Gavin J had been searching for a 240z for about a year and finally acquired this 1972 S30 from our friends at Bring a Trailer. We are big fans of this auction site and like many BaT enthusiasts, Gavin’s experience was an exciting one:

“Curse BaT. It has made hard-to-find, solid cars that much more available and I definitely have a problem (or a passion as I prefer to call it). My “virtual-garage” of must have cars, got one car smaller back in October 17 when I handed my phone to a friend in a London bar and showed them that I’d just been outbid on a 1972 Datsun 240z. 90 seconds later my phone was handed back to me and thanks to some ‘team’ orientated bidding, I was the proud winner of the auction. Lesson learned about bars and auction sites…”

 

Fast forward to March of 2019.  Gavin is based in New York and the Z he had just won sight-unseen is stuck at a shop in Southern California. He reached out to us and Rob eased his pain. ZCG had the Z shipped to us for a full inspection:

“Rob rescued me from a nightmare. I really hadn’t done enough research when I shipped my purchased car to it’s initial location. I reached out to Rob having done a more thorough search and could not have been happier with the whole process. From receipt of the car at Rob’s garage, to the initial inspection, estimates, work and final result, it all exceeded expectations.”

 

The Z right after arriving at the shop:

 

The car was really nice with great bones but many items needed sorting if Gavin was to enjoy it on the open roads here or East Coast. We performed a full inspection and ran a compression test on the engine (it passed) followed by a steam clean to expose any leaks. All of the cooling hoses in the engine bay had to be replaced. The radiator was refreshed/boiled out and pressure tested:

 

All fuel hoses were replaced in engine bay and we performed a full tune-up using the existing SUs and exhaust system to ensure it ran as best as it could. Little things like a new battery hold-down were addressed.

  

The oil pan was seeping so we replaced the gasket:

 

The fuel tank was removed for refurbishment. It was boiled out and new tank straps installed. New vapor hoses were installed as well:

  

The chassis was addressed next. We sorted the clutch hydraulics to ensure smooth operation. The braking system was overhauled with a new brake master cylinder and booster:

 

New OEM front calipers were installed with Stoptech slotted rotors and pads. The rear drums had been serviced but none of the shoes/pieces that move during the braking process were lubed, so we sorted that as well.

Old vs New:

  

We asked Gavin what he liked about the S30:

“I think the car looks good from so many angles. It’s a car that looks great regardless of whether you walk up to it from the front or the rear, the design has aged so well and even though I like perusing some of the tuner results, I am a huge fan of a stock body but maybe with some nicer wheels and a touch lower. Mostly stock then…”

With that ethos in mind we suggested our favorite visual and functional upgrade…16×7 Panasports! These are wrapped in 225/50/16 Bridgestone s007a tires.  Panasport wheels are available for purchase through Z Car Garage.

 

A few more upgrades included halogen headlights, a 280zx alternator (60amp)  with MSA adapter:

 

The ignition was changed from standard points to Pertronix using a Blaster2 coil that we paint to look stock:

Enjoying the Ride

What better way to experience a Z car than the California coastline? Gavin flew from NY to SFO to take his ZCG-prepped 240z on a coastal trip:

 

We were happy to hear that he truly loved driving his Z!

“It’s a testament to the work Rob and his team did, that I drove the car 450 miles over 3 days having picked it up from Rob’s shop and it didn’t skip a beat. The car is now on it’s way to New York State where I will be it’s custodian for a few years and if I ever decide to go to the next level of restoration or modification, it’s heading back to ZCG where I know I can rely on the advice, the experience and the quality of the work.”

 

It was a pleasure working with Gavin and also great to see a new enthusiast in the Z family. His stable includes a ’75 Ferrari 308 GT4, ’67 Porsche 912, ’70 Porsche 911T Targa and 2017 Porsche 911 Targa4. So my fellow Datsun fans, if it’s not the P-car…it’s the Z-car!

Long Live The Z!

More pictures below!

  

The 2019 Solvang Datsun Roadster show took place on April 27. Now in its 32nd year, this event continues a tradition of uniting owners from all parts of the world in a little town just outside of Santa Barbara. There is something for everyone here: shopping, food, wine-tasting, outdoor activities, and in the last weekend of April an epic gathering of Datsuns!

 

This year I did not bring my roadster but I was able to experience it with my wife and three children (now all walking):

 
We keep returning to Solvang year after year to see the latest roadster builds, meet new owners and catch up with old friends……and it was a fantastic show with perfect weather and close to 100 Datsuns on First Street in downtown Solvang:

Highlights from the Show

On to the cars! Here are some highlights from the day…starting with the “Holy Grail” of Datsun Roadsters: The 1967 2000! This year there were only a handful of these rare (less than a 1000) models. Some of these cars are considered the “cream of the crop” with full restorations or OEM levels of detail like Kurt’s Sora Blue #520:

  

Interestingly, all of the ’67 2000 models present possessed the fabeled “rivet in the C” on their valve covers. Different body colors as well! Gary Vigil’s SRL #126 was still in the process of being completed, looking brilliant in Beige Grey Metallic:

    

Arnold’s SRL 485:

  

The sole “Thunder Black” ’67 SRL:

 

Stock is Good

Solvang showcases everything from pristine to highly modified examples of roadsters. These two examples are exemplary of the “high-windshield” models. John Baker’s ’69 2000: several years of intense restoration by John has resulted in one stunning, concours-level 2000. Finished in Spanish Red with plenty of engine bay details to drool over. Best part is that it is driven, even with the Bias-ply tires!

     

Mike Ramirez’s ’68 1600 was stored for 32 years before a full restoration in 2014…it is pristine:

 

There were several early 1600s with chrome-ringed gauges and classy red interiors. Alvin’s ’65 SPL was originally imported to the US by a Naval officer and he found it in a barn with 32k original miles. His goal is to take it back to Japan for a springtime tour!

 

Engine Swaps

Like the 510 and Z cars, the Datsun Roadster chassis can accept many engine swaps and this year the show-stopper was Eric Straw’s 1969 SRL.
We have known Eric for many years and he is a talented fabricator with a penchant for high-powered Datsuns. ZCG tuned his RB26-powered Nissan DR30 Skyline and plan on tuning this Haltech-managed SR22VET beast of a roadster.

 

Backing the SR22VET is a Nissan 350z 6-speed transmission, but there are so many details to be found at the surface like the factory OEM(!) Hardtop, 225 front/245 rear tires, Brembo calipers, Lotus Elise seats and more.

  

Eric’s fabrication skills are really displayed in this chassis with full coil-over suspension and a Watts-linkage. With guidance from Michael Spreadbury of Spriso Motorsports, the level of chassis development is mind-boggling:

  

More pictures in the gallery, but this masterpiece deserves its own feature!

JDM  Feel

Two cars that I really like have a special “JDM” feel to them. Greg’s ‘1968 2000 finished in Gray sitting on 14″ Watanabe wheels looked just right:

 

Mike’s 1967.5 SPL sports 15″ Watts, a full solex-equipped U20 drivetrain, roll bar, SRL gauges and rare EMPI steering wheel:

 

A Break for Wine

A few roadster owners proudly offered their own vintage wine creations alongside their cars. Al’s SPL graces the label of his wine:

Vanity plates

When Sidewall is Good

This ’70 SRL not only had one of my favorite white/red color combos, the wheel/tire choice was spot on. Beefy sidewalls on the AR Libras and a nice stance looked great:

 

The 3-Seater: Datsun 1500s

There were only 2, three-seater 1500 roadsters. Raymond Lim’s 1963 1500 was in amazing condition considering its age. This single-carb, three-seater was remarkably preserved. Best part was watching Ray’s son show off the roadster to everyone! This is why I love the Solvang Show.

 

 

Even older than the 1500s were the SPL212s owned by Jeff Silvey:

People

People. It’s what makes the Solvang Datsun Roadster Show so much fun. Datsun folks in general are cool people and they came from all parts of the world:

 

The Beast Within

Corey’s ’66 SPL had a mighty stroked 1600 engine. Final displacement is 2.3L(!) courtesy of parts from Datsun-specialist Lou Mondello of Australia. We look forward to dyno-tuning this quad-motorcycle carb’d monster soon:

  

Non-roadsters

Don’t have a roadster but want to park and enjoy the show? The Solvang show also welcomes Japanese classics that are not roadsters. Lots of cool trucks, Z-cars and 510s joined in on the fun. Brian K drove and displayed his Nissan Patrol. He is also the man behind our Z Car Garage CV Axles. When he’s not enjoying Datsuns, Brian owns/operates KaD Models machine shop in Berkeley, CA making various parts for our cars as well.

  

Going the Distance

The Solvang Show draws roadster owners from all over the US, and world! We can always count on Jim and Susan to make the trek from Mexico in their ’70 SRL with matching trailer:

 

Adrian Christian made the long journey from New York in his ’70 SRL:

  

This is the actual car from Nissan’s multi-million dollar Datsun Heritage advertising campaign in the late 90’s.  Check it out in this Super Bowl Ad – “The Dream Garage”.

Family Affair

Ted Heaton drove his three roadsters down from Bellvue, Washington. He had help from his son and grandson!

   

We love this event and hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the 2019 Solvang Datsun Roadster Show. Big thanks to the organizer Harlan Katz and SoCal crew for hosting!  Please visit our picture gallery below:
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Every year we have a local Holiday light show called the Fantasy of Lights at Vasona Park. It’s a drive-through event and I always wanted to take my family in the roadster.

  

Last week we did it! Fun for the wife and kids and a bit emotional for me…15 years ago Rob Fuller handed me the keys to this newly SR20-powered Datsun and it’s been an integral part of my life ever since.

Enjoy the video:

 

Happy Holidays🎄 and Happy New Year! We hope you you can Enjoy The Ride with family and friends.

 

 

We are happy to see more Z car owners enjoying innovative products from Z Car Garage. The Bring a Trailer Datsun 240z recently visited us for a ZCG Big-Brake kit installation after an eventful driving season. We found and prepped this car for BaT Co-Founder and CEO Randy Nonnenberg just in time for an epic road trip to The Mitty. If you missed the introduction to this Z please visit our initial blog post HERE.

 

Keeping up with the BaT 240z

Before we get into the Big-Brake kit details, let’s catch up with the BaT 240z since it left our shop heading to Road Atlanta in April. The Z’s first duty was to serve as photo/chase car participating in the Copperstate 1000 rallye in Tempe, AZ:

  

The journey to The Mitty was more than a destination where Datsun was the featured marque. Along the way, the Z would visit “BaT Alumni” and fans for interviews to share their automotive stories. We were stoked to see the Z made it all the way to Road Atlanta!

 

BaT’s entire Mitty road trip is wonderfully documented in several installments HERE, enjoy this video too:

 

Rallye Prep Services

After the 4000+ mile road trip the BaT Z came back to us for sorting and a refresh.  Despite losing 5th gear in Nashville, Randy was able to cross the finish line at Road Atlanta using 4th. At the shop we confirmed the mainshaft nut had backed off (very common on early 5-speeds) creating situation where all the gears become misaligned.  We removed it and installed a really nice 280z 5-speed transmission.

  

A few more items needing attention that we sorted:

-all fluids
-fixed headlight switch
-replaced/rebuilt hatch strut
-A/C wiring and power switch corrected + system re-charged (performed in-house)

Back in April, Randy and Rob both agreed on returning the Z back to its original aesthetics before the epic road trip. We swapped out the air dam for a factory valance and installed the stock steering wheel, but we didn’t have time to replace the dated black mirrors. On this visit we tackled the installation of factory Nissan mirrors:

  

Removal of the black plastic mirrors and installing OEM units required minor bodywork. Our man William took care of the 112 paint. Hard to beat these beautiful mirrors on the S30, more pics in the gallery!

 

With the Z sorted, Randy and his father drove it on yet another rallye in July, the Faultine 500.

 

ZCG Big Brakes

In September we met BaT at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca.  Randy and the crew discussed using ZCG products on their Z as it had an older Wilwood brake kit. The plan was to install and run our ZCG Big-Brake kit for the Targa Baja California rallye coming in October.

  

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 14″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel! 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.

Randy brought the Z to the shop and we removed the existing Wilwood setup:

  

Front setup:

  

The proportioning valve that was required for the old Wilwood kit was removed:  ZCG Brakes do NOT require a proportioning valve!

  

Big-Brakes at the rear as well. The Z had a weird hydraulic parking brake and this was removed so we could install the factory brake lever setup.

 

  Randy’s Z now has a fully functioning parking brake:

  

Before leaving the shop we replaced a failed u-joint in the driveshaft and balanced it. We were stoked to hear how well the Z and the Big-Brake kit performed on the Targa Baja California rallye in October:

“Big thanks to Rob Fuller and his team at Z Car Garage for preparing our 1972 Datsun 240Z which ran flawlessly the entire time at sustained high RPMs and in hot weather. Prior to the event he outfitted the car with his custom in-house developed Z brake kit which provided excellent stopping power and near-perfect pedal feel. After it was all over, we woke up early Sunday morning in Ensenada and drove 600 miles straight back to San Francisco!”

 

Thanks to Randy and the crew at Bring a Trailer for the support and sharing their Z car experience with the world. They are truly Enjoying the Ride, proving that Datsuns ARE DRIVEN!

More pictures in the gallery below
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The 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show was held on September 15, in Long Beach, CA. This is the original vintage Japanese-car event in SoCal and in its 14th year, JCCS has grown incredibly–over 430 cars covered the lawn of Marina Green Park. The vehicles themselves remained a fantastic blend of stock, modified and restored. This is the most important show for Japanese cars, and the Z Car Garage crew keeps coming back every year to soak up the sun, see old friends and drool over some spectacular vintage builds.

   

ZCG Displays Two Z Cars!

 

Z Car Garage displayed two customer cars at the show: Randy Jaffe’s 1970 Datsun 240z and James Stevens’ 1972 Datsun 240z.  Randy’s Z was completed in time to be our booth car. This Series 1 S30 started as a project car 4-years ago with paint/bodywork performed by Bryson Richards of Classic Livery. The Z was shipped to us from Georgia for finishing Randy’s vision of a wild show/go race car:

 

Inspiration for the Jagermeister livery came from Randy’s obsession with Porsche, and the Max Moritz Racing Porsche 934.

  

We will take an in-depth look at this Z in separate post, but here are a few key details. Providing room for the 275/315-width tires is an authentic Pandem Rocketbunny aero kit. Randy channeled his passion for racing into this build and the chassis is virtually identical to his #46 BRE Datsun 240z, using zinc’d DP Racing suspension parts. The engine is a big displacement L-series running 13:5:1 compression, triple-Mikuni ph44s, a Fujitsubo header and glorious BRE-style exhaust. Running gear includes a close-ratio ZX transmission, OS Giken LSD for the 4.11 R180, our ZCG CV Axles and ZCG Big-Brake Kit (race version).

   

We are happy to report that Randy’s Z won 1st place, Best 240z in a class filled with incredible Z cars!

 

James’s 1972 S30 was displayed with fellow Z car owners in the show. At the heart of this beast is a turbocharged L-series managed by Haltech. Chassis upgrades include custom full-length subframe connectors, our ZCG CV Axles and Big-Brake Kit (328mm) behind Volk TE37V wheels.

 

A stack instrument cluster was integrated into the gauge pod, viewed from leather Recaro Pole Position seats. This Z has a very unique sound. We recently tuned it on E85, dyno results and videos coming soon!

   

We are very happy for James as he won the award for Best of JC Speed!

 

Stay tuned for in-depth reports on both of these Z cars coming to zcarblog.com.

Showtime!

Our friend and talented racer Troy Ermish transported both of our Z cars (and his 510) down to Long Beach Friday afternoon. Below is a video of the Z’s loading from the shop:

We unloaded early Saturday morning from the expansive parking lot near the new venue in Marina Green Park.  Immediately we could tell this location was larger and more vendor-friendly than The Queen Mary of past shows. Our booth was situated in a great spot, at the mid-point of the show with our neighbors from OS Giken.
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