Christopher’s 1975 Datsun 280Z

Filed under: 280Z,350z,Featured Cars and Projects,Parts
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on April 1, 2025

This is Christopher’s 1975 Datsun 280Z featuring our Z Car Garage CV Axles, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and ZCG KW coil-over suspension! He performed a meticulous restoration himself with highlights including an ITB EFI-fed L-Series, CD009 6-speed transmission and Watanabe wheels. Let’s take a look at how Christopher got into Z cars…

CHRISTOPHER: The previous owner of the Z lived less than a mile from our house. I noticed it in his garage one day on the way in to work and immediately went by that afternoon to ask him about it. It was bought new in his family and given to him by his Uncle. It hadn’t ran in over five years and he was hoping to get it back running. I asked him almost every other week for about a year to keep me in mi d if he ever decided to sell it. He eventually moved for work and was forced to sell the car…

…My wife was the first to tell me and I was pushing the car to our house that afternoon! I got the car running after a few months and drove it stock for a year or two. After moving down south and the car being exposed to high humidity, I decided to restore the car and take care of the body before things got out of hand. What began as a tear down to have the car repainted, turned into a full nut and bolt restoration that overall took just under six years to complete.

Drivetrain

Christopher’s fanatic attention to detail really shines in the super-sanitary engine bay. The stock L28 uses Jenvey individual throttle-body fuel injection (MegaSquirt ecu) with parts from Datsunspirit and ProTunerZ. He made a mount for the IAT sensor, installed @fuelinjectorclinic injectors, @robsperformancemotorsport fuel rail, and @radiumengineering bits (fuel pressure regulator, gauge, and two petcock drain valves for the catch cans). More photos in the gallery below!

CHRISTOPHER: The goal of the build was to highlight and improve what was already great about the car. I wanted the appearance, weight and simplicity of a 240 with the drivability, performance, and rigidity of the 280. I was inspired by GT3s and similarly was seeking to build a light weight, naturally aspirated car with ITBs and and a quality exhaust. The car now weighs 2400 pounds and I wanted to ensure only quality items were installed (OEM or better).

Below: At Moore Performance dialing in the ITBs. Chris plans to re-visit the dyno to squeeze more power with a different CAS sensor.

The exhaust includes a Z-story header and custom piping fabricated by Tyler Dorsey. Below, also visible are T3 coil-overs, LCAs, and Z Car Garage CV Axles:

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

CHRISTOPHER: I heard about ZCG from various Datsun Forums before I purchased the car. Rob and ZCG were known for their passion with the S30 and the research and development that went into every product offered. I chose ZCG for the lower control arms, brakes, suspension, and coil overs because I wanted a cohesive setup that was developed in a way that ensured every component worked in harmony with each other and improved the S30’s driving characteristics, not change it.

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

CHRISTOPHER: Early on I considered more outrageous options that were popular within the community. But after researching those companies, and the reviews of their products further, it became clear that was not the direction I preferred to take. A lot were over engineered and under tested, over complicated, or unnecessary. Ultimately, I chose ZCG after numerous conversations with Rob where he spent time breaking down his own personal opinion and the shop’s research to highlight where other options may over engineer products to the detriment of the car or may not unlock the full potential of the chassis. I liked that he was honest with what he thought was worth upgrading and what wasn’t necessary. It was obvious he cared and wasn’t out for just a profit. He lives these cars.

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 installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Christopher’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:

CHRISTOPHER: The installation was a breeze. Uniquely for this project, Rob and I talked early on (almost five years ago) about testing ZCG’s ability to develop and deliver products beyond the west coast. We began this venture as a means to begin testing the various elements of that process logistically. For this, Rob also wanted to demonstrate how ZCG was capable at recommending, assembling, and shipping complete components to the point that it removed much of the work and guessing from the consumer. Rob’s hope was to prove that if someone wanted the complete setup (engineered and proven by ZCG over years of experience), a customer could essentially order the catalogue and receive a complete solution delivered to their front step. That’s exactly what happened with this.

Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. Chris successfully installed the BBK on his Z and they look great behind the 16×8 (zero offset) Watanabe wheels with 225/45/16 Toyo tires. 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.

CHRISTOPHER: The car feels planted like never before. Our family also has a fully restored 73 240 that is an excellent OEM example. Where that car feels stable and drives well, there’s no denying the age of its component and it drives like a seventies sports car. The 280 feels like a modern sports car and inspires confidence. The brake pedal communicates exceptionally well and the balance of the calipers bring the z down from speed a rate well beyond most cars today. The light weight of the S30 and the size of the ZCG big brakes is an unreal combo!

Z Car Garage CV Axles and KW Suspension

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 200 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Christopher’s ZCG CV Axle set, #0457 installed by himself:

Detailed shots, note how clean his work is!

CHRISTOPHER: Not only does ZCG already provide extensive installation guidance (70 plus pages of instructions for the brakes alone that cover everything from torque specs to bleeding procedures), but, for this, he assembled and shipped each corner fully assembled (spindle, wheel bearings, coil over, and camber plates). I was able to install the whole assembly into the strut tower, the lower control arms, and attach the brake lines and the corner was complete! Having this work done by Rob not only saved me time, but also gave me the piece of mind that these critical pieces of the chassis were done right and by someone with decades of experience. From there it was installing the ZCG CV Axles and I was then off to the remainder of the build.

KW x Z Car Garage Coil-over Suspension

Christopher installed our KW V3 suspension, complementing the ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles nicely. Details on our ZCG KW V3 coil-overs will be covered in a dedicated blogpost coming soon.

CHRISTOPHER: The KW V3s offered by ZCG are the most valuable investment I’ve made in the car (and I’ve replaced nearly every bolt on the car at this point lol). Nothing has affected the performance and drive of the car as drastically as the coil overs. The Z is smooth on the highway and is able to carry momentum through corners like never before. I can’t wait to get it out on the track this spring. Couldn’t recommend them enough. Wether it’s the brakes or the suspension, ZCG has formed relationships with the partners that matter and have a proven track record in the auto industry. There’s nothing else like it period.

Interior

Chris’ phenomenal work extends to the interior where original surfaces were refurbished or replaced with OEM parts.

CHRISTOPHER: I chose to put the original luggage riser vinyl back in as I really like the original small diamond pattern better than the newer options. Also installed the rear quarter panels I bought off @sportzwerks and refurbished which never came with the car. Feels good to be bringing it back better than it was. Pretty cool to see the refinished dash frame from @vintagedashes in the car as well as the dash cowl with @speedhut gps puck installed. The 6-speed shift knob is from @thedavemason:

Enjoying The Ride

After a long journey Christopher is driving his Z! Follow his build on Instagram and see it in action in the video below, volume up!

CHRISTOPHER: Moving forward I plan on getting the z out to meets and on the road! It’s going to be driven! I found a lot of the suppliers that helped with Nissan’s heritage program when the 350Z was released, and took the time to create what I hoped to be a quality build that maintained the character of the S30s with components that not only perform but will last another 50 years. The result isn’t blistering speed but a visceral driving experience in a truly timeless car.

Thanks for your support Christopher we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below.

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

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PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles for Steven’s 1972 Hakosuka Skyline

Filed under: Parts,Performance,Skyline
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on December 20, 2024

We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles on their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. Steven added a set to his gorgeous 1972 Skyline GT-X that he performed a full restoration on in New Zealand.

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. Over 250+ CV axle kits on client cars with unanimous positive feedback.

Steven shares his experience replacing the original half shafts with ZCG CV Axles on his Hakosuka Skyline…

“I decided to upgrade as my overall goal was to build one of the best Skylines in the world, having the old clunky axles wasn’t going to fit the bill. It helped to see photos on the website of Hako’s with them installed (see Ray and Julio’s Hako’s) however still nervous about how the quality would stand up to certification in New Zealand. After a lot of online research I chose on the ZCG CV Axles and rapt with the results.

Steven kindly shared installation photos (more in the gallery below) with us:

“As always when buying stuff from half way across the world I am very nervous however the website looked great and the buying/shipping process was simple. The Axles were extremely well made and packaged, we have very tough certification rules in New Zealand however the certifier had no issues with the axles. They were as simple as undoing 4 bolts on each end of the factory axles dropping it out and putting the CV Axles in place and doing up the bolts. Absolutely no modifications and nothing more than a 14mm spanner needed.”

Super stoked to hear Steven enjoying the axles, enjoy this video of his installation:

“The noticeable benefits were noise reduction, smoothness of rear suspension movements and they look great”

Skyline Dreams

The Hakosuka Skyline is undeniably a JDM icon. We asked Steven about his history with Japanese classics and his dream to own the original Skyline…

“Life time goal starting out in 2005 with a 1998 Nissan Skyline GT (4Door) in Grey, moving onto a 1998 Nissan Skyline GTT in 2007 (2 Door) in Red, to a 1999 Nissan Skyline GTR in 2020 in white I was well down the path of getting to the dream of trading my way to own a Hakosuka. The GTR market went crazy in 2022 so I made the most of the opportunity to sell and bank the money for when I finally manage to locate the right Hakosuka as I knew I would need every cent for the rebuild. Having never been to Japan and not speaking a word of Japanese I came across Scott Palmer from Nippon2u, he was an Aussie so we could have a good yarn and he happened to have the car (1972 Nissan Skyline GT-X KGC10 13,678kms, Grade 3.5, L20, 2HT, 5 Speed) but laughed when I said I was keen on purchasing it as the prices were crazy and the rebuild costs to have it clear certification in NZ were enormous given its 50 year old thin steel.”

“These cars are the pinnacle of Japan’s motorsport history, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy the auction was 11:56am on 7 th April 2023 and we set a price of 6,860,000 yen but that was soon passed to 6,905,000 yen and still didn’t meet the reserve. I just needed to take the leap and hope it was a solid car as with auction fees etc. it came to 8,120,000 yen…on par with the market and still cheaper than an R34 GTR in NZ. Finally on the 21 June it was on the ship with Dolphin shipping and arrived in Auckland on 6 th July, 4 months after auction. Walking into the PTS logistics office I had no idea if the car would even run or roll, the car luckily was exactly how I imaged it to be, original/solid but needing a good restoration.”

The Restoration

Steven’s goal for the restoration was to build the car utilizing best in the world components.

“Even before it arrived in New Zealand I had developed a project plan with what I deem the best of the best in their respective fields. I wanted to do as much as possible but also wanted to make sure we achieved the highest quality finish possible, and I think this is the high quality example of the Hakosuka in the world. I stripped the car down to a bare shell within days and started restoring everything whilst moving the body and drivetrain to the professionals. Spent hours building custom brake lines, stripping subframes, machining/pressing/customise mounts. Chris Calder of Waipukarau long term friend and in my opinion the best painter in the country. Full bare metal, rotisserie strip down and paint job which included the cutting and flaring of rear guards, complete replacement rear panel and unstitching a lot of the panels to treat. Smoothing of engine bay, removal of body holes for aerial and front bonnet centre trim. The car was also fully sealed underneath.”

“Engine was removed and sent to PPRE in Whanganui which they were keen to get their hands into as a change from their normal rotary engine building. Gareth was given a bit of a free licence to make the engine the best it can…”
– Haltech Nexus R3 and PD16 Computers
– Nissan r35 GTR Coils
– Ported and Polished Cylinder Head and Manifold
– Fully custom built stainless steel headers and exhaust
– Custom build in tank fuel system
– L20 2L Engine, 141hp at the wheels
– EFI Hardware full ITB kit, fuel injection system, inlet manifold with Billet distributor
and sensors and electronic accelerator.

“Rear CV axles we sourced and imported from Rob Fuller @zcargarage in the San Jos California and fitted perfectly. Front adjustable suspension was built by Evan @ Speedfactor in Tauranga, they were able to build a coil over system which bolted in directly along with all of the necessary reports for certification.”

“Bede Stevenson at bspeed engineering custom built the engine rocker cover Along the way I had a few great mates that helped with guidance as they are at the top of their field especially Isaac Probert and the team at Manawatu Auto Electrical. They completely re wired the car from scratch which involved some technical programming of the two Haltech computers as well as an incredible attention to detail. This included me having the opportunity to build the front wiring loom alongside Isaac and learn a few new skills along the way. Then a massive list of parts were sourced through FNLHVN.com in Japan, the owner Jamel is awesome. This was one of Chris Pocock’s final jobs as the owner of Classic Custom Motor Trimmers, he has spent decades building custom upholstery and he was determine to take on this complete re trim. I took it upon myself to build the centre console from scratch to better modernise the driving experience.”

“Aidan at Pine Engineering in Wakefield (South Island) was able to customise a set of genuine Watanabe 3-piece wheels to my specifications to get as much rubber on the road as possible. This was a great option for difficult wheel sizes and offsets The tyres and rims were a massive challenge however Jared Parker from Zestino Tyres in Wellington was keen to get involved and supplied the 195/50/15 and 245/45/15 ZS01’s. Every nut, bolt and bracket on the car has been either replaced with new or I have stripped down and had it powder coated by Glen @ Elite Powder coaters in Palmerston North, also any bare metal fittings we gold anodised in Palmerston North by Graham @ electroplating Manawatu.”

After a 14-month long journey, Steven has some final thoughts on the restoration:

“I have been very fortunate to have had the ability to build American, British/Aussie and now Japanese cars and I can say hands down the Japanese definitely made life a lot easier with their design and materials. This included everything fitting perfectly, metric!!!!, having the foresight for electric windows, air conditioning and even adding threaded mounts for 3 point seatbelts from and rear even though they only came with lap belts. Weight is only 840kgs, independent rear end, HANDbrake, and perfectly fitting straight 6 motor. This car has been built to drive so once it has done the car show scene it will be seen out on the road and around the odd track cruze event. I have recently managed to blow up my challengers motor so that’s the next project.”

Steven has been Enjoying the Ride in his dream car Hakosuka Skyline. What’s next? He’s got a mint set of Recaro seats to match his interior and he’s trying to source a complete replacement set of window glass for the car and store the factory glass. We are confident he’ll score a set of make his own

Back in October the Hako was featured in New Zealand Classic Car magazine and he’s been driving everywhere, as it should be! You can follow his adventures on Instagram

Thank you for your support Steven, your Skyline is amazing! Please read below for more information on our ZCG CV Axles:

ZCG CV Axles

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 250+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

For years we have used aftermarket CV axles that utilize an aluminum adapter prone to loosening up over time. Despite efforts to keep things tight (Loctite, hardware changes) we had to keep an eye on them. We developed a better solution that eliminates the need for aluminum adapters and remains 100% bolt-in like a factory half-shaft.

Designed and manufactured locally with KAD Models, the ZCG CV axle kit works in both R180 and R200 configurations.

These are the beefiest CV axles on the market. They have been tested on the track by our vintage racing customers and also in high hp* street cars (powershifting, clutch dumps, etc.). Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind:

The CV axle kit is available now from ZCG for 1595.00 + freight and they come with everything you need to install on your car. Contact us at 408-452-0350 or send Rob an e-mail rob@zcargarage.com to purchase. Installation is just like doing a half-shaft: there is even a marking that shows you where to line up bolts and special hardware:

The ZCG CV Axles in action

The video below demonstrates the “looseness” associated with aftermarket CV axles that use adapters compared to the ZCG axles without adapters. Several customer race/street cars running our CV axles are also shown. Enjoy!

Enjoy this video made by our client Hazel. She installed our ZCG CV Axles on her Hazel’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

Over 200 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world:

Supermachine in Tokyo, Japan is running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles in their Series Datsun 240Z:

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our ZCG CV Axles in this IMSA GTU 260z race car!

Elmo’s 1972 Datsun 240Z is running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles

Racer Brad H is running ZCG CV Axles in his IMSA GTU race car:

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running ZCG axles in several of his cars:

Set #246 – installed May 2018 on the “Harry Stewart #52” Datsun 510:

Set #247 – installed April 2018 on the 260z

Set #248 – installed on Adam Carolla’s “Greg Sorrentino #90” Datsun 510.

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Where Are They Now: Joe’s 1973 Nissan Kenmeri Skyline 2000GT-X

Filed under: Featured Cars and Projects,Skyline,Where are they now?
by Alvin G @ 8:00 am on April 22, 2024

Vintage cars may remain with their loving owners for years, change ownership or even get spotlighted in the media at some point. Our “where are they now” series features past Z Car Garage vehicles with updates on their status. In this fourth installment we catch up with Joe’s 1973 Kenmeri Skyline, now residing in Los Angeles, Ca.

Let’s go back in time to 2017…our client Alex McDowell decided to part with his 2000 GT-X so we listed it on our FOR SALE page. Joe F from SoCal contacted us immediately and jumped on a plane to visit Z Car Garage. Rob picked Joe up from the airport in the Kenmeri, tossed him the keys to enjoy it for a day…and he was sold.

We had great times with this KGC110 Skyline driving to many local events in the Bay Area. JDM Legends did a great job.

Enjoy this video of the Kenmeri driving and on the dyno at ZCG:

Just 4 days after we listed this 1973 Nissan Kenmeri Skyline it found a new owner with Joe in Southern California:

“Just want to say thank to Rob and the guys at Z Car Garage. Had a great experience purchasing my 73 Skyline Kenmeri from them. Class act all around and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a quality top notch classic JDM car!”

Here is the Kenmeri arriving:

Joe immediately started Enjoying The Ride in his Skyline and making appearances at local events!

JDM Makeover

Joe added his own touches to make the Kenmeri his own with 15×10/12 Work Spirit 33 wheels built by Love20Bee, custom suspension and a full repaint in BMW Alpine White:

All the factory chrome parts blacked out along with Mizuno Works rear wing and front spoiler. Joe’s build was showcased Super Street Magazine with photos by Marvin Recinos:

Inside, Joe added Recaro seats. He left the engine alone as it was properly strong making all the right noises when it left Z Car Garage! Ps…we love that Joe also kept the Z Car Garage license plate frame on!

We are happy for you Joe, thanks for visiting us and making the next chapter of the Kenmeri awesome. Always check our FOR SALE listings here on zcarblog.com, FB and IG. Stay tuned as we have a very cool group of cars coming up for sale from the collection of Randy Jaffe!

Tags: 2000GT, Datsun, gc110, JDM, jdm legends, kenmeri, longchamp, nissan, RHD, Skyline, super street, watanabe, Z Car Garage

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Happy Friday from Z Car Garage!

Filed under: 240z,510,Skyline
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on March 22, 2024

Happy Friday from Z Car Garage! We love to see clients Enjoying the Ride in their Z Cars. Jeremy G stopped by the shop with his white Datsun 240Z and snapped the photo above. Tony K took his Z out for nice evening drive in Sacramento. This Z has a long history with Z Car Garage having received upgrades like a 3L with triple-Mikuni ph44s, 280Zx 5-speed transmission, suspension refresh, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles and Z Car Garage Heat Shield. You can read all about it HERE.

Ryan B is enjoying his LS3-powered Datsun 240Z on the Targa California rally. Expect a full report on this S30 soon on zcarblog.com

The #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z at the shop today:

Long Live The Z!

Tags: 240Z, nissan, watanabe, Z Car Garage

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Happy Holidays From Z Car Garage!

Filed under: 240z,280Z,350z,510,Featured Cars and Projects,Nissan Z,Q60,r32,R35,Racing,Skyline,z32
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on December 21, 2023

HAPPY HOLIDAYS From Z Car Garage

2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of Z Car Garage. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and clients for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2023 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:

ZCG will be closed from 12/21 through 12/26 and we will re-open for business on 1/2/24

Client Updates for 2024

We had a busy year and though the shop will be closed, we won’t leave you hanging for the holidays. Many zcarblog features have yet to be published like our belated race report from the Velocity Invitational in addition to client stories. Before we take a look back at highlights from 2023, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:

Both Ryan and Beau’s Datsun 240Z cars left the shop recently. Ryan’s Z has LS3 V8 power while Beau’s 1976 280Z has an L28 with stock EFI. Both cars feature our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech), Z Car Garage CV Axles, Recaro Specialist seats, A/C and dyno tuning. Full features on both coming to zcarblog.com!

Ken’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z (#1762) is getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles, KA24 5-speed transmission and Fujitsubo exhaust. The L28 now has Jenvey ITB EFI managed by a Haltech 750:

Kevin’s Nismo 350Z got full KW V3 coil-overs and Recaro seats and more:

Kurt’s Kenmeri Skyline is in for sorting. We also helped Dirk prepare his ’73 Datsun 240Z. Full reports coming to zcarblog.com, enjoy the photos!

ZCG Parts on JDM Legend’s Epic Build

We are really excited to see our Z Car Garage parts on the JDM Legends Safari Gold Datsun 240Z build! This S30 features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles and our Z Car Garage Heat Shield on the 3.2 Rebello L-Series engine. Backing the drivetrain is our CD009a 6-speed transmission kit:

Rashid lives in Dubai and his Datsun 240Z is getting 3.2L L-Series with pH44 Mikuni induction and exhaust header, ZX 5-speed transmission, OS Giken 4.11 LSD, Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) and 16″ Panasport wheels:

David’s 1972 Datsun 240Z is getting a Rebello 3.0L, 240SX 5-speed transmission and 4.11 OS Giken LS. It is also getting our Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension and already has our V1 (328m) Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Both cars will feature the T3 steering rack that we are big fans of:

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! It is now getting a new dash and Jenvey EFI

Nissan 300ZX (Z32)

We have several Z32 NA and TT cars currently at the shop. Gary’s Twin Turbo (above) just got a new set of BBS LM wheels. Full update on this car soon! Paul Ferrari returned to ZCG since we completed his Epic Z32 Build in 2017. He’s ready for ethanol, after running this car on race fuel for many years. We will be installing dual fuel pumps, BDE top fuel rail and all the fixings:

Kevin’s Slicktop Z32 is in for a driver’s side window replacement and some touch-up. Love this Z with WORK wheels and Stoptech Big-Brakes:

Cameron’s Z32 is here for maintenance work and downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to have him back.

William’s Z32TT is getting 740cc injectors, downpipes and more:

Hakosuka Skyline

Sebastian’s Skyline is at the shop and we are doing a suspension refresh, engine work adapting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) to this Hako. We hope to offer this in the future for C10 clients.

Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car is getting a CD009 6-speed transmission, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, coil-over suspension and track preparation.

Datsunworks

Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. You can read all about it HERE. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary’s Datsun 240Z, who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast affectionately named the “Behemoth”. This car has been sold and we will update you in the New Year

Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G

We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:

R35 and R32 GT-R

R35s in for service and upgrades. Mike and Kurt’s R32 GT-Rs got power and chassis upgrades deserving their own blog features:

Race Cars

Several race cars to report on including the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z, Glenn Chiou’s Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510 (sporting ZCG CV Axles), the Corky Bell Trans-Am 510 and more!

Highlights from 2023

Even though 2023 was crazy year for all of us we still managed to have fun on and off the track. The shop made some really great progress as well. Enjoy these highlights from the year and Z you in 2024!

Click on each link or photo to see the full features!

CJ’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

CJ’s 1971 Datsun 240Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, and ZCG Heat Shield! We also installed triple-Mikuni induction and dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine backed by a 240SX 5-speed transmission.

Our 2023 Nissan Z

Huge thanks to Nissan for giving us the opportunity to experience the 2023 Nissan Z. We finally took delivery of our Performance 6MT in April:

The Bring A Trailer Datsun 240Z

To celebrate their 100,000 listing, Bring a Trailer is auctioning their 1973 Datsun 240Z, prepared by Z Car Garage. Finished in Lime Yellow (#112) paint over black vinyl upholstery, it is powered by a numbers-matching Rebello Racing-built 2.7-liter straight-six with triple Weber 40 DCOE carbs. The total sale amount for the auction will be donated to the Piston Foundation, a nonprofit that will use 100% of the funds to help young technicians build rewarding careers in the collector car industry by funding programs in the skilled trades.

Colonel Gary’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Enjoying The Ride

Mike’s 1970 S30

At Z Car Garage we enjoy both modifying Z cars and restoring them back to factory spec. Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z came to us from North Carolina and we delivered it in July. This ’69 production VIN#193 is a beautiful driving example of how wonderful these cars were from the factory.

Vincent’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

Stan K (VIN #511) and Tony H’s Series Datsun 240Z cars came in for mechanical sorting, interior work and Z Car Garage CV Axles

We are stoked to see our #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240z currently on display at ZCON this week. It’s in great company next to our clients Linda Williams and her OMS Pace Car Tribute and Mike’s Fairlady Z432. Photos by Gary Savage.