As we celebrate the 8th anniversary of ZCarGarage I want to take a moment on behalf of myself and the staff to say Thank You! When I started this business 8 years ago I never imagined how time would go by so quickly.
Over the years we have built some really cool rides and met some great people. At the end of the day ZCG isn’t just a place that repairs and customizes Nissans it is also a way to share our love for Japanese sport cars.
You dream it and we help build it. Build it to drive it!!! Not a lot of trailer queens out of this shop.
I am ready for the next 8 years with many exciting cars and good times ahead. Please remember it is you the customer that helps us raise the bar and we wouldn’t be here without you.

Thanks for the support!
Long Live the Z

Enjoy a few pictures from 8 years back when the shop was just getting started:

Today I joined 4 other Datsun roadsters today for a drive out to the coast. We were lucky to catch a break from the rain and it was a gorgeous day! I met with fellow owners Mike and Ken in downtown Saratoga. You might remember Ken’s wicked supercharged KA powered roadster we featured earlier this year. We started driving up Big Basin Way to Skyline and it was brisk and traffic free. Here is a short video of the run up Skyline to Alice’s Restaurant:

Alice’s was crowded. We were not the only folks jonesing to get outside and enjoy the break from rainy weather. I spotted this modified Z33 with a very cool plate that read “FAIRL8Y”.  We met up with 2 more roadster owners, Rich and Corey, talked for awhile and headed down 84 towards San Gregorio.

This is a very picture-esque road that winds its way from the Santa Cruz Mtns. …[read more]

Chris H. was a Zcar owner until he made the switch to a big, fast American muscle sedan: Cadillac’s CTS-V. ZCarGarage just installed a new exhaust system and dyno’d the supercharged beast.

The  power gains just from the exhaust alone were impressive with 18hp/26tq more at the wheels for a total of 472hp/478tq! It sounds amazing too as I spotted Chris in his CTS-V motoring though traffic on the freeway earlier this week.  With over 550hp on tap it must be an easy decision to trade that distinctive Zcar burble for some V8 thunder!

Subtle aesthetic touches and performance mods make this a very special 370z. Here is Rob with the full story:

I met John M. in 2005 when he came down to ZCG to have some issues with his 350Z sorted out. He is from Folsom, Ca and makes the trek to ZCG each and every time he gets the itch to mod his Zed.  From 2005 to 2009 ZCG and John built a beautiful 350Z together with WORK wheels, Brembo brakes, Vortech supercharger and all the usual ZCG supporting mods like exhaust, cams, headers and Tein suspension. John transformed a stock Z to not only look good but also make great power and provide years of enjoyment.

 

When the GTR arrived in 2009 John made his way to a local dealer and made arrangements for his next purchase. At the last moment before commitment he stumbled into another part of the showroom and saw what would be his next Z. Realizing the limited aftermarket stuff for the R35 and the expense associated with mods a new direction was mapped out…

 

Gorgeous SSR Professor SP3 wheels with S04 tires look so right on the 370. Filling the spokes are Brembo brakes, 380mm 6 piston(front) and 345mm 4 piston(rear):

 

Killer handling and stance are taken care of by Tein coil-overs w/EDFC while Hotschkis sways and SPC F/R control arms complete the package:

 

Underhood mods include Injen dual intakes, Berk HFCs and exhaust system followed by an UPREV tune by Rob:

 

The stock Z34 has rather polarizing styling. You love it or hate it. We think a few low-key changes make the Z look sexier and who better to help achieve this than Williams Auto Body. Their “Blackout Package” includes the roof and front/rear bumper treatments. The result arguably is how Nissan should have released the 370!

 

The EDFC was mounted in the dash and a nice touch is the GT-R start button:

 

I am a huge GTR fan but after looking at John’s Z34 vision and seeing the end result I think this tag line is most appropriate…
“ Long live the Z”

I was digging through old photo albums when I found this photo from 1998. Our friend Jan T’s Datsun 510 next my ’77MGB in a school parking lot. I can still remember Jan giving me my first ride in a Dime…he would make the rear end step out on a 1-2 upshift while turning onto a street…good times!