We had the pleasure of working with Jeff to help get his Z back on the road after sitting for many years. Our  Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles grace this Z along with upgraded suspension and drivetrain parts.

 

Long Term Project

Jeff visited Z Car Garage early this year with his 1971 S30 for revival from a stalled restoration. Before we delve into our efforts to bring it back to life here is Jeff’s brief history:

“I purchased the car in 2006 and it was white and worn out with a blown engine. I purchased it with the intention of tearing it down to bare metal and restoring it. This is my third 1971 240z and by far the best finished product of the three. It took thirteen years from the time I purchased the car in Clovis until I picked it up from the Z Car Garage in March of 2019. I have had six different cars that were restored over the years and this Z was one of the harder restorations which seemed to fight me at every turn along the way.”

 

As with any restoration project Jeff experienced his share of setbacks. A new dashboard had fitment issues and the rebuilt engine failed requiring more machine shop time. Unfortunately with all of time/effort invested, Jeff’s friend passed away and the project halted:

“I had a friend that owned a body shop that I had paint it. Well my buddy decided that the color chip I picked out was not dark enough so he took it upon himself to change it to a darker color blue. The end result is what I call blurple or blue and purple. My buddy was diagnosed with cancer right after he did the blurple paint job and passed away shortly thereafter. It’s not my favorite color but I am living with it.”

 

Fast forward to 2019, Jeff made an appointment to bring his Z in to us:

“I did my research and Rob and the Z Car Garage had the best reviews.  I called Rob and made an appointment for the blurple Z which was three months out due to their big customer base and quality of their work.  Like the old saying goes ” good things come to those who wait” and I loaded the blurple Z onto my car hauler and drove to San Jose.

Engine Bay and Sorting

After sitting for over a decade, we began the process of making Jeff’s Z roadworthy. We went through the car top to bottom, starting with the drivetrain. It came to us with a previously rebuilt (though never operated) engine requiring a freshened fuel system, re-worked carb linkage and general sorting.

 

With new clutch hydraulics and a repaired speedometer we got the rebuilt engine up and running quite well, until carb issues:

“I had purchased triple 40 mm Webers but the car sat for so long the gas went bad and there was build-up in the fuel system which kept fouling the Webers so I had Rob purchase and install 45 mm Webers and dial them in on his dyno.”

 

We replaced the 40s with new Weber 45 DCOE carbs and velocity stacks, an MSD box and ZCG heat shield. Pictures of the old 40’s and more in the gallery below:

 

MSD ignition and wiring:

New induction setup compete:

 

Dyno Tuning

Rob dyno tuned the rebuilt engine with triple Weber 40s and after the addition of triple Weber 45s.  We saw gains of 19hp/17tq and improved power throughout the rev range:

 

Listen to the L-series sing on this video showing the dyno runs, in-car driving and comments from Rob. You can also see a very happy Jeff enjoying his Z:

 

Backing the L-series was a tired 4-speed transmission:

“I originally took it so Rob could get the triple Webers dialed in on his dyno and a couple other little items.  I was so impressed by the operation that I had them swap out a four speed that had been gone through with a five speed transmission.”  

 

This is an early 5-speed from a ’77-78 280z (0.86 overdrive) rebuilt by expert Steve Pettersen of Pettersen Motorworks in Chico, CA. We also installed a new clutch/flywheel and slave. The trans tunnel was slightly trimmed along with the console to accept the shifter.

 

Chassis

   

The chassis was treated to a full suspension refresh with new parts, bushings and Koni Reds with Eibach springs. We installed lower adjustable control arms and T/C rods 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.

 

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

Since Jeff’s Z had been sitting for a long time, he had seen some of the cool stuff we’ve been doing and stopped by to sample “Mrs. Butters”, our 1970 Series 1 240z shop demo car. After handing him the keys he 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 🙂

     

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

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 went ahead got him dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels, parking brake, and ZCG full exhaust system. We removed Jeff’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit:

     At the rear, the existing old-school disc setup was replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

 

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 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Jeff has set #00271

   

Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

    

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms and ZCG exhaust system using 2.5″ piping to a stainless resonator and Magnaflow muffler with slash-cut tip.

    

The interior receive attention as well with our ZCG upgraded door seal and door treatment. A nice touch that makes solid “thud” sound that we are known for. We dialed Jef in with new tires and he was off Enjoying The Ride:

 

“The car was done when he said it would be and it runs great. I had my first 71 Z when my wife and I started dating and she has loved Zs ever since. The wife loves to drive it too.  I would recommend Rob and the Z Car Garage crew for any repair or a full restoration.  Had I known about the Z Car Garage prior to starting the restoration I would have had them do it. If Rob tells you something he does everything in his power to make it happen.”

Jeff was really stoked. He’s still excited, with plans for a more powerful engine. Thanks for letting us revive your Z, Jeff! More pictures in the gallery below and Long Live The Z!

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Steve M lives in the North Bay and has a really sweet collection of cars. His favorite car has always been this one-owner 1972 Datsun 240z with 50k original miles. Before we describe how Z Car Garage brought it back to life, let’s hear the history from Steve:

Back in mid-70s I was a car-crazy teenager already working on cars, buying and selling them, and always dreaming of my next sports car. With all the money I had saved from my paper routes I purchased my first car for $500, a red 1965 Ford Mustang and later a 1964 Triumph Spitfire.  Shortly after I acquired these two cars, my parents moved. Our new next-door neighbor, Bob, had an amazing 1972 240Z that was white with a red interior. Other than an early E-Type Jaguar, I thought that the 240Z was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. Bob had bought it new, driving it mostly on weekends. I wanted a Z of my own.

 

Eventually I bought a midnight blue 1971 240z and Bob and I started to figure out ways to make our cars faster. We did everything ourselves from headers to suspension work. We even took a trip down the peninsula to FAR Performance to see if they might sell me a race engine for my Z. Bob was an avid sailor and he had the “240Z” of sailboats: A 505. These dinghies were really fast but they needed a two-man crew and he asked me if I wanted to learn to sail. I said yes, and it wasn’t long before Bob and I had become the best of friends. I went through high school and college. Racing sail boats with Bob on the weekends, cars on the street and vintage cars on the track. I kept buying, fixing up, and selling cars. But in the early 1980s I sold them all, including the Z, an old vintage race car, and even an old E-Type Jaguar, to move to Europe for a few years.

 

 

When I returned, I started my own business and it went well enough that I was able to start another with Bob. Unfortunately, soon after it was evident that our first venture was going to be a home run, Bob was diagnosed with a very rare neurological disease. Within a year he had passed away, leaving his widow and two young sons. In his will, he asked that I take his sons out on my sailboat, to the spot in the San Francisco Bay where he taught me how to sail, so they could spread his ashes there.

 

 

Then one afternoon I received a call from Bob’s wife, Susan. She called my office to ask if I would be there that day and I looked out of my office window to the street below, as a flatbed truck was hauling Bob’s 1972 240 Z to my home. Bob and Susan’s boys had grown, married, and had kids of their own, but they all graciously decided that Bob would have wanted his Z to go to me. Over the next few of years, I managed to get it up and running, but don’t have the time I once did to tinker with cars, so never got it running as well as it deserved because it had been sitting for decades. 

 

Making Steve’s Z a well-sorted driver

 

 

Steve brought his S30 into Z Car Garage in December 2015 and we essentially went through the entire car top to bottom to make it a good driver. He expressed his goal for the restoration and we worked with him to achieve it:

Rob seemed to be able to do miracles with my limited budget. Our plan was something akin to my plan in the 70s. Suspension and exhaust came first, then carburation, tranny, wheels/tires, then a bigger better engine, and a replacement of the Webers with Mikunis. Suddenly, the monster is back… only this time, it is under the skin of a totally stock 1972 Datsun 240Z.

We performed a full engine tune-up and got the car running after many years of sitting idle.  The Z received a suspension refresh with 5-way Tokico struts, Eibach springs and a sway bar set from MSA. All bushings were replaced including T3 lower control arm bushings and new ball joints. The exterior was treated to Paintless Dent Removal and a new PPG windshield was installed.

  

Completing the vintage look are a set of 16×7 Panasports with 225/50/16 Yokohama S-drive tires. At Steve’s request we also installed a BRE spook.

 

That lovely red interior was revived with new seats and a carpet kit:

  

The engine bay and drivetrain needed some attention as well. Cooling system issues were addressed by correcting several leaks, installing new hoses and a Koyo race radiator.  The L24 was mated to a 280Z 5-speed transmission and clutch. New triple-Weber carbs were installed and fed by our ZCG fuel line. A ZCG heat shield protects the carbs from a new MSA exhaust header that was finished with our custom exhaust system:

   

 

Despite the new Weber carbs we did not make power we were hoping for since the L24 was tired. All the work that was performed on the entire car made Steve happy, and he enjoyed the Z for a few years knowing a more powerful engine upgrade was in the works:

Everything about the form and function of this car is beautiful, and you have made it even better than originally intended. The smells, the sound, the feel, are all just right. The throttle response, the smooth shifts, the braking, and especially the handling are awe inspiring.

 

Time for more power

Fast forward to early 2018 and Steve had been enjoying this wonderful Z car since we worked on it. Over the last year Rob had been collecting parts and found a nice L28 engine that would be perfect for Steve. We removed the L24 engine:

  

Steve’s old L24 (left) and the refreshed L28 (right):

 

We gave the L28 a little refresh with a small cam and nice bottom end parts. The engine block was cleaned and painted Nissan Blue. A Mallory Unilite distributor and 280zx starter were installed:

  

 

A key change was switching from the new Weber carbs to triple phh44 Mikuni’s.  This set was sourced from customer Tim N’s 240z as he is getting EFI.

  

With the new Mikuni’s and everything reinstalled the engine bay still looks great:

 

The Z ran extremely well with the Mikuni’s and combined with Rob’s tuning this Z had a dramatic boost in power. On the dyno the old L24 with Webers made 141hp/147tq to the wheels. The new L28 with triple Mikuni’s carbs put down 205p/200tq to the wheels:

 

 

I had a chance to take Steve’s Z out for a spin and it blew my mind. This is the kind of Z that makes me (a hardcore Datsun Roadster fan) want one for myself. It is the embodiment of just enough power, solidness, and vintage feel. Listen to this Z:

 

 

What more can I say? I really love my Z, and consider myself to be one of the luckiest guys on earth, to have found artists like Rob that help me keep my own dreams alive, running; well; and still ripping up the roads.

 

Thank you Steve, for sharing your story and letting us bring your Z back on the road. Tune in for the next chapter as Steve gets ZCG big brakes for small wheels!
Long Live The Z

More pictures in the gallery below:
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We always appreciate seeing our customer cars in the media. Recently Speedhunters had a “carbs only” theme for January and featured cars/engine bays with everyone’s favorite vintage mechanical car part. In their latest installment of the carb theme they featured our very own Lou S’ RHD S30 engine bay showing off its tantalizing triple-Weber carbs. Check out the Speedhunters article here.

 

Stay tuned for an update on Lou’s Fairlady as it now sports a late-model(240sx) 5-speed transmission and lower gears for brisk acceleration.

 

Here’s a short teaser video of the 300hp Rebello L-series stroker in action. Enjoy the carburetor sounds!