We had a blast at the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA in Colorado Springs. This is the largest Z-car event in the US and we were stoked to be a sponsor. Coming from the 8/17 New 2023 Z Reveal in New York, Rob and Meghan attended the the 8/21 People’s Choice Show at ZCON. Enjoy photos these from the event!
Congratulations to our client Bob Russell on his 1st place award for Stock 240Z! We will have a full report on Bill’s S30 on zcarblog.com soon
Both of our clients Jack and Linda made it to ZCON with their recently finished Z’s and had a great time:
Jack won 3rd place for Ultra-Modified Z32 with his LS3-swapped, Primadonna Z:
The largest Z show!
ZCON was a Z car lover’s fantasy… with every generation represented. There were even non-Z cars welcomed!
S30
S130
Mike Rogers 12-mile 1980 ZX. Here is a great video and walk through on this time capsule!
Z31
Z32
350z
370z
Nissan/Datsun Gems
ZCON welcomed all members of the family and there were some great cars on display:
Roadster, 620 and S13
Best of the 90’s!
Midnight Purple R33, Z32 and R32 all at gas station just outside of ZCON!
People
The legendary Pete Brock, Hiroshi Tamura and Larry Chen were just a few of the big names at ZCON:
Christopher Karl and Mark Lambert both received Lifetime Achievement Awards, congrats gentlemen!
Thank You!
ZCON was a success. Big thanks to Christopher Karl of ZCCA for an incredible week of friends and Z cars. Z you next year!
Filed under: 280zx,Parts,S130
by Alvin G @ 7:53 pm on August 20, 2021
We love to see our products being installed and used on client cars. Tobi is running our ZCG Heat Shield in his 280ZX!
Close-up of the ZCG Heat Shield, this piece is serial #00276:
Tobi is a relatively new S130 owner and started modifying it in no time!
“I got the car in the fall of 2020, it definitely needed some love, but it came with a N42 head so that was a big plus for me! While browsing through Instagram I saw a lot of guys in Japan would switch from EFI to a DCOE setup, while some told me it would be a bad idea, I loved the sound of a carb’d L28 too much. I got to work on the conversion during the winter months of 2020 and went with triple-Webers on a Canon intake manifold. While I had the car apart I added T3 front and rear suspension, MSA victory spoiler, and a set of MSA twice pipes. I was super excited when I fired it up for the first time.”
During the summer he took it to car shows around town and enjoyed ripping it around, but he was having some clearance issues with the heat shield, so he purchased our Z Car Garage Heat Shield:
“I couldn’t have been happier. The build quality on the shield when I unboxed it was amazing and it went on my manifold like butter, it also fixed my clearance issues too. My future plans for the car are to save up for some Z Car Garage CV Axles and a 240sx gearbox swap in hopes of taking the car to the track.”
ZCG Heat Shield
We are excited to offer the Z Car Garage Heat Shield for your triple-carb’d L-series Z car. This is a one-piece 304 stainless unit with laser-etched serial number. Proven on all of our L-series engine builds and dyno testing.
This heat shield will fit Mikuni, Weber, Dellorto and Jenvey induction with several intake manifolds like the Harada:
The ZCG Heat Shield is available for purchase at $169.00 with product information below. View this product and other ZCG parts on the new “products” page of our website HERE
Thank you for your support Tobi we are happy to see our product on your 280ZX!
We love to see owners installing our Z Car Garage CV Axles on their Datsuns from all over the world! Darius installed a set himself on this 1982 Datsun 280ZX in Los Angeles, CA. Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. We have over 130 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with the positive feedback.
Darius has CV axle set #0359 and we are happy to report that he installed them with ease:
“Hello Rob this Darius your customer from Los Angeles that purchased a set of your CV Shafts for my 280zx. Well I had them installed and they look awesome. When my mechanic and I opened the box we both were impressed with how well designed they were and also how strong they looked, excellent craftsmanship. They were so easy to install it took about 20 to 30 minutes for installation. Thanks for everything, long live the Z Car.”
Darius sent us a few pictures of the installation. Nice work!
A Forever Z Car
We love being a part of a Z car build with a great story behind it. This S130 was Darius’ first car and he’s continuously improving it…
“I have had my 1982 280ZX since 1993 and it is my FIRST CAR, purchased it from my friend, he was the 3rd owner and I am the 4th. The car was first purchased in 1981 at the still there Nissan dealership in Torrance, CA, so this car has never left the south bay area. It had a 3.1 liter stroker with a black cherry Lacquer paint job on it. I almost sold the car in 2012 to a friend before the rebuild but he decided not to buy it and I still loved the car even though things were not right with it.”
“In that same year of 2012 I decided this car is going to be my project how ever long it takes and I am going to bring it back to life by channeling my inner Christine magic. First task was to find a black dash board that was in good condition and not cracked. I found one on EBay that came out of a car that had only 98,000 miles on it original black and I knew then I was on trail of something special. It took me about a year of junk yard diving and EBay shopping to pull all the parts together.”
“The engine was built by Bobby of Original Garage Builds in San Diego, CA. It’s a stroker with ported and polished N42 head and accessory parts from Motor Sports. Other parts are Racing Cam from Schneider Racing and 40mm Weber Big Throat Throttle Body. A polished aluminum radiator, lightened flywheel, Center Force dual friction racing clutch, stock transmission, Quaife LSD in my R200 rear installed by an excellent mechanic Howard at Moto IQ in Gardena.”
Suspension upgrades include Z Car Garage Custom made CV Shafts, Tie Rods from Techno Toy Tuning, front Shocks Tokico HP’s and rear T3 coil overs, sway bar upgrade front and back along with polyurethane bushings. Stock braking system with drilled slotted rotors. Interior is well preserved new carpet from long ago, Flow Fit Seats and Nardi leather and chrome spoke steering wheel. Body and Paint KANDY color (Wild Berry-House of Colors paints, Down to the Metal) by R Rated Motor Sports.
“This car is a life long project for me that I will continue to build on and to keep the 280zx not forgotten. Thanks for your service to the Z car nation.”
Thanks for your support Darius! We love your passion and determination to keep the S130 alive. Long Live The Z!
Learn more about our Z Car Garage CV Axles and see other customer cars running them HERE.
Everything we know. Everything we love. Everything we live for. In one letter.
The New Z Car. By now many of you have seen Nissan’s Z Proto in the media or even in person as it tours the car show circuit. On May 2, Nissan invited us to their headquarters in Tennessee to get up close and personal with the Z Proto, still very much in pre-production form. After seeing, hearing and feeling this car in person we are thoroughly stoked for the new Nissan Z. Enjoy this report from our trip, complete with photos and video.
Nissan is Back
Z car enthusiasts worldwide have been awaiting a successor to the current Z and many were satisfied when Nissan officially unveiled the Z Proto on September 16, 2020. The live-streamed event featured Alfonso Albaisa (senior vice president of global design) and Hiroshi Tamura (chief product specialist of the Z Proto) both very enthusiastic and assuring that while the Z Proto is only a development model, we will get a new Nissan Z.
Fast forward almost six months after the unveiling…Nissan debuted this commercial that gave me chills. I immediately texted Rob that Nissan is back. This brilliantly-executed advertisement was exactly what we needed and shows a direction that we are totally on board with:
With our New Z car anticipation growing stronger we just had to see it for ourselves, in the metal. You can imagine how happy we were when Nissan Corporate reached out to Z Car Garage and invited us to their headquarters in Franklin to spend some quality time with the Z Proto. Rob and I hopped on a plane to Tennessee…
Arriving at Nissan HQ, our hosts were Jonathan Buhler (Sr. Specialist Corporate Communications at Nissan) and industry veteran Dan Passe (Director, Corporate Communications). Both gentlemen are hardcore automotive enthusiasts (see Jonathan’s personal Datsun 240Z) that proudly wave the flag for Nissan. The kind of minds you want at a car company, and very gracious. Rob and I were in for a treat, and and we were blown away. First order of business: see the Z Proto inside Nissan HQ…
The Nissan Z Proto:
We were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Z Proto. To be concise, this car has a presence that simply isn’t captured in photos. A small disclaimer: the details we admired and discovered on this car may not transfer to the production car, but based on leaked photos, and as mentioned in the unveiling by Alfonso the Z Proto’s design is extremely close to what consumers will be offered. After sitting in the car and taking in its design, both Rob and I were enthralled and eager for the new Nissan Z. Let’s take a closer look…
Exterior
The familiar silhouette of the Z Proto instantly caught our eyes when we first saw it inside Nissan’s light-box room. By design, nearly every element seems to have been inspired by previous generation Z cars. Front features help take you back to Japan-only models like the 240ZG of the 1970s with “sugar-scoop” style headlights. The LED lights cast a “Z” halo:
That front grille/bumper treatment everyone seems to be split on? The square-shaped grille comes off looking awkward in pictures, but it looks totally appropriate to the car in person. Eagle eyes will note that the grille’s rectangular details carry to the interior and rear end. It works really well.
While the front end is both familiar and striking, the rear end is even more intriguing. We can’t get over the fact that Nissan put their contemporary twist on the 300ZX (Z32) taillights! Their sharp, rectangular LED elements are perfectly executed.
Nissan incredibly managed to retain the iconic Z profile while updating the body surfaces to give a much needed styling refresh. Gone are the bulbous, over-flared and over-designed features of previous generation Z cars. No chunky door handles. No weirdly-shaped headlight/taillight treatments. The Z Proto manages to be understated, with elements familiar and welcomed by Z enthusiasts. Look at that mid-body character line that evokes the S30…only here it follows an almost Coke-bottle shape with strong shoulders over the rear wheel wells. We snapped a few outdoor shots to capture the surface details. It was hard to detect the hood lines, another S30-styling throwback!
We doubt the Fairlady Z badge on the hatch will see production (it never did for US-Market Z Cars!), but we sure hope the pillar Z emblems stay, along with the “Katana” silver rails. It will be interesting to see what the aftermarket holds styling-wise with front/rear fascia’s, side skirts and general aero. We give Nissan a huge Bravo! for the design of the Z Proto. More pictures in the gallery below!
Performance
Yes, that is Rob Fuller taking a peek under the Z Proto. No, we can’t tell you what the chassis looks like or what is even under the hood. Nissan has confirmed that the new Z will use a twin-turbocharged V6 engine. That alone makes us sing Hallelujah, for boost is always better! Internet sleuths hint that the VR30DDTT engine found in the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 would be the simple choice for Nissan. Rated at 300 or 400hp in those cars, we have dyno-tuned many with simple bolt-ons yielding 100hp+ over stock quite easily.
Rob and I were given permission to row through the gears. Yes the Z Proto has a real 6-speed manual transmission and the New Z will also offer one. No word on those sexy brakes and tire letters, but with Twin-turbos and a manual transmission sign us up!
Interior
Both Rob and I were impressed and satisfied with the exterior of the Z Proto, and the interior also did not disappoint. Remember, this is a no-frills sportscar, and it shows in the material choices, switchgear and overall design theme.
That being said, there is a great mix of digital and analog elements on the dash. We loved the large digital instrument cluster, central touchscreen and nostalgic triple gauge pods. Thanks to Jonathan for powering up the car so we could see all the digital features, a real treat not given to most journalists! He was eager to point out a few Nissan-placed Easter Eggs too…
Easter Eggs
Jonathan drew our attention to a few not-so-easy to catch details like the “Z” logo on headlights and “since 1969” text on hatch window. Dan Passe chimed in with the “Z” cut lines at the union of the A pillar, hood and leading edge of door (more of an intentional design detail). Then there’s the fairly gratuitous nods to the 370z, and 1969 240z on the dash display and center stack. Note radio station with song title and time 🙂
The Z Proto is a home run. This is a sports car Nissan should be proud of. Well done! We can’t wait to get the New Z at the shop. For an automaker to build something this special is risky but also speaks volumes as to how they value our input. Enthusiast’s input! It’s a bold move especially in this climate where sport cars are relying on electric powerplants and automatic transmissions. “The Z Proto represents a commitment to our fans, to our heritage, and staying true to Nissan’s DNA.” We couldn’t agree more after seeing it in person. Long Live The Z!
We couldn’t leave you with just pictures so here is an extended video of our personal visit to Nissan HQ to see the Z Proto. We were fortunate to not only see it, but take it for a spin around the campus and really absorb all of the design details…enjoy!
Our visit with Nissan only begun with the Z Proto. Before heading to our next destination we stopped by legendary Z shop Crawford Z Car Service in downtown Nashville. Owner Doug Stewart is an accomplished Z-car racer and you night remember the creator of the Crawford intake plenum for Nissan’s 350z VQ engine.
Nissan Heritage Collection
A visit to the Nissan Heritage collection was next on our tour. Nissan’s production plants in Smyrna and Dechard and HQ in Franklin, TN are pretty well-known but the Heritage Collection is hidden inside the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville. The museum itself is open to the general public and it’s a must see:
Undeground and beyond closed doors, we entered paradise. Both Jonathan and Dan have dedicated their time-on a volunteer basis to preserve, maintain and promote this vintage Nissan/Datsun collection. Without them it wouldn’t survive, and in part they rely on enthusiasts (like Randy Jaffe) to help carry the torch. These are cars that would have been scrapped by Nissan or left outside to rust. Rob and I were literally in heaven. So much history in one place with wicked metal at every turn. (Below) The actual Black Gold TV commercial 280ZX and 2021 TV commercial Z31 that actress Brie Larson was in:
Everywhere we looked there were”JOB #1″ vehicles, race cars, movie/commercial cars and even concept cars…we could have spent the night with the collection. What sets this collection apart from others is that all cars are accessible and drivable (or meant to be driven). No roped-off cars or locked doors. I even got to sit in the race car!
Forgotten concept cars. Some were old. Some were shockingly recent(See that Q50 Eau Rouge?!)
This 1200 truck needed some attention and this was recently shipped from the Heritage Collection to ZCG for some love!
There were way too many cool cars to mention so please check out the photo gallery and video below!
Here is a video of our visit to the Nissan Heritage Collection, enjoy!
Datsun Roadsters
The Datsun Sports (310/311) or affectionately known as “Datsun Roadsters” are some of our favorite models. We were both surprised and happy to find that Jonathan and Dan had recently rescued a few from a barn. All of the cars they recovered were interestingly “2000” models from 1968 to 1980. Thanks to their efforts these gems will be restored and driven!
Thank You
We thank Nissan, Dan Passe and Jonathan Buhler for the opportunity to visit. The Z Proto is a winner and we were throughly impressed with the Heritage Collection and your efforts to keep it alive. Looking forward to working with you in the future, LONG LIVE THE Z!
Dear Zcarblog readers, this is our belated race report from the 2019 Rolex event. Long overdue but a good reminder of the 2020 Rolex coming this August! Enjoy the picture gallery, paddock finds and our video footage with in-car action…
We had a tremendous week racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 14-16. More commonly known as the “historics” at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, this epic vintage race is part of several events occupying the week-long Monterey car festival leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours. Every year the RMMR highlights a featured marque but for 2019 the International Motor Sports Association, better known as IMSA , was celebrated.
Typically we would be joining a large group of fellow Nissan/Datsun owners on the race track but it was a bit different this year. Despite IMSA being the featured marque many of us did not gain admission. Fortunately, our customer Alex McDowell got his Nissan Bluebird and Datsun 280ZX accepted along with newcomer Doug and his DeKon Monza. As a service offered to our customers, we provided full trackside support in addition to race preparation/tuning for the RMMR event.
Serious recognition for Japanese Classics
The Reunion is a highlight for race fans, but it is also part of Monterey Car Week which is filled with classy events like auctions and the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance. The Japanese Automotive Invitational hosted by Infiniti returned since its inaugural event last year. While I did not have a chance to visit the JAI, our friends at Japanese Nostalgic Car did. We are proud of several Datsuns displayed: Steve Tetreault’s stunning ’64 Datsun 1500 (from Florida!), John Baker’s 1969 Datsun 2000, Brian Kippen’s 1972 Datsun 240z and Nissan Patrol and the Jim Froula-restored Ex-Greg Sorrentino 510 B-sedan:
Epic racing
The IMSA GT group (5A) was a fantastic mix of our favorite cars like the Z car, Porsche 911, BMW CSL and American muscle like the DeKon Monza and Corvette. Z Car Garage supported Alex McDowell in the 1979 Datsun 280zx and Doug Stevens’ in the 1976 DeKon Monza.
Alex McDowell in the Jim Fitzgerald Datsun 280zx
Alex did really well this year, having run the RMMR a few times now. The Fitzy 280zx received a fresh engine with more power and performed flawlessly.
It was unfortunate that our familiar Datsun buddies were not on track with us: only Alex and David Martin in the Friselle 240Z were out there repping Datsun. The two had a great battle with Alex eventually pulling away from David, enjoy the in-car footage from the 280zx below.
The DeKon Monza
Z Car Garage supported three race cars at the 2019 RMMR and the biggest challenge was a new kid in town…Doug Stevens and his DeKon Monza. He hails out of Bakersfield, CA and came to ZCG for a dyno session on referral from Chad Raynall of Impeccable Inc.. Doug wanted to get the DeKon dialed in after it been mothballed for years. It’s always been a goal of his to run the RMMR, so we fully prepared this car, having to change many parts.
Our first race was at the Sonoma Historics where Doug lost a wheel causing him to go off track. The left rear flare and bumper/taillight were damaged. So there we were in late June with the Rolex approaching in August. Doug sourced a fender flare and we called upon our man William to fuse it into the existing bodywork…the damage was undetectable and patina retained!
At RMMR, more problems arose. Rob recounts the events at the Pre-Historics (a “practice” weekend proceeding RMMR):
“The way the rear suspension is designed it loads rear wheel bearings heavily. The combination of a wide 15″ tire, high power and grip allows the seal to wallow out. A few hot-rod fixes were not applied to this car b/c it has a real vintage setup, yet to be updated. We fought that over the weekend, sorted it out and Doug was able to finish the session.”
Then, in the last practice session of Pre-Historics weekend we lost a brake line and caliper which resulted in a fire in both front wheels.
We were stranded without a wheel or replacement front brake setup. Missing the big show was becoming a possibility. We towed car back to the shop Sunday afternoon. Josh and the ZCG team helped sort the front braking system with new brackets fabricated and last minute work from Brian Kippen. By 9pm the car was back together and now the backup wheels won’t fit over the new brakes. We looked all over for a replacement wheel including racers and the BBS factory with no luck. Success: Chad Raynall called us with old wheel centers and Larry Oka had the old hardware.
Doug finished the final Group 5A race at the RMMR, Rob:
“After sorting issues the Monza ran wonderfully at RMMR. Doug’s family and parents came out and it reminded me of when Joel Anderson first went out. We are lucky to help someone realize their goal, a shared dream that we also have. It was rewarding to be with his family with hugs all around, so gracious. Doug will return this winter for a full teardown/inspections.”
We will have a zcarblog full feature on the Monza, for now here is a nice one from Stanceworks
Alex McDowell in the Bluebird
The Group 4B (GT cars under 2.5L) had some heated battles between Alex in the Bluebird and John Wilkins in the Ex-Bob Studdard Datsun 2000. Watch them mix it up with Porsche 911s and an Alfa GTZ piloted by Gunnar Jeaneatte in the video below:
Notes from Rob:
“Alex and Bluebird really work well together. That car finished 5th in the race. We had a few issues with a hit and the right front strut got damaged. With help from Jim Froula we were able to weld it in their bay and get Alex back on the track. Adding to the drama was more car contact as got bumped a little.”
Watch this extended in-car video below of Alex piloting the 280zx with extra footage of the Bluebird and DeKon Monza:
The best part of the RMMR has to be the paddock. Home to all the race cars and their teams, massive car transporters and an all-around pure sensory overload. At every corner there is wicked metal with history begging to be told.
Rob displayed his 1967 Datsun 2000. Everyone loved it:
Bring a Trailer
Our friends from Bring a Trailer hosted a really cool car corral near turn 3. Filled with cars won through BaT, this was so much fun to walk through. We hope they do it yearly!
From massive transporters, to exotics and downright crazy vehicles the paddock never disappoints. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery!
Sights and Sounds!
Enjoy this video from the paddock and starting grid
People
Contributing to the fun were family and friends. Our customer Jim H got acquainted with the previous owner of his Z, Les Cannaday:
We were humbled by the number of people that stopped by including fellow Datsun owners and Randy Jaffe, Kurt Hafer and Jan Trondsen:
Ace photographers Naveed and Courtney:
Thank you!
We hope you have enjoyed our recap of the 2019 Monterey Historics! Please browse our mega-gallery of pictures from race weekend below. Big thanks to our friends and family members that helped us make this possible including Larry Oka, Chad Raynall, Brian Kippen, Jim Froula and the ZCG Crew: Josh, Nick, Keith, Cory and Meghan Fuller. We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, here’s to another year of vintage racing in Monterey, California.
Long Live The Z!
Z CARS RULE ONCE AGAIN at Laguna Seca at the next RMMR! That’s right we have submitted our race car applications for RMMR 2020, featured marque announced soon!…[read more]
