Love for the Z is strong in Northern California

The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) is one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. In its prime they had over 600 members with close ties to Yutaka Katayama (“Mr. K”) and Nissan USA. We had a wonderful time attending their 50th Birthday Celebration at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, Ca on June 5, 2022.

 

Despite some morning rain the turnout was impressive for a relaxed gathering. No judged car show or awards, just Z-Car fans catching up with old friends and meeting new enthusiasts. (above) Aerial photos by Bryan Delohery.

Highlights from the show

Still to this day, 240Zs are the most represented model in the club. Expansion over time currently includes all recent Z models and the GT-R, but also reaches back in time to include the Datsun Roadsters and 510s.  For their 50th Birthday Celebration, ZONC assembled a “generations” display in front of the museum with samples of S30, S130, Z31, Z32, Z33 and Z34. Sitting front and center was the 2023 Nissan Z!

 

Racing History

 

A selection of Datsun race cars also joined the “generations” display. Datsun 510 guru and racer Troy Ermish displayed his 1971 B-Sedan 510 “Penny”:

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou displayed his FAR Performance 240Z. This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.

 

Glenn has vintage raced this Z at several high-profile events. He turned a track-mishap into an opportunity to perform a total-restoration (again) and bring this Z back in “Bay Area Datsun Dealers” livery as raced by FAR Performance privateer Walt Maas.

 

Rob Fuller of Z Car Garage displayed his #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z. An interesting note, both Glenn and Rob’s race cars have ties to ZONC gatherings decades ago.

 

Linda Williams’ 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate was staged next to the #49 IMSA GTU race car (the original OMS Pace car). Z Car Garage revived this historically-significant Z from its slumber to make it a nice driver for Linda while retaining its survivor status. She loves driving it everywhere.

 

The New Nissan Z!

 

ZONC teamed up with Nissan to display the new 2023 Z as part of the “generations” display in front of the Blackhawk Museum. This is the Performance model sporting a 6-speed manual and Passion Red paint. And Z Car Garage got to drive it back to our shop at the end of the event!

 

Z’s, 510s, Roadsters and More!

 

Here are a few of my favorite S30 Z cars from the gathering, starting with this flared beauty on Watanabe wheels:

 

Flared Series 1 Z with G-nose and Works-style wheels:

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see many Z Car Garage clients so let’s take a look at what they drove. Ed B is the original owner of this 1971 Datsun 240Z ZCG has maintained for almost two decades:

 

Bob Russell is the original owner of this S30 we will have a full report on zcarblog soon!

 

Representing the G35s were our clients Larry and long-time client Jason:

 

Eugene and long-time client Craig showed their 350Zs:

 

 

Richard M’s ZCG-modified 370z was representing Z34s

 

Here is a video from the 50th Birthday Celebration with load-in of the #49 IMSA Datsun 240Z, walk-around of the displays and the new Z leaving, enjoy! More highlights below…

 

260z and 280z

 

S130

Who could forget the S130 280zx! We spotted 4:

 

Z31

Three Z31s, including David’s sweet 25th Anniversary edition. This was his first ZONC event, welcome and thanks for bringing your Z out David!

 

The Works Rally Z

 

In the middle of freshly painted/detailed Datsuns and Nissans was this rather dilapidated S30. Upon closer inspection viewers were treated to the tremendous revival of this real-deal Nissan WORKS rally car. Recently I had just posted a blog report on Randy’s East-African Rally Tribute, so seeing an actual, surviving rally car in person blew me away. We all geeked out pretty hard on the details, and they were impressive:

 

This is chassis #2 of 4 that were built by Nissan for the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally.  It is the project of Tom K and noted Datsun expert Steve Pettersen and their restoration website is a must-visit for history and feature documentation (as shown above). The Z remains largely intact with original parts like the Nissan competition exhaust manifold and roll bar. Period-correct parts like the Ikeda Bussan rally seat and reclining navigator seat were sourced. Check out the heater-port to defrost the headlight covers, Nissan-branded acrylic windows and more:

 

 

Authentic Magnesium rally wheels and Kanto Seiki 8krpm tach! Thanks Tom and Steve for bringing it out to the ZONC event!

 

 

This Z deserves its own spotlight, but enjoy this walk-around video until we can visit Tom and take some proper coverage:

 

Z32

 

Z33 and Z34

Our client Steve’s Nismo Z33 and a brace of 350Zs in the generations display. Good to see a build from way back, Tom’s supercharged 370Z.

 

510s

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Jay’s 510 features our Z Car Garage CV Axles. We will have a full report soon as he just completed a DWA rallye in the Sierras!

 

Matt’s 510 with turbocharged KA24DE:

 

Andrew’s 4-door Hakosuka Skyline and Josh’s 620 truck

Roadsters

The lone Datsun Roadster was Hotep’s ’69 2000 with L-series drivetrain and factory, OEM hardtop!

  

This rad little B13 Sentra b13 packed a full SR20VET engine from a Nissan X-Trail and 6-speed transmission!

 

 

S12, and S14 Nissans:

 

 

R35 Row

A very large showing of R35 GT-Rs parked together

Plenty of cool, modified cars but this one caught our eye, it is a GT-R “T-Spec”.

 

Only offered in two colors, Millemium Jade and this Midnight Purple finish made iconic by special-edition R34 Skylines. Inside, a Mori green interior and alcantara touches really set it apart from other models. Best part? The owner drives it everywhere despite being an ultra-rare and pricey variant.

   

Driving the New Z to Z Car Garage!

 

I had the opportunity to drive the 2023 Nissan Z from the ZONC show back to our shop in San Jose with a group of die-hard Nissan fans. Huge thanks to Nissan! We had the Z for a few days to enjoy so stay tuned for a full report!

Happy Birthday ZONC!

Spending the day at the ZONC 50th Birthday Celebration reminded us to (in the words of the late Mr.K), ” Love cars. Love people. Love Life.”  This is a club that keep the Z community together year-round and we are excited for their next events. Don’t forget to check out our picture gallery below! Big thanks to the ZONC organizers and Nissan for bringing the new Z out. Stay tuned for a full report our time with the 2023 Z!

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James Glenn Babb, beloved friend and colleague left this world suddenly on 4/17/22. He was 21 years old. We miss him dearly and offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

 

James enjoyed life to the fullest, pursuing his passions and bringing people together along the way. He was also a Nissan 350Z owner and we were fortunate to have him working with us at Z Car Garage. Here are a few thoughts from the team at ZCG remembering James:

From Nick Filip,

“Young James was a character cut from a very special cloth. I’ll never forget when his first day at the shop started when Rob didn’t call him back quickly enough and he showed up to find out why. He brought passion and dedication with him in every endeavor that I was lucky enough to see. From developing and drifting his Z, to helping at the shop, to music, to paintball, James was entirely stoked, and that stoke was infectious. He will be sorely missed by everyone who was lucky enough to spend time with him and see the light he brought to any situation”

 

From Joshua Corwin,

“Young James personifies the idiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The first time I met James, I didn’t pay him much attention. But during his short time working at Z car Garage, through his hard work, commitment, eagerness to learn, and critical thinking, this purple haired, pierced and tattooed young adult impressed me everyday. Not only was his work ethic top notch, but his attitude, charisma, and passion was remarkable. He is missed not only as an amazing shop helper, but as a unique and exceptional human being.”

 

From Rob Fuller,

“James was only with us for a short time and left a lasting impression with Z Car Garage. He was bright, ambitious, funny, rad and had an incredible work ethic. I could not believe how hard he worked, taking pride in everything he did. He loved loading cars on/off the dyno and sometimes driving them on the dyno. He helped Gary organize our stockroom and got along really well with everyone. We understood when he had to leave so he could focus on school…we missed him everyday and wished we could give him another shot at working with us. “Young James” as we called him at the shop: a brilliant soul that left this world too soon. We told his Mom and brother that we are here if they need anything on the Z.”

  

As Rob recalled, one of our fondest memories of James was how excited he was to have his 350Z dyno tuned at the shop. He was ecstatic about loading his own Z on to the dyno and running it through the gears.

 

I will never forget meeting James by chance on Skyline, Christmas Eve of 2020. He was so kind, introducing me to his friends and crew. He even gave me a demo of drifting in his beloved 350Z that we helped him set up at ZCG. He was so jazzed! My Datsun alongside James’ Z:

 

In the video below you can see James piloting his Z on the Z Car Garage dyno, and that unforgettable drift session we had:

 

On May 17, Z Car Garage attended a celebration of James’ life in Los Gatos, Ca. There was an incredible outpouring of love from friends and family at the event. James’ Z was driven and displayed by his brother, Mason. Guests laid flowers over the Z, in remembrance of James:

 

Our hearts go out to his mother Jane and brother Mason, his family and all friends lucky to have been blessed by James’ presence. James truly embodied the words Mr. K said best, “Love cars. Love people. Love life.”

 

Thank you for being a part of our lives James, we know you are somewhere Enjoying the Ride! More photos in the gallery courtesy of Stella and friends. Stay tuned for a Memorial Drive in honor of James with a date announced soon.

 

 

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Brad L is the original owner of this 2008 Nismo 350z #1188. He generally uses this Z for fun road trips and wanted a little more power so we installed a Stillen supercharger kit last year. Brad recently visited Z Car Garage for routine maintenance and we spent some time admiring the details Nissan added to this rare Z33. Enjoy the photos!

When the Nismo Z33 made its debut 15(!) years ago its aero package was considered downright shocking. We think it has aged well, from the aggressive front fascia and side skirts to that unmistakable SuperGT-inspired rear spoiler/diffuser.

Brembo brakes, and super-sexy NISMO forged wheels still make our mouths water:

The interior also reminds you that this is a special Z with red-accented seats, NISMO white and gray tach, and a serialized NISMO-etched aluminum plaque:

 

With roughly 1,600 units produced for 2007-2008 the Nismo 350Z is quite rare. We still love them. How rad would it be if Nissan offered a Nismo model of the new Z?

 

Z cars may remain with their loving owners for years, change ownership or even get spotlighted in the media at some point. Our “where are they now” series features past Z Car Garage vehicles with updates on their status. In this third installment we catch up with Craig’s 2004 Nissan 350Z.

 

Craig’s 350Z was supercharged almost 12 years ago using a Vortech Tuner Kit with supporting fuel and cooling upgrades.

  

Fast forward to 2022, Craig visited ZCG for routine maintenance including a new air filter and rear differential bushing replacement:

 

The diff bushings were replaced with new units from Whiteline. The diff bushings are the most common failure as see in previous blog posts:

 

We put the Z on the dyno and it put down almost identical power output some 12 years later! This is a testament to the mighty VQ35 engine and Craig’s maintenance. Dyno plots:

(L) 2022, the Z made 420hp/349tq at the wheels

(R) ~2012, the Z made 415hp/344tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy the latest dyno passes of Craig’s 350Z in the video below:

 

Craig is still happy:

“Even after 12 years or so, every time I drive my Le Mans Sunset 2004 Touring model, I feel like it’s the first day. Aligning with the team at Z Car Garage was the best move. I didn’t need to shop around once I visited a few times. I knew I was at the right shop.  Buying the Z in 2008 was exciting as this was the first sports car I’d ever had. Having the performance upgrades a couple years later from Z Car made a world of difference. So glad Rob  helped me “pull the trigger”. Without a great deal of knowledge of what I wanted in components, I let Rob custom-craft what he felt (and had solid experience with) was the best mix for me and the car.  I’m pretty tall, so I don’t track the car, which is a bummer at times, but I have as much spirited driving as I can. Also, I live about an hour from the shop, so Rob and team make a point to take care of me when I do visit, reviewing maintenance items needed.”

 

Thanks for your support Craig! We love that your Z is still running strong and you continue to Enjoy The Ride. Stay tuned for our next “Where are they now” feature, and if you missed our first and second features find them HERE. Long Live The Z!

 

 

***HAPPY HOLIDAYS From Z Car Garage***

 

One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. From all of us at Z Car Garage we thank our friends, family and customers again for another exciting and productive year! Enjoy our 2021 recap and upcoming projects. Please note our holiday closure below:

 

ZCG will be closed from 12/24/21 and we will re-open for business on 1/3/22.

 

 

We had a busy year and though the shop will be closed, we won’t leave you hanging for the holidays. Many zcarblog features have yet to be published like our belated race report from the 2021 Velocity Invitational in addition to client stories.

Before we take a look back at highlights from 2021, here are several exciting projects coming along at the shop:

 

Jeff and Ryan B’s LS3-powered Z came to us for mechanical sorting. It’s now sporting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Ryan successfully ran the Targa California Rallye in blistering summer heat. He recently got a new set of VOLK TE37V wheels full report soon!

  

The OMS Pace Car

 

This is a 1972 Official OMS Pace Car Duplicate. It is at present one of only two known survivors . Fifty were originally produced by Nissan Motors to commemorate the DATSUN 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 “U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship”.  It really is a small Datsun world, as the official OMS pace car is none other than our very own Joel Anderson #49 IMSA GTU 240Z .

  

This OMS duplicate belongs to our long time customer and friend Linda. She acquired it from a family in SoCal and tasked ZCG with making it a nice driver. Full report soon but it got loaded up today for its journey to Colorado!

  

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z returned for a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake and CD009a 6-speed transmission:

    

David’s 240Z

Long-time friend and client David attended a track day at Laguna Seca. This Z was built over 15 years ago and sill running strong. We prepped his Z for the track, full report soon!

Dyno Tuning your 350z/370z/Q/G

We have been dyno tuning your late model Nissan/Infiniti sports car daily. Bolt-ons, UPREV tuning. Our customers leave happy with more performance. Call us to schedule an appointment! Here are just a few cars:

Aaron’s Q50:

   

Randy’s 1970 Safari Tribute Z lived an eventful life this year. It was in Los Angeles to be filmed for Nissan’s commercials and also served as Randy’s ride for cruising around Monterey Car Week. We installed a new engine and made some suspension changes. Though it’s back at home in Georgia it will get a full ZCG-style feature.

    

One of many Z32s we are working on, Steve’s will get a full report soon:

 

 

Highlights from 2021

 

Even though 2021 was crazy year for all of us we still managed to have fun on and off the track. The shop made some really great progress as well.

Enjoy these highlights from the year and Z you in 2022!

Datsunworks

 

Z Car Garage is excited to collaborate with Datsunworks and develop their brilliant KN20 dual-overhead cam (DOHC) cylinder head designed for the Nissan inline-6 L-Series engine. You can read all about it HERE

  

2021 was a development year for this drivetrain setup. We continue to extract more power and run longevity testing with owner Gary who has the pleasure of living daily with this beast. More updates to come, but for now enjoy the music this KN20 head provides in the video below!

240Z

Click on each link to see the full features!

ZCG PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles on Brad’s IMSA 240Z race car!

Ole Orange Bang: Larry Chen’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

Stock is Good: Mike’s Series 1 Datsun 240Z

ZCG Big-Brakes, ZCG CV Axles and Panasports for Greg’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

ZCG Big-Brakes, 6-Speed and EFI for Khang’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

HISTORY: 1970 Datsun 240Z Salt Flat Racer Lives!

Panasport Wheels for Jay’s 240Z

Vince’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

TRIBUTE Z: Michael’s RB25DET-Powered 1972 Datsun 240Z

The Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z

Friends for 50 Years: Richard’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Kai’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

For Love of The Z Car: Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

SERIEZ 1: Wayne’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

PARTS: Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for Jeremy’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles for Chris’ 1970 Datsun 240Z

PARTS: ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles for Hazel’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

The Well-Sorted Series 1: Rob J’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z is Alive!

One Owner Time Capsule: Ed’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Tony’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

 

260Z

  

TUNING: Glenn’s 1974 IMSA GTU Datsun 260Z

ZCG PARTS: Z Car Garage CV Axles on Glenn’s IMSA 260Z race car!

280Z

 

ZCG Parts: ZCG CV axles-For Peters 1977 Datsu 280Z

Trevor’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Z Car For Generations: Gilberts 1978 Datsun 280Z 2+2

 

280ZX

  

 

300zx

 

Red Devil Z: Jas’ 1991 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

Patrick’s 1994 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

Arsia’s 1994 Nissan 300ZX Convertible

 

 510 and Fairlady Roadster

 

PARTS: ZCG CV Axles for V8-Powered Datsun 510

Happy 510 Day!

Happy 311 Day!

 

350Z

 

Datsun Destiny: Christine’s 2004 Nissan 350Z Roadster

Brad’s Stillen-Supercharged Nismo 350Z

 

370z

TUNING: Gordon’s 2010 Nismo 370Z

TUNING: Gentry’s Nismo 370Z

Henry’s Stillen Supercharged 370Z

 

R32

 

TUNING: Pall’s R32 Skyline GT-R

More Upgrades For Lee’s R32 Skyline

Racing

 

RACE REPORT: B-Sedan Datsun 510 Racing at Sonoma with CSRG

EVENTS: IMSA Datsuns Racing at the Velocity Invitational November 11-14

RACE REPORT: B-Sedan Datsun Racing at Laguna Seca With SVRA 5/21

 

 

Rallyes/Events

EVENTS: The 2023 Nissan Z Viewing at Z Car Garage Was A Success!

The 2023 Nissan Z Unveiled!

Z Car Garage visits Nissan Headquarters to spend time with the Z Proto

EVENT REPORT: Z Car Garage at SEMA 2021!

EVENTS: The 2021 Japanese Classic Car Show

EVENTS: The 34th Annual Z Car Convention!

EVENTS: DWA Morning Motors Cars & Coffee 6/13

EVENTS: Breakfast Club Rally Report 6/12

EVENTS: Super Drive Sunday

 

Media

MEDIA: Larry Chen’s 1970 Datsun 240Z on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: 1970 Datsun 240Z Salt Flat Racer Featured on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: ZCG’s 1971 Datsun 240Z Featured in Petrolicious

DATSUNWORKS: Road & Track Features the KN20 Cylinder Head!

MEDIA: Rob Fuller’s Datsun 510 Featured on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: ZCON With Rob and Larry Chen on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: 1970 Datsun 240Z Safari Tribute on Hoonigan Autofocus!

MEDIA: Trevor’s 1978 Datsun 280Z Featured on Hoonigan Autofocus!

 

 

LONG LIVE THE Z! Check out our Instagram story for more updates!