On August 7-9, the Historic Motorsports Association (HMSA) hosted Driver Appreciation Weekend at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage was fortunate to participate and support several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 8. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with exclusive in-car footage and photos from the ever-impressive paddock!

 

The Race Must Go On!

 

In the midst of this pandemic, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (RMMR) event was cancelled. More commonly known as the “historics” at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, this epic vintage race is part of several events occupying the week-long Monterey car festival leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours, which was also cancelled. So how were we able to race at Laguna Seca? Rob Fuller explains…

 

….”When HMSA announced a “Driver Appreciation Weekend” in August I immediately spoke with Barry at Laguna Seca to request a race group for B-Sedans. We made a case for the ask: our cars have raced with SVRA, CSRG and it’s a fun group to watch. Barry agreed. Glenn Chiou (racer and ambassador of vintage racing) put in hard work and rallied everyone he knew with a B-Sedan car, from both the John Morton Cup and the Historic B&C Sedan class. We had seventeen Datsun 510s plus a bunch of Alfas and BMWs.”

 

 

So despite the RMMR cancellation, on what would have been the “Pre-Historics” weekend we had an amazing time racing at Laguna Seca with HMSA. Troy Ermish transported our two customer cars and we towed our own car down Friday 8/7. Check-in and registration at the track was a breeze. Volunteers and workers from SCCA, HMSA, and ‘Seca did an incredible job making sure the event was safe. If you can imagine it, the Driver Appreciation weekend was very close to the past RMMR events, only with folks wearing masks and distancing. Make no mistake, there were clearly smiles behind those masks and joy visible in everyone’s eyes…this is the racing we all live for!

 

Z Car Garage Supports Four Datsun 510s!

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do 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. Below is a video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Kelvin and Randy’s) on the dyno prior to the Driver Appreciation weekend. Enjoy the sweet L-series music!

 

510s Galore!

With seventeen Datsun 510s in Group 8 it was a Dime-lover’s dream to be in the paddock and watch the races. Although the event did not allow spectators, we’ve got you covered! Here is a video showing all the 510s running, with action from our paddock, starting grid and Turn 6. Turn those speakers up and enjoy!

 

Let’s take a look at the Datsun 510s that we supported:

#7 Kelvin

 

Beginning with our customers, Kelvin had a really successful race weekend at the CSRG David Love Vintqge Races in Sonoma back in July. Unfortunately at ‘Seca his engine failed after a short time on track.  Stay tuned for a full report and enjoy these closer shots of Kelvin’s beautiful 510:

 

#72 Tom Dockery

Tom Dockery drove his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510. This car made its debut in May 2019 and we are excited to share its full story and profile Tom’s journey into racing soon.

Tom had a blast here are his thoughts on the race weekend:

“I would have NEVER imagined I would be so comfortable putting on my racing gear a long side John Morton let alone line up beside him on grid.  The man is a true steward of the game. The event bought me new comfort for Laguna Seca. The was part Rob coaching, part the caliber of the B-Sedan drivers and the bond between B-Sedan drivers. This was my first weekend on Fresh Hoosier R7 tires, what a difference! I am still not completely comfortable in the car. We have made changes at every race to get me there.  Every change and improvement. But I now need to make some big changes to get the seat in the right spot. The ZCar Garage Team was on top of everything. Thanks to Keith, Nick and Josh!”

 

“I was on my second outing with fresh R7’s …. what a difference. But the magic was the grid. The 5 five guys for the morning session which included Troy, Rob, Taz, Steve and the other BMW with Jim, got the organizers to grid them at the back. The resulting first two laps was nuts. So even though I was getting my butt kicked there was lots of action.”

 

 

#21 John Morton

Our hero John Morton drove Randy Jaffe’s Newport Datsun 510. This car was owned by Glenn Chiou (Ermish-built).

 

After Glenn sold the car we helped Randy ship it to his hometown in Georgia. Randy is a huge motorsports fan and really admires John Morton so he had the 510 shipped back to ZCG in July to run the Driver Appreciation event. At the shop we dyno’d and prepped the car for John Morton to race:

 

It was great to see Randy’s touches added to the 510. On race weekend John Morton, even at age 78, remained competitive in the Group 8 field.

      Here is in-car video of John Morton driving the #21 Newport Datsun 510:

#7 Rob Fuller

With the assistance of ZCG crew Josh, Nick and Keith we also supported ZCG owner Rob Fuller in the Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car:

 

Rob performed admirably with a fastest time of 1:44.6

    

You can see in-car footage of Rob below, and note the reverse-style starting grid where the front runners were placed in the back to begin!

Catch more of Rob’s sessions on his Youtube Channel and here is a great video with multiple angles showing Rob battling with Steve Walker (BMW 2002):

 

510 Friends!

Many notable Datsun 510 racers were in Group 8, all sharing the competitive spirit. On Saturday I had to arrange all the cars for a group photoshoot. Thanks to all that helped make this possible!

 

#33 Glenn Chiou

Directly across from us was our buddy Glenn Chiou, running his Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510. This car made its debut in May at the SVRA event at Laguna Seca.

 

It is also worth noting that Glenn is one of the few “privateer” racers in the field. He sets up his own race car in his garage and his crew are friends Erich and Lloyd. Glenn is currently performing a full restoration of this 510 and we know it will be #periodcorrect on top of being ultra-clean!

#91 Troy Ermish

Troy Ermish is a phenomenal driver and always fun to watch. We were fortunate to share our tent with him and his freshly restored “Penny” 510 that handily won the B-sedan race! Not only did he help transport our cars to RMMR, his rig also provided us room to park the ZCG race cars. Thanks Troy!

    

Troy at work. Penny’s chassis is just as beautiful as the body:

   

#52 Jim Froula

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft in the Ex- Harry Stewart Datsun 510:

   

Jim pitted next to us, hosting Steve Walker and Adam Carolla with some really cool cars. Jim is also a fierce competitor:

 

#90 Adam Carolla

 

Adam Carolla raced his newly built Ex-Greg Sorrentino 510. The restoration by RacecraftNW was meticulous, right down to the Sterling wheels.

  

We are proud to see our Z Car Garage CV Axles on this expertly-prepared 510. As always, the media follows Adam and his racing adventures:)

 

Datsun Roadsters

The largest recent gathering of Datsun Roadsters at Laguna Seca was at the 2018 RMMR. At the Driver Appreciation event there was a lone roadster on the track; Michael Anderson and his Franklin/McDowell ’68 2000.

 

Mike was in Group 3 with high-power cars yet he still managed to advance with a great battle against Alan Terpin’s Porsche 911. Here is in-car video from Mike, enjoy!

Living my roadster dream

Thanks to ZCG, I was able to park my roadster in the paddock and roam around the track. With no spectators, many of the vantage points often crowded were vacant and peaceful:

 

Here is a video with Mike’s roadster in the paddock, and when I arrived at ‘Seca:

 

Paddock Finds

 

The best part of the RMMR has to be the paddock. Home to all the race cars and their teams, massive car transporters and an all-around pure sensory overload. At every corner there is wicked metal with history begging to be told. This year, the Driver Appreciation was just as great. I found this (AH3) R32 Skyline GT-R!

 

Wicked 2nd-gen Trans Am Camaro, 190E 2.3 EVO DTM (RacecraftNW), Testarossa, wild Monza and more in the gallery below!

 

This video will make you feel like you are in the paddock. Enjoy the sights and sounds including  favorite group, the Trans Am cars!

Camaraderie

A common love for racing and Datsuns, this was an event filled with helping teammates and enjoying company.

   

Living Legends

Special thanks to John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson for joining us! It is an honor share the track with you.

 

Thank you!

We hope you have enjoyed our report from the 2020 Driver Appreciation Weekend! Please browse our mega-gallery of pictures from race weekend below. Big thanks to our friends and family members that helped us make this possible including Glenn Chiou, Troy and Ashley Ermish, Meghan Fuller, Keith Corwin, Larry Oka, Randy Jaffe, and ZCG Crew: Josh and Nick. We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, here’s to another year of vintage racing in Monterey, California.

*See you in October for the CSRG Charity Challenge in Sonoma!*

 

…[read more]

 

Last Sunday we attended the DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) Cars & Coffee event in Santa Cruz, CA. Our group of friends left from San Jose and headed up HWY 17 on a chilly morning with myself, Rob and Meghan in our Datsun Roadsters, Geoff in his BMW 2002 and Ty in the 991 Porsche:

 

We were stoked to see Rob’s Datsun 2000 on the road with refreshed Mikuni-Solex carbs and it sounded wonderful. Full report soon!

 

In Search of J-Tin

The venue has moved since we last caught the DWA gathering in Davenport.  Sunday’s event was held at the new location across from the Old Wrigley Building in Santa Cruz. By 9am the parking lot filled rapidly with a great diversity in marque and era.

 

Although attendance was mostly Euro/Italian, many Japanese gems showed up. Let’s start with the Nissan/Datsun showing. Ray’s Hakosuka Skyline was a pleasant surprise.

 

The last time we saw Ray was at the Golden Week Kyusha Festival where I learned that this Hako was from our friends at JDM Legends! We look forward to seeing Ray for some upgrades on this already stunning Skyline.

 

Happy to see Courtney and her 1973 240z.

 

VQ-powered S30, R32 Skyline, S14 240sx and Infiniti Q45:

   

More J-tin goodness! Lloyd’s Corolla was a crowd favorite (mine as well) sporting a 4AGE fed by ITBs, Levin front end and perfect Volk TE37s. This AE86 coupe complements his F20C powered AE86 Hatch.

 

Glenn’s sexy FD RX-7:

 

Two black NSXs

 

Making our Datsun Roadsters look big was this Honda TN7 “Kei” pickup:

  

Euro Classics

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

 

Two Panteras:

  

Geoff’s 2002 and an E28 M5:

 

 

Pretty Alfas:

 

VWs: Scirocco and a LSx-swapped Caddy!

 

Austin Healey:

 

Porsche Galore:  914s, 944s, swb 911s, 991s

 

American classics as well! Here is a Plymouth Belvedere and International Harvester Travelall:

 

DWA CnC was 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!

 

…[read more]

On October 4-6, the Classic Sport Racing Group (CSRG)’s Charity Challenge hosted the finale of The John Morton Cup. The 3-race series, named after legendary Datsun racer John Morton also featured the Historic B&C Sedan class with about 40 cars battling at Sonoma Raceway. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track with John Morton (also Grand Marshal).

 

Z Car Garage Races Ands Supports Five Datsun 510s!

With some shuffling of schedules Rob Fuller was able to participate in the John Morton Challenge, piloting the Bay Area Datsun Dealers 510. Taz Harvey graciously volunteered his B-Sedan 510 for John Morton to drive.  Z Car Garage supported and prepared five Datsun 510s including Tom Dockery’s Ex-Norm Balzer 510, the Red Farmer 510 (also owned by Taz) and Alex McDowell’s Bluebird Coupe, shown below. We also have in-car video footage from both Sonoma and Thunderhill races rom Rob Fuller, John Morton and Tom Dockery:

#7 Rob Fuller

ZCG owner Rob Fuller, Bay Area Datsun Dealers car

 

Here is in-car footage of Rob Fuller from both Sonoma and Thunderhill races. There is a great battle between Rob and Jon Norman in the ex-Kwech/Theodorocopulos Alfa!

 

#51 John Morton

John Morton, the #51 car owned by Taz Harvey.  You might find this 510 familiar as it was built by our friend Troy Ermish and the previous owner was Wayne McAttee!

 

Here is video footage of John Morton behind the wheel of the #51 car at Sonoma, enjoy!

 

#80 Howard Swig

Howard Swig, Red Farmer car (also owned by Taz). Swig is an Auction Manager at Bring a Trailer and this 510 was purchased via a BaT  back in 2014 (link).

  

#72 Tom Dockery

Tom Dockery drove his  Ex-Norm Balzer 510. This car made its debut in May and we are excited to share its full story and profile Tom’s journey into racing soon.

   

Here is video footage of Tom Dockery behind the wheel at Sonoma. We are really proud of Tom and he’s getting faster every session!

 

#52 Alex McDowell

Alex driving the 1967 Bluebird Coupe. He was in Ireland and flew directly to SFO to participate in this final race!

 

510 Friends!

Many notable Datsun 510 racers were in the group, gunning for the trophy and sharing the honor of racing with John Morton

#33 Glenn Chiou

Glenn drove the Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510. This car made its debut in May at the SVRA event at Laguna Seca. Glenn did an admirable job (as always) getting this historically significant 510 back on the racetrack! Glenn (and Dave Stone) are the creators of the Historic B&C Sedan racing class and we thank them for organizing such an incredible group!

   

#93 Dave Stone

Dave Stone drove the #93 Ex-Frellsen 1973 National Champion 510. Dave is fast!

 

#52 Jim Froula

Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is ranthe Ex- Harry Stewart Datsun 510.

 

Charity Challenge race results can be seen below:

A Memorable Racing Event

 

It was so wonderful to share this experience with our friends and CSRG family. We look forward to another John Morton Cup next year and special shoutout to ZCG crew including the Corwins Josh and Keith. Running all of the cars above would not be possible without them. Big thanks to Meghan Fuller (sporting a full foot boot), the Swigs, Racecraft and legends like Larry Oka, John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson.

Rob’s First 510 Race Experience

 

The John Morton Challenge was Rob’s first time vintage racing a Datsun 510. We asked him what it was like to be behind the wheel of a race-prepped Datsun 510, in a wheel-to-wheel race.

“This was the largest gathering of historic B-sedan cars, and all were being raced. It was surreal to be gridded next to John Morton, my hero. Never thought it would happen. I went from being a twenty-something watching Against All Odds to racing with him and it was surreal.”

 

Rob had visions of doing a vintage race and credits getting his SCCA license, specifically by racing a Mazda Miata, for his transition into vintage Datsun racing:

“When we got the IMSA Z car I always dreamed of doing a vintage race. I had watched my friends like Troy Ermish and Jim Foula at CSRG events, amazed at what they could do in a 510. But I never had racing 510 experience, despite being an owner for 25 years. Sure, I did numerous track days, even running my 400p over-kill street 510 at the track, but it doesn’t compare to a proper, race-prepped 510.  Getting my SCCA license in Miatas helped me craft my skills and prepare for vintage driving.”

 

The challenge for Rob racing in CSRG was to see if his love for the 510 translated over to a race 510. At first, the Bay Area Datsun Dealers car didn’t handle well. ZCG adjusted/re-did the front suspension and dyno tuned the engine to get the it dialed-in. Rob was amazed, and having a blast:

 “I enjoyed the camaraderie and overall atmosphere of the CSRG events. SCCA event racing is super intense and competitive.  In Vintage racing however we are telling the stories of these cars, celebrating them, and driving rolling art.  It’s also about hanging with friends. We all live for this stuff, and guy’s you don’t see often are out enjoying the moment. From talking trash in paddock to sharing conversation over drinks its a nice break from all-out competitive racing, I’m hooked.  If you haven’t made it out to a CSRG event, I strongly urge you to do so!”

 

 

Join us for the next event CSRG David Love Memorial April 17-19 2020!

#DATSUNDOMINATION

 

More pictures in the gallery below!
…[read more]

 

The 2019 Coastal Range Rally was held March 15-17 and we had an absolutely blissful driving experience. Hosted by Driving While Awesome, this 3-day event brings together interesting cars and their drivers sharing a common passion for enjoying the best driving roads in California. This year the rally began in Southern California heading back to the Bay Area and we participated with the Z Car Garage 1970 Datsun 240z. Here is our report from the weekend filled with open roads, seemingly endless stretches of curvy mountain passes and good company.

 

The ZCG Datsun 240z

 

Rob and I planned to run this event together but he had to race in Spec Miata at Thunderhill. He handed me the keys to “Ms. Butters”,  a 1970 Series 240z that has become the shop demo car and I happily obliged. While this S30 deserves its own feature, here are a few details on the build:

Engine: Stroked L-series with triple Mikuni 44 carbs and special cam profile (full spec/dyno soon)
Suspension: Full KW coil-over suspension (ZCG-spec)
Brakes: Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels)
Drivetrain: ZX close ratio 5-speed, Z Car Garage CV Axles, OS Giken 4.11 LSD
Wheels: 16×7 Panasport with 225/50/16 Bridgestone RE71R
Interior: Recaro LXF seats

   

The Z performed admirably without a single problem over the 1200-mile event. This is a testament to thorough rally-prep (thanks ZCG crew) and the wonderful upgraded suspension/chassis. These modifications offered a great balance of ride compliance and stiffness for the canyons with a seamless transition between rough to smooth surfaces. The ZCG Big-brakes also delivered great feel and zero fade…truly confidence-inspiring. Enjoy this video of Ms. Butters with extended Fujitsubo exhaust footage and hear that L-series sing!

 

 

Day 1: Palmdale to Ventura

This year the rally was dubbed CRR “Rewind” as the starting point was in Southern California heading north through the Central Coast. I joined fellow enthusiasts Glenn (R32 Skyline) Naveed (Porsche 911) and Gen (E30 M3) Friday evening to blast down to the starting point in Palmadale, CA. Instead of taking the highway we took an exciting route through HWY 25:

 

The next morning all rally participants met just outside of Palmdale to grab their swag bags and rally maps. The DWA organizers encouraged us that CRR isn’t a race, and to enjoy the roads at our own pace. I can’t emphasize enough how great this group of folks is. A good portion are 3rd-time CRR rally drivers and the positivity was contagious.

  

I hopped in the Z and joined Naveed and Gen on this stage towards Agua Dulce. Gen led us on a slight detour through Angeles Crest and it was exhilarating. We stopped at a lookout, realizing our cars represented the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s icons!

  Lunch in Agua Dulce and back on the road to Ventura. Mandatory Datsun content: I was happy to see 2 other Z cars (grey is Lloyd’s) and a special ’69 Datsun Roadster (Kevin and Heather). Sporting engine/suspension upgrades this little roadster surprised many with its performance:

 

Lake Castaic overlook heading westward:

  

The Ventura hotel parking lot was a car show representing a great feature of CRR: diversity. So many cool cars from all era’s and marques! This was a fun time chatting with fellow rally’ers followed by a DWA hosted dinner:

 

Day 2: Ventura to Paso Robles

The second day (3/16) was my favorite stage of the rally. Our destination was Paso Robles, with a stop in Taft. I had no idea how breathtaking the scenery would be on this stage as it was filled with Alpine scents, pastures, desolation, oil fields and small sleepy towns. Truly a feast for the senses, and EPIC driving. The kind of driving that makes your arms fatigued!

Through Ojai via HWY 33, in the sky through Frazier Mtn. Park:

  

Lockwood Rd. had several streams we had to drive through. Ali Javidan took some really cool shots of cars fording through!

 

After lunch in Taft, Naveed spotted an oil field. Carb’d inline 6, EFI flat 6, and a 2.5L 4-cylinder:

 

Our next stage was HWY 58 heading to Soda Lake. This stretch of freshly paved road was so much fun that many of us turned around to do it over again! My absolute favorite part of CRR. The Z was such a joy to drive through here:

 

At the junction of 58/7-mile Rd. was a super bloom. We definitely stopped to take it all in after the brisk drive. Erich in his modified EVO:

  

Glenn let me drive his R32 to Soda Lake and he took the Z, thanks for the picture Matt!

 

View from the overlook revealing Soda Lake. It was also reached via an optional dirt Road if you dared!

 

Don’t let the perspective fool you 🙂

  

A breather just before reaching our hotel in Paso Robles

  

It is difficult to describe the driving experience through photos, so please enjoy this video I made of Day 1 and 2 of CRR!

 

Day 3: Paso Robles to Laguna Seca

I decided to join Glenn and conclude our CRR with a visit to Laguna Seca to see our friends vintage racing. Dave Stone was in his B-Sedan 510 and the entire Racecraft crew was also participating:

   

It was a beautiful day check out the gallery below for more pictures! Here is a video from ‘Seca:

 

Thank you DWA!

The Coastal Range Rally was a surreal experience. I am still day dreaming about those incredible roads that we travelled all in one weekend. I’m not alone, as many participants are also suffering through “CRR withdrawals”.  See what I mean by all of the #CRRRewind posts on Instagram. The event was that good. Big thanks to the crew at Driving While Awesome and old/new friends met during the rally. We are definitely signing up for the next CRR! Enjoy the picture gallery below and LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

…[read more]

The Concours event was an amazing experience. Big thanks to David Swig for the invitation and giving Japanese classic cars a presence at the show and in people’s hearts!

We left ZCarGarage at 7am with three 240z cars, a ‘67.5 roadster and one sinister-looking s/c’d 350z.

This was my first time at a Concours event, and I was really impressed with how the venue was organized. As we drove  past the registration and onto the lawn area each car received a bottle of wine!  Flag wavers at every turn directed us to our staging area, where I immediately saw a sea of Ferrari’s and other exotics. I kept wondering, “A bunch of Datsuns get their own display in this show? ” Yes indeed. Not only Datsuns, but Hondas and Toyotas deserve their moment in the spotlight as well 🙂

The Japanese classic car display included a Toyota ’67 2000GT,  Toyota Sports 800, ’68 Honda S800, ’71 Skyline GT-R.   3 Datsun 240zs,  Datsun roadster, and a 1973 Toyota Corolla.   9 lovely Japanese cars in between gangster-era Cadillac’s and bright red Ferrari’s.
 
 

 

 
People were smitten with the display. I could hear memories being conjured, stories being swapped. It was great exposure for our cars, and quite endearing to see this happen amongst all of the high dollar iron surrounding us 🙂

                    
Rob told me that the Skyline was real, with the S20 drivetrain. My jaw dropped and I got very giddy as I have never seen a real Skyline GT-R in person. When the owner opened the hood the mighty S20 gleamed in all its twin-cam glory. Check out the pictures below for more detailed shots…from the underbody to the interior, it was a treat.
                  

The arrival of summer came late to the Bay Area but it was definitely felt with 95 degree + temps. Multiple tents and water stations were available to the attendees. Our invitation included snacks, drinks and lunch in a pavillion with a perfect view of the car display ramp. We were fortunate to have a chat with David Swig about seeing more folks getting into vintage racing and increasing Japanese car representation.
    

Here is a sight that was new to me: Concours judges scrutinizing cars. Maybe one day these gentlemen will be judging your Nissan/Datsun at a Concours event! Why not?

After lunch it was time to check out more of the cars, and I can’t describe or include all of the wonderful machines so I will  list a few favorites. Make sure to click after the “read more” to see all of the pictures!

Mercedes Benz 300SLs, and Gullwings galore! The new SLS was there too.

This Alfa Romeo Guiletta Sprint had just the right proportions:

Chrome everywhere, huge grilles, hood ornaments, and interiors that are so huge and luxurious that they belong on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

           

The event was truly an incredible experience and hopefully we can have an even greater display of Japanese cars for the collector car world to appreciate. Enjoy the pictures!

Click on the “continue reading” link below for the full picture album (315 pics)
…[read more]