Z Car Garage specializes in restoring and maintaining the S30 Z car. We love stock examples like Vince’s just as much as modified cars. Vince contacted us and patiently waited in the queue to get his Z at the shop:

“Searching online for someone that I could trust to repair my Z, I came upon rave reviews from other owners of Rob at Z Car Garage and reached out to him. Rob asked that I email him pictures of my car, particularly the engine compartment, to determine if he could help me, and within 5 minutes, Rob called me back. I immediately recognized that I found someone who not only supremely understands Datsuns, but also shared my enthusiasm and passion for keeping my Z on the road.”

Z History

Vince’s Z Journey began when he first started driving in 1974:

“Our High School P.E. teacher doubled as our driving instructor, and while we were learning to drive Dodge Monaco Sedans, his daily driver was a 112 Yellow (Lime) ‘73 240z. I asked him what he thought of his car, and he responded: “It’s the best car I have ever owned.” That’s all I needed to hear, and soon found myself at the local Datsun dealership in Millbrae California. There on the lot was a ‘72 240z, 4-speed, white on red, with only 33,000 miles on the clock. The dealer reluctantly took me out for a test drive and this 15-year-old was forever hooked. Great styling, smooth power delivery, a flawless gearbox and only two seats, which thankfully guaranteed that my car would NOT be chosen to endlessly cruise with my buddies on Friday’s and Saturday’s, usually ending with an interior filled with spilled drinks and food.”

Vince has since owned 300 different cars, but there has always been a Z in his life. His current Z is a ‘72 240z, 4-speed, 110 Persimmon Red, white interior, acquired 5 years ago, with a California only history. The car had a cracked dash with a glued-on cover, a clock that did not work  and original carburetors that badly bogged down while accelerating. It was time to get Vince back on the road.

New Dashboard

We removed the old dash assembly and performed clean-up work in preparation for the new Vintage Dashes unit. More pictures of the process in the photo gallery!

 

The heater box was refurbished with new heat/defrost vents, gaskets and all HVAC cable controls were lubed:

Ducting and completed heater going back in:

Since the dash was out we had access to the heater core which got pressure tested and serviced. All coolant hoses under the dash and in engine bay were replaced:

Every single bolt was replaced in the dash and the gauges refreshed. The clock was replaced and functions perfectly.

The completed Vintage Dashes dashboard and assembly ready to go back into Vince’s Z:

“As for my dash, I had several options but settled on a newly manufactured replacement dash from Vintage Dashes, minimizing downtime, and allowing me to keep my old dash in case I wanted to restore it. I trusted ZCG to take apart my entire dash and EVERYTHING connected to it. The result is a dash that looks like new (because it is) and everything connected to it working properly, including the clock, which by the way keeps excellent time.”

Engine Bay

A new set of SU carbs from Z-Therapy were installed along with all new fuel hoses and fuel filter:

Enjoy the Ride!

Vince is a great guy and a great Z car owner. He made this video showing his Z after the work ZCG performed, enjoy!

We love making our clients happy:

“My goal for this car was quite simple, I wanted a 1970’s time machine that I can use as a weekend driver, with the operative word being “use”, because in my humble opinion, Z’s are meant to be driven. Except for the carbs, the car was mechanically sound, but I wanted it to run like it should. I was also tired of looking at the dash cap, and wanted to have everything in working order, like it did in the 70’s, including the clock…”

“…In fact, everything works and runs so flawlessly, my car with 92,000 miles runs better than the 3-year- old Z I drove off the dealer lot back in 1974, a testament to Rob and ZCG. It feels good to be back in the 70’s, even if only on weekends. Thanks Rob, and long live the Z.”

Thank you for your support Vince, and yes, LONG LIVE THE Z!

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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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Wayne A came to Z Car Garage for a full inspection on his 1971 Datsun 240Z. Rebello built him a nice engine and now he needed the right suspension and parts to enjoy that new drivetrain upgrade. Rob and Wayne developed a plan for a total suspension refresh.

The Right Z

Let’s take a look at how Wayne got his “SERIEZ 1” S30 that he’s owned for the past ten years:

“My neighbor had a slew of 240z and 510s. I stopped by and asked him about his cars. I told him I specifically wanted an orange 1972 Datsun 240z. One day on my way home I saw this car out in front of his house. I was amazed when I saw it. It had slotted wheels with BF Goodrich tires and was lowered quite a bit. I had asked him about it and he said he just got back from Oregon to purchase it with intentions to flip it for a really good price. I bought it that day from him.”

Here is Wayne’s Z as it arrived at Z Car Garage:

The Rebello 3L stroker with triple FAJS 45 induction backed by a 5-speed transmission:

Enjoy this video of the Z in action:

Suspension

Wayne’s chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts, bushings and a full coil-over (Koni) suspension 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.

New parts included the T3 adjustable T/C rods, T3 rear control arms, T3 front/rear strut tower bars, new ball joints, new front bushings, all new bearings and seals and ST sway bars. New Macpherson bumps were trimmed for best ride quality and full travel followed by a full alignment.

 

Front suspension refresh with T3 coil-overs, T/C rods, ST sway bars, rack bushings and f/r wheel bearings.

 

We also installed a new set of Watanabe wheels (15×8) with 225/50/15 Toyo R888R tires:

Enjoying The Ride

With new suspension and wheels Wayne immediately took his Z out, sharing his joy with family. We thank his nephew for sending us photos from their drive. More pictures in the gallery below!

Wayne is really happy with the upgrades:

“It drives worlds better. Rob did an incredible job with the suspension. I couldn’t be happier! It went from scary to drive to where I can’t wait to get in and drive it now.”

Wayne and Rob met, developed a plan, made a quote, got all the parts here and his car came in on Tuesday leaving on Friday. Pretty cool for a 50yr -old car to get a major performance upgrade in short time. Thanks for letting us work on your SERIEZ 1. Next up Wayne, brakes! Long Live the Z!

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Rob was in the SR20DET-powered 510:

 

Enjoy The Boost in this video of the 510s in action. You can also see more on our Instagram story. We hope you can Do It In A Datsun today too!

Our customer Randy Jaffe’s 1970 Datsun 240Z is featured on the latest episode of Hoonigan Autofocus with Larry Chen. Rob Fuller and Larry discuss this historically significant, record-setting Z and take it for a spin. Enjoy!

 

Stay tuned for a full zcarblog.com feature where we will take a closer look at our revival of this wild race car.

LONG LIVE THE Z!