Mike R acquired this gunmetal (KH2) 1991 Skyline GTR last August from our friend Sean and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. It goes without saying, if you are in the market for a vintage Skyline (or any JDM car) IVI is the place to go.

Z Car Garage is familiar with the Norcal Skylines group and fellow Skyline R32 owner Kurt W. referred Mike to us in addition to an endorsement from Top Rank:

“One of my main concerns in purchasing a 25+ year old vehicle that was never manufactured in the US, was support. Who can work on this thing to perform maintenance and upgrades? I spoke with Top rank about it quite a bit prior to purchase and they had recommended Z Car garage. The car was in great condition and mostly stock when I got it. With the goal of being an all around fast street car, I started acquiring parts and placed a call to ZCG to start the first round of upgrades.”

Chassis

We discussed installing a big-brake kit, suspension, Haltech and a few others issues we handled for Mike. Here is the Project Mu 4-wheel big-brake kit:

We also installed the Ohlins DFV coil-overs, shown below are the stock R32 calipers:

With a few modifications the Project Mu kit was installed:

Some close-ups of the Project Mu setup:

We adjusted his coil-over setup and set the ride height followed by corner-weighting the car according to his weight. Further suspension mods included Whiteline Sway bars, Cusco strut bracing and SPL titanium HICAS eliminator kit. All interior panels were trimmed for a clean finish with full alignment services.

Performance

Mike was also interested in replacing the factory ECU so we upgraded to a Haltech Elite 2000 with the R32-plugin adapter. The full installation also included a wideband controller and smoke-testing the car in preparation for dyno tuning:

Greddy FMIC:

The Haltech combined with Apexi intakes, Nismo downpipe, Tomei Titanium exhaust, Greddy FMIC and PRP R35 Coil kit, netted 340hp/284tq at the wheels with Rob’s tuning on 91 octane:

Enjoy the dyno video below:

Since his last visit, Mike has added R34 GT-R Seats, and a sweet set of Volk Racing TE37 SL custom gloss black wheels (18×10.5 +15), wrapped in Michelin PS4S tires measuring 265/35/18.

Mike also relocated the battery to the trunk to make space for a Leaskspec radiator overflow tank and Radium dual catch can setup:

In addition, a Haltech IC7 digital dash was added to monitor vital engine parameters. The IC7 dash ties into the CAN box of Elite system:

More Power

Mike has been happy with the upgrades we made but like many of us the desire for more power inevitably hits:

“The car has been running flawlessly and the goal with these mods is to support the addition of a single turbo kit that Zcar will be installing this August. The turbo kit consists of a Full Race Twin scroll T4 manifold that will be mated to an EFR 8474 turbocharger.  Twin Tial 44mm external wastegates will bleed off the excess exhaust gasses.”

“All of the work performed at Zcar had exceeded my expectations so far (and I’m very picky). Looking forward to the start the build and make some power of the next few months.”

We really enjoy taking care of many Norcal Skyline owners.  Welcome to ZCG family Mike and thanks for trusting us with your R32! Enjoy The Boost until you return!
More pictures in the gallery below:

Paul Ferrari has been in our life since 2002. Prior to launching Z Car Garage, as a young man Rob worked on Paul’s 1991 Nissan 300zx Twin Turbo. Paul is super enthusiastic and he is similar to Rob—there’s never enough power.

Our journey with Paul’s Z32TT spans almost two decades. It made plenty of power back in an era where it was uncommon; nowadays 500hp is easy to achieve with current performance parts.  From a NA-TT setup to full disassembly and restoration with lessons and tricks learned along the way…Paul has been a devoted friend and customer. Folks like Paul contribute to the success of Z Car Garage and we love when customers see ZCG as “their own” garage. Let’s take a look at how Paul found his 300…

Z32 Destiny

Paul recalls how we acquired the Z in December 2002, after passing on a MkIV Supra:

“When I first saw the Z in the seller’s driveway…It was one of those moments that is burned into my memory! I was amazed! The look! The stance! Even the license plate, “500HP”!  It had all the typical import performance parts of the era:  JWT Sport 500 turbos and test pipes, Stillen intercoolers, Stillen “dual pop chargers”, RCE 550 injectors, JWT ECU, HKS EVC, Apex’I Super AVC-R, Greddy Turbo timer, and OZ 17 inch-5 spokes. There was no doubt in my mind; this was going to be my car. It was so sexy, sleek and fast!” 

He reached out to Rob for a commensurate pre-purchase inspection and eventually purchased the Z:

“It only took a few phone calls to dealerships and other import shops to zero in on a guy named Rob Fuller at Scott Performance.  I think Rob’s name was mentioned in 3 out of 4 calls. It was well known, even before Z Car Garage that if you needed someone to look at your performance Nissan that Rob was the guy you wanted looking at it.” 

In 2004, Rob started his own performance shop, Z Car Garage. Paul Ferrari was one of many customers that followed and he certainly had the itch for more power. This led to the first high performance engine build, circa 2004:

 

We had Rebello build the VG30 with H-beam Rods, forged pistons, rebuilt the bottom end and heads, ordered JWT Sport 700 ball bearing turbos along with a set of big JWT cams, bigger intercoolers, bigger injectors and a laundry list of miscellaneous items.  It was good for 570hp/483tq at the wheels. Paul enjoyed it but shortly after he had run it on high boost without race fuel causing engine failure…

“Proof of my escapade that day still hangs on the wall between the shop and the office at Z Car Garage in the form of a stout, but severely bent H beam Rod attached to a piston with broken ring lands.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think mine was the first installment ever on the Z Car Garage wall of shame. ” 

The NATT is Born

Rob offered Paul a loaner motor out of a naturally aspirated Z32. Through some interesting twists and turns in Paul’s life, he was even a ZCG employee at the time. The crew discussed hanging his turbos on it, and to install the turbo cams since they were still at the shop. We all agreed, and it would be affectionately called the NATT    (Naturally Aspirated Twin Turbo). It was surprisingly good, and still a fond memory for many of us.

Paul’s life changed and he moved out of the Bay Area. With his life in transition eventually the NATT was pulled, and the Z sat in storage from 2008 to 2012. In this period we had the engine refreshed by Rebello, and had the car sent off to Williams Autobody for paint and installation of a new Veilside EC-01 front bumper and Karuma rear spoiler.

“During the time my car was mothballed, innovations at Z Car Garage never ceased. And since my car was just sitting, Rob and I were able to add almost everything to my build sheet.  Some of these innovations disappeared as fast as they came, some stayed. CZP 2.5 inch intercooler piping, larger throttle bodies, Bell intercoolers, a 4.08:1 Leaders gear set and KAAZ Limited slip diff; smaller exhaust housings and modified impellers on the turbos, Mike Smith high flow cast exhaust manifolds, a Selin dual MAF, ASHspec dual inlet piping, and several items from Specialty Z. ” 

Final Form

In 2012, Rob had started using Haltech ECU’s to unlock the power of his builds and was getting amazing performance results across the board.  He’d also been experimenting with Turbo exhaust housings, and modified impellers, cam profiles, and cam timing, along with a whole host of innovations for S30’s to Z34’s. We called up Paul and asked him to drive Rob’s newly-built Z32TT ( with tuning thanks to Seb of SpecialtyZ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0UT3lwlZw4

Paul recalls the experience

“So, he calls me one day and says, ‘Man you need to come down and drive my Z.  You’ve got to experience the gains we’re getting with these Haltech’s.’  That car broke loose at 70 plus and went beyond 100 faster than anything I’d ever driven, and far faster than any Ferrari I’d ever ridden in, and for me, from that moment on, that’s all I could talk about and think about. During the era that my car was mothballed I had sold a house, changed careers, retired, moved to a different city, and had taken up off roading and traveling in a big way, so by the time I was able to house my Z, it was ready to be finished up and delivered.  And along with all the innovations that had taken place I was now going to have My Monster.”

Drivetrain

We removed the NATT from his Z and began the epic build, applying all the tricks we learned starting starting with a fully built Rebello 3L. The list includes: Sport 500 cams, HD springs all new lifters, and lots of headwork…

…3″ downpipes, 3″ mid pipes, SZ 2.5″ cat-back exhaust, BB700 turbos, BDE engine mounts, Ashspec inlet piping, Tomei exhaust cam gears, BDE cam gears, Mike Smith manifolds with EGR, SZ big IC piping and massive intercoolers, brand new transmission from Nissan, SZ high-five clutch/flywheel and a Haltech plugin Platinum Pro ECU with boost solenoids and map-based tuning:

More build pics in the gallery below! Here is the fresh, hot-rodded VG30DETT installed:

Rob dyno tuned using Haltech,  a Greddy boost controller and 100 octane yielding 630hp/539tq at the wheels:

Chassis

In addition to the full engine build, the entire car was restored from interior to exterior. The chassis was treated to Stoptech ST40 front and ST22 rear calipers, Volk SF Winning 18″ wheels with 245/275 Bridgestone RE-71R tires, new driveshaft assembly, Leader gears(4.08) with Quiafe LSD, Tein coil-overs with EDFC Active Pro controller, SPL tension rods and titanium HICAS eliminator and a full wiring harness.

The exterior restoration included all new mouldings, new front glass, all new cowl panel, and every weatherstrip piece that is available from Nissan. The interior is just as pristine as the exterior:

Paul was pleased with the Z, as delivered in 2017:

“When I took delivery, Rob wouldn’t tell me the horsepower I was making till well after I had had several months to drive the car.  He eventually told me 630 HP, and 540Lb/Ft TQ on a relatively conservative tune at near Sea Level in San Jose.  It’s strictly a VP110 car now.  Here at home in Reno at 4500 feet above Sea level the tires easily break loose on the freeway going 70, at this elevation it is truly amazing!”

Enjoying The Ride

Paul is very serious about motorsports and he is into LS-powered sand rails and Haybusa-powered buggies etc. so he has a 55 gallon of 110 race fuel at his house. His Z is tuned for 110 octane and he regularly tracks the car at Thunderhill Raceway. We love to see him Enjoying The Ride! Track photos by Gorilla Tornado Photography

“I track the car on club days, and I run it around the mountain roads of Tahoe and Virginia City, and take it to Cars and Coffee events.   I’ve gotten it up to 160mph, and maybe 170mph, and at the time of this writing the car is 29 years old, so I don’t think that’s too shabby!  It doesn’t need to go any faster, and neither do I.  It sits beautifully in the garage on a Battery Tender, along side a fuel jug full of VP110, waiting for its next rip.  It gets washed even when it doesn’t need it just for good measure.  It still rips and it still makes my heart race like nothing else. ” 

Enjoy this short video of the z in action:

“I found a Z Car that would not only invigorate my life but would lead me to the doorstep of such a long quest as a customer, friend, and supporter of Z Car Garage! I am honored and privileged to have been a part of the history of Z Car Garage.  I have a deep respect for Rob, the guys that started with Rob, and the guys who have cycled through in the shop, and I am privileged to have met so many great guys and gals that are passionate about performance Nissans.”

Thank you Paul Ferrari for being a part of the Z Car Garage family. It has been, and continues to be a rewarding journey working with you. LONG LIVE THE (twin turbo) Z!

This 2003 Nissan 350z Enthusiast has been maintained by Z Car Garage since 2014. Sporting a Vortech Supercharger, Volk SF Challenge wheels, 6-spd manual transmission and Brickyard paint it is ready to be enjoyed. Interested? See more details on our FOR SALE page.

This 2004 350z Touring is a ZCG customer car that has been maintained by us for many years. It has a new front bumper, 2007-2008 hood and Stillen rear wing. Full suspension including TEIN coil-overs with EDFC and Hotchkis sway bars. A full 4-wheel Rotora Big-Brake kit is framed behind VOLK SF Challenge wheels sized 19×9 and 19×10 running Toyo Proxes T1-R tires (245/275). It is ready to be enjoyed!

See the video and many more pictures on our for sale page here:
2004 Nissan 350z Touring

Kurt W is a Nissan enthusiast having owned a 350z that we worked on back in 2008.  Last year he acquired this (KH2) R32 Skyline GT-R from our friend Sean Morris and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. It goes without saying, if you are in the market for a vintage Skyline (or any JDM car) IVI is the place to go.

Kurt visited Z Car Garage for minor sorting and a series of upgrades we will document in a future blog post. Recently he came in for installation of 17″ VOLK TE37V wheels with Bridgestone RE-71R tires:

The wheels frame the Stoptech Big-Brake kit( 332mm front and 328mm rear) nicely. Love the dish on these!

Electric Avenue

Kurt also called us about lowering his Tesla Model 3 and for the first time an electric vehicle came to ZCG for modifications. A full KW coil-over suspension setup from MountainPass Performance was installed:

The Model 3 received a full alignment. Note the weight/distribution!

Kurt’s R32 will be back at the shop for some exciting power upgrades stay tuned for a full report!