Gary S. is a guy on a quest…to own each example of Nissan perfection. Lets begin the next chapter in Gary’s 240sx as it gets closer to that vision of exellence!
With the G35TT being what it is, Gary’s back-up car must have the same 3-dimensional qualities of big power, big brakes, and suspension. The to-do list included cleaning up the work done by the previous owner, and improve on an already amazing ride.
When the 240SX arrived from the east coast it already had the SR20DET engine swap, stock MAF, stock turbo, and boost controller. We dyno’d the car in stock configuration: 205hp/193tq at the wheels indicated a clean bill of health. Let the modifying begin.

We made a plan to make nice power on 91 octane with big torque throughout the mid-range to help Gary forget his new ride only has 4 cylinders 🙂 We installed a more “adult” exhaust to replace the loud RS*R muffler. Made by BRM, this exhaust is fairly priced, has perfect fitment, and most of all the twin-tips look very close to the factory outlets!

A call was made to Clark @ JWT and we wired in the Z32 MAF, installed the NISMO 740CC injectors, and plugged in the new ECU upgrade from JWT. We knew the stock turbo would never meet the power and torque requirement…come on it’s Gary…So another call was made, this time to the folks at TOMEI USA:

We decided to run several TOMEI components so off came the valve cover to install the S14 Poncams, rocker stoppers, TOMEI Expreme stainless turbo manifold, and turbo outlet pipe. TOMEI had just released the M7960 turbo and we told them we would give it a try and report back on the performance level. Behold the turbo manifold in all it’s glory….before it gets wrapped with high temp tape:

The stock manifold + turbo vs new Tomei setup….Hey Gary that old T28 is going into Alvin’s roadster, right?

Once the parts were installed we ran the Wideband 02, plugged in our Consult II and went out for a test run. The MAF voltage was higher than I had ever seen on a turbo car at this boost level. Once the boost kicked in…it was enough to put you firmly back in the seat.
On to the dyno…power levels were very nice, but at the top of the rpm range we were having trouble holding steady boost. 338hp and 305tq to the wheels with a great powerband was nice indeed.

We checked all of the usual suspects to sort out the boost issue but no answer. TOMEI USA was contacted and they are willing to help us find a way to get the desired power with a steady boost pressure: To be continued…

…Back to the car…
Big power is a great thing but driving a car that can only go fast can get old very quickly. It is no secret that ZCG loves using Stoptech Big-Brake-Kits…we have tested them on the street and the track with impressive results. It’s about time serious hp power met serious brakes on these cars! When was the last time you saw a set of these on a 240sx 🙂 Larger rotors, stainless lines and appropriately sized master cylinder round out the upgrade. To match the front calipers the rear Z32 calipers were finished in red/white lettering:

The 240 already came with a sweet set of bronze 18″ Nismo LM-GT4 wheels, here is the before/after Stoptechs up front:

Of course the bronze looks great against the white body but Gary wanted a more low-key appearance so the wheels were re-finished in black:

The next steps in the 240SX project will be to sort out our boost issue,  install some suspension upgrades and gauges. Here are a few more pics of the car with the new look:

Long Live the Man With The Most Nissans!
Rob

Gary S. must have an affliction for Nissans that are fast, black, and modified. This 2006 G35 Coupe has just 13k miles on the clock and it has been tastefully modified to the tune of 500+rwhp. He is also the owner of the black BEHEMOTH RB28 240z, and brilliant S14 240sx (not black) that I will report on shortly. There has got to be another black, high hp Nissan somewhere in his garage 🙂 Besides owning fast Nissans Gary is quite resourceful and creative. Notice those ZCarGarage-themed barstools in the shop office? See a bunch of hard to find JDM pieces on wall? Thanks Gary!

When we last heard about Gary’s G35 it was making 470whp/470tq on 91 octane with the APS TT kit. The built engine comes from Rebello Racing and uses JWT S2 cams, 650cc RC injectors, 3.5″ downpipes and a JWT flywheel with HD clutch.
We were having trouble holding the boost level steady so upgraded Forged Actuators(13.5psi) and an HKS EV6 Boost Controller were installed to keep it in check. UPREV tuning with a PMAS MAF showed that stable boost = BIG HP and TQ: 513hp/509tq to the wheels!

Here is a short video clip(more to come) from one of the tuning sessions:

When Gary isn’t driving his amazing S14 he swaps out for this big, black machine with massive Stoptech brakes gleaming through gunmetal spokes of the Volk GT-7 wheels. Gorgeous .

This is the year that Gary will finally drive the long awaited BEHEMOTH so keep following the blog!

A few years ago I noticed a super clean white 300zx (NA) with tan interior always parked in the garage at my work. It made me excited to see another Z brother and I wanted to meet the owner or at least leave a “nice Z!” note on the car because it was in such good shape. Eventually I met the owner, Amir, at a conference and turns out that he has always been a fan of the Z32 since it was released in 1990! I mentioned ZCarGarage to him and soon enough this pretty Z32 was getting some love at the shop.  Amir’s Z came to us with 114k miles on the clock and virtually no major problems during it’s ownership. Routine maintenance was performed and a few choice performance parts were installed including:

-Powertrix tension/control arms
-SpecialtyZ exhaust system
-Twin-Turbo Z32 wheels
-power steering hoses
-timing belt service
-full steam cleaning of the underbody

 

SpecialtyZ exhaust system:

 

Powertrix parts:

 

New tension rods installed:

The dyno revealed impressive numbers for this 20-year young Z.  197hp/184tq at the wheels for a bone stock engine with 114k miles!

 

We have a feeling that Amir might have caught the mod-bug so stay tuned for more pictures and updates.

Long Live the Z32!

The slick black paint on Gary R’s 280z makes me drool. Then my eyes widen when I see the gigantic ZCG BigBrakeKit AND new Panasport wheels.  This is just a mock-up, but I can’t help but feel excited! The restoration moves forward with all of the newly plated parts and suspension being installed by Josh C. Hydraulic/fuel lines were beautifully plated in gold(brake) and silver(fuel):

The engine bay is glossy and the firewall is gleaming!

In our last update the interior and entire underbody was stripped and treated with POR-15, seen HERE. After drying, the front and rear suspension is in place with struts/coil overs mocked up. Note additional plated hardware:

Here are some shots of the coilovers and ZCG Big Brake Kit in all its all glory. Wheels/tires are 17″ Panasport C8s with black spokes and 255/40/17 tires under stock flares:

Stay tuned for our next update as Gary’s 280z gets a drivetrain!

Gary R.’s 280z restoration continues. Our last report described the extensive metalwork rehab to the unibody, detailed HERE.

The brake/fuel lines along with itemized nuts/bolts are ready to be zinc’d in either gold or silver plating.

Having spent money on the paint and bodywork, protecting the underbody was a must for Gary’s restoration. To keep rust away the next step was sealing the underside and interior bare metal areas with POR-15. We have heard positive things about this product and its rust prevention in vintage restorations. Once the inside was coated we undercoated the entire bottom of the Z.

After a day of drying it was time to install coil overs and the amazing ZCG BigBrakeKit

The wheels will be 17″ Panasport C8s custom built to ZCG specs with a 255/40/17 tire on a stock-flare 280Z chassis! Awesome!!
Next chapters will be the wiring and the mock up of the driveline.  Look for more chassis/running gear photos later this week!
Stay tuned..

Long Live the Z!
Rob