On Sunday I joined a group of vintage sedans for the Super Drive event in Pacifica, CA. Now in its 16th year, SuperDrive Sunday is a single day road rally open to any and all vintage vehicles. Our friend Geoff assembled a group of classic cars I couldn’t help resist calling the “B-sedan Squad”. These models were competing in the heated vintage race groups of the late 60’s/70’s: I drove Rob Fuller’s 1971 Datsun 510, Geoff in his Inka BMW 2002, Cameron in a BMW Neue Klasse 1800, Ramon and Chris in their Alfa Romeo Berlina 1750/2000, and Diego in the E30. We left San Jose headed to Sea Bowl via 280N:
Rob’s Datsun 510 with S13 SR20DET sporting Go-Green paint and 14″ Panasports:
Euro Vibes
The scene at the pre-rally gathering was filled with cool cars, mostly Euro/Italian. I’m always on the hunt for Japanese metal and spotted an S30, ITR and Mitsubishi 3000GT. I was the lone Datsun 510.
There were at least 9 Alfa Romeo Berlina/Giulia sedans of all years. These are very pretty, capable vintage saloons. Many Alfa GTVs and Giulia Spiders:
More cool cars, some I’ve never seen before. like this Fiat Abarth 750 “Double-Bubble”:
A few familiar favorites:
Rad wheels abound too!
More pictures in the gallery, enjoy this short video:
Let’s Drive!
The group left Sea Bowl and headed south on scenic HWY1 with great weather and good company. Geoff and I split off from HWY 1 for a blast up Tunitas up to 35/Skyline. This was a fun stretch and I had to focus and keep the 510’s boost in check through the twisty bits!
From 35 we made a quick stop at Alice’s Restaurant. It was pleasant to see everyone enjoying their cars. We even ran into our friends like Naveed and met Alex, organizer of the Berkeley Cars and Coffee.
Alex (in his Berlina) joined myself, Chris and Geoff for a stretch down HWy 9 to Boulder Creek.
From Boulder Creek we ended the trip with a drive to 17 via Bear Creek Rd. This is a very technical section, again mostly free of traffic so we could have fun! All had a great time and I highly recommend getting out next Super Bowl Sunday to Super Drive! #DOITINADATSUN
Last Saturday I attended the Breakfast Club Rally held in Santa Rosa, CA. This was my first time at the event and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. I took my Datsun Roadster and left San Jose Saturday morning with fellow roadster owner Raj (1969 SPL) and enthusiast Naveed Yousufzai (Porsche 911 CS), driving 100 miles North to the gathering.
We spotted Daniel Wu in his Honda S800 buzzing along the freeway! Many more vintage cars were on their way:
Cars & Coffee? Yes Please!
The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) is fairly new. What started out as a small group enjoying weekend drives blossomed into a full-on Cars and Coffee meet just before the rally participants are given the green light to head out (rally map available to pre-registrants only). The parking lot was filled with a great variety of vintage and interesting cars. Of course, yours truly is always on the lookout for Datsuns:
Andrew’s RHD Fairlady Z looking sharp on Gotti wheels:
Raj’s Datsun Roadster (“Spike”) with full U20/5 speed drivetrain and rally-prepped suspension, and one of three S30s:
R32 Skyline and two Datsun 510s:
411 wagon and two more Datsun Roadsters!
So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos!
Rally On!
The rally started at 9am and I embarked on what would be epic adventure to the coastline. Naveed and Gen invited me join their Porsche 911 group as they trekked off-route through Skaggs Springs Rd. Weather and terrain changes abound, with rain and unpaved bits all engaging drivers.
This is a grand, picaresque part of the North that has seen recent fires, yet still remained totally mesmerizing. The fog, drizzle and clouds combined with changing forest and hillsides always had me fighting to admire and keep my eyes on the road! We eventually winded our way to the Stewart’s Point for lunch. It was an intense trip.
As folks parted ways most chose to take it easy and head down HWY back home. Our group decided to take Skaggs back again to Healdsburg! We were rewarded with less damp conditions and a gorgeous view of local vineyards. I headed back home to San Jose to complete the almost 400-mile trip.
A short video capturing the day:
Thanks BCR!
Many thanks to the organizers we had a blast at Breakfast Club Rally. I want to do it again! Also, many thanks to Naveed and Gen for leading the way and letting me tag along for the adventure. California never ceases to amaze me with driving roads galore. #DoItInADatsun
The 2020 Rally From Home South was held October 1 and we had a wonderful driving experience. Hosted by Driving While Awesome, the one-day event brought interesting cars and their drivers sharing a common passion for enjoying the best driving roads in Northern California. We participated with the Z Car Garage 1970 Datsun 240z and this is our report from the day filled with open roads, seemingly endless stretches of curvy mountain passes and good company.
The ZCG Datsun 240z
Rob handed me the keys to “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z that serves as the shop demo car and I happily obliged to drive. While this S30 deserves its own feature, here are a few details on the build:
Engine: 3.2L L-series with triple Mikuni 44 carbs and ZCG Heat Sheild
Suspension: Full KW coil-over suspension (ZCG-spec)
Brakes: Z Car Garage Big-Brakes
Drivetrain: Nissan CD009a 6-speed, Z Car Garage CV Axles, OS Giken 4.11 LSD
Wheels: 16×7 Panasport with 225/50/16 Toyo Proxes RA1
Interior: Recaro LXF seats
The Z performed admirably without a single problem over the 300+ mile event. This is a testament to thorough rally-prep (thanks ZCG crew) and the wonderfully upgraded suspension/chassis. These modifications offered a great balance of ride compliance and stiffness for the canyons with a seamless transition between rough to smooth surfaces. The ZCG Big-brakes also delivered great feel and zero fade…truly confidence-inspiring. Icing on the cake was the Nissan CD009a 6-speed transmission :
This gearbox completely transforms the driving experience in Butters. Gone are the long throws of the close-ratio ZX 5-speed and any feelings of fragility with high-speed shifting. The 6-speed simply clicks-off shifts with minimal effort and the gear spacing is truly a match made in heaven for the L-Series. More details with full testing (weights/dyno etc.) coming soon. Enjoy this video of Ms. Butters and hear that L-series sing!
Rally Start: San Juan to Coalinga
With the recent fires and COVID changing how we live, the typical 3-day format of previous DWA rallies (CRR Rewind 2019) was changed to a one-day event. I really enjoyed it and though a single day sounded appealing I did miss the extra driving and mingling of former events. This year the rally was dubbed Rally From Home South, as the start was very close to the South Bay Area. I joined fellow enthusiast Geoff W in his 1972 BMW 2002 Monday morning to blast down to the starting point in San Juan Bautista, CA.
The mini-cars and coffee of rally participants was full of wicked metal, both old and new. The DWA organizers encouraged us that this isn’t a race, and to enjoy the roads at our own pace. I can’t emphasize enough how great this group of folks is. A good portion are DWA-veteran rally drivers and the positivity was contagious. We were the only Datsun/Nissan represented!
Geoff and I grabbed our swag bags and rally maps and hopped into our cars heading South through HWY 25. A few brief stops along the way, at Condon Peak (Ron’s S2000) and oil fields in Coalinga:
King City to Fort Ord
The next stages leaving King City were a mix of long sweepers with a few technical sections. Despite the smoky sky and blistering heat we made it to the Green Bridge. Here, Geoff and I took a nice break under some trees. Soon we were joined by Naveed, Brendan, Marcelo and a few others!
Carmel Valley Road to Laguna Seca
This was my favorite stretch of road on the rally. We enjoyed it so much that we turned around and drove it again, while capturing some video of the cars in action. While Geoff and I were putting in work wrestling our vintage cars, Naveed was comfortably living the dream in the Porsche GT3RS from Abrahim of StealthLabs:
It is difficult to describe the driving experience through photos, so please enjoy this video I made!
Geoff and I switched cars for a bit. I was really impressed with the 2002’s handling, it’s a gem. The rare Camapagnolo wheels also look incredible with the sticky CR65 tires. We arrived at the entrance to Laguna Seca and it was another car show representing a great feature of DWA rallies: diversity. So many cool cars from all era’s and marques! This was a fun time chatting with fellow rally’ers
Our final stop was a relaxed gathering at Fort Ord under a filtered sunset. A great way to end a day of driving. More picture in the gallery!
Thank you DWA!
Rally From Home South was a surreal experience. I am still day dreaming about the incredible stretches of roads that we travelled all in one day. For what seems like a brief moment in time we were transported to another world with changing landscapes, smells, sights and sounds. Big thanks to the crew at Driving While Awesome and old/new friends met during the rally. We are definitely signing up for the next event! Enjoy the picture gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
On Saturday I joined six other cars for a morning cruise through the Santa Cruz Mountains. The two S30 Z cars with us were running our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!
Glenn’s 1972 Nissan Fairlady 240z-L
Glenn Chiou drove his RHD Fairlady Z sporting our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels). He is an avid vintage race car driver/restorer and found our brake kit offers incredible brake feel and performance all fitting behind his favorite 15×8 zero offset Watanabe wheel:
“The most important aspect to me when it comes to braking on a street driven car is feel. Yes, stopping power is extremely important, but also is not that difficult to achieve on an early Z car that is naturally light to begin with. Feel, however, is something that has always managed to escape me and the ZCG brakes deliver. WOW, what a difference. The feel, modulation, power, sharpness was amazing. Hands down the best brakes I had ever driven on a Z car”
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 pictures of the Big-Brakes being installed on Glenn’s Z:
Glenn was having fun on the twistys on our cruise (see video below). Learn more about his Z in this Petrolicious video.
James’ 1972 Datsun 240z
James is running our ZCG BBK (1st gen, 328mm) and Z Car Garage CV Axles in his turbocharged L-Series beast:
You can learn more about this 560whp Z on Speedhunters and see it in action on Hoonigan Autofocus. James also had a blast on our Saturday cruise:
Saturday Cruising
We started our drive in Downtown Saratoga and made it to the coast via Bear Creek and Bonny Doon Rd. Here is a short video:
We were happy to enjoy the company of cool cars and cool folks, also joining us:
Dustin’s 510
We’ve known Dustin and Courtney for many years. Dustin’s 510 4-door runs a KA24DE and sweet Longchamp XR-4 wheels. The side exit exhaust is loud!
Tony’s Mazda RX-2
Tony has had this RX-2 for many years. In addition to the full restoration it now has a full (S5) 13B drivetrain with a Ford 9″ rear end! It is mint. I haven’t seen Tony in many years so it was a joy to have him along:
Lloyd’s AE86
Lloyd has a very cool collection of cars and this AE86 is the latest. Although it sports an F20C drivetrain (Lloyd promised me it’s not the same car as this one), it has numerous upgrades for a better drive. Gotta love TE37s:
Geoff’s BMW 2002
Geoff’s no stranger to our Bay Area cruises and also owns a Lotus 7. He was the only German this time with his BMW 2002 on rare Campagnolo wheels:
I drove my SR-powered ‘67.5 Datsun Roadster and it was a great way to spend the morning.
Yes, that’s a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso flying by on HWY 1!
Yesterday we attended the DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) Cars & Coffee event in Santa Cruz, CA. The event impressed us again with a fun vibe and superb variety of cars. Before the 9am meeting our group of enthusiasts enjoyed a brisk driving session en route to Santa Cruz. I was lucky to drive the ZCG shop car, a 1970 Datsun 240z. We started at the junction of HWY 92 and Skyline with a nice gathering:
Leading the pack was Naveed in his Hot Rod Porsche 912. You can follow the build of this 911 6-cylinder powered rocket over on Speedhunters.
Pall’s R32 Skyline in (AH3) Pearl Red. Pall K acquired this Pearl Red (AH3) R32 from our friend Sean and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. We love the gorgeous paint color and Volk TE37SLs. He is also a ZCG customer!
Jeremy’s BMW 5-series Touring with a GM LS3 E-rod crate engine:
Matt’s G-body 911 with 17″ Fuchs and center exit exhaust…my newest P-car crush?
Andrei’s E36 M3
One of the many perks of DWA Morning Motors is its location surrounded by the best driving roads. Leaving the 92/35 junction we headed towards Alice’s Restaurant and HWY 84. Down to Stage through Cloverdale and finally Gazos Creek carrying us to HWY1 along the coastline to our destination. We arrived at 9am on the dot, thanks Naveed!
Mandatory Nissan/Datsun
I was happy to see a few more Nissans and Datsuns at MorningMotors. 260z!
There were a three Datsun 510s! Mark’s has been at the shop so stay tuned for a full report:
Dustin Frisk’s KA24-powered 510 on Longchamp XR-4 wheels:
A nearly-stock appearing 4-door 510:
Another ZCG customer, Eric’s FX sporting suspension and R35 GT-R wheels. Full report soon!
Two 300zx (Z32) NAs and G37 Sedan:
R32 Skyline 4-door, 350z, R35 and Infiniti Q45:
In Search of J-Tin
Morning Motors did not disappoint if you are Japanese Classic fans. Looking splendid were these white, boosted 80’s Hero’s: a DSM Conquest and Isuzu Impulse with snazzy interiors!
NA Miatas!
Turbo B-series DC2 Integra and a pair of EM1 Civic Si’s!
Honda S600 with a Motocompo!
Mazda FC RX-7 Turbo sitting on rad Panasport G7 wheels:
RHD, turbo diesel Land Cruiser!
So much variety! Enjoy this short video:
Euro Classics
Gen’s 911 Turbo S2 (964)
Outlaw 356 and lots of BMW 2002s:
Retro Sporting’s Mk2 Escort with tons of fab work. They are hosting a vintage car-only track day April 10th, check it out HERE
British
American Muscle
From 60’s to 80’s
This G-body Monte Carlo SS was badass!
Vette’s:
Eclectic
DWA CnC is definitely my kind of cars and coffee. It’s a great venue with amazing driving roads nearby and the cars were so diverse. We highly recommend checking it out! Thanks to the DWA crew for hosting. If you haven’t already, listen to their podcast and make sure you give them a follow on Instagram.
More pictures in the gallery below!
