Last Saturday Z Car Garage gathered a group of vintage cars to attend Cars and Coffee at SIM Racers Group in San Jose. We had a great time and thank everyone for hanging out with us. Thanks to Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) for hosting! Enjoy the photos below.
We caravanned from Z Car Garage around 8:15am with close to 25 cars!
Arriving at Sim Racers Group with 40 cars and good times. We enjoyed chatting with everyone and testing our skills on the simulators.
Here are a few Z Car Garage clients in attendance:
Larry Chen’s SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z is back at Z Car Garage. He dropped it off from SoCal for a few more wishlist items. Stay tuned for updates on this Series 1 S30 featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech), ZCG CV Axles, KW suspension and dyno-tuned SR20DET.
Filed under: 240z,Events,Parts
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on December 27, 2023
We love to see our products being installed and used on client cars. Armon is running our Z Car Garage Heat Shield in his 1973 Datsun 240Z that he rescued and restored on his own.
ZCG Heat Shield
We are excited to offer the Z Car Garage Heat Shield for your triple-carb’d L-series Z car. This is a one-piece 304 stainless unit with laser-etched serial number. Proven on all of our L-series engine builds and dyno testing.
This heat shield will fit Mikuni, Weber, Dellorto and Jenvey induction with several intake manifolds like the Harada. Also available for 4-cylinder L-series applications as well!
The ZCG Heat Shield is available for purchase with product information below. View this product and other ZCG parts on the new “products” page of our website HERE
Save Classic Cars
Armon is a car enthusiast passionate about keeping classic cars on the road. “Save Classic Cars” is a platform he created to share his love for vintage metal and foster the DIY spirit in others. You can catch his adventures on Instagram. Let’s hear from Armon himself about the rescue of this 1973 Datsun 240Z…
The Rescue
ARMON: “I actually remember looking into 240z’s when I was 16 years old- I’m 28 now. At the time, I wanted something classic that I could tinker with and drive throughout high school. Most of the Z cars listed for sale had some level of rust, which in hindsight, was nothing compared to what I would eventually get my hands on. I eventually gave up and ended up buying a classic mustang (then another, and other, etc). I still wanted a Z car, but didn’t actively search for one due to the price- the days of the “cheap” 240z were long gone in my book.”
“Last August (2021), I went on a walk in my neighborhood with my Dad. We spotted a Z car tucked away behind a pile of firewood just 800 feet from my house. I came back the next day and introduced myself to the neighbors- the gentleman who owned it bought it in 1989, paid someone to tune it (which made it run worse), and subsequently parked it in 1991. The car sat there for 30 years and became one with the earth- it had sunken into the ground, a tree had grown up next to the door, there was moss growing on the paint, rodents living/dying in it- the poor thing was a mess. The owner told me he wanted to sell it- I got excited and bought it on the spot (in hindsight, I probably should have at least opened the hood).”
Bodywork
“With the help of a few buddies and a truck, we dragged it out of the ground and down the street to my house. It turns out the person who did the tune up didn’t gap the points. It was running the next day, I actually drove it to the previous owner’s house the following week. The car ran incredibly well- someone had swapped in an L28, regeared it with 3.90’s and added the Mulholland suspension package.”
“Beyond that, it was an absolute mess. Floors, firewall, frame rail, floor supports, toe boards- all toast. It had been hit hard on the passenger side and poorly repaired. I fell in love with this car after driving it, I decided that I wanted to keep it and fix it. I stripped the car down to a shell, built a frame jig, and made the car whole again; literally. Oh, all of the metal work and mechanical restoration was done in THREE months. As fun as that was, I think I’m going to need a little break before I take on something like that again.”
Drivetrain and Chassis
“The cylinder head was rebuilt with a more aggressive cam and larger 280z valves, triple-Webers, and then completely resealed. Many Z enthusiasts mentioned adding a heat shield- I didn’t think much of it until I watched one of my Weber’s drool some gas onto the headers. A quick email to Z Car Garage and I was on my way home with a new heat shield! It looks great and keeps the Webers cool.”
Close-up view of the Z Car Garage Heat Shield beneath Armon’s triple-Weber induction setup, this unit is serial#00258:
With the engine taken care of, Armon added T3 front control arms, T/C rods and ST springs (courtesy of ZCG) along with replaced bushings throughout:
“I then sourced a 280z 5 speed and some Datsun comp style seats- my crusty (but solid!) go kart was ready to take on the world. Future plans? Continue flogging it! I’ve been driving my 240z every chance I get. I’d like to grab some stickier tires and hit some track days, it’s been an absolute blast to drive around town and in the mountains.”
Enjoying The Ride
We love that Armon drives his Z everywhere. He’s joined us on local events and gatherings like the Breakfast Club Rally. Their “Tokyo Calling 3” event (above) was ~300miles of fun through beautiful Sonoma backroads. (below) Meeting up with our client Dirk and his 1973 Datsun 240Z:
Armon followed through on his plan to track the Z, enjoying it an HPDE at Thunderhill Raceway. He also took the Z to an Autocross event at Sonoma Raceway.
Enjoy this video of Armon’s 240Z in action…
More photos of Armon enjoying the Z after rescuing it are in the gallery below…happy to see him at Nick’s birthday party:
Alexey Orlov captured the sound and experience of driving the Z in this video below:
It’Z a Small World
Z-car ownership often comes with some interesting stories from previous stewards. Armon was reunited with a former owner of his Z and it’s neat story:
ARMON:“That’s not just any 240z. That’s MY 240z! I recently met with the gentleman who owned my 240z from early 70’s to 1989- it turns out he lives half a mile away from me. He gave me the full story and sent me a few pictures from back in the day- it’s incredible. He [John] bought the car from the original owner not knowing of all of the hidden accident damage, then had a buddy weld it up (he never looked back, the car drove fine). Every few years, John would get bored, strip the car down to bare metal, and repaint it a different color in his parents garage. It’s been metallic brown (original color), red, yellow, green, black, and white- all with psychedelic 70’s stripes and graphics. He swapped in the L28 short block when the original L24 died and he would go to the legendary FAR Performance to buy his parts.”
“John was very excited to see his 240z in person after parting ways with it over 30 years ago. Every time he’d see something on the car, he would remember another story- it was incredible. The best part? He’s a Bay Area local and used to take this 240z up highway 9 and Alice’s regularly. It’s truly come full circle. This car is a textbook example of why classic cars are more than just…Cars! I’ve been an advocate for these things for a long time and I will never stop spewing my classic car propaganda. They bring people together, build communities, and remind us of good times. SAVE CLASSIC CARS and keep them on the road where they belong!”
Thank you for your support Armon we are happy to see our Z Car Garage Heat Shield on your S30. Long Live The Z!
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!
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!
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.
Z Car Garage spent a few days with the new 2023 Nissan Z at our shop in San Jose, CA. We enjoyed driving the Z on our favorite Bay Area backroads and sharing the experience with our clients. First impressions were unanimous: the new Z is fantastic right out of the box.
Our journey with the new Z began last year in May when Nissan invited us to their Headquarters in Tennessee to get up close and personal with the Z Proto:
Just a few weeks ago Nissan kindly offered to lend us a 2023 Nissan Z for five days. We happily obliged and once again thank Jonathan Buhler (Sr. Specialist Corporate Communications at Nissan) and industry veteran Dan Passe (Director, Nissan Corporate Communications) for including Z Car Garage as the new Z makes its glorious return. Enjoy our recap of the week with photos and video of the Z in action.
The New Z at Z Car Garage
Our time with the Z began at the ZONC 50th Birthday Celebration in Danville, Ca. I had the opportunity to drive it from the show back to our shop with a group of die-hard Nissan fans.
Once at ZCG we admired the new Z’s styling and Passion Red paint. We couldn’t resist parking next to a 300ZX Twin-Turbo to see how Nissan drew inspiration from the Z32 generation’s rear tail light section. The new Z also has a blacked-out strip stretching the width with quad-horizontal (now 3-D LED) tail lights. See that “Z” badge? It reminds us of the S130 era:
Up front the large rectangular grille opening and headlights are evocative of the 240Z. That large front grille opening is also there for function, providing air to several heat exchangers including an intercooler, oil and transmission coolers. This makes sense visually in person and when you catch a glimpse from your rearview mirror-it’s undeniably a “Z” view:
We put the Z on a lift and examined the chassis. The Z was also placed on scales for weight distribution and results will be shared soon. We are really excited to see the aftermarket’s offerings for this platform.
Interior
This was our first time seeing the red interior and we spent a few hundred miles behind the wheel. The dash features a large TFT gauge display, designed with input from Nissan Super GT500 driver Tsugio Matsuda. Familiar analog gauge pods are mounted atop a central touchscreen reminiscent of the S30 Z car’s center stack. The steering wheel (tilt/telescope) feels great and actually draws its dimensions from an R32 Skyline.
The interior is a comfortable place to be, devoid of gimmicks or over-styling. Nissan really spent time in this area and it shows. We liked the little details like leather stitching on the dash and real rotary knobs for radio volume and tuning. Lighted “Z” logo on door sills- something absent from the Ikazuchi-Yellow Proto-Spec Z we saw at Nissan HQ. The two-tone red theme is not as “loud” as the all-blue seats in the Seiran Blue Z that spent a few days with us last year.
Interior room is similar to the 370Z but seating position and outward view is greatly improved with a lower dash height. You can even see the Z’s broad hips in the rear through side mirrors, again another nice thought from the designers. Below, Rob (5’10”) and Tyler (6’5″) demonstrate headroom in the Z. Rob still has headroom with a helmet on and Tyler has a few inches of headroom as well:
On the road
We were impressed with the Z’s driving experience straight from the factory. Our 400-mile test drive included a mix of city/highway and canyon driving. Starting in San Jose we headed North to San Francisco via our favorite Bay Area backroad, Skyline (HWY 35).
Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of our time with the new Z. In this video: in-car acceleration, drive-bys, walk-arounds and road testing action from our shop and road trip to San Francisco:
Enjoy The Ride
One of our favorite parts of spending time with the new Z was sharing it with our clients. They were all ecstatic after riding along with Rob:
“Hey this is Rick, just giving my feedback on the experience of riding in the new Z car. I have to say it exceeded my expectations in every way. From the interior to the feeling of the power, to the way it commands attention. Absolutely flawless. But probably the most shocking thing was the braking and the grip it seemed to have in the corners. Just astonishing performance! Home run Nissan! Long live the Z!”
“Nissan did an outstanding job and really hit a home run. The design pays homage to the original Z while elegantly embodying modern styling cues. The interior is upscale and I really like the digital display, retro gauge cluster, and bucket seats. The performance was absolutely incredible and the way it handled made me the suspension was aftermarket. Overall Nissan did a great job with the car. I am very impressed and I cannot wait to get mine. The hardest decision for me is if I want a red one with two tone interior or white with all blue interior. Manny”
“Hello, my name is Lou Strickland and I recently had the pleasure of visiting Z Car Garage and riding in the new Nissan Z with Rob Fuller. I have owned or currently own a 1971 240Z, 1973 Fairlady Z, 1990 300ZX TT, 1993 300ZX TT and a 2003 350Z. Without hesitation I can say the 2023 Nissan Z is the best stock Z car I have experienced. The 2023 Nissan Z checks all of the sports car boxes. It looks great, it accelerates, turns and brakes very well. It is also comfortable, feels solid and does a great job minimizing road noise. Nissan did a great job reimagining the Z for the next generation of driving enthusiasts.”
“Thank you for giving me a ride in the new Z! It does look better than in the photos and videos. Once inside, the quality of the interior, clever digital displays and, important for me, headroom impressed me. Then there was the drive! The power comes on so smooth and linear that it really doesn’t feel like a turbo car. I felt no turbo lag at all. I agree with you that in many ways it feels like my 300ZX Twin Turbo—it can be both a GT car and a sports car depending on how you want to drive it. I would definitely consider purchasing one of these. So glad the Z is back! Mark”
IconZ
The drive to San Francisco was thrilling. We had to snap some photos of this iconic Z car with another icon, the Golden Gate Bridge:
The Passion Red paint is stunning and hard to capture on camera. Direct light brings out a retina-searing metallic red while in shade it looks almost burgundy. Check out the photo gallery below:
Leaving San Francisco we drove the Z down the famous Lombard St. People stopped us to check it out:
Thank You Nissan!
We thank Nissan, Dan Passe and Jonathan Buhler for the opportunity to enjoy the new Z. As our clients and friends mentioned after going for a test drive…the Z is a winner. Great job Nissan we are so excited to see it on the road and in the hands of Z-car enthusiasts. Z Car Garage can’t wait to get our Z and share it with the community. LONG LIVE THE Z!
Z CAR GARAGE IS LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS
**PLEASE SHARE THIS**
Looking for a Job? – How about a great career?
ZCG is expanding to support our vintage, late model and motorsport work. We are seeking experienced and skilled automotive technicians to join our team. This is not an average 9 to 5 automotive job:
-We work 4-10hr days and offer competitive pay/benefits with opportunities for growth
-Requirements: Automotive experience, your own set of tools, willingness to learn, and be part of a team.
-Nissan/Datsun experience is NOT a requirement, you just need to have passion.
-We are heavily involved in motorsports and the automotive community. From race cars to street cars and performance tuning…to routine maintenance and keeping vintage cars on the road, we love what we do!
Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? PLEASE SHARE THIS, spread the word and please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.
Check out our shop on this episode of Hoonigan Autofocus with Larry Chen:
