Filed under: 240z,510,Racing
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on August 27, 2024
WE LOVE RACING! Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is hosting the 21st Charity Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, September 13-15. Z Car Garage is participating and supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group. This vintage racing event is totally FREE to spectators so please join us! Bring the family, enjoy cool cars and charity rides around the track. Attention DRIVERS: there is still time to register to race! Sign up HERE.
See our 2023 Nissan Z as Pace Car!
Z Car Garage is happy to announce our 2023 Nissan Z will be on Pace Car duty at the Charity Challenge. Again, admission is FREE for this event and you will have access to all spectator areas on track, race cars and drivers. Parking is in Lot 2 overlooking the paddock. You can see our report from the 2023 Charity Challenge HERE
Z Car Garage Supports Five Datsun 510s!
It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno:
#88 Todd Rueppel
Todd enjoyed his Z Car Garage trackside support experience with us at the Laps For Laguna event!
#7 Kelvin Tse
Kelvin and his brother Kenny are regular ZCG trackside support clients…
#64 Kenny Tse
#98 Kelly M
#68 and #30 Noah’s 510 and BMW 2002
We will also be supporting Lora’s Spec Miata!
#7 Rob Fuller
ZCG owner Rob Fuller, Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car
Photo by Jim Rose
Join us for the 2024 Vintage Racing Season!
Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. Do not miss the next event: CSRG’s Charity Challenge at Sonoma September 13-15.
The ZONC Annual Car Show will be held Sunday September 8 in Brisbane, CA. This a fun event in a great location so bring out your Z, G, Datsun or GT-R! Pictures from previous shows can be seen HERE with more details below. Z you at the show!
Enjoy these photos from previous ZONC annual Car Shows:
The 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo is back at Z Car Garage after being displayed at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during Monterey Car Week. It was great to see this legend with fellow IMSA race cars at Laguna Seca. The media also took notice, with Hagerty writing an article about the ZX-T’s development, recognition and restoration at ZCG. View the article HERE
Bonus media exposure: Motor Trend’s top classic car picks from Car Week included the GTP ZX-Turbo and the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z!
Required Reading: The Nissan GTP Story
One of the highlights of the Rolex event was meeting Electramotive engineer Chris Willes! He wrote an incredible book chronicling the design and development of the Nissan GTP car that dominated the IMSA GT series during the late 1980’s. It’s a must-read for all Nissan/Datsun fans, and you can purchase the book HERE
The book contains:
The beginning of Electramotive’s racing history in 1975 with the Datsun B210 and 280ZX race cars.
The design and development of one of the first Electronic Engine Control Processors.
The full description of the 1/7th-scale moving ground plane wind tunnel.
The design and build of the Nissan 300ZX V-6 race engine.
All the IMSA race storylines from 1985 to 1989.
Professional photos and never seen before in-shop photos compliment this 12-chapter, 400+ page, 9″ x 12″ coffee-table style book
Rob invited Chris to the Rolex event to be reunited with his beloved ZX-T. (Below) Here I am with Chris and we look forward to working with him!
“Earlier this year, it was announced that Geoff Brabham and the 1988 Nissan GTP-ZX Turbo Chassis #8801 will be inducted into the IMSA Hall of Fame, Class of 2024. I was so proud to have been part of Electramotive Engineering and the development of this car, that I authored a book about it.
In my book, Developing a Champion: The Electramotive Nissan GTP Story, I describe how the GTP car was conceived, the build of the first car at Lola Cars in 1984, and the development performed at Electramotive during the following years. Included is the conversion of the stock 3.0-liter Nissan 300ZX V-6 engine into an aluminum block turbocharged race engine, and details of the Electronic Engine Control Processor (EECP) designed by Don Devendorf to control the spark, fuel, and boost of the engine. Also included are details of the Electramotive aluminum honeycomb monocoque designed by Trevor Harris which included new front suspension and increased stiffness, and the aerodynamics designed by Yoshi Suzuka using the Electramotive-built 1/7th scale moving ground plane wind tunnel. All of these developments led to two driver’s championships for Geoff Brabham in 1988 and 1989, and one manufacturer’s championship for Nissan in 1989, and more in later years.
The 9” x 12”, 444-page, coffee table-style book chronicles the design and development of the Nissan GTP car that dominated the IMSA GT series during the late 1980’s. Over 600 images, including professional photography, never-before seen in-shop photos, technical diagrams, and drawings compliment the text as it describes how the team converted an aerodynamically unstable, crash-ridden design into a multi-time championship winning machine. It is a great historical reference of the ultra-competitive IMSA GTP era during the 1980s and a great gift for a motorsports fan!”
Filed under: Events,Racing,Z31,z32
by Alvin G @ 3:00 pm on August 8, 2024
In a fitting tribute to its storied legacy, the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo will make a special appearance at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during Monterey Car Week from August 14 to 17, 2024. See the official news from Nissan HERE and read below for a brief introduction.
The Championship-winning 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo is at Z Car Garage. 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. Thanks to Dean Case and Greg Nelson of Nissan Motorsports for the opportunity to have this legend here at Z Car Garage. Enjoy the photos of chassis #8801 with a full feature coming soon to zcarblog.com
It’s surreal to see the car that has been a poster on our wall actually inside the shop. Rob had to get out his R/C car and another poster from the front office:
Enjoy this video highlighting the epic 1988 IMSA season with Morton and Brabahm in the GTP ZX-T:
In recognition of its impact, IMSA announced earlier this year that Brabham and the GTP ZX-Turbo will be inducted into the 2024 IMSA Hall of Fame in October.
