WE LOVE RACING! On October 4-6 we attended the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting clients in Group 7 (1968 – 1978 IMSA GT Cars), Group 8 (ALMS) and Group 5 (B-Sedan). 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.

The Corky Bell Trans Am 510 (Group 5)

 

Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 52 years at Velocity. It was a mad thrash to get the 510 prepared for the event and we will dedicate a separate blog post to the restoration and Corky’s story. Here are a few photos of the car during the revival:

 
It was surreal watching Corky drive his race car decades after he campaigned it in the Trans Am series. With a few sessions he qualified and completed the feature race with fellow B-Sedans in Group 5. Corky improved his lap times from 2:30s to a 2:07s and at 83 years of age he really inspired us all. Enjoy these on-track photos of Corky behind the wheel of his U2.5L Trans Am Datsun 510:

 

 

Enjoy this video of Corky Bell racing in Group 5 at the Velocity Invitational with in-car, paddock action and some great commentary from Rob at the end…

 

It was an emotional weekend filled with joy for the ZCG crew and Corky’s family. His daughter Stephanie:

Such a privilege to see my Dad race his last Datsun 510 yesterday and today. He stopped racing when I was 4. Seeing him race and enjoy something he loved so much made me cry. More than once. HUGE shout out and even bigger Thank you to Rob & Meghan Fuller at Z Car Garage in San Jose for making this a reality. They rescued the car from a field and fully restored it. Such a big full circle moment for Dad. Can you imagine getting back in a race car after 5 decades? So proud and amazed by him.

 

Icing on the cake…Corky’s Datsun 510 joined the ranks of greatness in Velocity Invitational’s 2025 promotional photo shoot! More photos in the gallery below.

 

Racing With Group 7 IMSA

Photo by Chris Constantine

Group 7’s IMSA cars were dominated by big-power Porsche 911 RSRs. Rob Fuller ran the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z and battled for P1/2 against Martin Lauber (red 911 #64) and Chet Taylor (blue 911 #55).

  

Rob fought hard, mixing it up with the two Porsche 911s but the feature race sadly ended with a collision. The Joel Anderson IMSA GTU will be rebuilt and it will return, faster than ever.

  We have in-car video from Rob in the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z and Group 7 with livestream footage and paddock action. Volume up and enjoy!

 

You can also see the full-length, in-car footage on Saturday and Sunday. Catch the Sunday livestream HERE and watch more of Rob’s racing adventures on his YouTube Channel.

Datsun + Porsche History

Photo by Josh Corwin

In 1981, Joel Anderson, Casey Mollett (280ZX) and Cary Eisenlohr’s Porsche were all pitted together at Sears Point. We had a unique opportunity to re-enact this historical moment at the Velocity Invitational, 44 years later!

 

Historic B & C Sedan

 

Photo by Alex Trang

Historic B&C Sedan partnered with Velocity Invitational to gather a collection of 30+ real historic B and C sedan cars for the Velocity Invitational! Thirteen cars among them have real Trans Am Under 2L and Two-Five Challenge history. This was the largest gathering of real historic sedans since the 2010 Monterey Historics. Amongst the real Trans Am cars were the Alfas of Horst Kweck, Gaston Andrey, Jon Norman, Charlie Thieriot, Dave Burns; BMW 2002s of Carl Fredericks, Jeff Kline; Porsche 911 of Walt Maas; Datsun 510s of Corky Bell and Bob Finn.

Z Car Garage Trackside Race Support Services

ROB: ZCG provided trackside support for 4 cars in the B-Sedan field and it was exciting to watch. Noah kicked ass in his Bluebird finishing 3rd and 5th in the second race. It was intense, glorious and fun. Kelvin drove the Dragonetti car until Sunday pm when brother Kenny took wheel, making it to 8th from the back. Corky went from 2:34s to 2:07 and Tom returned in fighting form with his freshly restored Balzer 510.

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. Unfortunately the car was wrecked at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage rebuilt the 510, making a triumphant return to this year’s Velocity event with a cool period-correct livery change.

 
TOM: The Velocity weekend was truly magical in so many ways. The car came together perfectly in the end with the support of the ZCG team. I also want to give a special thanks to William, of William’s Autobody and John at Landmark Grafix. I’m thrilled with the new mid-70s-inspired livery and graphics. The race weekend was incredibly memorable. Not only was it the debut of the rebuilt Balzer 510, but my whole family—Matt, Sarah, Nick, Lucy, and my brother Jon—was there to experience it. I felt great, and the time spent with Corky Bell made it even more special. We shared many stories, and I got the chance to share my insights about Sonoma Raceway with him.

 

We have in-car video from Tom Dockery in the Ex-Norm Balzer B-Sedan Datsun 510, volume up and enjoy!

#9 Noah’s Bluebird Coupe

 

Noah’s Bluebird Coupe in action:

 

Enjo this in-car video from Noah’s Bluebird with livestream and paddock action:

#64 Kelvin Tse

Kelvin is a steady ZCG trackside support client, running the Ex-Ted Gruner 510.

 

Kelvin and Kenny shared the Dragonetti car over the weekend

KENNY: The 911 that I was driving didn’t run on Friday or Saturday. Kelvin was driving the Dragonetti on those days. Saturday was the qualifying race. Kelvin was stuck in a lot of traffic but he was trying to make his way through it to get a clean lap. However, he hit a patch of oil exiting the carousel which caused him to spin. After the spin, the car wouldn’t start and all of the cars that he had cleared earlier passed him back. He finally got the car restarted, but by that time the session was almost over and never got a clean lap. He ended up qualifying 20th.

Sunday morning, we thought the 911 might be able to run the race- so we gridded and started the race. We had a good start, but the car started to have issues in turn 2 so I shut it down and brought it in. After that I was pretty bummed that I had only able to drive two turns during the event! At that point, Kelvin, being the awesome brother that is he, offered to let me drive the feature race- which I jumped at the chance to do! The feature race was fun. I started 20th and was able to get to 8th place by the middle of the first lap. The Dragonetti was working great and eventually made it up to 5th place behind my friend Cary Einsenlohr in a 911. I was super stoked to get to 5th after starting from 20th.  The car ran great and it salvaged an otherwise frustrating weekend in the 911.

 

Catch Kenny racing in Group 5 via livestream: HERE and watch the feature race HERE

Porsche 997 GT3 Cup (Group 8)

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 our client Kenny Tse raced it in the Legends of Endurance group at the Rolex.

 

As Kenny mentioned above, the 911 fought us with oiling issues, but we will resolve them for the next season.

 

Exotic cars

 

There was no shortage of rare and exotic cars from well-known and upcoming supercar marques. More photos in the gallery below!

 

Privateer Spirit

The Historic B and C Sedan race was one of the most exciting run groups and Race car driver/Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Bob Finn U2.5L Trans-Am Datsun 510:

 

This car features our Z Car Garage CV Axles

 

We also provided dyno tuning services for the fresh Rebello L18 with Solex/Mikuni 44phh induction and BRE intake:

 

It’s worth noting that not unlike privateers of the period, Glenn builds his race cars, maintains and manages racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his work ethic. Glenn builds some beautiful Datsuns and we thank him for organizing the Historic B&C Sean group to keep the spirit of Trans Am racing alive.

 

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

 

Formerly known as the Sonoma Speed Festival (2019), the Velocity Invitational re-imagined the vintage race experience with a Goodwood-inspired vibe that we enjoyed at the 2022 Velocity Invitational. 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:

 

ROB: “First time running at Sonoma for us with VI, since we missed the inaugural event in 2019. Jeff O’Neill ‘s event is first class and reminds us of what the Rolex RMMR. So much excitement in the air…when you drive in people would be everywhere. Thanks to Jeff, Ryan Turri and Ardelle Lind for accommodating our needs.”

 

If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out Goodwood’s live streaming coverage of Day one and Day Two. Huge thanks to Meghan Fuller for capturing photos/videos for ZCG. More photos in the gallery below from from Alex Trang, Chris Constantine and Nick Dockery

ZCG Race Crew

  

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including Josh, Meghan, Nick and Cooper. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

 

Racing into 2025!

 

Thank you Velocity Invitational for an incredible event. We look forward to running with you again. Join us for the 2025 race season and stay tuned for our CSRG Finale report from Thunderhill. LONG LIVE THE Z!

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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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On Saturday, August 26 we attended the Tokyo Calling 3 event hosted by Breakfast Club Rally. Z Car Garage participated with a group of client cars and enjoyed a wonderful day of driving through the foothills of Northern California. The event also featured 200+ Japanese classics and 90’s-era wonders to appreciate during the morning social gathering and rest stops. Enjoy our report with mega-photo gallery and video!

 

Breakfast Club Rally

 

The Breakfast Club Rally (BCR) started 3 years ago as a small group enjoying weekend drives. It blossomed into a monthly event with one hour of hanging out drinking coffee, followed by two hours of driving on the second Saturday of the month. Registration is free and always open to all makes. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy the beautiful Northern California roads and scenery. You can see our previous BCR reports HERE!

 

The initial BCR Tokyo Calling event and Tokyo Calling 2 follow-up were a huge success. We did not want to miss their third all-Japanese, mostly-vintage rally so I assembled a group of Z Car Garage clients and friends to participate in TC3. We left the shop at 6:15am heading to Sonoma, here is a preview of our cars:

 

Beau’s 1976 Datsun 280Z

 

Beau’s Datsun 280Z is fresh from  Z Car Garage full cosmetic and mechanical restoration featuring Recaro Specialist seats, our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240Z

 

Rob drove our client Ken’s 1970 Datsun 240z. This is VIN#1762 Series 1 features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels), Z Car Garage CV Axles, L28 with Jenvey ITB EFI and KA24 5-speed transmission.

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Vince’s 1973 Datsun 240z is Enjoying The Ride with our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles.  He scored this Z from our friends at Bring a Trailer and regularly drives it on rally events.

Mrs. Butters

 

Cooper was in Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z. This Series 1 S30 features a 3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW suspension (releasing soon).

Armon’s 1973 Datsun 240Z

 

Armon’s Z has a great story we will share in its own feature. He got this car running on his own and even performed rust repairs. He’s running our  ZCG Heat Shield on his triple-Weber carb’d L28:

Rob’s 1971 Datsun 510 Wagon

I drove Rob’s Datsun 510 Wagon. It features a 2.4-liter KA24DE engine with five-speed manual transmission sourced from a Nissan 240SX. The car is a wonderful driver and it is FOR SALE.

Linda’s 2023 Nissan Z

 

Linda Williams drove her 2023 Nissan Z. This is the special,”Proto Spec” edition limited to just 240 units. We love her “1OF240Z” tribute license plate. Linda joined us on the last two Tokyo Calling events in her 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate. She loves driving it everywhere.

Nick’s 1972 Datsun 510

 

Nick drove his 510 Wagon with recently added L18/twin mikuni ph44s and dyno tuning. In true rally-style, Nick and co-pilot Ben wore their headsets to communicate. This Dime has so much character!

Bluebird

 

Our client drove this Bluebird Coupe. It is a RHD example that was not sold here. Built by our friends at RacecraftNW it features an S15 SR20DET with 6-speed transmission, TSR Brembo brakes and VOLK wheels. Full feature coming to zcarblog.com soon!

The Z Car Garage Nissan Z

 

Josh drove our shop 2023 Nissan Z with Fast Intention TDX cat-back exhaust system. Full report with audio coming to zcarblog.com. Our morning caravan of 11 cars enjoyed cruising up I-280 through the Golden Gate Bridge. Nothing beats driving with fellow Z car owners!

 

Tokyo is Calling before the Rally!

 

Our crew arrived at the rally start in Sonoma and it was already filled with fabulous J-Tin nestled between the vineyards of Gundlach Bundschu winery. BCR hosted a “social gathering” from 7:30-9am so we could take in all the glorious cars. The vibe was tremendous, and as usual it went by too quickly. Let’s go through some of the highlights, with more photos in the gallery below!

  

Over 25 S30 Z cars were present!

 

I am always on the lookout for Nissans and Datsuns, and roadsters get my attention. There were at least 7 in attendance including a genuine 1967 2000. One of the most sought after Datsuns, these “half-year” models were introduced mid-1967 offering a 5-speed transmission and 150hp twin-Mikuni carb’d 2L engine…hot stuff for the era.

 

Ian’s SRL is #601 (out of ~1000 cars) and it was fully restored years ago by Les Cannaday in San Diego. Ian is meticulous about maintaining this car, but it is no garage queen, attending monthly rally events. The (655) Off-white paint with red interior is one of my favorites. Yes, it even sports a factory Nissan hardtop with all the stainless trim!

   

This familiar Honda S2000-powered ’69 2000 is now local with current owner Mark, nice meeting you!

 

A right-hand drive ’69 2000:

 

High and low-windshield roadsters models were present:

  

There were 15 Datsun 510s in wagon and sedan form. Our client Jay installed a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles on his Green 510. Jay is a hardcore rally driver  and also brought his mint wagon with family!

  

Back to Z cars, Pratibha and Andre recently acquired this ’73 240Z, welcome to Z family!

 

Our client Cameron’s Z32 Twin Turbo visited Z Car Garage for maintenance work, downpipes, inlet piping, larger intercoolers all from Specialty Z. Cameron has been bringing his 300 to us for many years and we we are really glad to see him driving again. More Z32s were on the rally!

 

Leo’s Nissan Pulsar GTi-R

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see Leo and his Nissan Pulsar GTi-R at Tokyo Calling 2 and he returned again for TC3! This RHD, JDM hot-hatch is known as “Baby Godzilla”, sporting all-wheel drive and an SR20DET drivetrain. What’s wild is that this Pulsar used to be owned by our very own Gary at Z Car Garage! Leo purchased it back in 2017 and drove it all the way from Reno, NV.

 

There were a handful of S14 and S13 240SX:

   

Nissan Skyline

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou has been a friend and client of Z Car Garage for many years. He drove his R32 Skyline GT-R with BBS LeMans wheels and period exhaust/aero. It was great to see our R32 Skyline clients Miles (Rays wheels) and Kurt W. (in his GC8 Subaru). All will be getting zcarblog updates:

  

The lone S130, with T-tops off for proper Napa motoring!

 

Enjoy this walk-around and driving video from Tokyo Calling 3:

 

So many cool cars please check the gallery for more photos! Next, let’s check out some non-Nissan/Datsun action…

Kei Classics

 Suzuki Cappuchino and Autozam AZ-1 and mesmerizing the crowd with their size and neat features.

Honda

  
There were no less than 25 Honda S2000 sports cars on the rally!

 
Honda was well-represented including late model DC2 Integras, a few NSXs, CRXs and EF/EG hatches rounded out the display:

 

Toyota

 

Some of our favorite Toyota’s including Supra (A60, A70, A80), first gen MR2s, and AE86s! The Lexus IS300 SportCross with A80 Supra wheels was sweet!

      

Trucks and Vans

Let’s not forget the Japanese classic trucks and vans! Pajero Evolution, HiACE, REPU and Nissan:

   

The wildest car I found was this 4th gen Toyota Corona Coupe:

 

Rally On!

The rally started at 9am and I was tasked with leading our group. There was no cell phone reception but I was armed with a turn-by-turn rally printout. I enjoyed hustling the green 510 Wagon through the backroads:

 

One of the perks of BCR events is their team of professional photographers at various stages capturing epic rolling and detail shots so people can focus on enjoying the drive. I encourage you to visit each of these SIX photographer’s photo albums to see shots of your rides:Blaine Olguin, Ben Kim, Alex Nibyt, Vijay Sankar, Everett Lederer, and Zack Hubbell.

  

Arriving at Sam’s General Store in Calistoga was another opportunity to see cars I missed at the starting point. Folks took a snack/coffee break here in the quaint town. I was just admiring each vintage ride cruise by…like this Isuzu Vehicross!

  

The rally concluded back at the Gundlach winery where BCR arranged for lunch from Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking. Folks enjoyed Donburi surrounded J-Tin everywhere. It was a superb venue to enjoy cool cars and great company.

 

Thanks BCR!

  

Many thanks to the organizers, we had a blast and I urge you to register for their next event, especially if you are in the South Bay area like me and want to see what driving bliss lies North.  Here are a few thoughts from Rob re-capping the Tokyo Calling 3 event:

“We headed out from Z Car Garage with our clients and friends and made the 100-mile drive up to Sonoma wine country. Saw familiar faces and new ones it was really cool to see the Non-Datsuns. There was a REPU rotary-powerd truck which I really love. I grabbed some coffee, chatted and had fun admiring the variety of cars with friends.  We got on the road and the routes BCR selects are really fun with great scenery and people along the way. “

  

“We met up in Calistoga, had lunch with friends. Loved seeing our clients on the drive… and one car had an exhaust weld failure. I took one of my shoelaces to secure it and this temporary exhaust bracket got us back on the road. I love Datsun adventures and we do anything to keep driving! Highly recommend the Tokyo Calling events, actually all the BCR events are loads of fun. They are a great group and we will Z you at the next rally!”

 

The Drive Home

Our adventure was not over as we had to travel another 100 miles South to the shop. We caravanned back, traveling through the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco.

 

Thank you to all of the Z Car Garage clients that made the journey with us. Huge thanks to BCR for extending their hospitality to our crew, everyone was thrilled. Here’s to the next rally and always, always #DoitInADatsun! More photos in the gallery below…

 

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Everything we know. Everything we love. Everything we live for. In one letter.

The New Z Car. By now many of you have seen Nissan’s Z Proto in the media or even in person as it tours the car show circuit. On May 2, Nissan invited us to their headquarters in Tennessee to get up close and personal with the Z Proto, still very much in pre-production form. After seeing, hearing and feeling this car in person we are thoroughly stoked for the new Nissan Z. Enjoy this report from our trip, complete with photos and video.

 

Nissan is Back

Z car enthusiasts worldwide have been awaiting a successor to the current Z and many were satisfied when Nissan officially unveiled the Z Proto on September 16, 2020. The live-streamed event featured Alfonso Albaisa (senior vice president of global design) and Hiroshi Tamura (chief product specialist of the Z Proto) both very enthusiastic and assuring that while the Z Proto is only a development model, we will get a new Nissan Z.

Fast forward almost six months after the unveiling…Nissan debuted this commercial that gave me chills. I immediately texted Rob that Nissan is back. This brilliantly-executed advertisement was exactly what we needed and shows a direction that we are totally on board with:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kdVkUta8TI

 

With our New Z car anticipation growing stronger we just had to see it for ourselves, in the metal. You can imagine how happy we were when Nissan Corporate reached out to Z Car Garage and invited us to their headquarters in Franklin to spend some quality time with the Z Proto. Rob and I hopped on a plane to Tennessee…

  

Arriving at Nissan HQ, our hosts were Jonathan Buhler (Sr. Specialist Corporate Communications at Nissan) and industry veteran Dan Passe (Director, Corporate Communications). Both gentlemen are hardcore automotive enthusiasts (see Jonathan’s personal Datsun 240Z) that proudly wave the flag for Nissan. The kind of minds you want at a car company, and very gracious. Rob and I were in for a treat, and and we were blown away. First order of business: see the Z Proto inside Nissan HQ…

The Nissan Z Proto:

We were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Z Proto. To be concise, this car has a presence that simply isn’t captured in photos. A small disclaimer: the details we admired and discovered on this car may not transfer to the production car, but based on leaked photos, and as mentioned in the unveiling by Alfonso the Z Proto’s design is extremely close to what consumers will be offered. After sitting in the car and taking in its design, both Rob and I were enthralled and eager for the new Nissan Z. Let’s take a closer look…

Exterior

 

 

Our visit with Nissan only begun with the Z Proto. Before heading to our next destination we stopped by legendary Z shop Crawford Z Car Service in downtown Nashville. Owner Doug Stewart is an accomplished  Z-car racer and you night remember the creator of the Crawford intake plenum for Nissan’s 350z VQ engine.

 

Nissan Heritage Collection

 

A visit to the Nissan Heritage collection was next on our tour. Nissan’s production plants in Smyrna and Dechard and HQ in Franklin, TN are pretty well-known but the Heritage Collection is hidden inside the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville. The museum itself is open to the general public and it’s a must see:

 

Undeground and beyond closed doors, we entered paradise. Both Jonathan and Dan have dedicated their time-on a volunteer basis to preserve, maintain and promote this vintage Nissan/Datsun collection. Without them it wouldn’t survive, and in part they rely on enthusiasts (like Randy Jaffe) to help carry the torch. These are cars that would have been scrapped by Nissan or left outside to rust. Rob and I were literally in heaven. So much history in one place with wicked metal at every turn. (Below) The actual Black Gold TV commercial 280ZX and 2021 TV commercial Z31 that actress Brie Larson was in:

 

Everywhere we looked there were”JOB #1″ vehicles, race cars, movie/commercial cars and even concept cars…we could have spent the night with the collection. What sets this collection apart from others is that all cars are accessible and drivable (or meant to be driven). No roped-off cars or locked doors. I even got to sit in the race car!

 

Forgotten concept cars. Some were old. Some were shockingly recent(See that Q50 Eau Rouge?!)

 

 

This 1200 truck needed some attention and this was recently shipped from the Heritage Collection to ZCG for some love!

 

There were way too many cool cars to mention so please check out the photo gallery and video below!

 

Here is a video of our visit to the Nissan Heritage Collection, enjoy!

 

Datsun Roadsters

 

The Datsun Sports (310/311) or affectionately known as “Datsun Roadsters” are some of our favorite models. We were both surprised and happy to find that Jonathan and Dan had recently rescued a few from a barn. All of the cars they recovered were interestingly “2000” models from 1968 to 1980. Thanks to their efforts these gems will be restored and driven!

 

 

Thank You

We thank Nissan, Dan Passe and Jonathan Buhler for the opportunity to visit. The Z Proto is a winner and we were throughly impressed with the Heritage Collection and your efforts to keep it alive. Looking forward to working with you in the future, LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

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We love to see our products being installed and enjoyed on customer cars. Dustin is running our Z Car Garage CV Axles in his 1972 Datsun 510 4-door. This Dime is powered by a Nissan KA24DE/5-speed and wears a sweet set of NOS 15×7 Longchamp XR-4 wheels: