Z Car Garage is proud to bring this 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car back to life for our long-time client and friend Linda Williams. Only 50 of these Ontario Motor Speedway (OMS) “duplicates” were created and this is one of only two known survivors .

 

Join us as we revive this historically-significant Z from its slumber to make it a nice driver for Linda while retaining its survivor status. In addition to documenting ZCG’s work we will look at this Z’s history, our relationship with Linda and share her Enjoying the Ride.

  

History and Acquisition

 

Before we dive into the OMS Pace car story let’s take a look at Linda’s Z-car story. We first met Linda in 2008 when she reached out to Z Car Garage for work on her low-mileage 1978 Datsun 280Z:

 

“I had just bought my blue 1978 280Z and had taken it over to Steven’s Creek Nissan Parts Department to have a replacement key made. One of the guys came out and suggested I show it to “Rob” at Z Car Garage.  It was my lucky day as ZONC was having a meeting and a Dyno Day at Z Car Garage! Of course, I didn’t know who Rob was and he was busy but took a few minutes to look at my Z. That’s how I met Rob and began a great friendship and a wonderful working relationship. I also joined Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) that day too!

Linda became a big part of the local Z car community and eventually became (currently) President of ZONC, one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. We have enjoyed helping her keep her Z cars on the road over the years, from Car Show prep to routine maintenance:

 

“Rob has taken very good care of my car and I have a lot of respect for him as a business person. He is honest, open and I don’t feel pressured to do anything on the car that isn’t necessary. In 2012, Rob called and asked if he could ‘borrow my car’ and of course I said ‘yes’, but can you please explain? He then told me he wanted to display it at the San Jose Auto Show in January 2013. I felt honored having it displayed with another restoration Z Car Garage had done, along with many other client Z’s.” 

 

The OMS Pace Car Duplicates

 

Nissan Motors created 50 “Pace Car Duplicates” to commemorate the Datsun 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship (shown above). The cars were originally brought over from Japan by Mr. K and were all white with red interior. The blue livery was added here in the states with the “O” that represented the Ontario Motor Speedway. After the race, the cars were given to Datsun Dealerships in the Los Angeles area as a promotion and later sold to the public.

 

Fast forward to 2021 and Linda has located one of the Pace Cars: (shown above) The OMS Pace Car in a period photo from the previous owner in Glacier National Park, and on the day Linda purchased it:

“In August of 2020, a gentleman from Porterville, CA who was handling his father’s estate contacted me and asked if our car club (ZONC) would like to have a car (actually 3 cars) donated to us. I had to explain that we were a 501(c)7 and not a 501(c) 3 and would not be able to accept them, but I was personally very interested in the Z and that began the quest to acquire it.”

 

We told Linda this was a “must buy” as the car advertised had original paint/interior, 45k miles and above all it was 1 of those 50 “tribute” cars made by Nissan. Of those 50 cars, it is currently one of only two known survivors! You might be wondering what happened to the actual OMS Pace car? This is what makes Linda’s tribute Z special, beyond its rarity…as per Carl Beck and other noted Z-car historians, the original OMS Pace Car car was this Z shown below (L):

 

Above (R) is a photo of Mr. K presenting the keys to the Datsun 240Z Pace Car to Mr. John Cooper, President of Ontario Motor Speedway. This Z was used as the Official Pace Car for the ” California 500″ held on Sept. 3, 1972. It really is a small Datsun world and amazingly this exact car is in our shop at Z Car Garage…it is none other than the Joel Anderson #49 IMSA GTU 240Z !

 

After running as the official OMS Pace Car in 1972, it was purchased by Joel Anderson from the Datsun Competition Dept. for $1.00 and Joel picked it up at Sears Point from Bob Bondurant in 1979. Joel prepared the Z for IMSA GT-U competition sporting wide aero and his iconic black livery. Yes, #49 still has the checkered flag holder in the driver’s rear quarter panel from its OMS career. We are stoked to have both Tribute and original OMS Pace Cars at the shop!

Z Car Garage Revival

 

Linda had the OMS tribute towed to Z Car Garage and we sat down to discuss the future of the car. We both agreed to keep it as original as we could, while updating critical parts to bring it back to life and make it a safe, fun car to drive. Our goal was to have it ready for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) in August of 2021.

“My plans are to drive the car and enjoy it as a ‘survivor car’. It draws a lot of attention and I love sharing it with the car community, and telling her story to those that haven’t heard anything about the Tribute cars. I have the paperwork back to the original owner, many invoices that corroborate the mileage and original Warranty Book with the ‘credit card’ warranty card.”

Indeed, Linda has a treasure box of period photos/records all relevant to her OMS tribute Z:

    

Engine

 

The Z had not been running since 2006 so we went through the fuel and cooling systems, suspension, brakes and supporting parts to make it a fantastic driver. Starting with the engine bay, we performed general clean-up of the inner fender/firewall areas.

 

A fresh set of Z therapy SU carbs were installed along with an MSA 6 to 1 header and full ZCG exhaust system:

 

All coolant hoses were replaced and radiator refurbished:

 

Fuel tank refurbishment with new hoses and all new evap lines:

 

On the dyno, the stock L24 made 120hp/125tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy this video of the dyno run and a walk-around of the Z after our revival:

 

Chassis

 

With respect to the low mileage of this chassis and provenance we performed a “sympathetic” refresh to make it road-worthy. The suspension was removed and replaced with new hardware and bushings throughout. New parts from Techno Toy Tuning included adjustable T/C rods and rear lower control arms. Before/after shots below with more in the gallery.

   New tie-rods, rack bushings, and engine mounts. KYB strut inserts, Eibach lowering springs trimmed Macpherson bumps stops for full travel and a ST sway bar set:

 We rebuilt and replaced all factory brake components including new calipers with Stoptech rotors, rear drums/shoes+wheel cylinders, new wheel bearings front and rear:

     

Fresh brake master cylinder and booster:

 

 

New drum brake components:

 

Details

 

Finishing touches for Linda’s Z included completing the OMS livery. We did not repaint the car because of its survivor status. A cut/buff was sufficient, and “O” decals were sourced/applied just before heading to ZCON. As it arrived (L) and after (R):

 

Interior

 

The original interior was refreshed with a nicer set of seats from fellow ZONC members Paul and Ann Devor:

 

All weatherstripping was replaced from hatch to doors.

 

Small details like a a new shifter gasket, heater core/ducting refurbishment and window regulator sorting make driving enjoyable:

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

Linda drives her Datsuns. We got the OMS Pace Car tribute in great mechanical shape and she has been driving it everywhere on local runs and gatherings. Most recently on April 10 she joined fellow Z owner Bryan for a local Bay Area drive and the odometer turned 47,000 miles!

 

In March she completed a 300-mile Breakfast Club Rally with us in Sonoma, CA. The OMS Pace Car ran like a champ, handling the twisty roads with zero mechanical issues:

 

In August 2021 we finished preparing the Z just in time for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA in Colorado Springs. The OMS car was well-received at the show, Pete Brock approved!

   

At ZCON with the new Z and track laps!

 

Photographer  Larry Chen and Rob Fuller highlighted Linda’s Z in their walk-around from ZCON, enjoy:

 

 

Did we mention that this Z gets driven?!

 

The OMS Pace Car tribute joining us at the 2023 New Z Viewing Event:

 

Linda has been all smiles:

“When I bought the car, I did not drive it due to it not being operated for so many years. The last thing that I wanted to do is possibly damage it before I even got to drive it. When I delivered the car to Rob, he went through it and did everything he could to maintain the ‘Tribute Car’ provenance, yet give me a car that I could enjoy driving. She is kept garaged, but she’s driven and enjoyed. The car drives like a “Z” and I am so thrilled that Rob did his magic with her.”

 

Thank You!

 

Z Car Garage thanks Linda for her unwavering support. We love your passion Linda and how you wave the flag for Nissan/Datsun history. The OMS Pace Car tribute is in great hands for the next generation to appreciate. From Rob:

“We live for this. Finding these hidden gems that have been sitting and bringing them back to life because Datsuns are Driven.  Linda’s Z became a wonderful driver that puts a smile on my face not only when I’m behind the wheel but when I hop out and look  back at it. How small and magical is this Datsun world where we can have the actual pace car (1 of 3) and tribute (1 of 50) in the same shop and work on them both. Thanks to Linda for believing in ZCG”

More pictures in the gallery below and…LONG LIVE THE Z!

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Peter Brock will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame tonight at 7:45pm Eastern time. You can watch the live event on the MSHF YouTube Channel or on their Facebook page. Highlights from yesterday’s preview were the unveiling of the Peter Brock display case, which will be on display for one year and the Peter Brock bronze portrait which will be permanently displayed in the MSHF. Our client and friend Randy Jaffe is attending the event and displayed the BRE Datsun 510 and 240Z race cars at the museum:

 

The cars were unveiled for Pete Brock to see:

 

We will have more coverage from the event soon. Please join us in congratulating Pete for this achievement!

 

Pete is best known for designing the 1965 World Champion Cobra Daytona Coupes and for his multi-time national champion Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) Datsun 240Zs and 510s. At GM in the 1950s, Brock helped conceive the shape of the groundbreaking 1959 Corvette Stingray race car and 1963 production model. As Shelby American’s first employee, he ran the Carroll Shelby driving school, penned the Daytona and worked on the Mustang GT-350 street and race cars. After the Datsun years, Brock became a photojournalist and wrote award-winning books on his Daytonas and the Corvette Sting Ray.

 

 

Love for the Z is strong in Northern California as hundreds of enthusiasts visit Z Car Garage to see the 2023 Nissan Z.

 

Z Car Garage opened our shop to the public to see the new Nissan Z sports car on 10/23. This was the first public showing of the new Z in Northern California since its 9/17 Global Reveal in New York.

 

ZCG had several vintage Z cars on display to celebrate the lineage. A representative from Nissan was present to answer questions and it was the perfect opportunity for photography of the new Z. Enjoy our report from the event with plenty of photos and video below.

Two DayZ With The New Z

Although the event was officially on 10/23, we were given the opportunity to spend time with the Z beginning on Friday 10/22. The itinerary:

Friday 1-4pm: Nissan held a media slot with high-profile automotive journalists including Jason Cammisa:

 

Friday  4-6pm: ZCG shop team got to spend some alone-time with the new Z

 

Friday 6-9pm: Private viewing of new Z…

 

An Intimate Setting With the New Z

On Friday evening from 6pm to 9pm we hosted a private viewing of the new Z. Close friends, family and clients of Z Car Garage were able to sit inside the Z and enjoy it without security ropes. We had light refreshments, our famous popcorn machine running and plenty of time to hangout.

 

This was our way of showing gratitude to our clients—while alleviating foot traffic and crowding for the following day’s public viewing. We wanted everyone to have chance to see the Z without wading through a sea of people. Mission accomplished.

   

A Display For Enthusiasts to Enjoy

 

The New Z was the center of attention but make no mistake we wanted give everyone a chance to explore our shop and see some really cool Nissans and Datsuns. More than “just a viewing”…inside the shop we staged our client cars to show a range of old to new. Surrounding the 2023 Z were historically significant Datsun racing 240Z’s, Z32 300ZX’s (tail light inspiration for the new Z), R32 and R35 GT-Rs, S30 VIN# 193 and James’ turbocharged L-Series 240z:

 

IMSA GTU Corner!

 

These two Datsun 240Z race cars are historically significant. The #49 IMSA GTU Z was built and raced by our friend, the late Joel Anderson and the #47 Transcendental Racing IMSA GTU Z was raced by Brad Frisselle (currently owned by Randy Jaffe). Both cars will be racing at the Velocity Invitational Nov. 11-14 at Laguna Seca. Rob Fuller is eager to be in the driver seat again behind the wheel of the #49 IMSA GTU Z. (Below) The BRE Datsun 240Z, also owned by Randy Jaffe:

 

Venturing to the back of the shop, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, and more were on display:

 

The Big Day: Meet The New Z!

 

Saturday’s 10am to 4pm public showing of the Z was a huge success. We had a steady flow of people throughout the day with 400+ attendees enjoying the company of fellow enthusiasts inside and outside the shop.

 

Huge thanks to  Nissan for making Z Car Garage the premier venue for sharing the new Z. It really gave us some 2008 vibes when our shop was chosen to host the first stop on the “Follow The Z” Tour of the then-new 2009 Nissan 370Z:

  

It is hard to capture the energy and vibe of the two-day event so I made this video showing a few highlights: from loading the new Z into the shop, private event, preparing for the public event, parking lots gems and more. Enjoy!

Parking Lot Gems

 

While the spotlight was on the new Z inside the shop there was a constant rotation of cool Nissans and Datsuns outside. We had VIP parking for our clients and anyone with a Nissan or Datsun. A few notables:

Gary’s Datsunworks KN20-powered 240Z:

 

Alex’s Datsun 510 Wagon. This LSX V8-powered Dime will be dyno tuned this week at ZCG! CJ’s 240Z getting our Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles:

 

Jeremy’s ’73 G-Nose 240Z with long-time clients Lou (R32 GT-R) and Craig K (350Z):

 

Rob J’s Series 1 and Jeff B’s 240Z. Jeff recently got some TE37V wheels, full report on this LS-powered Z soon!

 

Kevin’s Z32 and Henry’s 370Z

 

With the shop lot full it made us happy to see attendees finding nearby street parking. Check out this Datsun Violet 710!

 

If parking was difficult to find we had an overflow lot provided by Bay 101 Casino just a short walk away. The lot turned out to be quite useful, though it was only at 30% capacity. We even spotted some Z’s and a B210 in the parking lot!

 

More pictures in the gallery!

 

New and Old Friends

It’s been so long since we could gather in public and mingle with fellow enthusiasts. We treasure our relationships built over the years through Z Car Garage. Many long-time clients visited us and we also met new Z-car fans, all with stories we love to hear.

 

Speaking of friends, fellow racer and client Glenn Chiou and I could not resist taking some photos of our Datsuns next to the new Z 🙂

 

 

Long Live The Passion

 

The 6hr long event came and went too soon! Just before 6pm we were loading up the shop and sending the new Z off when the most amazing thing happened to Rob. You may have seen the motto on our ZCG license plate frames “Performance with Passion”… It’s the passion of enthusiasts that drives us. Jose Magana had just got off work when he heard about our event. He knew he as going to miss it but he took a chance and stopped by the shop anyway. He was lucky as the new Z was still outside, staging to leave:

 

Jose greeted Rob and began telling us all how he got his Datsun 240Z…

“You may not remember me but YOU are the reason why I have this Z! In 2013 I visited your shop with my Dad. I didn’t even have a Z at the time but I remember you were so humble and kind to us. You even let me sit in your race car.”

 

Rob, listening to Jose tell him this story said let’s go inside, and showed him the very same race car that Jose sat it in, the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Z. It was a special moment for Rob, myself, Meghan and Jose. We had to take a picture with Jose. He continued:

“It because of you I saved up enough money to buy my own Datsun Z, and I had to tell you this and how you inspired me, even if I couldn’t make the event on time, so thank you!”

 

We were so overwhelmed with joy. Thank you Jose for your passion and giving us some wonderful inspiration on top of an already incredible weekend.

 

Thank you!

 

Thank you to everyone that made the trip down to Z Car Garage to spend some time with the 2023 Nissan Z.  The outpouring of love on social media about our event and your thoughts on the new Z mean so much to us. We appreciate it deeply.

 

Thanks to Nissan for letting ZCG host the new Z and hanging with us for event. Lastly, none of this would be possible without the help of our small, but invaluable ZCG team including Joshua Corwin, Nick Filip, Rob and Meghan Fuller. The event was an overwhelming success, thoughtfully planned and executed.

 

Please continue to share your thoughts and love for the new Z…it’s a homerun from Nissan and we are excited to see them in the hands of current and next generation Z-car enthusiasts. Don’t forget the photo gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

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Z Car Garage is proud to bring this record-setting 1970 Datsun 240Z Bonneville Salt Flat car back to life for our client Randy Jaffe. In 1976, a team of Nissan employees set out to break the land speed record for the stock body F/GT class. They built this Z in their spare time, setting a new record at Bonneville of 166.037 mph which stood for almost a decade. A monumental achievement considering they had no factory parts support.

 

Join us as we revive this historically-significant Z from its slumber with chassis and engine work. We will also look at the story behind the Salt Flat program, with an exclusive account from Bonneville crew member and former Nissan Parts Manager Tom O’Connor.

History and Acquisition

 

This Datsun 240z set the F/GT class record of 166.037 mph at Bonneville with Nissan USA field engineer Bob Stockman behind the wheel. The old record of 153 mph was held by a Mercedes 300SL. Datsun actually set several records at Bonneville prior to ’76, starting in 1974 with a B-210 Hatchback (121.8mph, driver Mike Jones) and twice in 1975 with a 280Z 2+2 (164.3 mph, driver Milan Micka) and 164.6 mph with Nissan Competition Department head Tom O’Connor.

 

A team of six Nissan USA employees, working in the Nissan Technical Center, Competition Department and Service Departments built the F/GT 240Z. From left to right: Frank Honsowitz, Matt Bornyasz, Milan Micka, Tom O’Connor, Bob Whitehead and Bob Stockman. O’Connor was responsible for building the engine, Micka worked on the suspension and created the paint scheme and graphics. Bob Whitehead, National Service Manager, was the man who originated the Bonneville idea at Nissan USA in 1974. Check out the period, Nissan Employee Newsletter chronicling the Bonneville efforts (PDF) by clicking on this link.

 

Bonneville-As Remembered by Tom O’Connor

How did they do it? We reached out to Bonneville crew member and driver Tom O’Connor to gain insight. The team volunteered time after-hours to build the cars and successfully run them. Tom was a Nissan Parts Manager and also built all of the Bonneville racing engines…their success depended on his skills/knowledge and we thank Tom for this exclusive, first-hand account of the F/GT record-setting effort.

 

Bonneville 1974, 1975, 1976 – As remembered by Tom O’Connor

“The story of the record breaking 240Z in the F/GT class at Bonneville in 1976 really began in 1974. Bob Whitehead the VP of the Technical Engineering and Service Support, a hot rodder and Bonneville fan, approached the employees in his department with the idea of running a Datsun B210 at Bonneville. Several of the employees including myself were currently SCCA club racers and we were all ecstatic about building and racing cars without having to spend our own money. We would have to work on the project after hours but the Datsun Technical Center facility was at our disposal and somehow Bob hid our expenses in his budget. The B210 went 121.8 MPH capturing the I Production class record.”

 

“After this first trip to Bonneville the team realized that it was harder to go fast at Bonneville than we thought. It’s over four thousand feet elevation, the salt and skinny Bonneville tires makes it difficult to get traction, and you only have two miles to get up to speed before entering the timed third mile. If you can go over 200 MPH on the three mile “short course” you can then use the five mile course for your record run. After considering all of this and looking at what classes the Datsun cars could fit into, we came up with the ambitious plan to return the following year with a 280Z 2+2 that was allowed to run as a production car, not a GT car. The plan was to build two different engines, one that would fit into the G Production class and one that would fit into the F Production class. What made this plan so ambitious was that to make a record run you must qualify one day by running the course in one direction and break the existing record for the class. You then come back the next morning to make the official record breaking attempt. This time you run in both directions, the two runs are averaged thus eliminating any advantage or disadvantage a wind would give a one way run.”

 

“Our problem was the number of days available to make two record attempts. Luck was on our side and the weather was perfect, the car passed technical inspection and we went to work changing the engine so we could be back the following day to make our qualifying run for the second record attempt. I was fortunate enough to be the driver for the F Production record. The car was so stable and you are so far from any objects that the sensation of speed is not there, but I became a big believer in aerodynamics when I turned off the engine at 165 MPH and the car slows to 90 MPH in what seems like a second. I really realized how much power it takes to push the air. The 280Z 2+2 broke both the F and G Production records. 164.6 and 164.3 MPH”

 

As soon as they came home, the team started looking at what they would do in 1976. They realized the 240Z that Datsun had loaned to famous cam grinder Racer Brown in 1972 to break the F/GT class record was sitting in a warehouse. The red paint can still be seen under the current livery.

 

Tom recalls preparing the 1970 “Racer Brown” Z for the F/GT class:

“The engine we had built for the G Production class was also the correct displacement for the F/GT class. We installed a “G” nose, added a few tricks we had learned, put the distinctive stars paint job on the car and went back to Bonneville to claim our fourth record in three years. It was great fun and really showcased how much talent was in the Datsun Technical Center in the mid seventies. Some evenings we could have as many as ten guys working on different systems that required their particular talent. I think that it is telling that three of us on the team went on to careers in motorsports. Frank Honsowetz would became the Nissan Motorsports Manager, Max Jones would spend much of his career at Rousch Racing and then become the Competition Director at Ganassi Racing and yours truly would finish out his career as a Competition Manager at TRD. Bob Whitehead would move on to Subaru where he used the same model of using enthusiast employees to build cars that broke records. It was also great, back in the day, to have many old Bonneville racers be so open and generous with their encouragement and suggestions to a group of 20 year olds entering their world.”

Out of the numerous trophies that Tom and the Bonneville team of Nissan employees earned, this one stands out:

“Alvin, this is it!! The trophy from ’76 hung in my shop for years, I don’t even remember how I ended up with it. The plaque was given to each member of the team by Mr. Katayama. I have given these to Randy so they will stay with the car.”

 

“Of course my immediate plans were to get the car mechanically sound with a new race motor and aesthetically get the car as good as it can be! Not until I got the Z back to my shop did I realize after scrutinizing old photos with placed decals on the car that this was same Z raced at Bonneville by the famous cam grinder RACER BROWN out of Virginia where he set the record of 152+ MPH in an orange paint scheme that was still visible in certain places all of the car. I understand at one point the car was ordered to be crushed by Nissan but the Nissan Parts and Competition Team somehow skirted that issue, added the G-Nose, painted the car and put it back on the Flats in 1976 with the record that held up for 9 years.”

 

Z Car Garage Revival

 

Randy shipped the Z from Georgia to our shop in San Jose, CA where we were tasked with bringing it back from its 44-year slumber. We admired the many details throughout the car, all designed and implemented by that famed team of six Nissan employees. This is probably the lowest mileage (not sold to the public) S30 in existence with about 2300 miles on the chassis. Immediately we noticed how preserved and rust-free the chassis and bodywork was for being a Salt Flat racer.

 

As you may recall, the standard front nose was run in Racer Brown trim: The F/GT team added this prominent “Grande Nose” for improved high-speed aerodynamics:

 

The “G-nose” was a factory-made, 5-piece kit made for the JDM-only Fairlady ZG (HS30-H). Created for Group 4 racing, it became a dealer option so it was common to see the G-nose on JDM and export market S30s. Check out the stock ducting:

 

One might expect a full roll cage for a Z car destined to run 166mph…here the stripped interior houses a simple roll bar with integrated headrest. It gets better as the steering wheel and seats are straight from the uber-rare Fairlady Z432R (shown as reference below)!

 

Keen observers may note that the steering wheel is an “Ura Mach” unit. This leather/aluminum steering wheel was an available option to all S30s from Nissan sports/race, with the stock wheel being wood composite made by Izumi. Though available as optional parts, these seats and steering wheel were removed from a 432R and installed on the F/GT car as delivered from Japan by Nissan!

 

Chassis

With respect to the ultra-low mileage of this chassis and provenance we performed a “sympathetic” refresh to make it road-worthy. The entire suspension was removed and powdercoated, with all hardware re-plated. Before/after shots below with more in the gallery.

 

 

We rebuilt and replaced all factory brake components including new calipers, rear drums/shoes+wheel cylinders, new wheel bearings front and rear:

 

New drum brake components:

 

Freshly powdercoated suspension and undercoated chassis:

 

New tie-rods, rack bushings an engine mounts:

 

The tubes inside the original wheel/tire setup were replaced. We built another set of wheels with Vredstein Classic tires in stock size with Mooneyes covers for display.

 

Engine

 

Randy wanted to proudly display this historic vehicle in his collection, but more importantly (also why we love him), he wanted to drive it so people can see and hear the F/GT in action. The stock L24 wasn’t going to cut it, this Z was getting the Jaffe-treatment with a famous engine to give it some go…

 “John Caldwell had just built us a back up race motor for the 46 Z and it was on an engine stand in my shop so I decided that would go in the Salt Flats Z. The original record setting motor was prepared by Tom O’Connor and his team at Nissan but was long gone. The original 1976 raced motor and the Caldwell motor both L28’s were built almost identical with 44mm Mikunis and very high compression so it would be back similar to its 1976 build. A motor was in the car when I got it but it was a 1973 L24 with flat top carbs and it was not plumbed up – just sitting in the engine bay. There was no question that the car would go immediately to Z Car Garage to receive its heart transplant along with an overall inspection to get the Z road worthy and running strong! Rob went thru the brakes, hydraulics and made sure the car was prepared to drive as if it was going back to Bonneville.”

 

We installed the Caldwell-built backup engine that was prepared for the BRE 240Z from The Mitty. Randy purchased a set of ph44 Mikuni’s from ZCG complete with Harada intake, velocity stacks, linkages and Z Car Garage Heat Shield. We tried to replicate as much as we could in the engine bay from period photos and history told by previous team members:

 

More drivetrain goodies. The exhaust system includes a ceramic-coated header and side/rear exit all painted white. The engine is backed by a low mileage 280zx close-ratio 5-speed from Rob’s stash of parts with a JWT aluminum flywheel ad HD clutch.  Power is sent through an R180 with 4.11 gearset complete with new bearings and hardware:

 

New radiator hoses and cooling system refurbished. Notice the large hole in the driver’s side radiator support? This chassis was fitted with a Nissan race carb inlet ducting kit! The fuel system got some love as well with all new lines and refurbished fuel tank. More detailed photos in the gallery:

 

The fuel pump assembly was updated while remaining faithful to original system. Before/After:

 

We hid the hid the MSD box by building a bracket and running the wiring into the engine bay. Inside the cabin we cleaned up gauges and made everything functional:

 

A Museum Piece that Moves!

 

How does the reborn F/GT Salts Flat Z sound and feel to drive!? Randy loves it:

“With a 13.5+ compression L28 race motor and straight pipes – well it’s music to a motorsports guy. The car has such little mileage and had several tricks added by the Nissan team that it drives amazing and is a total visceral experience!”

Photographer and ZCG client Larry Chen visited us and did an in-depth look at the Z on Hoonigan Autofocus. We made this video below complete with a dyno run, driving on the street and a few clips to give you an idea of the Salt Flat Z experience, enjoy!

 

We asked F/GT team member Tom O’Connor what power the Z made to achieve 160mph+ at Bonneville:

“I don’t remember exactly but it was a little over 300. Frank Honsowetz and I have discussed it and he can’t remember either, but 300 was our goal and I remember we beat it. We also can’t remember what diff ratio we used but I remember spending a lot of time with the gear ratio/tire size speed calculators.”

Rob dyno-tuned the Caldwell-built BRE motor, making 254hp/212tq to the wheels, not far off from the 300hp mark of ’76 while making all the right noises! Don’t forget to watch the dyno run in the video above!

 

Salt Flat Z wins at Amelia Concours!

 

Z Car Garage finished reviving the F/GT Salt Flats car and shipped it back to Randy in Georgia, just in time for the Amelia Island Concours. This event, like many Concours gatherings are heavy on Euro/US entries with little Japanese classic representation. Randy mentioned the Z to the guys at Amelia and they accepted it!

“After that first call to Rob I tracked down Tom O’conner in the LA area and he was thrilled to know that the car may run again and was kind enough to take the winning plaques off of his garage wall that were there since 1976 and shipped them to me! I then was talking to guys at Amelia about the Z and they said immediately – we want the car on the grass in 2021. The event is usually in early March but was pushed out until early May because of the Covid restrictions. Tom O’conner and I spoke several times and he said he would like to attend the Concours with his wife Sharon. This was huge to me to reunite the team leader back in the day with this car!”

 

Indeed, it was great to see Tom reunited with the record-breaking Z he was part of.

 

Rob Fuller was also present, meeting several iconic racing legends like Trevor Harris and Peter Brock. Icing on the cake…Randy Jaffe won two awards!

 

What a sight to see (and hear) the Z on the grass of the Concours. Here is a video showing it in action and revving up to accept the award. Randy also talks a bit about the Z:

 

Thank You!

ZCG thanks Randy for his unwavering support. We love your passion Randy and how you wave the flag for Nissan/Datsun history. The Salt Flat Z is in great hands for the next generation to appreciate. Stay tuned readers as we feature another cool Z from Randy’s collection on zcarblog. LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

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On August 17 the new Nissan Z sports car was unveiled in Brooklyn, New York. Z Car Garage was invited to the private event that was live-streamed for global viewing. Rob Fuller experienced the unveiling party and midnight photo shoot with Larry Chen in Times Square, documenting it live via our Instagram and Facebook accounts. Here we’ve included all of our photos and video from the evening for you to enjoy. Long Live the Z!

 

Rob and Larry Chen at the unveiling in Brooklyn. Nissan had a display of heritage models to show off the new Z’s lineage.

 

Rob sat front row for the big reveal. We were surprised to see Cody Walker hop out of the 370Z to present the new Z. Very magical. The Z’s interior and exterior were (not surprisingly) similar to the Z Proto we spent time with back in May . VR30 twin-turbo displayed. Nissan really did deliver.

 

 

The blue paint was spectacular. Rob did a walk through:

 

From the unveiling Rob then joined Larry Chen and the Nissan Crew for a stunning midnight photoshoot in Times Square!

 

Video from the evening:

 

Huge thanks to Dan Passe and Jonathan Buhler of Nissan for making this happen. We had a blast hangin out with Larry and the Hoonigan crew. Super excited to have a shop Z and continue the Z Car passion!

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