Our Z Car Garage-built Datsun Roadster is featured on the latest episode of Hoonigan Autofocus! with Larry Chen Photo. Enjoy! #DoItInADatsun
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The 2020 Solvang Datsun Roadster Classic will be held on April 24-25 in Solvang, CA. Now in its 33rd year, this event continues a tradition of uniting owners from all parts of the world in a little town just outside of Santa Barbara. There is something for everyone here: shopping, food, wine-tasting, outdoor activities, and in the last weekend of April an epic gathering of Datsuns! We are only two months away from the big show so prep your cars and book those hotels!
Come check out roadsters and other vintage Datsuns April 24-25. Reminder: ALL DATSUNS are welcome! There are even award categories for non-roadsters. For registration and show info please go HERE.
To catch a glimpse of the show check out Last Year’s Show Report and movie( By Michael Anderson) below. Admission is free to the general public, see you in Solvang!
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Every 2nd Saturday of the month there is a Cars & Coffee gathering in San Jose, only 1-mile from our house! My neighbor invited me to this event held at the Starbucks on Hillsdale Ave yesterday. We left together with the roadster and his Barracuda:
I was surprised at the turnout and sheer number of Hot Rods and Muscle cars from every era. Here are a few of my favorites with more in the gallery below.
Mopar or No Car
1st, 2nd and 3rd gen ‘Cudas and Belvederes:
Modified Formula S Barracuda:
Killer paint colors and graphics from Plymouth and on this 2nd gen Roadrunner:
J-Tin!
Always happy to see Japanese classics:
Triple tail lights Check:
GM
Impalas, Camaro, ‘Vette, Chevelle, Nova and more:
Wild Riviera:
Ford
’32 Hot Rods, Thunderbirds, Mustangs and more
Ford Firetruck with a late-model diesel drivetain:
Two of my favorites, a 70’s Disco-themed GM Van (see video below) and track-prepped Pantera:
I spotted a few British cars as well including a Triumph Herald, Spitfire, Silver Cloud Rolls and Mini
We had a blast and my family even got to enjoy the show. If you are in the area and love Classic American cars this is the spot. Free donuts and coffee is also a plus!
…[read more]
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On Sunday I joined 6 other roadsters for a drive in the North Bay. I left San Jose ~7:45am and it was very foggy. On the freeway it was actually quite wet like rain, not a good sign as I thought the weather would be worse heading North.
As I approached San Francisco the fog disappeared, revealing the city Skyline and iconic Golden Gate Bridge. I was excited to see everyone and do some driving.
Meeting point: Fort Baker 9am
I arrived to see 6 roadsters already lined up against the GG Bridge and clear sky. It was really fortunate that weather was amazing….usually this time of year the GG bridge is shrouded in fog!
We chatted for a bit and I consulted with Jerry about staging the cars for quick photoshoot. He’s a talented photographer and you can see his positioning and composition created some spectacular shots.
The cars:
Dan’s 1970 1600. Dan owns three roadsters and this one is completely stock:
Mike’s 1967 2000. This is considered one of the most sought-after models (#0072 out reportedly 1000) sporting a 5-speed transmission, 150hp twin-Mikuni carb 2L engine, 160mph speedo/8krpm tach…all stuff other cars dreamed of in 1967:
Andy’s 1969 1600, looking great on stock wheels and whitewall tires:
Pat’s 1969 1600. Pat has swapped in a 2L/5-speed drivetrain from the 2000 model. Note the factory roll-bar:
Jerry’s 1969 2000. This SRL caught my attention as soon as Jerry started the fire-breathing Solex-carb’d U20. Make sure you watch the video below to hear it rev. Note the pretty Longchamp XR-4 wheels:
Scott’s 1967 1600. I met Scott back in Aprril at the 2019 Solvang Datsun Roadster Show and admired this full frame-off restoration. Stunning paint and a nice interior with carbon fiber touches. Power is from a modified 1600 engine now displacing 2L…powerful! Note the full stainless exhaust (and hear it in the video below!)
We got each owner next to their roadster and a nice group photo. Big thanks to Jerry for the camera work.
Our leader Dano was anxious to get moving to avoid tourist traffic so we rolled out. We were also joined by fellow roadster owners Eric (in his NA Miata) and Will (in his E30 M3). The next 4 hours was a mix of ever-changing scenery that was new to me. From Downtown Sausalito to twisty HWY1, ribbons of road winding through forest and coastline it was fun!
Stop #1: Limatour Beach
Quick stop close to the coastline and back through the forest…
Stop #2: Lunch at Tony’s Seafood Restaurant in Marshall:
After lunch, some parted ways while Dano, Pat, Will and myself headed to Nicasio Reservoir back to 101. Pat and I rode together for a stretch of freeway heading home.
I had a blast driving with everyone, here is a video of the sights and sounds, enjoy!
Stay tuned for our next Fun Run!
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The 2019 Japanese Classic Car Show was held on September 21, in Long Beach, CA. This is the original vintage Japanese-car event in SoCal and in its 15th year, JCCS has grown incredibly. Over 10,000(!) spectators enjoyed 400+ cars covering the lawn of Marina Green Park. The vehicles themselves remained a fantastic blend of stock, modified and restored. This is the most important show for Japanese cars, and the Z Car Garage crew keeps coming back every year to soak up the sun, see old friends and drool over some spectacular vintage builds.
ZCG Delivers Mr. K’s Datsun 240z!
We had the joy and honor of delivering Mr. K’s 1972 Datsun 240z to owners Johnnie Gable and her son Kenny Ueda at JCCS. In true “Datsuns Are Driven” form, Rob drove Mr. K’s Z 400 miles from San Jose to Long Beach and it ran flawlessly.
Joining us were ZCG customers John B and James S in their Z’s. A few pics from the road trip South:
Showtime!
We had lots of traffic at the ZCG booth. Mr. K’s Z definitely created a buzz, and enthusiasts checked out our Big-Brake kit for small wheels, CV Axles and picked up some free swag. Thanks to customers, fans and friends that stopped by! We met many great Datsun fans and enjoyed talking cars.
James’s 1972 S30 was displayed with fellow Z car owners in the show. At the heart of this beast is a turbocharged L-series managed by Haltech. Chassis upgrades include custom full-length subframe connectors, our ZCG CV Axles and Big-Brake Kit (328mm) behind RS-8 wheels restored by Love20bee.
A stack instrument cluster was integrated into the gauge pod, viewed from leather Recaro Pole Position seats. This Z has a very unique sound. We recently tuned it on E85, dyno results and videos coming soon. We are very happy for James as he won the award for 2nd place for Best Z!
Delivering Mr. K’s Z to a very happy Johnnie Gable and Kenny Ueda:
Expect a full report on our work performed to get this precious Z back on the road.
Highlights from JCCS
Enjoy this video I made highlighting the sights and sounds of JCCS 2019:
Why do we keep coming back to JCCS? Each year the bar is raised for the show cars, and this year was truly impressive. With over 400 cars and 80 vendors it was almost impossible to see it all in the 9am-3pm show time. Here are our favorites, starting with Nissan/Datsun.
Skylines
Here are few of my favorite Nissans and Datsuns, starting with that not-so forbidden fruit commonly known as the hakosuka Skyline. Roy De Guzman’s Hako sported a new look with the premier Pandem Rocketbunny flare kit and Cross Fever wheels:
Patrick S’ Kenmeri Skyline and Mikey C’s sedan both Rb26-powered and sitting on Watanabe Gotti wheels:
Mel’s R30 4-door on Watts, next to Jay’s DR30:
I didn’t expect to see a large gathering of R32 Skylines, even a 4-door!
Z Car Extravaganza
With the 50th Anniversary of the Z cars from all generations were in full force spanning the crested lawn of the Marina Green Park. I’m a big fan of subtle modified Z’s but I can also appreciate pristine, bone-stock examples and the occasional shakotan build.
Stock is good: beautifully restored ’72:
So. Many. Z’s!
The winning Z:
1975 280Z 2+2 on Epsilons from Love20bee:
Shakotan !
Larry Chen’s freshly-painted S30!
Good old triple-carb’d L-series power!
RB25DET-powered:
S130!
You can find more S30s in our gallery!
Z31s were plentiful too, in both stock and modified examples:
The Nissan S12 chassis has been growing in popularity. Known as the “200sx” stateside there were some cool examples of both hatchback/coupe bodystyles.
People
At the JCCS it is always great to see old friends and meet new enthusiasts! Thanks to everyone that visited the ZCG booth!
Our friends at BringaTrailer.com
Datsun Fairlady Roadsters
The Datsun Roadsters came out in full force this year, running 6 cars strong!
Raymond Lim’s 1963 1500 was the oldest car present. This 3-seater SPL310 model was driven, not trailered to the show!
Ed’s sharp 1970 SPL sporting Enkei Compe wheels:
It was also great to see Michael Anderson’s “Rock Vest” race car. This historically-significant roadster is currently being raced by Mike!
The Desirello’s also displayed their SR20-powered beauties:
More roadster pics in our gallery!
Datsun 510s
Datsun 510s dominated the field as the most represented model again this year. From sedans to wagons and a single Bluebird Coupe!
Andrew’s RHD tribute 510 won Best of Show!
TSR-built 510:
Brian Holloway’s Coupe with Recaro seats…and the coolest socks
Our friend Troy’s customer won Best 510!
13B and CA18DET:
Dogs Love Trucks!
Kenny’s NL320 pickup:
Toyota
Toyota always has a huge corporate involvement with an assortment of race cars. They even had the new Supra on display and a 2000GT!
Great showing of RA29 (Liftback) Celicas!
Trucks:
Speed Star Racing Air Stage on Tommy D’s Starlet:
Wheels For Fantasy
I personally love going to JCCS because I get to see very rare Japanese/tuner wheels and parts. Preservation of authentic wheels and appreciation of the time and effort spent to find certain specimens that most folks have never heard of in this generation is what I admire most.
Variations on the mesh wheel from BBS, Epsilon, SSR, Volk, Bahn and more. You can’t go wrong!
Many more pictures from JCCS in the gallery!
Here are a few great sites with more coverage of the show:
Bring a Trailer
Autoweek
Jalopnik
Super Street
Thank You JCCS!
It is difficult to run a car show and keep up the quality and interest levels but the folks at JCCS have managed to do exactly that for 15 years! No other show gives you the chance to see obscure, pristine, modified Japanese classics…and we look forward to next year’s entrants. Koji and Terry the new venue is great, almost overwhelming with the number of cars! We hope you have enjoyed our coverage and please visit our mega-gallery for more pictures.
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