This is the moment we have all been waiting for as Nissan/Datsun enthusiasts! For the first time ever, Nissan will be the featured marque at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 23-26. Now in its 45th year and commonly known as the Monterey Historics, the Reunion is a highlight of the famous Pebble Beach “car week” in August. This event features the best of every decade of racing history, all condensed into four days of qualifying and competition at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway.

 

  

Even if you are a seasoned race car fan or hardcore Datsun nut this is the event you don’t want to miss. To make it even sweeter the good folks at ZONC are proudly sponsoring the Nissan Car Corral AND a Parade Lap around the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway!

 

Datsun & Nissan Exclusive Car Corral Parking

At past RMMR events our Nissan car corral has been mixed with the other marques. Not this year. We have the incredible spotlight and desirable PAVED parking between Turn 2 and 5. It will be our time to shine, let’s make a strong showing by bringing our beloved cars out! Have a Nissan Skyline GT-R from the 90’s? Bring it. Got a Datsun 510 Wagon? Bring it. Nismo R35 GT-R? We want that too. Remember, this is THE best place to park your car, enjoy the races AND proudly represent!

  

To participate in the Car Corral and Parade Lap you must buy tickets through ZONC, details can be found by clicking HERE. Take advantage of discounted general admission through ZONC and let’s make this a superb showing of our Nissans and Datsuns! Please spread the word to fellow owners 🙂

In case you missed it, here is our coverage of last year’s RMMR:
RMMR 2017

We plan on bringing the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA 240z to participate in the race! We are really excited for our fellow racers this is going to be an EPIC event. Enjoy a few photos from past RMMR events. LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

 

 

 

Hemming’s Motor News features a Buyer’s Guide for Datsun Z cars in their current May 2015 issue. Aimed specifically at the 280z spanning 1975 to 1978, it provides a detailed overview with great pictures. You can preview the article online HERE or purchase a hardcopy at your local Barnes and Noble bookstore.

 

It’s great to see some love given to these later model S30’s and positive exposure for the marque. Icing on the cake of course is that Rob and Z Car Garage are mentioned in the article!

So brace yourselves…higher Z-car values are coming!

It is always great to hear stories from original Z-car owners. Joe A came to ZCarGarage to restore his 1974 260z after 36 years of ownership! He had become familiar with ZCG through our local club, ZONC.  After carefully inspecting the car, Rob and Joe sat down and discussed several procedures that would update and improve the car. They decided on a complete engine rebuild with tuned exhaust, and removing all smog devices since the car was over 35 years old.
Here are a few pictures of the engine bay after removing the drivetrain:

The engine was rebuilt with a mild cam and dyno results showed  nice gains of 23 rwhp and 13tq!

The engine bay and underhood had to look just as beautiful as the body so William painted everything back to the original exterior color. ZCG provided zinc plating and powdercoating services under the hood and all wiring harnesses were redone:

Here is Joe with a few words on how the Z became part of his life:

“It was January of 1969 and I had just been discharged from the Air Force. …[read more]

The Nissan/Datsun community is beginning to feel the age of our much loved vehicles. Parts are becoming harder and harder to find including standard maintenance items. At Z Car Garage (ZCG) they have begun to reproduce parts that are no longer offered from Nissan.

Production has already begun on the spindle that connects the rear strut to the control arm on the 240, 260, and 280z. The stock piece is made from hardened ductile iron that has been zinc coated. These need to be replaced just about every time the rear bushings are serviced. The new ZCG design is machined from billet stainless steel to exacting specifications. They decided on stainless because the old zinc pieces were getting very corroded with age and are incredibly difficult to remove on occasion, now the problem should be solved.

Here is a photo of the factory spindle (this is the best one that I have seen after removal, usually the threads are pulled and it is covered in corrosion.)

As products disappear from Nissan parts shelves, Z Car Garage is going to step up and produce items that will improve upon the original wherever possible. This is exciting news for all Datsun/Nissan owners who keep up with their vehicle maintenance or anyone who plans on doing a full restoration in the future.

I will post again as they release more “new” products. Stay tuned!!

Probably the most valuable Z-Car is…. The 1977 Mattel® Hotwheels™ Z-Whiz….. (at least by weight it is!)… But, only if you have one in the right color.

In 1977, as one of the Hotwheels “Flying Colors” series cars, Mattel produced a 1/64th scale Datsun 240-Z and named the car “Z-Whiz”.

The model was produced in silver-grey paint with black-wall tires and a smaller quantity with the “redline” tires that had become popular on many California custom cars. In addition, a very limited number of Z-Whiz models were produced in white enamel paint with redline tires

While many of the silver-grey models can still be found, very few of the white Z-Whiz redline cars are known to still exist. With even fewer in mint collectible condition and only a handful still in their original packaging, this model, manufactured only in 1977, (at the end of the “redline era”), has become one of the “holy grail” to Hotwheels collectors.

The “toy” is worth an estimated $2000 to $7500 depending on condition. A mint one out of the package has a book value of $3500… in the “blister pack” it lists at a whopping $7500.00 — one of the priciest cars listed in the Ultimate Redline Guide.

Mattel began producing the HotWheels “California Custom Miniatures” in 1968 and based the original 16 models on what was happening in the custom car market in Southern California — redline tires, “blowers”, (turbo chargers), hood scoops and other high performance and sporty looking features. The line has included cars designed by famous California car customizers like Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, George Barris and Tom Daniels. Custom paint, custom wheels and tires, custom raked suspension and details down to the modified exhaust and window tinting set these cars apart from anything else in the market.

Today, many adult collectors search for cars like the White Z-Whiz, some just to recapture their childhood, some to remind themselves of the Datsun 240, 260 or 280 “Z” they owned, (or wished they had), and others who have just been bitten by the collecting bug.