Filed under: Events,Performance
by Alvin G @ 1:33 pm on July 22, 2010
If you are an avid track day junkie or even a beginner it doesn’t hurt to have a seasoned instructor ride along with you. These generous folks can help you shave seconds off lap times, smoothly negotiate turns, and even instill confidence. Fellow Z owner Bill N. describes how in-car instruction helped him. Thanks for the report Bill and good luck at the LeMons!
I finally did it. I signed on with a 24 Hours of LeMons team for the August 7-8 event at Thunderhill. It will be my first time driving in an actual race. Z Car Garage will also be in the race with a 240Z. Should be a blast.
With the upcoming race in mind, I approached my recent track day wanting to improve my driving skill. We occasionally see new drivers at the track who have a lot of natural ability and advance very quickly. I’m not one of those drivers. The good news is that, with the right attitude and good coaching, anyone can improve their performance.
Enter the Hooked on Driving coaches. These men and women are volunteers who come to the track to share their skill and knowledge. They go through a rigorous evaluation, selection and training process. I like that they are very encouraging and coach a turn only during the approach and execution. No after-turn discussions to distract from the next turn. Coaching is included in the event price and is available to drivers at all levels.
I sought the help of Jeff, one of HOD’s senior coaches. I had worked with him earlier in the year when we were paired for a lead-follow session on a very wet track: 5/28 Fun in the Rain
Jeff helped me a lot. Check it out:
6/20 Session 1 Part 1
6/20 Session 1 Part 2
Thanks, Jeff!
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This 1973 240z belongs to a friend of the shop, Lou S. It is a rare sight to see this Japanese-spec, Right-Hand-Drive (RHD) model with appropriate “FairladyZ” badging/lighting. The Z recently got new 3-piece, custom offset 17″ Panasport wheels. You might remember these beauties from the multiple sets ordered for the RB-240z builds.
These wheels allow the use of massive 255/40/17(Bridgestone RE050a) tires without major fender mods/flares. To take advantage of the larger footwork a complete Arizona Zcar suspension upgrade was installed.
The rear controls arms offer multiple points of adjustment. Struts were shortened and a Ground Control coilover kit with custom spring rates can be dialed in for any condition. Sway bars and new bushings throughout. The result is a car that stays absolutely planted in corners. It is almost begging for more power now. Triple Mikuni’s Lou? 🙂
The new stance makes this “RightLady” look awesome, and the black center spokes with polished lip complements the paint really well. Here is a short video clip of the car rolling on the freeway, enjoy!
This gorgeous 1998 Nissan 240sx is getting extensive upgrades at ZCG. Owner Gary S. recently found this car and it is in immaculate condition from the interior/exterior to the clean S14 SR20DET drivetrain swap. Yes, that odometer reads just under 53k. Finding a “kouki” S14 this clean is near impossible! Besides the SR this 240sx already came with pretty bronze NISMO wheels, Z32 brakes, RS-R exhaust, and some mild suspension upgrades.
If you have seen Gary’s RB-powered 240z, affectionately called Behemoth than you know what’s in store for this 240sx will be both tasteful and impressive. The modification list includes a host of suspension parts from SPL:
Tension rods
Front inner/outer tie rods
Steering Rack boots/bushings
Front upper and lower arms
Rear toe rods, lower arms, traction rods
Rear knuckle monoball bushings
Progress front and rear sway bars
The SR20 will get Tomei cams, turbo, 3″ downpipe, and JWT will handle the ECU. Stoptech big-brakes on the front will replace the Z32 calipers/rotors.
Stay tuned for more updates!
ZCarGarage is performing their first Stillen Supercharger installation for the 370Z. You might recognize this sharp Z from its great power gains with the Stillen exhaust system and Berk high-flow catalytic converters. It also received several suspension and cosmetic upgrades since last year.
Here are a few pics of the supercharger kit, note how the dual throttle-bodies are oriented compared to the stock location:
Keep an eye on the blog for more install updates and you can count on some dyno action too as this boosted 370 makes some serious power!
