We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles on their vintage Nissans and Datsuns. Ray H added a set to his 1971 Skyline that he acquired from our friends at JDM Legends. Ray also visited Z Car Garage for dyno tuning and alignment services which transformed this Hakosuka.

  

Ray has been a ZCG client for many years. We first saw his Skyline at the 2019 Golden Week Kyusha Festival where I spoke to him about visiting ZCG for some upgrades and tuning.

 

Fast forward to 2021 and I spotted Ray at the Driving While Awesome gathering. He pleasantly informed me that he was running our ZCG CV Axles (serial # 00356) and we are happy to report that he installed them himself!

“I have been wanting to go with CV’s for a while on my SR 510. I have been following a few suppliers since they first started showing up about 10 years ago. I did notice that people were having problems with them wearing out and also that there were a few redesigns. On my Hako, I desperately needed to a wheel bearing and half shaft u-joint replacement as it was making some awful clunking noises back there. So, when I started seeing your blogs about the CV’s I was immediately interested. Knowing Rob, I knew these had to be good!”

 

Ray sent us a few installation pictures of the ZCG CV Axles replacing the old CVs and the R180 STI LSD:

“It was just an optimum time to get these when I had my entire rear suspension out for a rebuild and upgrade. The installation was pretty straightforward.” So far all good, I don’t think my modest power has put these to the test but its nice to know something has been well engineered and its one thing I wont have to worry about, not mention they look bitchin!”

 

For more information on our Z Car Garage CV Axles please read below. Before we share the dyno tuning results, let’s take a look at how Ray found his Skyline…

Datsuns From the Beginning

 

It is worth noting that Ray is a die-hard Datsun (510) enthusiast with ties to the old Nor-cal 510 club from decades ago. In the groovy group photo above, Ray is in the back row, last 510 on the right! Here it is, his first Datsun 510 circa 1981 (below, left) and same car with flares and a Cartech turbo kit in the FAR Performance parking lot!

 

Ray shares the story of his Skyline:

“I have always loved the 510, my first car in high school and still own 3 currently. When the internet started to become a regular thing I noticed these awesome looking boxy cars by Nissan sold only over there and I think Europe. I eventually stumbled upon JDM Legends website about 10 years ago and started inquiring about how much they cost and how to get one. Erik at a couple different times offered me a chance to buy one, however timing was just not right for me at the time. Fast forward a few years and Velocity channel (now Motortrend) starts promoting a show with Hakos running around! I instantly got the bug again and thought “these things are going to explode in value, If I don’t get one now I never will”.

Much to my amazement, I got a call within a month. He said “I got a line on a couple in Japan, one sounds exactly what you looking for”. He sent me pictures and I think I agreed to buy it the next day, still remember July 4th, 2018! Took about 3-4 months to get to Long Beach, then immediately to Utah. Once it was in Utah, Erik and Josh went through the whole car so it was a ready to go.”

“I flew out to Utah after he had it for a month to go over additional upgrades. First off, he said this was one of the cleanest, most solid chassis he’d ever brought over! It really goes to show, you get what you pay for. I cant stress enough, pay the money up front, it is so worth it to get a solid car with everything on it! The additional work they performed included, flaring the front and ordering wider Watanabes, modern fuse block conversion, new spoiler upfront, Mauricio did the paint match! I picked up in November of that year and trailered it all the way home.”

 

Since picking it up from JDM-L, Ray has been driving the Hako frequently. Quick specs:

1971 Nissan 2000 GTX , finished in white as GTR tribute

Engine:
2.8 L series straight six, Late 5 spd transmission, N42 head, Triple Italian Weber 40’s, Headers with Fujitsubo exhast, All original mechanical linkage.

Suspension:
Watanabe 15×9.5 -26 rear 15×8.5 -6 front, Toyo RA1 225/50/15 rear 205/50/15 front, Modified rear crossmember with FotoFab camber/toe brackets (510), QA1 double adj.rear shocks, ZCG CV’s, Subie R180 3.9 LSD, Finned aluminum rear drums, New Nissan bushings, bearings, driveshaft U-joints, brake cylinders, T3 280ZX front strut with coilover and aluminum hubs and Koni yellow adj. struts.

 

Exterior:
Protec over flares and front spoiler
GTR front grill and badging
Complete chrome trim and new weather strip

Interior:
Power windows, GTR shift knob and emblem, Stock Seats, Nardi steering wheel, Coco mats, Stock radio. All functioning and complete switches and dash.

 

Ray also has several 510s including a ’72 510 2dr (S15 SR20DET) “SaRafina”, ‘72 510 4dr “Mossy” and ‘69 510 2dr “project Scotty”. Follow Ray and his Datsun adventures on Instagram.

Dyno Tuning

 

Ray was experiencing some driveability issues and considered changing his triple-Weber induction to triple-Mikuni to resolve it. We suggested bringing it in for Rob to diagnose, tune and also provide alignment services. Before hitting the dyno, Rob and Josh identified the major culprit-the throttle linkage was not allowing wide-open operation.

 

The throttle-linkage was fixed and Rob was able to dyno tune the L28 with the triple-Webers for best AFR/timing. The results were astounding: baseline was 53hp/83tq and after tuning 162hp/169tq to the wheels!

 

It’s not unusual to pick up 10-15whp with Rob’s dyno tuning of your vintage car, but Ray gained a whopping 109hp/86tq. After driving the Hako after ZCG tuning/alignment he was ecstatic:

“My experience at ZCG and the dyno – Freakin awesome! Way exceeded my expectations! I’ve already had many people ask me “can he get me in there, I need that”. It’s actually kind of a bummer, that he is so booked up, I’m sure there are many people that would love to get there car in there and unlock some potential! My Hako is so much more driveable now, tracks straight with the alignment and the power gain, amazing! Like I told you, my Solex 44’s are ready, but I just want to enjoy this now for a while.”

 

Enjoy this video we made of the Skyline in action: dyno passes, in-car testing with Rob and Ray’s first drive/reactions. Volume up!

 

Evening shots with Ray in amazement after his test drive…

 

 

Alignment Services

 

Z Car Garage offers full alignment services for your late model and vintage car. Ray’s Hako was fully-aligned by our lead technician Josh who has many hours of street and race car setup experience. Caster was optimized here for better steering/stability.

 

 

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

We were super stoked to see Ray so happy with the Hako and he continues to drive and enjoy it.

“As I get up here in age, it is very important that my collector cars run! I’m no longer interested in endless project cars. Now I just want to get out there and drive! This leads into my praise for JDM Legends, like ZCG they just get it. Erik Bizek, like Rob, has a crazy passion for these vintage cars which I love.”

Thank you for your support Ray, and for letting us be a part of your Hakosuka. We look forward to working with you again and seeing you on the road!

 

 

We have many more photos in the gallery and please read below for more information on our ZCG CV Axles:

ZCG CV Axles

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 200+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

   

For years we have used aftermarket CV axles that utilize an aluminum adapter prone to loosening up over time. Despite efforts to keep things tight (Loctite, hardware changes) we had to keep an eye on them. We developed a better solution that eliminates the need for aluminum adapters and remains 100% bolt-in like a factory half-shaft.

  

Designed and manufactured locally with KAD Models, the ZCG CV axle kit works in both R180 and R200 configurations.

  

These are the beefiest CV axles on the market. They have been tested on the track by our vintage racing customers and also in high hp* street cars (powershifting, clutch dumps, etc.). Each axle has a serial # for peace of mind:

 

The CV axle kit is available now from ZCG for 1595.00 + freight and they come with everything you need to install on your car. Contact us at 408-452-0350 or send Rob an e-mail rob@zcargarage.com to purchase. Installation is just like doing a half-shaft: there is even a marking that shows you where to line up bolts and special hardware:

 

The ZCG CV Axles in action

The video below demonstrates the “looseness” associated with aftermarket CV axles that use adapters compared to the ZCG axles without adapters. Several customer race/street cars running our CV axles are also shown. Enjoy!

 

Enjoy this video made by our client Hazel. She installed our ZCG CV Axles on her Hazel’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

 

Over 150 sets of our ZCG CV Axles are installed in client’s cars all over the world:

Supermachine in Tokyo, Japan is running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles in their Series Datsun 240Z:

  

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our ZCG CV Axles in this IMSA GTU 260z race car!

  

Racer Brad H is running ZCG CV Axles in his IMSA GTU race car:

  

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

  

Set #248 – installed on Adam Carolla’s “Greg Sorrentino #90” Datsun 510.

  …[read more]

 

We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles on their Datsuns from all over the world! Darius installed a set himself on this 1982 Datsun 280ZX in Los Angeles, CA. 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 130 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with the positive feedback.

“This car is a life long project for me that I will continue to build on and to keep the 280zx not forgotten. Thanks for your service to the Z car nation.”

 

We promised our readers a full, zcarblog.com report on Trevor’s 280Z after it was featured on Hoonigan Autofocus with Larry Chen. Let’s take a closer look at this fantastic daily driver+canyon carver showcasing our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, CD009 Six-speed transmission and more.

 

The Next Big Thing

 

It’s no secret that S30 chassis values have skyrocketed in the past few years. While the 240Z commands top dollar it has become out of reach for many enthusiasts. Not to worry, Datsun offered the 260Z/280Z models and both are great, attainable chassis in the S30 world. Trevor shares how he found his 280Z:

“I met my Z in almost completely stock form with 94k original miles. I travel for work, ending up in a new town every 6 months or so. As soon as I had an inkling of where I was going to be sent next, I would start hitting the internet classifieds for a 280z. While the 240z had seductive weight savings over the later versions, my attention turned to the 280z for its fuel injection (with constant travel I didn’t want to have to tune carbs), it’s price/ availability, and they are easier to find with air conditioning.” Below, left is the night Trevor bought his Z:

 

“I found my silver Z in Phoenix, Arizona. The only things it had on it that weren’t original from the Hiratsuka factory were the wheels, springs, and Toyota 4×4 front brake calipers. The rest of it was stock, and most importantly, complete. I did a little work to get it running smoother, basically replaced all maintenance items and swapped out a few sensors that weren’t working, and then drove it as much as I possibly could.”

 

Trevor was looking for a shop to take care of his 1978 Datsun 240z and heard about ZCG from a shop tour with Larry Chen on this episode of Hoonigan Autofocus (Thanks Larry!). Trevor brought the Z in last summer and we performed a full inspection before upgrades.

“I chose to send my Z to Z Car Garage after watching Larry Chen’s Autofocus episode on the shop. I could really tell that Rob had a ton of passion for what he does and I knew I could have confidence with him at the helm. Before I had showed up at the shop, Rob and I had talked on the phone about doing the brakes, control arms all the way around, and a couple of other smaller things. I wanted it to handle as best as it possibly could and that meant stopping when it should and having the adjustability in the control arms to set up a proper alignment. ” 

 

 

Trevor is impressed with the braking performance:

“I quickly found out that even after just a short spirited mountain drive, the Toyota brakes would get hot and fade. It didn’t help that after getting a taste for driving her quickly, I wanted to do a few track days in the future. I knew I wanted a brake upgrade, one that I would only have to do once. After getting back to Southern California I was really able to put the car through its paces on the canyon roads. The ZCG Big-Brakes proved their worth and were consistent and didn’t fade even after a few good rips up and down the mountains. This car sticks to the road insanely well. With the alignment and new tires it just carves.”

Panasport Wheels

Complementing the new Big-Brakes on Trevor’s Z are Panasport wheels! We replaced the aftermarket wheels with 16×7 Panasports and sticky Bridgestone RE-71R tires in 225/50/16. The Z was fully aligned:

Rob dyno tuned the L28 with OEM EFI. Baseline was 133hp/149tq and with Rob’s tuning it made 143hp/159tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy the dyno run video below:

 

 

Vince S called Z Car Garage after he scored this 1973 Datsun 240Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer. After we got the Z up here from SoCal we found that it needed some work for Vince to really Enjoy The Ride. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a full suspension refresh and engine tuning make it just right.

 

Z Destiny

Before we explore the upgrades, let’s take a look at how Vince found his Z car…

“I’m incredibly lucky to own my Z. It was sold new in Decatur, IL on August 10, 1973. The car was supposedly purchased from the 2nd owner who reportedly had it for over 30 years in 2018 by a dealer in Oakland who then sold it to the collector I bought it from. I first saw the car in 2019 parked in my neighbor’s driveway. At the time, I was looking for a 240Z to buy. In high school I had a 1978 280Z that I took to college but it was prone to overheating and I blew a head gasket and didn’t have the money to fix it. I sold it in 1990 and regretted it ever since. So, when I saw a 1973 240Z sitting in that driveway, I knocked on my neighbor’s door and asked if he wanted to sell it.”

“Turns out the Z didn’t belong to him. He was transporting it from Oakland to Carmel and then on to L.A. for a friend who was a collector. The friend already owned two 240Zs (he has one of the 37 Zs that were part of Nissan’s Vintage Restoration Program) and he wanted my Z for it’s a/c components and other bits to complete one of his cars (he later decided it was too good of a car to use for parts). Although I couldn’t buy my Z that day, my neighbor let me go for a quick drive around the block. Fast forward to April 2020 and that very same Z is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer.”

 

  

Chassis and Suspension Upgrades

 

With Vince’s Z finally at the shop we proceeded with upgrades to make it a fantastic, reliable driver. For our clients that are cruising with occasional “spirited” driving we installed our “Stage 1/light street” suspension.  New parts from Techno Toy Tuning included adjustable T/C rods and rear lower control arms. We really appreciate Gabriel and his staff at T3. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

A full front suspension rebuild included new rack bushings, front control arm bushings, ball-joints, tie-rods, new wheel bearings front and rear (OEM genuine Nissan seals/parts), KYB strut inserts, Eibach lowering springs trimmed Macpherson bumps stops for full travel and a ST sway bar set.

   

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

Brakes: every vintage Z car that we build here gets the ultimate setup: our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for small wheels.  Everyone that drives our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car is sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes  and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Butters has a way of doing this to our customers 🙂 Read below for a brief description of these parts:

     

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:

  

We removed Vince’s brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit with a new brake master cylinder from Nissan, rebuilt brake booster and parking brake assembly.

 

New brake master cylinder from Nissan and stock vs Big-Brakes:

  At the rear, the factory drum brakes were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes. Factory handbrake functionality IS retained!

 

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

  

Vince has CV Axle set #341. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

   

ZCG CV axles installed:

 

Panasport Wheels

Complementing the new springs and shocks on Vince’s Z are Panasport wheels! We replaced the stock steel wheels (kept for shows) with 16×7 Panasports and Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires in 225/50/16.