Ray has been with Z Car Garage for several years and owns this limited production SMZ 300zx Twin-Turbo. In 2008 we did a fully built engine with 740cc injectors, JWT dual POP, full 3″ exhaust and mild porting.

 

 

With 15k miles on the build, the intake cam sprocket was wearing out due to the Sport 500 cams. Luckily there is BDE Performance who specializes in improving Z32 parts. They have rebuilt VTC intake cam pulleys that are designed to eliminate the noise/wear that comes when running the stock units with aftermarket valve springs/hotter cams. BDE also offers a fully adjustable exhaust cam pulley for the first time.

Intake VTC(L) and adjustable exhaust pulley:

Stock(L) and after both pulleys are installed:

 

This was our first time using the BDE parts and dyno tuning was much easier with the new cam pulleys. On 91 octane we made 462hp/384tq to the wheels:

Ray’s SMZ also features beautiful VOLK GT-7 wheels, TEIN coil-overs, Powertrix T/C rods and Brembo brakes.  The Steve Millen aero really has aged well over time…We love it!

 

Ray was enjoying his Z for many miles but like most of us he wanted even more power.  Since his SMZ wasn’t a dedicated daily-driver Ray was ready to make the jump to 100 octane! In preparation for more power we installed a Selin dual MAF translator, Ash-spec inlet piping, and BDE motor mounts.

 

We dyno-tuned on 100 octane and made 563hp/506tq to the wheels at 19lbs boost. This was a healthy gain of 101hp/116tq from the 91 octane tune!

 

This isn’t an ordinary SMZ. With 650hp on tap Ray should be very happy. Breathe in that 100 octane and Enjoy The Ride!

 

 

Rich A lives in Tahoe City and heard about Z Car Garage through fellow Z32TT owner Gary S. After setting up an appointment Rich had AAA drop the Z off with us for repair work. It needed full timing belt services and injectors and since the car had been sitting outdoors the rear tail light panel was in rough shape.

 

The 1990-1994 Z32TT’s have fuel injectors problems because Nissan used a wet coil design. This left the injector coil wire prone to oxidation over time and eventual shorting. The solution? Convert to later style injectors using the early fuel rail. JWT makes an excellent kit that allows later style injectors but also makes servicing/removal a breeze without the need for removing the manifolds:

 

Early vs later(new) injectors:

 

The tail lights on Rich’s car were cracked and faded leading to leaks and deteriorating hatch rubber. The center latch area was on its way to rusting out:

 

Lucky for us ConceptZ has the best replacement lights. J-spec clear lenses look great on the Super White cars. We did a through cleaning before installing the new lights/panel:

 

The fresh tail lights and center panel make a world of difference!

 

From routine maintenance to keeping up the sexy appearance of your beloved Z, how can we help you Enjoy The Ride?

John T or “Taco” as we call him around the shop has been coming to Z Car Garage for several years. In 2008 we installed a built engine in his Z32TT along with some hardware that he had been saving. He visited us recently to have build the rest of the Z to have a more balanced sports car. The stock suspension was old and not up to the task of supporting significantly more power than stock.

 

We installed full suspension including Stance coil-overs and a host of Powertrix parts:

 

Here are the tired stock shocks and the new Stance coil-overs:

 

Powertrix rear control arms:

Powertrix T/C rods, end-links and camber arms:

 

With new suspension John can now enjoy a sports car that can keep up with the increased power!

Ken S came to ZCarGarage several years ago when he just purchased this pretty 300zx Twin Turbo. It had just passed the 60k mark and ZCG performed routine maintenance including full timing belt services. It wasn’t long before Ken got the performance bug and started upgrading the suspension. ZCG installed Tockiko 5-way shocks, sway bars, and StopTech 13″ big brakes. After tackling the suspension naturally Ken wanted more power so a Stage 3 upgrade with supporting mods was installed. Unfortunately the stock turbos had issues so they were upgraded to JWT Sport 500s.

The original front bumper had seen better days with nicks and peeling. Williams worked his magic with new paint and installed new side skirts, JDM front bumper and that trademark vented hood that we have seen on other Z32s.

Recently Ken visited  ZCG for more power upgrades.  Basic performance upgrades included new 2.5″ IC plumbing and SMICs from ConceptZ.  Here you can see the install and how much cleaner the new plumbing is:

Dual JWT POP chargers replace the single merged setup:

With increased cooling capacity and the HKS boost controller total output is now 383hp/378tq at the wheels!

Here is the engine bay before/after the install and detailing. Please check the gallery for more detailed images: it’s easy to overlook all of the work that is performed!

It is impressive to see an iconic 90’s sports car perform and make power that rivals most current sports cars. It is even better when there is still plenty of aftermarket support and enthusiasts willing to continue developing parts!
Long Live the 300ZX TT!
Click below for more photos
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ZCarGarage has plenty of upcoming project updates to share with you so keep checking the blog! Here is Rob with a report on a sleek, twin-turbocharged Infiniti G37 coupe:

Matt and Josiah are cousins in a family filled with Nissans and Infinitis.  Matt had owned lots of American muscle  cars and bought the G37 since it had a great combination of performance yet refined ride and style. The power wasn’t enough though…we have all been there! Matt and Josiah came to ZCG to meet with me and discuss options for increasing the G’s output. We came up with a plan consisting of a GTM Twin Turbo Kit (Stage 2) to make sure we had room to grow should the need arise.

The kit installation was smooth and GTM really makes a high quality package. Note the heat shields that hide the exhaust manifolds and the large front mount intercooler that fits beautifully behind the factory bumper:

With the kit installed, the engine bay appears almost stock with only the polished intake pipes deviating from the tame look . There isn’t much to indicate the magnitude of force-fed power that is now being produced 🙂 On the ZCG dyno the Stage 2 kit turned the rollers to the tune of 428rwhp/369tq!

To keep the newfound power “under the radar” we mounted the Defi link gauge setup in the sunglass holder and out of plain sight:

The G37 is now an entirely different machine with the added power and torque and we know that Matt is enjoying his new Japanese super coupe!

You can see more pictures of the build below:
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