Build Spotlight: Larry Chen's “Ole Orange Bang” proves a great 240Z is more than horsepower
Larry Chen has photographed some of the world's most outrageous performance cars.
Naturally, his own long-term project is a fifty-six-year-old Datsun with a four-cylinder engine.
The automotive photographer's 1970 Datsun 240Z, nicknamed Ole Orange Bang, is one of those builds that becomes more interesting the longer you examine it.
It isn't powered by the original L-series six-cylinder. It doesn't follow a strict period-correct restoration philosophy. And it has been rebuilt, modified and refined repeatedly over the years.
But nearly everything about the car serves a fairly straightforward purpose.
Chen wants to drive it.
The $3,000 starting point
Chen bought the early-production Series 1 240Z on his 21st birthday for $3,000.
The car carries chassis number 2868, placing it among the early examples of the S30 generation.
Rather than immediately embarking on a concours restoration, Chen started using the car for autocross and other driving events.
Over the years, it became part of his work and personal life. He used it to chase other cars during photography assignments, drove it extensively around California and even incorporated it into his wedding celebrations.
The modifications evolved alongside that use.
After years of driving with an L28 six-cylinder, Chen replaced the engine in 2013 with a turbocharged Nissan SR20DET sourced from a former Formula DRIFT car.
That decision changed the car's character considerably.
Why a four-cylinder makes sense
The SR20DET is not the traditional choice for an early Z.
An L-series engine preserves the original six-cylinder personality. An RB swap creates a connection to Nissan's later high-performance inline-sixes.
The SR20 takes another route.
A compact turbocharged four-cylinder offers considerable power potential without filling the entire S30 engine bay.
Its shorter layout also changes the packaging possibilities around cooling equipment, intake plumbing and service access.
The obvious compromise is character.
An SR20 does not sound or deliver power like an L28. It replaces the familiar long-six personality with a lighter, turbocharged four-cylinder approach.
Chen's car demonstrates why that can still produce a compelling Z.
According to Z Car Garage, its completed 2021 tuning work delivered 295 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
In an April 2026 update, Chen described the car as weighing approximately 2,150 pounds and producing about 300 wheel horsepower.
Those are owner- and shop-reported figures, but they describe a genuinely lively power-to-weight combination.
The challenge was making the rest of the car keep up.
Fixing the things that make a fast car unpleasant
When Z Car Garage began its mechanical work, the car already had substantial modifications.
It also had several problems that will sound familiar to anybody who has purchased someone else's ambitious project.
The engine was difficult to start consistently. Idle quality was poor. The car could stall during deceleration, and cooling performance suffered in demanding conditions.
The air conditioning wasn't particularly happy either.
Z Car Garage approached the car as a complete system rather than simply chasing another peak-power number.
The team fitted a Haltech Elite 1000 engine-management system, reorganized wiring and plumbing, and improved airflow through the engine bay's heat exchangers.
Working with TC Design, the shop developed revised ducting for the intercooler, condenser and radiator. The oil cooler was relocated, while upgraded fans and radiator hardware improved the cooling arrangement.
The result, according to the shop's detailed report, was better drivability and improved temperature control.
That may be less exciting than another fifty horsepower.
It also makes the difference between a car you enjoy driving and one you spend every weekend troubleshooting.
Braking and suspension received equal attention
The original S30 chassis provides an excellent foundation, but its braking and suspension technology belongs to another era.
Chen had previously used a conversion involving Toyota truck front calipers and Nissan Maxima rear brakes.
Z Car Garage replaced that arrangement with its four-piston brake package, designed to fit behind appropriately sized classic wheels while retaining parking-brake functionality.
The shop also installed its CV axle conversion, working with the car's Subaru STI-derived limited-slip differential.
Suspension tuning received similar attention.
Rather than simply lowering the car further, the team adjusted its KW coilovers, corner-balanced the chassis and worked through wheel-offset problems that had caused rubbing and compromised tire contact.
It's a useful reminder that attractive wheel fitment and functional wheel fitment are not always the same thing.
A tire cannot generate grip with the portion of its contact patch that's hanging in the air.
The small stuff counts
Perhaps the most revealing work involved things that don't appear on a typical build sheet.
Z Car Garage repaired weatherseals, addressed exhaust fumes entering through rear-body openings, improved sound insulation and refurbished window mechanisms.
Chen also installed Recaro Pole Position seats.
None of those changes transformed the Z's horsepower figure.
Together, they made it a more complete car.
That was the point.
The cosmetic restoration, handled separately by Bells & Vaughn, gave Ole Orange Bang its striking orange finish. Z Car Garage's subsequent mechanical work helped ensure the car could be used as enthusiast transportation rather than occasional garage decoration.
The shop's April 2026 update showed the car continuing to appear at Southern California gatherings.
The best projects keep evolving
Ole Orange Bang is interesting because it hasn't followed a predetermined recipe.
It's been a budget sports car, an autocross machine, a photography tool and a long-running engine-swap experiment.
Its current form reflects those experiences.
The modifications that survived are the ones that helped the car do what its owner wanted.
For builders who spend years debating the perfect engine, suspension or brake combination before ever turning a wheel, Chen's 240Z offers a different perspective.
Build something.
Drive it.
Find out what doesn't work.
Then make it better.
Not every project needs a final version.
Some just need another thousand miles.
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