The stories behind every Z car and their owner play a huge part in our love for keeping them on the road. The Nunes family has owned this 1978 Datsun 280Z 2+2 from new, starting with Gilbert and soon to be passed on to his son Dillon. This S30 was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay restoration, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles, total suspension rebuild and more.

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We admire the 280z cars (see Cece, Greg and the Roth’s builds) and met with Gilbert to discuss his needs. Updating the Z while preserving the exterior patina was the vision. First, let’s take a look at the Nunes’ family history with their Z.

From Father to Son to Grandson

Gilbert recalls how he got the Z:

“It was Christmas of 1977 and my parents decided to reward me for doing good during my first year of College at San Jose State. On Christmas Day by surprise I was handed a little box with keys in it. They knew I wanted a sporty car, but they had their own requirements. My dad wanted it to be an automatic, and he wanted a back seat so our whole family could fit in the car. The first attempt at buying a 280z didn’t work because of a dumb salesman at Downtown Datsun…

 

…They went there and asked to look at the Z’s however the salesman didn’t want them to buy a Z thinking they were too old for one. So they went to Stevens Creek Datsun and found a salesman who was dying to sell a car since Christmas was close. So in no time at all they found a automatic 280Z 2+2. I had no idea of the color or exactly what I was getting when I pulled up to the dealership, but I was very happy with the car.”

  

Gilbert would daily drive the Z that he got from his parents for 30+ years. His son Dillon grew up in the back of the 2+2 and has fond memories:

“My dads 280 is actually still in his possession, it will be left to me some day. I have a lot of stories from growing up in this car, mainly being a little kid and my dad letting me ride in the backseat with no booster seat because the seats are small enough. I remember of my dad driving my sister through a decent sized flood making sure she made it to her piano recital, all in the Z…

 

…I was very excited about getting my Dad’s car restored (it’s something we have literally talked about for 20 years). I’m not sure how he heard of Z Car Garage but I know I have been going there almost all my life. My earliest memory at ZCG was at a Friday car meet (Our 5th Anniversary gathering) where bbq burgers and hotdogs were being served. I was about 12 years old, and loved seeing all the Z’s and other Nissans, especially the GT-Rs.”

The Nunes family dropped off their beloved 280Z at the shop and the transformation started.

 

Drivetrain

Gilbert’s Z received a total engine bay restoration along with upgrades to the driveline for smoother driving and improved torque. Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!

Engine

 

A fresh 2.8L  “street” engine with replaced the tired L28 (above), new L28 below:

   With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay. Everything was zinc plated or powdercoated. New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts.

 

Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:

 

An MSA exhaust header was installed. Powdercoated and plated parts laid out for installation. We bag/tag every nut and bolt:

 

All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up (full re-paint by our man William) before/after. More pics in the gallery!

  

More detail work:

 

Engine bay restoration, before/after:

   

Suspension

 

Gilbert wanted a fantastic driver that was 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, all new wheel bearings and new ball-joints. 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 without getting beat up.

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 Gilbert’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 Gilbert 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 factory drum 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 130+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

 

Gilbert’s standard half-shafts shown on left and ZCG CV Axles on right. Also note plated brake lines:

 

Panasport Wheels

   

Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind Panasport wheels in our offset allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires (Bridgestone S-007a). Gilbert really wanted black so we had the spokes powdercoated in black with the polished lips cleared…they look sharp!

 

Details

 

The little things are what we excel at. The rear differential was refurbished. All electrical connections re-done. The original A/C system was retrofitted to use R134a refrigerant and made to blow super cold. New battery cables and wiper blades. We also replaced all of the fuel vapor hoses in the hatch. Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!

Enjoying The Ride

 

Gilbert’s son Dillon came down to ZCG pick up the 280. He was impressed:

 

“As far as how the car performs, its amazing. I have taken the car on a few drives and from my perspective the car corners like its on rails and stops on a dime. I took it up Sierra road and had a blast, still waiting to take it up highway 9. I was also surprised by how smooth it was driving on the freeway to a car meet at the USS hornet. With the stiff suspension I expected an unpleasant ride all the way to Alameda but was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was cruising at 85mph on 880. My only complaint is the auto trans, I would personally prefer to have it converted to a 6 speed that I have seen on your blog but my dad hates manuals:(“

 

Dillon and the Z at the local VALT Cars and Coffee in Alameda:

Here is a short video from Dillon shortly after picking the Z up:

Gilbert is enjoying the Z as well!

Thank you Gilbert for letting us re-birth your Z car. It makes us happy to see it being driven and soon passed on to your son Dillon. ZCG is honored to help keep the family Z on the road.

LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

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…[read more]

It really is a small world. When Jim H walked into Z Car Garage and told us about his Series 1 S30 we immediately recognized it from over 12 years ago. Our customer and fellow Datsun roadster owner Peter V. purchased this Z in the early 2000s from Les Cannaday of Classic Datsun Motorsports. We worked on the car until Peter sold it in 2006 and it eventually ended up in the hands of Jim:

“Based on old receipts, I’m at least the seventh owner. At the recent RMMR races at Laguna Seca, Rob introduced me to Les who once owned the Z in the early 2000’s, then sold it to ZCG customer, Peter V. After that, the Z had two owners in Connecticut, one in New Jersey, and one in Michigan.”

Here are pictures from a 2006 Fun Run I organized in San Jose, CA showing the Z driven by former owner Peter V:

Before discussing our work on Jim’s Z car we want to share the amazing story leading up to his ownership, enjoy!

Z Car Passion

Jim’s passion for the Z began in 1971 when he was stationed at Fort Carson, CO:

“My roommates both owned early 911’s so I decided to replace my aging and problematic ’68 Firebird. Came across a low-mileage, green ’70 240 sitting in a used-car lot(pictured below). At $4,800 I thought this could be a mistake (remember, back then dealer price was fixed at $3,600). Enjoyed the Z for another 150,000 miles then regrettably sold it in the late 80’s to a local guy. On a side note, Bruce L (the local guy), restored the Z and found a willing buyer. This bit of history was unknown to me until recently when I looked him up. Bruce currently owns an early Z that has had performance upgrades done by Rob and crew. Small world, as they say.”  Thanks Jim for the wonderful photos below!

The Best Birthday SurpriZe

With the sale of his 1970 Z, here is how Jim became the owner of the ’71:

“Soon after our daughter Paige was born and before son Grant arrived, I sold the Z to Bruce L. Through the years while the kids were still home, my nostalgic interest in Datsuns remained, but never to the point of owning another one. Son Grant, who just left the US Army (1st Special Forces Group) to pursue his education, spent several years looking for a Z that closely matched the year and color of my original one. He found one in Michigan through Bring-A-Trailer and out-bid the crowd of interested parties. His last minute jump by $2k, effectively ended the auction.”

 

“He says “last minute” because he was set to board a flight; to stay in the auction wouldn’t have been possible once he was airborne. Grant had it shipped to Tacoma, WA and kept it hidden in a storage locker for six months. This past January, my wife Shary and I flew to Tacoma to celebrate a belated Christmas with the kids. The next morning we agreed to meet the kids for breakfast at a favorite local café. In the parking lot sat a green Z. I motioned to my kids (already seated in the café) to join me curbside so that I could point out the similarities to the one I owned 30 plus years ago. After some obsessive minutes of my poring over the car, son Grant declared it was time to eat. Through breakfast, I kept glancing over my shoulder hoping to see who would get into the car. Even the wait staff claimed no knowledge of the owner. Once the table was cleared, Grant placed a single key in front of me. Not thinking anything other than, “oh, you got me a Datsun memento for my keyring,” I took a few moments before declaring….”oh, s__t, you’re kidding me.” He says…. ”Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Dad.” It was only when I placed the key in the ignition and it growled to life, did I realize the enormity and love represented by this gift.”

The Journey Begins

We are in the initial stage of an epic build for Jim and his Z with more work scheduled for Fall. Here is what we have performed recently and a taste of what’s to come.

Our first order of business…get the Z ready to drive for the summer. We went through the cooling system and fixed several leaks, hoses and replaced the fan clutch.

The failed radiator was replaced with a Koyo unit:

Outside, the body was treated to our favorite side mirrors, the Nissan OEM #E4600. These units replaced the “bullet” style single driver’s mirror:

Jim visited ZCG and drove “Mrs. Butters”,  our 1970 Series 1 240z shop demo car and he was sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our customers 🙂

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

    

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 removed Jim’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit.

ZCG Big-brakes replacing stock setup up front:

At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality 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 60 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

Stock half shafts and control arms (L):

 

Panasport Wheels

We replaced the old-school Panasports with our favorite, new 16×7 Panasports and Bridgestone’s killer new S-007a tire in 225/50/16:

Enjoying the Ride

With summer driving in the air we prepped Jim’s Z and his son even got to cruise with him. Jim enjoyed driving along the beautiful coast:

“Resto/mod of my ‘71Z began this past June with initial emphasis on mechanical upgrades. Rob Fuller’s suggestion was: ”let’s do this so that the Z remains a work-in-progress but still be available to the owner.” To that end, I’ve been regularly driving the Z after upgrades to the brakes (ZCG BBK 280mm), radiator and fan, suspect hoses and fuel lines, and rear axles (ZCG CV axle set). 16×7 Panasports with 225-50-R16 Bridgestones and OEM mirrors rounded out this first step. This past July, I drove south to Bixby Bridge as sort of a “Big Sur check ride” but then impulsively decided to continue south to Cambria -> Hwy 46 -> Paso Robles -> Hwy 101 -> home. Total trip came to 250 miles with nary an issue, unless you count the 105+ degree temperatures between Paso Robles and Soledad.”

We were pleased to see Jim bring his Z to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. He participated in the highly successful Bring-A-Trailer Alumni Gathering held at Turn 3 at Laguna Seca:

  

A little video of Jim’s Z:

Stay Tuned!

“So Rob and crew at Z Car Garage will help me realize a dream that really wasn’t one until Grant decided to surprise me for my 70th birthday. What an incredible present — a highly-desirable Series One Z-car!”

ZCG looks forward to making Jim’s dream a reality. After driving Butters, Jim wants more power and Rob has an old Rebello 3.1L from his stash that will be installed.  A set of triple phh44 Mikuni carbs, Harada intake manifold, Fujitsbo header/exhaust system and much more will follow. Thanks to Jim and his family for believing in Z Car Garage and the power of the Z!

LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

More pictures in the gallery below