One of the major events of the annual car week on the Monterey Peninsula is the annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Held since the early 1970s at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the event attracts a staggering variety of historic racing cars, which competed in a total of 15 different races.

  

Adding to the diversity of racers was the addition of Formula 5000 cars for the first time.  Other highlights were a special race to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Mustang GT350,  factory efforts from Acura, BMW, Mazda and our beloved Nissan. We had a blast at the RMMR. Read on for our report, illustrated by a 300+ shot gallery of the Reunion and a few video clips. Enjoy!

John Morton Drives Our IMSA 240z!

 

With the help of Joel Anderson we made our RMMR debut last year running the #49 IMSA Datsun 240z. Find out more about Joel and the restoration of #49 HERE. Our letter of acceptance into the 2015 event included Joel as the driver but unfortunately health issues prevented him from racing.  With race week fast approaching Rob enlisted the help of his hero and legendary race car driver John Morton. Before I arrived at ‘Seca, the crew had John fitted into the race seat and the Z passed tech inspection:

 

Paddock Life

Before I describe the sheer awesomeness of just being in the presence of John Morton, let’s first take a trip through aisle G: our pit row in the paddock. The paddock at RMMR is pure sensory overload with incomparable sounds and sights of old race cars. There’s nothing like the sight of pit crews working frantically to put together vintage race machines whether it be from the Pre-War Bugattis to early 90’s IMSA cars. This video sums it up nicely with a mix of machines and their cacophony of engines being fired, revved and idled:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf5WRWhQi5A

 

Upon my arrival Thursday morning I was pleasantly surprised to see #49 pitted with several fellow Datsun racers from Group 4A:  1973-1981 FIA, IMSA GT-GTX, AAGT, GTU Cars.  On the final race day we gathered even more Datsuns to create a “Datsun Row”:

 

Here is quick video of the row:

 

The camaraderie and good times spent with these folks was memorable. We shared pit space with our friend Ron Carter and fellow roadster owner Michael Anderson. Ron is an avid vintage Datsun Roadster racer running RMMR for the first time in his 1967 2000.  Fox Sports even interviewed him, we are proud of you!

  

A rare sight indeed, TWO Datsun 2000 roadsters racing at ‘Seca! The silver car is Craig Carter’s 1968.

  

Dave Stone is no stranger to vintage racing Datsuns and this latest ’73 260z build by Troy Ermish was very impressive.  I personally loved the paint color and authentic magnesium minilite wheels. Lots of neat details on this one in the photo gallery:

 

We’ll visit more paddock candy later, as the real fun at the Historics lies on the actual track. Yes, that 2.238-mile, 11-corner wonder officially known as Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca!

Race Day: Keeping Up With John Morton

“I am on the pit crew for John Morton. I am not worthy”. That is what runs through my mind when I see John Morton walking towards our pit to jump into #49 for the practice session. I remain composed and follow instruction from Rob, Josh and Andy, the other members of the pit crew. We are all serious when the announcement is heard on the PA for our run grup to head to the pit lane.

  

The car is ready, John is strapped in and he motors away. John Morton is driving our IMSA Z.

  

When we are staged in the pits waiting for the cars to roll out onto the track it is a different scene. A wave of colors from vibrant livery aligns as the cars park against the garages. I’m in heaven because there is so much rad machinery in one place:

 
 

It’s noisy here from the current run group roaring down the front straight, yet serenely calm as the 4A drivers collect their thoughts behind the wheel, engines idling.  For John, that moment seems to be interrupted as driver after driver comes to his side for a chat. It was fun to watch:

 

 

The signal is given and group 4A rolls out to the starting grid:

 

Watch this video to get a sense of the sounds and staging of Group 4A with a few glimpses of John behind the wheel:

 

As each practice session ends we run back to the pits to hear from John. He hops out of the Z and tells us, “Engine’s good and brakes are good.” The crew was hoping for more feedback but you see, John is also driving a Porsche 908 in the following session, so off he goes. That’s when Sylvia Wilkinson, John’s lifelong partner comes in. She gives us a breakdown between sessions complete with lap times and feedback from John.

 

  

Turns out he doesn’t need much. In his first practice session John was running 1:44s and by Friday he ran 1:41.4. He liked the car, but the tires were getting greasy and oil temps climbing. It was record-setting hot during RMMR with temps close to 90F. Before the final race we made some tire adjustments and cooling aids. Ultimately we’ll have a fresh set of slicks ready next time around.

 

We were completely ecstatic to have John Morton pilot the Z and also have zero mechanical issues over the week. John placed us 19th overall in the race with some really great S30 battles between our friends David Martin (Frisselle Z) and Dave Stone. Enjoy these on-track/paddock shots of #49 followed by a longer in-car video with multiple camera angles.

  

  

  

Take a few laps with John with multiple camera angles in this longer video:

 

Paddock Highlights

Between prepping #49 for the next session and helping fellow Datsun racers we certainly enjoyed cruising through the paddock and soaking up all of the fascinating hardware. Can you identify the familiar Vans shoes under Larry Oka’s S30?  That’s Rob and Josh helping Larry pull a half shaft:

 

An increasing presence from automakers is always welcome and this year Ford helped by honoring the 50th anniversary of the Shelby GT350 Mustang. Their display was filled with vintage Shelby’s and the new GT350:

 

We spotted more Datsuns in the Nissan garage…this duo of 411 and 510 sedans was actually driven by our friends over at Japanese Nostalgic Car!Next door, Acura displayed the new NSX and Ford had their new GT supercar. Stillen even had their own garage space housing the wild #75 300zx. It was in pieces at the time but put on a flame-spitting show in Saturday’s race!

   

 

Here is the very first production 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso and one of only three known examples that were used in competition…

 

From highly collectible and expensive to downright zany you never know what to find in the paddock. Check out this Reliant Robin of Top Gear fame (or shame):

 

 

This insane Audi 200 Quattro made some neat sounds coming squirting out of the Corkscrew. Check out those BBS Turbofans!

 

1963 Ferrari 250GTO berlinetta, rumored to have last sold for $38 million (or more depending on the source)

 

Jim Froula is well-known for his controversial (yet cool) Hakosuka Skyline but he also helped create this badass 1980 280zx. This S130 has some trick design features and amazing attention to detail:

 

 

The Colors of RMMR

As if your sense of smell and sound weren’t assaulted already, the paddock is brimming with every color of the rainbow. The race liveries, trailer rigs, even the concession stands…your eyes are on overdrive at each corner. Ferraris, Porsches, Lotuses, MG’s, Alfas, Fords,Chevrolets, Maseratis, Bentleys …it seems that every era and every manufacturer has some intensely significant car, and they are driven in anger.

 

We are huge fans of Canepa and these two Porsches were a treat to watch. At the left is a 962 that we recently dyno’d at the shop! It ran an amazing 1:26.049 and the 935 driven by Bruce Canepa made an epic sweep to first place our group.

 

  

 

One of my favorite races is the Trans Am series. These muscle cars with their blistering fenders and V8s are entertaining to watch. Ear plugs are a must for this group! The liveries are pretty incredible with some intense history behind each machine. If you stare long enough these cars have a lot to tell you.

 

This year we held another Datsun/Nissan Corral but attendance was relatively low. We did spot a few gems like this Kenmary Skyline, Datsun 510 and Skyline-powered S30:

The Vintage Wheels of RMMR

I am a wheel addict. I love quality, vintage wheels. Once again the paddock did not dissappoint. BBS, Volk, Minilite, American Racing…all shod with meaty slicks of sometimes incredible proportions:

  

Thank you!

We hope you have enjoyed our recap of the 2015 Monterey Historics! 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 the Keith Corwin, Troy Ermish, Dave Stone, Tim Arnett, Ron Carter, Michael Anderson, Josh Corwin, Andy Vargas and Meghan Fuller.  We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, please let us know how we can do better next time!

Huge thanks to John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson.  Joel Anderson, wish you were here!

Thank you to Mike Garret, Mark Hutchinson, Sri Gogineni, Ann and Paul Devor for sharing your wonderful photos.
Long Live The Z!

 

More pictures in our gallery below: …[read more]

 

Hemming’s Motor News features a Buyer’s Guide for Datsun Z cars in their current May 2015 issue. Aimed specifically at the 280z spanning 1975 to 1978, it provides a detailed overview with great pictures. You can preview the article online HERE or purchase a hardcopy at your local Barnes and Noble bookstore.

 

It’s great to see some love given to these later model S30’s and positive exposure for the marque. Icing on the cake of course is that Rob and Z Car Garage are mentioned in the article!

So brace yourselves…higher Z-car values are coming!

 

We always appreciate seeing our customer cars in the media. Recently Speedhunters had a “carbs only” theme for January and featured cars/engine bays with everyone’s favorite vintage mechanical car part. In their latest installment of the carb theme they featured our very own Lou S’ RHD S30 engine bay showing off its tantalizing triple-Weber carbs. Check out the Speedhunters article here.

 

Stay tuned for an update on Lou’s Fairlady as it now sports a late-model(240sx) 5-speed transmission and lower gears for brisk acceleration.

 

Here’s a short teaser video of the 300hp Rebello L-series stroker in action. Enjoy the carburetor sounds!

 

I’ve never been a fan of watching football so when I heard about the Anti-Football Run last year through our friends at Bring A Trailer I knew exactly what I wanted to do on this New Year’s Day. I woke up at 6:30am to make the 70mile drive to Sausalito by 8am–the starting point of the run. Stay indoors in the warmth of a cozy bed or jump in the roadster and partake in a vintage car rallye? Let’s do this!

 

Arriving in downtown Sausalito I was greeted to the sights and sounds of classic cars everywhere. I was truly a kid in a candy store. Parked the roadster, registered and got my route sheet: 120 miles of fun ahead!  The parking lots and streets were lined with impressive machinery so I will highlight a few cars. Please check the extensive photo gallery as I probably snapped pics of your ride!

Being a J-Tin fan I was totally stoked to find two fellow Datsun Roadsters. The silver car is Mike Young’s lovingly restored 1967 2000:

 

Yes, in a sea of Euro and American iron there were a few little Japanese gems like these MKII and MKIV Supras. Sadly, I did not spot any Z-cars or 510s 🙁

If you are a fan of Alfas this year’s showing was impressive. A handful of Giuliettas, even a Sprint Speciale, a bunch of GTVs and Berlinas.

Red, White and Blue. I love Italy:

 

 

BaT alumni sinister black 911 and RS:

 

I love vintage BMWs and 2002s were abundant.  My favorite was this brilliant E9 with modern wheels that somehow looked perfect.

 

Crowd favorites had to be the Lamborgini Miura and Gullwing Benz. This Jag however drew attention as well. I will save my personal favorite for later 🙂

 

Not just for sports cars! Michael E of Luche Libre Racing fame ran his FJ and check out the Archer and VW!

 

And finally the “quirky” and “never seen one before” cars:

 

The best part of this gathering? It’s not just another car show for the idle… …[read more]

We enjoyed driving our Datsuns to the 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show despite blistering 100+ degree weather. This year we flew down to Long Beach to visit the 2013 JCCS near the Queen Mary.

The show started in 2005 with a modest following and over the years spectators have flocked in crazy numbers; this year was no exception and the crowds were a bit overwhelming at times.  We did appreciate the JCCS crew’s new, efficient ticket/entry setup! Weather was beautiful with an incredible array of J-tin from time-capsule survivors to wildly modified restorations.   So let’s get to the stars of the show….

Datsuns were well represented though scattered throughout the main grass and parking lot areas. I love seeing fresh cars as well as familiar faces.  This VG30 510 caught my eye with it’s clean aesthetic and sanitary engine bay:

Who can miss the die-hard Datsun Roadster owners and their beloved open-top sports cars! The SoCal Roadster Owners club lined up their cars with bone stock and modified examples. These guys drive their cars. Mike A has accumulated almost 40k miles in the last year with his S14 SR20-swapped 1968 SPL:

This red late-model roadster had a molded front end, flared bodywork and an interesting dash setup:

If you are a fan of S30s and Z-cars in general JCCS had almost every classic generation displayed.

There were several RB-powered Zs but this triple-Weber carb’d L-series was pretty:

Vintage Skylines abound! JDM Legends built this Prince Motor Company Skyline in race livery:

 Beautiful red Hakosuka,  KenMeri, GC10 and DR30 Skylines:

Z31 300zx’s made a strong showing and my favorite was this Shiro edition on DSM wheels(left).  S12 chassis cars also caught my eye especially this clean RB26DETT-powered hatch:

Datsun trucks might have been the most numerous with tasteful resto-mods and zany creations. I thought this little F20c-powered pickup was over the top until I realized it was also boosted!

Two of my favorite wagons, both sporting SR20DET powerplants but totally different build themes:

Datsun 1200s, Sunny’s and even a few large bumper GXs:

Every year I look forward to seeing JDM wheels both old-school and reproduction. I dub this JCCS as Year of the Mesh! Deep-dish or multi-piece the mesh style was in full-effect from SSR, Epsilon, Bahn, Volk, Work and others:

I spotted these ultra-rare Impul Hoshinos and Riverside Riverge wheels….ps those are replicas on the right, gotcha!

Toyota has always been a huge corporate presence followed by Mazda, and this year Honda even displayed their own rare vehicles. So you’ve probably heard about Nissan celebrating 80 years…why not display the collection at largest gathering on the West Coast? NISSAN are you listening?

Not one but THREE Toyota 2000GT sports cars were displayed, even a LHD model!

One of the craziest Toyota was Scott Kanemura‘s Toyota Hilux. Huge Project Mu brakes, VOLK TE37vs, Stack instruments, and the mighty  2JZ-GTE make this one insane truck:

There were so many cool Toyota Celicas, Starlets and Corollas to list! This TRD widebody Starlet was a very impressive build with 275-width Hoosiers!

Wild engine swapped Corollas? Check! AE86 with turbo F20C and a late ‘rolla with an LS1!

Sinister Crown(with “Yakooza” plates) and one of several Land Cruiser pickups. Many more Toyotas in the gallery!

Rotary fans unite as the RX posse had the largest showing of old-school cars I’ve ever see in one place. This year there were FC Rx-7s and even more stunning examples of first gen FBs…

Honda proudly displayed their own collection of rare cars like a Mugen CRX. Almost ten N600s were lined up against the pretty blue water.

This year late model Hondas(read Accords) were displayed. I’m a huge fan of the 1st through 3rd gen Civics, even EF-era and I’m all for showing off neat, tidy builds with personal touches.  Some of these cars looked simply unkempt and boring. That aside here were my favorites:

Spoon 3rd gen, Bisimoto’s EF wagon, and one of many ultra-clean CRXs:

My favorite car at the show was Garm B’s Subaru 360 microvan. Besides its tiny stature the van is packed full of details!

JCCS wouldn’t be complete without those stickers and vanity plates:

Let’s not forget to give respect to those parking lot warriors who made it down to the show in style. There were some real gems to be found outside of the show like this Dodge Colt and Toyota Corona sedan with a perfect stance:

Thanks to the JCCS organizers for hosting another fun event. It will be interesting to see what next year’s show offers J-tin lovers young and old!
Lots of pictures in the gallery below so don’t forget to click after the jump!
…[read more]