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!

 

 

 

On June 20-22, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) will host the Corkscrew Classic vintage race at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage will participate and support several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 3. It will be a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Remember to bring your family and friends as admission is FREE for spectators!

Hoosier Tire 2.5 Challenge

CSRG will be featuring the Hoosier 2.5 Challenge TA/BS. This is an action-packed race group with B-Sedans battling for points in the series!

 

Race Schedule

Watch these Datsuns Race!

Want a glimpse of what it’s like to see Datsuns racing at Laguna Seca? Check out our 2024 race report with video and photos: HERE, and view a sample of cars expected to race June 20 at the Corkscrew Classic:

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou in his FAR Performance 240Z. This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.

 

 

On April 11-13, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the David Love Vintage races at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage raced and supported several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in the B-Sedan Group. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with in-car footage and photos

Z Car Garage Supports Five Datsun 510s

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno.

Video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Rob and Tom), Enjoy the sweet L-series music!

ZCG clients running at the David Love Vintage races included:

#7 Kelvin Tse

 

#64 Kenny Tse

 

#72 Tom Dockery (Group 9)

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. Unfortunately the car was wrecked at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage rebuilt the 510, making a triumphant return to last year’s Velocity Invitational event.

 

TOM: The David Love event was an awesome kickoff to the 2025 race season. The Historic B-Sedan group had a solid turnout—about the same size and pace as the Vintage B-Sedan/Miata Group 3. Thanks to Rob’s fantastic coaching and support, I was able to set a personal best lap time on Sunday morning and held my spot in the top half of the group. I had a blast trading positions on track with Dave Stone, Glen Chiou, Kelvin Tse, and Jeff Rothman. Huge thanks to the ZCG team for their top-notch car support and coaching throughout the weekend.

Enjoy this in-car video from Tom’s 510:

#68 and #30 Noah’s 510 and Bluebird Coupe

Noah dove his #6 Bluebird Coupe and Danny was in the #68 510:

 

Historic B & C Sedan

Photo by Alex Trang

Fellow racer Glenn Chiou co-founded the Historic B&C Sedan (HBC) with Dave Stone. This is an organization dedicated to the racing exhibitions of 1966–1979 Historic SCCA B-Sedan, C-Sedan, Trans-Am Under-2-Liter, and Two-Five Challenge race cars:

GLENN: Since 2018, we have partnered with premier racing organizations such as the Velocity Invitational, CSRG, SVRA, and others to present thrilling run groups that celebrate these iconic machines. Our mission is rooted in honoring the history, camaraderie, and spirit of safe, respectful racing—with a healthy dose of serious fun. The David Love Vintage Races were a perfect showcase of that mission. With around twenty historic sedans in attendance—including Alfa, BMW, Datsun, Mini, and more—we delivered an exhilarating exhibition of vintage racing. Partnering with CSRG and Sonoma Raceway made for a fantastic weekend shared with friends and family.While the David Love Vintage Races was HBC’s only event for 2025, we have big plans for 2026!

To learn more about HBC, our events, the cars, and the stories behind them, visit our website:
👉 https://www.historicbcsedan.com

 

The Historic B and C Sedan race was one of the most exciting run groups and Race car driver/Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Bob Finn U2.5L Trans-Am Datsun 510. This car features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and dyno tuning:

 

It’s worth noting that not unlike privateers of the period, Glenn builds his race cars, maintains and manages racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his work ethic. Glenn builds some beautiful Datsuns and we thank him for organizing the Historic B&C Sedan group to keep the spirit of Trans Am racing alive.

 

Rob Fuller recaps the event:

ROB: Ross Lindell was in the Randy Pobst National Championship-winning Miata (1992), Lora in her Miata and myself my Miata for Vintage Spec Miata. For Datsuns there was the special HBC run group that was super fun. Kenny and Noah were cooking. Kenny, Noah and Tom Dockery all got their PBs. It felt really great to get the Miata back on the track again. Lora was passing people for the first time, that’s huge milestone. We had just gone through Ross’ car and he was super happy with the setup and dyno tune. The weather was absolutely perfect and the run groups filled with beautiful cars. Glenn was out there,  Frank Z in his 510, Alfa boys Chet Taylor from SoCal. Wonderful weekend with good times had by all. The Corkscew Classic event at Laguna Seca  is coming up next. Don’t mis these (FREE) family-friendly events!

 

Vintage Spec Miata

 

The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. If you have any questions regarding prep and presentation, reach out to Rob Fuller: rob@zcargarage.com.

 

Lora B had a great time racing her Miata here is here race report:

LORA:  The weekend at Sonoma Raceway was filled with excitement, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments. Participating in the David Love Vintage Races provided a fantastic opportunity to experience the thrills of competitive racing in a historic and vibrant atmosphere.
– 9:20 AM : : Qualifying session to solidify my starting position for the race.
– 12:50 PM: –
– 1:55 PM: Race 1, which was filled with excitement and competitive spirit.
Sunday: Schedule
– 9:20 AM: Race 2, where I continued to apply the strategies discussed and aimed for a strong performance.
– 1:45 PM: Third race of the weekend, pushing for the best outcome based on the experiences of the previous races. I achieved my best outcome yet, successfully overtaking two cars at Turn 7 and another car at Turn 11, which was quite thrilling!

Overall, the race weekend at Sonoma Raceway for the David Love Vintage Races was a memorable experience filled with camaraderie, competition, and personal achievement. I was able to achieve my fastest lap time yet at Sonoma and successfully obtained my full competition license, which was a hard- fought goal. I’m so happy that I kept pushing through and finally achieved that milestone!  I am so thankful for all the encouragement and coaching I have received from Rob Fuller and the team. I hope to be an encouragement to all that I meet, to continue to follow their bliss and achieve their dreams.

You can see Lora racing here on YouTube

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

 

The CSRG events are all FREE to spectators, so bring your family and friends! Lora recalls a memorable moment:

“One of the highlights was meeting a little boy who was celebrating his fourth birthday. All he wanted was to come to the racetrack and see a race car for his birthday. It was so heartwarming to share that moment with him, and he even asked for a picture with my race car and with me, the “race car driver”! It was such a surreal and adorable experience. I think my red Miata must remind children of the red car from the Disney movie Cars! That moment was so unexpected and enjoyable”

Super cool to see our client Linda Williams’ 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate participating in the John Streets Memorial parade lap aside fellow Datsuns/Nissans.

 

…[read more]

 

On April 11-13, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is hosting the David Love Vintage races at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage will be racing and supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in the B-Sedan Group. Spectators are FREE, so come out and enjoy a weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track.

 

Z Car Garage Races Ands Supports Six Datsun 510s!

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno.

Video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Rob and Tom), Enjoy the sweet L-series music!

Here is a preview of the Z Car Garage clients running at the David Love Vintage races. Historic B&C Sedan has partnered with CSRG to showcase actual historic cars that raced in the golden era of Trans Am, B Sedan and C Sedan in Group 9.

The Corky Bell Trans Am 510 (Group 9)

 

Rob Fuller will be driving the #40 Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am Datsun 510 in Group 9 with the Historic B & C Sedans. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 52 years at the Velocity Invitational.

 

#7 Kelvin Tse

 

#64 Kenny Tse

  

#72 Tom Dockery (Group 9)

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. Unfortunately the car was wrecked at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage rebuilt the 510, making a triumphant return to last year’s Velocity Invitational event.

 

#68 and #30 Noah’s 510 and Bluebird Coupe

Noah will be driving his #6 Bluebird Coupe and Danny will be in the #68 510:

 

Vintage Spec Miata

 

 

The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. Rob Fuller will be racing his #49 Spec Miata in Group 3:

 

This is Christopher’s 1975 Datsun 280Z featuring our Z Car Garage CV Axles, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and ZCG KW coil-over suspension! He performed a meticulous restoration himself with highlights including an ITB EFI-fed L-Series, CD009 6-speed transmission and Watanabe wheels. Let’s take a look at how Christopher got into Z cars…

 

CHRISTOPHER:  The previous owner of the Z lived less than a mile from our house. I noticed it in his garage one day on the way in to work and immediately went by that afternoon to ask him about it. It was bought new in his family and given to him by his Uncle. It hadn’t ran in over five years and he was hoping to get it back running. I asked him almost every other week for about a year to keep me in mi d if he ever decided to sell it. He eventually moved for work and was forced to sell the car…

 

…My wife was the first to tell me and I was pushing the car to our house that afternoon! I got the car running after a few months and drove it stock for a year or two. After moving down south and the car being exposed to high humidity, I decided to restore the car and take care of the body before things got out of hand. What began as a tear down to have the car repainted, turned into a full nut and bolt restoration that overall took just under six years to complete.

 

Drivetrain

 

Christopher’s fanatic attention to detail really shines in the super-sanitary engine bay. The stock L28 uses Jenvey individual throttle-body fuel injection (MegaSquirt ecu) with parts from Datsunspirit and ProTunerZ. He made a mount for the IAT sensor, installed @fuelinjectorclinic injectors, @robsperformancemotorsport fuel rail, and @radiumengineering bits (fuel pressure regulator, gauge, and two petcock drain valves for the catch cans). More photos in the gallery below!

 

CHRISTOPHER: The goal of the build was to highlight and improve what was already great about the car. I wanted the appearance, weight and simplicity of a 240 with the drivability, performance, and rigidity of the 280. I was inspired by GT3s and similarly was seeking to build a light weight, naturally aspirated car with ITBs and and a quality exhaust. The car now weighs 2400 pounds and I wanted to ensure only quality items were installed (OEM or better).

 

Below: At Moore Performance dialing in the ITBs. Chris plans to re-visit the dyno to squeeze more power with a different CAS sensor.

 

The exhaust includes a Z-story header and custom piping fabricated by Tyler Dorsey. Below, also visible are T3 coil-overs, LCAs, and Z Car Garage CV Axles:

  

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

  

CHRISTOPHER: I heard about ZCG from various Datsun Forums before I purchased the car. Rob and ZCG were known for their passion with the S30 and the research and development that went into every product offered. I chose ZCG for the lower control arms, brakes, suspension, and coil overs because I wanted a cohesive setup that was developed in a way that ensured every component worked in harmony with each other and improved the S30’s driving characteristics, not change it.

  

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

 

  

CHRISTOPHER: Early on I considered more outrageous options that were popular within the community. But after researching those companies, and the reviews of their products further, it became clear that was not the direction I preferred to take. A lot were over engineered and under tested, over complicated, or unnecessary. Ultimately, I chose ZCG after numerous conversations with Rob where he spent time breaking down his own personal opinion and the shop’s research to highlight where other options may over engineer products to the detriment of the car or may not unlock the full potential of the chassis. I liked that he was honest with what he thought was worth upgrading and what wasn’t necessary. It was obvious he cared and wasn’t out for just a profit. He lives these cars.

 

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:

 

CHRISTOPHER: The installation was a breeze. Uniquely for this project, Rob and I talked early on (almost five years ago) about testing ZCG’s ability to develop and deliver products beyond the west coast. We began this venture as a means to begin testing the various elements of that process logistically. For this, Rob also wanted to demonstrate how ZCG was capable at recommending, assembling, and shipping complete components to the point that it removed much of the work and guessing from the consumer. Rob’s hope was to prove that if someone wanted the complete setup (engineered and proven by ZCG over years of experience), a customer could essentially order the catalogue and receive a complete solution delivered to their front step. That’s exactly what happened with this.

 

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!

 

Z Car Garage CV Axles and KW Suspension

  

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. Christopher’s ZCG CV Axle set, #0457 installed by himself:

 

Detailed shots, note how clean his work is!

CHRISTOPHER: Not only does ZCG already provide extensive installation guidance (70 plus pages of instructions for the brakes alone that cover everything from torque specs to bleeding procedures), but, for this, he assembled and shipped each corner fully assembled (spindle, wheel bearings, coil over, and camber plates). I was able to install the whole assembly into the strut tower, the lower control arms, and attach the brake lines and the corner was complete! Having this work done by Rob not only saved me time, but also gave me the piece of mind that these critical pieces of the chassis were done right and by someone with decades of experience. From there it was installing the ZCG CV Axles and I was then off to the remainder of the build.

  

KW x Z Car Garage Coil-over Suspension

 

Christopher installed our KW V3 suspension, complementing the ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles nicely. Details on our ZCG KW V3 coil-overs will be covered in a dedicated blogpost coming soon.

 

CHRISTOPHER: The KW V3s offered by ZCG are the most valuable investment I’ve made in the car (and I’ve replaced nearly every bolt on the car at this point lol). Nothing has affected the performance and drive of the car as drastically as the coil overs. The Z is smooth on the highway and is able to carry momentum through corners like never before. I can’t wait to get it out on the track this spring. Couldn’t recommend them enough. Wether it’s the brakes or the suspension, ZCG has formed relationships with the partners that matter and have a proven track record in the auto industry. There’s nothing else like it period.

 

Interior

 

Chris’ phenomenal work extends to the interior where original surfaces were refurbished or replaced with OEM parts.

CHRISTOPHER: I chose to put the original luggage riser vinyl back in as I really like the original small diamond pattern better than the newer options. Also installed the rear quarter panels I bought off @sportzwerks and refurbished which never came with the car. Feels good to be bringing it back better than it was. Pretty cool to see the refinished dash frame from @vintagedashes  in the car as well as the dash cowl with @speedhut gps puck installed. The 6-speed shift knob is from @thedavemason:

 

Enjoying The Ride

After a long journey Christopher is driving his Z! Follow his build on Instagram and see it in action in the video below, volume up!

 

CHRISTOPHER: Moving forward I plan on getting the z out to meets and on the road! It’s going to be driven! I found a lot of the suppliers that helped with Nissan’s heritage program when the 350Z was released, and took the time to create what I hoped to be a quality build that maintained the character of the S30s with components that not only perform but will last another 50 years. The result isn’t blistering speed but a visceral driving experience in a truly timeless car.

 

Thanks for your support Christopher we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below.

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:

   

…[read more]