WE LOVE RACING! Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the 21st Charity Challenge at Sonoma Raceway on September 13-15. Z Car Garage raced and supported several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in the B-Sedan Group (John Morton Cup). Everyone had a blast, enjoy our race report with in-car video and photos below.

  

Z Car Garage Supports Six Cars!

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services 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:

Roll-call for the 6 ZCG-supported cars racing at the Charity Challenge…

#64 Kenny Tse

  

#98 Kelly M

#6 and #30 Noah’s Bluebird and BMW 2002

#7 Rob Fuller

The Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car was driven by Tom Dockery!

    

Group 3 B-Sedan Races

Rob recaps the Charity Challenge races from Group 3: B-Sedan and John Morton Cup…

“Over the last 21 years, CSRG has raised money for children’s charities and every Fall Z Car Garage tries to attend their main event, the Charity Challenge. In the B-Sedan group we were happy to support Ross Lindell in the historic Randy Pobst Miata, Kelly M in his 510, Noah debuting the Bluebird, Kenny in the #64 Dragonetti 510, Tom Dockery achieved a Personal Best lap time in the BADD 510 and Danny ran the BMW 2002. Everyone had a great time.”

   

“Noah went right to work and really felt comfortable with the Bluebird. We had made some changes like tightening up the front end and final drive to work with our NorCal tracks here. The 2002 was flawless with the issues we sorted prior. Kelly M’s logged some good laps but unfortunately had an oiling issue and didn’t finish the weekend. The Miatas were also able to be in the mix in Group 3.”

 

Enjoy this in-car videos from the Group 3 Race with Tom Dockery in the BADD 510…watch out for the close-call at the end of the first lap…

TOM: How can anyone turn down an offer to drive the Bay Area Datsun 510 at another CSRG event? You simply can’t. And it’s even harder to refuse when the deal includes coaching from Rob and track support from Josh, Cooper, and Keith. My Friday and Saturday practice and qualifying sessions were both fun and a bit frustrating. I found myself blaming slower traffic for not being able to fully unlock the car’s potential. Sunday morning, Rob and I reviewed my video footage, and he pointed out two key things: first, being too polite on the track doesn’t win races, and second, the car thrives at 8,000 rpm—so push it there. Between races, I also sat in on a video chat between Rob and Kenny that was packed with helpful insights. The result? Sunday’s two races saw me shaving 3-4 seconds off my lap times and finishing several spots higher than where I started. All in all, it was an amazing experience with the ZCG crew—Rob, Meghan, and the rest of the ZCG racing team.

 

Z Car Garage was happy to have our 2023 Nissan Z as Official Pace Car at the Charity Challenge.

 

Enjoy the sights and sounds from the paddock at the CSRG event:

Vintage Spec Miata

 

The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. Rob Fuller raced Lora Baggott’s Spec Miata.

It was cool to see Randy Pobst’s first National Championship-winning Miata (1992), currently owned by Ross Lindell. If you have any questions regarding prep and presentation, reach out to Rob Fuller: rob@zcargarage.com.

  

 

Thank You!

The Charity Challenge was fun with the usual group of folks, Oliver, Meghan, lots of snacks and good times. The ZCG crew kept all of us safe and on the track to enjoy the weekend, shoutout to Cooper and Josh! Another highlight was the dinner/auction at the Turn 11 clubhouse. Excited for next year’s event! Huge shoutout and thank you to our star photographer Meghan Fuller for capturing all of the paddock and track photos in the gallery below.

 

The racing continues! We are racing at Sonoma again for the Velocity Invitational October 4-6.

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.

 

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Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning of vintage cars and this includes non-Nissan/Datsun classics. From establishing a baseline on street cars to preparing race cars for high-profile events we love helping each client achieve the best performance possible. Geoff W’s 1972 BMW 2002 came to Z Car Garage for a dyno tuning session with fantastic results.

 

Geoff is a friend of the shop with a great story behind his love for all things engineering and automotive. Let’s hear how he got into cars and acquired the BMW 2002…

Generations of Car Enthusiasts

 

“My father owned Formula Fords growing up and has owned a Lotus Elan since 1977; we spent a lot of time in the garage together in my formative years. I was exposed at a young age to AutoX and vintage racing I distinctly remember falling in love with Lotus Sevens and B-sedan cars. When I was of driving age, I purchased a 1985 Mk1 Toyota Mr2 (Chassis code AW11) and began to do a lot of track days and AutoX. This eventually led to another 4age powered car: The Toyota Corolla GTS (Chassis code AE86). I was going to college in southern California at the time and was involved with Club4ag.com which started holding drift day events. This was before professional organizations such as Formula D came about.”

 

“As a poor college kid, I started working drift events and track days in exchange for track time. I eventually became an instructor and won one of the earliest US drifting competitions in my largely-stock, daily-driver Corolla. After school, I bought a Caterham 7 Super Sprint, and while it was fun, it was never quite the original Lotus Seven I pined for. I eventually sold all of my “fun cars” to fund a house purchase in San Jose. After a few years, I finally acquired my Lotus Seven in 2013 as a tired vintage race car from Texas. I built a road-going motor and installed a synchromesh transmission for the car and finally got it running a year later.”

 

“I’ve been enjoying driving and developing it in the years since. Alvin from Z Car Garage and I met a few years after this car was finished and we became fast friends. Some of my best memories with this car have been spent driving in the mountains surrounding San Jose with Alvin. I’ve done a few vintage car rallies and been on track with it, but I eventually would like to do some vintage racing.” (See Geoff’s Lotus 7 in this excellent Petrolicious feature HERE)

 

The Inka Orange 1972 BMW 2002

“In 2018, I sought out a B-sedan road car to take on vintage car rallies and have something fun to drive in inclement weather. Alfa GTV’s, Datsun 510’s were out of my price range and I couldn’t find any Mk1 Ford Escorts/Cortinas for sale. I began looking at BMW 2002’s; I especially liked them in bright/interesting colors popular in the early 70’s.”

“When I bought this car, the previous owner didn’t know much about the engine. It had a pair of Weber 40dcoe’s, ran well, and seemed to feel like other stock bmw 2002s I had driven. I haven’t made many changes to the car, but did locate and install a set of rare and period correct Campagnolo wheels. Earlier this year, I found and purchased a Mk1 Cortina and I was going to sell the BMW 2002 because it wasn’t as exciting to drive.”

 

Dyno Tuning

 

The 2002 baselined at 99hp/114tq and after tuning put down 129hp/127tq at the wheels! Let’s hear from Rob…

ROB: “Being around so many B-Sedan race cars I wanted to see what all the hype was surrounding the BMW 2002. I started talking with Geoff about trading one of my S30 Z cars for his BMW. He kindly lent it to me, and I drove it to the Monterey Historics to root on our friend Jim Huff in his Neu Klasse BMW. First impressions were that it was anemic and the dyno confirmed this. Full-throttle was compromised so it needed throttle-linkage adjustment plus timing and jetting. It really came alive making great power…“

 

Enjoy the video below to see Geoff’s BMW on the dyno, test driving with Rob and enjoying a few road rallies:

Hold on to that 2002!

 

Rob and Geoff recall how they felt about the 2002 post dyno tuning and test driving:

ROB: “With +30hp/13tq this BMW was born again, and man did I like the German 510. Love the visibility, greenhouse, seats, thud of the door closing. Despite being a die-hard Datsun 510 guy I really dug the 2002. Enjoyed it so much that I thought maybe this was going to be my first German car. I drove it, Meghan drove it, and just as I was getting excited, (un)fortunately Geoff finally drove it…our improvements to the car convinced him to keep the 2002.”

 

GEOFF: “I hadn’t even considered having it tuned, but Rob suggested giving it a try. When I drove the car after Z Car Garage worked their magic, I was absolutely floored. It is a completely different car now, gaining 30 horsepower and this was not the “stock” 2002 I had assumed it to be. I’m absolutely kicking myself I didn’t have it tuned by Rob earlier. Needless to say, I am no longer interested in selling it. I feel like I’m experiencing a whole new car I cannot thank Z Car Garage enough!”

On Datsuns:

 

We introduced Geoff to the magic of the Datsun S30 Z car after joining him on local mountain drives and rallies. He gets it…

GEOFF: “Being around the shop, I have an even stronger strong appreciation for both 510’s and Z cars. I was recently given the opportunity to drive Mrs. Butters and was completely blown away by the Z Car Garage Big Brakes. I have never felt brakes like that on a vintage car; they’re more impressive than most modern cars! The sound of that L-series on triple Mikuni’s is absolutely intoxicating. While I’ve always preferred smaller/lighter 4 cylinder cars, a S30 tuned like Mrs. Butters is definitely on my short-list of next cars to own. It also helps to have a reputable shop so familiar with these cars in the area!”

 

Friendship

ALVIN: “It really is a small word. Geoff and I both work at the same company and didn’t meet until we saw our beloved vintage cars featured in Petrolicious. Since then we’ve enjoyed Bay Area backroads and beyond. Good times from running rallies with Driving While Awesome, to attending race events and weekend blasts. Geoff is truly someone I’d wish I had known earlier in life. Here’s to more memories and drives.”

 

Just a few events we have enjoyed with Geoff over the years, with more photos in the gallery below:

EVENTS: Cars and Coffee with Driving While Awesome!

EVENTS: Super Drive Sunday

EVENTS: DWA Rally From Home South

 

ROB: “Happy to help Geoff sort out his BMW. He’s such a great car enthusiast and friend to the shop, myself and Alvin. Wonderful 2002. B-Sedans are not just Datsun 510s, they are in the form of BMWs, Alfas and other marques!”

Dyno tuning for your vintage car

 

Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning vintage/classic street and race cars. Here is just a sample of the variety: (above) Team TRUST Porsche 962 from Canepa, Toyota Celica GTO, DeKon Monza, Shelby Mustang and more. Contact Rob at the shop to schedule your dyno session!

 

 

 

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On Sunday 6/13 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 however, I ran solo in my Datsun Roadster straight to the venue in front of the Old Wrigley Building.

 

It’s smart to arrive before 8:30am to grab a shaded parking spot and coffee/donuts (thanks DWA!) before they run out. The event is so close to downtown Santa Cruz and HWY 1 I invited my family to enjoy the cars and visit our favorite beach afterwards.

 

Mandatory Nissan/Datsun

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

 

There were a three Datsun 510 wagons and one 510 2-door! This is Mark G’s 510, a client we’ve been lucky to work with, you can see more details about his Dime HERE

 

 

Our very own Nick F. in his 1972 510 wagon on SSR wheels:

 

Ray’s Hakosuka Skyline, now sporting  our Z Car Garage CV Axles! We look forward to seeing Ray for more upgrades on this already stunning Skyline that gets driven everywhere:

 

Pall’s R32 Skyline in (AH3) Pearl Red. Pall K acquired this Pearl Red (AH3) R32 from our friend Sean and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. We love the gorgeous paint color and Volk TE37SLs. He is also a ZCG client!

 

Todd’s R32 Skyline GTS-T. I just saw him on the Breakfast Club Rally yesterday!

 

Another ZCG client, Eric’s Infiniti FX35 sporting upgraded suspension and R35 GT-R wheels.

 

350Z and G37 sedan on Z34 wheels:

 

I counted five (!) Nissan 240SX in both S13 and S14 trim. This S13 was my favorite:

 

 

S14 with “Silvia” badging:

 

Lone Z32 (NA), Q45 and a bagged Q60:

   

In Search of J-Tin

Morning Motors did not disappoint if you are Japanese Classic fans. Honda S800:

  

NA Miatas!

  

 

EG Civic, EM1 Civic Si and S2000 CR:

  

90’s icons…Supra and NSX and FD RX-7 (on FIKSE 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. Rosso Dino 246:

 

308, 4C and Chris’ “Rat Alfa” GTV:

 

Spotted my first, local Porsche 911 by Singer. It was impressive with so many details to enjoy:

 

 

Sweet 993 C2S with sexy multi-piece Turbo Twists:

 

 

Naveed’s new 964 911 GT3 RS (991)

  

A trio of cool BMW 2002s, one powered by an M20 6-cylinder!:

  

American Muscle

From 60’s to 80’s. Mike Garret’s familiar purple Mopar with late-model drivetrain and really wild Plymouth Fury race car tribute:

 

Eclectic

  

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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On Sunday I joined a group of vintage sedans for the Super Drive event in Pacifica, CA.  Now in its 16th year, SuperDrive Sunday is a single day road rally open to any and all vintage vehicles. Our friend Geoff assembled a group of classic cars I couldn’t help resist calling the “B-sedan Squad”. These models were competing in the heated vintage race groups of the late 60’s/70’s: I drove Rob Fuller’s 1971 Datsun 510, Geoff in his Inka BMW 2002, Cameron in a BMW Neue Klasse 1800, Ramon and Chris in their Alfa Romeo Berlina 1750/2000, and Diego in the E30. We left San Jose headed to Sea Bowl via 280N:

 

Rob’s Datsun 510 with S13 SR20DET sporting Go-Green paint and 14″ Panasports:

Euro Vibes

 

The scene at the pre-rally gathering was filled with cool cars, mostly Euro/Italian. I’m always on the hunt for Japanese metal and spotted an S30, ITR and Mitsubishi 3000GT. I was the lone Datsun 510.

 

There were at least 9 Alfa Romeo Berlina/Giulia sedans of all years. These are very pretty, capable vintage saloons. Many Alfa GTVs and Giulia Spiders:

 

More cool cars, some I’ve never seen before. like this Fiat Abarth 750 “Double-Bubble”:

  

A few familiar favorites:

 

 

Rad wheels abound too!

 

More pictures in the gallery, enjoy this short video:

 

Let’s Drive!

 

The group left Sea Bowl and headed south on scenic HWY1 with great weather and good company. Geoff and I split off from HWY 1 for a blast up Tunitas up to 35/Skyline. This was a fun stretch and I had to focus and keep the 510’s boost in check through the twisty bits!

 

From 35 we made a quick stop at Alice’s Restaurant. It was pleasant to see everyone enjoying their cars. We even ran into our friends like Naveed and met Alex, organizer of the Berkeley Cars and Coffee.

 

Alex (in his Berlina) joined myself, Chris and Geoff for a stretch down HWy 9 to Boulder Creek.

 

 

From Boulder Creek we ended the trip with a drive to 17 via Bear Creek Rd. This is a very technical section, again mostly free of traffic so we could have fun! All had a great time and I highly recommend getting out next Super Bowl Sunday to Super Drive! #DOITINADATSUN

More pictures in the gallery below!
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