We missed the 2013 Motorsport Auto Z-car Nationals back in April since we were at the Solvang Datsun Roadster Show. Turnout was great and fellow Z-car owner Joe K has a detailed report on his trek from the Bay Area to Socal with his pristine red ’95 Z32TT. Joe is the original owner of the Z and we first met at the All-Datsun Meet in Mt.Shasta almost a decade ago. Thanks Joe and congrats on your 1st place win! Read on to see pictures from the show and check out the gallery after the jump!

In my opinion, there are car owners and then there are car enthusiasts. What separates one from another is that the former own a car and rely on them to drive from point A to point B. The latter not only depends on driving from point A to point B but also enjoys the whole experience of ownership from being able to lovingly care for the car, complement a beautiful day by driving the car, and being able to share that experience of ownership with others. To me, when it comes to my 1995 300ZX Twin Turbo, it is this pride of ownership that allows me to take pause from my busy everyday life and live life instead of just be a part of it.

I have been fortunate to experience the Motorsport Auto Z-Car West Coast Nationals since 2001. Living in the Bay Area, it was always nice to take a couple of days off from work and take a nice drive to Southern California for this event. 2013 was no different for me. As a proud original owner of my Z with 194,000+ miles on the original motor, transmission, and turbos, I finally took my car in for a mild refresh. Every other Motorsport show that I entered, she did so with her stock powerplant in place with mild performance upgrades. This refresh involved upgraded turbos, breather modifications, and a multitude of other performance and aesthetic upgrades that I won’t bore you with the details. After the upgrades, my Z still breathed fire and would pull just like she did when I picked her up from the lot with 6 miles. She just pulls a little harder, a little faster, and looks sexy doing so. My friends and I registered for the show and headed down to Orange, CA for the show.

Driving down the 5 to Socal for the umpteenth time, it was nice to be surrounded by other Z32s and reminisce about the early times. As other cars passed us or as we passed other cars, I noted that some drivers and passengers still give us the thumbs up. It is amazing that pulling into a gas station or restaurant, I still get approached by people who have not seen a Z32 before and think it’s a new model for Nissan. Others who are familiar with Z32s often complement us on how beautiful our cars are.

Pulling into the city of Angels we were quickly greeted by Southern California traffic. Navigating through stop-and-go traffic and gridlocked streets makes me appreciate the comfort and civility of the Z32. There are sports cars out there old and new that make sacrifices in creature comforts or are not enjoyable to drive during the rigors of daily life but the Z32 is not one of them. Comfortable stock leather seats, great seating position, well-engineered climate control systems, and nice throaty rumble from the VG30DETT engine makes any drive fun. Sitting in a Z32 is truly like sitting in a sleek fighter cockpit. There is plenty of room for luggage in the trunk and plenty of room for 2 people up front.

One unfortunate side-effect of having a nice car is that there is always the specter of vandalism and/or theft that is ever present. In the last month or so in the Bay Area alone, several Z32s were stolen in driveways and areas that were thought to be safe. This is one of the most terrifying things to think about. I will admit that I am pretty paranoid about where I park. Alarms with GPS tracking, old school steering wheel locks, and other electronic preventative measures help to alleviate some of the fears but they will never make me feel 100% safe. Thankfully, the hotel that we stay at every year is safe and well-lit. I always get a 1st floor room that has a window within earshot and eyesight of our Zs.

Sunday morning rolls around. This is the big day. Every year that I have attended, we always wake up early and leave at the crack of dawn to head to the Motorsport Show. Many years, someone in our group ends up being first in line. It’s funny when that happens and always makes for a fun photo opportunity. This year was no different. As we exited the freeway, an acquaintance of ours that drives a 240Z flew past us on the street. He told us later on that he knew we were trying to be first and drove fast to beat us. Unfortunately, he drove a little too fast. He blew past the street that he was supposed to turn right on and we safely negotiated the right turn and were the 1st two Zs in line.

One of the reasons that we want to be first in line is so that we can get a nice spot smack dab in the middle of the exhibition area. After we parked, we emptied out our Zs and began the last minute detailing to remove any dirt encountered while driving from the hotel. With our Zs sparkling and presentable, we had a chance to peruse the different Zs in the show. There were Zs from every year from 240Zs, 260Zs, 280Zs, 280ZXs, 300ZX Z31s, 300ZX Z32s, 350Zs, and 370Zs. The Zs were from mild to wild. Some had engine transplants, some had wild exterior body modifications, some had stealthy engine modifications, etc. I liked some of the Zs and with some of the Zs, I just had to scratch my head and ask why. Everyone has different tastes.

It was nice to talk to other Z owners and non-Z owners. Having people complement your car and be genuinely interested in your car makes all of the blood, sweat, and tears in modifying, beautifying, and maintaining your Z worth it. It was a beautiful day in Orange, CA. What better day to have a car show, right?

My friend’s Z32 was entered in the street-modified Z32 class and mine was entered in the ultra-modified Z32 class. His car won 1st place in his division and my car won 1st place in my division. Score! We cleaned up both Z32 divisions. Winning the trophies made this trip more special than it already was. Wow. Fun times in SoCal spent with friends, our Z32s, and other car enthusiasts made it another weekend to remember.

The Motorsport Auto Z-Car West Coast Nationals is a definitely must attend for Z aficionados. If you don’t have a Z to enter in the show or don’t want to enter the show, you must at least make it out to one of these shows once in your lifetime. It’s fun to drive down to Southern California for this show. Years ago, as part of a Z club that is no longer around, it was always fun driving down to this same show with a caravan of 12+ Zs.

In the words of the beloved Mr. K (Yutaka Katayama, father of the Z), “Love Cars, Love People, and Love Life.”
Check out more pictures(courtesy of Joe) in the gallery and also on MSA’s site HERE