Wayne A came to Z Car Garage for a full inspection on his 1971 Datsun 240Z. Rebello built him a nice engine and now he needed the right suspension and parts to enjoy that new drivetrain upgrade. Rob and Wayne developed a plan for a total suspension refresh.
The Right Z
Let’s take a look at how Wayne got his “SERIEZ 1” S30 that he’s owned for the past ten years:
“My neighbor had a slew of 240z and 510s. I stopped by and asked him about his cars. I told him I specifically wanted an orange 1972 Datsun 240z. One day on my way home I saw this car out in front of his house. I was amazed when I saw it. It had slotted wheels with BF Goodrich tires and was lowered quite a bit. I had asked him about it and he said he just got back from Oregon to purchase it with intentions to flip it for a really good price. I bought it that day from him.”
Here is Wayne’s Z as it arrived at Z Car Garage:
The Rebello 3L stroker with triple FAJS 45 induction backed by a 5-speed transmission:
Enjoy this video of the Z in action:
Suspension
Wayne’s chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts, bushings and a full coil-over (Koni) suspension 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 parts included the T3 adjustable T/C rods, T3 rear control arms, T3 front/rear strut tower bars, new ball joints, new front bushings, all new bearings and seals and ST sway bars. New Macpherson bumps were trimmed for best ride quality and full travel followed by a full alignment.
Front suspension refresh with T3 coil-overs, T/C rods, ST sway bars, rack bushings and f/r wheel bearings.
We also installed a new set of Watanabe wheels (15×8) with 225/50/15 Toyo R888R tires:
Enjoying The Ride
With new suspension and wheels Wayne immediately took his Z out, sharing his joy with family. We thank his nephew for sending us photos from their drive. More pictures in the gallery below!
Wayne is really happy with the upgrades:
“It drives worlds better. Rob did an incredible job with the suspension. I couldn’t be happier! It went from scary to drive to where I can’t wait to get in and drive it now.”
Wayne and Rob met, developed a plan, made a quote, got all the parts here and his car came in on Tuesday leaving on Friday. Pretty cool for a 50yr -old car to get a major performance upgrade in short time. Thanks for letting us work on your SERIEZ 1. Next up Wayne, brakes! Long Live the Z!
Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles continue to win over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Hazel C recently purchased a set of both for her 1970 Datsun 240Z and had them installed at Trackspec in Fremont, CA. Before we go into the installation details let’s take a look at how Hazel got into Z cars…
“My grandfather had a 510, my dad had a B210, and my uncle had a 280Z, which he passed down to my cousin, who still has it today. So, maybe you can say my passion for Datsuns is in my genes. I met the original owner, Ray, at a cars and coffee at the Blackhawk Museum in 2017. He brought the Z and I was instantly drawn to it and started chatting with Ray about his car. Ray said he first learned about the Z car while overseas serving during the Vietnam war. When he came back to the states, one of the first things he did was go to the local Walt Martin Datsun dealership in Richmond, CA and bought one brand new in September of 1970. (Fun fact – that dealership is less than 5 miles from my childhood home, where I now also live.)”
About a year later, Ray was selling his car due to health issues, so Hazel reached out to him and was able to take ownership of the Z towards the end of 2018. The car was so hard to let go, he was being very patient and picky about finding the Z’s next owner. Jokingly, Ray mentioned hanging up on people who called him saying they would LS swap the unique motor on the car. Luckily, Hazel and Ray had a sort of shared vision on the future of the Z.
The car had a great foundation, with most of the modifications focusing on the engine, drivetrain, and body. It already had a 3.0L Rebello motor, 5-speed from a 280Z, and R200 differential. It was also repainted an eye-catching GMC teal color, with specially molded 3/4 inch steel plates welded into the fenders.
“The interior also has some unique parts. The glove box is signed by Mr. K. Ray met Mr. K in 1989 at an event that was hosted at Blackhawk Museum. There is also a Formuling France steering wheel from John Morton’s 240Z racecar. John was at Laguna Seca racing his 240Z, when Ray happened to catch him while he was on break, hanging out in the paddock. At that same event, Peter Brock had a booth set up and Ray was able to get him to sign that steering wheel as well. Since both signatures on the steering wheel have since started to fade, I was able to get Peter Brock to re-sign it, while I was at the Japanese Classic Car Show in 2019. Hopefully in the future, I’ll be able to meet John Morton and have him re-sign the steering wheel as well.”
JDM Inspiration
A few months after taking ownership of the car, Hazel traveled across Japan and pulled a lot ideas/inspiration from that trip. Visiting Shoji-Inoue at his shop in Tokyo, Star Road, gave her a better idea on how to modify a Z with both reliability and performance in mind.
“I traveled to Aichi prefecture and saw all of the radical builds dreamt up by Yoshiya Watanabe at Rocky Auto. I was also able to attend the All Japan Fairlady Z meet at Fuji Speedway. The annual event brings together all cars apart of the Z lineage from all across Japan – from the Fairlady Z S30z, all the way to the modern 370Z Z34. From what I read, there were 1,400+ Z cars in attendance that year.”
After coming back from the trip, Hazel knew she wanted to focus on modernizing suspension, brakes, and handling. She got the car with completely stock suspension and brakes; however, the motor/ drivetrain and body was upgraded prior to ownership. This was key in crafting the Z the way she wanted since all attention could be focused on the suspension and handling, instead of body/ paint. In 2019, the her Z was accepted to participate in the car show at JCCS in Long Beach. There, she saw the ZCG booth and was able to talk to Rob and check out the brake kit and CV axles.
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
Hazel and Anthony visited us and we handed them the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car and she 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 customers 🙂 Hazel made a very cool video of her visit/test drive, enjoy!
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. Kit details below:
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:
As mentioned, our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake. Hazel made a video of the Big-Brake unboxing:
Installation of our ZCG Big-Brake kit as well as our ZCG CV Axles was performed by Trackspec Autosports. Hazel also had them install full suspension from Techno Toy Tuning including Evolved Coilovers (with Koni dampers and HyperCo springs), lower control arms, inner and outer tie rods, drop mounts, dogbone, steering coupler, urethane bushings, and front strut tower tri-bar. Wheels are 15×8.5 AME / Fatlace Fzero2:
Hazel documented the installation in a neat video, enjoy!
A few pictures of ZCG Big-Brakes replacing stock disc/drum units on Hazel’s Z:
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.
Hazel’s ZCG CV Axle set vs. stock half shaft:
Before and after the new CV Axles, Big-Brakes and T3 suspension:
In another brilliant video from Hazel, she mounted a GoPro camera to capture the suspension and new CV axles in action. Bravo, Hazel!
Hazel is Enjoying The Ride
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. Hazel was very happy as well with great feedback on our ZCG CV Axles too!
“Brakes: Finally – no more pumping the brakes and down shifting for every stop light! The stock drum brakes are one of my least favorite things about the Z car, especially with a modified engine. It feels great to know that my car can stop on a dime. Especially since I plan to do the occasional track days, a good brake kit was a must for me, and this delivered.
CV Axles: Power transfer to the wheels feels much smoother now. Previously, there would be huge dip in the rear end of the car on acceleration before you could feel the power go to the wheels and drive the car forward. Now – nothing but “buttery” smooth power transfer. No more delay once my foot is on the throttle.
I’ve only been to one track day at Thunderhill West so far with this set up, but really like it so far! It handled the course well this past weekend with no issues.”
What’s next for Hazel and her Series 1 S30? Future mods include the following components:
-CD009 transmission upgrade
-oil cooler/ catch can
-Mikuni Triple carbs
-Baffled oil pan
-Track day seat time! Driving at the local raceways (Laguna Seca and Thunderhill West).
We love your passion and thank you for supporting us Hazel. We are proud to have our parts on your Z. You said it best:
“Love Cars, Love People, Love Life”
Hazel would like to give a special shoutout of thanks to:
– Anthony Siasoco
– Trackspec Autosports: Herb, Jon, Grace
– AutoRnD: Rishie
– Zero Auto Factory: Son, Cody
– AR Mobile Tire: Rhyss, Ardeine
– Techno Toy Tuning: Kevin, Tony, Josh, Gabe
– Worx Kustomz: Jesse
– Vintage Spirit Garage: Ivan
Stay tuned for more customer installations of our ZCG Big-Brakes! Check out our ZCG CV axles HERE.
Long Live The Z!
Enjoy the photo gallery below …[read more]
It takes teamwork to make the Dream work. We want to thank Love20bee for sourcing and re-finishing these SSR Watanabe RS8 wheels for James’ 1972 Datsun 240z.
It has been said that “wheels make the car”. Matt and his team nailed it with these RS8s sized 10.5 (F) and 12.5 (R) on massive 275/315 width Nitto NT-01 tires.
While they look killer standing still, they are even sweeter in motion as seen in the video below:
Rob and owner James are proudly wearing Love20bee hoodies. We highly recommend Love20bee for your wheel needs. Check them out on Instagram and Hoonigan Autofocus.
Filed under: 240z,Parts
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on November 23, 2020
Our ZCG Big Brakes have been winning over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Jaime recently purchased a set and performed the installation himself in his garage in Los Angeles, Ca.
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. Let’s take a closer look at Jaime’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:
As mentioned, our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake:
If you follow Jaime on his Instagram page its clear that his attention to detail is impressive. He successfully installed the BBK on his Z, complete with functioning parking brake:
Front and rear:
Easy fitment behind his 15×8 Watanabe (zero offset) 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. Jaime was very happy as well with great feedback:
“The brakes are a complete game changer. Money well spent”
A Beautiful Work In Progress
This is Jaime’s first vintage car to work on and his goal is to have a reliable daily driver/occasional track machine. Under the hood is a ported/polished L24 with Spirit Garage R header, triple-Weber carbs tuned by Kyushahousetaka, Fujitsubo Leagalis R exhaust and our very own ZCG Heat Shield.
He’s been Enjoying The Ride (and braking with no worries)
The chassis was treated to a full coil-over suspension and many more parts from Techno Toy Tuning
We really like Jaime’s aesthetic with the 904 Kilamanjaro white against the gunmetal Watanabe wheels, JDM tails, 432 grill, xenon bumper w/Skillard lip and JDM fender mirrors:
He also installed a Vintage Dashes unit and reupholstered the seats:
Keep up the good work Jaime and we are very proud to have our Big-Brakes on your Z!
Stay tuned for more customer installations of our ZCG Big-Brakes! Check out our ZCG CV axles HERE.
Long Live The Z!
More pictures in the gallery: …[read more]
Dave L comes from Carmel Valley and he visited Z Car Garage for suspension upgrades on his 1972 Datsun 240z. Prior to meeting us he added many parts to the car himself like a 5-speed transmission but needed our expertise for Z-specific parts. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a dyno-tuned 2.8L L-series really transformed this pretty S30.
Suspension
The chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild 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. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.
Stock vs T3 T/C rods up front:
Stock rear lower control arms were replaced with T3 adjustable units:
Dave provided us with a set of Tokico/springs from back in the day. We installed new tie-rods, Nissan ball joints, rack bushings, bump stops and moustache bar bushings:
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 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 Dave’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. Up front:
Our Big-Brakes utilize the OEM brake master cylinder and booster along with the factory hydraulic system. A few more shots of the front setup:
At the rear, the stock drums were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes:
Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! A few close-ups of the front and rear setup:
Following the suspension and brake installation was a full alignment:
The new ZCG Big-Brakes fit nicely behind the 15″ Ansen Sprint wheels:
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.
Dave received axle set #291. Stock half shafts and ZCG units shown below with more pictures in the gallery:
Engine
The tired, stock L24 dyno’d at 111hp/115tq. We pulled the engine and built a street-style 2.8L. Here is the old L24 coming out:
The new engine got a set of SUs from Z-Therapy, MSA 6-to-1 header, ZCG full exhaust system and updated Pertronix ignition:
Fresh 2.8L going back in.
The engine bay was cleaned up, fluids replaced and miscellaneous items fixed. All fuel and cooling hoses were replaced and a KOYO radiator installed with a Z32 rad cap and ZCG upper hose. Note 280zx starter and alternator:
Engine bay cleanup:
ZCG exhaust system with a stainless Magnaflow resonator and slash-cut tip:
The stock SU-carb’d L24 baselined at 111hp/115tq. With Rob’s dyno tuning the 2.8L is making 153hp/167tq at the wheels:
Enjoy this dyno video below with sweet L-series music:
Enjoy The Ride!
We finished it off with a full detail and Dave and his wife are enjoying the Z! More pictures in the gallery below:
