Filed under: 240z,Events
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on July 21, 2023
Z Car Garage is proud to be a sponsor for the 36th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA and Group Z Sports Car Club in Ontario, Ca July 31 to August 5. This is the largest Z-car event in the US and we are stoked to participate.
We will also have a Nissan CD009a 6-speed swap for you to see, touch and feel. Don’t forget to pick up some ZCG swag/merchandise!
Highlighting the Z Car Garage booth will be our client Gary’s S30 with the Datsunworks KN20 twincam cylinder head. Our #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z will also be on display in the convention center lobby entrance all week:
The Datsunworks KN20-powered 240Z
Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z with the Datsunworks KN20 twincam cylinder head. Supporting the 3.1L engine are our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, Jenvey ITB EFI with Haltech Elite management, Nissan 6-speed CD009s transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.
Enjoy this video showing the KN20 Datsun 240Z in action:
The #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z
The #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z has a rich racing history and actively runs in vintage race groups with Rob Fuller behind the wheel. It is a fitting car to be displayed in the lobby as it has ties to the Ontario Motor Speedway Pace cars that Nissan/Datsun campaigned in the 70’s.
Enjoy this video showing the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z in action:
Z You There!
We are excited to share the passion and check out everyone’s Z cars at the show. Hope to Z you there and LONG LIVE THE Z!
At Z Car Garage we love getting Z’s back on the road. Garett is a Bay Area local and visited us for mechanical sorting on his 1972 Datsun 240Z. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles combined with a suspension rebuild improved the chassis. Power comes from a Rebello 3L with our Z Car Garage Heat Shield and in-house dyno tuning to make it sing.
“I first learned about Z Car Garage just searching on the internet to see who works on Z cars exclusively in the Bay Area. Then I started watching videos of Larry Chen and all the amazing work that Z Car Garage provides and I knew I wanted to go with them for their expertise on my 1972 240z, which I couldn’t just trust any mechanic to work on this beautiful car.”
Before we describe the mechanical work, let’s hear how Garett got in to his Z car…
History
Garett’s love for the Z starts at a young age. His Dad purchased this S30 brand new in June of 1972:
“Ever since I laid eyes on that car I wanted it and eventually when I turned 20 years old I bought it off of him and after driving for a while it blew a head gasket. I learned about Rebello racing, located in Pacheco at the time and I put in a fully ported and polished 3 liter with triple-Mikuni carbs. The amazing Mike Yoes lived one town over from me in Crockett, and installed my engine right out of his garage.”
“After a while my Z sat in the side of my parents house for a while due to lack of money to fix other parts. After 6 years I’m slowly reviving her and now she’s back better than ever with a lot of love put in. My goal with the Z was to basically restore it back to original look and functionality with the mechanical upgrades to really enjoy the car to the fullest.”
Drivetrain
Garett’s Z sports a Rebello 3L engine with 280ZX 5-speed from many years ago. We installed what every triple-carbed L-series needs: a ZCG Heat Shield! Garett has #HS00257.
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L engine with jetting, A/F and performance in mind. Baseline was 215hp/202tq and it left with 229hp/209tq to the wheels:
Enjoy the L-series music in this video of Garett’s Z on the dyno…volume up!
Driveline Upgrades
Helping put the power down efficiently is an OS Giken LSD paired with our Z Car Garage CV Axles. The R180 houses a 4.11 R&P and the assembly is setup in-house (by Joshua Corwin). More photos in the gallery below:
Z Car Garage CV Axles
Garett initially contacted us to have Z Car Garage products installed on his 240Z. 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.
We replaced his existing CV Axles (left) with ZCG units (Right). Garett received set #00426. Also visible are the T3 lower control arms:
ZCG Big-Brakes
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Garett’s 240z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds. 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 engineers at 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 some 14″ wheels) and retaining factory emergency brake lever.
At the rear, factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! Not only do they perform, they look great behind the 16×7 Panasport wheels!
Suspension
The front suspension was overhauled with new adj. T/C rods from Techno Toy Tuning, new control arm bushings in OEM control arms, rack bushings, ball joints, outer tie rods, steering rack boots and more.
Old, torn rack boots vs new units and new T/C rods:
The rear suspension received new T3 lower control arms and rear wheel bearings.
Details
Small items that make a difference: we corrected his brake booster issues, fixed the emergency-brake lever that popped out of its housing and corrected his speedometer:
While were in the engine bay we also upgraded to a 280ZX alternator with Motorsport bypass and corrected throttle linkage issues to make the gas pedal feel awesome:
Panasport Wheels
We installed 16×7 Panasport wheels in our offset allowing 225/50/16 tires (Bridgestone RE-71R). The Z was fully aligned afterwards.
Driving is Believing
Garett was happy with the mechanical upgrades and ZCG parts:
“I got the work done over last December. Z Car Garage works so fast and everything was done and ready in about 4 days. I know there were supply chain issues but after 2 plus years of waiting it was worth the wait. I could really feel the difference when driving in hard turns and how the other wheel grips and really pushes my car through the turns compared to the original open diff. The low drone sound went away as well. The Z Car Garage Big Brake kit works well. I put them to the rest and they do their job. I love the drive and acceleration.”
We enjoyed working with Garett and loved that he’s owned this Z for a long time. He’s also into music, playing in bands in the Bay Area. What’s next for his Z car?
“Future plans include new or aftermarket seats which are comfortable on long rides with no lower back pain, while keeping me planted in my seat and maintaining a time period classic look. New gauges and a dash restoration down the line would be nice as well, but all in due time.”
We’re here to help you when ready, Garett. Long Live The Z! …[read more]
We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles in their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. This 197o Datsun 240Z is owned by Mark W and he replaced his old CV Axle kit with our ZCG CV Axles.
Z Car Garage is proud to offer a CV axle conversion kit for your Datsun S30 and 510. We have sold over 200 sets of axles globally, with customers installing and enjoying them on everything from street cars to full-blown IMSA racers. These CV axles will help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts.
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. 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. Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind and the kit comes with everything you need to install on your car.
Mark wanted to eliminate a weak point of the stock half shafts and have a “fit and forget” CV Axle solution to run on his Series 1 Datsun 240Z. He actually visited Z Car Garage from London to pick up his ZCG CV Axles (serial # 0407) and check out the shop:
“After seeing many YouTube videos, articles and photos about the place it was finally my turn to meet the gentleman that is @rawbfuller who runs the place in person, and boy was I in for a treat. I think rob realised I was a little Z mad when I told him I was going to carry a pair of your ZCG CV Axles home in a backpack via Canada and back to London. They were al little heavier than I’d imagined.”
Like many enthusiasts, we share the same passion for Datsuns and the sports car experience. We enjoyed showing Mark a few of our fun Z cars:
“Not only did I manage to collect some shiny new parts to bring back for the 240z but Rob was kind enough to throw me the keys to their test car ‘Butters’ to experience all of their hard work first hand. What an incredible driving machine that car is and such a credit to the whole team at Z Car Garage. That not being enough I even happened to show up on a day when Behemoth was in. One of the few Zcars in the world to be running a Twin Cam head on an L series engine. Not only did I get to see this but I also got to experience it first hand, making for an unforgettable day. A huge thank you to all involved 🤘”
Datsun 240Z Dreams
Mark shared his Z car history with us:
“This is a 09/70 car registered in’71 which I bought off Ebay back in 2016 sight unseen and shipped back to the UK. It was totally stock at the time and I’ve slowly been transforming it into a fast road car while trying to retain a factory aesthetic from the outside. I’ve taken it to LeMans, Spa and toured down to Italy to visit the car factories and complete a rally with Petrolicious.”
Some brief specs: T3 adjustable front control arms, ST sways, BC coil-overs, R32 GTR front brakes with vented disks, S14 5-speed transmission, 3.9LSD, DSI stage 3 engine, 123 ignition, OS Giken lightweight flywheel/clutch and Panasport 16X7 wheels with Yokohama AD08R tires:
The exhaust is a Zstory Racesport header going back to a JDM style muffler using their complete system:
Mark recently made a switch from SU to triple OER45 induction with a bespoke cold air box setup. We admire his build ethos:
“I love using cars as intended so his build ethos has been to make it functional, reliable and useable as possible with modern levels of performance with L-series charm and soundtrack. .”
Enjoying the Ride
More photos of Mark driving throughout Europe, Datsuns Are Driven!
Enjoy this video of mark’s 240z in action:
Thank you for your support Mark, it was great meeting you! 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 150+ 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 150 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world:
Treat your Z to a brand new set of Panasport wheels! Z Car Garage is an authorized Panasport dealer with limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car. We special order this 16×7 +11 offset to enable fitment of a 225/50/16 tire on the 1970 to 1978 S30s and even S130s.
Price is $330 each or $1320 for a set of 4 wheels + freight. Includes center caps
Contact us to order: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350. Limited availability (recent pallet pictured)
Wondering how a set of Panasports would look on your Z car? They are timeless just like your Z. Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars in jus about every color imaginable with Panasport wheels:
Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning vintage cars. Our in-house dyno and expertise in carb tuning can help your engine reach its potential whether it is a street car or full race car. We love Datsun roadsters and recently dyno tuned Erik’s 1970 1600 with great results. Let’s take a look at how he got into Datsuns…
Roadster Beginnings
Affectionately named “Audrey”, Erik bought this 1970 Datsun Sports 1600 in 1995 and drove her every day while living in San Jose and Santa Monica, CA. He had lots of adventures in those days, including driving on Highway 1, Route 66, and even blowing a head gasket in the desert outside Needles, CA.
“In 1998 he got a job in Thailand and Audrey was put in storage. Stored outside for years, she suffered the indignity of being broken into and vandalized. (I’m still apologizing to her for that.)In 2000, I moved back to the USA, but had no garage for Audrey, so she remained outside, staying with friends and family. By 2003 she had finally moved inside, but a busy life and no shop space meant that she sat in the corner, patiently awaiting resurrection.”
“Fast forward to 2019: now having a great garage space and some free time, it was time to get Audrey back on the road. On the outside, she still wears most of what’s left of her original 52 year old paint, but inside and underneath it’s a different story: Her factory 96 horsepower has been doubled using the original engine, and her 4 speed transmission has been swapped for a 5 speed. The body was removed from the frame, all suspension, steering, and brakes were redone/upgraded, all electrical wiring replaced, every nut and bolt was either re-plated or replaced, and the interior restoration has begun, slowly changing from black to red.”
Erik and Z Car Garage
Erik heard about Z Car Garage through 311s.org, the definitive resource for all things Datsun Roadster. He purchased a G35 coupe and called Rob to talk about performance upgrades and the Infiniti was turned into a supercharged beast making 560whp.
“Since then, Rob has been super helpful while I’ve been restoring my 1970 Datsun 1600 from connecting me with the engine and transmission rebuilders, to helping with parts restoration, zinc plating, advice, and moral support. Once I had the car assembled and the new engine broken in, I knew I wanted to get it tuned on the ZCG dyno.”
Dyno Tuning
Erik’s roadster is a “1600” model, originally sporting 1.6L (R16) with dual-SU induction and 4-speed drivetrain. His restoration included stroking the original motor to a larger 2150cc displacement with twin-Mikuni induction and 5-speed (u20) transmission. You can learn more about Erik’s restoration efforts and the Rebello stroker R16 drivetrain all on 311s.org HERE.
Our initial dyno tuning session was with Phh40 Mikuni carbs. While it made great power Rob had always suggested running a larger Phh44 carbs to take advantage of the stout Rebello cam. Erik returned for another dyno session. With the carb switch, A/F ratio and timing optimized the roadster put down an impressive 157hp/151tq to the wheels with improved driveability throughout the entire rev range:
Erik was stoked with the tuning results:
“After finding some compatibility issues with my carburetors, Rob helped me build and install bigger carbs (the ones Rob had told me to use all along!). Came back for another tuning session and wow – what a difference. More power everywhere, better idle and driveability, and top end power is phenomenal. Many thanks to Rob and the whole Z Car Garage crew for taking my car from good to amazing!”
Enjoy this video of the roadster being dyno tuned and road tested, volume up!
Interested in what our other Datsun Roadster dyno sessions look like? Visit zcarblog.com
Enjoying The Ride
Datsuns Are Driven! In true roadster fashion, Erik has been Enjoying the Ride in his revived “Audrey”. We got the roadster prepped for a 600+ mile road trip to the Annual Datsun Roadster Meet at Mt. Shasta back in June. The car ran flawlessly:
Erik has been attending local car shows and rallys including VALT Car show in Berkeley, CA and Breakfast Club Rally.
We had fun tuning Erik’s roadster and getting it dialed in with the new drivetrain. Eventually it will be time for bodywork and paint, but he’s too busy having fun on the road! Thanks for letting us be a part of your Datsun journey Erik, you’ve done the roadster justice! If you have a vintage car (it doesn’t have to be a Datsun) feel free to contact the shop to schedule a dyno tuning session. More photos in the gallery below.
