Last weekend was beautiful and sunny in the Bay Area, perfect for a quick drive in Sora, our 1967 Datsun 2000 roadster. I joined Geoff in his 1963 Lotus Elan and Glenn Chiou in his Honda Civic Type-R (FL5).
We met in downtown Saratoga and admired Geoff’s recently acquired 1963 Lotus Elan S1. It’s sporting 26R-spec wider bodywork and interior pieces.
The hardtop is the most sharp-looking I’ve seen on a 60’s roadster (this is not a coupe!) and those are real Knock-on wheels. Dyno tuned at Z Car Garage. We’ll take a deep-dive into this English gem in a full report coming to zcarblog.
We headed up HWY9 to the Vista Point where the skidpad hosted some great hardware as usual, including these two Porsche (993) 911 Turbos. The Arena Red car had 195k miles and the Polar Silver car sported Advan GT wheels and Andial-built GT2-spec engine.
Vanity plate award goes to this BMW 1M:
Geoff was happy to see a fellow 7-owner. This one clearly powered by a Hayabusa motorcycle engine:
An NC Miata wearing Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R wheels…we thought it looked great!
From there we drove down HWY9 to Boulder Creek and headed home via Bear Creek Rd. There was an usual (and welcome) number of Pre-War “Ragtime Racer” cars out and about!
Enjoy the sights and sound of our 60’s sports cars in this video:
At home, Geoff kindly indulged my obligatory driveway photos. My family also witnessed a car that’s actually smaller than the Datsun Roadster!
Sora performed admirably, making many people smile this weekend. Enjoy the photo gallery below and Do It In A Datsun!
At Z Car Garage we love keeping Z’s on the road. From concours-level restorations to light refurbishments, making a client’s goal a reality is our passion. Beau brought his 1976 Datsun 280Z from Castro Valley, Ca for a full cosmetic and mechanical restoration, ZCG-style.
Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a new drivetrain, full suspension and body restoration transformed this S30. Before we explore the work performed, let’s take a look at how Beau found the Z car of his dreams…
Z Beginnings
BEAU: I am the second owner of the car – the original owner passed away and the children decided to sell the car. I saw it posted on Craigslist and knew immediately that this was the car for me. My brother-in-law took it on a test drive and it performed great, appeared to be in good condition – no rust, dings or signs of being mistreated. The owners told us that there were several interested buyers but the first person to show up with cash would get the car. We scrambled to quickly find cash at 6 PM in the evening and headed back to purchase.
The Z Car Garage Touch
Shortly after acquiring the car in 2018, Beau joined the Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) and asked for recommendations on a mechanic.
BEAU: Everyone that I spoke with recommended that I connect with Rob. He is an artist – not just a mechanic. As such, the process takes time and involves patience. That patience is rewarded with a car where all of the details are considered and thought through. Rob listened to all of my requests – a car that looks like it came off the factory floor in 70’s but with performance, handling and upgrades that reflect what is possible today.
Above: The 280Z prior to restoration in 2018. Let’s dive into the transformation…
Bodywork
Following the mechanical restoration in 2018 (below), Beau was ready to build his own custom Z car. As with most folks he started seeing these hot-rodded 240Z cars around, and a full cosmetic restoration started…
BEAU: I wanted the car to appear more like a 240z (which I could not find at a reasonable price) – so, Rob removed and replaced the bumpers and added 240z tail lights. For casual fans of Z cars – it is not easy to tell that my car is a 280Z.
ROB: We made a plan with William to modify the front/rear of car to run 240Z bumpers and side mirrors.Beau was really keen on our client Randy Jaffe’sRocketbunny Z, so the 280Z was finished the same color: Porsche Tangerine Orange:
With fresh trim and bumpers, it really is difficult to distinguish Beau’s 280Z from a 240Z:
BEAU: I wanted to note that we’ve named the car, “Orange Julius” – somewhat inspired by Larry Chen’s Ole Orange Bang and Randy Jaffe’s Rocketbunny Z which I saw at Z Car Garage and was floored by the color. The process took nearly 3 years and I endured a lot of questions from friends and family about when the car would be done – my patience was rewarded! Thank you Rob!
Drivetrain
Beau acquired his 280Z from the original owner with 50k miles. We started a mechanical overhaul so he could enjoy driving it. A 4-core radiator upgrade is something we do anytime a car has an automatic transmission along with cooling line replacement. Beau wanted more power so the stock L28 was bored and stroked to 3.0L by Rebello with forged pistons and light port work:
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. The 3.0L still utilizes the factory EFI and intake manifold that was cleaned up and powdercoated:
MAF/hose/hardware detail:
Engine bay restoration, before/after:
We installed our full ZCG Exhaust system with slash-cut tip:
Dyno Tuning
Rob dyno tuned the Rebello 3L/Automatic transmission making 161hp/175tq at the wheels, a significant gain over the stock L28:
Enjoy this video of Beau’s 280Z in action including the dyno run, test drive and drive-by:
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 200 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Stock half shafts and Beau’s ZCG units shown below:
Suspension
A full suspension refresh was performed, including coil-overs (Koni), T/C rods and control arms from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.
All front and rear suspension parts were powdercoated:
We bagged/tagged every nut and bolt for plating along with fresh hydraulic lines for the chassis:
Z Car Garage Big-Brakes
We are proud to have several of our ZCG products on Beau’s 280z. We installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) which have the been standard on numerous ZCG builds.
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!
Panasport Wheels
Complementing the new coilover suspension on Beau’s Z are 16×7 Panasports with Bridgestone S-007a tires in 225/50/16. Our ZCG BIg-Brakes also look great behind the wheels!
Interior
With the Z back from paint/bodywork we installed the interior, door panels, windows and all new weatherstripping. A complete dash restoration was performed with full HVAC/ducting using a reproduction piece from Vintage Dashes. ZCG has done several Vintage Dashes installations and we thank Ivan Jaramillo for making a cost-effective product for Z cars.
Recaro Specialist seats in leather are our favorite upgrade to the S30 interior. Beau enjoys modern creature comforts like Bluetooth, back-up camera, power steering and full sound system:
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:
Details
The little things are what we excel at. Below, fuel cap plating with drip gasket, 240Z OEM mirrors and stainless window trim, microphone for hands-free Bluetooth mounted near steering column. Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!
The Transformation
Beau’s 1976 Datsun 280Z before and after:
Driving is Believing
ROB: This is a full ZCG-style restoration top to bottom and the best part is that Beau has been Enjoying The Ride. The Z has so many details/features in it and we are just happy to make his dreams come true. He comes back for a 1,000 mile checkup soon… and it’s back on the road again.
BEAU: From the exterior, I wanted the car to look as original as possible but I wanted better handling, more power, modern braking and some nice amenities like the back-up camera and power assisted steering. I wanted the car to be as original as possible – so, the engine was restored/upgraded by Rebello, many of the original parts were cleaned and re-plated and I stayed away exterior modifications like fender flares.
BEAU: Right now, I’m just enjoying the car. Nearly every weekend I go on rides with my 10 year old daughter and my son and I just attended the Tokyo Calling 3 and had a fantastic time taking turns driving the car and seeing what others have done to their Zs. At some point in the future, I’d like to replace the 3 speed automatic transmission with a more modern transmission.
We loved seeing Beau driving his Z on the Tokyo Calling 3 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. He’s attended a few more of their drives as well:
BEAU: After the restoration was completed, I met up with the children of the original owner to have them see the car and they were floored by the work. It was great to drive in the car with them and hear their memories of growing up with the car. They were delighted to see the car have a new life with me and my family.
More good news…Beau purchased a 2023 Nissan Z to complement his 280Z!
Thank you for entrusting us with your S30 Beau it was a pleasure working with you. LONG LIVE THE Z!
Last Saturday Z Car Garage gathered a group of vintage cars to attend Cars and Coffee at SIM Racers Group in San Jose. We had a great time and thank everyone for hanging out with us. Thanks to Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) for hosting! Enjoy the photos below.
We caravanned from Z Car Garage around 8:15am with close to 25 cars!
Arriving at Sim Racers Group with 40 cars and good times. We enjoyed chatting with everyone and testing our skills on the simulators.
Here are a few Z Car Garage clients in attendance:
Larry Chen’s SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z is back at Z Car Garage. He dropped it off from SoCal for a few more wishlist items. Stay tuned for updates on this Series 1 S30 featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech), ZCG CV Axles, KW suspension and dyno-tuned SR20DET.
Filed under: 240z,Events,Parts
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on December 27, 2023
We love to see our products being installed and used on client cars. Armon is running our Z Car Garage Heat Shield in his 1973 Datsun 240Z that he rescued and restored on his own.
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. Also available for 4-cylinder L-series applications as well!
The ZCG Heat Shield is available for purchase with product information below. View this product and other ZCG parts on the new “products” page of our website HERE
Save Classic Cars
Armon is a car enthusiast passionate about keeping classic cars on the road. “Save Classic Cars” is a platform he created to share his love for vintage metal and foster the DIY spirit in others. You can catch his adventures on Instagram. Let’s hear from Armon himself about the rescue of this 1973 Datsun 240Z…
The Rescue
ARMON: “I actually remember looking into 240z’s when I was 16 years old- I’m 28 now. At the time, I wanted something classic that I could tinker with and drive throughout high school. Most of the Z cars listed for sale had some level of rust, which in hindsight, was nothing compared to what I would eventually get my hands on. I eventually gave up and ended up buying a classic mustang (then another, and other, etc). I still wanted a Z car, but didn’t actively search for one due to the price- the days of the “cheap” 240z were long gone in my book.”
“Last August (2021), I went on a walk in my neighborhood with my Dad. We spotted a Z car tucked away behind a pile of firewood just 800 feet from my house. I came back the next day and introduced myself to the neighbors- the gentleman who owned it bought it in 1989, paid someone to tune it (which made it run worse), and subsequently parked it in 1991. The car sat there for 30 years and became one with the earth- it had sunken into the ground, a tree had grown up next to the door, there was moss growing on the paint, rodents living/dying in it- the poor thing was a mess. The owner told me he wanted to sell it- I got excited and bought it on the spot (in hindsight, I probably should have at least opened the hood).”
Bodywork
“With the help of a few buddies and a truck, we dragged it out of the ground and down the street to my house. It turns out the person who did the tune up didn’t gap the points. It was running the next day, I actually drove it to the previous owner’s house the following week. The car ran incredibly well- someone had swapped in an L28, regeared it with 3.90’s and added the Mulholland suspension package.”
“Beyond that, it was an absolute mess. Floors, firewall, frame rail, floor supports, toe boards- all toast. It had been hit hard on the passenger side and poorly repaired. I fell in love with this car after driving it, I decided that I wanted to keep it and fix it. I stripped the car down to a shell, built a frame jig, and made the car whole again; literally. Oh, all of the metal work and mechanical restoration was done in THREE months. As fun as that was, I think I’m going to need a little break before I take on something like that again.”
Drivetrain and Chassis
“The cylinder head was rebuilt with a more aggressive cam and larger 280z valves, triple-Webers, and then completely resealed. Many Z enthusiasts mentioned adding a heat shield- I didn’t think much of it until I watched one of my Weber’s drool some gas onto the headers. A quick email to Z Car Garage and I was on my way home with a new heat shield! It looks great and keeps the Webers cool.”
Close-up view of the Z Car Garage Heat Shield beneath Armon’s triple-Weber induction setup, this unit is serial#00258:
With the engine taken care of, Armon added T3 front control arms, T/C rods and ST springs (courtesy of ZCG) along with replaced bushings throughout:
“I then sourced a 280z 5 speed and some Datsun comp style seats- my crusty (but solid!) go kart was ready to take on the world. Future plans? Continue flogging it! I’ve been driving my 240z every chance I get. I’d like to grab some stickier tires and hit some track days, it’s been an absolute blast to drive around town and in the mountains.”
Enjoying The Ride
We love that Armon drives his Z everywhere. He’s joined us on local events and gatherings like the Breakfast Club Rally. Their “Tokyo Calling 3” event (above) was ~300miles of fun through beautiful Sonoma backroads. (below) Meeting up with our client Dirk and his 1973 Datsun 240Z:
Armon followed through on his plan to track the Z, enjoying it an HPDE at Thunderhill Raceway. He also took the Z to an Autocross event at Sonoma Raceway.
Enjoy this video of Armon’s 240Z in action…
More photos of Armon enjoying the Z after rescuing it are in the gallery below…happy to see him at Nick’s birthday party:
Alexey Orlov captured the sound and experience of driving the Z in this video below:
It’Z a Small World
Z-car ownership often comes with some interesting stories from previous stewards. Armon was reunited with a former owner of his Z and it’s neat story:
ARMON:“That’s not just any 240z. That’s MY 240z! I recently met with the gentleman who owned my 240z from early 70’s to 1989- it turns out he lives half a mile away from me. He gave me the full story and sent me a few pictures from back in the day- it’s incredible. He [John] bought the car from the original owner not knowing of all of the hidden accident damage, then had a buddy weld it up (he never looked back, the car drove fine). Every few years, John would get bored, strip the car down to bare metal, and repaint it a different color in his parents garage. It’s been metallic brown (original color), red, yellow, green, black, and white- all with psychedelic 70’s stripes and graphics. He swapped in the L28 short block when the original L24 died and he would go to the legendary FAR Performance to buy his parts.”
“John was very excited to see his 240z in person after parting ways with it over 30 years ago. Every time he’d see something on the car, he would remember another story- it was incredible. The best part? He’s a Bay Area local and used to take this 240z up highway 9 and Alice’s regularly. It’s truly come full circle. This car is a textbook example of why classic cars are more than just…Cars! I’ve been an advocate for these things for a long time and I will never stop spewing my classic car propaganda. They bring people together, build communities, and remind us of good times. SAVE CLASSIC CARS and keep them on the road where they belong!”
Thank you for your support Armon we are happy to see our Z Car Garage Heat Shield on your S30. Long Live The Z!
2024 marks the 20th Anniversary of Z Car Garage. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and clients for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2023 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:
ZCG will be closed from 12/21 through 12/26 and we will re-open for business on 1/2/24
Client Updates for 2024
We had a busy year and though the shop will be closed, we won’t leave you hanging for the holidays. Many zcarblog features have yet to be published like our belated race report from the Velocity Invitational in addition to client stories. Before we take a look back at highlights from 2023, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:
Both Ryan and Beau’s Datsun 240Z cars left the shop recently. Ryan’s Z has LS3 V8 power while Beau’s 1976 280Z has an L28 with stock EFI. Both cars feature our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech), Z Car Garage CV Axles, Recaro Specialist seats, A/C and dyno tuning. Full features on both coming to zcarblog.com!
Ken’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z (#1762) is getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles, KA24 5-speed transmission and Fujitsubo exhaust. The L28 now has Jenvey ITB EFI managed by a Haltech 750:
Kevin’s Nismo 350Z got full KW V3 coil-overs and Recaro seats and more:
Kurt’s Kenmeri Skyline is in for sorting. We also helped Dirk prepare his ’73 Datsun 240Z. Full reports coming to zcarblog.com, enjoy the photos!
Rashid lives in Dubai and his Datsun 240Z is getting 3.2L L-Series with pH44 Mikuni induction and exhaust header, ZX 5-speed transmission, OS Giken 4.11 LSD, Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) and 16″ Panasport wheels:
David’s 1972 Datsun 240Z is getting a Rebello 3.0L, 240SX 5-speed transmission and 4.11 OS Giken LS. It is also getting our Z Car Garage KW coil-over suspension and already has our V1 (328m) Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Both cars will feature the T3 steering rack that we are big fans of:
Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! It is now getting a new dash and Jenvey EFI
Nissan 300ZX (Z32)
We have several Z32 NA and TT cars currently at the shop. Gary’s Twin Turbo (above) just got a new set of BBS LM wheels. Full update on this car soon! Paul Ferrari returned to ZCG since we completed his Epic Z32 Build in 2017. He’s ready for ethanol, after running this car on race fuel for many years. We will be installing dual fuel pumps, BDE top fuel rail and all the fixings:
Kevin’s Slicktop Z32 is in for a driver’s side window replacement and some touch-up. Love this Z with WORK wheels and Stoptech Big-Brakes:
Cameron’s Z32 is here for maintenance work and 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 have him back.
William’s Z32TT is getting 740cc injectors, downpipes and more:
Hakosuka Skyline
Sebastian’s Skyline is at the shop and we are doing a suspension refresh, engine work adapting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech) to this Hako. We hope to offer this in the future for C10 clients.
Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car is getting a CD009 6-speed transmission, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, coil-over suspension and track preparation.
Datsunworks
Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. You can read all about it HERE. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary’s Datsun 240Z, who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast affectionately named the “Behemoth”. This car has been sold and we will update you in the New Year
Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G
We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:
R35 and R32 GT-R
R35s in for service and upgrades. Mike and Kurt’s R32 GT-Rs got power and chassis upgrades deserving their own blog features:
Race Cars
Several race cars to report on including the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z, Glenn Chiou’s Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510 (sporting ZCG CV Axles), the Corky Bell Trans-Am 510 and more!
Highlights from 2023
Even though 2023 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 the year and Z you in 2024!
Click on each link or photo to see the full features!
Huge thanks to Nissan for giving us the opportunity to experience the 2023 Nissan Z. We finally took delivery of our Performance 6MT in April:
The Bring A Trailer Datsun 240Z
To celebrate their 100,000 listing, Bring a Trailer is auctioning their 1973 Datsun 240Z, prepared by Z Car Garage. Finished in Lime Yellow (#112) paint over black vinyl upholstery, it is powered by a numbers-matching Rebello Racing-built 2.7-liter straight-six with triple Weber 40 DCOE carbs. The total sale amount for the auction will be donated to the Piston Foundation, a nonprofit that will use 100% of the funds to help young technicians build rewarding careers in the collector car industry by funding programs in the skilled trades.
Colonel Gary’s 1978 Datsun 280Z
Enjoying The Ride
Mike’s 1970 S30
At Z Car Garage we enjoy both modifying Z cars and restoring them back to factory spec. Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z came to us from North Carolina and we delivered it in July. This ’69 production VIN#193 is a beautiful driving example of how wonderful these cars were from the factory.
Vincent’s 1973 Datsun 240Z
Stan K (VIN #511) and Tony H’s Series Datsun 240Z cars came in for mechanical sorting, interior work and Z Car Garage CV Axles
We are stoked to see our #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240z currently on display at ZCON this week. It’s in great company next to our clients Linda Williams and her OMS Pace Car Tribute and Mike’s Fairlady Z432. Photos by Gary Savage.
