On Saturday, September 24 we attended the Tokyo Calling 2 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 also featured 200 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 just over 2 years ago. What started out as a small group enjoying weekend drives blossomed into a full-on Cars and Coffee (still unofficial) meet just before rally participants head out according to run group. The monthly BCR is always free/open to all makes and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see my previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event held back in March was a success. We did not want to miss this all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC2. We left the shop at 6:30am heading to San Rafael, here is a preview of our cars:

 

Gary’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

Rob Fuller drove our client Gary’s S30 with the Datsunworks KN20 twincam cylinder head. Supporting the 3.1L engine are our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, Jenvey ITB EFI with Haltech Elite management, Nissan 6-speed CD009s transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.

 

While ZCG has performed many tests with the KN20 engine this was the first time we were able to do a 300-mile trip and really wring its neck. It just keeps getting better and better…watch the video below and turn those speakers up!

Datsunworks in action

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240z is Enjoying The Ride with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles.  He scored this Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer and regularly drives on rally events.

Mrs. Butters

 

Leading the caravan was yours truly in 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 (releasing soon).

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240Z

 

Jim’s 1971 Datsun 240z is now sporting a Rebello 3.2L with triple-Mikuni carbs on a Harada intake, Recaro Specialist seats, CD009a 6-speed transmission, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) 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.

 

Henry’s supercharged Nissan 370Z

Henry drove his Stillen-supercharged 370Z. This was his first time attending a vintage rally and he had a blast! Henry recently visited ZCG for a re-tune and upgrades, making even more power stay tuned for an update! Rolling photo by Gregory Veizades:

  

Mr. C, a 1970 Datsun 240Z

Our guest Herbert P piloted  “Mr. C”, our stock, one-owner Series 1 Z. We put some 14″ Panasports on this time as the stock hubcaps have a habit of coming off during spirited driving!

 

Our morning caravan of cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 through 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 San Rafael and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 8-9am (usually 1 hr) 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!

 

Tom K’s Nissan Fairlady Z432 stunned the crowd. This rare, RHD gem is powered by the unicorn-status S20 engine:

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters always get my attention. There were at least 8 in attendance including two genuine 1967 2000s. 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. 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!

 

Our client Erik drove his hot-rod R16 stroker-powered ’70. We dyno tuned this little beast recently, check it out HERE:

  

There were handful of Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510. Jay is a hardcore rally driver (just completing the Faultline 500) and also brought his mint wagon with family! Check out his sweet set of Devil Shadow wheels:

   

Our very own Nick F drove his 510 wagon and went full rally-style with intercoms:

 

Back to Z cars, and with many cool examples like this pair of S30s with classy Campagnolo and 432s-style wheels:

 

Our client Kevin’s Slicktop Z32 on WORK XD9 wheels and Stoptech brakes. A pair of clean Zenki Z31 300ZX, one LS-powered:

 

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 2. 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.

 

Leo is an avid Pulsar fan having owned several and he really kept this one in pristine condition. He added a few upgrades including Stoptech Big-Brakes. He ven kept the Z Car Garage license plate frame!

 

A pair of S13 240SXs:

 

It was great to see our R32 Skyline clients Mike’s R32 (TE37 wheels), Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W. (in his GC8 Subaru) and . All will be getting zcarblog udpates:

 

So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos! Next, let’s check out some non-Nissan/Datsun action…

Kei Classics

Autozam AZ-1 and Suzuki Cappuchino mesmerizing the crowd with their size and neat features:

 

Honda

 
Honda was well-represented including late model DC2 Integras and S2000s. A few NSXs, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

Toyota

 

Supra (A60 and A80) and even first gen MR2s, turbocharged Beams-powered Celica and AE86s!

    

Enjoy this walk-around of the pre-rally social hour at Tokyo Calling 2:

 

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans!

 

The wildest car I found was this Nissan Leaf with motorcycle engine:

 

Rally On!

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rallye printout. I enjoyed hustling Mrs. Butters through the backroads:

 

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 photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides: Alex Nibyt, Gregory Veizades, Everett Lederer, and Zack Hubbell.

   

Arriving at Point Reyes was another opportunity to see cars I missed at the starting point. Folks took a snack/coffee break here in the quaint town. I was just admiring each vintage ride cruise by…like this Nissan Figaro!

 

Henry’s 370Z and an FD RX-7

  

After chatting we resumed the rally. This final stage was my favorite with winding roads going through Petaluma. This is where the KW Suspension, ZCG Big-Brakes and 6-speed transmission in Mrs. Butters really shine. Every gear shift, squeeze of the throttle and confidence of the brakes makes for a sublime driving experience.

   

The rally concluded in Tomales. Total mileage for our San Jose crew thus far was 200 miles. BCR arranged for lunch at William Tell House as their clever motto is #DoneByNoon. The intersection here was yet another car show with J-Tin everywhere. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.

  

Our client Kevin’s Slicktop Z32

 

People got a kick out of the Behemoth:

 

Thanks BCR!

 

Many thanks to the 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.  Here are a few thoughts from Rob re-capping the Tokyo Calling 2 event:

“Loved TC2 and my favorite part is connecting with people, seeing their passion and all the other cool cars…I’m a huge Miata fan and NA/NBs were out in full force. Subaru XT…I really wanted one as a kid. Little fun fact…that rear end bolts into a Datsun 510. The Leaf with motorcycle engine was wild. Great to see our clients also on the drive. Got to see Leo and get reunited with the GTi-R, chat with Mike Young…”

“…Such a proud feeling of driving up 280 through the city and looking over to see Linda Wiliams in the OMS Pace Car, Vince S and Jim and Herb driving Mr.C. and Alex in his Sunny. The amount of community we have is tremendous. Loved how organized BCR is, so well thought out. The last 20+ years of my life I’ve been doing car meets/car adventures…the BCR guys got it down….from the registration stickers to rally directions. Little things like making sure there is enough room for folks at the meetup points…or always having clean restrooms available…these are details between enjoying yourself in a vintage car or not. The roads were incredible and scenery unreal. Sounds of L-series everywhere! Cant wait for next Tokyo Calling.”

 

 

The Drive Home

Our adventure was not over as we had to travel another 100 miles South to the shop. We caravanned back, traveling through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco. I’m sure traffic had a field day with our group of Datsuns/Nissans:

 At the shop, Rob gave everyone rides in the Datsunworks-powered Behemoth. It was fun to see the permanent smiles on passengers’ faces after returning:

After a full day of driving Mr. C, our stock Series 1 240Z,  we gave Herbert the keys to take Butters out for spin:

    

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us. Huge thanks to BCR for extending their hospitality to our crew, everyone was thrilled. Here’s to the next rally and always, always #DoitInADatsun!

 

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On Sunday 7/31 we attended the Morning Motors Cars & Coffee event hosted by DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) in Santa Cruz, CA. The event impressed us again with a fun vibe and superb variety of cars. One of the many perks of DWA Morning Motors is its location surrounded by the best driving roads.

 

This morning’s pre-event gathering met at Alice’s restaurant at 8am. Our group started with 4 cars including Rob (Porsche 993 Turbo), Josh (VW bug), Kurt (Subaru 2.5RS) and myself in the Z Car Garage 1967 Datsun 2000:Our brisk run up HWY 9 was amazingly traffic-free and plenty of room to enjoy the twisty bits. A brief pause at the 9/35 junction to meet Nick in his Datsun 510 Wagon:

 

We joined our friend Naveed (thanks for organizing!) and few other enthusiasts at Alice’s. Below, Mark’s 1971 Datsun 510 and Erich’s1974 Alfa GTV give off B-Sedan vibes in the am light:

 

After re-connecting with friends we headed to the Santa Cruz via 84 and HWY1. The lot in front of the Old Wrigley building was near full a few minutes after 9am.!

   

Mandatory Nissan/Datsun

I was happy to see so many Nissans and Datsuns at Morning Motors.

 

It was a real pleasure to see Rick’s 1965 Nissan Silvia, driven by his son Matthew!I had a blast driving this RHD gem on the strongBreakfast Club Rally back in March:

 

This R33 Skyline GT-R was recently acquired by DWA co-founder Art C our friends at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. Super stoked for Art and glad to see him enjoying it! Love the BBS LMs!

 

 

Datsun B210!

 

There were several S13/S14 240SX sports cars, G35s and a Z33 on WORK T7R 2P wheels:

  

Another ZCG client, Eric’s Infiniti FX35 sporting upgraded suspension and R35 GT-R wheels. Parking next a mint 2003 FX!

  

In Search of J-Tin

Morning Motors did not disappoint if you are Japanese Classic fans. Representing Mazda was our friend Tony’s 13B-powered RX-2 and his Rotary gang:

   

90’s icons…Third gen (A70) Supra and FD RX-7 (on ADVAN wheels)!

  So much variety! Enjoy this short video:

Euro Classics

Yearning for Porsche’s? Or something a bit less “mainstream”? DWA CnC did not disappoint. Citroen 2CV:

 

Porsche, Alfa and Austin Healey

   

Lone E38 7-Series BMW…peak 7 in my mind!

 

My favorite car was this Porsche 914-6:

 

American Muscle

From 60’s to 80’s. Mike Garret’s familiar purple Mopar with late-model drivetrain and really wild Ford Coupe with diesel engine:

 

DWA CnC is definitely my kind of cars and coffee. It’s a great venue with amazing driving roads nearby and the cars were so diverse. We highly recommend checking it out! Thanks to the DWA crew for hosting. If you haven’t already, listen to their podcast and make sure you give them a follow on Instagram.
More pictures in the gallery below!

 

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Love for the Z is strong in Northern California

The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) is one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. In its prime they had over 600 members with close ties to Yutaka Katayama (“Mr. K”) and Nissan USA. We had a wonderful time attending their 50th Birthday Celebration at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, Ca on June 5, 2022.

 

Despite some morning rain the turnout was impressive for a relaxed gathering. No judged car show or awards, just Z-Car fans catching up with old friends and meeting new enthusiasts. (above) Aerial photos by Bryan Delohery.

Highlights from the show

Still to this day, 240Zs are the most represented model in the club. Expansion over time currently includes all recent Z models and the GT-R, but also reaches back in time to include the Datsun Roadsters and 510s.  For their 50th Birthday Celebration, ZONC assembled a “generations” display in front of the museum with samples of S30, S130, Z31, Z32, Z33 and Z34. Sitting front and center was the 2023 Nissan Z!

 

Racing History

 

A selection of Datsun race cars also joined the “generations” display. Datsun 510 guru and racer Troy Ermish displayed his 1971 B-Sedan 510 “Penny”:

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou displayed his FAR Performance 240Z. This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.

 

Glenn has vintage raced this Z at several high-profile events. He turned a track-mishap into an opportunity to perform a total-restoration (again) and bring this Z back in “Bay Area Datsun Dealers” livery as raced by FAR Performance privateer Walt Maas.

 

Rob Fuller of Z Car Garage displayed his #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z. An interesting note, both Glenn and Rob’s race cars have ties to ZONC gatherings decades ago.

 

Linda Williams’ 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate was staged next to the #49 IMSA GTU race car (the original OMS Pace car). 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.

 

The New Nissan Z!

 

ZONC teamed up with Nissan to display the new 2023 Z as part of the “generations” display in front of the Blackhawk Museum. This is the Performance model sporting a 6-speed manual and Passion Red paint. And Z Car Garage got to drive it back to our shop at the end of the event!

 

Z’s, 510s, Roadsters and More!

 

Here are a few of my favorite S30 Z cars from the gathering, starting with this flared beauty on Watanabe wheels:

 

Flared Series 1 Z with G-nose and Works-style wheels:

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see many Z Car Garage clients so let’s take a look at what they drove. Ed B is the original owner of this 1971 Datsun 240Z ZCG has maintained for almost two decades:

 

Bob Russell is the original owner of this S30 we will have a full report on zcarblog soon!

 

Representing the G35s were our clients Larry and long-time client Jason:

 

Eugene and long-time client Craig showed their 350Zs:

 

 

Richard M’s ZCG-modified 370z was representing Z34s

 

Here is a video from the 50th Birthday Celebration with load-in of the #49 IMSA Datsun 240Z, walk-around of the displays and the new Z leaving, enjoy! More highlights below…

 

260z and 280z

 

S130

Who could forget the S130 280zx! We spotted 4:

 

Z31

Three Z31s, including David’s sweet 25th Anniversary edition. This was his first ZONC event, welcome and thanks for bringing your Z out David!

 

The Works Rally Z

 

In the middle of freshly painted/detailed Datsuns and Nissans was this rather dilapidated S30. Upon closer inspection viewers were treated to the tremendous revival of this real-deal Nissan WORKS rally car. Recently I had just posted a blog report on Randy’s East-African Rally Tribute, so seeing an actual, surviving rally car in person blew me away. We all geeked out pretty hard on the details, and they were impressive:

 

This is chassis #2 of 4 that were built by Nissan for the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally.  It is the project of Tom K and noted Datsun expert Steve Pettersen and their restoration website is a must-visit for history and feature documentation (as shown above). The Z remains largely intact with original parts like the Nissan competition exhaust manifold and roll bar. Period-correct parts like the Ikeda Bussan rally seat and reclining navigator seat were sourced. Check out the heater-port to defrost the headlight covers, Nissan-branded acrylic windows and more:

 

 

Authentic Magnesium rally wheels and Kanto Seiki 8krpm tach! Thanks Tom and Steve for bringing it out to the ZONC event!

 

 

This Z deserves its own spotlight, but enjoy this walk-around video until we can visit Tom and take some proper coverage:

 

Z32

 

Z33 and Z34

Our client Steve’s Nismo Z33 and a brace of 350Zs in the generations display. Good to see a build from way back, Tom’s supercharged 370Z.

 

510s

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Jay’s 510 features our Z Car Garage CV Axles. We will have a full report soon as he just completed a DWA rallye in the Sierras!

 

Matt’s 510 with turbocharged KA24DE:

 

Andrew’s 4-door Hakosuka Skyline and Josh’s 620 truck

Roadsters

The lone Datsun Roadster was Hotep’s ’69 2000 with L-series drivetrain and factory, OEM hardtop!

  

This rad little B13 Sentra b13 packed a full SR20VET engine from a Nissan X-Trail and 6-speed transmission!

 

 

S12, and S14 Nissans:

 

 

R35 Row

A very large showing of R35 GT-Rs parked together

Plenty of cool, modified cars but this one caught our eye, it is a GT-R “T-Spec”.

 

Only offered in two colors, Millemium Jade and this Midnight Purple finish made iconic by special-edition R34 Skylines. Inside, a Mori green interior and alcantara touches really set it apart from other models. Best part? The owner drives it everywhere despite being an ultra-rare and pricey variant.

   

Driving the New Z to Z Car Garage!

 

I had the opportunity to drive the 2023 Nissan Z from the ZONC show back to our shop in San Jose with a group of die-hard Nissan fans. Huge thanks to Nissan! We had the Z for a few days to enjoy so stay tuned for a full report!

Happy Birthday ZONC!

Spending the day at the ZONC 50th Birthday Celebration reminded us to (in the words of the late Mr.K), ” Love cars. Love people. Love Life.”  This is a club that keep the Z community together year-round and we are excited for their next events. Don’t forget to check out our picture gallery below! Big thanks to the ZONC organizers and Nissan for bringing the new Z out. Stay tuned for a full report our time with the 2023 Z!

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James Glenn Babb, beloved friend and colleague left this world suddenly on 4/17/22. He was 21 years old. We miss him dearly and offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

 

James enjoyed life to the fullest, pursuing his passions and bringing people together along the way. He was also a Nissan 350Z owner and we were fortunate to have him working with us at Z Car Garage. Here are a few thoughts from the team at ZCG remembering James:

From Nick Filip,

“Young James was a character cut from a very special cloth. I’ll never forget when his first day at the shop started when Rob didn’t call him back quickly enough and he showed up to find out why. He brought passion and dedication with him in every endeavor that I was lucky enough to see. From developing and drifting his Z, to helping at the shop, to music, to paintball, James was entirely stoked, and that stoke was infectious. He will be sorely missed by everyone who was lucky enough to spend time with him and see the light he brought to any situation”

 

From Joshua Corwin,

“Young James personifies the idiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The first time I met James, I didn’t pay him much attention. But during his short time working at Z car Garage, through his hard work, commitment, eagerness to learn, and critical thinking, this purple haired, pierced and tattooed young adult impressed me everyday. Not only was his work ethic top notch, but his attitude, charisma, and passion was remarkable. He is missed not only as an amazing shop helper, but as a unique and exceptional human being.”

 

From Rob Fuller,

“James was only with us for a short time and left a lasting impression with Z Car Garage. He was bright, ambitious, funny, rad and had an incredible work ethic. I could not believe how hard he worked, taking pride in everything he did. He loved loading cars on/off the dyno and sometimes driving them on the dyno. He helped Gary organize our stockroom and got along really well with everyone. We understood when he had to leave so he could focus on school…we missed him everyday and wished we could give him another shot at working with us. “Young James” as we called him at the shop: a brilliant soul that left this world too soon. We told his Mom and brother that we are here if they need anything on the Z.”

  

As Rob recalled, one of our fondest memories of James was how excited he was to have his 350Z dyno tuned at the shop. He was ecstatic about loading his own Z on to the dyno and running it through the gears.

 

I will never forget meeting James by chance on Skyline, Christmas Eve of 2020. He was so kind, introducing me to his friends and crew. He even gave me a demo of drifting in his beloved 350Z that we helped him set up at ZCG. He was so jazzed! My Datsun alongside James’ Z:

 

In the video below you can see James piloting his Z on the Z Car Garage dyno, and that unforgettable drift session we had:

 

On May 17, Z Car Garage attended a celebration of James’ life in Los Gatos, Ca. There was an incredible outpouring of love from friends and family at the event. James’ Z was driven and displayed by his brother, Mason. Guests laid flowers over the Z, in remembrance of James:

 

Our hearts go out to his mother Jane and brother Mason, his family and all friends lucky to have been blessed by James’ presence. James truly embodied the words Mr. K said best, “Love cars. Love people. Love life.”

 

Thank you for being a part of our lives James, we know you are somewhere Enjoying the Ride! More photos in the gallery courtesy of Stella and friends. Stay tuned for a Memorial Drive in honor of James with a date announced soon.

 

 

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Brad L is the original owner of this 2008 Nismo 350z #1188. He generally uses this Z for fun road trips and wanted a little more power so we installed a Stillen supercharger kit last year. Brad recently visited Z Car Garage for routine maintenance and we spent some time admiring the details Nissan added to this rare Z33. Enjoy the photos!

When the Nismo Z33 made its debut 15(!) years ago its aero package was considered downright shocking. We think it has aged well, from the aggressive front fascia and side skirts to that unmistakable SuperGT-inspired rear spoiler/diffuser.

Brembo brakes, and super-sexy NISMO forged wheels still make our mouths water:

The interior also reminds you that this is a special Z with red-accented seats, NISMO white and gray tach, and a serialized NISMO-etched aluminum plaque:

 

With roughly 1,600 units produced for 2007-2008 the Nismo 350Z is quite rare. We still love them. How rad would it be if Nissan offered a Nismo model of the new Z?