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EVENT REPORT: Tokyo Calling 3 Rally

Filed under: 240z,280Z,510,Events,Great Drives,Nissan Z,r32,S130
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on September 8, 2023

 

On Saturday, August 26 we attended the Tokyo Calling 3 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. Z Car Garage participated with a group of client cars and enjoyed a wonderful day of driving through the foothills of Northern California. The event also featured 200+ Japanese classics and 90’s-era wonders to appreciate during the morning social gathering and rest stops. Enjoy our report with mega-photo gallery and video!

 

Breakfast Club Rally

 

The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) started 3 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into a monthly event with one hour of hanging out drinking coffee, followed by two hours of driving on the second Saturday of the month. Registration is free and always open to all makes. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see our previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event and Tokyo Calling 2 follow-up were a huge success. We did not want to miss their third all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC3. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Sonoma, here is a preview of our cars:

 

Beau’s 1976 Datsun 280Z

 

Beau’s Datsun 280Z is fresh from  Z Car Garage full cosmetic and mechanical restoration featuring Recaro Specialist seats, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

 

Rob drove our client Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240z. This is VIN#1762 Series 1 features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), Z Car Garage CV Axles, L28 with Jenvey ITB EFI and KA24 5-speed transmission.

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240z is Enjoying The Ride with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles.  He scored this Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer and regularly drives it on rally events.

Mrs. Butters

 

Cooper was in Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z. This Series 1 S30 features a 3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-BrakesZ Car Garage CV AxlesZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW suspension (releasing soon).

Armon’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Armon’s Z has a great story we will share in its own feature. He got this car running on his own and even performed rust repairs. He’s running our  ZCG Heat Shield on his triple-Weber carb’d L28:

Rob’s 1971 Datsun 510 Wagon


I drove Rob’s Datsun 510 Wagon. It features a 2.4-liter KA24DE engine with five-speed manual transmission sourced from a Nissan 240SX. The car is a wonderful driver and it is FOR SALE.

Linda’s 2023 Nissan Z

 

Linda Williams drove her 2023 Nissan Z. This is the special,”Proto Spec” edition limited to just 240 units. We love her “1OF240Z” tribute license plate. Linda joined us on the last two Tokyo Calling events in her 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate. She loves driving it everywhere.

Nick’s 1972 Datsun 510

 

Nick drove his 510 Wagon with recently added L18/twin mikuni ph44s and dyno tuning. In true rally-style, Nick and co-pilot Ben wore their headsets to communicate. This Dime has so much character!

Bluebird

 

Our client drove this Bluebird Coupe. It is a RHD example that was not sold here. Built by our friends at RacecraftNW it features an S15 SR20DET with 6-speed transmission, TSR Brembo brakes and VOLK wheels. Full feature coming to zcarblog.com soon!

The Z Car Garage Nissan Z

 

Josh drove our shop 2023 Nissan Z with Fast Intention TDX cat-back exhaust system. Full report with audio coming to zcarblog.com. Our morning caravan of 11 cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 through the Golden Gate Bridge. Nothing beats driving with fellow Z car owners!

 

Tokyo is Calling before the Rally!

 

Our crew arrived at the rally start in Sonoma and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin nestled between the vineyards of Gundlach Bundschu winery. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 7:30-9am so we could take in all the glorious cars. The vibe was tremendous, and as usual it went by too quickly. Let’s go through some of the highlights, with more photos in the gallery below!

 
 

Over 25 S30 Z cars were present!

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 7 in attendance including a genuine 1967 2000. One of the most sought after Datsuns, these “half-year” models were introduced mid-1967 offering a 5-speed transmission and 150hp twin-Mikuni carb’d 2L engine…hot stuff for the era.

 

Ian’s SRL is #601 (out of ~1000 cars) and it was fully restored years ago by Les Cannaday in San Diego. Ian is meticulous about maintaining this car, but it is no garage queen, attending monthly rally events. The (655) Off-white paint with red interior is one of my favorites. Yes, it even sports a factory Nissan hardtop with all the stainless trim!

 
 

This familiar Honda S2000-powered ’69 2000 is now local with current owner Mark, nice meeting you!

IMG_4996
 

A right-hand drive ’69 2000:

 

High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:

 
 

There were 15 Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510Jay is a hardcore rally driver  and also brought his mint wagon with family!

 
 

Back to Z cars, Pratibha and Andre recently acquired this ’73 240Z, welcome to Z family!

 

Our client Cameron’s Z32 Twin Turbo visited Z Car Garage for maintenance work, 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 see him driving again. More Z32s were on the rally!

 

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 2 and he returned again for TC3! This RHD, JDM hot-hatch is known as “Baby Godzilla”, sporting all-wheel drive and an SR20DET drivetrain. What’s wild is that this Pulsar used to be owned by our very own Gary at Z Car Garage! Leo purchased it back in 2017 and drove it all the way from Reno, NV.

 

There were a handful of S14 and S13 240SX:

  
 

Nissan Skyline

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou has been a friend and client of Z Car Garage for many years. He drove his R32 Skyline GT-R with BBS LeMans wheels and period exhaust/aero. It was great to see our R32 Skyline clients Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W. (in his GC8 Subaru). All will be getting zcarblog updates:

 
 

The lone S130, with T-tops off for proper Napa motoring!

 

Enjoy this walk-around and driving video from Tokyo Calling 3:

 

So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos! Next, let’s check out some non-Nissan/Datsun action…

Kei Classics

 
Suzuki Cappuchino and Autozam AZ-1 and mesmerizing the crowd with their size and neat features.

Honda

  

There were no less than 25 Honda S2000 sports cars on the rally!

 

Honda was well-represented including late model DC2 Integras, a few NSXs, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

 

Toyota

 

Some of our favorite Toyota’s including Supra (A60, A70, A80), first gen MR2s, and AE86s! The Lexus IS300 SportCross with A80 Supra wheels was sweet!

   
 
 

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Pajero Evolution, HiACE, REPU and Nissan:

 
 

The wildest car I found was this 4th gen Toyota Corona Coupe:

 

Rally On!

Photo by Zach Hubbell

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rally printout. I enjoyed hustling the green 510 Wagon through the backroads:

 

One of the perks of BCR events is their team of professional photographers at various stages capturing epic rolling and detail shots so people can focus on enjoying the drive. I encourage you to visit each of these SIX photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides:Blaine Olguin, Ben Kim, Alex NibytVijay SankarEverett Lederer, and Zack Hubbell.

 
 

Arriving at Sam’s General Store in Calistoga was another opportunity to see cars I missed at the starting point. Folks took a snack/coffee break here in the quaint town. I was just admiring each vintage ride cruise by…like this Isuzu Vehicross!

 
 

The rally concluded back at the Gundlach winery where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. Folks enjoyed Donburi surrounded J-Tin everywhere. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.

 

Thanks BCR!

 
 

Many thanks to the organizers, we had a blast and I urge you to register for their next event, especially if you are in the South Bay area like me and want to see what driving bliss lies North.  Here are a few thoughts from Rob re-capping the Tokyo Calling 3 event:

“We headed out from Z Car Garage with our clients and friends and made the 100-mile drive up to Sonoma wine country. Saw familiar faces and new ones it was really cool to see the Non-Datsuns. There was a REPU rotary-powerd truck which I really love. I grabbed some coffee, chatted and had fun admiring the variety of cars with friends.  We got on the road and the routes BCR selects are really fun with great scenery and people along the way.

 
 

“We met up in Calistoga, had lunch with friends. Loved seeing our clients on the drive… and one car had an exhaust weld failure. I took one of my shoelaces to secure it and this temporary exhaust bracket got us back on the road. I love Datsun adventures and we do anything to keep driving! Highly recommend the Tokyo Calling events, actually all the BCR events are loads of fun. They are a great group and we will Z you at the next rally!”

 

The Drive Home

Our adventure was not over as we had to travel another 100 miles South to the shop. We caravanned back, traveling through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco.

 

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us. Huge thanks to BCR for extending their hospitality to our crew, everyone was thrilled. Here’s to the next rally and always, always #DoitInADatsun! More photos in the gallery below…

 

…[read more]




VIDEO: Larry Chen’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

Filed under: 240z,Featured Cars and Projects,Performance
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on June 30, 2023

 

Photographer and car culture ambassador Larry Chen commissioned Z Car Garage to transform his beloved SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z from an “ok driver” to a no-excuses, multi-dimensional sports car with power, handling, braking, comfort, reliability and performance to match its eye-catching beauty.

 
 

Larry just released a video chronicling his journey with his Z, affectionately known as “Ole Orange Bang”, featuring our Z Car Garage Big-BrakesZ Car Garage CV Axles, chassis preparation, dyno tuning and more. It’s a wonderful video with some killer action of Larry enjoying the Z in the canyons. Check it out below or on his YouTube Channel. Volume up and enjoy!

Thanks for the love Larry! You can see our report of the work ZCG performed on this Z on zcarblog.com HERE and LONG LIVE THE Z!




Z Car Garage CV Axles for Carlo’s Datsun 510

Filed under: 510,Parts,Performance
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on April 1, 2022

 

We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles in their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. This 1971 Datsun 510 is owned by Carlo O and the old half shafts were replaced with our ZCG CV Axles. You may have seen this TSR Fabrication-built Dime at events in the SoCal area and we are proud to be part of it!

 

We saw Carlo’s 510 last year at the Japanese Classic Car Show and noticed he was running ZCG CV Axles with an R200 LSD. Great to hear that these parts earn Mario Lozano’s approval and he installed them with ease at the TSR facility in Gardena, CA. Carlo is stoked:

“The ZCG CV Axles were recommended by Mario of TSR Fabrication and we chose them based on anticipated power levels as well as reducing the vibrations associated with my half shafts. Installation was smooth as butter and easy as it gets. Performance has been great, they are quiet and definitely substantially reduced vibrations.”

 

Datsun 510 Dreams

 

Carlo dreamed of having a Datsun 510 and it had to be built by TSR Fabrication.

“I purchased my 510 in 2004 right after I graduated from high school. I was 17 and I remember searching for months, waiting every every week for a new Auto Trader. No online tools or social media like today.  I would check DimeQuarterly every night. Finally found one about 7hrs from home. My Dad and I had a great adventure trying to get it, and no matter what condition I going to buy it!”

In addition to the upgraded ZCG CV Axles this is a full TSR Datsun 510 build. As a young enthusiast, Carlo worked several jobs and saved up to enlist the help of Mario Lozano at TSR Fabrication in 2016. Years later the result is a full, TSR Datsun 510 with SR20DET-power and all the goodies they are known for.

 
 

The body color is Nissan (350Z) LeMans Blue with 17×8 forged AG wheels. More pictures in the gallery below!

Photo by Ricardo Hernandez

 

Inside, a custom interior from Fast Ed’s features Recaro EVO seats wrapped in Aston Martin leather, Mercedes grey carpet, suede headliner, limited edition S15 gauge cluster, roll cage and custom billet parts like the sun visors:

 

The engine bay and chassis sport a full list of TSR specialty parts like their titanium heat shield, full stainless exhaust, JRZ suspension, Brembo 13″ brakes, TSR custom airbox, overflow tank, intercooler, radiator, turbo plumbing, stainless fuel lines and full adjustable rear crossmember:

 

See more of Carlo’s 510 on his Instagram.

Mario Lozano of TSR Fabrication

 

Datsun 510 enthusiasts worldwide are very familiar with Mario Lozano, owner of TSR Fabrication in Gardena, CA. Mario has been creating high-quality, functional and artistic parts for Datsuns over the last few decades, but that is just scratching the surface of his accomplishments and project scopes. We have known Mario for many years and recently caught up with him to discuss his passions (not just Datsuns), current work and future offerings:

Time flies: (L) Rob and Mario at the 2021 JCCS,  (R). Alvin and Mario at the 2005 All-Datsun Meet at Mt. Shasta

 

Mario was a track athlete in school, heading for competitive (Olympic) levels until injuries sidelined that trajectory. Academics then became his focus and this is where a passion and love for Industrial Design was founded. Cars came second and Mario loves 510s, building them for fun while helping the Datsun community. Mario’s personal, SR20DET-powered Datsun 510:

 

While he is synonymous for fabricating high-end Datsun parts, Mario does so much more! From working directly with major OEMs (like Ford and their Mach-E wheels) to F1 and Indy cars…even helping senior citizens with their welding projects! Mario’s favorite material to work with: stainless steel (RathGibson US Mil-spec only).

 

We asked Mario what his favorite part on Carlo’s 510 was, starting with the full stainless exhaust system. He is truly an artist:

 

The custom airbox and titanium heat shield (It’s 13 years old!)

 

Mario is especially proud of the JRZ suspension and Brembo brake systems he designed and fabricated:

“I worked closely with JRZ (we are on V.4) and it transforms the car. Carlo’s wife would refuse to ride in his 510 before the suspension upgrade as it was too bouncy. Afterwards she said it rides like a Camry but handles and brakes…now she wants the same for her 510 Wagon! Smoothest 510 that simply does not feel like a 510.”

 

What can we expect from TSR for Datsun owners? Mario has been offering Carbon Fiber hoods since 1999, but materials have come a long way. These parts are like jewelry and CF trunks are next. A new rack and pinion steering setup, engineered for 510 use with electronic power steering. Finally, Mario is really excited to offer active JRZ suspension!

See more of TSR’s work on Instagram.

 

Thank you for your support Carlo and Mario, it was great seeing you at JCCS!  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 200 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:

Supermachine in Tokyo, Japan is running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles in their Series Datsun 240Z:

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our ZCG CV Axles in this IMSA GTU 260z race car!

 
 

Racer Brad H is running ZCG CV Axles in his IMSA GTU race car:

 
 

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running ZCG axles in several of his cars:

Set #246 – installed May 2018 on the “Harry Stewart #52” Datsun 510:

 
 

Set #247 – installed April 2018 on the 260z

 
 

Set #248 – installed on Adam Carolla’s “Greg Sorrentino #90” Datsun 510.

 
…[read more]



Ole Orange Bang: Larry Chen’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

Filed under: 240z,Featured Cars and Projects,Performance
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on December 10, 2021

 

Performance With Passion”These are words that describe our work at Z Car Garage and we are passionate about making your Z perform as good as it looks. Photographer Larry Chen commissioned ZCG to transform his beloved SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z from an “ok driver” to a no-excuses, multi-dimensional sports car with power, handling, braking, comfort, reliability and performance to match its eye-catching beauty.

 

Join Rob and Larry as they share the story of Larry’s Z, affectionately called “Ole Orange Bang”, featuring our Z Car Garage Big-BrakesZ Car Garage CV Axles, chassis preparation, dyno tuning and more. Enjoy the videos with behind the scenes footage and photo gallery below!

 

Build History

 

Car enthusiasts and motorsport fans recognize the name Larry Chen as the greatest automotive photographer. Larry has made a career out of his passion for capturing the right moments in racing. We are huge fans of his work since the days of covering Formula Drift, time at Speedhunters, and recent work with Hoonigan Autofocus. Our favorite Larry Chen moment is his photography of Ken Block’s 1400hp Hoonicorn at Pike’s Peak for the filming of Climbkhana.

 

Larry Chen is regularly exposed to some of the coolest builds across the globe, so you can imagine our joy hearing that Larry’s personal car is a Datsun 240Z. Larry’s Z is a Series 1 (VIN# 2868) that he purchased on his 21st birthday for $3000. He started autocrossing immediately with his buddies circa 2006, and it became an integral part of his life:

 

“It’s been such a big part of my adult life, and it will continue to be a part of it for the rest. The name actually came from a Mexican drink that we love in SoCal. My car is Orange and it backfired a lot when I got it especially when I was low on gas. So it was only appropriate to call it Orange Bang. On my wedding night instead of being ferried away in a fancy limousine, I drove my beautiful wife home in the Z, after some wedding burnouts.”

 

Following years of autocross and track use, in 2013 the tired L28 was replaced with an SR20DET straight out of a former Formula Drift car.

 

Like many enthusiasts, Larry continued to modify and upgrade the Z to fit his needs…adding A/C, coil-over suspension and creature comforts along the way. We spotted a freshly painted Ole Orange Bang at the 2019 Japanese Classic Car Show:

“In 2019 my friends at Bells and Vaughn in Pasadena, California did a full ground up restoration. It has all new paint and it was taken all the way down to the metal. Just this month I picked it up from Z Car Garage in San Jose California. ZCG pretty much went through the entire car and they fixed everything that was mechanically wrong with it.”

 

When Larry Met Rob: A ZCG Story

 

We first met Larry when he visited us at the 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, CA. We talked about Z cars, and how he really wanted to get our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and ZCG treatment on his personal Z. In 2020 he trailered his Z up from LA to ZCG in February, literally a few weeks before the pandemic.

“I actually found out about ZCG on Instagram and met Rob for the first time in SoCal at JCCS. I inquired about getting brakes for my car since it couldn’t stop even with a Toyota 4×4 conversion and Nissan Maxima rear disk brakes. They were absolutely horrible. There is a reason why people ship their Z cars across the country to ZCG. The passion is there and you can see it on everything they touch.”

While visiting Z Car Garage Larry featured a few of our client cars and did a shop tour for his YouTube channel Hoonigan AutoFocus. You can click on the thumbnails below to watch the videos:

 

Fast forward a year later and Larry returned to pick up his beloved Z. He shot a few more vehicles like my my 1967 Datsun Roadster and Randy’s 1970 Salt Flat Racer but most importantly Larry finally filmed a 1hr-long Hoonigan Autofocus episode of his own Z, Ole Orange Bang. Larry was so happy with his Z he recorded a separate lock-down video for our friends at Haltech.

 

We couldn’t leave our readers hanging without our own ZCG-style feature complete with dyno videos and behind the scenes footage, so if you can’t wait any longer here it is below. Turn those speakers up and enjoy, read on for an in-depth look at our work.

The ZCG Touch

 

Larry and Rob developed a plan for Ole Orange Bang. The Z had past work performed by many folks including Larry’s buddies. We simply wanted his Z to be a multi-dimensional sports car with power, brakes, handling and comfort. Cosmetics were already handled, it just needed some mechanical love with ZCG-products that you will find on many of our ZCG builds. Let’s begin with the chassis upgrades, then go into dyno tuning/engine bay work and final details like the interior and weatherstripping.

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

We handed Larry the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car and 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 clients 🙂 Read below for a brief description of these parts:

    
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! 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 removed Larry’s existing Toyota 4×4 front calipers and rear Maxima setup and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit front and rear:

 

He got a new, OEM brake master cylinder as well:

 

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

 

Larry was impressed with the braking performance:

“The ZCG brakes and axles really give the 240z an update with modern top of the line performance where the Z badly needs it. These cars are lightweight and easy to make fast, but everything else that goes along with it is very lacking. While the 240z is a great car to drive in stock form, there is nothing like having a lightweight turbo rear wheel drive sports car.”

Z Car Garage CV Axles

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 140 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

 
 

Larry has CV Axle set #328. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units bolted in to the Subaru STi LSD diff. The stock suspension parts had been long replaced with Techno Toy Tuning parts. Larry does not have to live with those loose CV axles anymore!

 
 

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, we will discuss the KW coil-overs below:

   

Wheels By Love20bee

Complementing the new Big-Brakes and suspension on Larry’s Z are a fresh set of Southern Ways Epsilon mesh wheels from Love20bee. It was an absolute pleasure working with owner, Matt K. to adjust the offset on the wheels just before Larry picked his Z up from ZCG.

 

We wanted Larry to be able to use the KW Suspension and ZCG Big-Brakes to their full potential and put all the power down effectively without clearance issues. The offset was a bit too aggressive causing fender rubbing and excessive camber reducing the contact patch of the sticky Yokohama tires.


Larry’s Z already had a set of KW Coil-overs. Not to be confused with our ZCG-labeled KW Suspension with adjustable rebound and dampening that we’ve developed over several years (releasing soon). We adjusted Larry’s KW’s for best ride and corner-balanced the car using his weight. With the wheel barrels adjusted and suspension aligned Larry can now throw this Z into any corner with confidence. No rubbing, no excuses.

 
 

 

Engine


Larry had a long list of problems he needed resolved with the drivetrain. The SR was running an older AEM standalone setup for racing duty so it would drive roughly on the street: poor cold/hot starting, erratic idling, stalling on deceleration, overheating and the A/C wouldn’t blow cold under hot conditions. Before sorting these issues we cleaned up wiring and hoses in the engine bay. Here is what the cooling setup looked like before:

 

The oil cooler was mounted in front of the intercooler and there was a small deflector plate placed across all heat exchangers. We re-designed the ductwork with help from TCDesignFab to seal the intercooler/AC condenser/radiator to direct air flow and eliminate heat soak. Serious SPAL fans were added to a new Mishimoto rad:

 

The oil cooler was relocated below the FMIC:

 

With air now directed through the heat exchangers the SR operates well under heat soak conditions, even with the A/C on and blowing cold. Even though the SR20 isn’t Rob’s first choice of engine swap it works really well, looks awesome and makes great power. Speaking of looks, we couldn’t resist adding our body-color matching valve cover (like Rob’s 510 and Rb-powered Z cars):

 
 

Hardware was removed and re-plated throughout, more pics in the gallery!

 

Dyno Tuning

We are huge fans of Haltech engine management. We use their Elite line of ECUs exclusively on our EFI engine builds and Larry’s SR received an Elite 1000 unit, mounted on the passenger foot well. Rob dyno tuned the SR20DET using Haltech. Baseline was 245hp/223tq and with Rob’s tuning it made 295hp/277tq at the wheels:

 

Larry was absolutely blown away by the performance, response and night/day improvement in drivability. Beyond peak gains of 50hp/54tq at the wheels, much of the increased response can be seen in the huge area under the curve from proper wastegate operation. Haltech is so user friendly and the benefits are priceless. You can see the dyno runs and road testing with Larry and Rob in this this video.

 

Interior

 
 

After driving our client James Stephens’ turbocharged 1972 Datsun 240z for an episode of Hoonigan Autofocus, Larry knew right then he had to have a set of Recaro seats for Ole Orange Bang. We removed his old seats and installed a new set of Recaro Pole-Position seats. He loves them:

 

Any bodyshop can install weatherstripping but Larry really wanted ZCG do tackle it and we happily obliged. One of our favorite upgrades to the interior of an S30 is our ZCG sound deadening package. Usually found in our full-blown ZCG restorations, the result is a less tinny sound and almost Germanic-like “clunk” when you shut the doors. We also refurbished his window tracks to ensure smooth operation:

 

We are really proud of the HVAC system in this Z. Larry mentioned the A/C wouldn’t blow cold..we tested Larry’s A/C after our ducting upgrades and it blows cold even after full throttle applications and heat soak.

Details

 
The little things are what we excel at. A common problem with Series 1 cars is exhaust fumes entering the car through the hatch vents and tail lights. We replaced the hatch and tail light seals and sealed the hatch vents. No exhaust smell in the cabin. (below) It made us happy when Larry called out these little details while filming…an OEM Nissan oil filter and re-plated hood latch hardware:

 

Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!

Enjoying The Ride

 

Larry picked his Z up from Z Car Garage in February of 2021. He immediately started enjoying Ole Orange Bang by driving to various events and gatherings in SoCal. We were so stoked to see him happy with his Z again.

 

Getting updates from Larry was rad:
“It finally performs as good as it looks! Rob and the team are so detail oriented. They know these cars inside and out and my car has never driven so well in its lifetime. I can’t wait to bring it back for some more goodies.”

We were reunited with Larry and his Z at this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show at the Anaheim Stadium. The Z was on display in the Leen Customs booth where fans could get his autograph:

 
 

Orange Bang with FuguZ and Medusa. We are beyond happy to have our Z Car Garage chassis parts on these high-profile Z cars.

 

As happy as we were to see Larry driving around SoCal what really made our day was seeing him drive Ole Orange Bang in anger at a local autocross event! He put our Z Car Garage Big-BrakesZ Car Garage CV Axles, suspension and dyno tuning to work:

“I decided to take a personal day and do a bit of driving for fun. I haven’t auto crossed in almost 15 years. I went to the CornerExit auto-x at California Speedway and it was an absolute blast. Orange Bang held up amazing, and everything @zcargarage did to it paid off. I ended up getting 2nd place in mod class!” 

 

We will have video of Larry ripping through the autocross on our Instagram story. For now, don’t miss the video we made of the Z in action here:

UPDATE 6.30.23

Larry just dropped an amazing video about his Z including its history and canyon driving, enjoy!

Thank You Larry!

Our journey with Larry is just beginning. Thanks for entrusting Z Car Garage with your Z and believing in us. We appreciate all that you do for automotive culture and your work is inspiring. Always Do It In A Datsun and LONG LIVE THE Z!


More pictures in the gallery below:
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EVENTS: The 2021 Japanese Classic Car Show

Filed under: 240z,280Z,280zx,510,Events,Nissan Z,r32,Skyline,Z31,z32
by Alvin G @ 3:25 pm on November 1, 2021

 

The 2021 Japanese Classic Car Show was held on October 30, in Anaheim, CA. This is the original vintage Japanese-car event in SoCal and in its 16th year, JCCS has grown incredibly. Thousands of spectators enjoyed 400+ cars in the parking lot of Angel Stadium. The vehicles themselves remained a fantastic blend of stock, modified and restored. This is the most important show for Japanese cars, and the Z Car Garage crew keeps coming back every year to soak up the sun, see old friends and drool over some spectacular vintage builds.

 

Z Car Garage Parts on Sung Kang’s Datsun 240Zs!

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FuguZ

Actor and star of the Fast and the Furious movies, Sung Kang also happens to be a car enthusiast as well. At the SEMA 2015 show he debuted his vision of the perfect Datsun 240Z, named FuguZ. The build was chronicled the through social media, enlisting parts from around the world with final assembly by Kenji at Greddy. Sporting the latest Rocket Bunny body kit, Volk TE37s and NA RB26 drivetrain this was a crowd favorite and sparked the Z car love in many people.

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FuguZ became one of the most prominent S30s in the world. Fast forward to 2021 and Sung Kang visited Z Car Garage, driving “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car. After driving Butters, Sung wanted the exact same Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), Z Car Garage CV Axles and KW suspension on his very own FuguZ!

 

Rob and Kenji came up with a plan and the Z was shipped up to us so we could install ZCG Big-brakes, CV axles and KW suspension before the JCCS. Kenji then revived the Z with twin-turbos that the RB26 is famous for. Now Sung can enjoy the boost, and reign it all in with our brakes and suspension. Full report soon!

 

Doc Z

Sung was so impressed with the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes that he also wanted a set on his latest 240Z build, the “DocZ”. We happily obliged, only this time we shipped the kit to the Erick of Erick’s Racing, the master builder behind DocZ.

 
 

Erick was very pleased with the kit and ease of installation:

 

DocZ was built as a tribute to the Datsun 240Z that dominated the 1971 East-African Safari. Sung even had  his own multi-piece wheels made as an homage to that history-making Z. The ZCG Big-Brakes can be seen through those iconic slots:

 

DocZ also features interior parts (look at that dash!) and exterior carbon fiber pieces by Carbon Signal:

 

We are thrilled to be a part of Sung’s builds and the collaborate with his team of talented craftsman! Thank you for your support Sung! Stay tuned for a deep dive on DocZ when we see it at SEMA this week and more details on the FuguZ when it returns to ZCG for tuning.

Showtime!

 

We arrived early to the new venue at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.  This location is larger and more vendor-friendly than The Queen Mary and Marina Green of past shows. It was a a huge parking lot, and those that braved the lines to get in were treated to a J-Tin overload. Once inside we made our way to see client James and his 1972 Datsun 240Z.

 

James’s 1972 S30 was displayed in the Love20bee booth. At the heart of this beast is a turbocharged L-series managed by Haltech. Chassis upgrades include custom full-length subframe connectors, CD009a 6-speed transmission, KW Suspension, ZCG CV Axles and Big-Brake Kit (328mm) behind RS-8 wheels restored by Love20bee. Larry Chen featured  James’s Z on this episode of Hoonigan Autofocus. Inside, a stack instrument cluster was integrated into the gauge pod, viewed from leather Recaro Pole Position seats:

 
 

Recent upgrades to “Medusa” include a new tubular exhaust manifold, intake manifold and down-pipe from from ProtunerZ. We will have more installation photos and dyno results coming soon to zcarblog.com!

 

Highlights from JCCS

Enjoy this video I made highlighting the sights and sounds of JCCS 2021:

 

Why do we keep coming back to JCCS? Each year the bar is raised for the show cars, and this year was truly impressive. With over 400 cars and aisles of vendors it was almost impossible to see it all in the 9am-3pm show time. Here are our favorites, starting with Nissan/Datsun.

 

Skylines

Here are few of my favorite Nissans and Datsuns, starting with that not-so forbidden fruit commonly known as the hakosuka Skyline. Ralph Kenyon’s stunning build was the result of OCD-level attention to detail.

 
 

Ralph’s Hako received a true, rotisserie-style nut and bolt restoration but didn’t stop there. He strengthened the chassis, utilizing beefed-up suspension/driveline components to support the raging and exotic 3.5L Datsunworks twin-cam L-Series. This fuel-injected monster is backed by a Nissan CD009 6speed transmission. Take a look at that engine bay…you will find yourself discovering a treasure of details from the dry-sump tank to perfectly aligned wingnut bolts on the air filter housing. The S20-inspired valve cover, equal-length exhaust manifold, OEM hose clamps…”next level” is appropriately used here.

 
 

Roy’s ’72 Skyline now with an old-school Cartech turbo kit:

 

Rick’s GTX on RS8 wheels:

 

Mike C’s 4-door:

 

Jun’s unflared Hako:

 
 

It was great to see our ZCG CV Axles under this 3.2L, fuel-injected Hako in the Hagerty booth!

 

 

I didn’t expect to see a large gathering of R32/33 Skylines, even a 4-door! DR30 and 240k!

 
 

JDM Legends had their C110 Kenmeri Skyline on display. Now with a 3.5L Jenvey fuel-injected L-Series and 6-speed transmission. It was great to see Eric he expressed how fun it is to drive!

 

Our friend Sean and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers brought the heat to JCCS with an impressive showing of rare Skylines. It goes without saying, if you are in the market for a vintage Skyline (or any JDM car) IVI is the place to go. The iconic “BF Goodrich poster” R34 and R33 Nismo 400R were a treat to see in person:

Z Car Extravaganza

 

 

S30 Z cars were everywhere.  I’m a big fan of subtle modified Z’s but I can also appreciate pristine, bone-stock examples and the occasional shakotan build.

Stock is good. Nissan returned to JCCS with a cool display including this pristine example:

 

What a pleasure it was seeing the 2023 Z again since it was at our shop 10/23 for the public to view:

 

 

Jay from JDM Car Parts always has a fun display with RHD/JDM cars surrounded by a working model train (See video):

 

There were an impressive amount of Z’s with bodykits from Rocketbunny and Libertywalk:

 Lowered on Hayashi Racing wheels:

 
 

Loved this Z on Watanabe wheels with an L28ET:

 

Beautiful 260Z and 280Zs and a 2+2!

 
 

Andrew’s RHD Fairlady Z sitting on Watanabe “Gotti” wheels was near the Techno Toy Tuning booth. He drove it down with his Father from the Bay Area:

 

So. Many. Z’s!

 

 

The show-winning Z!  Mark and his daughter Samantha built this Z as a family project it is SEMA-bound!

 
 

Larry Chen’s 1970 SR20DET-powered Z was on display in the Leen Customs booth. It was featured on Hoonigan Autofocus and we will take a closer look at the work ZCG performed this past year including our Z Car Garage Big-BrakesZ Car Garage CV Axles on zcarblog.com:

   
 

You can find more S30s in our gallery!

S130!

 

Keeping Z31s on the map was the best display of the model I’ve ever seen at JCCS. Proudly shown right next to the Nissan display there were Kouki, Chuki and Zenki models to enjoy:

 
    
300ZR and Shiro Special sitting on white Watanabe R-type wheels:

 

The lone Infiniti sitting on Autotradas:

 

The Nissan 300ZX (Z32) was also well-represented. My favorite was a white slicktop on Nismo wheels:

Sweet 240sx/Silvias and B13 Sentras!

 

People

At the JCCS  it is always great to see old friends and meet new enthusiasts! The best part was to meet younger folks that were passionate about their rides…we need the the next generation to carry the torch for us!

 
    

Datsun Fairlady Roadsters

The Datsun Roadsters came out in full force this year, running 12 cars strong!

 

Thanh Lam’s 1964 Datsun 1500 was the oldest car present, winning the JCCS Best of Show award!

 
 

Ed’s sharp 1970 SPL sporting Enkei Compe wheels:

 
 

Eric’s show-winning ’68 2000:

 
 

The Desirello’s also displayed their SR20-powered beauties:

 
 

More roadster pics in our gallery!

Datsun 510s

 

 

Datsun 510s dominated the field as the most represented model again this year.

 

Not one but 4 Bluebird Coupes!

 

Matt of Love20bee’s Rotary-powered, box-flared 510 sitting on Tomcat wheels. Hear it run in the video above…BRAP!

 

 

Erick’s S2000-powered 510!

 

TSR-built 510s:

 
 

All kinds of engine swaps abound including Toyota 18RG, SR20, Mazda Rotary and even an LSx V8!

 
 

This 500hp, SR20-powered 510 was tune by our friend Seb at SpecialtyZ. It’s running our ZCG CV Axles and the owner is super stoked with their performance!

 

Our friend Troy’s customer won Best 510! We saw the happy new owner of Troy’s former race car!

 

Stock RHD 4-door!

Wagons!

Jun Imai’s “Kaidohouse” 510 in the GReddy booth with Work Equip 40 wheels, IRS and KA24DE-T powerplant:

 

Alex’s V8-powered wagon. He also brought a Sunny truck!

 
   
 

Toyota

Toyota always has a huge showing with AE86, Cressida, Celica’s and Corolla’s!

 
 

Great showing of RA29 (Liftback) Celicas!

 

3nd and 4th gen Celicas and Supras!

 

Wheels For Fantasy

I personally love going to JCCS because I get to see very rare Japanese/tuner wheels and parts. Preservation of authentic wheels and appreciation of the time and effort spent to find certain specimens that most folks have never heard of in this generation is what I admire most.

 

Variations on the mesh wheel from BBS, Epsilon, SSR, Volk, Bahn and more. Riverside, Autostrada, Racing Hart, Hoshino, Work, Mugen and Tomcat and Watanabe. Heaven!

 
 

Honda

EF, EA, EG Civics, CRX, DA and DC Integras, NSX and even motorcycles!

 

 

Super Sexy NSXs

 

Mazda

FC, FD RX-7s were out as well as RX-2, RX-3, REPU pickups and Miatas:

 

Many more pictures from JCCS in the gallery!

 

Farewell

 

Towards the end of the show we staged a quick photoshoot with Sung Kang and the DocZ next to James’ Medusa. It was crazy to see everyone swarm around me once they realized what was going on 🙂

 

Later, at the Greddy booth Kenji and Larry Chen indulged us for another quick photoshoot with James’s Z, FuguZ and Ole Orange Bang. You can see Rob driving FuguZ in the vide0. We are beyond happy to have our Z Car Garage chassis parts on these high-profile Z cars.

 

 

 

Thank You JCCS!

How does a show go by so fast? Just like that, the JCCS ended and we still did not explore the entire show or meet everyone. I personally think there needs to be signage or at least a map so spectators can make sure they see everything! Despite missing out on some displays there was such a great, positive energy. Love seeing families and younger generations of car enthusiasts, for all marques.

It is difficult to run a car show and keep up the quality and interest levels but the folks at JCCS have managed to do exactly that for 16 years! No other show gives you the chance to see obscure, pristine, modified Japanese classics…and we look forward to next year’s entrants. Koji and Terry, thank you for your efforts. We hope you have enjoyed our coverage and please visit our mega-gallery for more pictures.

 
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