We love to see our parts installed and used on client’s cars. Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our ZCG CV Axles in this IMSA GTU 260z race car!
Glenn is preparing for the upcoming Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion event at Laguna Seca. A half shaft failure is not something he wanted to worry about while racing so he replaced them with ZCG CV Axles. Glenn installed set #367 himself with ease:
The Different Drummer Z
Glenn Chiou is our client, fellow racer and friend. He was one of the first to run our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes on his RHD 240Z and actively vintage races both 510 and Z cars. You may have seen Glenn’s FAR Performance 240Z in VIPS Restaurant livery as raced in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence. Glenn restored this race car himself and it is now going back to Bay Area Datsun Dealers livery as raced by FAR Performance privateer Walt Maas.
Glenn’s got a passion for re-telling the stories of legendary privateer Z car racers and his current restoration project is the Different Drummer Racing Z raced by Greg Sorrentino. This is a really cool race car with great history and build details behind it.
Chassis # RLS30-000024 is a July 1973 pre-production Datsun 260Z chassis that was sold by the factory for one dollar in 1975 to Different Drummer Racing, owned by Greg Sorrentino of Troy, Michigan. It was one of the very first Datsun 260Z chassis and was built by the legendary American fabricator, Ron Fournier. This Z car has been consistently raced for the last 40+ years in IMSA GTU, SCCA Trans-Am, and C-Production/GT-2 classes.
In 1975, the Datsun Competition Department agreed to support Greg Sorrentino’s IMSA GTU racing efforts by providing him a pre-production Datsun 260Z. Once in Sorrentino’s hands, it was left to his all-star lineup of builders to help him build a frighteningly fast IMSA GTU car:
Chassis preparation was to the skilled hands of legendary metal fabricator, Ron Fournier
Suspension duties were left to Mac Tilton
John Knepp of Electramotive Engineering built the motors for Different Drummer Racing
The DDR Z in action at Portland International Raceway in 1979:
You can read more about the official history on this Z as documented by Glenn here:
As usual, Glenn’s painstaking efforts and diligence result in a faithful restoration…where parts are not available he has gone to extraordinary lengths to re-create pieces from historical photos…all from his garage at home.
Thanks for your support Glenn! We we will be rooting for you at the Monterey event!
Z Car Garage CV Axles
Over 130 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world. For more information please visit our detailed post our HERE. Below are just a few examples of race cars running out CV Axles:
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.
We have several exciting projects at the shop that will get full reports on zcarblog.com. This is only a brief sample, please tune into our Instagram story for more sights and sounds.
Return of the #46 BRE Datsun 240Z!
The BRE #46 Z is back from paint by our man William and it is finally getting the hand-painted livery applied at the shop as I write this. You may recall that the Z was flipped on to its roof with John Morton at the wheel racing at the 2019 Classic 24hr race at Daytona International Speedway
The Z will be re-assembled, dyno tuned and tested in a few weeks at Sonoma with our hero John Morton and Rob Fuller! Super amped to see #46 back in fighting form and very happy for owner Randy Jaffe. Check our IG story to see the livery being applied by hand, this is a lost art and incredible to watch.
1970 Salt Flat Racer Datsun 240z
This historically significant 1970 Datsun 240z was built by a team of Nissan employees to compete at Bonneville in the F/GT class. In 1976 their efforts resulted in a new land speed record of 166.037 mph, which stood unbroken until 1985. This Z resided in the Nissan Museum and is now in the care of Randy Jaffe. Lots of neat details the Z 432R seats and G-nose. More to come! Big thanks to Randy and Nissan for letting us bring this Z back to life. We just finished the exhaust and dyno tuning,
One of many Z32s we are working on, Steve’s will get a full report soon as well as the Stillen SMZ:
Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z returned for a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake and CD009a 6-speed transmission:
Several S30 Z cars are getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) like these two 280zs:
This is a 1972 Official OMS Pace Car Duplicate. It is at present one of only two known survivors. Fifty were originally produced by Nissan Motors to commemorate the DATSUN 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 “U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship”. This one belongs to our long time customer and friend Linda. More to come!
B-Sedan Datsun 510s!
Larry Oka’s B-sedan is getting built and prepped with our Z Car Garage CV Axles. The Corky Bell 510 is also scheduled for a full restoration:
R32 Skylines!
Mike’s R32 GT-R is back for turbo, fueling and exhaust upgrades, full report soon! #TETUESDAY
We just got this really clean R32 GTS-T in:
Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G
We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning, “popcorn” maps. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:
LONG LIVE THE Z! Check out our Instagram story for more updates!
One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and customers again for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2020 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:
ZCG will be closed from 12/23/20 and we will re-open for business on 1/5/21.
Before we take a look back at highlights from 2020, here several exciting customer projects coming along at the shop:
We also upgraded the interior with leather Recaro seats and sound deadening. Stay tuned for a full report!
Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z returned for a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake and CD009a 6-speed transmission:
Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240z is back for a 3.0L engine and tuning, we can’t wait to show you the dyno results!
This historically significant 1970 Datsun 240z was built by a team of Nissan employees to compete at Bonneville in the F/GT class. In 1976 their efforts resulted in a new land speed record of 166.037 mph, which stood unbroken until 1985. This Z resided in the Nissan Museum and is now in the care of Randy Jaffe. Lots of neat details the Z 432R seats and G-nose. More to come! Big thanks to Randy and Nissan for letting us bring this Z back to life.
One of many Z32s we are working on, Steve’s will get a full report soon:
Highlights from 2020
Even though 2020 was crazy year for all of us we still managed to have fun on and off the track. The shop made some really great progress as well.
Enjoy these highlights from 2020 and Z you in the New Year!
We love to see our products being installed and used on customer cars. Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running our latest ZCG Heat Shield in this vintage 260z race car!
A few close-ups of the ZCG Heat Shield, this piece is serial #0025:
A short background on this 1973 Datsun 260Z from Jim:
“This car was built in the winter of ’77-’78 and its first event was the Portland Rose Cup in June 1978. The Portland Rose Festival’s queen, Tina Klassy, was photographed with the car and featured in local advertising for the event. The car competed in SCCA CP class mainly in events on the west coast and ran in the SCCA National Runoffs twice with sponsorship help from Carlos Vercelli, owner of well known Datsun specialty service shop “Carlos Garage” in Fullerton, CA . It was campaigned successfully at a national level, including a 3rd place finish at the SCCA runoff’s. Survived in its original production class specification and bodywork throughout the entire time. It received a cosmetic restoration in 2015 and was put back into its original Carlos’s Garage livery and currently runs vintage events across the country today.”
At the 2018 RMMR we were happy to see Carlos Vercelli (red hat) supporting the Z with driver/owner John Murray:
Anytime Jim and the crew from Racecraft are in the area we love to help tune their cars. They had just installed a new engine in John’s 260z and Rob dyno tuned it. It was great to see our heat shield on the Z and the guys from Racecraft build some really fast, beautiful cars. Turn those speakers up!
The ZCG Heat Shield is available for purchase at $169.00 with product information below. View this product and other ZCG parts on the new “products” page of our website HERE
ZCG Heat Shield
We are excited to offer the Z Car Garage Heat Shield for your triple-carb’d L-series Z car. This is a one-piece 304 stainless unit with laser-etched serial number. Proven on all of our L-series engine builds and dyno testing.
This heat shield will fit Mikuni, Weber, Dellorto and Jenvey induction with several intake manifolds like the Harada:
Jim Froula also runs our Z Car Garage CV axles on several of his vintage race cars, check it out!
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.
We are pleased to report that Jim will also be installing a set on his “George Alderman #32” 300ZX! The ZCG CV axles are also perfect for high hp street cars which can be seen in the link above.
Z Car Garage Big-Brake Kit
Our ZCG Big-Brake kit is the last stop in braking performance for your S30.
ZCG Big-brakes and T3 coil-overs replacing stock setup on Brian’s 1973 240z:
View these products on the new “products” page of our website HERE, stay tuned for more innovative parts from Z Car Garage!
We met Cece in 2018 when she contacted us for help with her 1977 280z. She had been a customer for many years at ND Autocare and when Joe Chester shutdown…she stopped driving, fearful that having a vintage car meant you were susceptible to breakdowns. With the right combination of parts and experience a 280z can be as reliable as (dare we say) Honda’s of the 80’s. Datsuns just can’t be killed. Cece’s Z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay clean-up, total suspension rebuild and more.
Cece’s Z Story
She has owned the ’77 Z for 27 years, here is the story behind it:
“I was first introduced to the Z car in 1976 when I was in high school, a friend of mine drove a 1973 240 Z. I always liked cars and found the Z to be unique. In the mid 1980s, a Z car was not in our budget nor was it practical for a family with two young children. In the early 90’s while I was working full time and raising my family, I went back to school and earned my college degree. As a graduation gift to myself, I began my search to purchase a Z car. A friend who was a master technician for Nissan, suggested I look for a 280Z as they were fuel injected and had less problems than some earlier models. In 1993 I found an ad in Auto Trader for a 1977 280Z that was 16 years old, had low mileage ( for a car its age), for sale by the son of the original owner and at a price point I could finally afford. “
The seller gave me all the service records, original bill of sale from the dealer, the original service manual, etc. At least I knew where the car had been and what maintenance had been done on it. I felt fortunate that this car had been well taken care of. In 1999 I had the car painted, got new tires and wheels, replaced the faded interior carpet and had the seats recovered. I drove the car on weekends and tucked it under the car cover in the garage during the week.”
During the last 5 years Cece did not drive the car as much since it was becoming less mechanically reliable. She heard about ZCG through the Z Owners of Northern California Car Club and made an appointment with us in January 2018.
Taking the Z to the next level: Drivetrain
Cece came down to ZCG to discuss the project. We made a plan to give her Z much needed love and began work in the summer. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine and engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!
Engine
The tired engine was removed and we built an L28 with mild cam and clean-up work on the head.
New L28:
With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay. Everything was zinc plated and powdercoated. New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts.
All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up:
Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:
An MSA exhaust header was installed:
This was a 4-speed car, so we went ahead and grabbed one of the 5-speeds from Rob’s stash. This low-miles assembly was installed:
A JWT aluminum flywheel and heavy duty clutch backs the L28:
Oil pan detail:
With the new engine/transmission and a KOYO race aluminum radiator installed, more detail work was performed:
MAF/hose/hardware detail:
Engine bay restoration, before/after:
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the tired L28 and rebuilt engine. Baseline was 118hp/139tq and after tuning the new engine made 146hp/156tq to the wheels:
Suspension
The goal of this project was to give Cece a Z that she could drive wherever and however she wanted, worry-free. We replaced all of the hydraulics and front/rear suspension assemblies to match the new driveline. All suspension was either zinc’d or powdercoated:
We installed KYB strut inserts with lowering springs, Suspension Techniques sway bars, Techno Toy Tuning adjustable rear lower control arms, TC rods, and rack bushings. We do offer a full coil-over setup for track day/performance-oriented customers, and this spring/strut upgrade for those that want a better stance with improved handling.
Before/after suspension refresh with T/C rod and steering rack detail:
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:
ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Cece’s 280z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and also upgraded to Z Car Garage CV Axles! These products have 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
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 went ahead and got Cece dialed in with the ZCG big-brake kit for small wheels with parking brake and a new brake booster/master cylinder. More pics in the gallery!
Front brake installation:
At the rear, the OEM drums brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!
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 70 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
Cece received ZCG CV Axle set #255.
Panasport Wheels
Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind Panasport wheels in our offest allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires. We replaced the old-school wheels with 16×7 Panasports and Bridgestone S-04 tires:
We think the wheels are a huge improvement:
Cece was pleased with modifications and repairs:
” After having Rob go thru my car in detail and run a compression test on the engine, he suggested a mechanical restoration of the car, to make it more reliable and so that I would be able to drive it anytime and anywhere I wanted. I brought the car to Rob in July and he transformed my car into a mechanical work of art.”
Details
We sorted a few additional items like repairing a past distributor issue, installing new motor mounts and alternator/starter assemblies. The little things are what we excel at though like a fully restored A/C system retrofitted to R134A (blowing 41 degrees out the vents!), battery cables, a Momo steering wheel and full stereo system:
Enjoy this short video of the Z:
Enjoying The Ride
Cece was super stoked on her Z and immediately started driving it everywhere. She was even spotted at Alice’s Restaurant after cruising on the famous twisty Skyline Rd. She also attended the ZONC Annual Nissan/Datsun car show in Brisbane, CA. Here is a message she sent Rob:
“—–Original Message—– From: Cece B Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2018 3:59 PM To: rob@zcargarage.com Subject: Sunday ride – Alice’s RestaurantSteve & I took the Z on a nice long drive today down Highway 1 to Pescadero Road to Highway 84 & 35 to Alice’s Restaurant. The Z did not disappoint. It was an awesome ride & the Z performed excellently hugging the road. “
” Rob is very passionate about what he does and every car has its individual personality. My car turned out amazing! Now I have a vintage Z car that is fully restored and I am able to drive it without worrying about its reliability. From Nissan’s TV ad campaigns from 1996, “Any car can get you where you want to go, a special car can get you there with a smile on your face. Life is a Journey, Enjoy the Ride”. And as for Mr. Rob Fuller of Z Car Garage, he ends every communication he has with you with , “Long Live the Z”. Thanks to Rob and his staff at the Z Car Garage, these iconic Japanese sports cars are able to exist, and their owners are able to continue their journeys and thoroughly enjoy their rides. Long Live the Z!”
We really had a great experience working with Cece. We love that with husband Steve they are one of those couples that have been together for a long time and they’ll be together forever.
The best part of this job is the people and their stories. Taking somebody who has the same passion as us and delivering them something they can enjoy and drive gives us immense satisfaction. With updates like real suspension and brakes that can hang with any late model car, the headaches commonly associated with vintage car ownership disappear. From a well-versed Z owner to someone who just like the way a Z looks, let us help you achieve your vision of the perfect S30! More pictures in the galley below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
