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Today I took our shop Z, Mrs. Butters for a Thanksgiving Day drive with fellow enthusiasts. It was a chilly 40 degrees meeting in downtown Saratoga, but the sky was clear and the company was great. Leading the drive was Alex in his Midnight Blue 370Z:
We rolled up HWY 9 with seven cars and stopped at the skidpad to hang, then drove down to Santa Cruz:
Standouts of the group included Koich’s 1975 Porsche 911 hot rod:
Glenn’s Civic Type-R and Kelvin’s C5 Z06:
Thanks for the drive Alex!
At Z Car Garage we love keeping Z’s on the road. From concours-level restorations to light refurbishments, helping a client realize their vision is our passion. The Bartel family shipped their 1973 Datsun 240Z from Arizona for mechanical and cosmetic sorting, ZCG-style. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, chassis tuning and dyno tuned LS3 V8 engine transformed this Z into the dream car Jeff and son Ryan enjoy at rally events.
Before we dive in to the project let’s hear how the family got their Z car…
JEFF: My son and I began looking for a Datsun project car for pre-1975 Targa rally driving events in late 2018. We scoured the internet for resto-mod 510’s or S30’s that with modern drivetrains for reliability and maintenance. After a long and exhaustive search we came across a 1973 Datsun 240Z with an LS3 V8/T56 on one of those trendy online auto auction sites. On paper the car appeared to have just about all of the desirable upgrades, including larger brakes from an OEM, coilovers, a LSD diff, aluminum radiator, fender flares, 17” wheels, Vintage Air air conditioning, fuel cell, decent gauges, extensive body work and paint and nausea-inducing rear wing. We decided to bid and won what seemed like Z at the right price…
We agreed to inspect the car and during that process found many of the car’s important systems were in need of complete replacement.
ROB: It was very important to Jeff and Ryan for this Z to be enjoyable and up to the task of vintage rally events. We obliged to help them with that goal in several visits. I was Z car purist when I was younger, thinking one should always install Nissan engines into a Nissan… with time and wisdom it is hard to deny that LSx engines are pretty stellar with respect to power and packaging. It was time to make this Z a ZCG-style LS-powered S30.
JEFF: While tuning and driving the car Rob noticed that the existing fuel pump system was not providing sufficient fuel to the engine especially during spirited cornering (not to mention extremely noisy fuel pump and strong fuel smell in the cabin). Rob and his team replaced the underperforming fuel pump and delivery system, relocating the pump to a safer and quieter location, installed a Hydramat fuel pickup system in the fuel cell to avoid starvation during heavy cornering. A new dual exhaust system with X-pipe was also installed from headers back to the tips to improve flow and clearance.
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Bartel’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds. As fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C mentioned in his review, on top of braking performance, pedal feel is extremely important and our Big-Brakes deliver. This is a direct result of working with engineers at Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel (and some 14″ wheels) and retaining factory emergency brake lever.
ROB: A staple of the ZCG upgrade package is a set of brakes. So we did the ZCG BBK, with new brake M/C and new booster. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! Suspension was upgraded to T3 f/r coil-overs done in our signature black. Thanks Gabe for allowing to have our own color! We also did f/r wheel bearings and full alignment.
JEFF: The team at Z Car Garage began with replacing the poor performing brakes with the complete ZCG Big Brake Kit. With the car now stopping as it should, they next turned their attention to the suspension. A set of front and rear coil-overs were installed on the car along with adjustable T/C rods and camber plates arms and so on. The car was then height adjusted and corner balanced.
On their first visit we changed the spring rates to improve handling and put some friction modifier in diff. At the very end of this visit unfortunately the car was making some strange noises. We suspect the previous builder had starved the engine of oil a few times leading to rod knock. so we send it to Rebello for a rebuild. In spring of 2021 we had made enough power and focused on cooling modifications with a new fabricated a fan-shroud setup.
JEFF: With brakes, handling, fuel and exhaust systems addressed, we set out on our second CA Targa event in June 2021. This adventure took us through the CA desert and across the Sierra Nevada Mountains two times. If you live on the west coast you might remember the incredible heat wave with temperatures approaching 115 degrees F. This caused severe over heating problems with the existing cooling system, which made for many unplanned stops along the way. While we did have many great conversations waiting for the car to cool, some with our feet in a Sierra Nevada river, we knew this was unsustainable. Another issue that became noticeable during our second event was the wicked noises coming from the clutch, rear differential as well as the driveshaft. On the positive side of the coin, the car turned, stopped and handled incredibly well and we managed to complete the roughly 1,500 mile event under our own power. We were also able to establish that the car is extremely fast and with that the stock seats and belts were just not quite enough to hold us in place or to provide even the temporary illusion of safety. Woohoo!
Next up were the cooling, cold air intake, clutch, rear diff and driveshaft upgrades along with safety and comfort improvements. We installed a new aluminum radiator, rerouted the upper and lower hoses and changed the cold air intake system to reduce intake temperatures. The transmission got an upgraded flywheel. kevlar/ceramic, 11″ 26-spline clutch, new Tilton T/O bearing and aluminum driveshaft from South Bay driveline…the Z was now ready to drive anywhere.
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. ZCG CV axles were installed and the rear differential was rebuilt with a new R180 OSG LSD unit, bearings/seals etc.
Rob dyno tuned the LS via HPtuners software. It put down a stout 408hp/387tq to the wheels:
Enjoy this extended video of Ryan and Jeff’s Z including dyno runs, test drive with Rob and engine/exhaust sounds…volume up!
Wheels make the car and a set of VOLK TE37V wheels from another client project ended up replacing the 17″ Rota wheels the Z came with. The TE’s transformed the car!
After running a successful Targa event in 2022, the Bartel’s returned to ZCG in 2023 for a small list of improvements including rear hatch body work, installing a BRE type rear wing, minor improvements to the suspension, turn signal/high beam and seat rail repairs along with getting the AC system running more reliably. These are the details we excel at:
The previous owner left several holes in the firewall behind the evap box, so we removed all A/C components and made a new seal to isolate the cabin from exhaust and heat. In the back, we fixed the rear strut after locating a spacer placed in the coil-overs. With the A/C system sorted, we did hatch seals and pulley/belt on the compressor were all properly aligned.
If you are doing spirited driving or long road trips, the Recaro Specialist seat is the best for your Z car! More photos of the interior and roll bar in the galley below
JEFF: To improve safety and hold us in place ZCG installed an Auto Power roll bar with. custom removable harness bar. Rob convinced us upgrade the stock seats to Recaro Specialist seats and 5-point harness system, along with front and rear strut tower braces for increased rigidity. New Hella H4 headlights were also added to replace the original ones that barely worked. Ryan and I had Rob’s team add a 330mm Momo steering wheel.
Exterior paint by our man William, modified rear spoiler some BRE side-view mirrors top the cosmetic changes:
Jeff lives in Central CA while Ryan lives in Arizona. They share this car Father and Son and we get reports from each of them sharing how much they love the car now.
JEFF: With cooling, driveline, safety and comfort addressed and plenty of test miles on the car, we set out for our third CA Targa event in May 2022. This event took place close to home in the Paso Robles wine country. The event was over 1,000 miles, covering many excellent canyon roads. Starting with a 390 mile bonsai run from Phoenix AZ to Los Angeles CA and continuing for up through the central coast of CA. During that time, we beat on the car mercilessly, and the car ran pretty darn flawlessly. Needless to say, third time was the charm, and the trip was a smashing success.
The Father/Son duo would go on to successfully complete the Targa California rallies in 2023 and 2024, followed by numerous driving events and gatherings. Each time they were super stoked with the Z…
RYAN: Targa ‘24 is a wrap. Over 2100 miles from AZ to Monterey and back. Some fantastic roads, 2 historic race tracks, endless good times and some of the best people around. That’s Jeff Bartel grinning in the drivers seat. Getting to run the rally’s with him has been a gift. Looking forward to the next one, and hopefully the Targa AZ works out. Gonna start pre running next week.
RYAN: The Japanese Corvette on the final day of the 2023 #targacalifornia. Over a thousand miles in a long weekend with some great humans, new roads and beautiful cars. The recipe for the car is at last perfect thanks to Rob and @zcargarage. All that and to top it off I get to do that whole thing with my father. Looking forward to the first Arizona Targa this fall.
We enjoyed working you Ryan and Jeff. Thanks for you support and keep making memories while Enjoying The Ride in your Z!
On Saturday, August 24 we attended the Tokyo Calling 4 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. Z Car Garage participated with a group of client cars and enjoyed a wonderful day of driving through the foothills of Northern California. The event also featured 200+ Japanese classics and 90’s-era wonders to appreciate during the morning social gathering and rest stops. Enjoy our report with mega-photo gallery and video!
The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) started 4 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into a monthly event with one hour of hanging out drinking coffee, followed by two hours of driving on the second Saturday of the month. Registration is free and always open to all makes. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see our previous BCR reports HERE!
The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event, Tokyo Calling 2 and Tokyo Calling 3 were all a blast. We did not want to miss their fourth all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC4. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Vallejo, here is a preview of our cars:
Beau’s Datsun 280Z is fresh from Z Car Garage full cosmetic and mechanical restoration featuring Recaro Specialist seats, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!
Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240z is Enjoying The Ride with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles. He scored this Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer and regularly drives it on rally events.
Our client Jim H was in Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z. This Series 1 S30 features a 3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW suspension.
It was great to see our client Yoni Enjoying the Ride in his 1972 Datsun 240Z. This Z recently got our Z Car Garage KW coil-overs in addition to the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles.
Linda Williams drove her 2023 Nissan Z. This is the special,”Proto Spec” edition limited to just 240 units. We love her “1OF240Z” tribute license plate. Linda joined us on the last two Tokyo Calling events in her 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate. She loves driving it everywhere.
Our client Kurt drove his R32 Skyline GT-R. Full report coming to zcarblog.com on this beautiful example with Stoptech Big-Brakes, FHM wheels, a host of engine upgrades and sweet interior touches from Kurt himself.
I drove our shop 2023 Nissan Z with Fast Intentions TDX cat-back exhaust system. Our morning caravan of 5 cars enjoyed cruising up I-680 through Benicia. Nothing beats driving with fellow Z car owners!
Our crew arrived at the rally start in Vallejo and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin parked at Kindred Motorworks. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 7:30-9am so we could take in all the glorious cars. The vibe was tremendous, and as usual it went by too quickly. Let’s go through some of the highlights, with more photos in the gallery below!
Over 20 S30 Z cars were present!
I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 10 in attendance including a genuine 1967 2000. One of the most sought after Datsuns, these “half-year” models were introduced mid-1967 offering a 5-speed transmission and 150hp twin-Mikuni carb’d 2L engine…hot stuff for the era.
Ian’s SRL is #601 (out of ~1000 cars) and it was fully restored years ago by Les Cannaday in San Diego. Ian is meticulous about maintaining this car, but it is no garage queen, attending monthly rally events. The (655) Off-white paint with red interior is one of my favorites. Yes, it even sports a factory Nissan hardtop with all the stainless trim!
John Baker’s immaculate 1969 Datsun 2000:
Mark’s right-hand drive ’69 2000:
High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:
We got all of the roadsters for a group shot before starting the rally:
There were eight Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510. Jay is a hardcore rally driver and also brought his mint wagon with family!
Back to Z cars, Pratibha and Andre recently finished preparing their ’73 240Z:
Our client Cameron’s Z32 Twin Turbo visited Z Car Garage for maintenance work, 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 see him driving again. More Z32s were on the rally!
There were a handful of S14 and S13 240SX:
Enjoy this walk-around and driving video from Tokyo Calling 4:
So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos! Next, let’s check out some non-Nissan/Datsun action…
TWO (!) Honda Beat sports cars, one owned by our R32 GT-R client Miles.
Some of our favorite Toyota’s including Supra (A60, A70, A80), first gen MR2s, and AE86s! The Lexus IS300 SportCross with A80 Supra wheels was sweet!
Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Hilux, Nissan and Land Cruiser:
The impossibly cool award goes to Todd Lapin’s Toyota Cera:
Photo by Ben Kim
The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rally printout. I enjoyed hustling the ZCG Nissan Z through the backroads:
One of the perks of BCR events is their team of professional photographers at various stages capturing epic rolling and detail shots so people can focus on enjoying the drive. I encourage you to visit each of these SIX photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides:Sophia Thompson, Ben Kim, Alex Nibyt, Everett Lederer, Emma Lai and Chris Friske.
The rally concluded back at Barn 5400, where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. Folks enjoyed Donburi surrounded by J-Tin everywhere. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.
Many thanks to the Breakfast Club Rally organizers, we had a blast and I urge you to register for their next event, especially if you are in the South Bay area like me and want to see what driving bliss lies North.
Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us. Huge thanks to BCR for extending their hospitality to our crew, everyone was thrilled. Here’s to the next rally and always, always #DoitInADatsun! More photos in the gallery below…
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.
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.
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:
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.
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!
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
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:
Treat your Z to a brand new set of Panasport wheels! Z Car Garage is an authorized Panasport dealer with limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car. We special order this 16×7 +11 offset to enable fitment of a 225/50/16 tire on the 1970 to 1978 S30s and even S130s.
Price is $330 each or $1320 for a set of 4 wheels + freight. Includes center caps
*We have only 8 sets left. Get yours before the price increases!*
Contact us to order: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350.
Wondering how a set of Panasports would look on your Z car? They are timeless just like your Z. Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars in jus about every color imaginable with Panasport wheels:
Z Car Garage is proud to offer 13×7 Panasport racing wheels for your Datsun 510. These are +3 offset and perfect fitment for your B-Sedan/TransAm series Datsun 510 running vintage-class spec 205/60/13 Hoosier R7 (and other) tires. Price is $250 per wheel.
Shown above: Rob Fuller and Masayoshi Kobayashi, President of Panasport/Mag Formula Inc at Laguna Seca with the 13×7 Panasport wheels we run on our Bay Area Datsun Dealers 510. Here are the 13×7 Panasport wheels featured on a few client 510 race cars:
Kelvin’s Ex-Ted Gruner TransAm 510
Gabe’s B-Sedan:
Todd’s Far Performance 510
Ed’s 510
More photos of the wheels can be seen in the gallery below
Contact us: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350 to order your set!
