansas. He drove it much slower than I did, so when I took my first shift, diving it deeper and deeper into the corners, accelerating harder and harder out of the corners, that I proposed establishing a safe word if he wanted me to ease off the fun.”

 

 

We have been checking in with Ken and he’s happily Enjoying The Ride. We even spotted his Z cars while cruising through the neighborhood.

 

“I’m so happy to have met Rob and provided him with a car that has ‘good bones’. Enjoyed working with ZCG. A key for me is that ZCG has been able to provide all the upgrades, in an integrated package. Didn’t want to use multiple shops and fight through finger pointing. Trust Rob and his crew, they’ve done these upgrades 100 times or more. They know what works and what doesn’t. Personally, I care more about the quality of work performed and the result, rather than shopping for the lowest price.”

 

Thank you Ken for allowing us to help you achieve your vision of the ultimate Z car. We loved working with you. Long Live The Z!

More pictures in the gallery below:
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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

Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars with these Panasport wheels:

 

   

 

Ruth and Larry Roth have been part of Z Car Garage since 2008. Over the years we performed a full mechanical, interior and exterior restoration on their 280Z and late last year Ruth reached out to us because it wasn’t running well.  She also shared the unfortunate news of her husband Larry’s sudden passing. For the first time in 50 years she was on her own, with her Z car.

 

Remembering Larry

We are personally invested the cars and people we conduct business with at ZCG. Rob set aside time to make a house call and visit Ruth out in Menlo Park to assess the Z. It sat around for a long time and had signs of headgasket issues. The Roth’s enjoyed the Z for many years adding their own personal touches and with all the ZCG restorative (paint/interior) work, we were at a crossroads with this engine failure.

 

Ruth bought this car brand new and we wanted to not only celebrate Larry but also make the Z drivable again for Ruth to enjoy on her own. The plan was to rebuild her engine (stock style 2.8) and update the chassis with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles to make it perfect.  Before we get into the latest work let’s take a look back on the interior/exterior refurbishment.

Interior

 

The dash was removed and sent out for restoration and when it came back we replaced all the gauge lights with updated LEDs. We polished all of the plastic covers, resealed all the heater ducts, and lubed all the heater cables. We also serviced the heater core, replaced all the heater hoses and anything easily accessible while the dash was out.

A set of RECARO LXFs in leather replaced the factory seats:

To complement the seat choice we picked a custom carpet kit and leather for the new door panels and headliner. Another nice touch was the new door panel trim matched the other door panel parts perfectly. More highlights include a new factory center console fitted with an updated HD headunit, MOMO steering wheel, and custom shift boot (Ruth’s choice). Check out detailed pictures of the interior work in this blog post HERE.

 

 

Exterior

 

We met the couple in 2008 when Ruth came in to ZCG for a mechanical refresh.  All hydraulics (brakes/clutch) were restored. The suspension was treated to urethane bushings and Tokico 5-way struts with Eibach springs and a set of beautiful Panasports. Finally, we cut and buffed the paint and Ruth’s Z took on a new look…it was almost like 1978 again! It had been years since we had seen the Roth’s other than routine maintenance. It was time to dive back into the project with a full external restoration.

   

We called upon our man William from William’s Auto Body and both Ruth and Larry had two requests: 1) The Z car must be as awesome inside as outside and 2) we absolutely must keep the pinstriping that had been on the car since new. William was more than up to to the task. This time we went ahead and installed electric power steering for ease/use, our upgraded rearview mirror (as featured on Gary Roser’s car, report later) which includes a backup camera, GPS, temp:

 

Re-chromed bumpers and restored guards:

  

Full glass/chrome trim/weatherstrip R&R. All NOS Nissan!

 

Inner fender liners:

 

NOS emblems replace pitted/fading orignal pieces:

 

Rear tail light panel:

 

William applied the factory paint color and the Z looks fantastic. Finally a set of powder-coated louvers and a full detail really make this 280z standout.
Check out detailed pictures of the exterior work in this blog post HERE.

 

Engine

 

Fast forward to January 2020. We made arrangements to get Ruth’s 280Z back to ZCG for the new engine rebuild and sorting. The tired L28 would be replaced with a rebuilt, “street-style” 2.8:

 

A few engine details like new injectors, oil pan and MSA exhaust header to replace a cracked exhaust manifold:

   

We replaced all hoses in the engine bay and installed a KOYO race radiator. We wanted Ruth to feel comfortable owning this Z by herself. When everything is in working order on a 280z, they can be just as reliable as any late model car.

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

It had been a long time since we saw Ruth’s S30 so we replaced the old tires with new Bridgestone S007-a (225/50/16) tires followed by a full alignment. We also installed what we like to add to every Z car built here:  our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for small wheels. This is an all-wheel, 4-piston caliper kit that works beautifully with the balance of the stock M/C and booster. Keeping things operating smoothly are our Z Car Garage CV Axles, 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 Ruth stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit:

   

As mentioned above, the ZCG Big-Brakes work with the factory M/C and booster. We installed a new M/C for Ruth:

 

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! We were happy to hear that Ruth,  being an older woman driving her vintage Z car she bought brand new was totally blown-away how well these brakes work!

 

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

 

Ruth has CV Axle set #332. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

   

On the road again

 

Icing on the cake after we fixed the Z…following a full detail Rob and Meghan delivered it to Ruth’s home. It was a special moment and Ruth was all smiles.

 

We miss you Larry and this one’s for you…we got Ruth back in her Z car. Know that we will keep this Z on the road while Ruth and ZCG are around! Love cars. Love people. Love life.

 

Enjoy more pictures in the gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

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Our Z Car Garage-built Datsun Roadster is featured on the latest episode of Hoonigan Autofocus! with Larry Chen Photo. Enjoy! #DoItInADatsun

 

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

Cece’s Z Story

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

Taking the Z to the next level: Drivetrain

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

Engine

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

New L28:

  

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

 

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

 

Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:

 

An MSA exhaust header was installed:

 

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

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

 

Oil pan detail:

 

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

 

MAF/hose/hardware detail:

    

Engine bay restoration, before/after:

Dyno Tuning

 

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

 

Suspension

 

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

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

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

 
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:

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

   

LONG LIVE THE Z!

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