1970 Datsun 240Z California Datsun's 450hp Turbo Time Capsule

Owner: Al Allen — California Datsun | Datsun Parts LLC, Riverside, CA Client: Marty Stewart, Phoenix AZ Photography: Marvin Recinos | @mr2mivin

The Man Behind the Machine

Al Allen has been neck-deep in the Datsun world for over 37 years. As the founder of California Datsun — the trading name of Datsun Parts LLC, officially established in 2008 — Al's obsession started the way most great automotive stories do: with a car he shouldn't have been able to afford and absolutely loved anyway.

"My first car was a 260Z as a punk high schooler, but I thought I had the coolest ride on campus!"

That 260Z served as Al's daily driver until 2000, when newborn twins demanded something with more seats. The Z went on hold, but the passion never did. After earning his business degree from Concordia University in Irvine in 1995, Al spent over a decade working through the corporate world before finding a way to put the old advice — do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life — into actual practice.

What started as a side hustle eBay store back in 2002, funding his own Z project one part at a time, had grown into a full-time career by 2013. Today, California Datsun is recognised as one of the world's largest suppliers of Datsun parts and one of the premier shops for complete Z car restorations. Based in Riverside but with Texas expansion on the horizon, the business that a passion for Japanese classics built has come a long way from the early eBay listings.

A Build That Almost Wasn't

The story of this particular 1970 Datsun 240Z didn't begin in California Datsun's shop. It began with a phone call from a frustrated client.

Owner Marty Stewart had already spent considerable time and money at another restoration shop, only to end up with a car that reflected the builder's vision rather than his own. Mismatched expectations, disagreements over build quality, and a bill that kept climbing eventually led Marty to walk away — and to make the call to Al Allen.

"After over a year and several thousand dollars later, our client asked us to go to Las Vegas and pick up this car and build him what he really wanted."

In 2023, California Datsun got to work. What they'd taken on wasn't just a restoration — it was a rescue mission, and the car that landed in their shop turned out to be something genuinely special.

This 240Z is one of the first 3,000 examples ever produced. Out of the 160,000 240Zs Nissan built in total, being in that earliest production run puts this car in rare company — a survivor with real provenance that demanded to be treated with the respect it deserved. Undoing the poor work already carried out added another layer of complexity to what was already shaping up to be an ambitious build, but four years later, the result speaks for itself.

The Build — Power, Presence, and a Few Ground Rules

Marty came to California Datsun with a clear brief. He wanted the car to look like a 240Z — not a widebody kit car dressed up as one. Absolutely no wings, air dams, or fiberglass body modifications. Chrome European bumpers, solid steel. The original colour direction was a priority too, leading to the choice of Nissan Z silver — a clean, period-correct shade that lets the car's iconic silhouette do all the talking.

That brief extended to the stance as well. Marty wanted the car to sit aggressively without abandoning driveability, so the team fitted Vogtland German lowering springs matched to specially made KYB struts. Wrapped around a set of deep-dished Rota 17" wheels shod in Pirelli rubber, the result is exactly what Marty asked for — a car that looks planted and purposeful without resorting to any of the usual show-car theatrics.

Under the bonnet is where the serious work lives. The team at Ricky's Engines in Riverside built a 3.0L stroked Datsun L6 with forged internals and a specially designed cylinder head — an engine that was already more than capable before a Garrett ball-bearing turbo and a ProTunerz turbo intake and exhaust kit joined the equation. Engine management is handled by a Haltech standalone ECU, tuned to perfection by Erick's Racing in Baldwin Park, with the final output sitting at a thoroughly authoritative 450hp.

The presentation under the bonnet received the same level of attention as everything else. A custom valve cover, polished intercooler, and powder-coated radiator and manifolds (the latter handled by Young Gun Coatings) make it a bay worth opening at every show. Hauling all that power back down is left to four-corner Wilwood big red calipers paired with California Datsun's own brake kit — a combination that inspires confidence whether you're navigating a canyon road or a crowded car park.

Inside, the brief was equally clear. Al's son Griffen Allen, who did the lion's share of the wrenching throughout the build, worked alongside Rogelio's Upholstery in Baldwin Park to produce a blood red leather interior in soft Corinthian hide that transforms the cabin into something truly special. Modern touches were added with care: a Speedhut instrumentation cluster, wireless phone charging, ice-cold air conditioning, and a touchscreen audio/visual system from Pacific Stereo in Riverside that delivers what Al generously describes as concert quality sound.

Keyless entry, a reversing camera, ambient lighting, and electric power steering round out a feature list that would be impressive in a brand-new car, let alone a 50-year-old Japanese classic. ECU wiring was managed by R Rated Motorsports of Fontana, and the handmade Borla exhaust system from the downpipe back was fabricated by Speedway Muffler in Rancho Cucamonga — a fitting final touch for a car that sounds as good as it looks.

Spec Sheet

Engine

• 3.0L stroked Datsun L6, forged internals — built by Ricky's Engines, Riverside
• Custom cylinder head by Ricky's Engines
• Garrett ball-bearing turbocharger
• ProTunerz turbo intake and exhaust kit
• Haltech standalone engine management
• Tuned by Erick's Racing, Baldwin Park — 450hp
• Custom valve cover
• Polished intercooler
• Powder-coated radiator and manifolds — Young Gun Coatings
• Handmade Borla exhaust, downpipe back — Speedway Muffler, Rancho Cucamonga

Suspension

• Vogtland German lowering springs
• Specially made KYB struts

Wheels & Tyres

• Rota 17" deep-dish wheels
• Pirelli tyres

Brakes

• Wilwood big red calipers — all four corners
• California Datsun brake kit

Exterior

• Nissan Z silver — original colour direction
• Solid steel chrome European bumpers
• No wings, air dams, or fiberglass modifications

Interior

• Blood red Corinthian leather — Rogelio's Upholstery, Baldwin Park
• Speedhut instrumentation cluster
• Wireless phone charging pad
• Air conditioning
• Touchscreen audio/visual system — Pacific Stereo, Riverside
• Keyless entry
• Reversing camera
• Ambient lighting
• Electric power steering

Electronics

• ECU wiring — R Rated Motorsports, Fontana

What It's Like to Drive

"Driving this Z is pure joy. The entire experience — first admiring its aesthetic appeal, the feel of the soft Corinthian leather interior, the sound of that 450hp turbocharged engine boosting up, to the thrill of all that power under your foot — makes this rocket ship a blast to drive."

That says it better than any spec sheet could. This is a car built to be driven, enjoyed, and admired in equal measure. It looks like a 1970 Datsun 240Z because it is one — no fake widebody, no unnecessary drama — just a perfectly realised vision of what a classic Z can become in the right hands.

What's Next

As complete as this build feels, Al and Marty aren't done. The next project waiting in the wings is an even earlier 1969 240Z — another restoration for the same client, and another chance for California Datsun to do what they do best.

Back at the shop in Riverside, Al's own 1969 Datsun 620 truck sits quietly in the corner, patient and waiting. It'll get its turn eventually — but as Al puts it, revenue-generating builds come first.

Shoutouts

• Griffen Allen (@griffenallen) — primary build, wrenching
• Ricky's Engines, Riverside — engine build and cylinder head
• Erick's Racing, Baldwin Park (@ericksracing) — tuning
• Rogelio's Upholstery, Baldwin Park — blood red leather interior
• R Rated Motorsports, Fontana (@rratedmotorsports) — ECU wiring
• Speedway Muffler, Rancho Cucamonga — Borla exhaust fabrication
• Pacific Stereo, Riverside — audio/visual system
• Young Gun Coatings (@youngguncoatings) — powder coating

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