Our friends at SpeedSF are running another great track day at Laguna Seca November 1. We love running our cars with these folks and they go above and beyond to make sure you get tons of track time! In addition to the road course they are also hosting an all-day Auto-X in the paddock for only $50! More details at SpeedSF.com!

Our friend Dan F. pictured here attended the last SpeedSF event at Laguna Seca!

 

I love driving my Datsun Roadster every weekend but last Saturday I had the opportunity to drive Rob Fuller’s 1971 Datsun 510 for my birthday.  This is Rob’s first 510 from his youthful days in Georgia (see vanity plate). Without giving too many details, he restored the car and performed an S13 SR20DET drivetrain swap in 2002.  We will give this Dime a proper feature on the blog soon, but for now, let’s drive!

 

I called up a few of my roadster friends to do a quick blast up Skyline to Alice’s restaurant. Both Mike (silver) and Raul’s (white) roadsters are 1967.5 year cars with SPL and SRL drivetrains, respectively. With HWY 9 construction finished the twisty roads we once enjoyed were now even smoother.

 

We headed South on 84,  looped back up to Skyline via Old La Honda Rd and eventually took a break at the vista point off 9 towards Big Basin.  Driving the Go Green 510 was buckets of fun. Seating/steering wheel position, suspension and visibility all make for a totally different experience coming from a roadster owner. I was impressed how well the car has held up over a decade after it was reborn.

 

After our fun run my brother and I did some lead-follow videos with my roadster and the 510. Two SR-powered vintage Datsuns Enjoying The Ride! Turn those speakers up:

 

Cruising around town and experiencing the rush of 400hp being transferred through 205mm-width rear tires was absolutely addicting.  Thank you Rob for making my birthday especially enjoyable!

 

Saturday 10/11 was the last gathering of Canepa Cars and Coffee until they resume in April 2015. We drove our Datsun Roadsters to this final event and there was a superb turnout of cool cars. As in the past, Canepa never disappoints. Here are few highlights and check the gallery for even more pictures.

The brisk run up HW 17 to Scotts Valley is always exhilarating, especially on a weekend sans traffic! We had a blast chasing our fellow roadster owner and friend Mike B in his pretty 1967.5 SPL311:

 

When we arrived, Canepa’s parking lot was already filled to the brim. Mandatory Datsun content: We found another roadster and a 240z with ZCG license plate frame!

 

Mopar Madness! Panther Pink Challenger, Limelight green Superbird and Plum Crazy Challenger remind us of the coolest colors to come from the factory!

 
In an absolute sea of 997 GT3 Porsche’s these stood out: 997 TT on Volk TE37s, RUF 993, and gorgeous 356:

 

Canepa as usual were gracious enough to open their entire facility to the public. Touring the showrooms and shop areas with soft pretzels and strudels in hand was a great way to start the morning!

 

Back in the parking lot, more interesting cars show up. This Ford hot rod had the coolest cup-holder I’ve ever seen:

 

Below L to R: This little Fiat Abarth was setup for dirt rallying. 1 of 2 super clean BMW E30 M3s. Honda N600! My favorite Testarossa, 512TR:

Finally, I had the pleasure of driving back down HW 17 with this Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. The lines on this car are amazing, and it was quite nerve wracking (for the owner too I’m sure) to snap some rolling shots of this multi-seven figure piece of history!

 

I was super stoked to get a peace sign from the driver, Enjoy The Ride!

 

Many more pics in the gallery. See you at Canepa Cars and Coffee next spring!

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We enjoyed racing with Joel and his #49 IMSA Datsun 240z at the Rolex Motorsports Reunion in August. If you missed our coverage of the event please check it out HERE. When Mike Joy from FOX Sports visited us in the paddock and expressed interest in the Z and its history, we were flattered. Mike and camera crew did a very brief segment with the Z Car Garage team and it will be featured in their coverage of the race weekend!

Tune in to FOX Sports 1 this Saturday 10/11 at 10am (EST) to see their coverage and our brief moment in the spotlight 🙂

 

Long Live The Z!

 

 

 

We are seeking a top-notch, talented, experienced and skilled auto mechanic to join our team.

Do you know a qualified mechanic? Encourage them to send their resume and call today – we are currently hiring.

Please contact rob@zcargarage.com or call us at (408)452-0350.