Michael C is a new Z Car Garage customer and he came in for track day prep on his 2005 Z33. To keep him planted in his seat and focused on driving we installed and a Graffiti Motorsports “K” Harness Bar and Corbeau Racing LG1 seats:
The harness bar installs cleanly and the design allows for full seat travel:
Stock vs Corbeau:
We also installed a Stoptech Sport Kit to handle track duty and a fresh set of sticky Bridgestone RE-71R tires.
Michael is stoked because the combination of harness bar, seats and 3″ 5-point harnesses all help keep a keep him in place instead of constantly fighting lateral forces. Let us know how we can help you with track prep on your car!
Remember when Nissan built cool cars in 90’s? They gave us the Skyline GT-R, 300zx Twin Turbo, Silvia/240sx and this rare little pocket-rocket: the Pulsar GTi-R. Based on a standard 3-door Pulsar, the GTi-R variant was built solely for Nissan to enter the World Rally Championship series. With all-wheel drive and SR20DET power, it followed in the footsteps of the Skyline GT-R and earned the nickname “Baby Godzilla”.
This particular example, shown above with Alex’s R32 GT-R in the background, belongs to Gary S. It has just over 22,000 miles on the odometer and it is mint. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting design features of this little beastie.
Up front: A huge hood bulge with intakes dominates the frontal view and feeds a factory top-mounted intercooler. In back: a large roof spoiler and tail lights almost reminiscent of VW Golf GTi (MK2) units:
The interior is Nissan-simple. Note the factory auxiliary gauge set in center stack:
The Pulsar caught the eye of Mike Garrett and Speedhunters earlier this year, find the article HERE
Here is a short video of some the neat details like the power folding mirrors, hidden umbrella holder and some driving:
A few years ago Gary discussed how cool it would be to have one of these stateside and eventually it made its way from Japan to ZCG. His plans: make it the perfect little commuter with a few bolt-ons!
From the factory the GTi-R was a potent performer combining lightweight (2700 lbs) and 227hp, enabling low 5-sec 0 to 60 and 13-sec 1/4 mile times. The SR20DET has almost endless potential but also responds well to simple bolt-ons.
Gary didn’t want something too crazy…he’s already got the OS Giken TC24 Datsun 240z and a 500hp Z32 (featured soon) to soothe his power cravings. Our first order of business was to change the Japanese-spec battery with a US-spec unit. Next, we installed the AM Performance downpipe and midpipe, APEXi air filter, z32 MAF, Aeromotive 340lph fuel pump and Nistune ECU upgrade.
The main problem with high powered GTi-R is that the gearbox internals and the case are subject to great forces and can fail under heavy use (above, left). The SM solution uses a strengthening collar to prevent the gearbox from cracking. Installation pics below:
The Pulsar was treated to a new set of chunky and sticky Falken Azenis 14″ tires. Coil-over suspension is next on the short list of future mods. For now, Gary has been Enjoy The Ride with a major grin while piloting Baby Godzilla around town!
Martin B has owned this 1991 300zx Twin Turbo Z for a very long time. With 237,000 miles on the clock he visited Z Car Garage for the first time in 2013. The difference between a general repair shop, an independent repair shop and a Z car expert is a big deal on a Z32 because it is a car that you can get behind on quickly. If you are not well-versed in this chassis you will throw parts at it endlessly, often leading to more repairs.
After more than two decades of working with Nissans, the crew at ZCG have got it down. The 90-96 Z32s are some of the raddest Japanese sports cars of the era. We know what to do and what not to do. For Martin’s first visit we corrected the knock sensor and harness, replaced the clutch with a JWT HD unit, turned the existing flywheel, replaced center support bearing, clutch M/C, power steering hoses and corrected rack bushings:
JWT Clutch and flywheel
Heater core repair:
We installed a few suspension parts including new adjustable camber arms:
The transmission had several leaks needing attention:
After 237k miles the driver’s seat had seen better days so we rebuilt it from frame to padding and sent Martin on his way…
Later that year, after enjoying the car with the ZCG touches he felt that it earned a place in his collection. With 240k miles on clock, we removed his engine/transmission for a rebuild using a Rebello VG30DETT with JE pistons, Eagle rod and balanced with ACL bearings. Full engine bay harness service as well. Many more pictures of the build in the gallery below!
All hoses and parts in the engine bay that are relatively inexpensive were replaced while the engine was out:
The drivetrain is installed and buttoned up. A clean Z32TT engine bay is a treat to look at, despite the complexity:
On the dyno the freshened engine made 318hp/320tq to the wheels:
It has been since 2013 and Martin’s Z now has 255k mile on the clock. We touched up everything and added some Work Emotion wheels (not pictured).
