Mike R sent us his 1971 Datsun 240Z from North Carolina for mechanical sorting, Z Car Garage-style. Our Z Car Garage CV Axles, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage KW V3 coil-overs and CD009a Six-Speed transmission transformed this 919 Sunshine Yellow S30.

 

ROB: We’ve been very fortunate to work with many clients from the East Coast. One of them is Mike Rogers, you might remember a few years back we did a really early 1970 Datsun 240Z for him and it turned out wonderful:

 

He purchased an RB25-powered 240Z and called us asking ‘hey do you think we could kinda do what you guys typically do to these cars?’ and I said absolutely. The Z was shipped to San Jose, Ca and we installed our ZCG Big-Brakes (Stoptech), our private label KW V3 coil-over setup and ZCG CV Axles. We just did as much as possible to correct things with the install of his RB25 and it was a fun project.

Drivetrain

 

ROB: The RB25DET engine swap was already installed by a previous owner. We left the engine bay aesthetics as is and focused on getting it running well. The goal was to make it as close to a Z Car Garage-style RBZ chassis-wise with decent power. We did not turn it up, as Mike is not about big power with this one. 

 

CD009a Six Speed Transmission

A game changer for this RB Z car was to replace the RB five-speed and install a new CD009a Six-speed speed. It works so well together and this transmission is definitely our go-to choice whether you have a powerful or just-for-fun street car S30. We really enjoying doing these swaps behind L-series engines. You might remember our first application of Austin Hoke’s custom 6-speed adapter kit on the OS Giken TC24B1Z-powered 240z, Trevor’s 280Z and Frank’s 240Z:

  

Using the 6-speed conversion kit from Hoke Performance we installed a new CD009a transmission from the 2003-2008 Z33 behind the RB25DET in Mike’s 240Z:

  

Here is the brand-new transmission from Nissan being unboxed. Hard to tell from the interior once it is installed:

   

Driveline Upgrades

We built Mike an R180 rear diff with 3.54 OS Giken LSD, a perfect upgrade for anyone doing spirited driving. All done in-house with new bearings/hardware by our very own Joshua Corwin:

 

Dyno Tuning

Ron dyno tuned the Z, making 261hp/227tq at the wheels. Enjoy the RB25 sounds in the video below!

 Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

   

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

  

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 (sorry this is NLA). 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. Mike’s RB25 240Z ZCG Big-Brake installation below:

   Our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake function. 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.

Panasport Wheels

 

Our ZCG Big-Brakes also look great behind the new 16×7  Panasport wheels in our offset allowing us to run 225/50/16 tires. These were a welcome replacement for the Rota wheels on the car. The Z was fully aligned afterwards:

  

Suspension

 

Mike’s chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts 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. Mike 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. Before/after show below:

   

Front Suspension refresh with T/C rod, crossmember and steering rack detail before/after:

  
Rear end with T3 lower control arms and ST Sway bar, before/after:

 

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 250 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

 

ZCG CV Axles installed on Mike’s 240Z shown below with more pictures in the gallery:

  

KW x Z Car Garage Coil-over Suspension

 

Our Z Car Garage KW V3 Suspension is available in limited quantities. These coil-overs offer game-changing performance suitable for street, track and daily-driving for your S30 Datsun Z car.

   

View the suspension installed on Sung Kang’s RB26DETT-powered Datsun 240Z, Larry Chen’s SR20DET-Powered Datsun 240Z, James’ turbocharged L-series powered Datsun 240Z, Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z and more client cars in the photos below. For more information on ordering and pricing please contact RobATzcargarage.com.

 

We installed the KWs on Mike’s RB25 240Z:

 

Details

The little things are what we excel at. We handled some weatherstripping around the cabin and installed a SpeedHut speedometer box. More photos in the gallery below.

 

 

Enjoying The Ride

We received some flattering feedback from Mike after the Z was shipped back to him in NC:

MIKE: Hey my friend, I drove the RB25 to Cars and Coffee Saturday morning. Best damn 240 I’ve ever driven. Absolutely love that car. Gonna be my own “Mrs. Buttersworth” Gonna call it “Mrs. Lemonade” in your honor. Great job!!!

Thanks for your support Mike and Long Live The Z!

 

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:

 

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R’s Day, one of the largest gatherings of Nissan Skylines on the West Coast was held on December 7, 2025 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Z Car Garage attended the event and supported our client Kurt in his R32 GT-R. Rob brought out the Bay Area Datsun Dealers 510 and several ZCG clients all had a great time. Enjoy our report with photos and videos!

 

Kurt’s R32 GT-R

We prepared Kurt’s R32 Skyline GT-R for the track day. Earlier in the year it received a fresh RB26 motor and turbo upgrade to complement the new KW coil-over suspension and Stoptech Big-Brakes….

  

Dyno tuning Kurt’s R32, volume up!

 

Kurt enjoyed driving his R32 at Laguna Seca with fellow GT-R owners. Photos by gtrx.app, and you can see more of Kurt’s R32 on his Instagram

 

Rob’s Vintage Racing Datsun 510

We also dyno’d Rob’s B-Sedan vintage racing Datsun 510:

 

Here’s Rob’s report from R’s Day…

ROB: Cooper and I loaded the BAAD car to Laguna Seca, our home track during the vintage race season. It was really fun to bring out my Datsun 510 race car with all those cool street cars. We had Dirk stoop in his 1973 Datsun 240z, Amy in her RZ34, Joseph in the RZ34 # 49 car, and a few others including Miles’ R32. Our main focus was to support Kurt in his R32 GT-R which has been modified and tuned by ZCG, full report coming to zcarblog.com soon.

 

I’ve been to a few R’s day and this was the first time I’ve driven. Each event has seen a steady increase in attendance and it was the most R32, R33 or R34s I’ve ever seen. It was incredible to be in a paddock filled with lots of cool Nissans… There was Pat’s RB-powered Pat’s Kenmeri (featuring our ZCG CV Axles):

 

All kinds of really cool cars and kudos to the R’s Day team as they were just super organized: the meetings and downloads were quick and informative. I love their grid process. Everything was just wonderful and we will definitely be back next year. Kurt’s car rocked. There were some pretty fast cars  including Charles Park from Powertrix with their time-attack R35 tuned by SpecialtyZ. Sean Morris and Brian J from Top Rank, people from all over the California GTR scene. Todd Lapin from Norcal Skylines cooked HotPot in the garages! It was just a very festive, community-oriented vibe and I had a blast.

 

Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240Z features Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (StopTech), Z Car Garage CV Axles, Silvia 6-speed transmission and a host of chassis and driveline upgrades. Rob dyno tuned the 3.0L Rebello L-series engine with triple-Mikuni ph44 carbs, making 265hp/231tq at the wheels.  We prepared the Z for R’s Day and Dirk had a great time:

DIRK: Yeah dude, massive difference! Work done by ZCG just before the day:
1. New rear sway bar (ST suspensions), car did not have one before, last Sonoma track day, being able to rotate the car on entry was difficult, this change was made to help that
2. New RE-71RS tires, Rob found old tires were pretty much spent, Dirk ordered tires, car stayed at ZCG an extra day so that they could be installed before the track day
3. Suspension and brake inspection
4. Change diff and trans fluids

Car rotated much better with the new rear sway bar, now able to rotate just by lifting off throttle in turns, quicker, and more fun. Felt great, very predictable and forgiving at the limit.

Photos by sflcks and Cooper:

 

 

Joseph’s 2023 Nissan Z

 

Joseph’s 2023 Nissan Z proudly wearing the Joel Anderson-inspired #49 livery:

JOSEPH: It was a beautiful day at Laguna Seca (as if anything else is possible) with GT-Rs from every era, as far as the eye could see! There was also a very famous 510 in the mix…The #49 new Z ran great on its new 18×10.5 SSR wheels (275-35-18 Nitto NT01), but the day was cut short by cleanup of an oil spill from turn 6 to turn 10, and one of my brake pads deciding to delaminate in the heat on the way into turn 2. We’re putting race pads on next time! I made my goal of breaking 1:50, so I left with a smile on my face anyway.

Check out his R’s Day session at Laguna Seca (in-car video HERE)

  

 

Amy’s R34, Rob’s 510 and Kurt’s R32 GT-R….more photos in the gallery below!

 

 

 

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Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Z Car Garage! We hope you can find time to Enjoy The Ride over the holidays. Please note our hours of operation below:

Week of Thanksgiving:  We are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 11/24 to 11/26 and Closed Thursday and Friday 11/27 and 11/28

Week of Christmas: We are open Monday, Tuesday 12/22 and 12/23 and Closed Wednesday ,Thursday, and Friday 12/24, 12/25, 12/26

Week of New Years: We are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 12/29 , 12/30, 12/31 and Closed Thursday and Friday 1/1 and the 2nd

*A gentle reminder on visiting the shop: No “Drop-in” please, must have an appointment. Not accepting phone calls during business hours-please leave a brief voicemail or e-mail rob@zcargarage.com

Thanks!

  

 

Happy 89th Birthday to our hero Peter Brock! You have been and continue to be inspirational to us Datsun fans worldwide. Here are a few pictures we enjoyed taking with you over the years:

 

We love to see owners enjoying our Z Car Garage CV Axles in their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. This 1971 Datsun 510 is owned by Jay W and he replaced his old CV Axle kit with our ZCG CV Axles just over 3 years ago. Jay has been racking up the miles running numerous road rallyes in 2024 and 2025 including the Snowball Rally in April, DWA Classic in May, Motherlode 400 in June, Faultline 500, Tokyo Calling 4 in September, Socal TT in October. Here is his report from the Overcrest Rally.

Featured in Nostalgic Hero

 

Before we hear about Jay’s rally adventure let us congratulate him on being featured in the popular Japanese magazine Nostalgic Hero! See both of his 510s in the June 2025 Vol 229 issue:

 

2024 Overcrest Rally Redux

 

September 16, 2024, by Jay Whalen

Hi Rob, just checking in as my ZCG CV Axles #403 just clocked 20000 miles in 2+ years. I didn’t capture too many driving videos on Overcrest, but my wife and I have a few from Mother Lode and Faultline this summer. Also, we now have ~22,500 miles on the ZCG axles. Don’t worry I’m cleaning them up, but here are some recent pictures:

 

The opportunity to enjoy a car you love with like-minded enthusiasts against stunning natural backdrops is what I appreciate most about rallies. The adventure, camaraderie and community stands out to me about Overcrest and was evident when we drove in the Oregon 23’ rally. At their film festival in Oregon they announced the spring Redux 24’ rally was in Utah and I knew I needed to share the adventure with my father and son in my 1971 Datsun 510. I had followed online the 21’ Overcrest Rally in Utah I was blown away by the stunning backdrop and the cinematic journey the rally created. Plus seeing and driving with rally friends, I didn’t know were attending and meeting new ones from all over the country is a large reason I’m drawn to Overcrest.

 

The 510 is not just a mode of transportation for the rally; it’s a character in my family’s adventure story. There is a shared excitement of revving its underpowered engine, hearing the twin Mikuni carbs, and dancing the car on winding paved and dirt roads. There is also the collaborative effort required to navigate the rally route, endure hundreds of miles a day of hard driving and the collective pride in showcasing our classic amidst a field of diverse vehicles.

 

Speaking of diverse vehicles, our client Tony K also attended in his 1972 Datsun 240Z:

 Driving alongside my father and son adds a generational resonance to the rally. It’s a multi-layered narrative where the car becomes a conduit for shared stories, passed down from my father to me and now shared with the next generation. It is something my family holds close and we’ll remember for a lifetime. The rally becomes a living testament to the enduring legacy of our family’s love for cars and the
joy of driving.

 

Our rally journey took us 8 days and 2900 miles across the California Centra Valley, Sierra Nevada, Movaje Desert, Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau. We drove a large loop which allowed us to explore several National Parks and retrace my fathers HWY 50 drive when he moved to California in 1971. The 510 did extremely well, with no major issues. We had a flakey starter motor, wore out a pair of tires and went through a quart of oil.

 

In essence, the Overcrest Rally in Utah with my father and son was a celebration of heritage, a journey through time, and an opportunity to weave new memories into the fabric of our family’s motoring legacy.

 

Enjoy this video of Jay’s 510 in action on a few of the rallies he attended in 2024, volume up!:

 

We love Jay’s attention to detail and it shows in his rally prep! Check out the skid plate he CAD designed:

 

See more build details with photos of the 510 HERE. Follow his Datsun adventures on his Instagram.