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Add More Boost: Mike’s 1991 Nissan Skyline GT-R

Filed under: Performance,r32,Skyline
by Alvin G @ 3:32 pm on January 11, 2024

 

Mike R acquired this gunmetal (KH2) 1991 Skyline GTR from Toprank International Vehicle Importers in 2019. Z Car Garage is familiar with the Norcal Skylines group and fellow R32 owner Kurt W referred Mike to us in addition to an endorsement from Top Rank. Mike’s first round of upgrades included a Project Mu Big-Brake kit, Ohlins coil-over suspension, Haltech ecu, Greddy FMIC, sorting and dyno tuning. All of this work is documented in our 2020 blog post:

 
 

More Upgrades

 

Following that initial visit, Mike added R34 GT-R Seats, and a sweet set of Volk Racing TE37 SL custom gloss black wheels (18×10.5 +15), wrapped in Michelin PS4S tires (265/35/18). A Haltech IC7 digital dash was added to monitor vital engine parameters, tying into the CAN box of Elite system:

 

Add More Boost

 

Mike was happy with the upgrades we made but like many of us the desire for more power inevitably hits:

“The car has been running flawlessly and the goal with these mods is to support the addition of a single turbo kit that ZCG will be installing this August. The turbo kit consists of a Full Race Twin scroll T4 manifold that will be mated to an EFR 8474 turbocharger. Twin Tial 44mm external wastegates will bleed off the excess exhaust gasses.”

 

Along with the turbo kit, we added a PWR radiator, Samco radiator hoses, Tomei Type B Poncams, fuel pump, Radium fuel rail, FPR, ID 1050X fuel injectors, custom 4″ intake and intercooler piping. See the full modification list below. The goal for this round of upgrades was 500whp on low boost and 91 octane fuel.

(Below)Borg Warner EFR 8474 0.92 with T51r mod and Full Race T4 twin scroll Exhaust manifold:

 

Remade in USA throttles and Nismo plenum. Fully built cylinder head with GSC S1 cams, SuperTech valves, springs, retainers, guides:

 

PRP crank trigger kit, Radium Dual Catch cans, Custom Intercooler piping with Tial q50 bov and Nismo oil cooler:

 

HKS Super Turbo Titanium exhaust:

 

Mike’s R32 came back to ZCG in 2022 for a few more items including:

ATS Carbon twin disk clutch (shoutout to @wubbs18)
New oem timing belt and pulleys
PRP alternator kit
Kansai Service Towhook
OEM Valley cover powder coated with R34 ornament plate
Mines Alcantara shift boot, parking brake handle and boot

 

VIDEO

Enjoy this video of Mike’s R32 GT-R in action with dyno runs, in-car and drive-by footage. Volume up!

 

Dyno Tuning

 

Several dyno tuning sessions were performed during the upgrade period. 515hp/437tq on 91 octane was achieved with significant mid-range gains:

 
 

Mike was pleased:

“Big thanks to @zcargarage for seeing this project through to the end and making the car come to life. We had a lot of headaches and setbacks over the past 11 months, but they did an incredible job end result speaks for itself! Couldn’t be happier. 🤘”

 

E85 Fuel

 

“Ethanol delivery is handled by a full Radiumengineering fuel system. Fuel hanger surge tank using twin 525lph to feed the rail and a 340lph to feed the hanger. All new hoses with a -8 feed line. Radium fuel rail with Rail mounted adjustable fuel pressure regulator. All feeding Injectordynamics ID1700XDS injectors. Haltech Flex fuel Sensor and Bosch Fuel pressure/temp combo tied into Haltech Elite to bring it all together.⁣”

 

On the dyno with E85 the R32 put down 624hp/479tq at the wheels, and Mike continued to enjoy the car:

 

“So the car has been on flex fuel for a few months now. Made 600 whp and 480tq. Still just keeping the boost around 20psi. Tons of room left in the setup. Been enjoying the shit out of the car is it currently sits. Maybe some minor cosmetic stuff in the near future, but for now….just drive.”

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

We were happy to see Mike Enjoying the Boost and spotted his R32 in action at the Tokyo Calling and Breakfast Club Rallies in Northern California:

 
 

Catch more of Mike’s R32 on his Instagram. Overview of major work is below with more photos in the gallery. Thanks for your support Mike!

. Custom 4” intake
. Full Race T4 twin scroll Exhaust manifold
. Borg Warner EFR 8474 0.92 with T51r mod
. Turbosmart gen4 twin port IWG
. Custom Intercooler piping
. Greddy 29f Intercooler
. Tial q50 bov
. Nismo plenum
@remade_in_usa_ restored throttles
. Radium fuel filter, fuel rail, afpr, and pulse damper
. ID1050x injectors
. Hellcat fuel pump
. Fully built cylinder head
. GSC S1 cams
. SuperTech valves, springs, retainers, guides
. Greddy adjustable Cam gears, timing belt
. PRP crank trigger kit
. Fluidamper
. Two six engineering power steering pump kit.
. RHD Auto power steering reservoir
. Nismo Oil Cooler
. PWR radiator with Samco hoses
. Haltech Elite 2000 pnp
. Haltech WB1 canbus wide and 02sensor
. Haltech IC7 digital dash
. Haltech 3 port boost solenoid
. Radium Dual Catch cans
. HKS Super Turbo Titanium exhaust


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TUNING: Geoff’s 1972 BMW 2002

Filed under: 240z,Featured Cars and Projects,Great Drives,Performance
by Alvin G @ 2:02 pm on December 8, 2023

 

Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning of vintage cars and this includes non-Nissan/Datsun classics. From establishing a baseline on street cars to preparing race cars for high-profile events we love helping each client achieve the best performance possible. Geoff W’s 1972 BMW 2002 came to Z Car Garage for a dyno tuning session with fantastic results.

 

Geoff is a friend of the shop with a great story behind his love for all things engineering and automotive. Let’s hear how he got into cars and acquired the BMW 2002…

Generations of Car Enthusiasts

 

“My father owned Formula Fords growing up and has owned a Lotus Elan since 1977; we spent a lot of time in the garage together in my formative years. I was exposed at a young age to AutoX and vintage racing I distinctly remember falling in love with Lotus Sevens and B-sedan cars. When I was of driving age, I purchased a 1985 Mk1 Toyota Mr2 (Chassis code AW11) and began to do a lot of track days and AutoX. This eventually led to another 4age powered car: The Toyota Corolla GTS (Chassis code AE86). I was going to college in southern California at the time and was involved with Club4ag.com which started holding drift day events. This was before professional organizations such as Formula D came about.”

 

“As a poor college kid, I started working drift events and track days in exchange for track time. I eventually became an instructor and won one of the earliest US drifting competitions in my largely-stock, daily-driver Corolla. After school, I bought a Caterham 7 Super Sprint, and while it was fun, it was never quite the original Lotus Seven I pined for. I eventually sold all of my “fun cars” to fund a house purchase in San Jose. After a few years, I finally acquired my Lotus Seven in 2013 as a tired vintage race car from Texas. I built a road-going motor and installed a synchromesh transmission for the car and finally got it running a year later.”

 

“I’ve been enjoying driving and developing it in the years since. Alvin from Z Car Garage and I met a few years after this car was finished and we became fast friends. Some of my best memories with this car have been spent driving in the mountains surrounding San Jose with Alvin. I’ve done a few vintage car rallies and been on track with it, but I eventually would like to do some vintage racing.” (See Geoff’s Lotus 7 in this excellent Petrolicious feature HERE)

 

The Inka Orange 1972 BMW 2002

“In 2018, I sought out a B-sedan road car to take on vintage car rallies and have something fun to drive in inclement weather. Alfa GTV’s, Datsun 510’s were out of my price range and I couldn’t find any Mk1 Ford Escorts/Cortinas for sale. I began looking at BMW 2002’s; I especially liked them in bright/interesting colors popular in the early 70’s.”


“When I bought this car, the previous owner didn’t know much about the engine. It had a pair of Weber 40dcoe’s, ran well, and seemed to feel like other stock bmw 2002s I had driven. I haven’t made many changes to the car, but did locate and install a set of rare and period correct Campagnolo wheels. Earlier this year, I found and purchased a Mk1 Cortina and I was going to sell the BMW 2002 because it wasn’t as exciting to drive.”

 

Dyno Tuning

 

The 2002 baselined at 99hp/114tq and after tuning put down 129hp/127tq at the wheels! Let’s hear from Rob…

ROB: “Being around so many B-Sedan race cars I wanted to see what all the hype was surrounding the BMW 2002. I started talking with Geoff about trading one of my S30 Z cars for his BMW. He kindly lent it to me, and I drove it to the Monterey Historics to root on our friend Jim Huff in his Neu Klasse BMW. First impressions were that it was anemic and the dyno confirmed this. Full-throttle was compromised so it needed throttle-linkage adjustment plus timing and jetting. It really came alive making great power…

 

Enjoy the video below to see Geoff’s BMW on the dyno, test driving with Rob and enjoying a few road rallies:

Hold on to that 2002!

 

Rob and Geoff recall how they felt about the 2002 post dyno tuning and test driving:

ROB: “With +30hp/13tq this BMW was born again, and man did I like the German 510. Love the visibility, greenhouse, seats, thud of the door closing. Despite being a die-hard Datsun 510 guy I really dug the 2002. Enjoyed it so much that I thought maybe this was going to be my first German car. I drove it, Meghan drove it, and just as I was getting excited, (un)fortunately Geoff finally drove it…our improvements to the car convinced him to keep the 2002.”

 

GEOFF: I hadn’t even considered having it tuned, but Rob suggested giving it a try. When I drove the car after Z Car Garage worked their magic, I was absolutely floored. It is a completely different car now, gaining 30 horsepower and this was not the “stock” 2002 I had assumed it to be. I’m absolutely kicking myself I didn’t have it tuned by Rob earlier. Needless to say, I am no longer interested in selling it. I feel like I’m experiencing a whole new car I cannot thank Z Car Garage enough!”

On Datsuns:

 

We introduced Geoff to the magic of the Datsun S30 Z car after joining him on local mountain drives and rallies. He gets it…

GEOFF: “Being around the shop, I have an even stronger strong appreciation for both 510’s and Z cars. I was recently given the opportunity to drive Mrs. Butters and was completely blown away by the Z Car Garage Big Brakes. I have never felt brakes like that on a vintage car; they’re more impressive than most modern cars! The sound of that L-series on triple Mikuni’s is absolutely intoxicating. While I’ve always preferred smaller/lighter 4 cylinder cars, a S30 tuned like Mrs. Butters is definitely on my short-list of next cars to own. It also helps to have a reputable shop so familiar with these cars in the area!”

 

Friendship

ALVIN: “It really is a small word. Geoff and I both work at the same company and didn’t meet until we saw our beloved vintage cars featured in Petrolicious. Since then we’ve enjoyed Bay Area backroads and beyond. Good times from running rallies with Driving While Awesome, to attending race events and weekend blasts. Geoff is truly someone I’d wish I had known earlier in life. Here’s to more memories and drives.”

 

Just a few events we have enjoyed with Geoff over the years, with more photos in the gallery below:

EVENTS: Cars and Coffee with Driving While Awesome!

EVENTS: Super Drive Sunday

EVENTS: DWA Rally From Home South

 

ROB: “Happy to help Geoff sort out his BMW. He’s such a great car enthusiast and friend to the shop, myself and Alvin. Wonderful 2002. B-Sedans are not just Datsun 510s, they are in the form of BMWs, Alfas and other marques!”

Dyno tuning for your vintage car

 

Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning vintage/classic street and race cars. Here is just a sample of the variety: (above) Team TRUST Porsche 962 from Canepa, Toyota Celica GTO, DeKon Monza, Shelby Mustang and more. Contact Rob at the shop to schedule your dyno session!

 

 

IMG_2712
 

…[read more]




Inspired by Legends: Mark’s 1972 Datsun 510

Filed under: 510,Events,Featured Cars and Projects
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on November 24, 2023

 

At Z Car Garage, the Datsun 510 is very close to our heart. Our hero John Morton piloted a 510 in the Trans Am racing series to put Nissan on the map, fueling every Datsun enthusiast’s passion for hot-rodding the humble economy car. We also have our share of race, personal and project 510s. When Mark G contacted us to work on his 510, we happily obliged especially after learning that it was built by fellow racer and Datsun 510 specialist Troy Ermish. The 510 features our Z Car Garage CV Axles, dyno tuning and more.

 

UPDATE: This post is an update to our initial blog post on Mark’s rad 510. He had an emergency request and Z Car Garage got him back on the road. Here is Mark with the story:

“I drove up HWY 9 for a quick run. The car died about a mile from Skyline, I called Nick for advice, no Spark. I emailed Rob that afternoon, after getting the car towed home, he contacted me the next morning. He got me into the shop on that Thursday to replace a bad MSD, so I could do the run with ZCG and crew to Morning Motors on July 31st.”

 

When Mark called we did not hesitate to get him in to the shop to resolve the issue. We found no power to coil and traced it to a failed MSD box. This was a strange unit we were not familiar with so we had our in-house electrical expert Joshua Corwin wire in our favorite MSD 6AL box. After a few small adjustments we dyno-tuned the 510 and it made excellent power, 177hp/170tq to the wheels:

 

Enjoy this video showing Mark’s 510 on the dyno and driving on the road, volume up!

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

Mark’s 510 was back on the road again and we all had a great time attending the Driving While Awesome Morning Motors. (Above) The group convened at Alice’s Restaurant, Mark’s 510 next to Erich’s Alfa Romeo gave some serious B-Sedan vibes!

 

Since this last visit we have had the pleasure of seeing Mark at various race events and even Nick’s Birthday party. Thanks for your support Mark!

“Because of the installation of the new MSD, ZCG dyno’d the car which improved it’s HP. Yahoo! Rob was kind enough to lend me his G20 to get around that day, cool little fun car. With his permission, I washed the cars windows. Another successful Z Car Garage encounter.”

 

Read further to learn more about Mark’s history with his 510 and build details…

510 Beginnings

 

Mark is an avid car enthusiast, growing up here in the South Bay. His first car was a lowered Capri that he tracked in the 80’s at Laguna Seca. He attributes his 510 passion from its rich racing heritage:

 “I was introduced to Sports Car racing at Laguna Seca in the mid 70’s. I have been going to most all of the different events ever since. My favorite was Sports Cars racing, Camel GT’s, IMSA, ALMS. Thus the ‘Poor Man’s BMW 2002’, my recent 510 is my third and hopefully last. Number 2 was also brought back from the dead and used to commute and cruise over Highway 17 to Aptos to work for my Father’s business. The surf rack was installed to haul all kinds of stuff.”

 

In 2015, Mark decided to fulfill his dream of another 510 and bought a project car:

“I wanted something I could turn into a street racer and autocross car for my son. As in any extensive full blown renovation, everything on the car has been touched. I tore it completely apart, soda-blasted the car, personally sandblasted every bolt and part on the car, welded in new floor panels and rebuilt the trunk, back panel and rear valance.”

The project car:

 

Mark’s extensive bodywork:

 

“I met Troy Ermish early on in the process, so when the floors and trunk were repaired, the car was trailered to Troy for a full roll cage, front fender wells were cut back and jack points installed in the rocker panels at the “B” Pillars.”

 

After 18months of bodywork, which Mark was heavily involved with, it was back to Ermish for the final build out. The car was purchased with a 1600 and funky 4 speed, but Mark also scored a 2000cc with two side draft Mikuni’s and a ZX 5 speed transmission. The engine was sent to Rebello for a full rebuild and upgrade to 2360cc spec.

 

T- Square Brain

 

Mark studied art in school and his attention to detail throughout the 510 impressive. From the no-frills interior to uncluttered engine bay it’s no surprise that he earned the nickname “T-square brain”. Each time I see this car it reveals another level of fanaticism that reminds me how awesome Datsun-owners are. Enjoy a few detail shots with more pics in the gallery below:

Engine Bay

Devoid of unnecessary bits, the Rebello 2.3 with dual-Mikuni’s takes center stage:

 

Interior

 

A tribute to the B-Sedan racing 510s of the 70’s, the interior is spartan with a simple dash, roll cage and OMP seats:

 

Again, it’s super sanitary in here with subtle color choices and straightforward switchgear. That is Pete Brock’s signature on the dash!

 
 

Body

The 2017 Corvette Racing Yellow paint is loud, but in a good way. Mark’s touches here are an exercise in restraint, while harking back to the Trans Am racers he remembered. The white roundel was inspired by our friend Dave Scholz’ Datsun 240z as seen on Petrolicious . 13″ re-pop’d (VTO) AR Libras are the definitive wheel choice here, with contrasting black spokes and chunky Toyo R888 tires:

 

Sorting at ZCG

 

The 510 was constructed with both Mark’s skillset and Troy’s finishing touches. After he finished his project, Mark visited ZCG for adjustments and sorting.

 

ZCG CV Axles!

 

We upgraded Mark’s standard half shafts to our Z Car Garage CV Axles. These CV axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to standard half shafts, while eliminating the need for aluminum adapters.  Mark got ZCG VV Axle set #320 and he loves them:

 

Nick about to install the new CVs:

 

Standard half shafts (left) and ZCG CV Axles (right). Note all of the powdercoated suspension parts:

 
 

Getting Mark Back On The Road

 

Mark was experiencing a re-occurring high water temp issue. Finally the head gasket was compromised so we pulled the engine for a refresh.

 

We re-intalled the the engine and tidied up the engine bay. The electric fan was removed and a fan clutch installed utilizing a 620 water pump/S30 fan blade to make it all fit behind the Koyo radiator:

 

On the road

 

With a few more minor tweaks like door locks and windows, Mark was out and about with his 510. He joined us at the local Fuel Supply Cars and Coffee:

 

Enjoy this video of Mark’s 510 in action:

 

We even spotted Mark at Driving While Awesome Morning Motors:

 

 

Do It In A Datsun

 

I was fortunate to catch up with Mark and meet his son Dom who also has motorsports background. It was rad to see the Datsun being a family affair and Mark all smiles behind the wheel:

 

 “I feel very lucky to be part of the Z Car Garage family. The staff are  all great guys. I will continue to bring the car in for Anything it needs.”

 

Big thanks to Mark for letting us service his 510. We really enjoyed having the 510 in the shop!

 

Speaking of Love for The 510…this weekend 20+ B-Sedan racers will be running at Laguna Seca. I will have a full report for you, stay tuned!

 

More pictures in the gallery here: https://www.zcarblog.com/2020/08/05/performance/marks-1972-datsun-510.html




Bill’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

Filed under: 240z,350z,Maintenance,Performance
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on November 21, 2023

 

We met Bill in 2019 when he came to Z Car Garage on referral from our local Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) club. He’s owned this pretty 1973 Datsun 240Z in Brown Metallic (code 114) for many years and had a list of small things that he always wanted to address. Before we cover the cosmetic and mechanical work we performed let’s hear how Bill got into Z cars…

Bill’s Z Story

 

“When I was about 10, my sister and her husband bought a 1979 280ZX. (They still have it but it currently doesn’t run.) I loved it. I always wanted a Jaguar E type and the Z has a similar shape. As soon as I could afford one, I got a used 1977 280Z and drove it to almost 400,000 miles when I finally wrecked it. I went a couple of months without a Z when a friend told me about a 240 he saw for sale. The owner was a teacher and so am I so of the 3 bidders I got it.”

 

“Then a few years later I went into administration and with the raise I thought it would be fun to have a new Z to go with the 240 so I ended up buying a 2008 350Z. I have had two Zs ever since. The 350 is definitely more capable and is very fun to drive, but I still think the 240 looks better. A really fun part of owning the 240 is taking it to car shows. I get a lot of people saying things like, “I owned a car just like this.” It seems to bring back a lot of memories for many people. Everybody loves the Z!”

Keeping Bill On The Road

 

When Bill came to Z Car Garage in 2019 we re-chromed his rear bumper, zinc plated various hardware, removed smog equipment and cleaned up the engine bay. A failing oil spray bar was replaced and we added ZCG exhaust, header and Z Therapy carb set.

Re-chromed rear bumper:

 

Zinc’d hardware:

 

New exhaust header and SU carb set from Therapy:

 

In 2022 we did more work to Bill’s awesome ’73. We replaced the radiator with a Koyo race unit, installed a Rebello street cam, adjustable T/C rods from T3 followed by alignment services in-house. We also replaced the speedometer seal rings and oil pan gasket. More detailed photos in the gallery below!
New camshaft installation:

 
 

Adjustable T/C rod before/after:

 

Koyo Race radiator before/after:

 

Dyno Tuning

On the dyno the L24 made 137hp/138tq to the wheels:

 

Enjoy the dyno video!

 

Details

We took care of a few more items like weatherstripping and added a set of Holley retro headlights:

 

Enjoy The Ride

 

We have been taking care of Bill’s 240Z and enjoy working with him:

“ZCG does the highest quality work. They are very knowledgeable, honest and you can tell they really love Zs. It’s like they are working on their own car when they look at a customer’s car! It really feels like a new car. It needed a camshaft and some other parts and they did it perfectly. I love driving that car!”

We also take care of Bill’s 2008 Nissan 350Z convertible, to be featured on zcarblog.com soon!

 

What’s in store Bill’s 240Z? He’s always wanted a rally clock since seeing one at a car show 10+ years ago.  Also in the near future he wants to do a drum brakes to disc brakes conversion. Keep Enjoying the Ride Bill, thanks for your support and Long Live The Z!

…[read more]




TUNING: Josh’s Nissan 350Z

Filed under: 350z,Featured Cars and Projects,Performance
by Alvin G @ 3:50 pm on October 26, 2023

 

At Z Car Garage we specialize in performance modifications and tuning for the Nissan/Infiniti sports cars. Dyno tuning with UPREV or EcuTek software can maximize power gains from individual modifications like intake/exhaust upgrades. Josh M visited Z Car Garage for a dyno tuning session on his Nissan 350Z following an engine swap and we were happy to help him.  Let’s hear about his Z-car story…

Josh’s 350Z V.2

 

“I bought my car back in 2007 after graduating high school. I first heard about the shop shortly after I joined my350z.com back in 2008. After a few years and acquiring a full set of Motordyne bolt ons I finally called up the shop and met with Rob in 2013 to get it tuned. He wisely advised against it with how much oil I was consuming back then and suggested I come back with a fresh motor or rebuild (I’m thankful for his honesty and integrity).”

 

“Last year when that motor finally gave up around 200k it was time to swap all my mods to a new engine and call Rob for a dyno tuning session. My car made great power and surpassed my own expectations when it made 288whp and 274wtq on this swap from an ’04 G35. It’s always felt like a strong DE with a solid powerband and the dyno tune proved it. My main goal for the car is overall balance between drivability on the streets and performance on the track, and using our beautiful Santa Cruz mountain roads as testing grounds has helped me kind of find that happy spot.”

 
 

“As far as the exterior, a mix of KH3 super black and seibon carbon keeps it stealthy but also distinguished in the right light. I’m serious about the overall balance thing and reducing this 2 seater cars weight is a top priority, currently sitting at ~3100lbs and ideally want to be under 3k lbs.”

Dyno Tuning at Z Car Garage

 

A typical dyno session begins with a road test and full inspection before hitting the roller. We found a failed inlet hose and loose plenum bolts so we tightened everything up to ensure a successful dyno pass.

 

We dyno tuned the Z with UPREV and ARC license. Z Car Garage offers this ARC (Advanced Racing Controls) license add-on service to the existing UPREV Flash, allowing adjustable launch control, burnout mode, and flat-foot shifting for $150. This is for cars with manual transmission, VDC/cruise control. Call Rob for more details! Josh’s Z made 288hp/272tq to the wheels, a significant gain over baseline of 274hp/261tq:

 

Turn up the volume and enjoy this video of Josh’s 350Z on the dyno. Thanks for your support Josh and LONG LIVE THE Z!

Interested in dyno tuning your Nissan/Infiniti sports car? Contact Rob at the shop for more information and scheduling 408-452-0350 or e-mail Rob: robATzcargarage.com




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