Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles continue to win over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Elmo P recently purchased a set of both for his 1972 Datsun 240Z and had them installed himself in SoCal. Before we go into the installation details let’s take a look at how Elmo got into Z cars…

 

ELMO: In 2005, I decided to sell my first 240z, a 1973 which I owned for almost 17 years, and the car on which I learned almost everything I know to this day about wrenching. I felt I had outgrown the Z and it no longer fit in my life. However, immediately after the sale, I felt sick to my stomach for weeks and never really got over its sale. Over the next 13 years, I would periodically search for a replacement 240z, only to find out prices had skyrocketed and I could no longer afford one. Fast forward to 2019, I was now ready to resume my search. I found a 1972 240z that had been meticulously cared for by its 2nd owner of almost 47 years. The car was mostly stock, minus the addition of an L-28, and Panasport wheels. 

 

My goal was to modify the car tastefully, with modern components where needed to increase driving pleasure, yet leave the classic body-line largely unmolested to not disturb or detract from the design’s natural beauty. Over the past 4 1/2 years, I’ve made modifications to every area of the car and I can finally say that I’m at about 95% of attaining my vision. As mentioned previously, Elmo wanted the body to remain mostly unchanged. The only additions have been a front grill and spoiler from Star Road in Japan, front bumper delete plates from Skillard, one-piece rear bumper, and Euro tail lights and front turn signals. Wheels are Volk TE37V, 16×8 +0, and 16×8.5 +10 with Toyo R888R tires in 245/45/16.

Interior

 

ELMO: The interior received many upgrades including Recaro seats, Speed Hut gauges, re-upholstered door panels, tranny tunnel, and rear shock towers, billet pedals, new dash cover and a Sparco steering wheel. However, one of my favorite modifications is that of cleaning up the rear shock towers by removing the old vinyl covering and plastic caps, and smoothing off and painting the tops of the towers, along with the addition of aluminum cover plates and new covering on the towers.

  

Drivetrain

 

ELMO: When I bought the car, I knew the drivetrain and suspension would be my main focus area and hence, the area where I would divert most of my modification funds. All suspension component upgrades are from Techno Toy Tuning., including adjustable coilovers, control arms and diff mustache bar. Gear shifts are handled via a rebuilt close-ratio 5-speed from a ZX which transmits power to a 3.9 OS Giken LSD. Although the L-28 that was in the car when I purchased it was recently rebuilt, my goal was to replace it with a larger displacement street/race engine to increase the fun-factor. After months of searching for a reputable L-Series builder, I came across a renowned Datsun engine builder by the name of Jeff Winter at Rallye Sport in Westminster, CO.

 

For my mostly street driving application, we decided on an L-28 bored .080 over, forged rods and flat top pistons, and one of his special cam grinds on my car’s original E88 head with a mild street port, all resulting in just under a 3.0L. Induction is handled by triple 44 PHH Mikuni carbs rebuilt by Taka from Kyusha House.

 

The exhaust is scavenged via a custom-made header from a small shop in Japan, fabricated bu Humble Engineering with a  2.5” straight pipe terminating into a 3-chamber Flowmaster. Below, also visible are T3 coil-overs, LCAs, diff brace and Z Car Garage CV Axles:

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

  

ELMO: Although my new engine makes more power than the original L-24, and the stock brake system and half- shafts likely within their operating limits to support the increased power, I felt now was the time to make those upgrades to mitigate any future performance or drivability issues. Enter Z Car Garage. I had been following ZCG for a few years and knew that Rob was very well respected in the Datsun community, and offered many products to enhance the performance of the S30. I wanted to upgrade to rear disks, not just for better overall braking, but also for aesthetic reasons.

 

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

  

ELMO: In other words, the look of drum brakes sitting behind my new wheels just wasn’t cutting it, at least not in 2023. There is no shortage of aftermarket (AM) brake kits for the S30; however, after speaking with many owners who installed AM kits, they all shared one thing in common: No one seemed to be fully pleased with their performance. Most kits are sort of a “Frankenstein” collection of parts which often required different brake boosters, proportioning valves and other mods just to make them work somewhat effectively. In addition, most AM brake kits either did not come with a parking brake, and if they did,  functioned poorly.

 

Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!

Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Elmo’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:

 

Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. Elmo successfully installed the BBK on his Z with and they look great behind the Volk TE37 wheels. Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! 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. Elmo shares his feedback after replacing his existing brakes with the ZCG BBK:

  

ELMO: I contacted Rob to secure a set of his brakes but he advised me they were on backorder but that they’d be worth the wait, so I committed. Due to Covid supply chain issues, the wait was almost a year long, but as the saying goes, “some things are worth the wait”. I finally received my brakes and can confirm that aside from looking great, they meet or beat my performance expectations. Braking is effective, predictable, and confidence-inspiring. However, the best part is that there are no tricky performance issues that you have to figure out as they were designed from the ground-up for the S30, while still utilizing the stock brake booster and other components. All you simply have to do is install them as directed and you’re good to go. Oh, did I mention the parking brake works great!

Z Car Garage CV Axles

  

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.

ELMO: Now that the brake department was taken care of, all that was left to replace is the Achilles’ heel of any S30 with a much more powerful engine, the half-shafts. I had issues with them and their U-Joints on my first 240z which had a 3.0 and I felt that my current Z would benefit from an upgrade. Again, multiple AM options to choose from but given the research and quality of the ZCG brake kit, I felt the CV axles that Rob offered were the logical choice. The axles are beautifully machined and more than robust enough to handle my new engine’s power. I installed the axles myself and have noticed less clunking and vibration, and an overall smoother drive.

Elmo’s ZCG CV Axle set, #0446 installed:

 

What’s in store for Elmo’s Z?

ELMO: So, what’s left? Well, there’s a few odds and ends but nothing major, at least not until Rob introduces the next upgrade. I’m a firm believer that most of us never truly finish modifying our cars because they are like an ever-evolving canvas of ourselves.

 

Thanks for your support Elmo we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

When Larry Met Rob: A ZCG Story

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

The ZCG Touch

 

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

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We handed Larry the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car and he was sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our clients 🙂 Read below for a brief description of these parts:

    As fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C mentioned in his review, on top of braking performance, pedal feel is extremely important and our Big-Brakes deliver. This is a direct result of working with engineers at Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel (and some 14″ wheels) and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few details below:

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

Rotors: 280mm x 20.6 with Alum 7075 hats

Pads: Stoptech 309 sport street pads

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

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

  

We removed Larry’s existing Toyota 4×4 front calipers and rear Maxima setup and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit front and rear:

 

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

 

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

 

Larry was impressed with the braking performance:

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

Wheels By Love20bee

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

 

This 1971 Datsun 240Z has a long history with Z Car Garage. We have known owner Rob J since the early 90s, having worked on his previous Z cars, and with a few ZCG touches this Series 1 continues to impress. Let’s take a look at how Rob J got into Z cars and what makes this one special.

 

Datsun Z Family

When Rob J was a kid, his dad bought a 1971 Z (photo below) and used to cruise the Santa Cruz mountain roads with Mom in the passenger seat and his two brothers and him sitting on the luggage deck with their feet tucked under the seats:

“His idea of fun was to chuck the car into turns on Hwy 9 or Skyline Blvd – causing the 3 of us to squish into each other with the G-forces. I fell in love with the look and sound of that car when I was 5 years old and was determined to have one of my own. When I was about to turn 16, my brother crashed that car and Dad sold off the wreck, so I never got to drive it. Nothing “sets the hook” like being deprived of something you really want and I bought my first 240Z as soon as I could save up the $3500 that decent cars were going for in the 80s. I’ve had Zs ever since”

 

His first car was a ’71 that was stolen and crashed beyond recovery by thieves. The second, an Iris Blue ’72 (above right), was his daily driver for more than a decade and gradually benefited from ZCG upgrades. When Rob J had the opportunity to buy Paul Hooks’ S30 he sold the Iris Blue Z car to Tony K.

“When Rob Fuller first came to California to work on Datsuns, we had a regular gang of Z drivers going to track days together. The illustrious Paul Hooks was a fellow track nut and this Z was his car. He had done his restoration and modifications the right way – as a closely spaced series of coordinated upgrades using the best gear available, and the car always impressed me with flat cornering, powerful breaks, and that throaty 3.1ltr engine. So when I eventually had an opportunity to buy it from him, I jumped. “

 

Rob J with the Z he’s longed for:

 

Performance to Stand the Test of Time

Paul Hook’s Z was built in the late 90s/early 2000s, so it has the very same 3.1L L-Series engine with triple-Mikuni induction backed by a 280zx 5-speed and R180 LSD. Period suspension upgrades included 5-way Tokicos w/Eibach springs, ST f/r sway bars and sticky Advan A032R tires (remember those?!). The interior has a roll bar with harnesses, Recaro seats and rear strut tower bar.

 

The ethos of this build was centered around open track day events that Paul enjoyed.  Increased braking performance was achieved through a 4-wheel Porsche 911 Turbo “Big Red” caliper brake kit. It works pretty well, but not as well as our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes with respect to pedal feel/un sprung weight…all benefits from our years of experience and collaboration with Stoptech engineers.

 

What makes this Z special? It was built in a period where Z cars were not deemed “collectible” or valuable yet. Despite this, we were building high-end Z cars that performed really well on the street and track. Perform on track indeed; for a car built nearly three decades ago Paul’s vision and execution is impressive. He was a track hound and this Z was his tool of choice, calling routine track days “high-speed mediation”.

 

This ’71 being a Series 1 offers the lightest S30 chassis and paired with 191whp (modest by today’s standards) from the 3.1L it’s tremendously rewarding. It makes all the right noises too, just listen to Paul blasting down the front straight at Thunderhill Raceway (video below) in both rain/dry conditions!

Mini Z

 

Paul’s Z was special to many, including myself. It was “the one” in my eyes seeing how it did everything well from track days to cruising around…the epitome of balance in the S30 chassis. I admired it so much that I made a 1/24 scale model replica with loads of details based on hundreds of photos I accumulated over the years. In 2008 while attending a ZCG Dyno Day I finally presented the model to Paul. More pictures in the gallery below!

 

Updates and Upgrades

So what does this already well-sorted Z need? We discussed a list of needs/wants with Rob J…including sticky tires, new exhaust system to ZCG-spec, and a transmission upgrade. The aged Hankook R-S3s were replaced with Bridgstone RE-71R in 225/50/16 over those classy Panasports:

 

The 280ZX close-ratio gearbox that Paul had was getting old and noisy. At the time we were doing Nissan KA24 (FS5W71C) transmission swaps (before the CD009a came to market) by modifying a 280Z L-series bell housing. You can see the custom ZCG transmission mount below.

 

A JWT heavy duty clutch and Z32 shift knob finish the swap in style.

 

The Z had a really old-school Crane HI ignition components. We updated to run the MSD box so Rob could tune the car and extract a little more power. The exhaust was replaced with our ZCG exhaust system and a Koyo race radiator installed.

   

Rob J was happy with the updates:

“Recently, I took my car into the shop for an exhaust system upgrade and electrical system maintenance. What I got back was a different car entirely! Rob and the crew replaced my old school exhaust, which was frankly an eyesore, with ZcarGarage’s current system, which is expertly tucked up into the undercarriage and finally really looks the part. The exhaust isn’t louder, but it’s more sonorous and less tinny sounding. I love it.”

Dyno Tuning

It has been many years since this Z had been on our dyno. We adjusted the valves, set timing, sync’d carbs and re-jetted them for the new exhaust. Baseline was 198hp/194tq and after Rob’s tuning the Z made 222hp/213tq at the wheels. More power even after all these years this Z does not disappoint!

Power gains you can feel!

“The improvements are awesome: approximately 25 more HPs and 19FtLbs and much smoother power delivery. The car leaps down the road when you mash the throttle and no longer stumbles when rolling into the throttle from cruising RPMs.  The car was fun before and now is just crazy fun.”

Enjoy the dyno video below as well as some historic footage of this Z in action. Volume up!

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

We love how Rob J is enjoying his Z, just as Paul Hooks did. Rob has attended many events and fun runs and I still can’t take my eyes off this Z! In case you are wondering, his plate reads “Kenjuru” to note the martial arts he practices 🙂

 

Below are just a few of the great times we’ve enjoyed with Rob J and his ’71 Z:

 

EVENTS: The ZONC Annual Car Show

Happy New Year!

Bayline Vintage Meet Pictures!

EVENTS: Driving While Awesome Cars n’ Coffee 11/10

EVENTS: Cars and Coffee at Canepa Motorsports

2014 Silicon Valley Auto Show Pictures!

Bayline Vintage Meet Pictures!

 

Long Live The Z!

 

Plans for the future…we will continue to keep this Z on the road and give Rob J updates like our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, and Z Car Garage CV Axles.

“This 240Z is a late Series 1 manufactured in December 1970, so it’s not a low VIN car (17,XXX) and I don’t feel any pressure to restore it to stock.  Instead, we’ll keep upgrading the go-fast options while keeping a vintage look.  I truly love driving this car on the street and the occasional track day and I love doing both with other Z Datsun enthusiasts.” 

 

 

Thank you Rob J for supporting us and being in our life. We are so happy you found the right Z and ZCG will always be your home! DO IT IN A DATSUN

Enjoy the photo gallery below
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Tony K’s 1972 Datsun 240Z has a long history with Z Car Garage having received upgrades like a 3L with triple-Mikuni ph44s, 280Zx 5-speed transmission, suspension refresh, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles and Z Car Garage Heat Sheild.

 

Tony’s Z has a great history that begins with our friend and fellow enthusiast Rob Julien. Let’s take a closer look.

Keeping it in the Z Family

 
This Iris Blue Metallic (Porsche 911 color) Z was Rob Julien’s car when he first met Rob Fuller in the 90’s. A few years ago Rob J had the opportunity to buy Paul Hooks’ 1971 Series 1, another really nice S30 Fuller helped build in the 90’s (Full report soon). So the Iris Blue car changed hands going to a young Datsun 510 guy, customer Scott W, and finally Tony K, who at the time lived in Canada!

 

Very shortly after purchasing the car, Tony took it on the best road trip of his life:

 

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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