Z Car Garage is proud to bring this 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car back to life for our long-time client and friend Linda Williams. Only 50 of these Ontario Motor Speedway (OMS) “duplicates” were created and this is one of only two known survivors .

 

Join us as we revive this historically-significant Z from its slumber to make it a nice driver for Linda while retaining its survivor status. In addition to documenting ZCG’s work we will look at this Z’s history, our relationship with Linda and share her Enjoying the Ride.

  

History and Acquisition

 

Before we dive into the OMS Pace car story let’s take a look at Linda’s Z-car story. We first met Linda in 2008 when she reached out to Z Car Garage for work on her low-mileage 1978 Datsun 280Z:

 

“I had just bought my blue 1978 280Z and had taken it over to Steven’s Creek Nissan Parts Department to have a replacement key made. One of the guys came out and suggested I show it to “Rob” at Z Car Garage.  It was my lucky day as ZONC was having a meeting and a Dyno Day at Z Car Garage! Of course, I didn’t know who Rob was and he was busy but took a few minutes to look at my Z. That’s how I met Rob and began a great friendship and a wonderful working relationship. I also joined Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) that day too!

Linda became a big part of the local Z car community and eventually became (currently) President of ZONC, one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. We have enjoyed helping her keep her Z cars on the road over the years, from Car Show prep to routine maintenance:

 

“Rob has taken very good care of my car and I have a lot of respect for him as a business person. He is honest, open and I don’t feel pressured to do anything on the car that isn’t necessary. In 2012, Rob called and asked if he could ‘borrow my car’ and of course I said ‘yes’, but can you please explain? He then told me he wanted to display it at the San Jose Auto Show in January 2013. I felt honored having it displayed with another restoration Z Car Garage had done, along with many other client Z’s.” 

 

The OMS Pace Car Duplicates

 

Nissan Motors created 50 “Pace Car Duplicates” to commemorate the Datsun 240Z being selected by the Ontario Motor Speedway to Pace the 1972 U.S.A.C. California 500 Championship (shown above). The cars were originally brought over from Japan by Mr. K and were all white with red interior. The blue livery was added here in the states with the “O” that represented the Ontario Motor Speedway. After the race, the cars were given to Datsun Dealerships in the Los Angeles area as a promotion and later sold to the public.

 

Fast forward to 2021 and Linda has located one of the Pace Cars: (shown above) The OMS Pace Car in a period photo from the previous owner in Glacier National Park, and on the day Linda purchased it:

“In August of 2020, a gentleman from Porterville, CA who was handling his father’s estate contacted me and asked if our car club (ZONC) would like to have a car (actually 3 cars) donated to us. I had to explain that we were a 501(c)7 and not a 501(c) 3 and would not be able to accept them, but I was personally very interested in the Z and that began the quest to acquire it.”

 

We told Linda this was a “must buy” as the car advertised had original paint/interior, 45k miles and above all it was 1 of those 50 “tribute” cars made by Nissan. Of those 50 cars, it is currently one of only two known survivors! You might be wondering what happened to the actual OMS Pace car? This is what makes Linda’s tribute Z special, beyond its rarity…as per Carl Beck and other noted Z-car historians, the original OMS Pace Car car was this Z shown below (L):

 

Above (R) is a photo of Mr. K presenting the keys to the Datsun 240Z Pace Car to Mr. John Cooper, President of Ontario Motor Speedway. This Z was used as the Official Pace Car for the ” California 500″ held on Sept. 3, 1972. It really is a small Datsun world and amazingly this exact car is in our shop at Z Car Garage…it is none other than the Joel Anderson #49 IMSA GTU 240Z !

 

After running as the official OMS Pace Car in 1972, it was purchased by Joel Anderson from the Datsun Competition Dept. for $1.00 and Joel picked it up at Sears Point from Bob Bondurant in 1979. Joel prepared the Z for IMSA GT-U competition sporting wide aero and his iconic black livery. Yes, #49 still has the checkered flag holder in the driver’s rear quarter panel from its OMS career. We are stoked to have both Tribute and original OMS Pace Cars at the shop!

Z Car Garage Revival

 

Linda had the OMS tribute towed to Z Car Garage and we sat down to discuss the future of the car. We both agreed to keep it as original as we could, while updating critical parts to bring it back to life and make it a safe, fun car to drive. Our goal was to have it ready for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) in August of 2021.

“My plans are to drive the car and enjoy it as a ‘survivor car’. It draws a lot of attention and I love sharing it with the car community, and telling her story to those that haven’t heard anything about the Tribute cars. I have the paperwork back to the original owner, many invoices that corroborate the mileage and original Warranty Book with the ‘credit card’ warranty card.”

Indeed, Linda has a treasure box of period photos/records all relevant to her OMS tribute Z:

    

Engine

 

The Z had not been running since 2006 so we went through the fuel and cooling systems, suspension, brakes and supporting parts to make it a fantastic driver. Starting with the engine bay, we performed general clean-up of the inner fender/firewall areas.

 

A fresh set of Z therapy SU carbs were installed along with an MSA 6 to 1 header and full ZCG exhaust system:

 

All coolant hoses were replaced and radiator refurbished:

 

Fuel tank refurbishment with new hoses and all new evap lines:

 

On the dyno, the stock L24 made 120hp/125tq at the wheels:

 

Enjoy this video of the dyno run and a walk-around of the Z after our revival:

 

Chassis

 

With respect to the low mileage of this chassis and provenance we performed a “sympathetic” refresh to make it road-worthy. The suspension was removed and replaced with new hardware and bushings throughout. New parts from Techno Toy Tuning included adjustable T/C rods and rear lower control arms. Before/after shots below with more in the gallery.

   New tie-rods, rack bushings, and engine mounts. KYB strut inserts, Eibach lowering springs trimmed Macpherson bumps stops for full travel and a ST sway bar set:

 We rebuilt and replaced all factory brake components including new calipers with Stoptech rotors, rear drums/shoes+wheel cylinders, new wheel bearings front and rear:

     

Fresh brake master cylinder and booster:

 

 

New drum brake components:

 

Details

 

Finishing touches for Linda’s Z included completing the OMS livery. We did not repaint the car because of its survivor status. A cut/buff was sufficient, and “O” decals were sourced/applied just before heading to ZCON. As it arrived (L) and after (R):

 

Interior

 

The original interior was refreshed with a nicer set of seats from fellow ZONC members Paul and Ann Devor:

 

All weatherstripping was replaced from hatch to doors.

 

Small details like a a new shifter gasket, heater core/ducting refurbishment and window regulator sorting make driving enjoyable:

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

Linda drives her Datsuns. We got the OMS Pace Car tribute in great mechanical shape and she has been driving it everywhere on local runs and gatherings. Most recently on April 10 she joined fellow Z owner Bryan for a local Bay Area drive and the odometer turned 47,000 miles!

 

In March she completed a 300-mile Breakfast Club Rally with us in Sonoma, CA. The OMS Pace Car ran like a champ, handling the twisty roads with zero mechanical issues:

 

In August 2021 we finished preparing the Z just in time for the 34th Annual Z Car Convention (ZCON) hosted by ZCCA in Colorado Springs. The OMS car was well-received at the show, Pete Brock approved!

   

At ZCON with the new Z and track laps!

 

Photographer  Larry Chen and Rob Fuller highlighted Linda’s Z in their walk-around from ZCON, enjoy:

 

 

Did we mention that this Z gets driven?!

 

The OMS Pace Car tribute joining us at the 2023 New Z Viewing Event:

 

Linda has been all smiles:

“When I bought the car, I did not drive it due to it not being operated for so many years. The last thing that I wanted to do is possibly damage it before I even got to drive it. When I delivered the car to Rob, he went through it and did everything he could to maintain the ‘Tribute Car’ provenance, yet give me a car that I could enjoy driving. She is kept garaged, but she’s driven and enjoyed. The car drives like a “Z” and I am so thrilled that Rob did his magic with her.”

 

Thank You!

 

Z Car Garage thanks Linda for her unwavering support. We love your passion Linda and how you wave the flag for Nissan/Datsun history. The OMS Pace Car tribute is in great hands for the next generation to appreciate. From Rob:

“We live for this. Finding these hidden gems that have been sitting and bringing them back to life because Datsuns are Driven.  Linda’s Z became a wonderful driver that puts a smile on my face not only when I’m behind the wheel but when I hop out and look  back at it. How small and magical is this Datsun world where we can have the actual pace car (1 of 3) and tribute (1 of 50) in the same shop and work on them both. Thanks to Linda for believing in ZCG”

More pictures in the gallery below and…LONG LIVE THE Z!

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The ZONC Annual Car Show will be held Sunday September 12 in Brisbane, CA. This a fun event in a great location so bring out your Z, G, Datsun or GT-R! Pictures from previous shows can be seen HERE with more details below. Z you at the show!

 

  

 

We met Bruce L at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. He has owned these (two) Series 1 240z cars for decades and wanted us to revive them. Bruce has performed all work himself and never let anyone else touch his Z cars so we were honored to oblige. In addition to getting the cars road-worthy each one sports our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles. Let’s take a look at how Bruce got into S30’s.

Beginnings

Bruce was introduced to Datsuns with his parent’s Bluebird 4-door 1300 (he took his driving license in this in 1969). He even purchased a brand new 1971 Datsun pickup in 1970 for $1800 and got a glimpse of the Z car:

“In the dealership showroom floor while purchasing this Pickup was a brand new early production Dark Green 1969 240Z with a Tan interior. The price tag was 3,400.00 ish. There was no way I could afford that kind of money for another car, let alone a sports car, and I needed a truck to haul my Dirt Bike to and from the Hollister Hills off-road park. Still, I wanted a 240Z instead of any of the muscle cars of the era. They just didn’t speak to me. Too big and bulky and the Cobra had no top to speak of in those days and it didn’t say buy-me.”

  

In 1973 Bruce walked into that same dealership to see and purchase a used ’72 Lime Yellow 240z.  Leap forward to 1982 and he purchased “Christine” from the same Datsun mechanic that used to work on his yellow ’72. Later in 1989 is when he purchased “Valerie” from a lady named Valerie who wanted to sell right after the ’89 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

 

“I love both of my Z’s even if I had to store them both for ten years. Rob brought them both back to life for me and added all of the improvements to make them come alive. And a thrill to drive once again. I still do all the small general maintenance for the most part on both Z’s, but have given the chore of anything else that I don’t wish to tackle at 67 years old to Rob.”

Bruce and his wife are fantastic people that have been active in the Z car community for a long time. After seeing us at the Rolex event, our operations and many happy customers Bruce wanted us to go through all of his personal cars. Both Series 1 S30’s came to Z Car Garage, starting with Valerie and later the Hot Rod, Christine.

 

Valerie

 

Valerie had been sitting for about 10 years and we performed the basics to get it back on the road again. The fuel tank was removed, boiled out and all fuel/vapor-associated lines were replaced:

 

Chassis

 

The chassis was treated to a light refresh with new parts and bushings from Techno Toy Tuning. T3 finishes the suspension in our signature color and we really appreciate Gabriel and his staff.  T3 adjustable front T/C rods and lower rear control arms:

 

Bruce had already done springs and struts on Valerie long ago…but nothing had serious miles on it so we just had to correct a couple of things, trimmed front springs for a nicer stance and trimmed bump stops. We also replaced the rack and moustache bar bushings.

 

The diff was removed and re-sealed:

 

ZCG Big-Brakes and CV Axles

 

Our readers are likely familiar with “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car with full suspension and our ZCG Big-Brakes. Following a test drive in Butters, clients are sold on our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles! Read below for a brief description of these parts:

     

As fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C mentioned in his review, on top of braking performance, pedal feel is extremely important and our Big-Brakes deliver. This is a direct result of working with Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few details below:

Calipers: Stoptech ST42 4-piston front & rear race calipers (Alum 6061 mil-spec Type III anodized)

Rotors: 280mm x 20.6 with Alum 7075 hats

Pads: Stoptech 309 sport street pads

Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE.

A few closer detail shots of the calipers, rotors and hardware:

 

We removed Bruce’s stock brakes and installed our ZCG Big-Brake kit on both Valerie and Christine. Up front:

 

The rear drums were replace with the ZCG setup and factory hand brake functionality remains!

 

The ZCG Big-Brake Kit fits nicely behind 15″ (Valerie) and 16″ (Christine) Panasports and Bruce is really happy with the disc brake upgrades.

 

 

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. We have over 100 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

  

We installed CV Axle kit #258 on Valerie and #266 on Christine. Stock half shafts (L) and ZCG units:

 

More pictures of the ZCG axles installed, also visible are the T3 control arms:

  

Engine

 

Bruce gives a little background on Valerie’s drivetrain:

“I originally intended to make Valerie a commute car for my wife to travel between Prunedale and Morgan Hill. The job never materialized and I then decided to make Valerie into a show car. Everything about Christine in terms of how she was built is identical with Valerie, except for the engine which she still retains a 2.4 L with E-31 head, Schneider cam and stock twin” SUs.” Valerie has a 5 speed transmission with custom shift lever.”

 

With the engine gone through by Bruce many years ago, we went ahead replaced the oil pan gasket, pulled/sealed transmission, installed a JWT clutch and updated ignition with Pertronix.

   

 

On the dyno we dialed it in for best performance, making 128hp/127tq at the wheels, video below:

 

 

Just You and Me

Bruce and his wife Enjoying Valerie. He recalls an old car show we both attended (but did know each other then):

“I had Valerie stripped down to bare metal also and repainted in 1989 Mercedes Back Pearl. I then had her wet sanded and polished to a near mirror finish. I took her to the Ohlone College Car Show in 2002 where she won 1^st place in the 240Z category out of Fifty Two 240Z’s. Mr. K was present and awarded Valerie “Best of Show”, signing both awards.”

 

Christine

 

As soon as we finished Valerie, Bruce brought us his second 1970 S30 affectionately named “Christine”. This is his Hot Rod Z:

“I replaced the original 2.4 L engine with a rebuilt 2.8 L engine. I then had an E-31 Head Ported and Polished with a Schneider Cam installed. I installed a 280Z 5-speed transmission that required me to make a custom linkage making the gearshift lever appear to be in a stock position on the console. Then around 1985 I had the car stripped of all way down to bare metal, prepped, sanded along with having deletes welded in on the rear bumper to accommodate the Cobra style bumper.”

 

Christine was also sitting for a decade and we performed similar revival tasks as done to Valerie. The fuel tank was pulled, clutch and oil plump replaced and we did all the corrections that were needed, with ZCG touches. An MSD6AL box with Blaster2 coil was installed and triple-Mikuni PHH 40 carbs (now with titanium velocity stacks) were re-jetted. Rob dyno tuned Christine, making 165hp/159tq at the wheels:

 

Bruce was pleased:

“In 2019 I took Christine to Z Car Garage and had Rob Fuller complete a refresh on the engine to include a Dyno Tune on the Carburetors. Rob did a fantastic job of getting Christine back up and running the way she should be as she had been in storage for 10 years. Rob also did a complete tubular control arm upgrade along with installing solid one-piece half shafts and a complete four-wheel disc brake conversion kit to include the emergency brake.”

As Bruce mentioned, Christine also received our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

  

Both of these products are available now from Z Car Garage. Please email/call Rob!

 

The Big-Brakes look great behind a new set of 16×7 Panasport wheels with s007a tires in 225/50/16:

 

Enjoying the Ride

 

With both 1970 Z cars back on the road Bruce was out Enjoying The Ride. Above, Christine enjoys prime parking at the Pacific Grove Car Show during Monterey Car Week in 2019. Below, Bruce attended the ZONC Annual Car Show in Brisbane, CA earning 1st place with Christine:

 

On that car show note, here is a fun fact: Bruce has been the caretaker of “Sunshine”, a special Z32. Sunshine was previously owned by Carolyn Dudley – ZONC President for many years and personal friend of Mr. K.

 

After Carolyn passed away (RIP), her son sold the Z to Bruce. Under his ownership Bruce has given this 300zx a full restoration and keeps it running well at 157k miles.

“Sunshine was given center stage at Blackhawk Car Show in 2004. People were recognizing Sunshine and they approached her and laid their hands on the car and were praying.  That gave me chills. I stopped taking Sunshine to events until I took her 2 years ago to the ZONC picnic in the bay area and still a lot of people recognized her.”

 

Feelin’ Stronger Everyday

 

We understand that it is hard to entrust a shop with your pride and joy. After purchasing Christine in 1982, all of the work performed on her was completed by Bruce and his best friend in a garage.

“I have never left either of my Z’s at any place to be worked on other than the 2 paint shops. (One in 1985 Sean’s Auto Body in Salinas – Black Acrylic Enamel and One in 1991 or 92 at J&J Auto Body in Auburn Calif – 1989 Mercedes Black Pearl). I also wasn’t concerned in 2019 with leaving either of my 240Z’s with Rob Fuller at  ZCG because of his reputation in the Z World that I explored prior to contacting him at the shop. Christine was never purchased as an investment, she was purchased as a car that I cherished and now 38 years later Christine is still not for sale.”

 

We thank Bruce for giving us the opportunity to help get both of his 1970 Z cars back on the road. Enjoy the picture gallery and  LONG LIVE THE Z!

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The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) is one of the oldest Z car clubs in the nation. We are proud to be a part of this group and support its members, like former ZONC president Ken C. Ken brought his 1970 S30 to Z Car Garage for a dyno tune and minor sorting. In true do-it-yourself fashion Ken performs most of the work himself, even installing a set of our Z Car Garage CV Axles in his garage.

 

“When I was 19 and in the Air Force I saved up for a Pinto, saved more for a Maverick…then I saw a 240z. I always wanted a 1970 and got this one in 1985. I drove it everywhere including Maine. I do 99% of the work myself with lots of details/upgrades like a huge cooling system (custom shroud) to support the A/C, rebuilt steering rack and all lightning.”

We recall seeing Ken’s Series 1 240z at the ZONC Annual Car Show in Brisbane, CA where he picked up an award for his efforts:

 

You can imagine how honored we were to have Ken let us work on his Z that only he’s allowed to work on. He had built a Rebello 3L with 5-speed/stock clutch and wanted us to do final sorting:

“Rob has always supported ZONC, done good work for its members so I trusted him to help get my Z in shape.  It was running too rich, stumbling and it would die when A/C  was turned on.”

 

Rob dyno tuned the L-series with SUs gaining more hp/tq and eliminating the hesitation Ken reported. The dyno plot shows his old L24 from a ZONC dyno day at the shop vs the current Rebello 3L now making a stout 183hp/191tq at the wheels. Enjoy this dyno video with sweet L-series music:

 

ZCG CV Axles

Z Car Garage is proud to offer a CV axle conversion kit for your Datsun S30 and 510. We have sold over 100 sets of axles, with customers installing and enjoying them on everything from street cars to full-blown IMSA racers. These CV axles will help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. Full details can be found HERE

 

Ken had purchased a set of our ZCG CV Axles and installed them himself.We love to hear from customers that are using our products and he reports that the axles were easy to install and well-engineered. Thanks Ken, and nice work:

“The ZCG CV axles—much smoother happy with less vibrations, best CV axles I’ve ever seen. It took me about 90 minutes to install. Super simple and easy and Rob is of course always supporting his own products with great service.”

 

Please contact the shop or visit our website to order your CV Axles!

 

Time To Enjoy The Ride

 

Ken continues to enjoy driving his Z, to shows or cruises and around town:

 

More inspiration for the Do-it-yourself’er…Ken is also restoring this ’72 S30 back to its stock blue/white in his garage (and kitchen)!

 

Thank you Ken for entrusting your Z to us. Ken is an avid baker and makes his own jerky, we also thank him for the cookies (which he’s known for) and snacks he provided to the ZCG crew. LONG LIVE THE Z!

 

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

 Dear Zcarblog readers, this is our belated race report from the 2019 Rolex event. Long overdue but a good reminder of the 2020 Rolex coming this August! Enjoy the picture gallery, paddock finds and our video footage with in-car action…

We had a tremendous week racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 14-16.  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. Every year the RMMR highlights a featured marque but for 2019 the International Motor Sports Association, better known as IMSA , was celebrated.

 

Typically we would be joining a large group of fellow Nissan/Datsun owners on the race track but it was a bit different this year. Despite IMSA being the featured marque many of us did not gain admission.  Fortunately, our customer Alex McDowell got his Nissan Bluebird and Datsun 280ZX accepted along with newcomer Doug and his DeKon Monza. As a service offered to our customers, we provided full trackside support in addition to race preparation/tuning for the RMMR event.

Serious recognition for Japanese Classics

 

The Reunion is a highlight for race fans, but it is also part of Monterey Car Week which is filled with classy events like auctions and the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance.  The Japanese Automotive Invitational hosted by Infiniti returned since its inaugural event last year. While I did not have a chance to visit the JAI, our friends at Japanese Nostalgic Car did. We are proud of several Datsuns displayed:  Steve Tetreault’s  stunning ’64 Datsun 1500 (from Florida!), John Baker’s 1969 Datsun 2000,  Brian Kippen’s 1972 Datsun 240z and Nissan Patrol and the Jim Froula-restored Ex-Greg Sorrentino 510 B-sedan:

Epic racing

The IMSA GT group (5A) was a fantastic mix of our favorite cars like the Z car, Porsche 911, BMW CSL and American muscle like the DeKon Monza and Corvette.  Z Car Garage supported Alex McDowell in the 1979 Datsun 280zx and Doug Stevens’ in the 1976 DeKon Monza.

 

Alex McDowell in the Jim Fitzgerald Datsun 280zx

 

Alex did really well this year, having run the RMMR a few times now. The Fitzy 280zx received a fresh engine with more power and performed flawlessly.

 

It was unfortunate that our familiar Datsun buddies were not on track with us:  only Alex and David Martin in the Friselle 240Z were out there repping Datsun.  The two had a great battle with Alex eventually pulling away from David, enjoy the in-car footage from the 280zx below.

 

The DeKon Monza

 

Z Car Garage supported three race cars at the 2019 RMMR and the biggest challenge was a new kid in town…Doug Stevens and his DeKon Monza. He hails out of Bakersfield, CA and came to ZCG for a dyno session on referral from Chad Raynall of Impeccable Inc..  Doug wanted to get the DeKon dialed in after it been mothballed for years. It’s always been a goal of his to run the RMMR, so we fully prepared this car, having to change many parts.

 

Our first race was at the Sonoma Historics where Doug lost a wheel causing him to go off track. The left rear flare and bumper/taillight were damaged. So there we were in late June with the Rolex approaching in August. Doug sourced a fender flare and we called upon our man William to fuse it into the existing bodywork…the damage was undetectable and patina retained!

 

At RMMR, more problems arose. Rob recounts the events at the Pre-Historics (a “practice” weekend proceeding RMMR):

“The way the rear suspension is designed it loads rear wheel bearings heavily. The combination of a wide 15″ tire, high power and grip allows the seal to wallow out. A few hot-rod fixes were not applied to this car b/c it has a real vintage setup, yet to be updated. We fought that over the weekend, sorted it out and Doug was able to finish the session.”

Then, in the last practice session of Pre-Historics weekend we lost a brake line and caliper which resulted in a fire in both front wheels.

  

We were stranded without a wheel or replacement front brake setup. Missing the big show was becoming a possibility. We towed car back to the shop Sunday afternoon. Josh and the ZCG team helped sort the front braking system with new brackets fabricated and last minute work from Brian Kippen.  By 9pm the car was back together and now the backup wheels won’t fit over the new brakes. We looked all over for a replacement wheel including racers and the BBS factory with no luck. Success: Chad Raynall called us with old wheel centers and Larry Oka had the old hardware.

 

Doug finished the final Group 5A race at the RMMR, Rob:

“After sorting issues the Monza ran wonderfully at RMMR. Doug’s family and parents came out and it reminded me of when Joel Anderson first went out. We are lucky to help someone realize their goal, a shared dream that we also have. It was rewarding to be with his family with hugs all around, so gracious. Doug will return this winter for a full teardown/inspections.”

 

We will have a zcarblog full feature on the Monza, for now here is a nice one from Stanceworks

Alex McDowell in the Bluebird

The Group 4B (GT cars under 2.5L) had some heated battles between Alex in the Bluebird and John Wilkins in the Ex-Bob Studdard Datsun 2000. Watch them mix it up with Porsche 911s and an Alfa GTZ piloted by Gunnar Jeaneatte in the video below:

   

Notes from Rob:

 “Alex and Bluebird really work well together. That car finished 5th in the race. We had a few issues with a hit and the right front strut got damaged. With help from Jim Froula we were able to weld it in their bay and get Alex back on the track. Adding to the drama was more car contact as got bumped a little.”

Watch this extended in-car video below of Alex piloting the 280zx with extra footage of the Bluebird and DeKon Monza:

 

 

You can see more IMSA race coverage on Speedhunters.

 

Paddock Highlights

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.

 

Rob displayed his 1967 Datsun 2000. Everyone loved it:

Bring a Trailer

Our friends from Bring a Trailer hosted a really cool car corral near turn 3. Filled with cars won through BaT, this was so much fun to walk through. We hope they do it yearly!

 

A few S30s including our customer Jim H’s 1971 240z

 

Paddock finds

 

From massive transporters, to exotics and downright crazy vehicles the paddock never disappoints. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery!

   

Sights and Sounds!

Enjoy this video from the paddock and starting grid

 

 

People

Contributing to the fun were family and friends. Our customer Jim H got acquainted with the previous owner of his Z, Les Cannaday:

 

We were humbled by the number of people that stopped by including fellow Datsun owners and Randy Jaffe, Kurt Hafer and Jan Trondsen:

 

   Ace photographers Naveed and Courtney:

 

Thank you!

We hope you have enjoyed our recap of the 2019 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 Larry Oka, Chad Raynall, Brian Kippen, Jim Froula and the ZCG Crew: Josh, Nick, Keith, Cory and Meghan Fuller. We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, here’s to another year of vintage racing in Monterey, California.

 

Long Live The Z!

Z CARS RULE ONCE AGAIN at Laguna Seca at the next RMMR! That’s right we have submitted our race car applications for RMMR 2020, featured marque announced soon! …[read more]