Sung Kang and GReddy Preview the ‘FuguZ’ Ahead of SEMA
In front of a large crowd on the night before Halloween, Sung Kang, Michael Jen, Greg Hwang and GReddy previewed the “FuguZ,” their 1973 Datsun 240Z race car featuring a Pandem/Rocket Bunny design. It’s been a labor of love, sacrifice and passion for everyone involved, and I’m excited to report that the results are breathtaking.
It’s almost unthinkable that just three days ago, the car looked like this:
Earlier in the week, Ben and Aaron from GReddy Performance were busy completing the plumbing for the naturally-aspirated RB26 motor, which is expected to have a compression ratio of somewhere between 12 and 13:1.
(L to R): Ben, Kenji and Aaron.
When a car of this magnitude is being built on such an aggressive schedule (less than 65 days), the challenges start to stack up on each other. One of the bigger hurdles that Aaron faced while installing the engine was the fact that the car went through the different stages of the build process “slightly out of order.”
Ideally, a car would be fully mechanically fitted before receiving any paint or body work, but since everything was being completed simultaneously, the guys were now required to install various components without damaging the pristine paint job. A finished paint job also meant that Aaron was hesitant to drill new mounting points in the chassis, but he used his many years of experience and creativity to utilize the frame’s existing mounts.
And the result? An engine bay fit for a museum.
While the project had its fair share of unexpected roadblocks, so many things came together perfectly (both literally and metaphorically) to get the car into its current state. This was all possible thanks to a global passion for the car, and immense support for the meaning behind the build.
I’m not exaggerating when I say “global” because the custom-designed interior is from CarbonSignal Automotive, which is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The FuguZ will be getting some final touches like auxiliary wiring and a proper engine tune before it heads to Las Vegas for the 2015 SEMA Show. You’ll be able to get a closer look at this 240Z at Nitto Tire’s booth beginning November 3rd.
In the meantime, learn more about the journey of the car through the Z Dream documentary, and get a behind the scenes look via Sung Kang’s Facebook page.
Update 10-31-15, 3:45 PM: Listen to the FuguZ on the dyno at only 50% throttle!
Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>
(L to R): Greg Hwang, Sung Kang, Kenji Sumino and Michael Jen.
