Frank’s 1975 Datsun 280Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, full suspension refresh, 240Z bumper conversion and Panasport wheels. Before we dive into the work let’s see how Frank and Patty found their Z car…

 

FRANK: Our 1975 280z was affectionately nicknamed “Charlie” in 1978 when we became the third owners of the car. I was 22 at the time and my parents had promised to help me buy my 1st car when I finish college. My girlfriend Patty accompanied me down to San Jose to look at the car and test drive but more accurately she had to do the test drive of the manual transmission because I only knew how to drive an automatic transmission. I think I made up the story that the 280z was for my “little sister!” From that moment on that Datsun Z became part of our lives. A short while later we drove “Charlie” on a nice day trip to Monterey where I proposed and I even wrote Patty a note promising that if I ever screw up our marriage, the Z is hers. Talk about a unique prenup!

 

Anyway “Charlie” has always been with us often as a daily driver to school, work or sometimes to Sears Point to watch that actor race for Bob Sharp. Servicing was usually done at Z Doctor in Richmond or Hayes Auto in the city but as the years went by and these places closed we started to rely on neighborhood service station mechanics.

 

Fast forward 37 years later, approaching retirement and a big move to San Diego one of my work colleagues who races Miatas asked me if I had ever heard of a fellow vintage racer Rob Fuller who does wonders on Z’s out of his shop Z Car Garage. After exchanging a few photos, Rob agreed to take on a new project. Luckiest day in “Charlie’s” life!

ROB: Frank was a doctor at a SF hospital and his colleague (Matt) was racing Spec Miata as a newbie while I was racing full-time SCCA in 2022, no longer taking any work in.  So through a racing connection I was able to take in their car. We performed extensive work on Charlie: injectors, header, ZCG exhaust system, all hydraulics, clutch, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, heater core, 240Z bumpers, full suspension and 16×7 Panasports.

Suspension

 

The suspension was refreshed with Techno Toy Tuning parts done in ZCG black finish. KYB strut inserts with Eibach lowering kit, T3 control arms, tension rods, urethane bump stops, rack bushings, control arm bushings, ball joints , f/r wheel bearings, ST sway bars, mustache bar bushings…everything was powdercoated or zinc plated.

Before/After:

 

More chassis photos in the gallery below!

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Frank’s 280Z. 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 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 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

  

Frank’s stock disc/drum brakes were removed and we installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit.

 

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. New OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

   

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 250 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Frank’s ZCG CV Axles set #0047 shown below:

   

New motor mounts, tranny and diff mount. The differential was resealed:

 

Panasport Wheels

 

Complementing the new Big-Brakes on Frank’s Z are Panasport wheels! We installed 16×7 Panasports with 225/50/16 tires and performed an alignment:

 

Engine

 

We knew the car would be stopping and handling better than before, so next up was the engine bay. Once up and running we found the head gasket weeping. We replaced the head gasket, did the front timing chain set and refreshed the top end:

 

A Koyo race aluminum radiator with upper and lower hoses was installed to keep temperatures in check. The heater core was refurbished:

 

Beyond cooling and fuel system work, the engine was largely untouched to maintain factory reliability. The intake manifold and all associated plumbing was cleaned up and injectors replaced. We replaced intake and exhaust manifold gaskets with factory Nissan parts with a few ZCG tricks like our exhaust nut and exhaust studs.

 

New alternator before/after:

 

New evap canister:

 

The exhaust manifold was replaced with a 6-into-1 header and EGR kit leading to our ZCG exhaust system with stainless resonator and slash-cut tip.

 

Engine bay Before/After:

VIDEO

Frank and Patty’s 280Z in action on the street, volume up and enjoy!

 

S30 World Fuel Tank

We decided to start fresh with a new S30 World fuel tank.  Great product from owners Gustav Oplasnik and Chris Visscher, Z enthusiasts/restorers.  All the vapor hoses in the back were replaced and hatch weatherstripping to eliminate fuel smell in the cabin:

 

Interior

 

Recaro Specialist seats in leather are our favorite upgrade to the S30 interior:

 

Another upgrade to the interior of an S30 is our ZCG sound deadening package. The result is a less tinny sound and almost Germanic-like “clunk” when you shut the doors. All weatherstripping was replaced on Frank’s 280Z:

 

240Z Bumpers

Frank wanted to clean up the exterior lines and replaced the large, factory 5-mph bumpers with chrome bumpers from a 240Z. We installed aftermarket F/R bumpers after our man William closed up all the holes and finished the paint work. Enjoy the before/after photos with more in the gallery below.

Rear:

  

Front:

 

Enjoying The Ride

  

We shipped the Z back to Frank and Patty in their new home down in San Diego. They were super stoked with the ZCG work performed and immediately began driving the car. Their first car show was The Main Street America car show in July put on by the Corvette Club of San Diego. Over 400 cars with a Datsun category.

 

FRANK: Rob and ZCG basically made our 280Z the awesomest most fun to drive ever. The list of replacements and improvements is too long to list but basically incredible upgrades with ZCG BBK, suspension rebuild with KYB struts springs, new bushings, ball joints tie rods control rods sway bar etc… and ZCG 2.5 exhaust system, ZCG CV axles, all new hoses, Koyo Race radiator with belts and so much more! Cosmetically a new head turner with 240Z style bumpers, beautiful bigger wheels with sticky tires and Recaro seats that are the envy. Again so many upgrades a long list but needed and appreciated. “Charlie” is faster, handles better, brakes with authority and what a tone!

Patty and I will always be grateful to Rob for his expertise, Z enthusiasm, honesty and did I mention sweet singing voice. A true pleasure to work with.

 

 

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below:

    

Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!

Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Christopher’s beautiful S30 and his ZCG Big-Brake installation:

  

Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. Chris successfully installed the BBK on his Z and they look great behind the 16×8 (zero offset) Watanabe wheels with 225/45/16 Toyo tires. Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! This is a direct result of working with Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments.

   

CHRISTOPHER: The car feels planted like never before. Our family also has a fully restored 73 240 that is an excellent OEM example. Where that car feels stable and drives well, there’s no denying the age of its component and it drives like a seventies sports car.  The 280 feels like a modern sports car and inspires confidence. The brake pedal communicates exceptionally well and the balance of the calipers bring the z down from speed a rate well beyond most cars today. The light weight of the S30 and the size of the ZCG big brakes is an unreal combo!

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On Saturday, August 30 we attended the Tokyo Calling 5 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 featured 280+ 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 5 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into monthly events with one hour of hanging out followed by several hours of driving. 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, Tokyo Calling 2, Tokyo Calling 3 and Tokyo Calling 4 were all a blast. We did not want to miss their fifth all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC5. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Sonoma, here is a preview of our cars:

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with Jenvey ITB EFI, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, full suspension refresh, 240Z bumper conversion and Panasport wheels.

Mrs. Butters

 

I drove Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z. This Series 1 S30 features a 3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW Suspension.

 

John’s Datsun 240Z

It was great to see our client John Enjoying the Ride in his 1971 Datsun 240Z featuring our the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles.

 

Linda’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

Linda Williams drove her 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate. Z Car Garage revived this historically-significant Z from its slumber to make it a nice driver for Linda while retaining its survivor status. She loves driving it everywhere.

 

Our morning caravan of 6 cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 and 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 parked at a local airport. BCR hosted a “social hour” 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 20 S30 Z cars were present!

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 10 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!

 

Another ’67 2000, this one is #072!

  

Mark’s right-hand drive ’69 2000:

  

High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:

 

Datsun 510

There were several Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510, and this time he brought the entire family in their mint 510 Wagon!

 

More 510s:

  

Back to Z cars, Lora joined us with her recently acquired 1971 Datsun 240z. This one-owner  Series 1 S30, affectionately known as “Buttercup” has been with Z Car Garage for many years. Excited to share her Z-car journey on zcarblog.

 

It was a pleasant surprise to see our client Geoff in their rally-inspired 1972 S30 . Over 5 years ago we installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!. They are returning to ZCG for a 6-speed transmission swap and triple carbs!

 

Jason Dove’s 280z featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Jason is a long-time friend and client, full report coming to zcarblog.com.

 

See the gallery below for more S30 Z car photos!

 

A Z31 300ZX attending, in turbo form!

 

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. There were several Z32TTs in attendance!

 

Paul’s B13 Sentra S-R

 

There were a handful of S13, S14 and S15(!) 240SX:

   

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

Super happy to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 5. 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.

 

Nissan Skyline

 

It was great to see Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W.. Both will be getting updated zcarblog features.

 

Mike’s R32 is looking sharp, now wearing silver TE37s:

 

Fred’s R34 GT-R in Bayside Blue:

 

A Hakosuka (C10) Skyline:

 

Enjoy this walk-around video from Tokyo Calling 5:

Rally On!

Photo by Zack Hubbell

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. I really enjoyed hustling Mrs. Butters through the backroads. This route was a bit longer than previous TC events at a 130+ miles.

  

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:Nathalie Mossberg, Kevin Lee, Alex Nibyt, Zack Hubbell, Emma Lai and Chris Friske.

 

We took a midpoint break from the heat in the historic town of Winters. Lots of cars to see and great chatting with fellow enthusiasts.

  

The rally concluded back in Sonoma airport, where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. We enjoyed Japanese comfort food  surrounded by J-Tin and vintage aircrafts.

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

Honda

 

Honda was well-represented including late model DC2 Integras, a few NSXs, lots of S2000s, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

 

Mazda

A rare Mazda Cosmos was a real treat to see. First-gen,  FC and FD RX-7s, and many Miatas attended:

  

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!

   

I don’t think I’ve seen this many 2nd-gen A60 Celica-Supras on one place!

       

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Generations of Land Cruiser:

 

Thanks BCR!

 

Many thanks to the Breakfast Club Rally 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.

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us and braved the heat! 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…

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The ZONC Annual Car Show will be held Sunday September 7 in Brisbane, CA. This a fun event in a great location so bring out your Z, G, Datsun or GT-R! Pictures from previous shows can be seen HERE with more details below. Z you at the show!

 

 

Enjoy these photos from previous ZONC annual Car Shows:

  

 

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, full suspension refresh, 240Z bumper conversion and Panasport wheels. Before we dive into the work let’s see how Frank found the right Z car…

 

FRANK: My best friend (shout out to Mike Springer) in high school had a 77 Datsun 280Z and that is where my love affair began. I’ve owned a 260 and 510 back in the day and always told myself I’d have a really nice Z one day. Just before covid, I saw NASSTY Z (show below), driving around south San Jose and got a chance to ask the owner (James) where he had his work done. He mentioned Z Car Garage. Note to self.

 

When covid hit I ventured out on my own and found a 240Z to start my project. Took it to Z Car Garage and got the worst news ever. Turns out the bones were no good and ended up losing money and the fire to keep going. About 2 years later the fire came back. I hit up Rob and told him I needed his help. We talked about what I wanted and we picked a car that Rob had in his possession for many years. A one owner, blue 1978 280Z with 58k original miles. Rob was waiting for the right person to come along…and that was me.

 

ROB: A few years ago I bought a low-mile 1978 Datsun 280Z from the original owner. I worked on this car since I was in my 20s and it sat dormant. Got it up and running and just kinda hung out here waiting for a friend, and that friend was Frank Moody. Let’s backup. I met Frank in 2021 when he bought a 240Z that was in bad shape. Even though we had not met before I told him straight up this isn’t the Z for you. Let’s move on and wait for the right one. Frank bought the 280Z and we started working on his vision.

 

Maybe it was fate, as Frank saw this 280Z featured in one of Larry Chen’s Autofocus episodes back in 2020. The video highlighted ZCG client Trevor’s 1978 Datsun 280Z , and soon-to-be Frank’s 280Z is examined as a great canvas to begin one’s journey as an alternative to the 240Z. Let’s dive in to the work performed to help Frank achieve his vision for the Z…

Suspension

 

The suspension was refreshed with a full Techno Toy Tuning coil-over package done in ZCG black finish, with Koni dampeners , T3 control arms, tension rods, ball joints, rack bushings and new F/R wheel bearings.

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Frank’s 280Z. 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 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 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

  

Frank’s stock disc/drum brakes were removed and we installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit.

    

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. New OEM Nissan master cylinder and Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

 

240Z Bumpers

Frank wanted to clean up the exterior lines and replaced the large, factory 5-mph bumpers with chrome bumpers from a 240Z. We installed aftermarket F/R bumpers and our man William laid down some new paint. Side trim was also removed. Enjoy the before/after photos with more in the gallery below:

 

Up front:

 

Panasport Wheels

Complementing the new Big-Brakes on Frank’s Z are Panasport wheels! We installed 16×7 Panasports and Falken Azenis tires in 225/50/16. The Z was fully aligned, and you can also see the ZCG exhaust system below:

 

 

We’ve been working on a spare wheel and tire solution for clients running our Z Car Garage Big Brakes (or any larger than stock brake kit) on their 1970-78 S30 Z cars.  Since the factory 14″ spare wheel will not clear big-brakes, we are proud to offer a 15″ Panasport wheel and tire combo that will fit perfectly in the spare tire well. In addition to great looks this setup is also significantly lighter than the factory spare.  This is one of those small things we love to offer that make your Z enjoyable on long journeys.

 

The 15″ Panasport wheel runs a 155/80/15 tire and fits perfectly in the factory spare well area. Below is a comparison with the factory 14″ spare:

 

We love how the 15″ Panasport spare looks. Here it is mounted on our client Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240Z (vin #1762) with 16×7 Panasport wheels from Z Car Garage with a 225/50/16 tire:

 

Z Car Garage 15″ Panasport spare wheel with a 155/80/15 tire:

 

Side profile with the 15″ Panasport spare:

 

Easy clearance on Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (or almost any larger brake-kit):

 

The 15″ Panasport wheel and tire combo (32lbs) offers a significant weight savings of 8lbs over the factory spare (40lbs) setup!

 

Rear view showing difference in tire width. 15″ spare (top), 16″ (bottom):

 

More photos of the 15″ spare on different cars including like Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z

 

Retail cost of the wheel will be $250, giving you the option to choose your own tire. To purchase the BF Goodrich tire in 155/80/15 the price is $145+ freight.  Wheel/tire package deal will be $395+ freight. Limited availability, contact the shop and get yours today!