On Saturday, August 30 we attended the Tokyo Calling 5 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. Z Car Garage participated with a group of client cars and enjoyed a wonderful day of driving through the foothills of Northern California. The event featured 280+ Japanese classics and 90’s-era wonders to appreciate during the morning social gathering and rest stops. Enjoy our report with mega-photo gallery and video!

 

Breakfast Club Rally

 

The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) started 5 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into monthly events with one hour of hanging out followed by several hours of driving. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see our previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event, Tokyo Calling 2, Tokyo Calling 3 and Tokyo Calling 4 were all a blast. We did not want to miss their fifth all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC5. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Sonoma, here is a preview of our cars:

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with Jenvey ITB EFI, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, full suspension refresh, 240Z bumper conversion and Panasport wheels.

Mrs. Butters

 

I drove Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z. This Series 1 S30 features a 3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW Suspension.

 

John’s Datsun 240Z

It was great to see our client John Enjoying the Ride in his 1971 Datsun 240Z featuring our the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles.

 

Linda’s 1972 Datsun 240Z

Linda Williams drove her 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate. 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.

 

Our morning caravan of 6 cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 and the Golden Gate Bridge. Nothing beats driving with fellow Z car owners!

 

Tokyo is Calling before the Rally!

 

Our crew arrived at the rally start in Sonoma and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin parked at a local airport. BCR hosted a “social hour” from 7:30-9am so we could take in all the glorious cars. The vibe was tremendous, and as usual it went by too quickly. Let’s go through some of the highlights, with more photos in the gallery below!

 

Over 20 S30 Z cars were present!

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 10 in attendance including a genuine 1967 2000. One of the most sought after Datsuns, these “half-year” models were introduced mid-1967 offering a 5-speed transmission and 150hp twin-Mikuni carb’d 2L engine…hot stuff for the era.

 

Ian’s SRL is #601 (out of ~1000 cars) and it was fully restored years ago by Les Cannaday in San Diego. Ian is meticulous about maintaining this car, but it is no garage queen, attending monthly rally events. The (655) Off-white paint with red interior is one of my favorites. Yes, it even sports a factory Nissan hardtop with all the stainless trim!

 

Another ’67 2000, this one is #072!

  

Mark’s right-hand drive ’69 2000:

  

High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:

 

Datsun 510

There were several Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510, and this time he brought the entire family in their mint 510 Wagon!

 

More 510s:

  

Back to Z cars, Lora joined us with her recently acquired 1971 Datsun 240z. This one-owner  Series 1 S30, affectionately known as “Buttercup” has been with Z Car Garage for many years. Excited to share her Z-car journey on zcarblog.

 

It was a pleasant surprise to see our client Geoff in their rally-inspired 1972 S30 . Over 5 years ago we installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!. They are returning to ZCG for a 6-speed transmission swap and triple carbs!

 

Jason Dove’s 280z featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Jason is a long-time friend and client, full report coming to zcarblog.com.

 

See the gallery below for more S30 Z car photos!

 

A Z31 300ZX attending, in turbo form!

 

Our client Cameron’s Z32 Twin Turbo visited Z Car Garage for maintenance work, downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to see him driving. There were several Z32TTs in attendance!

 

Paul’s B13 Sentra S-R

 

There were a handful of S13, S14 and S15(!) 240SX:

   

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

Super happy to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 5. This RHD, JDM hot-hatch is known as “Baby Godzilla”, sporting all-wheel drive and an SR20DET drivetrain. What’s wild is that this Pulsar used to be owned by our very own Gary at Z Car Garage! Leo purchased it back in 2017 and drove it all the way from Reno, NV.

 

Nissan Skyline

 

It was great to see Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W.. Both will be getting updated zcarblog features.

 

Mike’s R32 is looking sharp, now wearing silver TE37s:

 

Fred’s R34 GT-R in Bayside Blue:

 

A Hakosuka (C10) Skyline:

 

Enjoy this walk-around video from Tokyo Calling 5:

Rally On!

Photo by Zack Hubbell

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. I really enjoyed hustling Mrs. Butters through the backroads. This route was a bit longer than previous TC events at a 130+ miles.

  

One of the perks of BCR events is their team of professional photographers at various stages capturing epic rolling and detail shots so people can focus on enjoying the drive. I encourage you to visit each of these SIX photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides:Nathalie Mossberg, Kevin Lee, Alex Nibyt, Zack Hubbell, Emma Lai and Chris Friske.

 

We took a midpoint break from the heat in the historic town of Winters. Lots of cars to see and great chatting with fellow enthusiasts.

  

The rally concluded back in Sonoma airport, where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. We enjoyed Japanese comfort food  surrounded by J-Tin and vintage aircrafts.

There were so many cool cars, please check the gallery for more photos! Next, let’s check out some non-Nissan/Datsun action…

Honda

 

Honda was well-represented including late model DC2 Integras, a few NSXs, lots of S2000s, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

 

Mazda

A rare Mazda Cosmos was a real treat to see. First-gen,  FC and FD RX-7s, and many Miatas attended:

  

Toyota

 

Some of our favorite Toyota’s including Supra (A60, A70, A80), first gen MR2s, and AE86s! The Lexus IS300 SportCross with A80 Supra wheels was sweet!

   

I don’t think I’ve seen this many 2nd-gen A60 Celica-Supras on one place!

       

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Generations of Land Cruiser:

 

Thanks BCR!

 

Many thanks to the Breakfast Club Rally organizers, we had a blast and I urge you to register for their next event, especially if you are in the South Bay area like me and want to see what driving bliss lies North.

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us and braved the heat! Huge thanks to BCR for extending their hospitality to our crew, everyone was thrilled. Here’s to the next rally and always, always #DoitInADatsun! More photos in the gallery below…

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On Saturday, August 30 the Breakfast Club Rally is hosting Tokyo Calling 5, their fifth All-Japanese car rally starting in Sonoma, Ca.

To register and see more details, please visit their website HERE

  

We have run several rallies with Breakfast Club and it is a total blast, you can see our previous event reports HERE.

Stay tuned for caravan information from Z Car Garage.

Z you there!

 

 

Enjoy this walk-around and driving video from Tokyo Calling 3:

 

A great video from Tokyo Calling 4:

 

Last weekend was beautiful and sunny in the Bay Area, perfect for a quick drive in Sora, our 1967 Datsun 2000 roadster. I joined Geoff in his 1963 Lotus Elan and Glenn Chiou in his Honda Civic Type-R (FL5).

 

We met in downtown Saratoga and admired Geoff’s recently acquired 1963 Lotus Elan S1. It’s sporting 26R-spec wider bodywork and interior pieces.

 

The hardtop is the most sharp-looking I’ve seen on a 60’s roadster (this is not a coupe!) and those are real Knock-on wheels. Dyno tuned at Z Car Garage. We’ll take a deep-dive into this English gem in a full report coming to zcarblog.

 

We headed up HWY9  to the Vista Point where the skidpad hosted some great hardware as usual, including these two Porsche (993) 911 Turbos. The Arena Red car had 195k miles and the Polar Silver car sported Advan GT wheels and Andial-built GT2-spec engine.

 

Vanity plate award goes to this BMW 1M:

 

Geoff was happy to see a fellow 7-owner. This one clearly powered by a Hayabusa motorcycle engine:

 

An NC Miata wearing Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R wheels…we thought it looked great!

 

From there we drove down HWY9 to Boulder Creek and headed home via Bear Creek Rd. There was an usual (and welcome) number of Pre-War “Ragtime Racer” cars out and about!

 

 

Enjoy the sights and sound of our 60’s sports cars in this video:

 

At home, Geoff kindly indulged my obligatory driveway photos. My family also witnessed a car that’s actually smaller than the Datsun Roadster!

 

Sora performed admirably, making many people smile this weekend. Enjoy the photo gallery below and Do It In A Datsun!

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On Saturday, August 24 the Breakfast Club Rally is hosting Tokyo Calling 4, their fourth All-Japanese car rally starting in Vallejo, Ca.

To register and see more details, please visit their website HERE

  

We have run several rallies with Breakfast Club and it is a total blast, you can see our previous event reports HERE.

Stay tuned for caravan information from Z Car Garage.

Z you there!

 

Enjoy this walk-around and driving video from Tokyo Calling 3:

 

 

Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning of vintage cars and this includes non-Nissan/Datsun classics. From establishing a baseline on street cars to preparing race cars for high-profile events we love helping each client achieve the best performance possible. Geoff W’s 1972 BMW 2002 came to Z Car Garage for a dyno tuning session with fantastic results.

 

Geoff is a friend of the shop with a great story behind his love for all things engineering and automotive. Let’s hear how he got into cars and acquired the BMW 2002…

Generations of Car Enthusiasts

 

“My father owned Formula Fords growing up and has owned a Lotus Elan since 1977; we spent a lot of time in the garage together in my formative years. I was exposed at a young age to AutoX and vintage racing I distinctly remember falling in love with Lotus Sevens and B-sedan cars. When I was of driving age, I purchased a 1985 Mk1 Toyota Mr2 (Chassis code AW11) and began to do a lot of track days and AutoX. This eventually led to another 4age powered car: The Toyota Corolla GTS (Chassis code AE86). I was going to college in southern California at the time and was involved with Club4ag.com which started holding drift day events. This was before professional organizations such as Formula D came about.”

 

“As a poor college kid, I started working drift events and track days in exchange for track time. I eventually became an instructor and won one of the earliest US drifting competitions in my largely-stock, daily-driver Corolla. After school, I bought a Caterham 7 Super Sprint, and while it was fun, it was never quite the original Lotus Seven I pined for. I eventually sold all of my “fun cars” to fund a house purchase in San Jose. After a few years, I finally acquired my Lotus Seven in 2013 as a tired vintage race car from Texas. I built a road-going motor and installed a synchromesh transmission for the car and finally got it running a year later.”

 

“I’ve been enjoying driving and developing it in the years since. Alvin from Z Car Garage and I met a few years after this car was finished and we became fast friends. Some of my best memories with this car have been spent driving in the mountains surrounding San Jose with Alvin. I’ve done a few vintage car rallies and been on track with it, but I eventually would like to do some vintage racing.” (See Geoff’s Lotus 7 in this excellent Petrolicious feature HERE)

 

The Inka Orange 1972 BMW 2002

“In 2018, I sought out a B-sedan road car to take on vintage car rallies and have something fun to drive in inclement weather. Alfa GTV’s, Datsun 510’s were out of my price range and I couldn’t find any Mk1 Ford Escorts/Cortinas for sale. I began looking at BMW 2002’s; I especially liked them in bright/interesting colors popular in the early 70’s.”

“When I bought this car, the previous owner didn’t know much about the engine. It had a pair of Weber 40dcoe’s, ran well, and seemed to feel like other stock bmw 2002s I had driven. I haven’t made many changes to the car, but did locate and install a set of rare and period correct Campagnolo wheels. Earlier this year, I found and purchased a Mk1 Cortina and I was going to sell the BMW 2002 because it wasn’t as exciting to drive.”

 

Dyno Tuning

 

The 2002 baselined at 99hp/114tq and after tuning put down 129hp/127tq at the wheels! Let’s hear from Rob…

ROB: “Being around so many B-Sedan race cars I wanted to see what all the hype was surrounding the BMW 2002. I started talking with Geoff about trading one of my S30 Z cars for his BMW. He kindly lent it to me, and I drove it to the Monterey Historics to root on our friend Jim Huff in his Neu Klasse BMW. First impressions were that it was anemic and the dyno confirmed this. Full-throttle was compromised so it needed throttle-linkage adjustment plus timing and jetting. It really came alive making great power…“

 

Enjoy the video below to see Geoff’s BMW on the dyno, test driving with Rob and enjoying a few road rallies:

Hold on to that 2002!

 

Rob and Geoff recall how they felt about the 2002 post dyno tuning and test driving:

ROB: “With +30hp/13tq this BMW was born again, and man did I like the German 510. Love the visibility, greenhouse, seats, thud of the door closing. Despite being a die-hard Datsun 510 guy I really dug the 2002. Enjoyed it so much that I thought maybe this was going to be my first German car. I drove it, Meghan drove it, and just as I was getting excited, (un)fortunately Geoff finally drove it…our improvements to the car convinced him to keep the 2002.”

 

GEOFF: “I hadn’t even considered having it tuned, but Rob suggested giving it a try. When I drove the car after Z Car Garage worked their magic, I was absolutely floored. It is a completely different car now, gaining 30 horsepower and this was not the “stock” 2002 I had assumed it to be. I’m absolutely kicking myself I didn’t have it tuned by Rob earlier. Needless to say, I am no longer interested in selling it. I feel like I’m experiencing a whole new car I cannot thank Z Car Garage enough!”

On Datsuns:

 

We introduced Geoff to the magic of the Datsun S30 Z car after joining him on local mountain drives and rallies. He gets it…

GEOFF: “Being around the shop, I have an even stronger strong appreciation for both 510’s and Z cars. I was recently given the opportunity to drive Mrs. Butters and was completely blown away by the Z Car Garage Big Brakes. I have never felt brakes like that on a vintage car; they’re more impressive than most modern cars! The sound of that L-series on triple Mikuni’s is absolutely intoxicating. While I’ve always preferred smaller/lighter 4 cylinder cars, a S30 tuned like Mrs. Butters is definitely on my short-list of next cars to own. It also helps to have a reputable shop so familiar with these cars in the area!”

 

Friendship

ALVIN: “It really is a small word. Geoff and I both work at the same company and didn’t meet until we saw our beloved vintage cars featured in Petrolicious. Since then we’ve enjoyed Bay Area backroads and beyond. Good times from running rallies with Driving While Awesome, to attending race events and weekend blasts. Geoff is truly someone I’d wish I had known earlier in life. Here’s to more memories and drives.”

 

Just a few events we have enjoyed with Geoff over the years, with more photos in the gallery below:

EVENTS: Cars and Coffee with Driving While Awesome!

EVENTS: Super Drive Sunday

EVENTS: DWA Rally From Home South

 

ROB: “Happy to help Geoff sort out his BMW. He’s such a great car enthusiast and friend to the shop, myself and Alvin. Wonderful 2002. B-Sedans are not just Datsun 510s, they are in the form of BMWs, Alfas and other marques!”

Dyno tuning for your vintage car

 

Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning vintage/classic street and race cars. Here is just a sample of the variety: (above) Team TRUST Porsche 962 from Canepa, Toyota Celica GTO, DeKon Monza, Shelby Mustang and more. Contact Rob at the shop to schedule your dyno session!

 

 

 

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