On Saturday, September 24 we attended the Tokyo Calling 2 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 also featured 200 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 just over 2 years ago. What started out as a small group enjoying weekend drives blossomed into a full-on Cars and Coffee (still unofficial) meet just before rally participants head out according to run group. The monthly BCR is always free/open to all makes and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see my previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event held back in March was a success. We did not want to miss this all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC2. We left the shop at 6:30am heading to San Rafael, here is a preview of our cars:

 

Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Rob Fuller drove our client Gary’s S30 with the Datsunworks KN20 twincam cylinder head. Supporting the 3.1L engine are our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, Jenvey ITB EFI with Haltech Elite management, Nissan 6-speed CD009s transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.

 

While ZCG has performed many tests with the KN20 engine this was the first time we were able to do a 300-mile trip and really wring its neck. It just keeps getting better and better…watch the video below and turn those speakers up!

Datsunworks in action

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240z is Enjoying The Ride with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles.  He scored this Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer and regularly drives on rally events.

Mrs. Butters

 

Leading the caravan was yours truly in 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 (releasing soon).

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) 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.

 

Henry’s supercharged Nissan 370Z

Henry drove his Stillen-supercharged 370Z. This was his first time attending a vintage rally and he had a blast! Henry recently visited ZCG for a re-tune and upgrades, making even more power stay tuned for an update! Rolling photo by Gregory Veizades:

  

Mr. C, a 1970 Datsun 240Z

Our guest Herbert P piloted  “Mr. C”, our stock, one-owner Series 1 Z. We put some 14″ Panasports on this time as the stock hubcaps have a habit of coming off during spirited driving!

 

Our morning caravan of cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 through 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 San Rafael and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 8-9am (usually 1 hr) 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!

 

Tom K’s Nissan Fairlady Z432 stunned the crowd. This rare, RHD gem is powered by the unicorn-status S20 engine:

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters always get my attention. There were at least 8 in attendance including two genuine 1967 2000s. 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. 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!

 

Our client Erik drove his hot-rod R16 stroker-powered ’70. We dyno tuned this little beast recently, check it out HERE:

  

There were handful of Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510. Jay is a hardcore rally driver (just completing the Faultline 500) and also brought his mint wagon with family! Check out his sweet set of Devil Shadow wheels:

   

Our very own Nick F drove his 510 wagon and went full rally-style with intercoms:

 

Back to Z cars, and with many cool examples like this pair of S30s with classy Campagnolo and 432s-style wheels:

 

Our client Kevin’s Slicktop Z32 on WORK XD9 wheels and Stoptech brakes. A pair of clean Zenki Z31 300ZX, one LS-powered:

 

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 2. 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.

 

Leo is an avid Pulsar fan having owned several and he really kept this one in pristine condition. He added a few upgrades including Stoptech Big-Brakes. He ven kept the Z Car Garage license plate frame!

 

A pair of S13 240SXs:

 

It was great to see our R32 Skyline clients Mike’s R32 (TE37 wheels), Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W. (in his GC8 Subaru) and . All will be getting zcarblog udpates:

 

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

Kei Classics

Autozam AZ-1 and Suzuki Cappuchino mesmerizing the crowd with their size and neat features:

 

Honda

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

Toyota

 

Supra (A60 and A80) and even first gen MR2s, turbocharged Beams-powered Celica and AE86s!

    

Enjoy this walk-around of the pre-rally social hour at Tokyo Calling 2:

 

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans!

 

The wildest car I found was this Nissan Leaf with motorcycle engine:

 

Rally On!

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rallye printout. I enjoyed hustling Mrs. Butters through the backroads:

 

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 photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides: Alex Nibyt, Gregory Veizades, Everett Lederer, and Zack Hubbell.

   

Arriving at Point Reyes was another opportunity to see cars I missed at the starting point. Folks took a snack/coffee break here in the quaint town. I was just admiring each vintage ride cruise by…like this Nissan Figaro!

 

Henry’s 370Z and an FD RX-7

  

After chatting we resumed the rally. This final stage was my favorite with winding roads going through Petaluma. This is where the KW Suspension, ZCG Big-Brakes and 6-speed transmission in Mrs. Butters really shine. Every gear shift, squeeze of the throttle and confidence of the brakes makes for a sublime driving experience.

   

The rally concluded in Tomales. Total mileage for our San Jose crew thus far was 200 miles. BCR arranged for lunch at William Tell House as their clever motto is #DoneByNoon. The intersection here was yet another car show with J-Tin everywhere. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.

  

Our client Kevin’s Slicktop Z32

 

People got a kick out of the Behemoth:

 

Thanks BCR!

 

Many thanks to the 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.  Here are a few thoughts from Rob re-capping the Tokyo Calling 2 event:

“Loved TC2 and my favorite part is connecting with people, seeing their passion and all the other cool cars…I’m a huge Miata fan and NA/NBs were out in full force. Subaru XT…I really wanted one as a kid. Little fun fact…that rear end bolts into a Datsun 510. The Leaf with motorcycle engine was wild. Great to see our clients also on the drive. Got to see Leo and get reunited with the GTi-R, chat with Mike Young…”

“…Such a proud feeling of driving up 280 through the city and looking over to see Linda Wiliams in the OMS Pace Car, Vince S and Jim and Herb driving Mr.C. and Alex in his Sunny. The amount of community we have is tremendous. Loved how organized BCR is, so well thought out. The last 20+ years of my life I’ve been doing car meets/car adventures…the BCR guys got it down….from the registration stickers to rally directions. Little things like making sure there is enough room for folks at the meetup points…or always having clean restrooms available…these are details between enjoying yourself in a vintage car or not. The roads were incredible and scenery unreal. Sounds of L-series everywhere! Cant wait for next Tokyo Calling.”

 

 

The Drive Home

Our adventure was not over as we had to travel another 100 miles South to the shop. We caravanned back, traveling through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco. I’m sure traffic had a field day with our group of Datsuns/Nissans:

 At the shop, Rob gave everyone rides in the Datsunworks-powered Behemoth. It was fun to see the permanent smiles on passengers’ faces after returning:

After a full day of driving Mr. C, our stock Series 1 240Z,  we gave Herbert the keys to take Butters out for spin:

    

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

 

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Z Car Garage spent a few days with the new 2023 Nissan Z at our shop in San Jose, CA. We enjoyed driving the Z on our favorite Bay Area backroads and sharing the experience with our clients. First impressions were unanimous: the new Z is fantastic right out of the box.

 

Our journey with the new Z began last year in May when Nissan invited us to their Headquarters in Tennessee to get up close and personal with the Z Proto:

 

Later in August we were guests at the 2023 Nissan Global Reveal event in New York:

 

In October we hosted a 2023 Nissan Viewing Event at Z Car Garage for the public to enjoy:

 

Just a few weeks ago Nissan kindly offered to lend us a 2023 Nissan Z for five days. We happily obliged and once again thank Jonathan Buhler (Sr. Specialist Corporate Communications at Nissan) and industry veteran Dan Passe (Director, Nissan Corporate Communications) for including Z Car Garage as the new Z makes its glorious return. Enjoy our recap of the week with photos and video of the Z in action.

The New Z at Z Car Garage

 

Our time with the Z began at the ZONC 50th Birthday Celebration in Danville, Ca. I had the opportunity to drive it from the show back to our shop with a group of die-hard Nissan fans.

 

Once at ZCG we admired the new Z’s styling and Passion Red paint. We couldn’t resist parking next to a 300ZX Twin-Turbo to see how Nissan drew inspiration from the Z32 generation’s rear tail light section. The new Z also has a blacked-out strip stretching the width with quad-horizontal (now 3-D LED) tail lights. See that “Z” badge? It reminds us of the S130 era:

  

Up front the large rectangular grille opening and headlights are evocative of the 240Z. That large front grille opening is also there for function, providing air to several heat exchangers including an intercooler, oil and transmission coolers. This makes sense visually in person and when you catch a glimpse from your rearview mirror-it’s undeniably a “Z” view:

 

We put the Z on a lift and examined the chassis. The Z was also placed on scales for weight distribution and results will be shared soon. We are really excited to see the aftermarket’s offerings for this platform.

 

Interior

 

This was our first time seeing the red interior and we spent a few hundred miles behind the wheel. The dash features a large TFT gauge display, designed with input from Nissan Super GT500 driver Tsugio Matsuda. Familiar analog gauge pods are mounted atop a central touchscreen reminiscent of the S30 Z car’s center stack. The steering wheel (tilt/telescope) feels great and actually draws its dimensions from an R32 Skyline.

 

The interior is a comfortable place to be, devoid of gimmicks or over-styling. Nissan really spent time in this area and it shows. We liked the little details like leather stitching on the dash and real rotary knobs for radio volume and tuning. Lighted “Z” logo on door sills- something absent from the Ikazuchi-Yellow Proto-Spec Z we saw at Nissan HQ. The two-tone red theme is not as “loud” as the all-blue seats in the Seiran Blue Z that spent a few days with us last year.

 

Interior room is similar to the 370Z but seating position and outward view is greatly improved with a lower dash height. You can even see the Z’s broad hips in the rear through side mirrors, again another nice thought from the designers. Below, Rob (5’10”) and Tyler (6’5″) demonstrate headroom in the Z. Rob still has headroom with a helmet on and Tyler has a few inches of headroom as well:

 

 

On the road

 

We were impressed with the Z’s driving experience straight from the factory. Our 400-mile test drive included a mix of city/highway and canyon driving. Starting in San Jose we headed North to San Francisco via our favorite Bay Area backroad, Skyline (HWY 35).

   

Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of our time with the new Z. In this video: in-car acceleration, drive-bys, walk-arounds and road testing action from our shop and road trip to San Francisco:

 

Enjoy The Ride

 

One of our favorite parts of spending time with the new Z was sharing it with our clients. They were all ecstatic after riding along with Rob:

“Hey this is Rick, just giving my feedback on the experience of riding in the new Z car. I have to say it exceeded my expectations in every way. From the interior to the feeling of the power, to the way it commands attention. Absolutely flawless. But probably the most shocking thing was the braking and the grip it seemed to have in the corners. Just astonishing performance! Home run Nissan! Long live the Z!”

“Nissan did an outstanding job and really hit a home run. The design pays homage to the original Z while elegantly embodying modern styling cues. The interior is upscale and I really like the digital display, retro gauge cluster, and bucket seats. The performance was absolutely incredible and the way it handled made me the suspension was aftermarket. Overall Nissan did a great job with the car. I am very impressed and I cannot wait to get mine. The hardest decision for me is if I want a red one with two tone interior or white with all blue interior. Manny”

“Hello, my name is Lou Strickland and I recently had the pleasure of visiting Z Car Garage and riding in the new Nissan Z with Rob Fuller. I have owned or currently own a 1971 240Z, 1973 Fairlady Z, 1990 300ZX TT, 1993 300ZX TT and a 2003 350Z. Without hesitation I can say the 2023 Nissan Z is the best stock Z car I have experienced. The 2023 Nissan Z checks all of the sports car boxes.  It looks great, it accelerates, turns and brakes very well.  It is also comfortable, feels solid and does a great job minimizing road noise.  Nissan did a great job reimagining the Z for the next generation of driving enthusiasts.”

“Thank you for giving me a ride in the new Z! It does look better than in the photos and videos. Once inside, the quality of the interior, clever digital displays and, important for me, headroom impressed me. Then there was the drive! The power comes on so smooth and linear that it really doesn’t feel like a turbo car. I felt no turbo lag at all. I agree with you that in many ways it feels like my 300ZX Twin Turbo—it can be both a GT car and a sports car depending on how you want to drive it. I would definitely consider purchasing one of these. So glad the Z is back! Mark”

 

IconZ

 

The drive to San Francisco was thrilling. We had to snap some photos of this iconic Z car with another icon, the Golden Gate Bridge:

 

The Passion Red paint is stunning and hard to capture on camera. Direct light brings out a retina-searing metallic red while in shade it looks almost burgundy. Check out the photo gallery below:

 

Leaving San Francisco we drove the Z down the famous Lombard St. People stopped us to check it out:

 

Thank You Nissan!

We thank Nissan, Dan Passe and Jonathan Buhler for the opportunity to enjoy the new Z.  As our clients and friends mentioned after going for a test drive…the Z is a winner. Great job Nissan we are so excited to see it on the road and in the hands of Z-car enthusiasts. Z Car Garage can’t wait to get our Z and share it with the community. LONG LIVE THE Z!

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The Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo is one the best Japanese sports cars of the 90’s. Keeping them on the road is our passion and we love to see our clients like Peter H Enjoying the Ride after some Z Car Garage power, chassis and aesthetic upgades.

 

Let’s take a look at how we made the already-fantastic 300ZX a well-rounded sports car, starting with Peter’s Z-story.

 

It’Z Never Too Late to Z

 

Peter was not always a Z-car enthusiast, but as we all know it there is no time like the present to own one and he acquired his Z32 from a prior Z Car Garage client:

“My experience with ZCG started back in end of 2016 when I acquired the Z from one of their former customers. To be honest, I had a very limited knowledge on Nissan Z cars before 2016 as I had a heart on rotary engine (Mazda FD RX-7) until I connected to the Z and its timeless design. I first brought my Z in to ZCG for power steering leak as the car was exclusively maintenance by ZCG and I want to keep it that way and I was impressed with the quality work of ZCG and their knowledge. Istarted to chat with Rob about the car and learned a lot from Rob about Z cars.”

 

Over the last 5 years we helped Peter with regular maintenance along with performance upgrades. Peter really wanted to give this car the attention it deserves while enjoying the occasional open track day.

Power Upgrades

 

Prior to power upgrades a few items were addressed. The 1990-1994 Z32TT’s have fuel injector problems because Nissan used a wet coil design. This left the injector coil wire prone to oxidation over time and eventual shorting. The solution? Convert to later style injectors using the early fuel rail. For Peter’s Z we wanted to run 740cc injectors which is only available in the new style:

 

More engine work including full timing belt services along with valve cover removal/refinishing:

 

Driveline was upgraded with a JWT HD clutch and flywheel. Keen observers may note that the exhaust has changed too!

 

Larger downpipes greatly improve flow over the stock manifolds. The best downpipes for your Z32TT can be found at SpecialtyZ. These are 3″ units:

 

The Z was treated to a chassis steam clean, making a clean grime-free backdrop for the new exhaust system. Downpipes were mated to 3-2.5″ SPZ mid-pipes and Greddy SP1 Exhaust:

 

We installed more parts from our friends at SpecialtyZ  like their Selin dual MAF. To improve breathing we also installed larger Stillen intercoolers and charge plumbing from Ash-spec. Managing boost is a Greddy Profec E Boost Controller:

 

Finally, low-profile engine mounts from BDE offer more turbo inlet clearance and oil temps kept in check with a Concept Z Performance full Flow Oil Cooler Kit:

 

Recent work at Z Car Garage included a repaired turbo actuator, oil plan replacement, repaired heater core, new OEM wiring harness and minor electrical sorting from a 3rd party gauge installation.

Dyno Tuning

 

We dyno tuned Peter’s Z picking up 25hp/32tq for a total of 36hp/341tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy this video below showing the dyno run, a walk-around, take-off and brief track footage:

 

Big-Brakes and Chassis

 

As every Z32 owner knows, the stock brakes just aren’t up to the task for track duty or even spirited driving. More power exacerbates the issue and you know how we feel at ZCG:  It’s Stoptech Or Don’t Stop At All. Peter eventually experienced the difference:

“The Z was cranking out 355wHP but with stock brakes and heavy wheels. The acceleration was great but it had a big problem on stopping. I first upgraded with bigger rotors but it did not feel enough stopping power when going downhill. I brought my concern to Rob and Rob made it clearly to me Stoptech BBK is the only solution on Z32s.”

  

We installed the 332mm Big-Brake Kit using red calipers and rotors. Stock vs Stoptech:

   

At the rear, stock Z32 calipers were paint-matched to the Stoptech red up front.  Sport kit slotted rotors with 309 pads and SS lines throughout:

    

In addition to their function, the Stoptech’s look nice too!

 

A few chassis upgrades included Powertrix Front Strut Tower, Stillen Front Rear Sway Bars, SPL Titanium Tension Rods, full Tein Flex Z Coilovers and new steering rack boots/bushings:

 

Interior

 

Peter wanted us to sort out his aftermarket gauges (Prosport Boost Gauge, Oil Temperature, Water Temperature Gauge), install a new steering wheel and upgrade lighting:

    

The dim stock displays benefitted from new LED sources. Check out the difference:

 

Even the climate control display is improved:

 

More LED upgrades throughout the cabin:

 

Peter’s interior touches include a Custom Alcantara on factory steering wheel with thumb rest:

 

Recaro Speed Racing Seats with Bride Seat rail/bracket, Nismo Clutch and Brake Pedal, Cusco accelerator pedal, and custom carbon fiber interior door sill with a logo “Fairlady” :

 

Aesthetics

 

On Saturday, March 19 we attended the Tokyo Calling 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 Sonoma, Ca. The event also featured 200 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 almost 2 years ago, now running its 27th rally event. What started out as a small group enjoying weekend drives blossomed into a full-on Cars and Coffee (still unofficial) meet just before rally participants head out according to run group (rally map available to pre-registrants only). The monthly BCR is always free/open to all makes and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see my previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The BCR: Tokyo Calling event was a little different: this was an all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally and we did not want to miss it. I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients to participate and we left the shop at 5:45am to make the 7am starting point in Sonoma. Our cars:

 

Rob and Nick 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 (releasing soon).

 

Dirk’s 1973 Datsun 240z is back on the road with a fresh engine,  Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles and Silvia 6-speed transmission. Full report coming to zcarblog.com

 

Linda’s 1972 Official OMS Pace Car Duplicate. 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”. ZCG made it a runner, full report soon!

 

Felix’s 1996 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo representing Z32s!

 

We had 4 Nissan R32 Skyline GT-Rs! Above, from L to R with more photos in the gallery below: Mike’s R32 (TE37 wheels), Lee’s R32 (BBS wheels), Pall’s AH3 R32 and Miles’ R32 on Ray’s wheels. Andreas’ R30 Skyline was also present!

 

The Bring a Trailer Datsun 240Z was driven by Robert of BaT!

 

Our guest Jonathan Buhler (Sr. Specialist Corporate Communications at Nissan) piloted “Mr. C”, our stock, one-owner Series 1 Z.

Leading the caravan to Sonoma was yours truly in this 1965 Nissan Silvia. Huge thanks to our client Rick K for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this gorgeous (and rare) specimen. Full update on this Datsun Roadster-based gem soon!

Tokyo is Calling before the Rally!

 

Our crew arrived at the rally start in Sonoma and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 7-9am (usually 1 hr) so we could take in all the glorious cars. The vibe was tremendous, despite a 5-minute drizzle and cloudy sky.

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns:

 

First up, this 1967 Datsun 2000, owned by Ian S. 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. This is SRL #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. 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!

 

I counted 6 roadsters. Pat S. owns this 1970 Datsun 2000. He had it dyno tuned at Z Car Garage, full report soon!

  

Alex’s Datsun 510 Wagon (LS-powered!), 520 and 620 trucks:

  

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 from Kei cars to late model DC2 Integras and S2000s. A few NSXs, CRXs and EF hatches rounded out the display:

  

Will’s clean EF hatch:

Toyota

 

Supra (A60 and A80) and even first gen MR2s, a lone Celica and AE86s!

Trucks and Vans

 

Mitsubishi and Toyota 4×4 vans galore! Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite little red firetruck: Todd Lapin’s Daihatsu Hijet

 

This was the wildest truck….2JZ-powered and S550 IRS:

Rally On!

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rallye printout. I managed to hustle the little Silvia through the vineyards and foothills to our half way point of Calistoga…RHD and rarity aside this thing was a blast to drive.

  

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 photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides :Alex Nibyt, Gregory Veizades, Blaine Olguin, and Vijay Sankar.

 

Arriving at Calistoga was another opportunity to see cars I missed at the starting point. The sky cleared and it was sunny. Folks took a snack/coffee break here in the quaint town. I was just admiring each vintage ride cruise by…like this FD RX-7 with Greddy AeroHatch!

 

Caught up with our friend and fellow racer Glenn Chiou who chose to drive his FD RX-7 with co-pilot Ricky Silverio of Japanese Nostalgic Car magazine. Spotted our client Mark  in his Z32TT as well:

 

It was JDM overload at this halfway resting point…Ricky helped me spot a Lancer EVO 2!

 

After chatting with folks we resumed the rallye. This final stage was mostly forested ending with a cruise through vineyards. Jonathan managed to drive a “D” hubcap off the Mr. C 240z…he heroically recovered it mountain side…a picture captured the proud moment!

 

The rally concluded at renown Sonoma Raceway. Total mileage for our San Jose crew thus far was 220miles. BCR arranged parking for participants in the paddock right next to the cafe for lunch, as their clever motto is #DoneByNoon. Even better: we were treated to live drifting and road-course action. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.

 

I could not resist to get a Z Car Garage client group photo:

 

Here is a video we captured from the day, enjoy!

 

Thanks BCR!

 

Many thanks to the 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.  Here are a few thoughts from Rob re-capping the Tokyo Calling event:

“With the shop so busy it good to be out to enjoy Bay Area car events like DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) Cars & Coffee and now BCR. I had a blast. Great organization of the event and some of friendliest people. Exceeded my expectations. Jonathan Buhler from Nissan came out to enjoy the rallye with us. We put him behind the wheel of Mr. C, our one-owner Series 1 Z.  It was fun to have both Safari Gold cars together. I loved the vibe at all of the rally stops and seeing the non-Nissans….super cool. MR2s, Subarus, CRXs, just so much good stuff, Happy I went and will make it out to another BCR event.”

The Drive Home

Our adventure was not over as we had to travel another 90 miles South to the shop. We caravanned back, traveling through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco. I’m sure traffic had a field day with our group of Datsuns/Nissans:

 

 

At the shop, Jonathan took Mrs. Butters for a test drive and he had a great time before catching his flight back to Nashville. Below (right) is the GO Green RB25DET-powered 240Z that inspired Jonathan to build one of his own…we had to grab a shot with the model I made 🙂

    

Rick’s Silvia is safe and sound after completing the 300+ mile road trip. Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us. 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 pics in the gallery!

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Our client Jas D listed his 1991 Aztec Red 300ZX Twin Turbo for auction on Bring a Trailer. You can view the auction HERE. Below is our blog feature of the Z, enjoy and happy bidding on this stunning Z32.

 

To appreciate the 1991 Aztec Red 300ZX Twin Turbo pictured above we must tell you a story of love, heartbreak, persistance and ultimately satisfaction. Z Car Garage client Jas D has been with us since 2014 when we helped build his 1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo. This Super White, 44k original-mile example was treated with all the ZCG touches that make a Z32TT go from wonderful to extraordinary. We dubbed it the “Z Masterpiece” (see more here) as it embodied the total package: Power. Handling. Braking. Aesthetics:

 

Jas totally Enjoyed The Ride in this Z, adding 28k thrilling miles with ZCG maintaining it over the years:

“My brother and I have been ZCG customers for almost a decade. I met Rob when I called about getting a PPI on what became Z Masterpiece. At the time, a Super White manual came up on AutoTrader (I LOVE Super White-OMG). It was a low-mile, one-owner, meticulously-maintained time-capsule. Rob actually said WOW after the PPI, and we worked with ZCG over a couple years on a few iterations until we got Z Masterpiece. That car was perfect!  My dream Z; I loved driving that car EVERYWHERE! It is probably my favorite car of all time!”

  

Unfortunately, in 2016 the Z was stolen.

“On October 29, 2016, Z Masterpiece was stolen. We cried, we laughed, we got angry, we sulked for a couple months, forgot about it, and then my dad found the car driving into SF on January 25, 2017. The car had clearly been driven like it was stolen. But, believe it or not, all the expensive components were still on there. We sent it to Rob right away, and he helped us turn Z Masterpiece into the Red Devil Z (which I purchased on April 20, 2017 with 66,XXX miles).”

From Z Masterpiece to Red Devil

 

Persistance paid off, and Jas found a really clean Aztec Red ’91 Z32TT with only 66k miles. All of the upgrades from the Super White, Z Masterpiece were transferred over:

“Rob pulled the motor from the Super White, re-did all the seals/gaskets, and then put the driveline back together into the red Z32TT.  Coincidentally, both cars and engines had 66,XXX miles when this was done in summer 2017.”

 

 

Let’s take a look at the modifications that turn the already stellar Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo into a superb, balanced sports car.

Engine

 

Though bone-stock with an amazing 44k miles on the clock it needed some attention. We went through the hydraulics and performed full 60k-mile services.

 

Jas wanted to improve power and handling and we happily obliged with a comprehensive list of upgrades this year.  Starting with the drivetrain, the original transmission was replaced with a brand new(!) unit from Nissan:

 

The clutch had seen better days so we replaced it with a JWT unit including their heavy duty aluminum flywheel:

 

A JWT ecu w/boost jets manages uprated NISMO 740cc injectors and the Selin dual MAF. Improved breathing comes from Ash-SPEC inlet piping and dual JWT pop chargers:

   

On the exhaust side, restrictive original downpipes were replaced with these beautiful Specialty Z 3″ downpipes. Note the divorced wastegate piping:

 

Following the new downpipes are more parts from SPZ including 3″ mid-pipes and a cat-back exhaust system to replace the OEM setup:

 

OEM vs SPZ:

 

More upgrades. We installed 4.08 Leader gears, Ash-SPEC Massive SMICs, 2.5 IC tubing, and  SPZ Hi-5 upgraded clutch. The BDE low-profile Z32 motor mounts are a smart alternative to OEM that allows more clearance larger for intakes:

   

Rob recently dyno-tuned the red Z, making 353hp/353tq to the wheels on 91 octane:

 

Stoptech Big-Brakes

 

With all of the speed parts installed next we tackled chassis improvements. Let’s begin with brakes followed by suspension:

We love Stoptech’s products and use them on our own vehicles.  Z32s are relatively heavy and with higher hp the stock caliper/rotors can be taxed quite easily. Jas took it up a notch and ordered a Stoptech 4-wheel Big-Brake Kit for his beloved Z.  Shown above is the ST40 caliper (front) squeezing 332 mm rotors and at the rear are ST22s on 328mm rotors.

The installation:

 

Yes, they are pretty but also very functional. Speaking of aesthetics (that are functional, too), the new calipers are nicely framed between the spokes of these sweet VOLK TE37SL wheels, finished in bronze and sized 18×9.5/10.5 in high-pad offset with center caps.  We like your taste, Jas.  The lightweight TE’s were wrapped in Yokohama tires:

 

Suspension

The suspension was gone through completely with all new parts. KW V3s are our favorite coil-over setup, replacing the Stance coil-overs that the Super White Z had. Stillen sway bars are also shown:

 

Stock vs KW V3s installed front:

  

Rear:

  

Every little nook and cranny of the suspension was handled. New SPL tension rods, upper front control arms, new rear wheel bearings and HICAS removal/eliminator:

  

T/C rods, Stillen sway bar, we also replaced the rack bushings:

 
The Z looks great!

  

The interior is in great condition as well:

  

Jas and his brother love the Z. Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey!

“The Red Devil Z is vicious and so fun to drive. It is the quintessential 1990s Japanese sports car  – red – gold wheels – TTs – exhaust.  It goes fast. It stops fast. It turns fast. Z32TTs are the BEST! We love and respect Rob and the team at ZCG. Rob is a total big brother. He and the team have been with us through the passion and pain.”

**This Red Z32TT will be for sale on Bring a Trailer!**

 

The quest for the perfect Z is almost complete as Jas just found one of the cleanest Super White z32s on Earth. That means the red car is for sale! Jas is listing it on Bring a Trailer. We will update this post and social media when the auction goes live so you don’t miss out! For now, enjoy the extensive photo gallery below, and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

Lots of pictures in the gallery, enjoy!
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