Our customer Erik M’s 557whp G35 is for sale. For more details, please visit our For Sale page HERE.

   

Jose N is the owner/operator of JB Mobile Detailing and he has been detailing ZCG’s fleet for many years. One of the reasons why he’s our detailer is because he is a Nissan/Datsun enthusiast. This is Jose’s turbocharged 260z running a fuel-injected 3 liter L-series backed by a 240sx 5-speed, R200 rear end, full suspension and 3-pc Panasport C8 wheels…but what was he lacking?

He had a Porsche 993 Turbo brake-kit installed over a decade ago at Scott Performance in Santa Clara. Although this kit worked well, it required a master cylinder change:

 

This was common with many big-brake kits on the market: a host of custom pieces, aftermarket proportioning valves, items needing infinite adjustment, and no parking brake.  That’s where ZCG Big-Brakes for small wheels come in:

  

We replaced Jose’s 993TT brakes with the ZCG Big-Brakes and parking brake option:

   

We also installed a set of ZCG CV axles.

 

The CV axle installation is straightforward, Jose’s existing CV axles were replaced with ZCG units L and R:

   

Jose is Enjoying The Ride with the ultimate brakes and CV axles on his boosted Z!  You can see more ZCG customer cars running our Big-Brakes and CV axles below:

ZCG Big-Brakes for small wheels

Erich C

 
Glenn C

Sam C

  

Z Car Garage CV Axles

Randy Jaffe’s #46 BRE Datsun 240z

 

Frank B

  

The Bluebird SSS Coupe and Hakosuka Skyline are both running ZCG CV axles on the race track:

   

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running ZCG axles in several of his cars:

Set #246 – installed May 2018 on the “Harry Stewart #52” Datsun 510:

  

Set #247 – installed April 2018 on the 260z

  

Gary’s 430whp LS3-powered 280z:

  

Scott W’s EFI stroker L-series:

  

James S’ L28ET:

  

Finally, Gary’s “Behemoth”  OS Giken TC24B1Z powered S30:

Interested in a set of ZCG Big-Brakes or CV Axles? Contact Rob at the shop or send him an e-mail robATzcargarage.com

 

When we last saw Erich C he visited Z Car Garage for some sorting on his 1973 Datsun 240z, reported in our blog post here. The Z was fresh from a restoration by fellow racer and Datsun 510 specialist Troy Ermish, sporting a Rebello 3L with triple Mikuni carbs and many hot rod parts:

 

  

Erich’s Z made an impressive 261hp to the wheels on our dyno and he felt the need to have brakes to match that power. We recently installed our ZCG Big-Brakes for small wheels on Glenn’s Fairlady and his review was positive:

“WOW, what a difference. The feel, modulation, power, sharpness was amazing. Hands down the best brakes I had ever driven on a Z car”

As Glenn 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, etc. After Erich drove Glenn’s Fairlady with the Big-Brakes, he was a believer. Erich returned to ZCG to have the brake kit installed on his S30.

 

The existing new Wilwood brake setup was removed and replaced with the ZCG Big-Brake kit at all 4 corners.

Up front:

 

Rear:

  

Erich was really stoked about the parking brake assembly, and now he has a fully functioning parking brake, utilizing the factory hand brake lever and linkage. This was another key request for our customers when creating the Big-Brakes.

 

  

A few more detail shots of the brakes:

 

 

And of course, the brakes fit easily under Erich’s sexy 15×8 zero offset Watanabe wheels:

 

For great stopping power, feel and bolt-in convenience, look no further than ZCG Big-Brakes for small wheels! Stay tuned as we bring you more Z’s getting the kit installed, joining our customers Frank, Sam, and Glenn. Erich is really happy with the brakes and we loved working on his Z, Enjoy The Ride!

 

Frank B has been a Z Car Garage customer for many years. His stable includes an ultra low-vin Series 1 S30 (report soon) and this 1972 Datsun 240z that he acquired in 2005:

 

Affectionately named “Fuelie Z” this hot rod sports a fuel-injected Rebello 3L running Borla TWM induction.  The old-school setup utilized RC injectors, a composite intake plenum and Electromotive Tec3 engine management.

 

With powerful L-series motivation Frank wanted to improve braking and we installed one of our very first sets of Z Car Garage Big Brakes roughly 8 years ago. These large, 328mm units at all 4-corners performed admirably and fit nicely behind his vintage 17″ Chevlon Racing Mesh wheels:

 

  

Frank has enjoyed the Z for several years, attending local ZONC events and fun runs. Below left: The ZONC Blackhawk Museum Show in 2008!

 

After a recent meeting with Frank we agreed it was time to update this Z car and make it as smooth as we could. He was our first customer to run the new Z Car Garage CV axles. This upgrade really inspired him to continue improving the car:

  

Next on the update list, we were really excited to install a Nissan 350z 6-speed manual transmission behind the L-series in Frank’s Z. S30 owners can now install this robust, 6-speed manual behind their L-series engine!  You might remember our first application of Austin Hoke’s custom 6-speed adapter kit on the OS Giken TC24B1Z-powered 240z:

  

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

 

The kit necessitated exhaust header changes and after testing a variety of headers we found the Pacesetter 6-2-1 unit provided enough clearance:

 

We changed the exhaust and updated the driveshaft to an aluminum one. The old Spec clutch mated to the L-series transmission was removed and a JWT aluminum flywheel and HD clutch installed for work with the 350z transmission:

  

The 6-speed bolted in, more pictures of the install in gallery below:

 

The ZCG CV axles and 6-speed transmission transformed Frank’s Z. You can see the shifter location/operation in this video below. Enjoy!

 

Frank also asked why not update the engine management system and Rob said, “I’m in!”. Replacing the Tec3 unit we installed an Elite 750 from Haltech.  This is a wonderful stand alone ECU company with very user-friendly products we love to use on our S30 builds.

  

With dyno tuning we improved the drivability of Z in addition to significant power gains. Final numbers were 231hp/210tq to the wheels:

 

We received great feedback from Frank after 100 miles of mountain roads. His wife could even notice the difference: super smooth, seamless operation with fantastic throttle response and more power.  The Fuelie Z has been thoroughly updated, mission accomplished!  We love that Frank is Enjoying The Ride in his Z stay tuned for a full report on his Series 1 240z!

 

LONG LIVE THE Z!
More pictures in the gallery below!
…[read more]

 
Glenn Chiou is an avid Datsun enthusiast having owned and raced several cars. You might remember his VIPS 240z vintage race car from the The Mitty and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion events. He also races a Datsun 510 B-sedan and owns a Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R:

  

This 1972 Nissan 240Z-L however is “the list” car for Glenn that started his Datsun passion. Glenn has owned it for several years, enjoying it as a back-road burner on the street and rallye events.

 

Find out more about the story behind this right-hand-drive survivor over on Petrolicious and also watch this great video:

 

We’ve known Glenn for many years and we actually tuned his Fairlady back in 2012. The 3L stroker produced one of the highest dyno numbers we had seen!

 

Big Brakes for Glenn’s S30

The Z clearly had more than enough power, but braking was always something Glenn wanted to improve and once he heard about our latest Big-Brake Kit for small wheels he became a believer after test driving them. Rather than tell you how we feel about this product, let’s hear Glenn’s experience.

Throughout my years of Z car ownership, I have run a variety of brake setups. My Z cars have seen everything from restored OEM Sumitomos, Toyota 4×4’s, trick Wilwood setups, even frankenstein’d Baer calipers. There is no doubt that it has been one area that I have never been completely satisfied with. Over time, after many years and attempts to find the ‘perfect’ setup, I had given up and just settled for what I had.

The most important aspect to me when it comes to braking on a street driven car is feel. Yes, stopping power is extremely important, but also is not that difficult to achieve on an early Z car that is naturally light to begin with. Feel, however, is something that has always managed to escape me. On my vintage 240z race car, we use multiple master cylinders, swap them in and out, fiddle with our brake proportioning valves, fine tuning them to fit our driving style and preference. We are trying to find that “racer’s edge.” In all honesty, when it comes to a street car, I want nothing to do with all that.

 

Wheel sizing and style was also extremely important to me. I love old school wheels and the sizes they came in. I needed a brake caliper that would fit under my 15” Watanabe RS wheels without having to shave or drastically modify my setup. If it was not for being in love with these wheels, I would have opted for Z Car Garage’s larger big brake kit.

A few words about our latest big-brake kit solution. Our successful, larger ZCG BBK utilizes 328mm rotors and 4-piston calipers requiring a 16″ or 17″ wheel. This kit was made with our friends Tyler and Eric from Stoptech over ten years ago. Recently our customers asked us to make a BBK for smaller wheels so even a guy running 14″ vintage 5-slots slots could brake like a modern sports car. Typical big-brake kits use a 4-piston setup up front and a ZX in back; Proportioning is hard to get right, varying from car to car. We wanted a brake system that suited the car and totally bolted in, no M/C change, no proportioning valve, no booster change.

 

 

Working with Stoptech again, we developed this smaller BBK as a direct bolt-in solution for the 1970 to 1978 S30 Z cars. We’ve been with Stoptech since the beginning and love their products.  We aim to release this product to the masses once our local installs are completed.  Let’s get back to Glenn and hear his initial impressions of the big-brake kit:

Rob informed me he was working up a solution and he wanted me to be test the brake kit. Rob promised three things – they would brake amazing, they would fit under my 15” Watanabes, and they would feel as if they belonged on the car. Did I doubt it at first? Sure, a little. However, I also knew that the fit and finish of all products that came out of ZCG were top notch, and that Rob thoroughly tested all his products against his own standards. Which I’m sure everyone knows, are extremely high.

In preparation for the Monterey Historics last year, I had brought the Z race car to the shop for dyno time. Rob gave me the keys to his Butters Z and said “Go drive it.” Under 14″ wheels sat his brand new ZCG brake kit. I gladly accepted and took the car for a ride. 

 

 

WOW, what a difference. The feel, modulation, power, sharpness was amazing. Hands down the best brakes I had ever driven on a Z car, and these were on a car with stock suspension, tires and probably cruddy tires! I told Rob, “sign me up!”

Glenn wanted to run the brake kit on his Fairlady and we happily obliged. He had also been gearing up for a road rallye so the braking system would be throughly used. You can see his Z (top left) along with his buddy Erich C’s S30 (top right, also getting a ZCG BBK!):

 

Then came the day Rob called me up and said they were ready to rock and roll. Lucky for me, I was just about to head out on the 1000-mile Coastal Range Rally! The kit came with beautifully anodized front and rear calipers, hats, rotors, brakes lines, reversible brackets (for early and later Z offsets), and a factory ⅞” master cylinder. Read that again… Yes, a proportioning valve was left out from that list! The brakes were a straight bolt on and ZCG did all the math to get both the master cylinder size and piston sizes correct. We brought the car in for install and within a day the car was ready to rock.

 

 

Glenn’s 240z now had 4-wheel disc brakes ready to tackle the street and rallye:

  

And of course, the brakes fit beautifully under the 15″ Watts. Kane approved, and Glenn was stoked:

 

I could hardly wait to jump in the seat of the car and take it for a spin. The brakes were now on a car with suspension, tire, power, and a proper alignment. It was everything I had remembered from driving the Butters Z and MORE. The brakes performed flawlessly on the Coastal Range Rally, taking abuse from California’s most challenging roads:

 

Attention to detail goes a long way. This is exactly what these brakes delivered, and what continues to be delivered by ZCG.

LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

We are happy to report that Glenn is still braking late and still braking deep all while Enjoy The Ride! You can find him carving through the Santa Cruz Mountains:

 

Big thanks to Glenn for letting us work on your Fairlady! We also thank Eric and Tyler from Stoptech for supporting us and our precious Z cars!

 

More pictures in the gallery below!
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