Filed under: Performance,Q50,Q60
by Alvin G @ 8:50 pm on November 6, 2023
John E came to Z Car Garage through a dealership connection at Dublin Infiniti. He purchased this Q50S Red Sport in 2019 with 46k miles on the odometer and it was time for bolt-on performance upgrades with dyno tuning.
We installed several parts from AMS Performance including their AMS Heat Exchanger, AMS Coolant expansion tank. Helping the VR30DDT engine breathe are AMS downpipes and a full Fast Intentions cat-back exhaust system. Photos of each are shown below.
The new AMS heat exchanger compared to the stock unit and installation:
AMS expansion tank installed replacing two plastic OEM units:
AMS downpipes:
The Fast Intentions cat-back exhaust replaces the restrictive OEM system:
Standard exhaust tips on the FI exhaust system, we love the quality, fitment and sound of these parts:
We also installed new Hotchkis sway bars front/rear. Stock vs new below:
Dyno Tuning
Straight from the factory, the VR30DDTT is an impressive motor rate at 400 hp and 350 ft-lbs tq stock. It is actually underrated as we have seen with dyno testing. With a few bolt-ons and tuning, even more power can be unlocked from the VR30. Rob tuned John’s Q50 using EcuTek, making 404hp/435tq at the wheels. A significant improvement over the 336hp/338tq baseline:
Enjoy the dyno video below:
Enjoy The Boost John!
Are you ready for upgrades on your late model Nissan/Infiniti? Give us a call or e-mail!
One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and customers again for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2022 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:
ZCG will be closed from 12/26 through 12/30 for our Annual Holiday Break and we will re-open for business on 1/3/23
Client Updates for 2023
We had a busy year and though the shop will be closed, we won’t leave you hanging for the holidays. Many zcarblog features have yet to be published like our belated race report from the CSRG Charity Challenge and Finale in addition to client stories. Before we take a look back at highlights from 2022, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:
Jeff and Ryan B’s LS3-powered Z came to us for mechanical sorting. It’s now sporting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Ryan successfully ran the Targa California Rallye in blistering summer heat. He recently got a new set of VOLK TE37V wheels full report soon!
At Z Car Garage we enjoy both modifying Z cars and restoring them back to factory spec. Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z came to us from North Carolina and we delivered it in July. This ’69 production VIN#193 is a beautiful driving example of how wonderful these cars were from the factory.
James’s Turbocharged L-series powered S30 will be back after some cosmetic upgrades. We enjoyed making some great power and music:
Rick’s BRE-inspired Datsun 240Z track car is getting a CD009 6-speed transmission, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, coil-over suspension and track preparation.
Ken’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z (#1762) is getting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles, KA24 5-speed transmission and Fujitsubo exhaust. The L28 is now receiving Jenvey ITB EFI managed by a Haltech 750:
Beau’s Datsun 280Z coming together. Fresh from paint featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, T3 suspension and more.
Taking care of clients!
Z Car Garage takes pride in our ability to handle client’s needs, with same-day service possible. Our parts room with over 1,000 parts on hand allows us to get you in and back on the road. Client Vince S had a clutch hydraulic failure and limped his way in to the shop. We sorted his hydraulics and he was off in 4hrs:
Stan K (VIN #511) and Tony H’s Series Datsun 240Z cars came in for mechanical sorting, interior work and Z Car Garage CV Axles
Datsunworks
Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. You can read all about it HERE. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary’s Datsun 240Z, who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast affectionately named the “Behemoth”.
Khang’s 1973 Datsun 240Z was completed in October and he returned with 1,000 miles on the 3.2L L-Series. We adjusted the valves and double-checked power levels.
Happy to see both builds healthy and confirm power output. Enjoy the music from the both L-Series engines, sporting Jenvey ITB EFI managed by Haltech 750 Elite ECUs backed by the CD009a Six-Speed transmission.
Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G
We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:
Eric’s Q50:
R35 and R32 GT-R
R35s in for service and upgrades. Mike and Kurt’s R32 GT-Rs got power and chassis upgrades deserving their own blog features:
Z32
Mike’s 1991 Stillen GTZ. This rare, twin-turbo Z32 300ZX is #6 of 6 cars created by Steve Millen. It featured special 17” billet wheels, Brembo brakes, aero and performance upgrades. Excited to share its story and other client Z32 projects!
Race Cars
Several race cars to report on including the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z, Glenn Chiou’s Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510 (sporting ZCG CV Axles), the Corky Bell Trans-Am 510 and more!
Highlights from 2022
Even though 2022 was crazy year for all of us we still managed to have fun on and off the track. The shop made some really great progress as well. Enjoy these highlights from the year and Z you in 2023!
Click on each link or photo to see the full features!
The New Nissan Z
Huge thanks to Nissan for giving us the opportunity to experience the 2023 Nissan Z. We really can’t wait to get our new Z!
Irl N. heard about Z Car Garage from our friends at Stillen. He purchased several parts and wanted them installed correctly on his 2017 Q50s Red Sport. We started with the Stillen cat-back exhaust system:
Stock Vs. Stillen:
Next, an AMS Heat Exchanger:
The suspension received SPC front/rear control arms, lowering springs and a rear sway bar:
Braking improvements included new rotors (from Irl) and we provided the Stoptech 309 pads that we love:
With just a few upgrades Irl’s Q50 really boogies now!
We have worked on the new Q’s before and now they are beginning to come through our doors often–look for more VR30DDTT goodness on the blog!
Raymond L purchased a few bolt-ons and he needed them installed correctly on his Infiniti Q50 Hybrid. This is the first Q50 Hybrid we have worked on so we were excited. We installed a new front sway bar and cat-back exhaust, both from Stillen.
OEM vs Stillen sway bar:
OEM vs Stillen exhaust system:
A few more detail shots of the exhaust:
The front sway bar and Stillen exhaust made welcome improvements!
