On August 7-9, the Historic Motorsports Association (HMSA) hosted Driver Appreciation Weekend at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage was fortunate to participate and support several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 8. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with exclusive in-car footage and photos from the ever-impressive paddock!

 

The Race Must Go On!

 

In the midst of this pandemic, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR) event was cancelled. More commonly known as the “historics” at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, this epic vintage race is part of several events occupying the week-long Monterey car festival leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours, which was also cancelled. So how were we able to race at Laguna Seca? Rob Fuller explains…

 

….”When HMSA announced a “Driver Appreciation Weekend” in August I immediately spoke with Barry at Laguna Seca to request a race group for B-Sedans. We made a case for the ask: our cars have raced with SVRA, CSRG and it’s a fun group to watch. Barry agreed. Glenn Chiou (racer and ambassador of vintage racing) put in hard work and rallied everyone he knew with a B-Sedan car, from both the John Morton Cup and the Historic B&C Sedan class. We had seventeen Datsun 510s plus a bunch of Alfas and BMWs.”

 

 

So despite the RMMR cancellation, on what would have been the “Pre-Historics” weekend we had an amazing time racing at Laguna Seca with HMSA. Troy Ermish transported our two customer cars and we towed our own car down Friday 8/7. Check-in and registration at the track was a breeze. Volunteers and workers from SCCA, HMSA, and ‘Seca did an incredible job making sure the event was safe. If you can imagine it, the Driver Appreciation weekend was very close to the past RMMR events, only with folks wearing masks and distancing. Make no mistake, there were clearly smiles behind those masks and joy visible in everyone’s eyes…this is the racing we all live for!

 

Z Car Garage Supports Four Datsun 510s!

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno. Below is a video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Kelvin and Randy’s) on the dyno prior to the Driver Appreciation weekend. Enjoy the sweet L-series music!

 

510s Galore!

With seventeen Datsun 510s in Group 8 it was a Dime-lover’s dream to be in the paddock and watch the races. Although the event did not allow spectators, we’ve got you covered! Here is a video showing all the 510s running, with action from our paddock, starting grid and Turn 6. Turn those speakers up and enjoy!

 

Let’s take a look at the Datsun 510s that we supported:

#7 Kelvin

 

Beginning with our customers, Kelvin had a really successful race weekend at the CSRG David Love Vintqge Races in Sonoma back in July. Unfortunately at ‘Seca his engine failed after a short time on track.  Stay tuned for a full report and enjoy these closer shots of Kelvin’s beautiful 510:

 

#72 Tom Dockery

Tom Dockery drove his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510. This car made its debut in May 2019 and we are excited to share its full story and profile Tom’s journey into racing soon.

Tom had a blast here are his thoughts on the race weekend:

“I would have NEVER imagined I would be so comfortable putting on my racing gear a long side John Morton let alone line up beside him on grid.  The man is a true steward of the game. The event bought me new comfort for Laguna Seca. The was part Rob coaching, part the caliber of the B-Sedan drivers and the bond between B-Sedan drivers. This was my first weekend on Fresh Hoosier R7 tires, what a difference! I am still not completely comfortable in the car. We have made changes at every race to get me there.  Every change and improvement. But I now need to make some big changes to get the seat in the right spot. The ZCar Garage Team was on top of everything. Thanks to Keith, Nick and Josh!”

 

“I was on my second outing with fresh R7’s …. what a difference. But the magic was the grid. The 5 five guys for the morning session which included Troy, Rob, Taz, Steve and the other BMW with Jim, got the organizers to grid them at the back. The resulting first two laps was nuts. So even though I was getting my butt kicked there was lots of action.”

 

 

#21 John Morton

Our hero John Morton drove Randy Jaffe’s Newport Datsun 510. This car was owned by Glenn Chiou (Ermish-built).

 

After Glenn sold the car we helped Randy ship it to his hometown in Georgia. Randy is a huge motorsports fan and really admires John Morton so he had the 510 shipped back to ZCG in July to run the Driver Appreciation event. At the shop we dyno’d and prepped the car for John Morton to race:

 

It was great to see Randy’s touches added to the 510. On race weekend John Morton, even at age 78, remained competitive in the Group 8 field.

      Here is in-car video of John Morton driving the #21 Newport Datsun 510:

#7 Rob Fuller

With the assistance of ZCG crew Josh, Nick and Keith we also supported ZCG owner Rob Fuller in the Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car:

 

Rob performed admirably with a fastest time of 1:44.6

    

You can see in-car footage of Rob below, and note the reverse-style starting grid where the front runners were placed in the back to begin!

Catch more of Rob’s sessions on his Youtube Channel and here is a great video with multiple angles showing Rob battling with Steve Walker (BMW 2002):

 

510 Friends!

Many notable Datsun 510 racers were in Group 8, all sharing the competitive spirit. On Saturday I had to arrange all the cars for a group photoshoot. Thanks to all that helped make this possible!

 

#33 Glenn Chiou

Directly across from us was our buddy Glenn Chiou, running his Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510. This car made its debut in May at the SVRA event at Laguna Seca.

 

It is also worth noting that Glenn is one of the few “privateer” racers in the field. He sets up his own race car in his garage and his crew are friends Erich and Lloyd. Glenn is currently performing a full restoration of this 510 and we know it will be #periodcorrect on top of being ultra-clean!

#91 Troy Ermish

Troy Ermish is a phenomenal driver and always fun to watch. We were fortunate to share our tent with him and his freshly restored “Penny” 510 that handily won the B-sedan race! Not only did he help transport our cars to RMMR, his rig also provided us room to park the ZCG race cars. Thanks Troy!

    

Troy at work. Penny’s chassis is just as beautiful as the body:

   

#52 Jim Froula

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft in the Ex- Harry Stewart Datsun 510:

   

Jim pitted next to us, hosting Steve Walker and Adam Carolla with some really cool cars. Jim is also a fierce competitor:

 

#90 Adam Carolla

 

Adam Carolla raced his newly built Ex-Greg Sorrentino 510. The restoration by RacecraftNW was meticulous, right down to the Sterling wheels.

  

We are proud to see our Z Car Garage CV Axles on this expertly-prepared 510. As always, the media follows Adam and his racing adventures:)

 

Datsun Roadsters

The largest recent gathering of Datsun Roadsters at Laguna Seca was at the 2018 RMMR. At the Driver Appreciation event there was a lone roadster on the track; Michael Anderson and his Franklin/McDowell ’68 2000.

 

Mike was in Group 3 with high-power cars yet he still managed to advance with a great battle against Alan Terpin’s Porsche 911. Here is in-car video from Mike, enjoy!

Living my roadster dream

Thanks to ZCG, I was able to park my roadster in the paddock and roam around the track. With no spectators, many of the vantage points often crowded were vacant and peaceful:

 

Here is a video with Mike’s roadster in the paddock, and when I arrived at ‘Seca:

 

Paddock Finds

 

The best part of the RMMR has to be the paddock. Home to all the race cars and their teams, massive car transporters and an all-around pure sensory overload. At every corner there is wicked metal with history begging to be told. This year, the Driver Appreciation was just as great. I found this (AH3) R32 Skyline GT-R!

 

Wicked 2nd-gen Trans Am Camaro, 190E 2.3 EVO DTM (RacecraftNW), Testarossa, wild Monza and more in the gallery below!

 

This video will make you feel like you are in the paddock. Enjoy the sights and sounds including  favorite group, the Trans Am cars!

Camaraderie

A common love for racing and Datsuns, this was an event filled with helping teammates and enjoying company.

   

Living Legends

Special thanks to John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson for joining us! It is an honor share the track with you.

 

Thank you!

We hope you have enjoyed our report from the 2020 Driver Appreciation Weekend! Please browse our mega-gallery of pictures from race weekend below. Big thanks to our friends and family members that helped us make this possible including Glenn Chiou, Troy and Ashley Ermish, Meghan Fuller, Keith Corwin, Larry Oka, Randy Jaffe, and ZCG Crew: Josh and Nick. We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, here’s to another year of vintage racing in Monterey, California.

*See you in October for the CSRG Charity Challenge in Sonoma!*

 

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Dave L comes from Carmel Valley and he visited Z Car Garage for suspension upgrades on his 1972 Datsun 240z. Prior to meeting us he added many parts to the car himself like a 5-speed transmission but needed our expertise for Z-specific parts. Our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles along with a dyno-tuned 2.8L L-series really transformed this pretty S30.

  

Suspension

 

The chassis was treated to a full suspension rebuild with new parts and bushings from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff. They make some of the best suspension parts out there for Z cars.

Stock vs T3 T/C rods up front:

 

Stock rear lower control arms were replaced with T3 adjustable units:

 

Dave provided us with a set of Tokico/springs from back in the day. We installed new tie-rods, Nissan ball joints, rack bushings, bump stops and moustache bar bushings:

   

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

 

Our readers are likely familiar with “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car with full suspension and our ZCG Big-Brakes. Following a test drive in Butters, clients are sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles! 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 Dave’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit. Up front:

    

 

Our Big-Brakes utilize the OEM brake master cylinder and booster along with the factory hydraulic system. A few more shots of the front setup:

 

At the rear, the stock drums were replaced with our ZCG Big-Brakes:

  

Factory handbrake functionality IS retained! A few close-ups of the front and rear setup:

 

Following the suspension and brake installation was a full alignment:

 

The new ZCG Big-Brakes fit nicely behind the 15″ Ansen Sprint wheels:

 

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

 

Dave received axle set #291. Stock half shafts and ZCG units shown below with more pictures in the gallery:

   

 

***This Z is up for auction on Bring a Trailer right now, link HERE***

We met Greg a few years ago at a Blackhawk Museum gathering where famed Peter Brock (BRE) was speaking. Greg told us that he found a clean, low-mileage 280z and he was really interested in ZCG going through it. After he visited the shop we discussed our previous 280z builds (Cece, Gary and the Roth’s) and got to work building a Z for Greg that would reflect his tastes while keeping the vintage vibe. This 1977 280z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay restoration, total suspension rebuild and more.

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 Drivetrain

 
Greg’s Z received a total engine bay restoration along with upgrades to the driveline for smoother driving and improved torque.  Please visit the gallery below for more pictures documenting the engine bay restoration work, it’s where our efforts shine!

Engine

A fresh 3.1L  engine with new injectors replaced the tired L28:

 
New L31:

    

With the engine/transmission removed we focused our efforts on restoring the engine bay.  Everything was zinc plated or powdercoated.  New parts included brand new injectors, all new fuel system, hoses, fuel filter and all the drive belts.

 

All new hydraulic lines, emissions plumbing and more engine bay clean-up (full re-paint) before/after. More pics in the gallery!

  

Intake manifold cleaned up and powdercoated:

 

An MSA exhaust header was installed:

 

 

At the time we had a 280z 5-speed in our stash but Greg is so particular(we love that) and the unit was gone through by Z car transmission expert Steve Pettersen:

  New clutch/flywheel:

 

With the new engine/transmission even more detail work was performed:

 

MAF/hose/hardware detail:

 

Engine bay restoration, before/after:

Dyno Tuning

 

Rob dyno tuned the rebuilt 3.1L engine making 169hp/179tq to the wheels:

Enjoy L-series music on the dyno!

Suspension

 

Greg wanted a fantastic driver that was worry-free. We replaced all of the hydraulics and front/rear suspension assemblies to match the new driveline.  All suspension was either zinc’d or powdercoated:

  

We installed KYB strut inserts with lowering springs, Suspension Techniques sway bars, Techno Toy Tuning adjustable rear lower control arms, TC rods, and rack bushings, all new wheel bearings and new ball-joints. We do offer a full coil-over setup for track day/performance-oriented customers, and this spring/strut upgrade for those that want a better stance with improved handling without getting beat up.

Suspension refresh with T/C rod and steering rack detail:

     
Rear end with T3 lower control arms in:

 

 

We modified the floor to accommodate Recaro LXF Specialist seats (in leather) to suit Greg’s height while maintaining full seat travel/movemen:

  

New center console, MOMO competition wheel and restored the A/C ensuring it blowed cold (R134A):

  

Details

 

The little things are what we excel at. Exterior items include re-chroming both f/r bumpers and adding Hella H4s with our HID kit. Other interior items include a new tach and making a little seat belt holder clip to work with the Recaros:

 

Please check the gallery below for more detail shots, there are too many to list in this blog post!

Enjoying The Ride

 

With all the attention to detail and upgrades this 280Z can drive comfortably in style with power. Despite common opinion on the 280z, we think it has a wonderful character from that era and when you update similarly as a 240z, they are great sports cars. The majority of our 280z costumers still use their cars as daily drivers (Cece, above).  Greg is super happy with how it came out and he has a smile on his face every time he drives it.  The engine is torquey,  you can stop on a dime and it handles well without riding harshly. Thank you Greg for letting us help build your vision of the ideal 280z.

LONG LIVE THE Z!

***Greg has decided to sell his Z! It is up for auction on Bring a Trailer right now, link HERE***

 

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At Z Car Garage, the Datsun 510 is very close to our heart. Our hero John Morton piloted a 510 in the Trans Am racing series to put Nissan on the map, fueling every Datsun enthusiast’s passion for hot-rodding the humble economy car. We also have our share of race, personal and project 510s. When Mark G contacted us to work on his 510, we happily obliged especially after learning that it was built by our friend, fellow racer and Datsun 510 guru Troy Ermish.

 

510 Beginnings

 

Mark is an avid car enthusiast, growing up here in the South Bay. His first car was a lowered Capri that he tracked in the 80’s at Laguna Seca. He attributes his 510 passion from its rich racing heritage:

 “I was introduced to Sports Car racing at Laguna Seca in the mid 70’s. I have been going to most all of the different events ever since. My favorite was Sports Cars racing, Camel GT’s, IMSA, ALMS. Thus the ‘Poor Man’s BMW 2002’, my recent 510 is my third and hopefully last. Number 2 was also brought back from the dead and used to commute and cruise over Highway 17 to Aptos to work for my Father’s business. The surf rack was installed to haul all kinds of stuff.”

 

In 2015, Mark decided to fulfill his dream of another 510 and bought a project car:

“I wanted something I could turn into a street racer and autocross car for my son. As in any extensive full blown renovation, everything on the car has been touched. I tore it completely apart, soda-blasted the car, personally sandblasted every bolt and part on the car, welded in new floor panels and rebuilt the trunk, back panel and rear valance.”

The project car:

 

Mark’s extensive bodywork:

 

“I met Troy Ermish early on in the process, so when the floors and trunk were repaired, the car was trailered to Troy for a full roll cage, front fender wells were cut back and jack points installed in the rocker panels at the “B” Pillars.”

 

After 18months of bodywork, which Mark was heavily involved with, it was back to Ermish for the final build out. The car was purchased with a 1600 and funky 4 speed, but Mark also scored a 2000cc with two side draft Mikuni’s and a ZX 5 speed transmission. The engine was sent to Rebello for a full rebuild and upgrade to 2360cc spec.

 

T- Square Brain

 

Mark studied art in school and his attention to detail throughout the 510 impressive. From the no-frills interior to uncluttered engine bay it’s no surprise that he earned the nickname “T-square brain”. Each time I see this car it reveals another level of fanaticism that reminds me how awesome Datsun-owners are. Enjoy a few detail shots with more pics in the gallery below:

Engine Bay

Devoid of unnecessary bits, the Rebello 2.3 with dual-Mikuni’s takes center stage:

 

Interior

 

A tribute to the B-Sedan racing 510s of the 70’s, the interior is spartan with a simple dash, roll cage and OMP seats:

 

Again, it’s super sanitary in here with subtle color choices and straightforward switchgear. That is Pete Brock’s signature on the dash!

  

Body

The 2017 Corvette Racing Yellow paint is loud, but in a good way. Mark’s touches here are an exercise in restraint, while harking back to the Trans Am racers he remembered. The white roundel was inspired by our friend Dave Scholz’ Datsun 240z as seen on Petrolicious . 13″ re-pop’d (VTO) AR Libras are the definitive wheel choice here, with contrasting black spokes and chunky Toyo R888 tires:

 

Sorting at ZCG

 

The 510 was constructed with both Mark’s skillset and Troy’s finishing touches. After he finished his project, Mark visited ZCG for adjustments and sorting.

 

ZCG CV Axles!

 

We upgraded Mark’s standard half shafts to our Z Car Garage CV Axles. These CV axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to standard half shafts, while eliminating the need for aluminum adapters.  Mark got ZCG VV Axle set #320 and he loves them:

 

Nick about to install the new CVs:

 

Standard half shafts (left) and ZCG CV Axles (right). Note all of the powdercoated suspension parts:

   

Getting Mark Back On The Road

 

Mark was experiencing a re-occurring high water temp issue. Finally the head gasket was compromised so we pulled the engine for a refresh.

 

We re-intalled the the engine and tidied up the engine bay. The electric fan was removed and a fan clutch installed utilizing a 620 water pump/S30 fan blade to make it all fit behind the Koyo radiator:

 

Dyno Tuning

On the dyno, we had a case of deja vu as Mark’s 510 is almost similar to Keith’s. Rob is familiar with tuning the L-Ser-es engine in both race and street 510s. Mark’s Rebello 2360 put own 189hp/178tq to the wheels, gaining 8hp/10tq with Rob’s tuning. You can hear it scream in the video below. Mark will re-visit us for another dyno session after he accumulates more miles.

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

With a few more minor tweaks like door locks and windows, Mark was out and about with his 510. He joined us at the local Fuel Supply Cars and Coffee:

 

Enjoy this video of Mark’s 510 in action:

 

We even spotted Mark at Driving While Awesome Morning Motors:

 

 

Do It In A Datsun

 

I was fortunate to catch up with Mark and meet his son Dom who also has motorsports background. It was rad to see the Datsun being a family affair and Mark all smiles behind the wheel:

 

 “I feel very lucky to be part of the Z Car Garage family. The staff are  all great guys. I will continue to bring the car in for Anything it needs.”

 

Big thanks to Mark for letting us service his 510. We really enjoyed having the 510 in the shop!

 

Speaking of Love for The 510…this weekend 20+ B-Sedan racers will be running at Laguna Seca. I will have a full report for you, stay tuned!

More pictures in the gallery below!
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