This is Sean’s 1970 Datsun 240Z featuring our Z Car Garage CV Axles and Z Car Garage Big-Brakes that he had installed in SoCal. Highlights include a Rebello 3.0L, triple-Mikuni induction, Nismo 6-speed transmission and Watanabe wheels. Let’s take a look at how Sean got into Z cars…

 

Sean: This early-production 1970 Datsun 240Z Series 1 was purchased in 2019 from the original owner’s family. The original owner, in the army and stationed in Okinawa at the time, bought the car there brand new in mid-1970. It’s an early-production car with a 4/70 build date, chassis number HLS30-2811, and is one of the early non-EVAP examples. After completing his time overseas, he had the car shipped back to the United States in 1972, where it spent its entire life in Long Beach and has remained in California ever since. The family also included the original 1972 California pink slip with the car, which I thought was incredibly cool. Because of its lifelong California history, while the car does have some minor rust in common areas, it remains a very solid and honest example with excellent bones.

 

The original owner passed away roughly 25 years ago, after which the car sat dormant and untouched. When I acquired it, although largely original, the interior was in rough shape, the engine barely ran, and the car showed clear signs of long-term neglect. Over the years, it had been repainted twice in its lifetime, but I intentionally chose to leave the exterior exactly as it is. The layers of paint, chips, and exposed remnants of the original finish tell the story of the car’s history, and preserving that character became more important to me than restoring it cosmetically..

 

Interior

 

SEAN: While the exterior remains untouched, I painstakingly restored the interior myself back to essentially factory condition, using as many original parts as possible. This build was never intended to be a trailer queen — it was built to be period-correct, with modern underpinnings, driven, and enjoyed. Because of that, a full repaint will probably never happen. I know I’d never be able to keep it perfect, and honestly, I enjoy the car far more this way. I drive it through the canyons nearly every weekend, which is what it was built for...

          

Drivetrain

 

SEAN: Mechanically, the car has been transformed into the driver’s car I always envisioned. It’s powered by a 3.0L Rebello engine, paired with a Nissan S15 Nismo six-speed transmission and a fully rebuilt R200 differential with a Quaife LSD. Supporting modifications include triple Mikuni 44 PHH carbs, Kameari headers, a Fujitsubo Legalis R exhaust system, 123 Ignition, and Koyo radiator:

 

SEAN: The car recently dyno’d at 234 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque to the wheels on a Dynojet, which is more than enough for my needs. At this point, the build is pretty much complete Now it’s simply about enjoying the experience and continuing to drive a car that feels incredibly rewarding every time I get behind the wheel.

 

Enjoy this video of the Z in action including the dyno run, volume up!

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

 

SEAN: The chassis was upgraded with Techno Toy Tuning and Apex components throughout. The Z Car Garage Big-Brake and CV Axle upgrades absolutely transformed the car, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. The car has also been professionally corner-balanced and tuned to my liking.

 

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!

(UPDATE…this kit is no longer available, V2 is coming soon see  HERE for more details)

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.

 

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. Photos of Sean’s ZCG BBK installation, looking great behind his 15×8 Watanabe wheels:

  

Parking brake functionality is retained with our ZCG Big-Brakes!

 

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.

Sean’s ZCG CV Axle set, #0422 installed:

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

Sean has been driving his Z everywhere including those canyon runs!

     

What’s in store for Sean’s Z? Follow his build on Instagram

SEAN: I’ve always had a love for these cars. I bought my first Datsun 240Z in 1988 for 700 bucks before my senior year of high school and went on to own several more throughout the 1990s before selling my last one in 2001 due to having twin boys, as life understandably shifted priorities, but I hoarded and held onto all my parts, knowing that someday I’d own another one once the kids finally flew the coop..

 

Thanks for your support Sean we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

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: (UPDATE…this kit is no longer available, V2 is coming soon see here for more detailss)

   
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This is Bruce’s 1971 Datsun 240Z featuring our Z Car Garage CV Axles and Panasport Wheels. Before we go into the parts let’s hear how Bruce got his Series 1 S30…

 

BRUCE: My love affair with the Z began in 1983. I owned #2112 and quickly realized how special Series 1 cars were. I drove that car as much as possible. It was sporty, sexy and huge bang for the buck. Sadly, I had an accident with it and it was a total loss. I loved the car so much, I vowed to get another but this time do it with no expense spared. Fast forward to 2017, I found the current Series 1 car in the garage of an abandoned building in Silverlake Ca. $1,500 later, she was mine…

 

…I convinced Don Byars at Full Throttle Panteras, who restored and modified my award winning DeTomaso Pantera, to restore this Z. His extreme quality demands, attention to detail and passion for special cars was just what the car needed.

 

BRUCE: Although he worked solely on Panteras, he enjoyed the build and the attention the car received being in his shop. It was my job to source parts and get answers to difficult questions and that’s how I came across Z Car Garage. Rob was very generous with his assistance and was a great resource for the wheels, CV axles and the fuel injection system. The quality of parts and such detailed service Rob provided was invaluable. Sadly, Don fell ill in 2022 and passed away before the build was complete.

 

ROB: I met Bruce in 2019  when he called to purchase some Panasports from ZCG. We talked about the Z and some of the upgrades we have, philosophy behind the cars and how we strive for the right product to do the job. Bruce would keep in touch and later purchased a set of ZCG CV Axles and a KOYO race radiator plus our own hose that make. We can’t work on every Z car because of limited bandwidth, but it’s really cool to  share a few things that we’ve developed to make a Z car better.

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 200 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback. Here are Bruce’s CV Axles installed on his ’71 Z:

 

The ZCG CV Axles complement a full suspension rebuild with new parts from Techno Toy Tuning:

 

BRUCE: In 2023, I moved to southern Oregon and had found a great shop for my classic cars and the Pantera. Chris at Custom Performance and Rods in Central Point Oregon generously agreed to finish the project. Two years later, she was complete. Chris loved the service Rob provided and the beautiful machine work on the CV axles. They were easy to install and really held up well with the high horsepower being pushed through them.

 

Panasport Wheels

 

Bruce purchased a set of 16×7 Panasport Wheels from Z Car Garage. We are an authorized Panasport dealer with have limited sets available for fitment on your S30 Z car with 225/50/16 tires. Bruce always loved Panasport wheels and getting a set was on his wish list since he was a teenager. Don Byars who built his ‘74 Pantera chose the slick Gun-Metal color:

 

 

 

Interior

 

Bruce’s interior choices were subtle with a simplified center console, stitched dash and custom covered seats.

 

Drivetrain

 

The Z sports a Rebello 3.0L L-Series engine with Jenvey ITB fuel-injection. Rob provided support for the EFI and KOYO Race radiator. The engine is backed by a T5 5-speed transmission:

 

Enjoy this video of Bruce’s Z in action. Volume up!

 

Enjoy The Ride

 

BRUCE: I have since put about 800 miles on the car working out bugs and now she runs and performs beautifully. I can say for the most part, my collection is complete. My goal was to build a stock appearing Z that had subtle modifications and had the performance of a Daytona Ferrari. I believe I achieved that. Eliminating the stock marker lights and the stacked Ansa exhaust makes the car seem sexy and sleek. I’m still unsure about the T5 transmission that is in the car. The only plan for the future is to possibly swap the tranny out for something better.

 

“Thank you for the privilege to showcase my Z. Z Car Garage puts forth passion for the marque that is intoxicating and addicting. These are great cars and Rob makes sure everyone realizes it. He is an asset to the Z community.”

Thanks for your support Bruce we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

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For Sale (SOLD)
1970 Series 1 Datsun 240Z
VIN # 6132
Monte Carlo Red. Original paint
L28 engine with 4-speed manual transmission
Full suspension upgrade with Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (Stoptech, 328mm)
Price: $27k

 

Interior: stock with Recaro Specialist seats:

 

Car currently has 16″ Konig Rewind wheels with Bridgestone RE760 tires and chassis upgrades:
-Stoptech/ZCG big brake kit (Stoptech ST-42 calipers)
-Arizona Z Car billet suspension
-Ground Control coil-overs
-MSA front/rear strut tower bars

   

Engine is a stock L28:

 

Solid car, only evidence of rust just below battery tray. Paint is original (Monte Carlo Red only available on early models) and could use a refresh.

 

Walk-around video:

 

Previous zcarblog.com post highlighting suspension and refurbishment work can be seen here:
https://www.zcarblog.com/2018/05/21/performance/lous-1970-datsun-240z.html

Historic photos of the Z with stock suspension, wheels and current suspension with 17″ Panasports:

 

Please contact Rob at shop for more info: 408-452-0350 or e-mail rob@zcargarage.com

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At Z Car Garage we enjoy both modifying Z cars and restoring them back to original spec. Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z came to us from North Carolina for finishing work and now this 11/69 production (VIN#193) S30 is a beautiful driving example of how wonderful these cars were from the factory.

 

We met Mike and his amazing wife Debbie through our client Randy Jaffe. In the 70’s and 80’s Mike, his brother and dad were doing all kinds of Z car stuff and Mike later went on to be a car collector of some of the finest examples of cool Datsuns including a Nissan Fairlady Z432, multiple low-vin # S30s, and a 12-mile 10th-Anniversary 280zx:

 

Mike’s history with VIN#193:

“According to all my research, #193 is the 75th oldest Datsun 240z in existence. I bought this car and started restoration in 2014. I did most of the work myself after dealing with a few people who never should have been in the restoration business. I have over 50 years of working on Datsun Z’s so I knew the car well. After 8 years of sourcing parts and pieces, most of which are pretty rare on 1969 cars, I got to the final stage of finishing the car. I knew of Rob’s expertise on these cars, so I turned it over to him to finish. His reverence for the car was greater than mine. He continually was calling me and proposing things that I never knew.”

 

The Finishing Touch at Z Car Garage

 

Mike had been working alone on VIN #193 and he called upon ZCG to take it to the finish line. The car was shipped to us from North Carolina and we identified many things that were done incorrectly. Mike also had a pick list for us and the goal was to restore this S30 back to Series 1 spec. We sourced all of the parts and with attention to detail to ensure this car could drive anywhere and also showcase the beauty of an unmolested Series 1 Z. Enjoy our detailed photos in the gallery below and let’s start with the interior…

Interior

 

Many parts were missing that are specific to a Series 1 car like turn signal and headlight switches, Series 1 cables and heater bracket tabs. We ensured everything in the dash area was functional:

 

We also restored the interior vinyl and replaced the hatch seals Anything that was not correct on this Z we did everything in our power to make it look like it was 1969 and it rolled off the showroom floor.

 

Scissor jack cover and seat trim:

 

Engine Bay

 

Series 1-specific items were missing or incorrect in the engine bay. Since this was a an 11/69 production car it needed a 1969 Fuel rail. The way the distributor standoff is, SU bowls, plugs, hose clamps and other small items like a black-painted hood prop were corrected. If Mike took this S30 to a Concours event it would do well.

 

An often overlooked detail are the hose clamps around the SMOG equipment. Very early cars like #193 had silver hose clamps instead of matching yellow/gold-plated finishes because smog equipment was added in the U.S. Mike was unaware but appreciative of this.

 

Chassis

 

The chassis was nut and bolted after we went through the hydraulics and checked the braking system. Factory markings like the (R) and (L) stickers on the struts were added:

 

The transmission was wrong so we installed an early Series 1 unit:

 

More chassis photos in the gallery below!

 

Details

 

All of the early series 1 and S30 wheels were date coded. We sourced the correct, 69-date coded wheels that are correct for Mike’s car:

 

Small details: Series 1 lock assemblies, weatherstripping and early day/night “red dot” rearview mirror:

 

 

Dyno Tuning

 

We baseline dyno tested the Z and it made 102hp/113tq at the wheels. With Rob’s tuning it made 114hp/125tq to the wheels:

 

Once all systems were go we performed a road test followed by a full detail. Mike’s car was loaded onto a transporter and headed back home to North Carolina:

 

Enjoy this video of Mike’s 1970 Datsun 240Z in action with dyno runs, in-car driving and walk-around:

Mike was more than satisfied with our work on #193:

“Rob’s Z Car Garage is truly the best place to do any kind of work on any Z car in this country, in my opinion, and he will be the only person to work on any of my cars, ever!!!! When you find the best, now you know the best, so never get too far away from that guy!!!

He wanted Z Car Garage to work on his other Datsuns so he shipped us a few more cars from his collection in North Carolina including this 1977 V8-powered 280Z, 510 vintage race car and RB25DET-powered 240Z. We will have updates on these cars coming to zcarblog.com soon!

 

Auction Bound!

 

Mike will be offering VIN #193 and 7 other cars for auction at Mecum in Monterey on August 17-19. In addition to #193 here is a preview of the exciting Z cars offered from his collection:

1970 Fairlady Z 432

4 valves, 3 carburetors, 2 cams. Only 418 of these cars were built between 1969-73 and only 200 were built in 1970. This car had been restored in Japan as well as London, which is where it was acquired. Slightly modified but all numbers match (number 105) and it has Magnesium Watanabe wheels.

12k mile 280ZX

 

This 1980 10th anniversary 280zx is 1/500 in red/black. In 1980 there were 1250 Datsun dealers in the U.S. so every dealer got a black/gold one. The top 500 dealers got a red/black one. Gerry Ellis Chevrolet-Datsun in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was a top 500 dealer. It was a trophy to him so he put it in a warehouse at his dealership and covered it up. He never would sell it and it sat there for 40 years. Purchased with 12 miles on the clock (now has 26miles!). Check out this video of the 280ZX from this ZCON 2021 and an in-depth look with Randy and Mike below:

 

1972 Datsun 240Z (Vintage Z Program)

  

This 1972 240z is 1 of the 37 factory restorations done in 1996. Nissan was waiting for the 350z to be finished and decided they would find 250 cars in the southwest U.S. that were rust free and they would ship all the spare parts they had at the factory to restore them and sell them as new cars with a factory warranty in select Datsun dealerships. This plan was to keep the Datsun Z name alive to the public. They planned on 250 but it cost so much to restore them that the program ended after only 37 cars. This is one of those 37. Super rare car!

 

Thank you Mike for your support and letting us help you restore #193! More to come from Mike’s Datsun collection and Long Live The Z!
Check the gallery for more detailed pictures:
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Z Car Garage has built several cars with our client Randy Jaffe including the Rocketbunny Series1 240Z and #46 BRE Datsun 240Z driven by John Morton. In 2020 he acquired this cool 240Z East-African Safari Rally tribute and we helped him take it to the next level.

 

History and Acquisition

Randy’s Safari Z is a tribute to the original #11 car piloted to victory by Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller in the 1971 East African Safari Rally. Nissan campaigned three of these S30s in the rally, finishing 1, 2 and 7th place while handily beating Porsche’s and other marques along the way. It was a grueling race spanning over 3,800 miles and quite an achievement for the drivers and Nissan. #11 is currently displayed at the Zama Museum in Japan, still wearing its battle scars (more period photos in the gallery below):

 

Randy has always admired the Safari Z, keeping a 1/18th scale model on his desk for decades:

“I always loved the 1971 story where the Datsun Rally Z cars finished on the podium and just kicked ass over 3,852 grueling miles of torture!! A friend of mine built this car from an oddly enough a Safari Gold series 1 240Z – VIN 03227 with a 4/70 production date, Jim Faria – I almost bought the car from him in 2014 at San Diego ZCON but he decided he and daughter who do a few rally’s together which they did.”

 

Credit goes to Jim Faria for adding livery replicating the Herrmann/Schuller car with period front and rear spotlights, Nissan mud guards, rear grab handles, hood-mounted light pods and replica East African Safari plates:

 

The interior also features period touches like navigator’s equipment including 70’s route map, microphone headsets and rally timers:

 

Randy finally acquired the Z in 2020:

“Fast forward 6 years later at the 2020 Z Car Convention in Nashville.  Jim placed the Safari Tribute for auction on Bring a Trailer. I was like ‘Jim you are selling my car!’ Eventually I won the auction and the Z was immediately shipped to Z Car Garage and featured in a Nissan commercial – from there on together with Rob we took this tribute to the next level.”

 

Z Car Garage Preparation

 

Randy shipped the Z from Georgia to our shop in San Jose, CA and we were first tasked with preparing it for a Nissan TV commercial. The Safari Z tribute would be in the “60 Years in 30 Seconds” commercial as part of “The New Nissan” ad campaign starring actress Brie Larson. Here are a few shots from the filming location:

 

With a little green screen action and some actual dirt driving (somewhere in SoCal) Randy’s Z looks like it is actually ripping through the desert plains of Africa, watch the actual TV commercial below:

 

Photos from the off-road adventure were used in subsequent social media posts by Nissan…this montage shows video clips from an Instagram post with the Safari Tribute getting loose in the dirt:

 

After performing its duty filming with Nissan, the Z returned to ZCG so we could add the remaining touches that Randy wanted. Here it is at the shop, still wearing its dirt after a quick rinse. Let’s take a look at the details we added.

 

Drivetrain

 

Randy wanted to proudly display this historic tribute in his collection, but more importantly (also why we love him), he wanted to drive it so people can see and hear the Safari Z in action. The stock L24 with SUs wasn’t going to cut it, this Z was getting the Jaffe-treatment with an engine to give it some go. A new 3.0 Rebello street race motor using a 10.5:1 head for pump gas was installed with a new 1982 280ZX 5 speed transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.

 

We provided him with triple-Mikuni ph44 induction (as the original #11 Safari Z ran) complete with Harada intake, velocity stacks, linkages and Z Car Garage Heat Shield covering the Fujitsubo exhaust header:

 

Rob dyno tuned the 3L, producing 254hp/228tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy this video of the Safari Tribute 240Z in action!

 

Details

 

Small details can make a big difference, like functional Works-style side jacking points, rear bumper steps and twin-exit exhaust system. We worked with Randy to knock-out his list of items:

“Rob and Gary found a source for the rear mudflaps that are a dead copy of the originals along with their brackets and the vinyl mat that sat in the rear hatch area with the 2 spare tires on top! So many custom pieces to get it right and Z Car Garage made it all happen. We installed new race type seats from Jay at JDM parts along with his version of the original Seiko wheels which the car really needed! I found some 175 x 14 tires made for Postal Jeeps that look very much like the Dunlops originally spec’d. Of course the original car is right hand drive but I’m good with what I have done to the car – maybe find the set of Heuer Monte Carlo stop watches that ran on the dash and that will be it!”

 

Those rear bumper steps were fabricated to be just like the original pieces. Original car on the left with Randy’s tribute on the right:

 

At ZCON in 2020 Pete Brock demonstrated how these were used (with grab-handles) by the Safari drivers to literally “rock” the Z out of sticky situations:

 

Randy enlisted help from industry veteran Dan Passe (Director, Nissan Corporate Communications) who had a Zama Museum contact measure the O.D. of the twin-exit exhaust tail-pipes so we could replicate them:

 

Mudflaps wearing the “Datsun” (as the original Safari Z) logo were sourced to replace the existing “Nissan” units and also proper steel hangers were installed:

 

The original East-African Safari Rally cars wore Kobe Seiko Competition Works Rally-Magnesium wheels. These are difficult to source but reproductions are available. Randy is running a set from Jay Ataka of JDM Car Parts. Tires are hand-cut from a Postal service Jeep by Bryson from Classic Livery (of Leh Keen Safari 911 fame). Original on the left:

 

Inside, the original style REPA race belts were replicated as close as possible. The original Safari car ran Z432 seats, as seen on the Salt Flats 240Z we helped revive. These are also difficult to source so we used race-style seats from JDM Car Parts to replace to stock units:

 

Here is the Z at home in Georgia with Randy now featuring all of the parts/details:

Enjoying The Ride

 

Before heading back to Atlanta, Randy enjoyed driving the Safari Tribute during Car Week at Monterey. What a car to cruise in, and he even visited the paddock at Laguna Seca. Here are a few more shots from Randy of the Z in Georgia. We love his new “ZAFARI” (previously “SAFARIZ”) license plate:

 

We have many photos in the gallery below and don’t forget to see the Safari Z featured on Hoonigan Autofocus (now Larry Chen’s own channel) also looking at Randy’s epic Datsun collection.

 

Thank you Randy for your passion and continued support. We loved working with you to re-create fun details for the Safari Tribute. Long Live The Z!

 

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