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!

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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!

 

More pictures in the gallery below!
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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!

LONG LIVE THE Z!

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On Sunday I joined 6 other roadsters for a drive in the North Bay. I left San Jose ~7:45am and it was very foggy. On the freeway it was actually quite wet like rain, not a good sign as I thought the weather would be worse heading North.

 

As I approached San Francisco the fog disappeared, revealing the city Skyline and iconic Golden Gate Bridge. I was excited to see everyone and do some driving.

Meeting point: Fort Baker 9am

I arrived to see 6 roadsters already lined up against the GG Bridge and clear sky. It was really fortunate that weather was amazing….usually this time of year the GG bridge is shrouded in fog!

 

We chatted for a bit and I consulted with Jerry about staging the cars for quick photoshoot. He’s a talented photographer and you can see his positioning and composition created some spectacular shots.

The cars:

Dan’s 1970 1600. Dan owns three roadsters and this one is completely stock:

 

Mike’s 1967 2000. This is considered one of the most sought-after models (#0072 out reportedly 1000) sporting a 5-speed transmission, 150hp twin-Mikuni carb 2L engine, 160mph speedo/8krpm tach…all stuff other cars dreamed of in 1967:

 

Andy’s 1969 1600, looking great on stock wheels and whitewall tires:

 

Pat’s 1969 1600. Pat has swapped in a 2L/5-speed drivetrain from the 2000 model. Note the factory roll-bar:

 

Jerry’s 1969 2000. This SRL caught my attention as soon as Jerry started the fire-breathing Solex-carb’d U20. Make sure you watch the video below to hear it rev. Note the pretty Longchamp XR-4 wheels:

 

Scott’s 1967 1600. I met Scott back in Aprril at the 2019 Solvang Datsun Roadster Show and admired this full frame-off restoration. Stunning paint and a nice interior with carbon fiber touches. Power is from a modified 1600 engine now displacing 2L…powerful! Note the full stainless exhaust (and hear it in the video below!)

 

We got each owner next to their roadster and a nice group photo. Big thanks to Jerry for the camera work.

 

Our leader Dano was anxious to get moving to avoid tourist traffic so we rolled out. We were also joined by fellow roadster owners Eric (in his NA Miata) and Will (in his E30 M3). The next 4 hours was a mix of ever-changing scenery that was new to me. From Downtown Sausalito to twisty HWY1, ribbons of road winding through forest and coastline it was fun!

 

Stop #1: Limatour Beach

Quick stop close to the coastline and back through the forest…

 

Stop #2: Lunch at Tony’s Seafood Restaurant in Marshall:

 

After lunch, some parted ways while Dano, Pat, Will and myself headed to Nicasio Reservoir back to 101. Pat and I rode together for a stretch of freeway heading home.

 

I had a blast driving with everyone, here is a video of the sights and sounds, enjoy!

 

Stay tuned for our next Fun Run!

 

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“Great Drives” is a Zcarblog series highlighting scenic routes and destinations we have enjoyed from the past and present. Whether it is a nice cruise or thrilling adventure, we hope to inspire Bay Area vintage car owners to Enjoy The Ride! Have a great drive of your own that you want to share? Feel free to contact us on Facebook, Instagram or by e-mail.

 

Mt. Umunhum to Alice’s Restaurant, October 2018

There are several fun routes reaching Alice’s from San Jose. This drive was organized by Lotus 7 owner Geoff W and we all met in Almaden to begin:

 

The 11-car group was diverse with both vintage and modern sports cars with great Nissan/Datsun representation!

The cars:

Daniel’s Nissan 240s (S13) with an RB25DET swap. He is the man behind the lens of BayRoadsAP. Naveed Yousufzai’s R32 Skyline GT-R:

  

Lane Skelton of DrivingWhileAwesome in his Porsche 944. Eric in the 911 Targa

  

TWO Z cars! Michael’s Series 1 240z (with patina) and Andrew’s Series 1 Fairlady Z (RHD!)

  

Geoff (organizer) in his Lotus 7, featured on Petrolicious! Mike in his 993 Porsche:

  

Matt in his Subaru BRZ Performance Pack, Brendan and Drew in their Chevy SS sedans, and myself in the Datsun Roadster.

The route:

  

Driving through Almaden to Mt. Umunhum:

 

The climb up to the peak is filled with freshly paved road and switchbacks. At the top:

 

In the lower lot we had a few minutes to chat and check out the cars

 

I really dig Michael’s S30, it has a warmed-over triple-carb’d L-series:

 

We left Mt. Umunhum towards 17 and exited on Bear Creek Rd. for lunch in Boulder Creek. This was a fun stretch I haven’t been on.

 

Heading up 9 to 35. It was fun chasing Michael in the Z:

 

 

We had a little scare when his oil pressure gauge started reading low….it checked it ok and we were off again:

 

The route changed a bit and we took Alpine Rd. (lots of loose gravel) to Pescadero Creek Rd, then Stage Rd. After re-grouping we hopped on HWY 1N:

 

From 1 we turned right onto 84. This stretch was amazing. SO much fun connecting the turns and chasing Geoff in the Lotus. This is a road that made me love my roadster even more. Thanks Geoff for an exhilarating drive!

 

All of the Roadsters at Alice’s Restaurant. An “Aero Cycle” joined:

 

We also got a closer look at Geoff’s go-kart. One look at the driver’s seat tells all: this is a wild ride!

 

After drinks we departed. Alice’s never disappoints.

 

Here’s video I snapped showing the action, enjoy!

 

After drinks we split up for home, and i took 35 back down 9. I was treated to some great coastal and bay arae views:

 

 

Big thanks to Geoff for organizing the drive. It was a fantastic run with great company! More pictures in the gallery below.