John B has been with us for many years. We featured his 1971 Datsun 240Z back in 2013 when he visited Z Car Garage for a mechanical overhaul, dyno tuning and Panasport wheels:

 

In 2020 he returned for our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and more sorting. Since then he’s been Enjoying the Ride and recently completed his first track day at the world-famous Laguna Seca. Enjoy his track day report and read on for a summary of work we performed over the years.

John’s Track Day at Laguna Seca

 

JOHN: Here’s a report on my Track Day at Laguna Seca on 29 Nov 2025, with some history of my Z cars.

The event was hosted by Turn8 Racing on Saturday 29 Nov. It was my first time, so was a member of the Beginner run group. I brought both of my Z cars but only drove the 1971 240Z on the track. There were many other types of cars in the run group, some new ones like a 911 G3 and a new Ferrari, but there was one other 240Z.

 

The first couple of runs were “lead-follow”, where we followed an actual race driver around the track to learn the proper race-line through the curves. For the remaining runs we were free to attempt to find the race-line on our own, which happened occasionally for me. It’s pretty obvious when I did not have the race-line since I was either in the dirt or was quickly approached by traffic from behind. I found the slower I went the easier it was to find the race-line. The Beginner run group only allowed passing on a couple of the straights (for this event), it was my track during the turns and my chance to learn to find the race-line so I felt it as ok to go slow.

 

Of course, once in the straights, everybody passed me. By “everybody” I mean EVERY car on the track. They may have been going faster, but I was having a blast with my 240Z on the track. My smiles per mile was high.

 

My favorite turn was turn 9, the sweeping left-hander out of the corkscrew. Probably because it’s challenging to judge the brake/coast/accellerate adjustments since the next turn (10) is slower right turn. It’s nice to “have” the whole track during the turns at the Beginner run group to try different approaches. The whole track is great, it’s Laguna Seca man! What fun.

 

I want to go back with my 1977 Lotus Esprit to see if I can beat my lap time in the 240Z. I expect that the Esprit will have faster laps since it seems to accelerate quicker out of turns and is closer to a race car than the Z. I had ZCG inspect the 240Z the week before the event to ensure that the brakes were up-to-snuff. They performed well, as expected since both of my Zs have the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes.

 

ROB: John asked me about doing his first track day in his 240Z. I think the interest came from attending our Vintage Racing Events with his girls, eating snacks and hanging out at the track. I said why not? You’ve got brakes that can handle it and we know the car is safe. We did a tech-inspection on it, made sure everything was good to go and yes, John Bunker drove his S30 on the world famous WeatherTech Raceway also known as Laguna Seca. Good job John keep on loving the Z we can’t wait to work for your girls someday.

The Z Cars

 

ROB: We met John around 2012 and did a bunch of work to his 240Z. He later acquired a 280Z and 280Z 2+2 so his daughters could ride with him. Both of these S30s have our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. John and I have the same passion for music and he is just exactly why I love my job: he’s passionate and spends time enjoying and driving his Z cars. He also has a vintage Lotus that we’ve done some work on.

 

JOHN: The 240Z is a 1971 model built in Oct 1970. My mom bought it in 1978 and I’ve been driving it since 1980 (45 years, yowza). My siblings and I used to ride in the hatch. (Why a mother of six bought a two-seat sports car is a point of discussion amongst us). It was her daily driver until about 2000 when she started having trouble getting in and out of it. She put about 250K miles on it and replaced the L24 engine with a rebuilt one from a 260Z. I bought it from her in 2005. In 2013 ZCG went through it and made it run as it should. We installed the Big Brake Kit, Panasport wheels, new tires, new headers, exhaust, and a suspension upgrade including Techno Toy T/C rods. It now has about 275K miles on the road and about 40 on the track.

 

The other Z is a 1978 280Z. It was originallly owned by my mom’s neighbor. He traded it to my brother for some custom furniture in 2000. I bought it from my brother, then sold it to my niece, who sold it to her brother. It sat in the driveway of his mother (my sister)’s house for a few years until I bought it from my nephew in 2019 where it went straight to ZCG for a Big Brake Kit, new Panasport wheels, tires, and a suspension upgrade. It has about 195K miles.

 

Both are daily drivers, mostly. I can’t take my two daughters in them (well, not legally), so it’s usually just me in the car going to work. There is a third Z car, a 1976 2+2, intended to take the whole family, but we will not talk about that here. These are multi-generation family cars. The goal is for my girls to continue the Z-car tradition when they get older.

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

 

In 2020 we installed our ZCG Big-Brakes on John’s 240Z, giving him the ability to brake on a dime, perform well and daily drive. This is the same brake kit as seen on “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car (above).

 

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

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 John’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. The Z also received suspension parts from Techno Toy Tuning including their adjustable T/C rods.We really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

   

ZCG Big-brakes up front:

  

T3 T/C rods and new brake master cylinder/booster, clutch hydraulics:

 

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality retained!

  

Enjoying The Ride

Photo by Alex Nibyt

We love seeing John in his Z cars locally, doing kid drop-offs and other daily driver duties:

 

He also joined us on Tokyo Calling 5 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. More photos in the gallery below.

 

Thanks for your support John and Long Live The Z!

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Happy Birthday to Joel Anderson who passed away in 2021. Joel would have been 84 years old today and we miss him dearly. He was an immensely talented graphic artist and successful privateer Datsun racer with regional and national championships all over California. See Joel’s racing career and learn how he helped us enter the world of vintage racing in our tribute HERE

 

For Sale
1993 Nissan 300ZX T-Top 2+2
5-Speed manual transmission
Glacial White Pearl Glow color
98,470 miles
Maintained since 2022 by Z-Car Garage
$14.5K obo

Naturally aspirated Z32 in (VIN: JN1RZ26H9PX537766). Excellent condition. Only 2 owners. No accidents. Original equipment, except for Pop Charger installed in 2022. Vehicle has been stored in garages. Maintained since 2022 by Z-Car Garage (maintenance records can be provided). Timing belt replaced at 93K miles. All new sport tires installed at 93K miles. Drives smoothly. Mechanically sound. Air conditioning, cruise control, electric mirrors all work flawlessly. Minor wear on driver’s front seat from entry/exiting. Located in Walnut Creek. See more details on our FOR SALE page.

 

Turki A. purchased a set of Panasport Wheels from Z Car Garage and recently shared his Z story with us. We are an authorized Panasport dealer with have limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car. Before we show you how a set of these 16×7 wheels look on almost every Z color imaginable, let’s hear about Turki ‘s 240Z…

 

“My passion for the Z started when I was very young. I was always fascinated by my cousin’s Nissan 300ZX Turbo, and that car shaped my love for the Z family. After many years, in 2020, I bought a Nissan 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition in gold and black, number 217 out of 3000 produced worldwide.”

 

“Later, I decided to pursue my dream of owning a 240Z. I found one that had been sitting unused for many years, purchased it, and began a full restoration project in 2023. I completed the full restoration in November 2025, and the car is now fully renewed and better than ever.”

 

Turki recalls how he found ZCG and eventually purchased a set of Panasports from us:

“I was searching for wheels for my 240Z, but none of the options I found really impressed me. I asked a friend of mine from Kuwait, Wail, who has long experience with Nissan Z cars. He recommended Panasport wheels and told me they would be a perfect match for the 240Z. Based on his advice, I contacted Mr. Rob at Z Car Garage. The experience was excellent, and he helped me with everything. The wheels were shipped smoothly from the U.S. to Dubai, and I am extremely happy with the quality and classic look they add to the car.”

 

Enjoying the Ride

 

Turki has been driving his Z everywhere and shared these photos from Dubai, more in the gallery below!

 

Enjoy this video of Turki’s Datsun 240Z wearing the new Panasport wheels:

 

The Panasports do look fantastic on this #115 Metallic Blue 240Z. Thank you for your support Turki, glad you are Enjoying The Ride!

  

Panasport wheels for your Z car

    

Treat your Z to a brand new set of Panasport wheels! We special order this offset to enable fitment of a 225/50/16 tire on the 1970 to 1978 S30s.

Pricing: $1500 a set of (4)

Contact us to order: rob@zcargarage.com or call 408-452-0350 Limited availability (pallet pictured).

 

ZCG Parts: Panasport Spare Wheel/Tire for 70-78 Z Cars

 

We are also proud to offer a matching Panasport spare wheel/tire setup for your Z! For more info can be found HERE

 

Wondering how a set of Panasports would look on your Z car? Please enjoy pictures below of ZCG customer cars in jus about every color imaginable with Panasport wheels:

 

This is Matthew’s 1973 Datsun 240Z featuring our Z Car Garage KW Suspension. He has kept the car mostly original aside from chassis and drivetrain upgrades including a triple-carb’d L-Series, Watanabe wheels and Recaro seats. Let’s take a look at how Matthew got into Z cars…

 

Matt is from Calgary, AB and we know him through his father, Rob from many years ago. Our good friend Herbert was selling his original paint, 87k-mile 240Z and Rob noticed it on zcarblog.com leading to his acquisition.

MATT: My Z car story is a family affair that began at a young age. Growing up, my parents both owned Z32 300ZX convertibles — which, incidentally, is how our connection with Z Car Garage began in 2004 when Rob and the team at Z Car Garage did a pre-purchase inspection on one of the Z32 Convertibles before being imported to Canada. We were active in a local Z car club in Calgary, Alberta, attending events with the 300ZX. At the time, the 350Z was new and exciting, and I even had a poster of one on my bedroom wall.

 

But to truly understand our story, it’s important to go back even further. When my dad was a teenager working at a local gas station, he fell in love with an orange 240Z with a white interior that often came through. He was 18 at the time and never forgot that car. Fast forward to 2009, when Rob from Z Car Garage called and told my dad he had to buy a 1973 240Z that had just been featured on ZcarBlog.  My Dad flew down to Seattle, WA to pick up the car and drove it back to Calgary, AB. I was 15 then, and I vividly remember working on the car with my dad. We replaced the dash with an original, uncracked one, fixed a minor oil pack leak, and made lasting memories at local car shows and events.

 

When I turned 18, my dad gifted me half-ownership of the Z. Unexpected circumstances forced us to sell the car in early 2012. By then, though, I had fully caught the Z car bug. I spent the next year or so searching high and low across classified ads in the U.S. and Canada, but nothing quite compared to our Z. On a whim, I posted a “wanted” ad on our local classifieds, using the most recent photo I had of the car. Then, in March 2014, I received a message that simply said: “Hello, I own your old car,”…followed by a phone number. We exchanged a few emails and calls, and they even sent me a photo of the car’s current condition (below, March 2014).

 

On April 5, 2014, I picked up the car and drove it straight to my dad’s house. He didn’t know I had bought it back. I drove past the house, and he spotted it from inside. I don’t think I had even parked before he was out the door, beaming with excitement. Not only had I gotten back into a 240Z — I had brought home our 240Z, the same one we had built memories with years earlier.

 

From 2014 onward, the car remained largely untouched. Matt was finishing university and starting his career, and while he drove it when weather permitted, the Z mostly stayed as it was. Behind the scenes, he was always dreaming of how he’d eventually build it — period-correct modifications, all reversible, in case they ever wanted to return the car to stock.

 

In 2021, he began collecting parts for the build. He started with a second set of suspension components, which allowed him to send the spindles and hubs out for the KW coilover conversion and have other parts powder-coated or zinc-plated.

KW x Z Car Garage Coil-over Suspension

 

Our Z Car Garage KW Suspension is available in limited quantities. These coil-overs offer game-changing performance suitable for street, track and daily-driving for your S30 Datsun Z car. View the suspension installed on Sung Kang’s RB26DETT-powered Datsun 240Z, Larry Chen’s SR20DET-Powered Datsun 240Z, James’ turbocharged L-series powered Datsun 240Z, Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z and more client cars HERE. For more information on ordering and pricing please contact RobATzcargarage.com.

   

MATT: I first came across KW’s Classic segment on their Instagram page in 2021, which featured the 240Z platform. A few years later, I reached out to KW and learned that Z Car Garage would be the exclusive dealer for the kit. Given my family’s long-standing history with Z Car Garage, it was an easy decision to contact Rob and place an order.

 

The installation was straightforward, though slightly more involved than on a modern car due to the need to install bearings into the hubs. I also opted for the KW adjustable top hats, as I planned to run 16×8 +0 Watanabe wheels and wanted to avoid rolling the fenders in order to preserve the car’s originality.
The first drive revealed a night-and-day difference compared to the stock suspension—firm, yet compliant enough to maintain comfort for street driving. Although Z Car Garage ships the KWs with a recommended out-of-the-box setup, we ended up softening the settings slightly to better suit the rougher roads in Calgary, Alberta, which are no match for the smoother roads in California.

 

In the corners, the car feels extremely planted, with excellent turn-in and feedback. With my current setup, the grip provided by the suspension and tires far exceeds the car’s power output, making it an absolute joy to drive and toss around in corners. Before installing the KWs, I drove more conservatively, hesitant to push the car too hard. Now, with the upgraded suspension, my confidence—especially in corners and at higher speeds—has grown significantly, allowing me to truly enjoy the full potential of my Z car.

 

It took a couple of years to gather everything, but with the help of a good friend — who also happens to own the local performance shop, VEX Performance in Calgary — the build finally started coming together in July 2023. We removed the old suspension and replaced it with freshly powder-coated components and, of course, the KW suspension. The engine bay was cleaned and prepped for the new Fujitsubo exhaust and triple Weber setup.

 

But the moment it all came together was when the car was lowered onto the ground, sitting on its new Watanabe wheels. That’s when it hit me — a rush of emotion. The same Z my dad bought in 2009, the one I brought home in 2014, had finally become the car I’d dreamed of for years.

 

Thanks for your support Matt! We love that you are building and enjoying your dream Z car! What’s next?

MATT: As of 2025, the Z is exactly how I envisioned it. I take it to local Cars and Coffee events, car shows, and the occasional late-night meet. As for future plans — they’re still up in the air. I’ve considered going EFI, or maybe even an OS Giken TC24 build someday. But for now, I plan to Enjoy the Ride.

 

Build Sheet:

Engine/Drivetrain
Triple Weber DCOE40
Kameari Exhaust Sheild
ITG Air Filter w/ Carbon Backing Plate
Fujitsubo Super Ex Header
Fujitsubo Legalis R Exhaust
Koyo Radiator
Malpassi FP Regulator
Nismo Fuel Pump
STI R180 3.54 LSD

 

 

Suspension
KW V3 Coilovers w/ Camber Plates
Endless Front BBK
T3 Rear Control Arms
T3 Front Tension Rods
ST F/R Swaybars
280ZX Rear Disc Brake Conversion
SuperPro Bushing Kit

Wheels/Tires
Watanabe R Type 16×8 ET 0
Watanabe Electron Lock Nuts
Continental ExtremeContact 225/50R16

Interior
Recaro Classic LX

 

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