Mike W has been a Z Car Garage customer for many years and he decided it was time to go forced induction on his 350z with a Vortech supercharger kit. It is very important at ZCG to offer packages that are proven and a customer can count on us to do the homework for them. All they need to to is enjoy the ride…

 

We installed a V3 supercharger kit with JWT S1 cams, Bosch EV14 1000cc injectors, Aeromotive 340 fuel pump, DC Sports headers, ART pipes, and Stillen oil cooler:

 

 

We also added a few ZCG refinements including our cold air intake kit,  silencer bypass (quiets the race gate from Vortech), and a ZCG heat shield to protect fuel lines from header heat.

 

On the dyno we UPREV tuned using a GT MAF and saw gains of 169hp/98tq for a total of 419hp/341tq to the wheels:

 

Even though Mike’s Z is a 2003 it only has 30,000 miles!  While the car was at the shop we performed 30k services including replacement of all fluids, drive belts and going over the entire suspension and brakes. We also performed a fender roll:

   

DEFI gauges were installed in the dash:

  

Mike wanted us to take care of a few things that were bothering him like a failed passenger side window motor. This is common in Z/G35s and we have fixed it many times. Thanks for letting us work on your Daytona Blue Z33 Mike. Volk SF Challenges are sweet.  Enjoy The Boost!

 

 

 

 

Talented fabricator and Nissan/Datsun restorer Eric S. is selling his SR-powered Datsun 510. Please see our For Sale page HERE for more details.

 

 

Last Saturday I attended the SpoCom Norcal Edition car show held at Club Auto Sport in San Jose, CA. If you do a quick Google search of the word “spocom” you’ll find more images of scantily clad women than actual cars–this may explain why legions of adolescent males paid the relatively high $25 spectator fee, but more on that later. Look harder though and you can find some sweet J-Tin at this show claiming to be aimed at “automotive & pop culture tastemakers alike.”

 

The Venue

I don’t claim to be a tastemaster of any kind, but here is my review of the show from a Datsun owner’s point of view.  Let’s start with the venue: Club Auto Sport is a large, retail/commercial complex and home to exotic-car rental agency Club Sportiva and Borelli Motorsports:

 

Inside the main building there were several aisles for show cars to be parked and a main stage for a DJ and wait for it…bikini contest! Club Auto sport offers private garages so naturally I peeked at various man caves…found a Porsche 959 in hiding!

 

The Cars

Those tall orange “Swords” above are actually the coveted SpoCom Awards. I learned that this was a highly competitive show with “teams” vying for these 4-ft tall trophies. Here is a taste of the cars placed near the main stage area:

 

There were about 25 cars lining the aisles inside the building…scattered about in random fashion with one aisle having only 3 cars vs 18 in another:

 

The car scene inside the building was quite different from the cars placed outside, and this is where I found some pretty neat machinery. Let’s begin with my roadster which was staged near this S30 sporting an old-school body kit:

 
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Nissan’s Z32 Twin Turbo is a sportscar that has truly stood the test of time. Its curvaceous lines have aged gracefully and the venerable VG30DETT powerplant is still capable of producing impressive numbers today. We love them and specialize in keeping these beauties on the road and in the hands of proud owners like Jas D. He picked up this 1990 300zx Twin Turbo last summer and visited Z Car Garage for a thorough inspection.

 

Though bone-stock with an amazing 44k miles on the clock it needed some attention. We went through the hydraulics and performed full 60k-mile services.

 

Jas wanted to improve power and handling and we happily obliged with a comprehensive list of upgrades this year.  Starting with the drivetrain, the original transmission was replaced with a brand new(!) unit from Nissan:

 

The clutch had seen better days so we replaced it with a JWT unit including their heavy duty aluminum flywheel:

 

A JWT ecu w/boost jets manages uprated NISMO 740cc injectors and the Selin dual MAF. Improved breathing comes from Ash-SPEC inlet piping and dual JWT pop chargers:

 

On the exhaust side, restrictive original downpipes were replaced with these beautiful Specialty Z 3″ downpipes. Note the divorced wastegate piping:

 

Following the new downpipes are more parts from SPZ including 3″ mid-pipes and a cat-back exhaust system to replace the OEM setup:

 

OEM vs SPZ:

 

 

With all of the speed parts installed next we tackled chassis improvements. Lots of goodies here so let’s begin with brakes followed by suspension:

We love Stoptech’s products and use them on our own vehicles.  Z32s are relatively heavy and with higher hp the stock caliper/rotors can be taxed quite easily. Jas took it up a notch and ordered a Stoptech 4-wheel Big-Brake Kit for his beloved Z.  Shown above is the ST40 caliper (front) squeezing 332 mm rotors and at the rear are ST22s on 328mm rotors.

The installation:

 

Yes, they are pretty but also very functional! Speaking of aesthetics(that are functional, too), the new calipers are nicely framed between the spokes of these sweet VOLK TE37SL wheels.  We like your taste, Jas.   The lightweight TE’s were wrapped in Bridgestone S-o4 tires:

 

Several suspension upgrades improve handling and replace old/deteriorated parts. Stance coil-overs were installed while Stillen sway bars front and rear help reduce body roll:

 

OEM vs Stillen sway bar mount/bushing and end-link details:

 

More suspension parts include SPL T/C rods,   Z1 upper control arms and new steering rack bushings:

 

The Z looks fantastic with the new footwork:

 

Jas came back to Z Car Garage in Septemeber for a few more upgrades. We installed 4.08 Leader gears, Ash-SPEC Massive SMICs, 2.5 IC tubing, and  SPZ Hi-5 upgraded clutch. The BDE low-profile Z32 motor mounts are a smart alternative to OEM that allows more clearance larger for intakes:

 

After the addition of larger intercoolers and piping we re-tuned Jas’ Z picking up power throughout the rev range for a total of 369hp/387tq to the wheels:

 

We think Jas’ 300zx Twin Turbo is the perfect addition to his stable. It is now a balanced sportscar with just the right personal touches. Long Live the Z32!

Lots of pictures in the gallery, enjoy!
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Lou S is a long-time friend and customer of Z Car Garage. He is also an avid sports car fan with a interesting collection including a 3.2L FairladyZ, FD RX-7, Mazda RX-4, and Dodge Viper GTS.   Adding to this stable is his 2nd RHD vehicle, a 1992 Nissan Skyline GT-R. For most fans of Japanese sports cars this “R32” supercar is highly regarded and quite popular. Not familiar with this model? Find out what makes it special over at JNC.

Lou acquired this Skyline from previous owner David C who had extensive suspension and engine work performed at ZCG. Lou wanted to make it his own so he visited us for some upgrades and tuning! Wheel aficionados will immediately notice the VOLK TE37SL wheels, sized 18×9.5 and finished in high-metal bronze. We think the TE’s are easily one of the best looking wheels for the R32, good taste Lou!

 

Perfectly framed by the TE’s spokes are Stoptech calipers/rotors at all four corners. The Ray’s valve stems color-matched to the “TE37SL” sticker is also a nice detail:

 

Adding to the list of choice parts is a full titanium exhaust system from Tomei. This includes downpipes, test pipe and the Expreme Ti muffler:

 

The quality and detail of this exhaust system is impressive, please click on the pics for larger views. We think it adds a little sportiness to the car’s rather understated (by today’s standards) aesthetic. It also sounds sublime.

 

  

The R32 was much louder than I anticipated. At idle it has a loveley burble and part throttle acceleration produces a semi-truck like turbo hiss…very audible from outside but never obnoxious. Under full throttle however, there is an absolute orchestra of sounds from the exhaust and turbo…it screams and reminds us how unmistakable the RB is!

 

With the new exhaust we re-tuned the Haltech to a healthy 412hp/311tq to the wheels:

 

I personally love this car.  A few more pictures…

 

Lou is having a blast driving his R32 and recently attended Cars and Coffee at Canepa. We love how he chose to take Skyline/HWY 9 as opposed to the freeway. Enjoy the Ride Lou!

 

More pictures in the gallery to enjoy below: