What a spectacular day and amazing turnout! Big thanks to Ann of ZONC and Rob at ZCG for putting together this event. We had 40+ cars meet at ZCG this morning, it was incredible to see everyone line up before heading out to Canepa in Scotts Valley:

Here is a short video clip of 20+ Z’s, G’s and Datsuns taking off here
The drive to Canepa was fun and I had the pleasure of following Walt in his 2012 GT-R with recent upgrades from AMS…it sounds fantastic, check it out:

and another one here, I can’t get enough of it!
When we arrived at Canepa Design it was like a car show in the parking lot:

Even more cars joined us like this Mini and ’33 Ford:

Inside we were treated to a full guided tour through the showroom and facility, it was jaw-dropping with multi-million dollar exotic cars for sale and display. Here a few highlights:

The garage/shop was immaculate with Porsche 959s, Gullwing 300SL’s and vintage muscle cars being restored:

Vintage race cars from all eras and a stunning authentic Shelby Cobra being restored:

After the inspiring tour folks had lunch and enjoyed driving through the Santa Cruz mountains.

Check the gallery for more pictures and thank you to everyone for bringing out your cars to enjoy the ride!
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Earlier this year ZCarGarage found a very special 510 known as Turbo6. This dime is far from ordinary with its turbocharged inline-6 powerplant and extensive roll cage…all from the mind of 510-fanatic Bryan Feldman. It had changed ownership over the years and needed some ZCG love.
Rob’s plan for the restoration is simple: bring it back to the way it was when Feldman created it. It will be re-sprayed in the exact same paint by Williams. Drivetrain and interior will be thoroughly cleaned and restored, while staying true to the original build with details like gold-spoked Panasports and a Turbo Tom’s manifold.

Let the tear down begin!

With the engine out an interesting thing was discovered…the secondaries on the carb were rusted shut! As quick as it felt when we first drove it there is probably another 40-50hp when those secondaries are functioning.

Here is the drivetrain in all its glory…a Z-car straight-6 in a 510…wicked

Turbo6 is now off to Williams for paint and bodywork, stay tuned for more updates

When I first saw this 300zx at ZCarGarage I admit that I was surprised. I have a soft spot for this particular generation of the Z31 especially with its sexy fenders, side skirts, front/rear bumper and lighting design. I had to know more about the Z because it just hit me with its lowered stance: body-color Enkei 92s wrapped in just-chunky-enough Kumho tires stuffed into the wheel wells. Upon further inspection things got more interesting…the interior was all tan and almost homely, but there was a MOMO Competition steering wheel(I’ve got one on my Datsun!) and behind the seats lay an extensive padded roll bar!

I immediately asked Rob for the scoop: yes it was turbocharged! “REDZ31” belongs to passionate young owner Trevor M. Besides giving the Z31 some respect let’s also give it up for Trevor who built and modified the Z all by himself. Trevor brought the Z in for some tuning, as the mighty VG30ET was now running on a NIStune ECU.

Baseline dyno readings of 180hp/244tq also showed that the car wouldn’t pull past 4krpm. With Rob’s tuning it now makes 257hp/340tq at the wheels!
A new boost controller will smooth things out so stay tuned but for now this is one quick Z31 and a bit of a sleeper if you ask me 🙂
Long Live The Z!

The January 2012 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine will feature Jerry’s Krakauer’s 1967.5 Datsun 2000 Roadster. Jerry purchased the roadster brand-new in ’68 and amazingly still owns the car to this day! SRL-00099 was not just a street car as Jerry piloted it against other marques in the CP class. We love seeing Datsuns in their native habitat…out on the track! Jerry was kind enough to provide a few snapshots circa 1970 showing him and #99 enjoying the ride:

The magazine will be on newstands in late November, check it out!

Don’t forget to RSVP for the tour and drive ASAP! On November 5, 2011, ZCarGarage and Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) have arranged for a full tour of the amazing Canepa Design Museum and Showroom facility along with a beautiful drive through the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The tour is impressive with a full look at how restorations are done on everything from Porsche 959s to vintage race cars that you see at the major Historic Racing events. It is truly a candy store for automotive fans!

Last year we had 32 cars enjoying the ride, you can see pictures HERE. Bring your Nissan/Datsun out for a spirited drive!