Filed under: 240z,Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on November 9, 2023
Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway Starting tomorrow 11/10!. This is a must attend historic racing event for Nissan/Datsun fans with IMSA GTU Z cars, exotics and more to enjoy. Tickets are still available, to purchase simply on click HERE, and read below for a preview.
Z Car Garage Racers
Z Car Garage is excited to be racing in Group 6 (1968 – 1978 IMSA GT Cars), Group 9 (ALMS) and Group 10 (Mini vs Mustang Enduro). Here is a preview:
This very special Porsche is the 2006 FIA European GT3 Championship winning car that was driven by Sean Edwards. It is a 997 GT3 Cup S Prototype and Kenny Tse will be racing it in Group 9 (ALMS). Listen to this car on the Z Car Garage dyno below!
#78 IMSA Porsche 911
Z Car Garage is preparing and providing trackside race support for our client Kelvin Tse and his IMSA Porsche 911, running with the Z cars in Group 6:
Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou will be racing 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.
Race schedule:
This is a wonderful event for the whole family, check out our report from last year’s 2022 Velocity Invitational. Z you at Sonoma Raceway November 10-12!
Join us for the 2023 Vintage Racing Season!
Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Here is list of events we will be attending in 2023, including CSRG and SVRA . Please join us!
March
March 3rd to the 5th SVRA Thunderhill
March 24 to 26th CRSG Sonoma
April
April 27th to 30th SVRA Sonoma
May
May 4th to 7th SVRA Laguna Seca
June
June 23rd to 25th CSRG Laguna Seca
August
August 12-13 Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Filed under: Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 9:11 pm on September 20, 2023
“If it’s not the Z car, let it be the P car!” It’s no secret that Z Car Garage is a big fan of Porsche and we are excited to attend Rennsport Reunion 7, taking place September 28th-October 1st, 2023 at Laguna Seca.
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of Porsche and we can’t wait to join the world’s largest gathering of Porsche fans as they celebrate their love for cars, music, culture and community in Monterey, California. Z Car Garage will be providing race support for our client Kelvin Tse’s IMSA Porsche 911, racing in Group 3: The Eifel Trophy.
Please stop by the paddock say hello, we will be there all weekend at the RENNSPORT REUNION 7!
Join us for the 2023 Vintage Racing Season!
Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Here is list of events we will be attending in 2023, including CSRG and SVRA . Please join us!
March
March 3rd to the 5th SVRA Thunderhill
March 24 to 26th CRSG Sonoma
April
April 27th to 30th SVRA Sonoma
May
May 4th to 7th SVRA Laguna Seca
June
June 23rd to 25th CSRG Laguna Seca
August
August 12-13 Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Filed under: 240z,Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on January 17, 2022
Dear Zcarblog readers, it’s been a busy year and we are catching up on blog posts, so please enjoy our belated race report from November 2021.
WE LOVE RACING! On November 11-14 we attended the Velocity Invitational at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting several client’s IMSA GTU Z cars running in Group 7A (1966-1977 IMSA GT). This vintage racing event was just as fun for spectators with a friendly, immersive vibe. Enjoy our report from the weekend with photos and in-car video of the action.
Photo by Larry Chen
Z Car Garage IMSA Race Car Support!
If you missed our earlier post, we prepared and supported three IMSA race cars for the Velocity Invitational (VI). Here’s a quick review:
We supported our client Randy Jaffe who recently acquired the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z. This famous 1976 IMSA-GTU Championship-winning 240z will be driven by ex-driver Brad Frisselle’s son, Brian Frisselle. Randy recently had the Z re-painted by William with correct graphics and hand-applied livery by the Real Ralph.
#93 Different Drummer Racing Datsun 260Z
Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z. Glenn built and prepared this race car by himself, ZCG simply dyno-tuned it prior to race week.
Ready for some L-series music from these historic race cars on the dyno? Check out the video below and turn those speakers up!
We also prepared our client Kelvin Tse’s Porsche 911 RSR, because if it’s not the Z-car, it’s the P-car!
Epic Racing With Group 7
Photo by Kristina Cilia
Group 7’s IMSA GT and FIA race cars (1966 and 1977) was dominated by big-power Porsche 911 RSRs with a few BMS CSLs and 4 S30 Datsuns. Speaking of powerful Porsche’s, the organizers did not allow turbocharged cars to run so we thought an NA motor race would make things interesting. Read more about Group 7 here with driver Jeff Francis in Larry Oka’s 1970 Ex-Glemik IMSA Datsun 240Z (#54):
Friday’s qualifying race was eventful. Rob and Brian Frisselle were doing well and putting down some great lap times. Unfortunately, a Porsche oiled down the track between turns 4 and 5 and both Z cars skidded off the track. They recovered under their own power but the Frisselle Z sustained minor body damage from hitting the tire barrier. Good news: Glenn, Jeff and John Murray avoided the mess and Rob Fuller qualified on Pole Position!
Racing in to the Night
Saturday’s Group 7 would start at dusk, a rare exhibition for both drivers and spectators. I zipped up to my favorite vantage point at Turn 6 to catch the sunset. Auxillary lights were placed at each apex and few cars had headlights of their own to navigate the evening’s race. It was magical to watch. Here is Rob Fuller re-capping his sessions from the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z:
“We had a great first session, made some adjustments to the cars and clicked-off good times. The qualifier was pretty scary as I lost control from a Porsche’s oil spill but I made it out ok. Brian Frisselle is an ex-IMSA professional driver and he safely negotiated the oil slick, avoiding a potentially severe impact with the sitting Porsche and softly hitting the tire barrier. I was surprised to make Pole-Position. Saturday’s evening race was intense. Though I started on Pole, by Turn 2 the Porsche gapped me 3-4 car lengths…
…We were racing our Datsuns with skilled drivers like Ned Bacon, Alan Terpins, and Martin Lauber in their multi-million $ Porsches. I was able to hold on to 2nd place, trying hard to reel Ned in but caution struck again, another Porsche had oiled down the track between Turn 5-6. Now its really dark and I’m trying to stay with Ned then I see these lights coming up hard on me and I know it’s Terpins. Tried to defend but he got around me. Honored to be amongst these guys who never let up. We finished the race in 3rd place.”
Enjoy this video we made highlighting the Group 7 races with in-car, Turn 6 and Goodwood livestream footage mixed in. Volume up!
You can see full, in-car footage from Rob in the#49 Joel Anderson IMSA 240Z over on his YouTube Channel, check out the Qualifying and Saturday Evening sessions. Here is Rob recapping the Sunday race from Group 7:
“Final race was midday with plenty of sunshine. Frisselle started 4th. Three lead Porsches took off, while Brian and I battled for P4. He then got around me and we both enjoyed the magic of driving our IMSA cars. Drivers around me were in expensive machines giving it 100%. Really happy to see 4 Datsuns in top 10 places. Honorable mention to John Murray (narrow body 260Z), Glenn Chiou did a really good job (Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z) and Jeff Francis (Ex-Glenn Klemik IMSA Z).“
Joel Would Be Proud
You might recall the story behind this special, 1972 IMSA GTU 240z as it was owned, built and raced in the 70’s by none other than Joel Anderson. ZCG restored #49 back to its former glory and it debuted at RMMR 2014. John Morton would drive #49 at RMMR 2015. Rob Fuller would drive #49 for the first time at the RMMR 2018. Joel was present at all of those events but sadly passed away March 2021 and we miss him dearly.
“This was unbelievable…driving the Z without Joel around was so emotional. Thinking about the fact that all of the vintage race support and seat time we have is all because we met Joel. He taught us how to be racers. His memory was shared by us all at the race.”
Privateer Spirit
Photo by Larry Chen
Our friend and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z. It’s worth noting that not unlike privateers of the period, Glenn builds his Z cars, maintains and manages his racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his work ethic.
A Fan-Friendly Race Event
Photo by Kevin Ehrlich
Formerly known as the Sonoma Speed Festival (2019), the Velocity Invitational re-imagined the vintage race experience with a Goodwood-inspired vibe. One of the best experiences for spectators is the paddock and organizers made access to drivers and their machines seamless. Fans could get up close and personal with race cars without the typical ropes or 45-foot RVs in the way. It was a dream come true for me to share vintage racing with my family, they loved it!
The hot pit area where all run groups stage before heading out to the track is an amazing place to be. Typically, access is only granted to pit crews and media. At the Velocity Invitational however, organizers staged a “false grid” where any spectator could walk amongst the race cars. Our family loved the artificial turf and hay bale seating lining the grid:
Though the fresh format was immediately enjoyable for spectators, it did come as a surprise to drivers and race teams. Rob’s initial reaction was met with eventual praise:
“Upon arrival to ‘Seca we knew this was going to be a different kind of event. All race cars were displayed together under white tents in the paddock for a Goodwood-like experience. It allowed spectators to see all cars within each race group but it was challenging for the team as our tools and support vehicles are usually near us. Initially we were intimidated but got the hang of it with just our essentials. The layout encouraged interaction and it was super fun to meet other racers, new folks and see old friends. Kudos to the organizers for doing something new and absolutely knocking it out of the park!”
Enjoy this video we made showcasing the sights and sounds of the Velocity Invitational. Rob Fuller gets interviewed by the Goodwood Livestream just before the evening race, and I included the lineup from my favorite vintage race group (other than IMSA), the Trans Am cars!
If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out Goodwood’s live streaming coverage Day one and Day Two.
Paddock Finds
At each corner there was something special in the paddock to see like exotics, Muscle Cars, personal sports cars and even Ragtime racers. The paddock never disappoints. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery! Where else can you see a brace of McLaren Speedtails, Lamborghini Mirua, Mercedes Benz 300 SLR and Lotus Cortina in one place!
Exotics abound with Bugatti and McLaren hypercars:
Really excited to spot this Datsun 240Z in the car corral…it is Z Car Garage client Matt K. Full report soon on this pretty Z car that features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!
We have more photos in the gallery below. ZCG would like to thank the following photographers for sending us photos from the event, you can click on their name to see their photo albums or Instagram handles: Kristina Cilia, Larry Chen, Pall Kornmayer, Todd Lapin, PnutProductions and Paul and Ann Devor, enjoy!
ZCG Race Crew
Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including the Corwins, Meghan, Nick and Josh. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!
RADWOOD
Photo by Pall Kornmayer
The weekend of racing also included the popular RADWOOD car show. On Saturday and Sunday they are took over the famous island in the center of all the action at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca with a curated display of 50 of the most iconic, unique, and RADical rides of the era. Check out ZCG client Pall Kornmayer’s coverage in his photo album HERE:
People
We enjoyed spending time with friends and meeting new folks. The Velocity Invitational really helped create such a friendly atmosphere. Below: Larry Chen, Randy Jaffe with Brian Frisselle. Rob, Anna, Randy Jaffe, Brian Frisselle and his Dad Brad Frisselle. Brad is the original builder/racer of the Transcendental Racing IMSA GTU 240z!
Racing Legend John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson were both present and having a blast. Yes, that’s Jim Froula of Racecraft photo-bombing us in back:
Meghan sporting the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU livery shirt. More pictures in the gallery below!
Racing into 2022!
Z Car Garage is amped for this year’s race season. Here is list of events we will be attending. Please join us!
April
4/1-3 Sonoma with CSRG
4/21-24 Laguna with SVRA
4/28-5/2 Sonoma with SVRA
May
5/21-22 Laguna with CSRG
August
8/13-14 Laguna with HSR Pre Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)
8/17-20 Laguna with HSR Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)
October
9/30-10/2 Sonoma with CSRG Charity Challenge
9/13-16 Laguna VI
November
11/4-6 Thunderhill with CSRG
Thank you Velocity Invitational for an incredible event. We look forward to running with you again! LONG LIVE THE Z!
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!
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!
This 1971 Datsun 240Z has a long history with Z Car Garage. We have known owner Rob J since the early 90s, having worked on his previous Z cars, and with a few ZCG touches this Series 1 continues to impress. Let’s take a look at how Rob J got into Z cars and what makes this one special.
Datsun Z Family
When Rob J was a kid, his dad bought a 1971 Z (photo below) and used to cruise the Santa Cruz mountain roads with Mom in the passenger seat and his two brothers and him sitting on the luggage deck with their feet tucked under the seats:
“His idea of fun was to chuck the car into turns on Hwy 9 or Skyline Blvd – causing the 3 of us to squish into each other with the G-forces. I fell in love with the look and sound of that car when I was 5 years old and was determined to have one of my own. When I was about to turn 16, my brother crashed that car and Dad sold off the wreck, so I never got to drive it. Nothing “sets the hook” like being deprived of something you really want and I bought my first 240Z as soon as I could save up the $3500 that decent cars were going for in the 80s. I’ve had Zs ever since”
His first car was a ’71 that was stolen and crashed beyond recovery by thieves. The second, an Iris Blue ’72 (above right), was his daily driver for more than a decade and gradually benefited from ZCG upgrades. When Rob J had the opportunity to buy Paul Hooks’ S30 he sold the Iris Blue Z car to Tony K.
“When Rob Fuller first came to California to work on Datsuns, we had a regular gang of Z drivers going to track days together. The illustrious Paul Hooks was a fellow track nut and this Z was his car. He had done his restoration and modifications the right way – as a closely spaced series of coordinated upgrades using the best gear available, and the car always impressed me with flat cornering, powerful breaks, and that throaty 3.1ltr engine. So when I eventually had an opportunity to buy it from him, I jumped. “
Rob J with the Z he’s longed for:
Performance to Stand the Test of Time
Paul Hook’s Z was built in the late 90s/early 2000s, so it has the very same 3.1L L-Series engine with triple-Mikuni induction backed by a 280zx 5-speed and R180 LSD. Period suspension upgrades included 5-way Tokicos w/Eibach springs, ST f/r sway bars and sticky Advan A032R tires (remember those?!). The interior has a roll bar with harnesses, Recaro seats and rear strut tower bar.
The ethos of this build was centered around open track day events that Paul enjoyed. Increased braking performance was achieved through a 4-wheel Porsche 911 Turbo “Big Red” caliper brake kit. It works pretty well, but not as well as our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes with respect to pedal feel/un sprung weight…all benefits from our years of experience and collaboration with Stoptech engineers.
What makes this Z special? It was built in a period where Z cars were not deemed “collectible” or valuable yet. Despite this, we were building high-end Z cars that performed really well on the street and track. Perform on track indeed; for a car built nearly three decades ago Paul’s vision and execution is impressive. He was a track hound and this Z was his tool of choice, calling routine track days “high-speed mediation”.
This ’71 being a Series 1 offers the lightest S30 chassis and paired with 191whp (modest by today’s standards) from the 3.1L it’s tremendously rewarding. It makes all the right noises too, just listen to Paul blasting down the front straight at Thunderhill Raceway (video below) in both rain/dry conditions!
Mini Z
Paul’s Z was special to many, including myself. It was “the one” in my eyes seeing how it did everything well from track days to cruising around…the epitome of balance in the S30 chassis. I admired it so much that I made a 1/24 scale model replica with loads of details based on hundreds of photos I accumulated over the years. In 2008 while attending a ZCG Dyno Day I finally presented the model to Paul. More pictures in the gallery below!
Updates and Upgrades
So what does this already well-sorted Z need? We discussed a list of needs/wants with Rob J…including sticky tires, new exhaust system to ZCG-spec, and a transmission upgrade. The aged Hankook R-S3s were replaced with Bridgstone RE-71R in 225/50/16 over those classy Panasports:
The 280ZX close-ratio gearbox that Paul had was getting old and noisy. At the time we were doing Nissan KA24 (FS5W71C) transmission swaps (before the CD009a came to market) by modifying a 280Z L-series bell housing. You can see the custom ZCG transmission mount below.
A JWT heavy duty clutch and Z32 shift knob finish the swap in style.
The Z had a really old-school Crane HI ignition components. We updated to run the MSD box so Rob could tune the car and extract a little more power. The exhaust was replaced with our ZCG exhaust system and a Koyo race radiator installed.
Rob J was happy with the updates:
“Recently, I took my car into the shop for an exhaust system upgrade and electrical system maintenance. What I got back was a different car entirely! Rob and the crew replaced my old school exhaust, which was frankly an eyesore, with ZcarGarage’s current system, which is expertly tucked up into the undercarriage and finally really looks the part. The exhaust isn’t louder, but it’s more sonorous and less tinny sounding. I love it.”
Dyno Tuning
It has been many years since this Z had been on our dyno. We adjusted the valves, set timing, sync’d carbs and re-jetted them for the new exhaust. Baseline was 198hp/194tq and after Rob’s tuning the Z made 222hp/213tq at the wheels. More power even after all these years this Z does not disappoint!
Power gains you can feel!
“The improvements are awesome: approximately 25 more HPs and 19FtLbs and much smoother power delivery. The car leaps down the road when you mash the throttle and no longer stumbles when rolling into the throttle from cruising RPMs. The car was fun before and now is just crazy fun.”
Enjoy the dyno video below as well as some historic footage of this Z in action. Volume up!
Enjoying The Ride
We love how Rob J is enjoying his Z, just as Paul Hooks did. Rob has attended many events and fun runs and I still can’t take my eyes off this Z! In case you are wondering, his plate reads “Kenjuru” to note the martial arts he practices 🙂
Below are just a few of the great times we’ve enjoyed with Rob J and his ’71 Z:
“This 240Z is a late Series 1 manufactured in December 1970, so it’s not a low VIN car (17,XXX) and I don’t feel any pressure to restore it to stock. Instead, we’ll keep upgrading the go-fast options while keeping a vintage look. I truly love driving this car on the street and the occasional track day and I love doing both with other Z Datsun enthusiasts.”
Thank you Rob J for supporting us and being in our life. We are so happy you found the right Z and ZCG will always be your home! DO IT IN A DATSUN
