Happy Friday from Z Car Garage! We are excited for 2023 and have many projects to share with you. Enjoy these photos from the shop today, Friday 10th with full reports coming to zcarblog.
The Bring a Trailer Datsun 240Z
The Bring a Trailer Datsun 240z is in for a checkup. This Z has seen a ton of driving events, rallyes and gatherings and featuers our ZCG Big-Brake kit.
Rick’s BRE 240Z tribute track car
Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car just received our first set of Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension from our latest batch. Clients that have already placed an order: kits will ship soon pending an instruction manual first. We also finalized the CD009 6-speed transmission swap on Rick’s Z that also features our (Race) Z Car Garage Big-Brakes.
Cameron’s Z32
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:
Beau’s orange Datsun is 280Z coming together. Fresh from paint featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, T3 suspension and more. This 280 has many 240Z parts retrofitted and it will be cool hot rod.
One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and customers again for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2020 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:
ZCG will be closed from 12/23/20 and we will re-open for business on 1/5/21.
Before we take a look back at highlights from 2020, here several exciting customer projects coming along at the shop:
We also upgraded the interior with leather Recaro seats and sound deadening. Stay tuned for a full report!
Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z returned for a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake and CD009a 6-speed transmission:
Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240z is back for a 3.0L engine and tuning, we can’t wait to show you the dyno results!
This historically significant 1970 Datsun 240z was built by a team of Nissan employees to compete at Bonneville in the F/GT class. In 1976 their efforts resulted in a new land speed record of 166.037 mph, which stood unbroken until 1985. This Z resided in the Nissan Museum and is now in the care of Randy Jaffe. Lots of neat details the Z 432R seats and G-nose. More to come! Big thanks to Randy and Nissan for letting us bring this Z back to life.
One of many Z32s we are working on, Steve’s will get a full report soon:
Highlights from 2020
Even though 2020 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 2020 and Z you in the New Year!
At Z Car Garage we enjoy working with late-model Nissans as much as earlier Datsuns. Our customer Eric R brought his Infiniti G35 Coupe to us back in 2009 and ten years later we helped him find a 2008 Infiniti FX35. The FX got many upgrades to make it exactly the way Eric envisioned and he’s been enjoying it with his family as well as backroads.
The first generation (S50) FX-series models have aged rather well and we dig their combination of styling, power and versatility. Eric recalls how he became an FX owner:
“I’ve always been a car enthusiast. My mom owned a 72 240Z back in the day and in 2007 my wife and I purchased a G35 Coupe 6MT and after a disappointing experience with the local Infiniti dealer, took the car to Rob and ZCG. Needless to say, the knowledge base and Rob’s unique brand of engagement with his customers was refreshing. It was one of the best customer service experiences I’ve had and ZCG took exceptional care of our G35. After a couple years of ownership, we had to give up the G Coupe with the onset of…kids.
Fast forward nearly a dozen years and the kids a bit older, I started my search for a new car. It needed to be sporty but still functional as a daily driver. It needed to haul mail and still haul the kids and the bikes and the gear. The FX covered nearly every one of my criteria in one package, but fell a little short in visual cues and base line performance.
“As I searched for potential candidates, I was thrilled to reconnect with Rob and ZCG. He helped me focus my search efforts and game plan what I envisioned for the car. After a year of searching my FX came up for sale. As luck would have it, it was a car already under the care of ZCG and a number of mods on my want list performed. Rob confirmed the quality and condition of the FX as well as the character of the seller. It was, as they say, meant to be.”
Eric’s first visit with his FX focused on power and chassis upgrades. The VQ35 was treated to a Motordyne plenum spacer, JWT POP Charger and Uprev street tune providing more power throughout the rev range.
Keeping the FX glued to the tarmac are BC Racing coilovers and Stillen strut tower brace paired with a set of Nissan/Rays Eng GT-R R35 (CBA) rear wheels:
The wheels were refinished and we mount/balanced Michelin Pilot AS/3+ tires (295/45zr20) with new TPMS. We love the finish on these and they look right at home on the FX:
The stock brakes were upgraded to Akebono units from the G37/370z with a Stoptech sport brake kit (pads, slotted rotors, braided steel lines). This required changing the rear knuckle to a FX50 part.
Eric is all smiles with the upgrades and he’s been driving the FX everywhere:
“Rob and the ZCG Team worked incredibly hard to get everything on the car set in place so that I could immediately enjoy this family battle wagon and that’s just what I’ve been doing. Couldn’t be happier.”
We even spotted the FX at a local DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) Cars & Coffee event in Santa Cruz, CA:
Eric recently came back for a Nismo exhaust.
You can hear it in this driving video with Rob:
Thank you Eric for letting us improve your FX we look forward to seeing you at more events and keep Enjoying The Ride! More pictures in the gallery below.
Allan came to ZCG because he was getting a Check Engine light resulting in smog issues. We found that his catalytic converters were well passed their lifespan and decided to get a set of low-mileage cats for testing. While the FX was in the shop we installed some Fast Intentions high-flow cats:
The engine was treated to a Stillen intake, and UPREV tuning. Since this car is awd, Rob UPREV streetuned it.
Allan is super stoked and enjoying the FX. He’s also been coming in for regular services and we love keeping folks on the road!
Chris C makes his SF Bay Area commute behind the wheel of this pretty FX35. He wanted to firm up the handling to make that commute more enjoyable so we installed a full set of BC coil-overs and a Stillen front strut tower brace:
Coil-over and top hat detail:
Suspension F/R stock vs BC:
The ride height looks great! Before/after below:
A few more before/after shots:
We also added a Stillen strut tower brace and performed full 90k maintenance services. We know your commute will be much livelier now Chris!
