Congratulations to our client Dan F on achieving his personal goal of sub 1:40s lap times at Laguna Seca in his Nissan 350Z. Z Car Garage has worked with Dan for several years to fine-tune this Vortech Supercharged Z33 so he enjoy it on the track.You can see the build history HERE:
Chasing 1:30s
Dan is an avid track-enthusiast and we love working with him to optimize his Z. Let’s hear about his triumphant ‘Seca experience from November with SpeedSF:
“It was a very satisfying weekend at Laguna running both Sat & Sun 11-25/26. I came still looking for sub 1:40’s with my best time to date a 140.1. It’s only the second time I’ve been there since the re-pave but I have been running here testing and tuning for over a dozen years now. 1:39’s however have always been elusive so when in my second session on Saturday morning, I finally broke through and did a 139.2 on 1.5 year old Toyo RR’s (red wheels in the pics), I was ecstatic. That was apparently just some foreshadowing for the weekend. By day’s end I was consistently running low 1:38’s. The track is faster than it’s ever been with extra run off at T5 & T9 and a smooth surface that has now been rubbered in nicely and the weather was perfect around 62 with zero moisture.”
“My plan Sunday was to try some pirelli scrubs (black wheels) from the World Challenge Series. I was excited to try them on this car because it is set up as a race car at this point so it makes sense real race rubber might work well, it did. First session I blew by the 1:37’s and finished with a 1:36.1, next session 1:36.0 then finished with my best being a 1:35.8 on a lap compromised by traffic. Scrubs were good for 2.4 seconds over the RR slicks. Some pretty unbelievable gains all weekend and especially with these tires.”
“Still can’t quite believe it took me about 4 years to go from 1:44 to 1:40 and only 2 days to drop the next 4+ seconds but it’s days like this that make you want to keep trying for that perfect lap. Sometimes all the stars align and I’ll be looking to match my optimal lap of 134.8 next time out…”
Enjoy this in-car video of Dan’s fastest lap time in the Z:
Recent Updates
Dan’s Z received a few updates to the interior and aero package. Extensive caging inside, new front splitter and rear wing:
We are super stoked for you Dan! Get that 1:34 at ‘Seca and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Filed under: 240z,Events,Parts
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on December 27, 2023
We love to see our products being installed and used on client cars. Armon is running our Z Car Garage Heat Shield in his 1973 Datsun 240Z that he rescued and restored on his own.
ZCG Heat Shield
We are excited to offer the Z Car Garage Heat Shield for your triple-carb’d L-series Z car. This is a one-piece 304 stainless unit with laser-etched serial number. Proven on all of our L-series engine builds and dyno testing.
This heat shield will fit Mikuni, Weber, Dellorto and Jenvey induction with several intake manifolds like the Harada. Also available for 4-cylinder L-series applications as well!
The ZCG Heat Shield is available for purchase with product information below. View this product and other ZCG parts on the new “products” page of our website HERE
Save Classic Cars
Armon is a car enthusiast passionate about keeping classic cars on the road. “Save Classic Cars” is a platform he created to share his love for vintage metal and foster the DIY spirit in others. You can catch his adventures on Instagram. Let’s hear from Armon himself about the rescue of this 1973 Datsun 240Z…
The Rescue
ARMON: “I actually remember looking into 240z’s when I was 16 years old- I’m 28 now. At the time, I wanted something classic that I could tinker with and drive throughout high school. Most of the Z cars listed for sale had some level of rust, which in hindsight, was nothing compared to what I would eventually get my hands on. I eventually gave up and ended up buying a classic mustang (then another, and other, etc). I still wanted a Z car, but didn’t actively search for one due to the price- the days of the “cheap” 240z were long gone in my book.”
“Last August (2021), I went on a walk in my neighborhood with my Dad. We spotted a Z car tucked away behind a pile of firewood just 800 feet from my house. I came back the next day and introduced myself to the neighbors- the gentleman who owned it bought it in 1989, paid someone to tune it (which made it run worse), and subsequently parked it in 1991. The car sat there for 30 years and became one with the earth- it had sunken into the ground, a tree had grown up next to the door, there was moss growing on the paint, rodents living/dying in it- the poor thing was a mess. The owner told me he wanted to sell it- I got excited and bought it on the spot (in hindsight, I probably should have at least opened the hood).”
Bodywork
“With the help of a few buddies and a truck, we dragged it out of the ground and down the street to my house. It turns out the person who did the tune up didn’t gap the points. It was running the next day, I actually drove it to the previous owner’s house the following week. The car ran incredibly well- someone had swapped in an L28, regeared it with 3.90’s and added the Mulholland suspension package.”
“Beyond that, it was an absolute mess. Floors, firewall, frame rail, floor supports, toe boards- all toast. It had been hit hard on the passenger side and poorly repaired. I fell in love with this car after driving it, I decided that I wanted to keep it and fix it. I stripped the car down to a shell, built a frame jig, and made the car whole again; literally. Oh, all of the metal work and mechanical restoration was done in THREE months. As fun as that was, I think I’m going to need a little break before I take on something like that again.”
Drivetrain and Chassis
“The cylinder head was rebuilt with a more aggressive cam and larger 280z valves, triple-Webers, and then completely resealed. Many Z enthusiasts mentioned adding a heat shield- I didn’t think much of it until I watched one of my Weber’s drool some gas onto the headers. A quick email to Z Car Garage and I was on my way home with a new heat shield! It looks great and keeps the Webers cool.”
Close-up view of the Z Car Garage Heat Shield beneath Armon’s triple-Weber induction setup, this unit is serial#00258:
With the engine taken care of, Armon added T3 front control arms, T/C rods and ST springs (courtesy of ZCG) along with replaced bushings throughout:
“I then sourced a 280z 5 speed and some Datsun comp style seats- my crusty (but solid!) go kart was ready to take on the world. Future plans? Continue flogging it! I’ve been driving my 240z every chance I get. I’d like to grab some stickier tires and hit some track days, it’s been an absolute blast to drive around town and in the mountains.”
Enjoying The Ride
We love that Armon drives his Z everywhere. He’s joined us on local events and gatherings like the Breakfast Club Rally. Their “Tokyo Calling 3” event (above) was ~300miles of fun through beautiful Sonoma backroads. (below) Meeting up with our client Dirk and his 1973 Datsun 240Z:
Armon followed through on his plan to track the Z, enjoying it an HPDE at Thunderhill Raceway. He also took the Z to an Autocross event at Sonoma Raceway.
Enjoy this video of Armon’s 240Z in action…
More photos of Armon enjoying the Z after rescuing it are in the gallery below…happy to see him at Nick’s birthday party:
Alexey Orlov captured the sound and experience of driving the Z in this video below:
It’Z a Small World
Z-car ownership often comes with some interesting stories from previous stewards. Armon was reunited with a former owner of his Z and it’s neat story:
ARMON:“That’s not just any 240z. That’s MY 240z! I recently met with the gentleman who owned my 240z from early 70’s to 1989- it turns out he lives half a mile away from me. He gave me the full story and sent me a few pictures from back in the day- it’s incredible. He [John] bought the car from the original owner not knowing of all of the hidden accident damage, then had a buddy weld it up (he never looked back, the car drove fine). Every few years, John would get bored, strip the car down to bare metal, and repaint it a different color in his parents garage. It’s been metallic brown (original color), red, yellow, green, black, and white- all with psychedelic 70’s stripes and graphics. He swapped in the L28 short block when the original L24 died and he would go to the legendary FAR Performance to buy his parts.”
“John was very excited to see his 240z in person after parting ways with it over 30 years ago. Every time he’d see something on the car, he would remember another story- it was incredible. The best part? He’s a Bay Area local and used to take this 240z up highway 9 and Alice’s regularly. It’s truly come full circle. This car is a textbook example of why classic cars are more than just…Cars! I’ve been an advocate for these things for a long time and I will never stop spewing my classic car propaganda. They bring people together, build communities, and remind us of good times. SAVE CLASSIC CARS and keep them on the road where they belong!”
Thank you for your support Armon we are happy to see our Z Car Garage Heat Shield on your S30. Long Live The Z!
2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of Z Car Garage. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and clients for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2023 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:
ZCG will be closed from 12/21 through 12/26 and we will re-open for business on 1/2/24
Client Updates for 2024
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 Velocity Invitational in addition to client stories. Before we take a look back at highlights from 2023, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:
Both Ryan and Beau’s Datsun 240Z cars left the shop recently. Ryan’s Z has LS3 V8 power while Beau’s 1976 280Z has an L28 with stock EFI. Both cars feature our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech), Z Car Garage CV Axles, Recaro Specialist seats, A/C and dyno tuning. Full features on both coming to zcarblog.com!
Ken’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z (#1762) is getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles, KA24 5-speed transmission and Fujitsubo exhaust. The L28 now has Jenvey ITB EFI managed by a Haltech 750:
Kevin’s Nismo 350Z got full KW V3 coil-overs and Recaro seats and more:
Kurt’s Kenmeri Skyline is in for sorting. We also helped Dirk prepare his ’73 Datsun 240Z. Full reports coming to zcarblog.com, enjoy the photos!
Rashid lives in Dubai and his Datsun 240Z is getting 3.2L L-Series with pH44 Mikuni induction and exhaust header, ZX 5-speed transmission, OS Giken 4.11 LSD, Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) and 16″ Panasport wheels:
David’s 1972 Datsun 240Z is getting a Rebello 3.0L, 240SX 5-speed transmission and 4.11 OS Giken LS. It is also getting our Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension and already has our V1 (328m) Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Both cars will feature the T3 steering rack that we are big fans of:
Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! It is now getting a new dash and Jenvey EFI
Nissan 300ZX (Z32)
We have several Z32 NA and TT cars currently at the shop. Gary’s Twin Turbo (above) just got a new set of BBS LM wheels. Full update on this car soon! Paul Ferrari returned to ZCG since we completed his Epic Z32 Build in 2017. He’s ready for ethanol, after running this car on race fuel for many years. We will be installing dual fuel pumps, BDE top fuel rail and all the fixings:
Kevin’s Slicktop Z32 is in for a driver’s side window replacement and some touch-up. Love this Z with WORK wheels and Stoptech Big-Brakes:
Cameron’s Z32 is here for maintenance work and downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to have him back.
William’s Z32TT is getting 740cc injectors, downpipes and more:
Hakosuka Skyline
Sebastian’s Skyline is at the shop and we are doing a suspension refresh, engine work adapting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) to this Hako. We hope to offer this in the future for C10 clients.
Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car is getting a CD009 6-speed transmission, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, coil-over suspension and track preparation.
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. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary’s Datsun 240Z, who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast affectionately named the “Behemoth”. This car has been sold and we will update you in the New Year
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:
R35 and R32 GT-R
R35s in for service and upgrades. Mike and Kurt’s R32 GT-Rs got power and chassis upgrades deserving their own blog features:
Race Cars
Several race cars to report on including the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z, Glenn Chiou’s Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510 (sporting ZCG CV Axles), the Corky Bell Trans-Am 510 and more!
Highlights from 2023
Even though 2023 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 2024!
Click on each link or photo to see the full features!
Huge thanks to Nissan for giving us the opportunity to experience the 2023 Nissan Z. We finally took delivery of our Performance 6MT in April:
The Bring A Trailer Datsun 240Z
To celebrate their 100,000 listing, Bring a Trailer is auctioning their 1973 Datsun 240Z, prepared by Z Car Garage. Finished in Lime Yellow (#112) paint over black vinyl upholstery, it is powered by a numbers-matching Rebello Racing-built 2.7-liter straight-six with triple Weber 40 DCOE carbs. The total sale amount for the auction will be donated to the Piston Foundation, a nonprofit that will use 100% of the funds to help young technicians build rewarding careers in the collector car industry by funding programs in the skilled trades.
Colonel Gary’s 1978 Datsun 280Z
Enjoying The Ride
Mike’s 1970 S30
At Z Car Garage we enjoy both modifying Z cars and restoring them back to factory spec. Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z came to us from North Carolina and we delivered it in July. This ’69 production VIN#193 is a beautiful driving example of how wonderful these cars were from the factory.
Vincent’s 1973 Datsun 240Z
Stan K (VIN #511) and Tony H’s Series Datsun 240Z cars came in for mechanical sorting, interior work and Z Car Garage CV Axles
We are stoked to see our #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240z currently on display at ZCON this week. It’s in great company next to our clients Linda Williams and her OMS Pace Car Tribute and Mike’s Fairlady Z432. Photos by Gary Savage.
Filed under: 510,Nissan Z,Racing
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on December 11, 2023
Z Car Garage had a blast at GRIDLIFE Laguna at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This was the final festival of the season held on October 20th, and Rob Fuller raced his B-Sedan Datsun 510 in the Touring Cup group. Enjoy our race report with commentary from Rob, photos and video below.
ROB: “Iam fortunate to be friends with Larry Chen. We were chatting about Z cars, vintage racing, and our obsession with Datsuns when he mentioned that GRIDLIFE was coming to Laguna Seca for the first time. Thought it would be cool to bring a vintage car there as Seca is my home-track. I didn’t know anything about the run groups/classes, only what I’ve seen through Larry’s lens. Since Nick and Cooper did so much trackside support I called out the OG’s…Joshua and his father Keith Corwin. Josh went down on Thursday, loaded us in to the paddock and I arrived Friday in the New Z.”
“Tech inspection was quite stringent with check off items like do you have aero? dox bog? weight? We had to add about 150lbs of ballast to our Bay Area Datsun Dealers 510. Gridlife also specifies racing on a 200 treadwear tire. Since there are no 200TW tires in my size we went with a Toyo RA-1. Toyo has been very supportive of my club racing and vintage racing. They wanted to place the BADD 510 in their Toyo booth which I was really excited about.”
Photos by Larry Chen
Racing in GLTC
The GRIDLIFE Touring Car Cup (GLTC) is a wheel-to-wheel sprint racing series that focuses on single-class sprint racing. Typical entrants are modern cars like the S2000, Miata, Corvette, Cayman…so we were really excited to throw our hat in the ring and show everyone what a 50-year old Datsun 510 can do. It was a great opportunity to introduce this crowd to vintage racing!
ROB: “In Race 1 I was pretty out-gunned. At ‘Seca when I am on the tire we run and weight, my car is usually running 1:40.2 or 1:40.4. With the added weight and tires I was running 1:44s while front runners were at 1:39 and 1:40…so the first time in a long time, my little BADD 510 was in the back. I gridded and started 29th and made it up to 25th. Starting position is determined by your fastest lap in previous race. They are really strict about the rules so they impounded me and weighed me…I was flattered that they picked me being the smallest, oldest car in the field!”
“Race 2 I started 25th and made it to 17th in the first couple of laps…but with with their wings, big tires and hp, aero etc. I couldn’t hang. We finished 23rd. Race 3 I had another good start and made it to 17th again. Two laps in unfortunately my transmission failed. I did a really good job of getting off the race surface, so no yellow flags or race stop. Had the best seat in the house watching the drivers cruise around. All in all really cool to be a part of something different. It’s funny it almost felt like the Sesame Street Song..one of these things is not like the other…the 510 looked out of place in the field but right at home as usual on the track.”
Video
Enjoy this video with in-car footage from Rob’s 510, paddock and drift and action:
Good People. Good Vibes.
“Absolutely adore Larry Chen’s staff and the Gridlife folks were super generous. So many people came to see the 510 in the paddock and it was endearing as always to hear “My dad had a 510”. I think we accomplished the goal of showing people that 50 years ago a Datsun 510 was competitive and even today, out-gunned, it is still competitive.
We were stoked to see local ay Area gearheads like Ali and Lane from Driving While Awesome and Radwood fame. B-Sedan Racing also showed some love. Shawn’s Time-Attack S30 was also in the field and nearby in the Toyo Tires booth…
Drifting Up-close
“I missed the afternoon’s Race 4, kind of a bummer but Larry Chen asked me to be his assistant in the chase car for the drift exhibition…he didn’t have to ask me twice and it was F’ing rad! Watching Larry do what he does…to be inches from a drift car and capture that perfect action shot…in the Corkscrew with the car completely sideways on front of us and Larry is creeping up to it. Just brilliant. He’s an incredible driver, I wasn’t nervous…I was pumped.”
Thanks Gridlife!
“If you haven’t been to a Gridlife event I highly suggest it. I’m already planning to attend the next event and bring a car that allow us to be competitive. Great job and welcome to West Coast, Gridife. Super shoutout to Larry Chen, Tyler and Spicy Luis you made me feel right at home.”
All races were livestreamed, you can watch them HERE. Don’t forge to check out Rob’s full in-car racing videos over on his YouTube channel and give him a follow!
Coming up next will be our race report from the 2023 Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway!
WE LOVE RACING! On October 13-15, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the second annual Laps for Laguna event at Laguna Seca Raceway. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 9 (John Morton Cup). It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with in-car footage and photos.
Z Car Garage Racers
We raced and provided trackside support for our client’s B-Sedan Datsun 510s (Rob, Todd, Jeff and Gabe):
#88 Todd Rueppel
Todd enjoyed his Z Car Garage trackside support experience with us at the first Laps For Laguna event!
#25 Jeff Rothman
Gabe’s father Jeff is racing his B-Sedan Datsun 510:
#8 Gabe Rothman
#7 Rob Fuller
ZCG owner Rob Fuller, Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car
Let’s Race!
Laps for Laguna is a vintage racing event created by the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation and California Sports Racing Group (CSRG) to raise money for charity. It is an open sound event with multiple races for each race group, charity rides and more. We hope Laps for Laguna continues to be an annual affair.
Rob recaps the weekend:
“Friday afternoon we had practice sessions with father-son duo Jeff and Gabe Rothman, Todd R, and myself all running our B-Sedan Datsun 510s. Todd and Jeff were running similar pace so they were cutting it up. Gabe continues to pick up his pace and smooth out his driving…and he is a front runner. Super excited and proud of him.”
“It was just myself and Parker’s Alfa in front. Fortunately, he has picked up some speed this year and become the one to beat! Really stoked for him and Fred from Autostrada prepping this fast Alfa. On Sunday we had a really good battle when Alan Terpins in 911 T/R. he motored us pretty well on the start and Parker and I just chased him for 8-10 laps. Other two races Parker and I matched each other’s pace and exchanged places a few times, but my 510 didn’t have the pace of that Alfa. Congrats to those guys. Perfect weather, great run groups and one fantastic weekend!”
Watch this exciting in-Car video from Rob’s 510, mixing it up with a 1968 Porsche 911 T/R driven by Alan Terpins and Alfa Romeo driven by Parker McKean:
The Z Car Garage Nissan Z as Pace Car
Z Car Garage was happy to have our 2023 Nissan Z as Official Pace Car at Laps For Laguna. Rob enjoyed wheeling the New Z around the track:
“The track had a “friends of Laguna Seca Raceway” gathering where corporate partners would bring their staff to enjoy some charity rides in cars like GT40s, Nascar, Ferrari’s and one new Nissan Z car. I was able to give rides on Friday morning for about 2 hrs straight. It was really fun to put the new Z through its paces.”
Big thanks to Meghan for taking photos and video around the paddock. Here is a highlight reel of race and paddock action at the track:
A weekend of great racing and good times
Special shoutout to ZCG crew for keeping all of the cars running so we can race! More photos in the gallery below.
Join us for the 2024 Vintage Racing Season!
Z Car Garage is amped for more racing next year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. We are thinking about returning to Walter Mitty at Road Atlanta in spring since they are celebrating Japanese cars. We may get a transporter full of vintage cars so if you are a vintage racer and want to join us please please inquire with Rob at the shop. CSRG race event schedule below. Stay tuned for more race reports!
