James’ 1972 S30 is back on the road. At the heart of this beast is a turbocharged L-series managed by Haltech. Chassis upgrades include custom full-length subframe connectors, CD009a 6-speed transmission, KW Suspension, ZCG CV Axles and Big-Brake Kit (328mm) behind RS-8 wheels restored by Love20bee. Inside, a stack instrument cluster was integrated into the gauge pod, viewed from leather Recaro Pole Position seats:
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!
Filed under: 240z,260Z,280Z,Parts
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on May 22, 2025
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!
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.
