Z Car Garage is expanding to support our vintage, late model and motorsport work. We are seeking an experienced and skilled automotive technician to join our team. This is not an average automotive job. We work 4-10hr days and offer competitive pay/benefits.
Requirements: Automotive experience, your own set of tools, willingness to learn, and be part of a team.
Nissan/Datsun experience is NOT a requirement, you just need to have passion.
Interested or know someone who might be a good fit? Please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.
We have been working with Carlos for several years to raise power levels on his 2015 Nissan GT-R while retaining the stock engine and transmission. On his last visit to ZCG we installed USDM turbos from SIR, bolt-ons and performed an ethanol tune.
This time Carlos was ready to hold that boost for a little bit longer. We reached out to Bill Guthrie of SIR and purchased his upgraded actuators matched to our turbos. Originally we had not installed the actuators, trying to keep the boost level down to minimize stress on the engine/tranny. As we all know, the boost fix can last only so long! Carlos came back to ZCG for additional upgrades including an HKS transmission cooler and larger, single FMIC from Boost Logic.
Acuators:
Transmission temps are the enemy of high power levels and track duty for the R35. We installed an HKS transmission cooler and we are really impressed with its quality and performance.
You can also see our installation of this HKS cooler on Dan J’s R35, and he reports zero trans temperature issues on the track!
The dual intercoolers from the factory were replaced with a single, larger unit from Boost Logic:
OEM vs single:
Installation of the FMIC:
On Carlos’ last visit the R35 put down 611hp/520tq on 91 octane and 703hp/621tq to the wheels on E85. With the new actuators and FMIC it now makes 661p/590tq on 91 octane and 774hp/653tq on Ethanol.
91 Octane:
Before tuning on E85, 759p/628tq:
After tuning on E85, 774hp/653tq:
Allowing the boost to be held to redline resulted in high-end gains in both hp/tq. We can make more power at these boost levels but we are being conservative until we can do a proper built engine/tranny. Enjoy The Boost Carlos!
One of the best parts about ZCG is the opportunity to perform multiple builds for a customer. We met Mike J in 2008 when he brought his G35 Coupe in for some modifications:
Mike added some tasteful HRE wheels (one of his signatures) and we did a full build on this car including a Vortech supecharger with ZCG supporting mods. He enjoyed the G for a few years and sold it to a friend. The friend brought in the G for service, mentioning that Mike had acquired a 2013 R35! Sure enough, Mike called us up and said it’s time to spend another chapter together.
From past zcarblog posts we know the R35 GTR is a wonderful sportscar that blends in despite its impressive performance out of the box. Mike wanted a boost in power so we started with a host of Alpha bolt-ons from AMS including their downpipes and Y-pipe w/muffler:
Stock vs AMS 90mm catted mid-pipe:
Finishing the exhaust upgrades with an Akrapovic titanium slip-on exhaust system:
Our plan for more power included a complete flex-fuel setup for E85 tuning. Shown below are 1300cc Injector Dynamics injectors, DW300 drop-in fuel pumps, SpecialtyZ 3″ Intakes and SpecialtyZ Flex-Fuel kit:
Flex fuel installation:
Rob utilized Ecutek for tuning on both 91 octane and E85.
91 octane: 554hp/509tq
E85: 629hp/616tq
On E85, the dyno reveals huge gains from low rpm to redline. Mike we know you are Enjoying The Ride, thanks for bringing your GT-R to ZCG!
Dan J has been with Z Car Garage for all of the maintenance and performance modifications on his 2015 GT-R. You may remember his last few visits when we installed the AMS Alpha Kit and brake/suspension upgrades:
We love that Dan not only owns a lovely supercar but drives it hard. Whenever we see him it’s either at ZCG or a track day! Dan is getting faster on the track and at his last Laguna Seca event he noticed transmission temps starting to rise.
To make sure there were no further temp issues he visited us to install the HKS DCT cooler kit. This kit works extremely well and we can’t stress the high quality of this product. Everything fits as if it were an OEM part. It’s that good. Here are a few pictures of the installation:
Factory oil cooler assembly:
Aluminum oil lines:
Oil cooler, air ducting, kit-supplied washer tank tank installed:
The latest episode of Motor Trend’s Ignition series takes a look at the Nissan GT-R lineage. The segment features glorious engine sounds from the R35, R32 and Hakosuka Skyline GT-R. All cars were driven hard by host Jason Cammisa on the curvy roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. I am especially excited about this short film because the R32 shown was built at Z Car Garage and currently owned by customer and friend Alex M. If you have not seen the video yet click on the YouTube link below, and continue reading for a behind-the-scenes look:
When Motor Trend reached out to us for a GT-R feature we happily obliged by providing the R32 GT-R. I had the wonderful opportunity of delivering the R32 to the set and spending a day with the filming crew. So what was it like to be on the set of production? It started in the morning on a weekday in May when I picked up a freshly detailed R32 from the shop. After a splash of 100 octane I proceeded to drive the Skyline on (what else?) Skyline Blvd:
It was a thrill driving the R32 GT-R up HWY 9 and 35, and I finally arrived at my destination. I met up with Jason and director Anthony Esposito at Alice’s Restaurant, a popular hub for gearheads enjoying the surrounding twisty roads. We had breakfast with the crew and I couldn’t believe I was eating blueberry pancakes next to Jason Cammisa! My hero from Head2Head, which I recommend as the chemistry between him and Jonny Lieberman is highly entertaining!
We hopped in the GT-Rs and headed out to the first shooting location to acquire “beauty” shots before the action footage. This, dear zcarblog readers, was an epic moment as I was treated to the simply orgasmic sounds emanating from the S20-powered Hakosuka GT-R. The 3 GT-Rs:
The 1971 Hakosuka Skyline GT-R
The authentic, KPGC10 Skyline is owned by enthusiast Tom Knudsen. Learn more about Tom’s passion for vintage J-Tin from our friends at Japanese Nostalgic Car. It’s hard not to shoot endless pictures of this rare, iconic beauty:
The 2017 R35 GT-R:
The 1992 R32 Skyline GT-R
Jason and I took the R32 out for test drive before filming. Again I was a little star struck sitting shotgun. When I drove it up Skyline Blvd earlier that morning I had not given it the full throttle but Jason on the other hand didn’t hold back. We were both pretty giddy driving it on boost. He’s a carnut like the rest of us and enjoys his track days and building/working on cars. He’s seriously funny too, follow him on Instagram
While the crew was setting up, I had an enlightening chat with Tom about vintage Japanese cars and historic racing. He raced back to his garage to bring a vanity plate for the Hako and returned in his 1973 Porsche 911E. Then a random yellow NSX showed up. All of this combined with sweeping views of the Bay Area would make any gearhead happy:
In addition to the NSX and numerous hikers/cyclists that stopped by, traffic on Skyline was getting heavier throughout the day. This would clearly impede filming, but I learned an interesting (apparently common) solution: hiring off-duty CHP officers to shut down the road for 15 minutes at a time:
That 15 minute window was frantic to me but the entire team was calm and collected with each cycle, accomplishing all desired footage. I was thoroughly impressed. On the other hand, after traffic was released by the CHP the passing drivers were either visibly frustrated or genuinely in awe of the triple Skylines that were holding them up!
Weather conditions were not favorable for recording sound. It was extremely windy and cold and though I wasn’t dressed for the chill I managed to find warmth and solace in the heated seats of the R35. Kudos to Dennis the sound guy and camera crew for making the best of the conditions. I even witnessed Anthony do some wild acrobatic filming hanging out the back of a Tahoe while driving in reverse!
Simon, Wiley and Anthony adorn the R32 with a myriad of camera/sound recording devices:
By 6pm the session was called and with the fog rolling in, our R32’s role was completed. The team would continue filming the KPGC10 and R35 the rest of the week.
All good things must come to an end and I drove the Skyline back to the shop and relinquished the keys:
Thank you MotorTrend crew for the hospitality! It was a memorable experience and the video turned out great. We are sad to report that Jason left Motor Trend after this episode but I was fortunate to watch him and Anthony work their magic in person. I wish them the best! More pictures in the gallery below …[read more]
