We met Bruce L at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. He has owned these (two) Series 1 240z cars for decades and wanted us to revive them. Bruce has performed all work himself and never let anyone else touch his Z cars so we were honored to oblige. In addition to getting the cars road-worthy each one sports our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Let’s take a look at how Bruce got into S30’s.

Beginnings

Bruce was introduced to Datsuns with his parent’s Bluebird 4-door 1300 (he took his driving license in this in 1969). He even purchased a brand new 1971 Datsun pickup in 1970 for $1800 and got a glimpse of the Z car:

“In the dealership showroom floor while purchasing this Pickup was a brand new early production Dark Green 1969 240Z with a Tan interior. The price tag was 3,400.00 ish. There was no way I could afford that kind of money for another car, let alone a sports car, and I needed a truck to haul my Dirt Bike to and from the Hollister Hills off-road park. Still, I wanted a 240Z instead of any of the muscle cars of the era. They just didn’t speak to me. Too big and bulky and the Cobra had no top to speak of in those days and it didn’t say buy-me.”

  

In 1973 Bruce walked into that same dealership to see and purchase a used ’72 Lime Yellow 240z.  Leap forward to 1982 and he purchased “Christine” from the same Datsun mechanic that used to work on his yellow ’72. Later in 1989 is when he purchased “Valerie” from a lady named Valerie who wanted to sell right after the ’89 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

 

“I love both of my Z’s even if I had to store them both for ten years. Rob brought them both back to life for me and added all of the improvements to make them come alive. And a thrill to drive once again. I still do all the small general maintenance for the most part on both Z’s, but have given the chore of anything else that I don’t wish to tackle at 67 years old to Rob.”

Bruce and his wife are fantastic people that have been active in the Z car community for a long time. After seeing us at the Rolex event, our operations and many happy customers Bruce wanted us to go through all of his personal cars. Both Series 1 S30’s came to Z Car Garage, starting with Valerie and later the Hot Rod, Christine.

 

Valerie

 

Valerie had been sitting for about 10 years and we performed the basics to get it back on the road again. The fuel tank was removed, boiled out and all fuel/vapor-associated lines were replaced:

 

Chassis

 

The chassis was treated to a light refresh with new parts and bushings from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff.  T3 adjustable front T/C rods and lower rear control arms:

 

Bruce had already done springs and struts on Valerie long ago…but nothing had serious miles on it so we just had to correct a couple of things, trimmed front springs for a nicer stance and trimmed bump stops. We also replaced the rack and moustache bar bushings.

 

The diff was removed and re-sealed:

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

 

Our readers are likely familiar with “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car with full suspension and our ZCG Big-Brakes. Following a test drive in Butters, clients are sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and 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 Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few details below:

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

Rotors: 280mm x 20.6 with Alum 7075 hats

Pads: Stoptech 309 sport street pads

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

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

 

We removed Bruce’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit on both Valerie and Christine. Up front:

 

The rear drums were replace with the ZCG setup and factory hand brake functionality remains!

 

The ZCG Big-Brake Kit fits nicely behind 15″ (Valerie) and 16″ (Christine) Panasports and Bruce is really happy with the disc brake upgrades.

 

 

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.

  

We installed CV Axle kit #258 on Valerie and #266 on Christine. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

 

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms:

  

Engine

 

Bruce gives a little background on Valerie’s drivetrain:

“I originally intended to make Valerie a commute car for my wife to travel between Prunedale and Morgan Hill. The job never materialized and I then decided to make Valerie into a show car. Everything about Christine in terms of how she was built is identical with Valerie, except for the engine which she still retains a 2.4 L with E-31 head, Schneider cam and stock twin” SUs.” Valerie has a 5 speed transmission with custom shift lever.”

 

With the engine gone through by Bruce many years ago, we went ahead replaced the oil pan gasket, pulled/sealed transmission, installed a JWT clutch and updated ignition with Pertronix.

   

 

On the dyno we dialed it in for best performance, making 128hp/127tq at the wheels, video below:

 

 

Just You and Me

Bruce and his wife Enjoying Valerie. He recalls an old car show we both attended (but did know each other then):

“I had Valerie stripped down to bare metal also and repainted in 1989 Mercedes Back Pearl. I then had her wet sanded and polished to a near mirror finish. I took her to the Ohlone College Car Show in 2002 where she won 1^st place in the 240Z category out of Fifty Two 240Z’s. Mr. K was present and awarded Valerie “Best of Show”, signing both awards.”

 

Christine

 

As soon as we finished Valerie, Bruce brought us his second 1970 S30 affectionately named “Christine”. This is his Hot Rod Z:

“I replaced the original 2.4 L engine with a rebuilt 2.8 L engine. I then had an E-31 Head Ported and Polished with a Schneider Cam installed. I installed a 280Z 5-speed transmission that required me to make a custom linkage making the gearshift lever appear to be in a stock position on the console. Then around 1985 I had the car stripped of all way down to bare metal, prepped, sanded along with having deletes welded in on the rear bumper to accommodate the Cobra style bumper.”

 

Christine was also sitting for a decade and we performed similar revival tasks as done to Valerie. The fuel tank was pulled, clutch and oil plump replaced and we did all the corrections that were needed, with ZCG touches. An MSD6AL box with Blaster2 coil was installed and triple-Mikuni PHH 40 carbs (now with titanium velocity stacks) were re-jetted. Rob dyno tuned Christine, making 165hp/159tq at the wheels:

 

Bruce was pleased:

“In 2019 I took Christine to Z Car Garage and had Rob Fuller complete a refresh on the engine to include a Dyno Tune on the Carburetors. Rob did a fantastic job of getting Christine back up and running the way she should be as she had been in storage for 10 years. Rob also did a complete tubular control arm upgrade along with installing solid one-piece half shafts and a complete four-wheel disc brake conversion kit to include the emergency brake.”

As Bruce mentioned, Christine also received our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

  

Both of these products are available now from Z Car Garage. Please email/call Rob!

 

The Big-Brakes look great behind a new set of 16×7 Panasport wheels with s007a tires in 225/50/16:

 

Enjoying the Ride

 

With both 1970 Z cars back on the road Bruce was out Enjoying The Ride. Above, Christine enjoys prime parking at the Pacific Grove Car Show during Monterey Car Week in 2019. Below, Bruce attended the ZONC Annual Car Show in Brisbane, CA earning 1st place with Christine:

 

On that car show note, here is a fun fact: Bruce has been the caretaker of “Sunshine”, a special Z32. Sunshine was previously owned by Carolyn Dudley – ZONC President for many years and personal friend of Mr. K.

 

After Carolyn passed away (RIP), her son sold the Z to Bruce. Under his ownership Bruce has given this 300zx a full restoration and keeps it running well at 157k miles.

“Sunshine was given center stage at Blackhawk Car Show in 2004. People were recognizing Sunshine and they approached her and laid their hands on the car and were praying.  That gave me chills. I stopped taking Sunshine to events until I took her 2 years ago to the ZONC picnic in the bay area and still a lot of people recognized her.”

 

Feelin’ Stronger Everyday

 

We understand that it is hard to entrust a shop with your pride and joy. After purchasing Christine in 1982, all of the work performed on her was completed by Bruce and his best friend in a garage.

“I have never left either of my Z’s at any place to be worked on other than the 2 paint shops. (One in 1985 Sean’s Auto Body in Salinas – Black Acrylic Enamel and One in 1991 or 92 at J&J Auto Body in Auburn Calif – 1989 Mercedes Black Pearl). I also wasn’t concerned in 2019 with leaving either of my 240Z’s with Rob Fuller at  ZCG because of his reputation in the Z World that I explored prior to contacting him at the shop. Christine was never purchased as an investment, she was purchased as a car that I cherished and now 38 years later Christine is still not for sale.”

 

We thank Bruce for giving us the opportunity to help get both of his 1970 Z cars back on the road. Enjoy the picture gallery and  LONG LIVE THE Z!

> 
…[read more]

 

***This Z is up for auction on Bring a Trailer right now, link HERE***

 

Our client Brian P’s 1973 Datsun 240z is up for auction on Bring a Trailer. This S30 features our ZCG Big-Brake kit, Z Car Garage CV Axles, dyno tuning and more. Read our full blog report HERE and happy bidding!

 

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!

…[read more]

Working with owners that have a long history with their Z gets us excited. This early Series 1 240z (vin# 2144, March 1970) was Bill R’s very first sports car, owned since 1976. The car had been sitting in storage for over 20 years and Bill contacted us for mechanical sorting.

Beginning in 2019 we had the pleasure of working with Bill to help get his Z back on the road. Our Z Car Garage CV Axles along with refurbished brakes, suspension, interior and engine tuning all transform this Z back into the sports car Bill remembered enjoying. Before we dive in to the restoration let’s take a look at his Z car story.

Love at First Sight

“On December 30th 1976 I purchased my Datsun 204z from Niello Volkswagen in Sacramento, I happened to drive by this dealership and noticed a small two door blue sports car. After driving into the lot to check it out I kinda fell in love with it. The asking price was $3,676 and it had 072260 miles on it. At this time I was only 21 years old and wanted a 2-door sports car…

…The next day I returned to the dealership to put a downpayment on this car. I signed the purchase agreement and I was on my way home. Finally my first sports car! From this date in 1976 I always took great pride and joy in this car. Always kept in a garage. At one time I had purchased another 1971 Z for my wife and we had matching 240z’s”

Over the past 44 years of owning his 240z, Bill began to drive it less as his family grew and mechanical issues arose. After being in and out of different repair shops he was not satisfied with the work completed to get the Z running properly. It sat for many years. After finding ZCG, Bill decided to drive from Elk Grove to San Jose to check out the shop and meet Rob.

Bill towed his “AWWSUM Z” to our shop in January 2019 and we performed a full inspection. The plan to get Bill’s Z back on the road included a full suspension/brake refresh, engine tuning, interior refurbishment with weatherstripping and restoration of those groovy True Spoke wire wheels.

Chassis

 

With the Z happily in our shop the chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild. We installed all new ball joints, bushings, tie rods, wheel bearings and had all parts powder coated. Before removal:

 

Below: New KYB front/rear struts with Eibach springs and ST f/r sway bars. We also installed new adjustable T/C rods and lower control arms (see below) from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

  

New suspension parts installed up front:

 

Rear suspension, before and after:

 

The underside was steam-cleaned and undercoated:

Brakes

We restored the OEM brakes with all new lines, new brake master cylinder and remanufactured calipers with Stoptech slotted rotors and 309 pads:

       At the rear, brand new factory rear wheel cylinders, rear shoes and turned aluminum drums:

    

 

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

 

Bill has CV Axle set #281. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

 

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms:

        

The differential was resealed with new front/side seals:

 

We gave Bill regular updates on his Z:

“Throughout the 2019 year I was in contact with Rob,  he sent me pictures of the work in progress  performed on my 240z.  In October of 2019 I took a drive to the shop to take a look at what was completed. I was able to take my 240z out for a drive around the neighborhood, I was surprised and shocked to drive my z for the first time in years, just the look at all of the work performed on my Z was unbelievable!

 

Engine

 

The engine bay was next. We steam cleaned the entire underside of the car to reveal any drivetrain leaks. The radiator was removed and boiled out. All cooling system hoses were replaced.  A new 280zx starter, new fan clutch, upgraded alternator and new battery with cables were installed:

 

With 148,876 miles on the odometer we performed a compression/leakdown test and the stock L24 passed. A full service tune was performed including new plugs, plug wire set, cap/rotor, fuel filter, valve cover gasket, MSD Blaster2 (black) coil, new drive belts, water pump, oil change and a valve adjustment. Before/after:

 

New Z-therapy carbs and cleanup of the intake manifold/air injection. The valve cover was also powder coated. More pictures in the gallery below:

 

We replaced intake and exhaust manifold gaskets with factory Nissan parts and the exhaust manifold was replaced with an MSA 6-1 coated header:

 

The old twice-pipe exhaust was replaced with our full ZCG exhaust system with a stainless Magnaflow resonator and slash-cut tip:

 

With the new SU carbs, exhaust/header and engine service Rob dyno tuned the Z making 133hp/133tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy the L24 music in this dyno video:

 

The seats were re-done in blue vinyl:

 

We removed the steering wheel cover revealing a nicely patina’d Series 1 unit in need of light restoration:

 

What a difference!

 

A new shift knob complements the refreshed steering wheel:

 

New pedal covers, many more pictures of the interior refresh in the gallery below:

 

Extensive weatherstripping replacement was performed. Our ZCG door seals to eliminate the “tinniness” when you shut the door. We removed the door panels to restore inner parts, made sure that windows roll up/down smoothly and installed new window felt and runners for the channels:

 

New weatherstripping including hatch seals, doors and window frames:

 

No more leaks or fumes!

 

The vintage True Spoke wheels were re-finished and new 185/70/14 tires with tubes sourced. These wheels were added by Bill in the 70’s and he loves them!

 

The Z was fully detailed inside and out:

Driving is Believing

“On May 15th 2020 I returned to the Z Car Garage to bring my 240z home! Before we put my Z on the trailer Rob took me for a test ride in my Z around the neighborhood and on the freeway to check out the performance and the handling of my newly restored 240z. I didn’t know my car had that much power and cornering capability with stopping power! I thought I was on a race track riding with Rob. After we returned to the shop Rob asked me to take my z out for a test drive by myself, man it never felt so good after many years of not being able to drive my Z without any problems.”

  

Bill owned a Barbecue and Deli business several years ago (Reedsribs and More) and still caters. He thought it was a nice way to thank the shop with a BBQ lunch, an amazing gesture we are thankful for.

“I would like to personally thank each employee that worked on the restoration of my 240z. Rob I would like to thank you personally for the professional way you communicated with me every step of the way with the restoration of my 240z. Since my z has been back home home I showed several friends and previous Z owners the work that was performed in your garage. Everyone was speechless!

Thanks for the restoration and putting me back on the road in my AAWSUM Z”

Bill Reed

 

  

We are so fortunate to work with owners that appreciate the Z and believe in our ability to make them better! Bill we thank you for supporting Z Car Gar Garage, and LONG LIVE THE Z!

More pictures in the gallery below:

 

Z Car Garage is expanding to support our vintage, late model and motorsport work. We are seeking an experienced and skilled automotive technician to join our team. This is not an average automotive job. We work 4-10hr days and offer competitive pay/benefits.

Requirements: Automotive experience, your own set of tools, willingness to learn, and be part of a team.

Nissan/Datsun experience is NOT a requirement, you just need to have passion.

Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? Share this, spread the word and please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.