No matter where we are are from, we all know it’s common for celebrities to own cool and interesting cars.
It’s pretty much always been this way too. Whether it’s an actor, musician or an athlete, the garages of their mansions are often filled with high-end vehicles to match. Anyone who has watched an old episode of MTV Cribs can vouch for that.
But to me there’s always been a big difference between the real car lovers and the celebrities who just buy exotic and expensive vehicles because it’s the cool thing to do – or simply because they can afford it. They might own the flashy machinery, but how many truly appreciate them from an automotive standpoint?
That’s why I’ve always had a lot of respect for the celebrities that are genuine car enthusiasts; the people that spend a good part of their off time, building, driving, collecting and racing automobiles. A few names that come to mind are Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfield, Adam Carolla and Patrick Dempsey. For all of them, cars represent something more than just a way to spend their earnings.
The late Paul Walker is another celebrity who was a legitimate car guy, and his love for cars added another dimension to his on-screen persona in the Fast and Furious franchise. But Paul wasn’t the only member of the Fast and Furious cast whose gear-head life continued outside the movie set.
Sung Kang, the actor who portrays Han in the series, is also a serious auto enthusiast, and the world became well aware of that last fall when his 1973 Datsun 240Z better known as FuguZ made its debut at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Built in partnership with the team at GReddy USA, FuguZ puts a new spin on an iconic Japanese sports car. And it’s a car that developed from a simple project among a group of friends to something much bigger and with more impact.
Already being a Porsche owner, Sung originally had his eye on an early 911 to build as a project to enjoy on the street and the track. But with demand and prices for old 911s at an all-time high, he decided to switch his focus to another car that would deliver the same nostalgic feelings in a more project-friendly package. A friend suggested the early 1970s Datsun 240Z; a car which many people of Sung’s generation have fond memories of. It sounded like the perfect choice.
Sung found a solid ’73 Z for sale in the California desert; a driver with a straight body that would serve as a perfect base to be built whichever way he saw fit. Originally his plans called for a mild project that would simply refresh the old car rather than completely transform it, but as others caught wind of the project on social media, the build quickly grew in scope.
Things really began to take off when Sung took an interest in Kei Miura’s upcoming Rocket Bunny wide-body kit for the Z. That’s when Rocket Bunny distributor GReddy USA reached out to Sung, and before long plans were made for the whole build to be undertaken at GReddy’s facility in Orange County.
And after months of planning and many late nights at the shop, the FuguZ rolled out last fall just in time for its SEMA debut. While it wasn’t planned that way from the beginning, Sung’s Z had attracted the attention of the world, winning several awards and creating a huge buzz across social media.
Familiar, But Different
If there’s a unifying theme to the Z, it’s ‘familiar, but different’. The car is immediately identifiable as the iconic 240Z, but there are new twists on everything from the fully reinforced chassis to the modern body kit, which draws inspiration from the competition S30s of the mid 1970s.
The theme continues under the hood, where you’ll find a naturally aspirated Nissan inline-six just like the car originally had. Only rather than the SOHC L24 that powered the Z when it was new, it now has a DOHC, fuel injected, naturally aspirated ‘RB26DE’. Although this engine configuration was available in the JDM R32 Autech Skyline, the N/A RB26 you see here was created from an RB26DETT GT-R donor motor.
The RB has been fully rebuilt with high compression pistons, a ported head and a set of individual throttle bodies that not only improve response, but give the Datsun a traditionally cool look and sound. The gearbox is a 5-speed manual which feeds power to an OS Giken LSD mounted in an R200 differential.
The Z puts down 220 horsepower to the wheels and makes joyous noises as the tach swings toward 9,000rpm. It’s certainly not the fastest S30 in the world, but most would agree it has the perfect amount of power to truly enjoy the car. And it’s just as happy cruising on the street as it is being flogged on the track.
In addition to the chassis strengthening that occurred during the rebuild, the car was also treated to a custom fabricated rollcage. And as for the suspension, a set of fully adjustable coilovers from Techno Toy Tuning help keep the Datsun grounded in the corners and sitting mean.
As mentioned a moment ago, the new Rocket Bunny wide-body kit is one of the defining aspects of the build, and the car wears Mr. Miura’s aggressive kit with style. Coated in an original shade of Datsun white, the Z looks aggressive in that ’70s race car way, yet elegant at the same time.
And with the Rocket Bunny kit being such an integral part of the project, the wheels that would sit inside the wide-body fenders were also important. And what better choice than a set of 17-inch RAYS Volk Racing TE37V SLs – a wheel which just like the FuguZ draws its inspiration from the past, while also exhibiting the utmost in modern engineering.
The simple retro-meets-modern theme continues to the Datsun’s cockpit, which mixes contemporary race car with lots of classic style. Dubai’s CarbonSignal Automotive provided the parts for the fully custom interior, including the dash, door panels and lovely low-back bucket seats.
I also quite like how they kept the factory wood-rimmed 240Z steering wheel which is fitted with a custom FuguZ horn button to match the other badging on the car.
For Sung, the FuguZ journey has been about a whole lot more than just adding another cool car to his garage. The project has allowed him to meet and connect with people from all over the world, and the built-from-scratch Datsun is something that’s provided him with the kind of satisfaction that you just can’t get from a store-bought supercar.
Wrenching, hanging out with friends and building something cool; that’s something that all of us car lovers can relate to, even if we don’t happen to be stars of the silver screen.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia_media
mike@speedhunters.com
Photos by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto
larry@speedhunters.com
Sung Kang’s 1973 Datsun 240Z FuguZ built by GReddy
Engine
Nissan RB26DE engine swap tuned by GReddy, high compression pistons, upgraded rods, ported head, custom individual throttle bodies, AEM engine management system
Driveline
Nissan 5-speed manual transmission, OS Giken clutch, R200 differential, OS Giken LSD
Suspension/Brakes
Fully reinforced chassis, Techno Toy Tuning adjustable coilovers, Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes
Wheels/Tires
17-inch RAYS Volk Racing TE37V SL forged wheels, Nitto NT01 tires
Exterior
Fully restored, Rocket Bunny wide-body kit, custom fender mirrors, Kilimanjaro White paint job & body work by Signature Auto Body, custom ‘FuguZ’ badging
Interior
Full custom roll-cage by GReddy, custom CarbonSignal dash, door panels, bucket seats, Takata harnesses
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front fender is calamitous
Cooll build, very well done but personally don't think the wheels tie in with the rest of the build.
Great feature guys, Larry's shots are absolutely killer.
Fantastic car, and some AMAZING photos!
sounds like it needs some hotter cams and possibly another half a liter to bump the power up to where it easily could be.
I really like this car, but not stroking the RB made little sense to me personally.
I know personal opinions vary greatly and plenty of people here let that known, but I truly think this car is absolutely beautiful. The Pandem/Rocket Bunny kit suites the body and lines perfectly, just an modern take on the usual flares that are commonly fitted to the Z's and even the IMSA car featured the other day.
And the engine is again a more modern take on an weber/mikuni feed L series. This build is along the lines of how I would love to build a car one day, updated engine, body, semi stripped interior, track day/weekend car.
Again beautiful, perfect
@researchisyourfriend The power seemed underwhelming to me as well. You can easily make that out of an old school L (hell, the Rebello motors are making like 280 at the wheels), or even an SR turbo. A mildly built L motor will make that power for probably what it cost them just to get the RB.... let alone what it cost to build it to an ITB monster.
That being said, I've always been a proponent for "less is more" in the power department, especially where old J-tin is concerned. A 510 only needs 200hp (it won racing championships with less) and a Z only need a little more than 200 (remember these cars weigh only a little over 2000lbs). So I suppose that if the RB makes the right kind of power band (preferably torque from idle up and then hp to redline) I could jive with the 220 number.
Very nice build! Great execution and that n/a RB26 is Godlike! Hope to see Sung and the rest of his team start a new build soon.
Definitely one of the "coolest" celebrity car builds I've had the pleasure of seeing in person. Kudos to Sung and his team as his choice of building a "Z" resonates with fellow Datsun nuts. It was neat to compare Fuguz with the OS Giken car at SEMA. Striking dichotomy: The OS car has 255/40/17 tires under stock fenders while Fuguz has 235s under ultra wide flares. I also love that Sung utilized parts from all over the world. He could have tapped any local vendors but that Carbon signal interior is rad!
I personally find the front end 3/4 view of the RB kit very disconcerting but the rest is stylish to me...
Thanks SH and Larry this Datsun coverage is sweet!
MTDatsun
It's an NA RB, some folks are getting 300hp out of them but I don't think outright power was the intent here. If it sounds fantastic and has decent ooomph and the a smile from the driver results than mission accomplished! I'm looking forward to seeing Sung at a track day!
MTDatsun funny you mention that, as I was basically hinting that the L28s/L30s easily do near 300whp, and if you want to get crazy they can be stretched quite a bit further than that (TC24B etc).
It's still awesome, and I'm friends with some of the Greddy guys so I'm definitely not speaking badly of them, but I just think it would have made more sense to have more displacement. If nothing else, keeps the cams mild and you're still gonna make more power and have more under the curve.
@researchisyourfriend MTDatsun I agree, torque is king in street build.
MTDatsun The fun thing to think about is that this would fly under the radar if it had a big turbo RB setup. It's been done time and time again, you guys all know this. It's getting more press because of the fact that it is still NA.
My car weighs 2150 lbs with full interior and heavy steel seats. I am guessing that Sung's car weights about the same.
I drove the FuguZ, and it's going to sound dumb, but there is one thing I do miss about having less power and that is being able to floor it for longer while watching the revs climb. In my turbo 240z, I have 300hp and 300tq. While it's lots of fun on the track, it's actually a bit much for the street. I barely have traction till I hit 3rd gear. So in terms of a street car I think it's perfect, plus it makes all the right noises.
Larry, what road is this?
Larry superb clicks..:) n love the post. Larry Chen
I think they should have gone for a thicker steering wheel if they're gonna track it but overall a very clean and enviable build.
Truly cataclysmic.
oh my god, perfect car if there is ever one!!!
This car ir amazing, i love it, it's awesome the work Sung and his team, i would derive evento a minute, it would be a dream U0001f603U0001f44dU0001f3fb
I love this car is impressive work sung and his team , I would like to drive it as little as 1 minute, it would be a dream
they could've went with the real works-style kit (like the shakotan/bosozoku s30s) instead of this rocket bunny bullshit
now because of this car every swagfag will want a z to put this shit-looking kit on it for "muh scene points broo"
smh
Great build, but that power output leaves a little to be desired! Guess the RB26 doesn't really take well to an N/A build.
@fsda What's wrong with Rocket Bunny?
Its a nice clean build and its clear that a ton of work was put into it. despite being a huge fan of the 240 I just don't like it I cant hate but the rocket bunny kit just doesn't do it for me.
I wonder if he misses his Veilside RX7.
My only kind of initial disappointment about this build was when I saw the first interview with Sung and he had mentioned that this was meant to be a project for him and his friends, as a healthy way to bond and as he put it "get out of the house for a while". The involvement of all the bigwigs certainly comes as no surprise once this hit social media, and the car was done before you know it just in time for SEMA. In the end, it felt much more than a company showcase than a garage-time earned project of a group of friends. While I grieve the loss of that ideal, they did come up with a really clean build full of subtle character.
The Bunny kit took me a while to warm up to, mostly because of the flat-faced area of the bumper proceding the front treads, but as a whole I am coming to really enjoy it. The S30 and RB combination is a bit of a match made in heaven, and especially with the NA route giving it the perfect balance of enjoyability on the road, I'm certainly in the stable of "less is more" in this case.
Its a great car I'm sure, and as long as its everything he wanted and he's happy its all good, but something about this car isn't right, its just missing something in the looks department, I don't like the front or rear, the whole thing is just missing some sort of cohesiveness...
My absolute favorite parts in this build are those gorgeous bucket seats with takata belts.
Tc24 head on top of a built Bored L-Series to 3.1L ,Would've made the most sense on this car. Maybe the extra 100hp and about same rev limit would've have been too much fun?
MrMegaFluffy i dont know, hmmm maybe it's overused and looks like literal horseshit on most of the cars
I feel bad for Sung - he wanted a project for he and his friends and the industry jumped on and took over. I am a nice guy... so I will graciously trade him my stock S30 for his FuguZ in hopes he may once again attempt to do what average people do. Car looks great and dat azz... he must work out.
This car looks horrible. One of the worst Z's i've ever seen. Lets be honest, if this car would have another owner no one would care about it.
I've gone round and round on this car. I don't think I've ever been so in love/hate/love/hate with a car ever. In defending it from the people crying about it being a mega budget build to feeling like "yes, this does pander to the crowd" I finally figured out why there's so much emotion involved on all side.
It's because even with the professional help from Greddy USA it does convey the fact that it's a car for people. Sung and his friends will get to enjoy this on track which they wanted right from the start. Sung named it and will drive it and probably love it more than any of us will ever realize.
Allow me to get a little emotional here. After the world lost Paul Walker, I think a lot of car guys (even if they won't admit it) felt lost. This car belonging to Sung ties it to the F&F franchise whether it ends up in a movie or not. Car people feel that, and they don't know how to react, so they gush in adoration or abhorrence.
I've lost where I was going with this so I'll say, thank you Sung for stepping into the light and giving us another high profile friend of the car. We appreciate it.
@JJ7V Any logic behind this? or is this just a random opinion based off of solely first impressions and no deeper thought.
@JJ7V I don't care who owns it. It looks great and is setup not far from what I would like. But taste varies from person to person.
Larry Chen MTDatsun I couldn't agree more. On the street, power isn't everything. If it's only a track car, sure. But for my dealings, having something that's streetable is worth more than something that can turn fast lap times with the right driver (and most of us are not).
I really like this, I just hate that its stripped out. It seems unnecessary, and dare I say it is only because it was one less thing to worry about.
What's up with the welds? They seem tacky.. Should have been done better.
RBPS13 It's a big-budget build for sure, but not "lets find one-of-nine (if one is possibly for sale) of the rarest engines ever built" budget. Besides, they just featured a different Z with one.
That opening shot though...
*slow clap*
Is it just the rocket bunny, or do you feel this way about any 240 with a wide body treatment?
From a driveability standpoint, and a track day standpoint, 220hp is probably more than enough for a car that weighs around 1000kg. On a twisty mountain road, you don't need gobs of power. It's much more fun to push what limited power you have right to the edge, and really work the clutch and transmission to get the most out of the motor, as opposed to being sit in 3rd or 4th gear and never go to full throttle.
Another beautiful Z!!! You guys are on a role right now!!! Bravo
SH should gather all these Z's recently featured together for a "race", just for the fun of it! Maybe do some sort of shoot-out with a couple different comps like they do in the magazines.
Not sure if there would really be a point to it, but it could make for some amazing photos and videos!
Now we just need @speedhunters_dino to track down the original Akuma Zeto
@agada have you... never seen a stitch/seam welded chassis before?
some of these shots make the car look like a 2+2.. wonderfull build
Putextinguishersinit Im not english
Paddy McGrath In my pants.
Funny story is they put them back in production if people are willing to pay for it hence the osgiken black 240 sporting one and another green 240z had the tc24,head also in the last couple years but 220hp is wea for a high comp 2.6 wouldve at least but a rb30 in there even with a carb'd Lseries 3.1 it would of made 300whp.....
God that first picture is amazing. Congrats Larry on taking the best pic I've seen this year.
miksfield Thanks for the kind words. That means a lot.
miksfield sir, you`ve just read my mind )
@fsda MrMegaFluffy I don't think you've ever seen a pile of horse dung if you honestly think that's what it looks like. And the fact that it's "overused" might be because it looks nice. God damn hipster, hating on Rocket Bunny because it's "mainstream".
Larry Chen MTDatsun I see what you mean. I wasn't knocking it for being the way it is, just sort of... confused? Not sure, I'm so used to Greddy builds with stupid high hp and "this, that, and the other thing" in the engine modification space.
(Side note: I drive a 510 with an old school Franken L motor pushing around 130hp NA... I may be a little biased -- and I can attest to the simple joy of letting your right foot hit the floor, and still having time to look down at the tach before you need to shift again. Feeling fast in that case is also an accomplishment when you're on a curvy canyon or darting through autocross cones on an airport runway.)
It certainly garners more attention by going the NA route -- just look at how long it's taken ZCarGarage to hit the mainstream spotlight, despite their monster RB (Rob's green Z just to name one) and SR (Rob's green 510 to name another) turbo builds (which they've been doing for the last decade and a half). Then when they get to the top of the mountain that is the public's attention, everything getting the limelight is NA.
Guess we all know -- at least secretly -- turbo builds are cheating.... ;).
@agada Common practice when stitch welding a chassis. Very similar improvement in chassis rigidity compared to full seem welding, but allows for repairs and puts less heat (potential warping) into the metal.
If I could get that opening shot in 1366x768 resolution, that would be so damn great.
Verdigrie I see its stitch welded. I know the pros/cons. But look at the plate were the rollcage is mounted. That is not stitched? They don't look that good.
Bima Leksono It's already available in HD, just open 'Presentation Mode' on the second image in the story and navigate back to it, click 'Download Wallpaper' et voilá!
MTDatsun I like cheating.
'Hangyász', the hungarian race car
Who did the cage on it?
I really really like the interior. Beautiful!
@JJ7V i'm no great fan of the rocket bunny kit - but look at that beautiful interior and engine! I'd care about it if it were your car or anybody elses whom i don't know.
Paddy McGrath Bima Leksono Any chance of some higher resolution pics such as 4K in the near future? My 3440x1440 desktop is screaming for a nice Speedhunters wallpaper. :d
maxvr6 I think a part of it is the color, or lack thereof. It kinda looks bland, despite having really nice and wild lines.
Thanks Larry for giving us such great pictures xD
Plus I found I simply love it...strange.
@Luca Paddy McGrath Bima Leksono I personally think that going over 1920px is too much of a headache for any photographer, as it opens us up to even more cases of image theft.
About the only car I think the Rocket Bunny kit look good. This, and the S13.
Good choice keeping the RB26 turbo-less, otherwise that chassis would be WAY to squirrely in the turns.
Just curious how that stock steering wheel feels nowadays where most cars have beefed up the grips.
Great Photos Larry - Did you get Ole Orange bang out to joint in for a drive?
Whilst having turbo power is cool I love nothing more than having something moderately powered that you can wind out on the tacho - no better feeling 
Great writing too Mike. There's been a lot of talk and interviews about this car but it was cool to see your take on it and not getting too hung up on the celebrity bit. I liked the focus on the fact he's just a car guy.
The fuguZ is really well executed too. I'd love to hear the sound of that NA RB winding out
Thanks for sharing guys!
DNAofMotorsport ただ格好いいの一言！
Twitch_6 Exactly. I couldn't have said better myself.
Paddy McGrath Bima Leksono Is there any way for us to pay a dollar or two for higher res photos? I have a Retina Macbook Pro and it's a little annoying since 1920x1200 photos end up looking pixelated on these screens.
day_old_tofu Not this time. My 240z is not a very good media vehicle. Maybe someday soon. I did get to drive the FuguZ though, that was so much fun.
MrMegaFluffy no, i hate on rocket bunny because it looks trash
Really digging this build! Great photos and coverage, and lots of respect to Sung for letting the project take it's own path, I'd say the results are pretty incredible! Side profile of the car is just plain awesome.
kderentz It says in the specs. GReddy
Twitch_6 Excellent response Twitch_6. I have driven a 70 Z on extremely curvy coast Highway One for over 30 years and learned that this car has a wonderful balance of weight, engine and transmission. When you learn to drive this car and properly clutch this transmission (4 speed) and wind the engine in and out of the turns you have a car that can beat the pants off of heavier large engine cars in a curvy highway situation. I have out performed heavier cars, several that simply lost it totally on the turns. Once you have hand and foot control of this car it is simply a a DREAM to drive! Pure fun in a beautiful form.
Selfdestroyer I read about this car. Its total crazy build. Love it