Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles continue to win over Z-car enthusiasts locally and globally. Hazel C recently purchased a set of both for her 1970 Datsun 240Z and had them installed at Trackspec in Fremont, CA. Before we go into the installation details let’s take a look at how Hazel got into Z cars…

“My grandfather had a 510, my dad had a B210, and my uncle had a 280Z, which he passed down to my cousin, who still has it today. So, maybe you can say my passion for Datsuns is in my genes. I met the original owner, Ray, at a cars and coffee at the Blackhawk Museum in 2017. He brought the Z and I was instantly drawn to it and started chatting with Ray about his car. Ray said he first learned about the Z car while overseas serving during the Vietnam war. When he came back to the states, one of the first things he did was go to the local Walt Martin Datsun dealership in Richmond, CA and bought one brand new in September of 1970. (Fun fact – that dealership is less than 5 miles from my childhood home, where I now also live.)”

About a year later, Ray was selling his car due to health issues, so Hazel reached out to him and was able to take ownership of the Z towards the end of 2018. The car was so hard to let go, he was being very patient and picky about finding the Z’s next owner. Jokingly, Ray mentioned hanging up on people who called him saying they would LS swap the unique motor on the car. Luckily, Hazel and Ray had a sort of shared vision on the future of the Z.

 

The car had a great foundation, with most of the modifications focusing on the engine, drivetrain, and body. It already had a 3.0L Rebello motor, 5-speed from a 280Z, and R200 differential. It was also repainted an eye-catching GMC teal color, with specially molded 3/4 inch steel plates welded into the fenders.

“The interior also has some unique parts. The glove box is signed by Mr. K. Ray met Mr. K in 1989 at an event that was hosted at Blackhawk Museum. There is also a Formuling France steering wheel from John Morton’s 240Z racecar. John was at Laguna Seca racing his 240Z, when Ray happened to catch him while he was on break, hanging out in the paddock. At that same event, Peter Brock had a booth set up and Ray was able to get him to sign that steering wheel as well. Since both signatures on the steering wheel have since started to fade, I was able to get Peter Brock to re-sign it, while I was at the Japanese Classic Car Show  in 2019. Hopefully in the future, I’ll be able to meet John Morton and have him re-sign the steering wheel as well.”

JDM Inspiration

A few months after taking ownership of the car, Hazel traveled across Japan and pulled a lot ideas/inspiration from that trip. Visiting Shoji-Inoue at his shop in Tokyo, Star Road, gave her a better idea on how to modify a Z with both reliability and performance in mind.

“I traveled to Aichi prefecture and saw all of the radical builds dreamt up by Yoshiya Watanabe at Rocky Auto. I was also able to attend the All Japan Fairlady Z meet at Fuji Speedway. The annual event brings together all cars apart of the Z lineage from all across Japan – from the Fairlady Z S30z, all the way to the modern  370Z Z34. From what I read, there were 1,400+ Z cars in attendance that year.”

After coming back from the trip, Hazel knew she wanted to focus on modernizing suspension, brakes, and handling. She got the car with completely stock suspension and brakes; however, the motor/ drivetrain and body was upgraded prior to ownership. This was key in crafting the Z the way she wanted since  all attention could be focused on the suspension and handling, instead of body/ paint.  In 2019, the her Z was accepted to participate in the car show at JCCS in Long Beach. There, she saw the ZCG booth and was able to talk to Rob and check out the brake kit and CV axles.

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

Hazel and Anthony visited us and we handed them the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car and she 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 🙂 Hazel made a very cool video of her visit/test drive, enjoy!

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. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE. Kit details below:

 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 engineers at 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 some 14″ wheels) 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:

  

As mentioned, our ZCG Big-Brake kit ships with everything needed to install and retains the factory parking brake. Hazel made a video of the Big-Brake unboxing:

Installation of our ZCG Big-Brake kit as well as our ZCG CV Axles was performed by Trackspec Autosports. Hazel also had them install full suspension from Techno Toy Tuning including Evolved Coilovers (with Koni dampers and HyperCo springs), lower control arms, inner and outer tie rods, drop mounts, dogbone, steering coupler, urethane bushings, and front strut tower tri-bar. Wheels are 15×8.5 AME / Fatlace Fzero2:

Hazel documented the installation in a neat video, enjoy!

 

A few pictures of ZCG Big-Brakes replacing stock disc/drum units on Hazel’s Z:

  

 

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

  

Hazel’s ZCG CV Axle set vs. stock half shaft:

 

Before and after the new CV Axles, Big-Brakes and T3 suspension:

In another brilliant video from Hazel, she mounted a GoPro camera to capture the suspension and new CV axles in action. Bravo, Hazel!

Hazel is Enjoying The Ride

  

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. Hazel was very happy as well with great feedback on our ZCG CV Axles too!

“Brakes: Finally – no more pumping the brakes and down shifting for every stop light! The stock drum brakes are one of my least favorite things about the Z car, especially with a modified engine. It feels great to know that my car can stop on a dime. Especially since I plan to do the occasional track days, a good brake kit was a must for me, and this delivered.

CV Axles: Power transfer to the wheels feels much smoother now. Previously, there would be huge dip in the rear end of the car on acceleration before you could feel the power go to the wheels and drive the car forward. Now – nothing but “buttery” smooth power transfer. No more delay once my foot is on the throttle.

I’ve only been to one track day at Thunderhill West so far with this set up,  but really like it so far! It handled the course well this past weekend with no issues.”

 

What’s next for Hazel and her Series 1 S30? Future mods include the following components:

-CD009 transmission upgrade

-oil cooler/ catch can

-Mikuni Triple carbs

-Baffled oil pan

-Track day seat time! Driving at the local raceways (Laguna Seca and Thunderhill West).

Hazel would like to give a special shoutout of thanks to:

Stay tuned for more customer installations of our ZCG Big-Brakes! Check out our ZCG CV axles HERE.

Long Live The Z!
Enjoy the photo gallery below
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This 1971 Datsun 240Z has a long history with Z Car Garage. We have known owner Rob J since the early 90s, having worked on his previous Z cars, and with a few ZCG touches this Series 1 continues to impress. Let’s take a look at how Rob J got into Z cars and what makes this one special.

Datsun Z Family

When Rob J was a kid, his dad bought a 1971 Z (photo below) and used to cruise the Santa Cruz mountain roads with Mom in the passenger seat and his two brothers and him sitting on the luggage deck with their feet tucked under the seats:

“His idea of fun was to chuck the car into turns on Hwy 9 or Skyline Blvd – causing the 3 of us to squish into each other with the G-forces. I fell in love with the look and sound of that car when I was 5 years old and was determined to have one of my own. When I was about to turn 16, my brother crashed that car and Dad sold off the wreck, so I never got to drive it. Nothing “sets the hook” like being deprived of something you really want and I bought my first 240Z as soon as I could save up the $3500 that decent cars were going for in the 80s. I’ve had Zs ever since”

His first car was a ’71 that was stolen and crashed beyond recovery by thieves. The second, an Iris Blue ’72 (above right), was his daily driver for more than a decade and gradually benefited from ZCG upgrades. When Rob J had the opportunity to buy Paul Hooks’ S30 he sold the Iris Blue Z car to Tony K.

“When Rob Fuller first came to California to work on Datsuns, we had a regular gang of Z drivers going to track days together. The illustrious Paul Hooks was a fellow track nut and this Z was his car. He had done his restoration and modifications the right way – as a closely spaced series of coordinated upgrades using the best gear available, and the car always impressed me with flat cornering, powerful breaks, and that throaty 3.1ltr engine. So when I eventually had an opportunity to buy it from him, I jumped. “

Rob J with the Z he’s longed for:

Performance to Stand the Test of Time

Paul Hook’s Z was built in the late 90s/early 2000s, so it has the very same 3.1L L-Series engine with triple-Mikuni induction backed by a 280zx 5-speed and R180 LSD. Period suspension upgrades included 5-way Tokicos w/Eibach springs, ST f/r sway bars and sticky Advan A032R tires (remember those?!). The interior has a roll bar with harnesses, Recaro seats and rear strut tower bar.

The ethos of this build was centered around open track day events that Paul enjoyed.  Increased braking performance was achieved through a 4-wheel Porsche 911 Turbo “Big Red” caliper brake kit. It works pretty well, but not as well as our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes with respect to pedal feel/un sprung weight…all benefits from our years of experience and collaboration with Stoptech engineers.

What makes this Z special? It was built in a period where Z cars were not deemed “collectible” or valuable yet. Despite this, we were building high-end Z cars that performed really well on the street and track. Perform on track indeed; for a car built nearly three decades ago Paul’s vision and execution is impressive. He was a track hound and this Z was his tool of choice, calling routine track days “high-speed mediation”.

This ’71 being a Series 1 offers the lightest S30 chassis and paired with 191whp (modest by today’s standards) from the 3.1L it’s tremendously rewarding. It makes all the right noises too, just listen to Paul blasting down the front straight at Thunderhill Raceway (video below) in both rain/dry conditions!

Mini Z

Paul’s Z was special to many, including myself. It was “the one” in my eyes seeing how it did everything well from track days to cruising around…the epitome of balance in the S30 chassis. I admired it so much that I made a 1/24 scale model replica with loads of details based on hundreds of photos I accumulated over the years. In 2008 while attending a ZCG Dyno Day I finally presented the model to Paul. More pictures in the gallery below!

Updates and Upgrades

So what does this already well-sorted Z need? We discussed a list of needs/wants with Rob J…including sticky tires, new exhaust system to ZCG-spec, and a transmission upgrade. The aged Hankook R-S3s were replaced with Bridgstone RE-71R in 225/50/16 over those classy Panasports:

The 280ZX close-ratio gearbox that Paul had was getting old and noisy. At the time we were doing Nissan KA24 (FS5W71C) transmission swaps (before the CD009a came to market) by modifying a 280Z L-series bell housing. You can see the custom ZCG transmission mount below.

A JWT heavy duty clutch and Z32 shift knob finish the swap in style.

The Z had a really old-school Crane HI ignition components. We updated to run the MSD box so Rob could tune the car and extract a little more power. The exhaust was replaced with our ZCG exhaust system and a Koyo race radiator installed.

 

Rob J was happy with the updates:

“Recently, I took my car into the shop for an exhaust system upgrade and electrical system maintenance. What I got back was a different car entirely! Rob and the crew replaced my old school exhaust, which was frankly an eyesore, with ZcarGarage’s current system, which is expertly tucked up into the undercarriage and finally really looks the part. The exhaust isn’t louder, but it’s more sonorous and less tinny sounding. I love it.”

Dyno Tuning

It has been many years since this Z had been on our dyno. We adjusted the valves, set timing, sync’d carbs and re-jetted them for the new exhaust. Baseline was 198hp/194tq and after Rob’s tuning the Z made 222hp/213tq at the wheels. More power even after all these years this Z does not disappoint!

“The improvements are awesome: approximately 25 more HPs and 19FtLbs and much smoother power delivery. The car leaps down the road when you mash the throttle and no longer stumbles when rolling into the throttle from cruising RPMs.  The car was fun before and now is just crazy fun.”

Enjoy the dyno video below as well as some historic footage of this Z in action. Volume up!

Enjoying The Ride

We love how Rob J is enjoying his Z, just as Paul Hooks did. Rob has attended many events and fun runs and I still can’t take my eyes off this Z! In case you are wondering, his plate reads “Kenjuru” to note the martial arts he practices 🙂

Below are just a few of the great times we’ve enjoyed with Rob J and his ’71 Z:

EVENTS: The ZONC Annual Car Show

Happy New Year!

Bayline Vintage Meet Pictures!

EVENTS: Driving While Awesome Cars n’ Coffee 11/10

EVENTS: Cars and Coffee at Canepa Motorsports

2014 Silicon Valley Auto Show Pictures!

Bayline Vintage Meet Pictures!

Long Live The Z!

Plans for the future…we will continue to keep this Z on the road and give Rob J updates like our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, and Z Car Garage CV Axles.

“This 240Z is a late Series 1 manufactured in December 1970, so it’s not a low VIN car (17,XXX) and I don’t feel any pressure to restore it to stock.  Instead, we’ll keep upgrading the go-fast options while keeping a vintage look.  I truly love driving this car on the street and the occasional track day and I love doing both with other Z Datsun enthusiasts.” 

Thank you Rob J for supporting us and being in our life. We are so happy you found the right Z and ZCG will always be your home! DO IT IN A DATSUN

Enjoy the photo gallery below
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Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z is back on the road with twin-cam L-Series Power! Turn your speakers up and enjoy.

6- speed transmission

6- individual throttle bodies

4- valves/cylinder

2- camshafts

Stay tuned for more…

This is Ed B’s 1971 Datsun 240Z in Sunshine Yellow. No, it does not have many performance parts such as our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles or a triple-carb’d high-power engine. In fact, this Z is mostly original, just the way Ed has kept it since ordering it new 51 years ago!

We have known Ed for a long time, actually preceding the opening of Z Car Garage. A young 26 year-old Rob Fuller was helping maintain this “no frills” Z and that continued to present day. Simply put, Ed is a passionate owner who takes care of his Z so he can drive it regularly. When it was time, we handled his SU carbs. If a fuel pump failed we replaced it. Suspension issue? We took care of it to ensure he was always Enjoying The Ride. Let’s take a look at how Ed became a Z car enthusiast.

Time Machine

In 1970 just one year out of College, Ed was looking for new car. As a designer, a photographer and a race car fan he wanted a 2-seat sports car. There wasn’t much to choose from. The Triumph and the MG were too cramped. The Porsche and the Jaguar were too expensive. Then Road and Track ran a cover story on the New Datsun 240Z. It had everything, style, performance and it was affordable:

“I ordered one in late 1970 from Camino Datsun in Sunnyvale for $3500. There was a waiting list due to a dock strike in San Francisco and most of the cars were going to LA. When a truckload arrived, you could choose from 4 or 5 available. The only options were the color and I passed on several until I saw the Sunshine Yellow… the first one in San Jose. It was a one-year color and matched the cover photo on Road and Track. I took delivery in June of ’71 after just loosing my job at Ampex in the ’71 tech recession. I had little money but plenty of time to enjoy my summer in a new Z.”

Since purchasing new in 1970, Ed got to know his S30 and take it on many adventures.

“Learning to drive the Z in ‘71 and I found out I’m more of a cruiser than a racer. Early on I couldn’t afford expensive modifications. I added cast aluminum wheels, lowered the car with shorter springs, much stiffer anti sway bars rather than air dams, Talbot racing mirrors and custom exhaust headers. I stopped there and kept the original body profile unchanged thereafter. I kept it close to original for 50 years”

Below (L) Three  Z’s in his family at one time and (R) SAE car show at the University of Santa Clara:

The Z has been in several car shows over the years and was even photographed by the famed Ron Kimball for Car Calendars and print material. The Ron Kimball Studio photo shoot was on the 17-mile drive in Carmel and one of these images appeared in the Newsweek article on the introduction of the new Nissan 350Z.

Keeping Ed On The Road

“In 50 years nearly everything has had maintenance issues from interior seat covers and carpet kits to a replaced cracked dash. Rob Fuller has been my go-to Z car expert since even before he opened the Z Car Garage.”

We happily obliged to maintain the Z with Ed’s blessing. Here are a few things we’ve done over the years:

2009- replaced leaking hoses in engine bay, new battery, clutch hydraulics repaired, replaced broken broken bolts in lower timing cover, maintenance work

2012- standard ignition failed and replaced with Pertronix, upgraded coil, new T/C rod bushings, front control arm bushings, rack bushings, new tie-rods, ball joints, rebuilt suspension, major service tune, adjusted his carbs and valves for best performance and lubed his choke cables

2014- differential rebuilt, gas tank re-lined/sealed and all recovery lines replaced, new Tokico shocks

 

The engine was rebuilt at 130K miles (Techcraft) including 5 angle cut on hardened valves and 280z piston rods. It now has 250K miles. The SU carbs were recently rebuilt. On the dyno the L24 made 137hp/142tq to the wheels:

 

Enjoy the dyno video!

Ed’s 240Z has been hit three times in the rear end at stop lights with only minor body damage that never took out the tail lights but resulted in three full body paint jobs. For the latest incident we had our man  William re-paint the car in #919 Sunshine Yellow. He also repaired the right front fender and blended existing paint work and it turned out great.

On his most recent visit we repaired the transmission shift boot and performed a tune-up… and he’s off.

 

Now the car looks as good as it runs and Ed just drives while staying on top of maintenance.

Enjoying The Ride

We love when Ed sends us pictures of his drives in the Z:

“Still looks and drives good after 50 years. As Rob would say “Long live the Z”. Rob even introduced me to Peter Bock and John Morton and I now feel like I’m even more a part of the Z car family.”

Thanks to Ed for trusting us with your Z. We look forward to many more years of smiles behind the wheel! Your Z is a great example of how to Enjoy The Ride without all of the hot rod parts and we admire your efforts to keep it close to stock!

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We love to see our products being installed and enjoyed on customer cars. Classified Motorsports in Kelowna, BC is running our Z Car Garage CV Axles in this Datsun 510 race car.

The CVs are being installed in a R200 with OS Giken Super Lock LSD:

This 510 is powered by Chevy V8, you can see it action below:

You can see more of the 510 on Classified Motorsports’ Instagram. Thank you for supporting us and enjoy the Z Car Garage CV Axles!