The ALMS race is tomorrow and the Z Car Corral is going to be located right around turn 5.  We are going to be bringing out a few cars so stop by and say hello.  I will also be taking pictures of the entire weekend so expect to see them up here soon (as if I don’t have enough photos to edit already.)  Be safe and have fun!!

Infiniti has finally wised up and realized that to really compete with the BMW 3-series that they needed to make a convertible of the popular G37 coupe.  This model will have all the same features of the standard G37 with the addition (or subtraction depending on how you look at it) of a retractible hard top.

The new convertible will be available sometime in early spring and pre-orders are being taken as I write this.  If this is your must have car I suggest getting your name in early if you don’t want to wait like the 335i owners had to.   Good luck!

With the unveiling of the 370z right aound the corner, at the LA auto show in November, there are bound to be more and more pictures taken of the test cars to hype it up before the release.    Here are the latest and greatest:

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The specs are not fully disclosed yet but since Nissan will be aiming the 370z at the Porsche Cayman we need to expect some pretty large platform changes.  The engine will be the 3.7 liter VQ variant that is currently in the Infiniti G37, although there may be a few tweaks here and there to differentiate the two power plants.  The wheel base will also be slightly shorter coming in around 100 inches.

The biggest improvement in many peoples eyes over the outgoing 350z will be a dramitic reduction in weight.   The outgoing car weighs somewhere north of 3,500 pounds while the new 370z is aiming for under 3,200.  Only time will tell what the production cars will add up to.  We can’t wait to get our hands on one of these beasts and put it through it’s paces.

As I see more info on the 370z I will post it here first thing.  Don’t be a stranger to ZCarBlog.com!

The Nissan/Datsun community is beginning to feel the age of our much loved vehicles. Parts are becoming harder and harder to find including standard maintenance items. At Z Car Garage (ZCG) they have begun to reproduce parts that are no longer offered from Nissan.

Production has already begun on the spindle that connects the rear strut to the control arm on the 240, 260, and 280z. The stock piece is made from hardened ductile iron that has been zinc coated. These need to be replaced just about every time the rear bushings are serviced. The new ZCG design is machined from billet stainless steel to exacting specifications. They decided on stainless because the old zinc pieces were getting very corroded with age and are incredibly difficult to remove on occasion, now the problem should be solved.

Here is a photo of the factory spindle (this is the best one that I have seen after removal, usually the threads are pulled and it is covered in corrosion.)

As products disappear from Nissan parts shelves, Z Car Garage is going to step up and produce items that will improve upon the original wherever possible. This is exciting news for all Datsun/Nissan owners who keep up with their vehicle maintenance or anyone who plans on doing a full restoration in the future.

I will post again as they release more “new” products. Stay tuned!!