We had a fabulous week racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 12-15. 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. Enjoy our race report with photos and in-car video!

Serious recognition for Japanese Race Cars

Now in its 52nd running, for the the first time ever the Rolex celebrated “Icons of Japanese Motorsport”. Laguna Seca was filled with run groups and displays highlighting racing histories of Toyota, Honda, Acura, Yamaha and Nissan. Taking center stage in the paddock was a huge 40+ car showcase of significant Japanese race cars like the legendary Le Mans-winning 1991 Mazda 787B. Nissan was well-represented with IMSA prototypes and the BRE Datsuns:

The Nissan Prototypes

 

These were factory-backed prototype race cars that Nissan used to conquer the IMSA GT Championship during the late 1980s and early 1990s. (Above) is the #23 Nissan R91CP Group C / IMSA GTP car, shipped straight from Japan for the Rolex event. (Below) is the 1990 Nissan NPT-90, driven by Geoff Brabham.

 

Z Car Garage was proud to display the 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo at the Rolex. This iconic race car was driven by Geoff Brabham and John Morton, known for de-throning the Porsche 962 in IMSA racing with 8 straight wins. (Below) Chassis #8801 with Rob in Turn 4 at Laguna Seca staged for the Japanese Icons photoshoot:

 

(Below, left) Electramotive engineer Chris Willes with Rob. You can see behind-the-scenes photos of the ZCG crew getting the GTP car out to turn 4 for the Icons photoshoot in the gallery below. We thank Dean Case and Greg Nelson of Nissan Motorsports for the opportunity to have this legend here at Z Car Garage since 2024. It now resides with our client Randy Jaffe in Atlanta.

 

The Rolex 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, where we displayed the GTP ZX-Turbo in the first ever “Japanese Motorsport” class:

VIDEO: See the GTP cars in action!

Video of the LeMans prototypes in action including the Nissan NPT-90 from Turn 6, volume up!

 

 

Japanese cars also got some love at The Quail, with a first-ever “Legacy of Japanese GTs” class. We even spotted Larry Chen’s SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z on the lush greens (photo by Geoff Wise):

 

The BRE Datsuns

 

Nissan also celebrated the Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) race cars alongside the GTP prototypes. Our client and friend Randy Jaffe and Mark Lambert transported the 1971 BRE Datsun 510 and 1970 BRE Datsun 240Z from Atlanta on behalf of Nissan. Both cars were part of the central showcase:

 

BRE Championship driver John Morton gave hot lap rides in the BRE Datsun 510. Legendary automotive designer, racer, and motorsports visionary Peter Brock served as Grand Marshal for the event, a fitting choice given Brock’s influence on Japanese motorsports.

Nearby was the original BRE Datsun 2000 roadster driven by Frank Monise who won the Pacific Coast Championship in 1969:

 

Complementing the three BRE Championship cars above were the BRE Hino transporter and Jamaica 510, the 1973 BRE Baja 240Z, the 1969 BRE Baja 510 and Pete Brock’s personal 1972 Datsun 510 aka “screaming yellow zonker”:

 

Now, let’s get to the racing!

Z Car Garage Trackside Support for Seven Race Cars

 

With 60+ Nissan/Datsuns racing this year the starting grid for Group 2 (Small-bore/roadsters), Group 8 (B-sedan/510s) and Group 9 (IMSA GTU/Z cars) was a fan’s dream come true. Z Car Garage supported seven race cars, see them all on the dyno in preparation for the Rolex…volume up and enjoy that L-Series music!

 

Peter Gregg Trophy (1973–1981 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU and FIA)

Rob Fuller piloted the the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z in the IMSA group. You might recall the story behind this special, 1972 IMSA GTU 240z as it was owned, built and raced in the 70’s by none other than Joel Anderson.  ZCG restored #49 back to its former glory and it debuted at RMMR 2014. John Morton would drive #49 at RMMR 2015, and Rob Fuller finally drove it at the 2018 RMMR.

ROB: Since the IMSA car has been back together, unfortunately we’ve been having a couple of teething issues with it. It was ok in the first practice of Rolex Reunion, but it just didn’t feel like it was gonna work well. We made the call to to leave it on display in our paddock.

Rob was heartbroken, but that is racing. The #49 car will be back, for now enjoy this extended video with in-car footage of Rob dicing it up with big power Porsche RSRs at the 2024 RMMR… Volume UP and Long Live The Z!

 

Bob Sharp Cup (1966–1979 Historic SCCA B & C Sedans)

Historic B&C Sedan proudly organized a field of 48 historic sedans set to be exhibited and raced in the Bob Sharp Cup. Datsun 510s dominated the field with notables including the Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am 510, Paul Newman’s 510 and several Bob Sharp Racing cars including the #38 Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 510, 610 (driven by Adam Carolla) and 200sx.

 

Z Car Garage helped arrange the field for a photoshoot on the front straight and it was epic. Each car with historical provenance, ready to be driven hard. Kudos to Glenn Chiou and Dave Stone for making this race group a reality. You can grab a high-res image of the group photo directly from the photographer Rami Garcia.

VIDEO: See the B-Sedan group in action!

Video of the B-Sedans from Turn 6 with starting grid and paddock action, volume up!

 

Z Car Garage Racers in B-Sedan Group

 

ROB: Z Car Garage raced and supported four Datsun 510s running in the Bob Sharp Cup. Myself in the Corky Bell car, Tom Dockery in the Ex-Balzer car, Kenny in the Ex-Ted Gruner car and new client, Patrick Byrne in the Ex- Greg Schmidt 510. Everyone had a good time.

#72 Tom Dockery

 

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. He is a Datsun enthusiast, friend and we love seeing him improve his craft. Here is Tom’s race report from the Rolex…

TOM: The full impact of running the Pre-Reunion and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is still sinking in. Racing at the Rolex was only a dream 20 years ago, but it became my primary goal after acquiring the Norm Balzer car in 2016. A very special thanks to Dave Stone for finding the car and facilitating the sale, and to Steve Link for selling it to me.

 

The week had another special element: my sons, Matt and Nick, and my daughter-in-law, Sarah, drove their historic Datsuns and Alfa down from Portland. We spent the entire week together, caravanning to Monterey and enjoying the automotive scene. It was great fun.

 

Both racing events were fantastic. As always, the car was flawless, and the ZCG Team made the experience seamless and carefree. They allowed me to be fully present with my family and friends throughout the event. Thanks to Rob’s coaching and positioning at the front of the practice and qualifying grid, I was able to set a personal record in the very first session.

 

The races at both events went well, and I stayed in the top 15 in all four races. I was especially pleased to remain within sight of Jenson Button and ahead of Jimmie Johnson in both races. To be fair, both had a 500cc handicap, and Jimmie was racing a right-hand-drive car for the first time. One thing I will never forget is the energy of sitting on the grid and feeling the excitement of the people surrounding the area. It was a magical moment for me. A big thank you to everyone who helped me get there.

 

VIDEO: In-car action with Tom’s 510

Take a few laps with Tom Dockery in the Ex-Balzer/Koobation B-Sedan Datsun 510

 

#39 Patrick Byrne

 

ROB: Patrick and Bill Byrne are a father and son team that have lots of cool vintage cars. Patrick runs in the IMSA group with my Z and he is a brilliant driver. Super excited to see the Schmidt car previously owned by Bill Ockerlund, now in the ZCG’s hands. We took this car to a test day before the Rolex, found a few shortcomings and sorted it out. Really cool car, beautiful and very competitive with Patrick behind the wheel.

    

#64 Kenny Tse

 

Kenny has been with us for many years enjoying our Z Car Garage Trackside Services for his Ex-Ted Gruner B-Sedan Datsun 510. Kenny did awesome, finishing top 10 in the Bob Sharp Cup:

  

#40 Rob Fuller

 

Rob drove the Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am Datsun 510. Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 53 years at the 2024 Velocity event. We will dedicate a separate blog post to the restoration and Corky’s story. Here are a few photos of the car during the revival:

   

Rob had a blast driving the Bell car with fellow B-Sedan racers in the Bob Sharp Cup. Rob won the race, with Richard Stuart Milne in second, Timothy Probert in third and Patrick Byrne in 4th. All Datsuns for the win!

(Left) Photo by Travis Bath

VIDEO: In-car action with Rob’s 510

Take a few laps with Rob Fuller in the Corky Bell B-Sedan Datsun 510

See the both races from Rob on his YouTube Channel and give the man a subscribe!

 

Datsun Roadsters at the RMMR

 

The 2026 Rolex Reunion featured no less than 12 Datsun Roadsters, roughly 9 of them racing in the John Morton Trophy (1950s–1960s SCCA Small Displacement Production Cars). Z Car Garage provided race preparation and trackside support services for our two new clients: Bruce White out of Colorado and Greg Walsh from Monterey.

 

ROB: Bruce White purchased the #33 1967 Datsun 2000 from our friend Ron Carter, so we’ve known about this car for many years and super excited to be a part of its next chapter. The car needed some sorting prior to the Rolex reunion so we did a test day and identified some shortcomings. Jim Tyler from Datsun Restoration Products was a wonderful resource to help us get this thing going. Bruce had never driven the roadster and by the end of the Pre-Reunion he was really competitive, putting down solid 1:54s and third overall among the Datsuns.

 

Greg Walsh had a similar experience in his Dan Parkinson Roadster: he struggled in the past with his roadster and we were able to have both of these cars run flawlessly. Both clients had a great time and that was really cool running at the Pre-Reunion and Rolex. 

 

Such a great sight seeing all these Datsun Roadsters in the paddock. Here are a few notables, with more photos in the gallery below:

 

Craig Carter’s Bob Sharp-prepared Datsun 2000. Note BRE-style exhaust that wraps around frame exiting side:

 

#88 Christopher Van De Meulengraaf 1967 Datsun 2000. This is the first RHD 2000 I’ve ever seen racing here in the States:

 

 

Phil Mendelovitz’ Ex-Bob Studdard 2000. This car won the EP national championship in 1987. Phil took 6th place overall in the John Morton Trophy and fastest Datsun Roadster running 1:49s.

 

VIDEO: See the Datsun Roadsters in action!

Video of the Roadster and Sports cars from the 60’s in the John Morton Trophy  from Turn 6, volume up!

Watch all the Rolex Races via livestream HERE

Paddock Highlights

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. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery!

 

My favorite race group, the Trans Am group with muscle cars abound:

 

Phil Mendelovitz cars included this HKS Turbo Datsun 240Z (dyno tuned at ZCG) and Nissan GT3 240SX:

 

Z cars were well-represented in several race groups including IMSA:

 

 

The #33 Planters / Newman-Sharp 300ZX with turbocharged VG:

 

 

S130 Z cars, #85 had a turbocharged VG!

   

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his FAR Performance 240Z in the Ken Miles Trophy (1955–1967 SCCA Large Displacement Production Cars). This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.

 

Glenn also raced his Ex-Finn/Harris Trans Am Datsun 510 in the B-Sedan group. He’s got the best looking wheel/tire fitment:

 

Troy Ermish had a stable of cool Datsun 510s, including this freshly built, logbook #001 B-sedan owned by Daniel Wu:

  

Datsun 1200s just across:

 

This Miller Imports Datsun 510 was mint:

  

Autozam AZ-1 just chillin’ in the parking lot. Motorcycle for scale 🙂

 

JDM/Euro gems all around!

 

 

Randy Pobst’s first National Championship-winning Miata (1992), currently owned by Ross Lindell

 

VIDEO: RMMR Paddock Action!

Video of the machinery in the paddock, enjoy!

JDM Legends Car Show

Kaiju Company x Super Drive — JDM Legends Display

The JDM Legends Car Show was held August 14-15 within the lakebed at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. They had a fun showing of curated vehicles plus great turnout. More photos in the gallery below!

 

Wheels for Fantasy

A wheel lover’s dream, especially if you like meaty fitment…

 

People

Contributing to the fun were family and friends. We were humbled by the number of people that stopped by including fellow Datsun owners Jan Trondsen and Dave Sholz:

ROB: Lots of really cool people from all over the country came out and I got to meet a lot of enthusiasts… people that have been inspired by Z Car Garage and it was very cool. Just a wonderful weekend.

 

ZCG Race Crew

 

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including Josh, Meghan, and Cooper. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

 

Thank you!

 

ROB:  Seeing Tom Dockery with his kids there and everyone supporting him it just really warmed my heart. And then the guys, Josh and Cooper and Megan and Alvin…the vibe in the Z Car Garage paddock was incredible and the amount of cool cars that were there was unbelievable. You know I’ve been going to the Rolex reunion since the 90s and it was just awesome for me to see the paddock filled with so much deliciousness from overseas in Japan. Thank you to Nissan for letting us be a part of the GTP history…we got that car rolling, on display and then to Pebble Beach. A great job to everybody that’s involved to make those weekends work, really appreciate it. Thanks to Nicholas Caraballo  and Travis Bath for the on-track photos.

 

We hope you have enjoyed our recap of the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorpsorts Reunion! Please browse our mega-gallery of pictures from race weekend below. We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, here’s to another year of vintage racing in Monterey, California.

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On Saturday, August 30 we attended the Tokyo Calling 5 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 featured 280+ 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 5 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into monthly events with one hour of hanging out followed by several hours of driving. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see our previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event, Tokyo Calling 2, Tokyo Calling 3 and Tokyo Calling 4 were all a blast. We did not want to miss their fifth all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC5. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Sonoma, here is a preview of our cars:

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with Jenvey ITB EFI, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z

Frank’s 1978 Datsun 280Z features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, full suspension refresh, 240Z bumper conversion and Panasport wheels.

Mrs. Butters

 

I 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.

 

John’s Datsun 240Z

It was great to see our client John Enjoying the Ride in his 1971 Datsun 240Z featuring our the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes 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.

 

Our morning caravan of 6 cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 and 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 Sonoma and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin parked at a local airport. BCR hosted a “social hour” from 7:30-9am 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!

 

Over 20 S30 Z cars were present!

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 10 in attendance including a genuine 1967 2000. 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, attending monthly rally events. 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!

 

Another ’67 2000, this one is #072!

  

Mark’s right-hand drive ’69 2000:

  

High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:

 

Datsun 510

There were several Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510, and this time he brought the entire family in their mint 510 Wagon!

 

More 510s:

  

Back to Z cars, Lora joined us with her recently acquired 1971 Datsun 240z. This one-owner  Series 1 S30, affectionately known as “Buttercup” has been with Z Car Garage for many years. Excited to share her Z-car journey on zcarblog.

 

It was a pleasant surprise to see our client Geoff in their rally-inspired 1972 S30 . Over 5 years ago we installed our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!. They are returning to ZCG for a 6-speed transmission swap and triple carbs!

 

Jason Dove’s 280z featuring Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Jason is a long-time friend and client, full report coming to zcarblog.com.

 

See the gallery below for more S30 Z car photos!

 

A Z31 300ZX attending, in turbo form!

 

Our client Cameron’s Z32 Twin Turbo visited Z Car Garage for maintenance work, downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to see him driving. There were several Z32TTs in attendance!

 

Paul’s B13 Sentra S-R

 

There were a handful of S13, S14 and S15(!) 240SX:

   

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

Super happy to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 5. 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.

 

Nissan Skyline

 

It was great to see Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W.. Both will be getting updated zcarblog features.

 

Mike’s R32 is looking sharp, now wearing silver TE37s:

 

Fred’s R34 GT-R in Bayside Blue:

 

A Hakosuka (C10) Skyline:

 

Enjoy this walk-around video from Tokyo Calling 5:

Rally On!

Photo by Zack Hubbell

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. I really enjoyed hustling Mrs. Butters through the backroads. This route was a bit longer than previous TC events at a 130+ miles.

  

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 SIX photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides:Nathalie Mossberg, Kevin Lee, Alex Nibyt, Zack Hubbell, Emma Lai and Chris Friske.

 

We took a midpoint break from the heat in the historic town of Winters. Lots of cars to see and great chatting with fellow enthusiasts.

  

The rally concluded back in Sonoma airport, where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. We enjoyed Japanese comfort food  surrounded by J-Tin and vintage aircrafts.

There were 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 including late model DC2 Integras, a few NSXs, lots of S2000s, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

 

Mazda

A rare Mazda Cosmos was a real treat to see. First-gen,  FC and FD RX-7s, and many Miatas attended:

  

Toyota

 

Some of our favorite Toyota’s including Supra (A60, A70, A80), first gen MR2s, and AE86s! The Lexus IS300 SportCross with A80 Supra wheels was sweet!

   

I don’t think I’ve seen this many 2nd-gen A60 Celica-Supras on one place!

       

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Generations of Land Cruiser:

 

Thanks BCR!

 

Many thanks to the Breakfast Club Rally 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.

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us and braved the heat! 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 photos in the gallery below…

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Our client Greg’s 1977 Datsun 280Z is now on display at the LeMay-America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. This Z was treated to a ZCG-style mechanical restoration including a new drivetrain, engine bay restoration, total suspension rebuild, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and our Z Car Garage CV Axles.

 

The exhibit, called “Shinka”, is an immersive Japanese Automobile Exhibit featuring everything from classic models that laid the foundation to legends of the ’90s and their modern-day successors. The year-long display will showcase both JDM and US market vehicles from a variety of manufacturers, with new cars rotated into the exhibit, so plan to visit frequently!

 

Thanks for the heads up Greg, we are stoked that you are still Enjoying The Ride! See more of Greg’s Z HERE.

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed driving our Datsuns to the 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show despite blistering 100+ degree weather. This year we flew down to Long Beach to visit the 2013 JCCS near the Queen Mary.

The show started in 2005 with a modest following and over the years spectators have flocked in crazy numbers; this year was no exception and the crowds were a bit overwhelming at times.  We did appreciate the JCCS crew’s new, efficient ticket/entry setup! Weather was beautiful with an incredible array of J-tin from time-capsule survivors to wildly modified restorations.   So let’s get to the stars of the show….

Datsuns were well represented though scattered throughout the main grass and parking lot areas. I love seeing fresh cars as well as familiar faces.  This VG30 510 caught my eye with it’s clean aesthetic and sanitary engine bay:

Who can miss the die-hard Datsun Roadster owners and their beloved open-top sports cars! The SoCal Roadster Owners club lined up their cars with bone stock and modified examples. These guys drive their cars. Mike A has accumulated almost 40k miles in the last year with his S14 SR20-swapped 1968 SPL:

This red late-model roadster had a molded front end, flared bodywork and an interesting dash setup:

If you are a fan of S30s and Z-cars in general JCCS had almost every classic generation displayed.

There were several RB-powered Zs but this triple-Weber carb’d L-series was pretty:

Vintage Skylines abound! JDM Legends built this Prince Motor Company Skyline in race livery:

 Beautiful red Hakosuka,  KenMeri, GC10 and DR30 Skylines:

Z31 300zx’s made a strong showing and my favorite was this Shiro edition on DSM wheels(left).  S12 chassis cars also caught my eye especially this clean RB26DETT-powered hatch:

Datsun trucks might have been the most numerous with tasteful resto-mods and zany creations. I thought this little F20c-powered pickup was over the top until I realized it was also boosted!

Two of my favorite wagons, both sporting SR20DET powerplants but totally different build themes:

Datsun 1200s, Sunny’s and even a few large bumper GXs:

Every year I look forward to seeing JDM wheels both old-school and reproduction. I dub this JCCS as Year of the Mesh! Deep-dish or multi-piece the mesh style was in full-effect from SSR, Epsilon, Bahn, Volk, Work and others:

I spotted these ultra-rare Impul Hoshinos and Riverside Riverge wheels….ps those are replicas on the right, gotcha!

Toyota has always been a huge corporate presence followed by Mazda, and this year Honda even displayed their own rare vehicles. So you’ve probably heard about Nissan celebrating 80 years…why not display the collection at largest gathering on the West Coast? NISSAN are you listening?

Not one but THREE Toyota 2000GT sports cars were displayed, even a LHD model!

One of the craziest Toyota was Scott Kanemura‘s Toyota Hilux. Huge Project Mu brakes, VOLK TE37vs, Stack instruments, and the mighty  2JZ-GTE make this one insane truck:

There were so many cool Toyota Celicas, Starlets and Corollas to list! This TRD widebody Starlet was a very impressive build with 275-width Hoosiers!

Wild engine swapped Corollas? Check! AE86 with turbo F20C and a late ‘rolla with an LS1!

Sinister Crown(with “Yakooza” plates) and one of several Land Cruiser pickups. Many more Toyotas in the gallery!

Rotary fans unite as the RX posse had the largest showing of old-school cars I’ve ever see in one place. This year there were FC Rx-7s and even more stunning examples of first gen FBs…

Honda proudly displayed their own collection of rare cars like a Mugen CRX. Almost ten N600s were lined up against the pretty blue water.

This year late model Hondas(read Accords) were displayed. I’m a huge fan of the 1st through 3rd gen Civics, even EF-era and I’m all for showing off neat, tidy builds with personal touches.  Some of these cars looked simply unkempt and boring. That aside here were my favorites:

Spoon 3rd gen, Bisimoto’s EF wagon, and one of many ultra-clean CRXs:

My favorite car at the show was Garm B’s Subaru 360 microvan. Besides its tiny stature the van is packed full of details!

JCCS wouldn’t be complete without those stickers and vanity plates:

Let’s not forget to give respect to those parking lot warriors who made it down to the show in style. There were some real gems to be found outside of the show like this Dodge Colt and Toyota Corona sedan with a perfect stance:

Thanks to the JCCS organizers for hosting another fun event. It will be interesting to see what next year’s show offers J-tin lovers young and old!
Lots of pictures in the gallery below so don’t forget to click after the jump!
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The Vintage Auto Salon was held today at the San Leandro Marina and it was yet another successful show from the minds of Ivan and James of HJCG. They even arranged for special guest visits from Diane Krey-Wesley (“Mary” of the Ken and Mary Nissan commercials) and the famous Yoshiya Watanabe, founder of the Rocky Auto shop in Japan. Mr. Watanabe also hand-picked the award winners for the day!

What I love about the HJCG shows is the variety of cars from totally restored to works-in-progress and everything between. At each of their past shows I have been stunned by at least one rare, collectible JDM car. This year I was completely taken back by this incredibly gorgeous, impossibly-rare, jaw dropping Silvia:

This classy beauty exudes cool. Check out the split rear bumpers, jewel-like tailights, impressive front grille and a contrasting cream-colored interior:

The lowered stance and staggered Watanabe wheels against the pale green paint made this car almost too yummy for me to bear!

The Silvias were built on the Datsun Roadster’s frame employing the very same R16/4-speed drivetrain. Even the gauges and toggle switches were carry-overs. I had a hunch that this wasn’t a bone-stock Silvia though so I peered under the chassis and found a NISMO competition aluminum oil pan! I tracked down the owner and begged him to pop open the hood so I could quell my curiosity and behold…it had the mighty U20/5-speed with Solexes from a Datsun 2000. This elegant lady also packs a punch!

Z-car fans unite! Plenty of S30 action with some S130 love as well.  RHD S30 alert! This car now sports beautiful Watanabe wheels(left). Eric drove his TurboZX-powered S30 from Modesto:

You don’t have to be a Datsun/Nissan fan to appreciate the Skyline. Heads turned as three early, GC10 “Hakosukas” and even a 80’s DR30 Skyline came to the show…both coupes were shades of silver and sported flares, triple-carbed L-series motors, cherry interiors and spoilers:

Everyone’s favorite 4-door “Skyrine” also lives with this DR30 Skyline…hello 80’s!

Engine swaps are always entertaining to see and this show had transplants that ranged from “expected” to almost “bizzarre”…
Rotary die-hards this has got to be the ultimate “pissed-on” swap:  A Honda S2000 (F20C) drivetrain into a 1st gen RX-7. Complete with that requisite must-have for any F20-swapped car: the S2K gauge cluster. Yup:

Also rotary-related but nothing shockingly new are rotary swaps into Datsun 510s and Toyota Corollas. The green car is immaculate and won Mr. Watanabe’s heart. The orange 510 sports a roots-style supercharged (!) rotary!

Speaking of Datsun 510s, there were lots of clean SR/KA swapped cars and some amazingly stock examples as well:

 Cool trucks too!  Our roadster-friend Mark completed a KA24E engine swap into his 521 pickup (right)…

Gotta love those vintage wagons. Notice the almost “Chopped” look of the 610? Slim windows make for a cool profile…stock! The red Honda Civic had a boosted B-series. Several Toyota Coronas were present:

It was refreshing to see more Hondas at the show. The white EF Civic was super clean with an OCD-level of detail in the engine bay. We like it:

Have you ever seen a Toyota Sports 800 in person? Super tiny. Super rare!

More sweet Toyotas…I love the 1st gen Celica’s. I always thought the exterior and interior(dash) were ahead of their time:

 Wheels! Wheels! Wheels! Another way to get your JDM-wheel fix is to attend these shows!

We will end with my favorite car, the Datsun Roadster. There was a good showing with 6 roadsters at one point including Mike A’s ’68 SPL/SR20 (He drove up from Pomona!), my ‘67.5 SPL/SR20, Dave P’s ’67 SRL, Will C’s ’69 SRL and a red SPL:

 Our very own Dave P won the award for “Best Restored”…Mr. Watanabe and Rocky Auto approved! Congratulations Dave!

We want to give a big Thank You to James and Ivan for hosting another fun event. HJCG rules!

Lots of pictures in the gallery below so don’t forget to click after the jump!
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