Zccm issue #3 (1 32)

N I S M O P E F O R M A N C E A C A D E M Y

ZCARCLUBMAG.COMS E P T / N O V 2 0 1 3 • I S S U E 3

ZCON 2013New England Revisited

C A R C L U B M A G A Z I N E

F e a t u r e s

Behind the Wheel1993 300ZXTT Convertible:

Chris Karl, Cleveland Z Club

ZCON 2013:Nashua 10 Years LaterIt’s been 10 years since the last time a convention

was held in Nashua, NH. They say its always

better the second time around. They were right.

Nissan Motorsports ReturnsNissan Motorsports is back and in a big way.

With their launch of the NISMO Performance

Academy, they are working their way back into

the hearts of their most loyal fans.

Out of the GarageBen Pila of the Z Club of San Diego gives you a

step-by-step on how to change your brake fluid

and discusses the differences between DOT 3,

DOT 4 and DOT 5.

Club SpotlightTidewater Z: The Tidewater Z Club, based out of

Tidewater, VA, is still going strong after 18 years

and welcomes you in with open car doors.

From the ZCCAMoving PartsDIY TechEventsAround the CurveClubs in GearCollector’s Corner

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Z Car Club Magazine is a bi-monthly publication. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form withoutthe expressed written permission of the publisher. This publication is distributed with the understanding that the informationpresented herein is from various sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accura-cy, safety, or completeness. Unsolicited material will not be returned. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

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zcarclubmag.com • sept/oct 2013 • issue 3

Remember back to when you bought your first Z car. It mayhave been over 40 years ago when the Datsun 240z debuted for the 1970model year. Or perhaps it was when you were in high school in the ‘80s and‘90s when Nissan’s marketing efforts promoted themselves as “Driven” andwanted you to “Enjoy The Ride” as a remote control 300zx whisked Barbieaway from Ken in an semi-animated commercial. Or perhaps you entered theZ scene with the Z car revival marked by the new 2003 350z or the morerecent 370z…

Independent of when you were exposed to the Z scene, Nissan andDatsun Z cars have been stirring up emotions for over 40 years in the enthu-siast community and on race tracks across the globe. Enthusiasts look to Zclubs to help provide community, technical advice, discounts and just to havea good time.

We believe this enthusiasm and theZ car marquee deserves to be celebrated.Z enthusiasts deserve to have that heritage celebrated – enter the Z Car ClubAssociation International Z Car Convention. The 6-day event is hosted by var-ious Z car clubs from around North America and Canada to keep the her-itage alive and bring the community closer together every year. While theZCCA (www.zcca.org) is the name-plate organization for each year’s event,ZCCA member clubs must go through a bidding process to have the honor toput forth hundreds of hours of work and host a Z convention (aka, “ZCON”).

Each convention strives to bring a regional flare to the ZCON event for-mat. Motorsports events such as HPDE (high-performance driver’s education)“track day” event, autocrossing, rallies, drag racing and group drives arealmost always part of the agenda along with a car show event, banquets andother activities organized by the host club.

This year’s event was hosted by the ZCCNE (Z Car Club of New England)this past August. Legendary racers such as Bob Sharp (of Bob Sharp Racing),Yoshihiko Matsumoto (aka, “Mr. Matsuo) – the design team leader for theDatsun 240z and other dignitaries joined over five hundred people over theconvention week for ZCON 2013.

If you haven’t been to a ZCON and would like more information, keeptabs on www.zcon.org as next year’s event information launches in October.ZCON 2014 will be held August 5-9, 2014 in San Diego, CA and will behosted by the Z Club of San Diego (www.zcsd.org).

Join in the celebration and in the theme of my favorite Nissan marketingtheme, Enjoy The Ride!

FROM THE ZCCA

• The Z Deserves an Annual International Convention…By: Chris Karl, ZCCA Executive Director (www.zcca.org), Cleveland Z Club

Z CAR C LU B MAGAZ IN E4

Premium Spotweld Cutter Kit w/ Pilot PinBlair Spotweld cutters are the professional's choice forremoving spot welds. Blair Spotweld cutters remove spotwelds by cutting around the weld and leaving the under-lying panel undamaged, the damaged panel can quick-ly be taken off. The panel can be repaired and welded back on or a newpanel can be put on using the spotweld cutters to make plugholes forwelding. So, whether you work in a high-end collision shop or in yourgarage restoring your dream machine, Blair Spot weld Cutters will makelife easier. Price: $46.35. Details: blairequipment.com.

Front Adjustable Camber Plates - Nissan 300ZX (Z31)Adjustable camber kits are a extremely handy suspension upgrade, allowing you to change thecamber of your front wheels after changes in ride height. When camber is not corrected after low-ering the front end, excessive tire wear frequently occurs. No one wants to go through sets ofexpensive tires, or potentially operate their vehicle in an unsafe condition. With our adjustablefront camber correction plates, this won't have to be a concern any longer. ASCO has engineeredan easy, bolt-in camber correction solution for the Z31 300ZX, and the plates are made of anodized 6061 aluminum for durability. Thespherical bearings are of a high load limit design, and will be fully adequate for normal driving conditions. These kits will fit any Z31 with-out the Turbo switch-adjustable suspension package, although we cannot guarantee these will work with vehicles outfitted with aftermarketcoilover kits. The plates are available in black, blue or red anodized colors. Price: $259.00 shipped. Details: courtesyparts.com.

300ZX (Z32) Battery Cable BracketsLooking for something you haven’t seen under the hood of every Z32 at your local carshow? These battery-cable brackets are made of highly polished stainless steel with alaser cut-out of a Z32-style “Z” logo. The brackets are two-piece, come with stainlesssocket-head fasteners and ZSPEC-designed finish washers (choice of multiple colors –gold, silver, dark/light blue, black and red). Price: $35.00 shipped. Details: zspec.us.

ZCCM’s Moving Parts column digs up the latest andgreatest parts and accessories for your Nissan, Infiniti,or Datsun. Know of a product that should be featured?E-mail details to [email protected].

MOVING PARTS

Z CAR C LU B MAGAZ IN E 5

NISMO Radiator capThis heavy duty NISMO Radiator Cap is rated at1.3kg/cm (18.2lbs) compared to Nissan's factory radi-ator caps that are rated at 0.9kg/cm (12.6lbs) non-turboand 1.2kg/cm (16.8lbs) for turbo vehicles. The NISMORadiator Caps are able to hold at a higher pressure com-pared to the factory caps which results in improved cool-ing capacity. They fit all Nissan vehicles from 1984 topresent. Price: $74.00. Details: courtesyparts.com.

Chris Karl – Cleveland Z Club1993 Nissan 300ZXTT ConvertibleYou’ve probably been here before…On vacation with your family and they’ve allgone to sleep…so you start surfing AutoTraderand other sites looking at Z’s for sale. That’swhat I did back in 2009 while in Nantucket.Somewhere around 11pm, I located a ’93 con-vertible listed as “partially” swapped with a twin-turbo engine. After a quick call to the seller (thatsame evening), I bought the car while my wifeand kids slumbered.

The car was transported to my house and mywife’s eyebrows raised a bit. The Z wasrough…dings, missing the front bumper and ranjust enough to get it into our garage. The previ-ous owner had included numerous parts (NIB) forthe project, but hadn’t done much. TheVG30DETT was technically “installed” albeitwithout intercoolers and with only 3 of the 6cylinders firing properly.

Thus, began a project that spanned threeyears. Figuring out “what” to do with the carwas the toughest part…what color? Leave theautomatic or swap to a manual? Big build orsomething street-able?

Most of the questions went unanswered. Aswith all my other projects…I began by strippingthings off, and building the “to-do” list of whatthe car needed for the restoration journey. I had

always liked the Z32convertibles. Sporty,nice proportions withthe top up or down andthe prospect of open-airwith some power (aftera TT swap) was some-thing I had on my buck-et list for over 10 years.

The engine waspulled the first winter Iowned it along with therest of the drive train.Having done a 700+hpbuild before, I wanted

to make this a bit more budget-friendly while stillputting down good power. The engine was sentout for a complete rebuild. The engine receivedoversized forged Wiseco pistons, Eagle rods andFerrea valves. The crank was polished, headswere overhauled and a 120-mile timing servicekit installed. During reassembly, nearly allexposed bolts were powder-coated or replacedwith stainless equivalents as appropriate. Whilethe engine was out of the car, I stripped theengine bay (power-washed, sanded andprepped for paint) and shot the bay with a hot-rod color (bright orange metallic urethanebase/clear top coat). When the engine cameback, it became apparent that I wanted a 5-speed versus the auto. I went with new CHRA’sfor the turbos and installed them myself. It alsoreceived 550cc injectors (handed down from my’91 which was upgraded to larger injectors)which were flow-matched to a Jim WolfTechnology ECU tune. The injectors wereinstalled in 300 Degree fuel rails and I polishedand ported the upper and lower plenum.Upgraded engine manifolds and a B&B 3” stain-less dual full exhaust system took care of theexhaust (sans catalytic converters). The coolingsystem was upgraded with a Mishimoto alu-minum racing radiator and thermostat. The drivetrain received upgrades as well – the 5-speedtransmission received a South Bend clutch, light-ened flywheel and 1-piece driveshaft.

As the engine and engine bay started tocome together, I built a paint booth in my 2ndgarage to start working on the car’s body andnew body kit elements. Having been around &assisting in some bodywork in the past but, neverpainting a complete car. I enlisted some helpfrom local Cleveland Z Club members (JimRoark, Brent Heath and Brent Lloyd – thanks forall the help!!). The bodywork consumed countlesshours to straighten out dings and dents on nearlyevery panel. I purchased a wrecked convertible,which met its demise at a ZDayZ event to get

BEHIND THE WHEEL


some convertible top assembly pieces I neededand grafted those in.

The interior cabin was stripped down to thebare metal (sans dash) and received POR-15 rust-protective coating, new sound insulation and car-peting. The interior trim and seat leather wereupdated with Katzkin leather. I took the seats andpanels apart and conducted the install.Recovering the various panels was fairly straight-forward but time-consuming. The doors were defi-nitely the most difficult to work with (many interiorinstallers have stated the Z32 door panels areamongst the most difficult of any vehicle). I bol-stered the stock seat foam with an extra ½” offoam before installing the two-tone “Autumn”orange/charcoal seat leather kit. I pulled thesteering wheel and had it rewrapped to match,with perforated leather on the sides. The shift/e-brake boots were replaced to match the shiftknob and e-brake handle. The gauges received aset of chrome gauge rings and carbon-fiber over-lay. The stereo originally started as a single-dinunit, but later swapped to a double-din KenwoodDVD/MP3/USB system that can play movies, hasBluetooth, back-up camera and a laundry list ofother features. Before door-panels were rein-stalled, the Kenwood component speaker tweet-ers were installed “in” the door vents. A customrear deck was installed with subwoofer amplifier,rear deck speakers and a stealth-install of a sin-gle 10” subwoofer in the trunk finished out thesound system.

After finishing the interior and mechanicalwork, it was time for suspension and brakeupgrades. The Akebono 370z (Sport Brake pack-age) worked so well on my 370z NISMO that Idecided to install the same brake kit for the con-vertible project. Stainless lines, slotted PowerStop rotors and carbon-ceramic padswere added and stock fluidreplaced with SuperBluehigh-temperature fluid.The factory suspen-sion was upgradedas well – MeganRacing 32-wayadjustablecoilovers wereinstalled, along withfront and rear cam-

ber components, new tension rods and Stillensway bars. After installing the upgraded brakingsystem, new (NLA) Nismo S-Tune LMZ5 (RaysEngineering) forged 19” wheels (19x9” front,19x10” rear) were wrapped in Hankook VentusV12 rubber and mounted to the car.

Body elements for the project included a ’99JSPEC front fascia, new TwinZ nose panel, StillenGTZ urethane side skirts and a new TwinZ rearfascia. ’99 JSPEC taillights were added alongwith smoked corner and marker lights. Another’99 element was added as well, a rear wing(pushed further back over stock ’99 placement).Some carbon-fiber pieces were added such asfog-light ducts, cowls, mirrors and pillar cover-ings. Interior CF overlay kit was also installed.Finally, the front headlights had been disassem-bled and bezels painted a brighter silver tochange the look. HID lighting and LED bulbswere installed in exterior lighting.

Under the hood, the pol-ished plenum wasaccompanied withcarbon-fiber

timing covers, MegaZ air guide and ZSPECDesign fasteners. Smitty stainless fuse covers andother touches were also added. New EFI wiringharness was loomed and wrapped in black.Future upgrades will include a new convertibletop (20-year old top is getting pretty worn) andsome more finishing touches.

I showed the Z for the first time at theMidwest Z Heritage show this past June and wasawarded a 1st in Class placement. The car alsojust took a Best of Show at the ZCCR MotorFestin July.

I consider myself very fortunate that my wife,Karen, and daughters (Brice & Alexia) areengrained in my hobby as well. The kids evencame up with the name for her: "Z MASTR". I amproud every time I get it out of the garage andsurely do Enjoy the Ride every opportunity thatarises!

Z CAR C LU B MAGAZ IN E 7


ZC ZON

Z CAR C L U B MAGAZ IN E 9

CON 2013 was the 12th national convention that I have

attended in the past 16 years and there were a lot of firsts

for me. The first time I have returned to a site where it was

held before, the first time I have driven someone’s Z other

than my own. The first time I have flown into a city 650 miles

away from the host city and driven that same Z to the convention,

the first time that I felt no pressure to meet a sales

quota for a worldwide publication (Nissan Sport), the first time attending

from start to finish, the first time as a representative of Z Car Club

Magazine. The first time to meet Bob Sharp in person, and the first time

Mad Mike was nice to me for the entire week.

My trip began with a 6-hour flight (2 layovers) to Cleveland, OH where

Chris Karl from the Cleveland Z Club picked me up at the airport to start this

12-day adventure. He was kind enough (or just plain crazy) to lend me his

NISMO 370Z for the event.

The journey continued with a quick drive to Maryland for a pre-conven-

tion get together at Mark Lambert’s (president, Maryland Z Club) house for

anyone traveling through to the convention. I got a chance to check out

Mark’s garage (for the first time), another shrine to the Z.

On the third leg of the trip we headed to Bob Sharp’s house in

Connecticut to meet the legend himself, take a tour of his home and

garages, then dinner that evening. Bob’s home office is another shrine to

the Z racing world and I could have spent days there looking at all of the

memorabilia. For a while it didn’t look like we were going to make it to Bob’s

house due to a transmission breakdown in Chris Karl’s Z32 convertible about

an hour into the drive. Think about it, Sunday morning on a major interstate

with no replacement parts. Lucky for Chris that he had a good AAA plan that

allowed towing up to 200 miles at no charge. Guess what, we were only 230

miles away from RDZ Motorsports where owner Scott Cole was waiting to put

Chris’ Z under the knife. It ended up needing a replacement transmission so

the car stayed at the shop for a couple of days and was then brought up to

Nashua by Scott and his crew. A big thank you goes out to Scott and RDZ

Motorsports for really coming through in a tough situation.

The rest of the trip to Nashua was your normal 3-hour drive. We left

Danbury a little after 9pm and arrived in Nashua around 12:30am, checked-in

to the hotel and went to bed.

I wish someone could explain to me why I have to pay so many tolls on just

about every major interstate in the northeast. There are no toll roads where I

live and the roads are in better condition then what I experienced on the way

to Nashua. The money can’t possibly be being used for repairs unless uneven

roads, potholes and train track effects are the norm.

2013Nashua 10 Years Later

ZN

Story by Art Singer, Albuquerque Z Car Club • photos by Art Singer, Mandi Wagner and Beth Brown

Z CAR C L U B MAGAZ IN E10

SWOHthe

photo by Beth Brown

1971 240z - Bryan Pilati-Tidewater Z

1996 300ZXWayne Parent-ZCCNE

1987 300ZX-Cathy-Mike Bean-CZC

1972 240Z-Marc Moreau-ZCCNE

The car show was held on Tuesday at the Anheuser Busch Brewery. The weather was perfect and the cars in attendance

were some of the nicest I have seen on the east coast in a long time. There were two gold medallion winners (Wayne

Parent-1996 Z32 and Ralph Cicone-1991 Z32), one gold cup winner (Jeff Mader-1972 240Z), the Bob Sharp Award (Barbara

Donahue-1981 380ZX) and the Mr. Matsuo award for the best 240Z (Bill Mitchell-1971 240Z). This was a special award cho-

sen by Mr. Matsuo himself. The bonus to the show is that I was able to do the brewery tour, which starts with a cup of beer

and ends with 2 tall glasses of beer. I learned something new while on the tour, they brew a wheat-free beer! Since I don’t

eat wheat anymore, I have found my new drinking buddy. And the cool thing, it taste like beer. I was also in the right place

at the right time and was able to get close-up pictures of the horses in training.

One car that really stood out was Vince Corry’s street production Camel Z. This car looked perfect in every way. Vince

has spent a lot of time in bringing this car back to its original condition and it showed. Look for a future article in the pages

of ZCCM to get a closer look and the story behind the car.


Bob Sharp AwardBarbara Donahue – 1981 280ZX

Mr. Matsuo AwardBill Mitchell – 1971 340Z

People’s Choice AwardsGerald Trzecki – Best EngineTom Keene – Best InteriorMark Lambert – Best ExteriorGerald Trzecki – Best in ShowScott Grover – HeritageRick Morgan – Survivor

ZCCA Judged ShowDaily Driver240Z - Terry Vollnogle

Charlie Hoffman 260Z - David Jarrell 280Z - William Moreau280ZX - Mick Wildin300ZX (Z31) - Patrick Donahue300ZX (Z32) - Lou Pereira350Z - Mike Quan370Z - Keith Hultmark

Stock Class240Z - William Mitchell 280Z - Michael Falcone280ZX - Ryan Bordenick300ZX (Z31) - Beth Brown300ZX (Z32) - Ralph Ciccone350Z - Paul Taylor370Z - Theodore Targonski

Street Modified240Z - Jeffrey Mader280Z - Paul Riccioli280ZX - Barbara Donahue300ZX (Z31) - Jorge Silva300ZX (Z32) - Gary Tylinski350Z - Carl Kush370Z - Glenn Johnson

Nissan Modified240Z - Vince Corry280ZX - Bob Chwalyk300ZX (Z32) - Claude Charest350Z - Cathy Robbins

Ultra Modified240Z - Richard Desjardins280Z - Vincent Gregg300ZX (Z32) - Sal Imperato

Jesus Montoy350Z - Scott Cole

“Best of” AwardsJeff Mader – Best EnginePaul Riccioli – Best InteriorJeff Mader – Best Exterior

Gold MedallionWayne Parent – 1996 300ZXRalph Ciccone – 1991 300ZX

Gold CupJeffrey Mader – 1972 240Z

For a complete list of winners with photos from this years show go to zccazconvention.com

ZCON 2013 Special Awards and First Place Winners

1982 280ZX-Liz McQuillin-ZCCNE

2009 370Z-Lenny Arnoth-ZCSD

2007 350Z RoadsterBill Kush-Windy City Z Club

1978 280ZBill Moreau-ZCCNE

T KaCthe

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The track day was on Thursday at the New

Hampshire Motor Speedway. John Jeffrey,

ZCON event chairman was in his element,

telling people what to do and yelling at people

that didn’t know what they were doing. He also

did his best imitation of Paul Newman at the

track. There was only one wreck when a Z32

came out of the turn onto the main straight-

away, lost traction and bounced off the wall,

twice. I just happen to be in position to see it

happen right in front of me (another first). The

fastest car that I saw on the track was a race

prepped Z32. The GT-R’s looked slow compared

to it and that’s saying something.

photo by Mandi Wagner

photo by Beth Brown

photo by Beth Brown

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The week started off on Monday with the opening ceremony. The guest of

honor, Bob Sharp told the audience stories from his and Paul Newman’s rac-

ing days and the premier showing of a 21-minute short film produced 42 years

ago on Bob Sharp and his racing team. The Annual Texas chili party hosted by

the Z Club of Texas followed.

Wednesday was the New Hampshire Road Rally. I signed up for it but

when I couldn’t even answer the first question I turned around and went back

to the hotel and did nothing all day except hangout around the lobby and

parking lot. It’s not that I’m a sore loser, it just seemed a little too much like

work. This is a vacation, right? I think I’m better suited for a poker run. Just

give me a card and hope for the best hand.

Friday was the autocross event. Again I was signed up for it as well but

after waking up from hanging out at the bar all night and the fact it was pour-

ing rain (the only day it did rain) I again decided to do nothing. I only left the

room to get lunch. Most of the other attendees who weren’t signed up for

autocross went on the Boston tour. The closing banquet was that evening and

the guest speakers were Mr. Yoshihiko Matsuo and Mad Mike Taylor.

The hotel bar was a very popular place to hangout just about every night.

It was a chance to get together with old friends and meet new ones. I spent

more time hanging out this year then I have ever done at any other convention

in the past. Some people that have known me from a distance all these years

got to see a different side of me. I’m sure a beer or two or three or four had

something to do with that. The longest distance traveled award went to Lenny

Arnoth of the Z Club of San Diego. That crazy New Yorker logged more then

3000 miles one way. He is also the convention chairman for next year’s event.

From what people were telling me, it looks like most had a great time and

the Z Club of New England did a great job of ensuring they did.

Next years Convention will be held in San Diego, CA. and hosted by the Z

Club of San Diego. Checkout their website at www.zcsd.org/ZCON_2014.html

to get all the latest information on next summers event. Knowing Lenny like I

do, I expect to have a great time in sunny southern California.

Oh, and one more first for me. John Jeffery was the perfect host. Not once

did he give me a hard time. He normally does nothing but raze me on a con-

tinuous basis whether in person or on the phone. I wonder if that really was

John or maybe it was Paul resurrected. I guess we’ll never know.


LOOKING TO MAKE A CHANGE?REACTION RESEARCH HAS WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOREverything from fender flares to complete body kits for both the street and track

Velo Rossa Spyder - 1970-78 Subtle Z - 1970-78

940Z - 1970-78 280YZ - 1970-78

For more details call John Washington at 480.229.1831

STREET

TRAC

K

By Miles Hall, ZSport San Antonio, Photos by Ric Quintanilla, [email protected]

NISMOPeformance Academy


As the sun rises onto the outer edge of Circuit of the Americas on a cool Texasmorning, two low rumbling GTR pace cars make their way into the staging area of pit row.One by one an endless sea of Nismo war painted 350s, 370s and GTRs pour into positionbehind the pace cars to take their first laps around the infamous track. Nissan was about toadd another historic event to their already impressive resume of ground breaking events atone of America’s newest and most prestigious road courses located in Austin, Texas. Thismarks the beginning of Nissan’s long overdue answer to the question of “Had NissanMotorsports lost touch with their loyal fan base, and forgotten all about their faithful support-ers?” Nissan’s long awaited answer came in the form of the Nismo Performance Academy.An event that would help revitalize their loyal followers as well as showing Nissan’s newfound reinvestment in Nissan Motorsports and the long-standing Nismo brand.

The buzz around the Nissan forums was that the Nismo brand was coming back strongerthan ever with a huge expansion by Nismo into other current and future Nissan models. Thestart of this campaign was the launch of the Nismo Performance Academy, which was mak-ing it’s debut at Circuit of the Americas. For a lucky selected few, Nismo PeformanceAcademy offers an all-day performance driving clinic. The invite only event allows Nismoextended family the opportunity to experience their own vehicles in a racing environmentwhere their cars were conceived, under the guidance of world-class professional drivers.Nismo also offered up the rare opportunity to turn corners at COTA with the new Nismo 370Zand the newly released limited production GTR track edition.

“Nismo Performance Academy gives customers the opportunity to test their vehicle’s capabilities,

as well as their own capabilities as a driver, with the help of some hands on driving instruction

in the most ideal setting.” – Carl Phillips

By Miles Hall, ZSport San Antonio, Photos by Ric Quintanilla, [email protected]

NISMOPeformance Academy

Nissan Motorsports is Back, and in a Big Way!


As a special treat 2011 Playstation Grand Turismo GT Academy winner andstar of the GT Academy reality TV show, Brian Heitkotter, was on site to teachdriving techniques at an onsite Driving Dynamics Course. Heitkotter gaveattendees a glimpse of what it takes to be consistently quick around COTA aswell as the basic fundamentals of track safety. Brian was immersed in racingevery day for almost 6 months during the filming of GT Academy, from class-room to behind the wheel track time, which ultimately ended up winning himthe series. The student has now become the teacher and we caught up withhim to get his impression of the Nismo Performance Academy experience.

“This event gives a rare opportunity for anyone to be dropped into this type of

setting and learn the fundamentals of racing and ultimately finding a new found

respect for their own Nissan’s. One by one, people are blown away by what

they never knew their cars could do. That makes it all worth it. This event is

Nissan giving back to their fans.” – Brian Heitkotter

In between being pounded with an array of driving classroom informationand Circuit of the Americas on-track instruction, an autocross was setup todebut the new Nismo Juke’s improved power, impressive vectoring AWD sys-tem and the car’s functional exterior upgrades. The new Nismo Juke’s han-dling has been improved to be even more nimble, proving that it is as easilyat home on an autocross course as it is in a curvy hill country setting. First timeauto crossers can easily feel the road’s feedback in the Nismo Juke and trans-late that into driving corrections. The Nismo Juke’s aerodynamics are directstylings taken from the success of the GTR’s overseas racing divisions whichtranslates into a 37% downforce. With over 100 parts that were redesignedspecifically by Nismo. Nissan, once again wants to provide the very bestengineered, well-balanced vehicles they can.

After attendees are able to get behind the wheel of some of these Nismovehicles, they were presented with a Nismo Immersion Class. The classroomsetting offered a history lesson of Nissan Motorsports ranging from the early


Datsun 240Z racing days to Nissan’s most recent re-launch back into com-petitive racing. The class was also a chance for the Nismo Marketing groupsto get some insight from their fan base. These types of interactions with Nissanand their customers have always been key to developing the kind of ground-breaking innovations that Nissan Motorsports is known for.

In the aftermath of the event, the internet was alive with posts and stream-ing videos giving those that couldn’t attend some insight on what they missed

out on. Although spots for Nismo Performance Academy were very limited,the availability of online coverage was epic. From in car GoPro videos toFacebook cover photos. Nismo Performance Academy left it’s mark provingthat Nissan Motorsports had taken the first steps to transition back into thelimelight. The most recent rumor amongst the internet is that NismoPerformance Academy will make another appearance somewhere else in theUnited States. Perhaps it will be in your neck of the woods sometime soon.


• tech article: Brake Fluid and Why Change it

There are many fluids that need to bechanged every now and then. Brake fluid is oneof them that is usually neglected. It needs to bechanged when it gets dirty. A good interval tochange the fluid is about every 30,000 milesunless you drive your car hard, then you shoulddo it more frequently.

Brake fluids are classified in three classes bythe DOT (Department of Transportation.) Most ofus use the DOT 3 fluid but Dot 4 offers a higherboiling point, which is better for us who use ourbrakes hard on back roads. There is also a DOT5 fluid, which is also called Silicone brake fluid.This type of fluid is different from the DOT 3 or 4in that it is made of silicones and doesn't absorbmoisture (hygroscopic) like the other brake fluidsdo. It's the moisture and contaminates that breakdown the DOT 3 and 4 fluids, which is the rea-son to change the fluid in the first place. If youdon't change it, what happens is moisture enters

the system via the vented fill caps on the brakemaster cylinder. This moisture along with dustmixes and travels in the system eventually makingits way to the lowest points in the system. Thelowest points would be the brake calipers andthe rear wheel cylinders (for those that have reardrums.) If the moisture sits against the aluminumand chrome parts in the system, it corrodes untilthe seals of the wheel cylinder or caliper pistonsget damaged then fluid begins to leak out andyou know the rest. Also as the fluid becomesdegraded, it becomes diluted and the boilingpoint is reduced.

This may not be a problem just around townbut if you've ever driven down a mountain roadlike to Borrego Springs, you know how importantthe brakes are. It's when you use the brakes veryhard, repeatedly that the boiling point may be afactor. DOT 3 fluid has a minimum wet boilingpoint of 284 degrees F. This is only if conditions

are good and brake fluid is clean. The DOT 4fluid has a higher boiling point and is animprovement over the DOT 3 for that reason. I'veused the Castrol LMA DOT 4 and it's worked ok.Since I tend to have an aggressive driving styleon the back roads, I've boiled this fluid and havesince changed to the ATE Super Blue Racingfluid. It is very reasonable in price and has a wetboiling point of 392 degrees F.

What happens when the brake fluid boils? Itturns to a vapor and then your pedal goes to thefloor and you have no brakes. It can be quitescary on a mountain road. My recommendationis to check you brake fluid by removing the fillcaps on the reservoir and if you see a murkey,"muck" like dark fluid, then it's time to change it.Once you change it, then you can stick to a regu-lar schedule. Listed below are steps needed tochange the fluid.

OUT OF THE GARAGE

By: Ben Pila, Z Car Club San Diego

1. Remove the fill caps off the brake master cylinder.2. Using a turkey baster, suck out the old fluid and put it into an old jarwith a lid. Be careful not to get any on the paint as it works like paintstripper. Use water to neutralize any spills.3. Remove the plastic filter screens from within the reservoirs and suck outthe remaining fluid from the reservoir.4. Take the plastic filter screens to a sink and rinse them, using your fin-gers to rub off any dirt as you rinse them in water. Shake them dry and setthem aside on a paper towel to dry.5. Using clean paper towels or shop towels (lint free rags,) wipe out theinside of the reservoirs, cleaning off any dirt etc. If you want an extraclean job, you could use a 10mm wrench or socket and physically removethe plastic reservoirs off the master cylinder (note which one goes where ifthey are different.)6. With the reservoirs and plastic screens clean, reassemble and top offwith your favorite brake fluid. Next comes flushing the remaining fluid inthe lines and brake parts. It may help to have the car on jack stands andwheels off on some models that have the bleeder screws mounted highand hard to reach.7. Beginning with the right rear wheel's bleeder screw (usually located onback of the drum or caliper,) take a 10mm or 8mm wrench and break thefitting loose first then attach a 3 foot piece of 3/16" clear polyethelene

tubing to the bleeder valve nipple and put the other end into a clear con-tainer that has a lid. Try to set the container so that the tubing is higherthan the bleeder fitting. This way any air will rise and not flow back intothe system.8. Open the bleeder about a turn then begin to pump the brake pedal inabout 1" strokes or just enough to move fluid out into the tubing. The rea-son you don't want to do full strokes to the floor is, if the brake master isold and corrosion has started, you could possibly damage the piston sealsof the master cylinder by the seals ripping over the corroded areas andruin the master cylinder. So just pump the pedal enough to move fluidthrough the tubing. Continue pumping until the fluid comes out mostly clear(or blue if you using the fluid I do.) Pay attention to the brake fluid level inthe reservoir as it will get low as you pump. Top it off before it gets toolow or you'll have to bleed the master cylinder to get the air out.9. Once the fluid comes out clean, close off that bleeder and move over tothe left rear wheel and continue the same process. Then do the right frontand finally the left front.10. Top off the brake reservoir, wipe down the caps (use some brakeparts cleaner spray if needed,) then install the caps and wash off anyspilled fluid with water. 11. Your ready to hit the road, assured that your brakes are ready to han-dle the toughest hills.


Brake Fluid Change - Step-by-Step

For All Parts [email protected]

Websitewww.acadianasportscars.com


DIY TECH

• product spotlight: 240Z Horn Pad Ring Restoration

The Datsun 240Z is now over 40 yearsold. And though it was quite a successful model,some of the OEM parts are becoming nearlyimpossible to locate. I came up with the idea torecreate some of the more difficult parts using a3D printer.

I decided to start with a part that was brokenon my 70’ 240Z project car: The horn padretaining ring. The early S30’s used a pad with aplastic ring that fit over a plastic disk with aspring clip to hold it in place. The problem is thatafter 40 years the outer ring becomes very brittleand just pressing the horn could cause it to crack,break and fall off. Over the years people havefound a few fixes for this such as glue, wire, zipties and we’ve even seen screws. Needless tosay all these solutions don’t allow for the hornpad to be easily removed nor do they keep thepad in place very well. An original 240Z hornpad is nearly impossible to find in New/OldStock (NOS), and most OEM pads you’d find ata junkyard, if you found a 240Z at all, wouldvery likely already be cracked. Sometimes onEbay you can find a decent one, but likely it’ll gofor more than $80 dollars. The idea of recreatinga replacement ring clamp for the horn padseemed like the best place to start.

Fellow club member Nelson Ackerman donat-ed a broken horn pad from his Z car parts yard,so that I could cut it up and see if a new mount-ing method for broken pads could be found. Itore into the pad with an Exacto-blade and found

that the OEM horn pad consists of 4 parts. Theouter skin you see, a metal disk the emblemmounts through, a high density foam - which isfairly durable but crumbly, and finally the plasticring that crumbled into many pieces as it was

removed. Unfortunately the ring was too brokento get a good inner diameter measurement from.

From pictures on the web, and pieces of thebroken ring I was able to take measurements foreach of the other dimensions. This took a littletime and a lot of tweaking. I measured the OEMhorn disk on my 1970 240Z and came up with adiameter of 66.5mm. I then added 2mm to thering model inner diameter for that section. TheOEM ring pieces had a few ridges on the inside,one for the base at 2mm tall for structure.Another at 12.75mm tall for the horn disk to siton, then at 16.5mm tall, is an indentation thatthe clips in the OEM horn disk clip into to holdthe ring in place. The final height of the ring was20mm. The outside diameter was made to 75mmto ensure a snug fit in the foam. Around the out-side was a 5mm wide ring that helped hold thering into the foam.

Once the model was completed I sent it to theprinter, the first 6 prints of the ring didn’t fit for

one reason or another. Each time I had to modifythe model for printability or fit. Some shrinkagehappens when you print an object, so fine toler-ances need to account for that. Once I had onethat fit over the OEM Horn Disk, I had to modifyit to fit the foam. I used my own horn pad andbroke out the cracked ring, and worked thereproduction into the foam. It was held it in placewith a little rubber cement, though likely the ring’ssnug fit from oversizing it by 4mm would have

held it fine. I bevel the outer rings lower edge toease insertion into the foam. Once it was dry Itried it again on the OEM horn disk in the carand it snapped right into place. I printed it inwhite ABS plastic since it was what I had onhand. Future rings will be printed in Black ABS.

So if your horn pad is in nice condition onthe outside but the ring is cracked and beyondrepair, email me at [email protected] forordering information along with any questionsyou might have.

By: Eric Finch, Albuquerque Z Car Club

• 14th Annual Midwest Z Heritage

Midwest Z Heritage enjoyed a very niceturnout with 75 cars registered for the show and125 people for the Saturday night banquet din-ner. The event also invited classic DatsunRoadsters, Nissan GTR’s and Infiniti G’s to makethis an inclusive Nissan celebration. Dealershipsponsors were Dreyer and Reinbold Infiniti andTom Wood Nissan, both of Indianapolis.

The Indy Z Car Club hosted the event thisyear as the show returned to Brown County,Indiana. We gave Z heads a chance to get awayto rustic Southern Indiana, drive some twisty backroads, shop in Nashville, hike in Brown CountyState Park, visit the architectural gems ofColumbus, IN, and explore the nearby wineries.Known as the Art Colony, Nashville features hun-dreds of craft, specialty and antique shops. Thisevent rotates between Cleveland Z Club, WindyCity Z Club, ZROC of Columbus, OH and Indy ZCar Club.

Each year the event chooses a charity to sup-port and this time it was Paws & Think. Paws &Think was represented by Brad Kupper and JillThompson, who brought along Nellie andBrewser. We were able to make a total donationof $1950.00 to their effort to help both caninesand their human friends.

The cars were spectacular once again! Theyarrived representing 12 different car clubs…fromCanada to Texas and everywhere in between.We had 18 cars that did not have a club affilia-tion. Perhaps they made some new friends andmight now consider a club in their area.

The big winner of the day was Jerry Salvuccifrom Ohio, Taking home trophies in BestModified 350Z, People’s Choice Z Car, and Bestin Show. Congratulations, Jerry! We extend spe-

cial thanks to the owners of the Classic DatsunRoadsters, Larry Blaszczak and Blake LeeNeubauer for bringing their beautiful cars. Wealso wish to thank Adam Williams for bringinghis GTR and Derrick Roland and Brian Caldwellfor representing the Infiniti’s. These cars represent-ed the “Heritage” portion of our event. John Pichfrom Dreyer & Reinbold Infiniti drove down anInfiniti G37 IPL for display.

We had a great turnout for the Saturdaynight Awards Banquet that featured some specialout of state guests. We heard from Jeff Caldwell,co-founder of both the IZCC and the MW ZHeritage show, now living in Tennessee; RayHaren, CZC PreZident; Chris Karl, ExecutiveDirector of the ZCCA; and finally, “Mad Mike”Taylor from the Z Club of Texas. Our lips aresealed as to how his Z got so muddy. IZCC haddeclared it wig night as you may notice in thephotos and “Mad Mike” was a real sport wear-ing a nice red wig for photoops. He claims his real haircolor was auburn.

Sponsors make theseevents possible. We owe spe-cial thanks to our dealershipsponsors, Dreyer & ReinboldInfiniti and Tom Wood Nissan. We had numeroussponsors at the Gold, Silver, Bronze andContributor level. Checkout the sponsor page atthe show website, midwestzheritage.com, for acomplete list. Please support our sponsors. Acomplete photo recap is also available on theshow website, showing all of the cars participat-ing, the show winners and the awards banquet.The Midwest Z Heritage website will be currentuntil the end of this year.

A big thank you goes out to Mick Wildin,Jerry Strohm, Krista Manley, Doug and PaulaRichards, Ellis Hines, Rick Stout and Joe Lasloand everyone else that helped make the 2013Midwest Z Heritage Show one to be remem-

bered!Next year’s 15th Annual Midwest Z

Heritage Show will be hosted byCleveland Z Club and held in Aurora,

OH, on June 13th-15th. Check the show websiteafter January 1st, 2014, for complete informationon that event.

EVENTS

By: Dave Jarrell, Indy Z Car Club, photos by Rick Stout, Indy Z Car Club


ZCCM is exclusively for car clubs and their members. We encourage you to join your local club or consider starting one of your own—it’s a great wayto grow the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun community. If you already belong to a club and you don’t see it listed contact Art Singer at [email protected] 505-867-4229 for more information on how your club can become a partner.

AROUND THE CURVE

2013 Z NationalsDate: October 4-6, 2013Carrollton, GA Details: znationals.com

3rd Annual Multi-State Datsun ClassicDate: October 5, 2013Williams, AZ Details: socalroc.net

To get an event listed in our event calendar here, e-mail [email protected] and followthe format above: date, event title, location,short description, and website.

UPCOMING EVENTS


• Partner Club Directory IndianaIndy Z ClubLocation: Indianapolis, INContact: Mitch Manley - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 317-697-3543Website: indyzcarclub.org

KentuckyBluegrass Z Car Club (BZCC)Location: Louisville, KYContact: Bill Edens - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 502-241-3812Website: bluegrasszcarclub.com

MarylandMaryland Z ClubLocation: Finksburg, MDContacts: Mark Lambert - PresidentJoAnne Gardner - VPEmail/Phone [email protected], 410-857-4320Website: mdzclub.org.com

NebraskaZ Owners of Nebraska (ZoNE)Location: Omaha Metro AreaContact: Matt SchumacherEmail/Phone: [email protected], 402-290-9537Website: zcarsofnebraska.com

New HampshireZ Car Club of New EnglandLocation: New HampshireContact: John Jeffries - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 617-510-2694Website: zccne.org

New MexicoAlbuquerque Z Car Club (AZCC)Location: Albuquerque Metro AreaContact: Nelson Ackerman - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 505-239-6833Website: albuquerquez.com

New YorkZ Association of New York (ZANY)Location: Upstate New YorkContact: Mike RothEmail/Phone: [email protected], 518-857-5026Website: zanyz.com

North CarolinaEmerald City Z ClubLocation: Greenville, NCContact: John Dunn - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 252-321-2020Website: emeraldcityzclub.com

Triad Z ClubLocation: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High PointContact: Matthew Ragan - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 336-399-0961Website: triadzclub.com

Triangle Z ClubLocation: Raleigh, NCContact: Jerry ColburnEmail/Phone: [email protected], 919-934-1352Website: trianglezclub.com

OhioCleveland Z ClubLocation: Northern OhioContact: Ray HarenEmail/Phone: [email protected], 440-376-7414Website: Clevelandzclub.com

Z Car and Roadster Owners Club (ZROC)Location: Central OhioContact: Lee BivensEmail/Phone: lbivens@insight,rr,com, 614-582-5281Website: zroc.org

OklahomaOklahoma Z car Club (OKZCC)Location: Tulsa and Oklahoma CityContact: Pete PitchfordEmail/Phone: [email protected], 405-612-1146Website: okzcc.com

OregonNorthWest Z (NW-Z)Location: Oregon and Southwest WashingtonContact: Kyle Glenn - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 503-932-4660Website: northwestz.org

South CarolinaUpstate Z ClubLocation: South CarolinaContact: Greg Groppe - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 864-884-7001Website: upstatezclub.com

TennesseeMiddle Tennessee Z Club (MTZC)Location: Central TennesseeContact: Randy SheminEmail/Phone: [email protected] or [email protected], 615-604-9075Website: middletennesseezclub.com

Smokey Mountain Z Car Club (SMZCC)Location: Eastern TennesseeContact: Tony PriceEmail/Phone: [email protected], 865-681-7986Website: smokymountainzcarclub.com

TexasCowtown Z ClubLocation: Ft Worth and Arlington AreaContact: Alan ToepperweinEmail/Phone: [email protected], 817-995-7482Website: cowtownzclub.com

Z Club of TexasLocation: Dallas Metro AreaContact: “Mad” Mike TaylorEmail/Phone: [email protected], 214-533-0922Website: zcluboftexas.org

ZSport San AntonioLocation: San Antonio, TXContact: Michael DeLashmutt - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 252-321-2020Website: zsport.org

VirginiaTidewater Z Car ClubLocation: Eastern VirginiaContact: Todd WagnerEmail/Phone: [email protected], 757-851-8098Website: tzccva.org

Z Car Association of Richmond (ZCAR) Location: Richmond, VAContact: Greg CarterEmail/Phone: [email protected], 804-310-5375Website: richmondzcar.com & we're on Facebook!

WashingtonZ Car Club of Washington (ZCCW)Location: Washington StateContact: Marty MolloyEmail/Phone: [email protected], 425-367-9065Facebook: facebook.com/DatsunClub

ArizonaDesert Z AssociationLocation: Phoenix, AZContact: Sandi Salvo - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 602-791-0079Website: desertzassociation.com

CaliforniaEmpire ZLocation: Ontario, CAContact: John Moran - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 909-872-0329Website: empirez.com

San Diego Z ClubLocation: San Diego, CAContact: Lenny ArnothEmail/Phone: [email protected], 619-818-5357Website: zcsd.org

GeorgiaCoastalZClubLocation: Eastern GeorgiaContact: William Stokes - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 912-667-6346Website: coastalzclub.com

HawaiiZ Club of HawaiiLocation: Oahu, HawaiiContact: Jennifer Parker - PresidentEmail/Phone: [email protected], 808-349-8813Website: N/A

IdahoZ Car Club of IdahoLocation: Boise, IDContact: Nancy BarhamEmail/Phone: [email protected], 208-375-0265Website: zcci.org

IllinoisWindy City Z ClubLocation: Chicago Metro AreaContact: Ty OzgenEmail/Phone: [email protected], 630-910-3616Website: windycityzclub.com


Albuquerque Z Car Club The Albuquerque Z Car Club is a diverse group ofenthusiasts that encourage the enjoyment, restora-tion, and customization of mostly Z cars. We gladlywelcome all generations of Zs, 510s, Roadsters, &Gs. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month todiscuss and plan road trips, car shows, meet &greets, & more. We attend local, as well as regionaland national car shows, and have monthly tech ses-sions to maintain and repair our cars. We also gettogether monthly at a local restaurant for dinner andto hang out and talk about cars. For more informa-tion on our club you can visit albuquerquez.com, orcall Nelson Ackerman at 505-239-6833.

Bluegrass Z Car ClubThe Bluegrass Z Car Club based in Louisville, KY, iscomprised of a membership dedicated to the love of,and the passion for, the Z car. Our members’ carscover all of the Z series from the first generationDatsun 240Z to the 370Z. The Bluegrass Z Car Clubspells involvement in one of the best car clubs in theMetro Louisville, KY, area. Our club is a member ofthe Z Car Club of America (ZCCA), with membersbelonging to the Sports Car Club of America(SCCA) and the Kentucky Sports Car ClubAssociation (KYSCCA). We hold monthly meetingsand will be hosting car club events throughout theyear. Owning a Z is not a requirement just the sim-ple love of the clean racing lines of a sports car,whether import or American made.

Cleveland Z ClubThe Cleveland Z Club is an active northeast Ohiocar club for Datsun and Nissan Z enthusiasts.CZC attended the Midwest Z Heritage show in Indyin June. Our club showed well, resulting in 6- 1stplace, 4- 2nd place, one 3rd place, Best of Show,People’s Choice and the events traveling trophy. InJuly, the club held our annual picnic at Ben’s cabinin PA. We had a record turnout even though theweather was a bit on the damp side. Six CZC mem-bers attended the 2014 ZCON in New Hampshire.It’s always fun seeing old friends and making new Zfriends at this event. Bill and Marlene’s Sunday Zdrives are a popular way to explore Ohio’s backroads with interesting stops along the way. Some ofthe stops have included the Ohio Veterans’ MemorialPark in Clinton, Unusual Junction in West Laffayette,Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley NationalPark, and Squires Castle in the Metropolitan ParksNorth Chagrin Reservation. We are busy planningfor next year’s Midwest Z Heritage show which wewill be hosting June 13-15, 2014 in Aurora, Ohio.Hope to see you there.

Coastal Z ClubThe members of Coastal Z Club, as proud membersof the Z Community, would like to congratulate andthank the Z Car Club Of New England and thosewho gave their time and energy at the convention tovolunteer and making ZCON26 an awesome event!Coastal Z Club meets for dinner on the third Tuesdayof every month, for locations and times visit our face-book page. Coastal Z-Club.

Cowtown Z Car ClubThe Cowtown Z Car Club is Tarrant county's only Zcar club and has been established since 2002. Weare a smaller group with predominantly, but notexclusively, 1st and 2nd generation Z car ownersand enthusiasts who enjoy working on their cars,helping others with their cars, going on drivesthrough twisty roads (yes there are a few in Texasand we can show you), road course racing, andgoing to car shows. We have monthly meetings at agreat venue with lots of well lit parking so memberscan ogle each other's rides.

Desert Z AssociationIt is summer in the Valley of the Sun and we arebusy doing cool events! In June we visited the MartinAuto Museum showcasing a private collection of 60classic and rare vehicles. In July we held our annualBBQ and Pool Party where we raise funds to pur-chase school supplies for One Darn Cool School atPhoenix Children’s Hospital. The supplies were deliv-ered just in time for the start of the new school year.August brought a fun day of indoor kart racing atOctane Raceway! Photos of all these events can beseen on our website at desertzassociation.com.

Emerald City Z ClubThe Emerald City Z Club of Greenville, NorthCarolina was founded in 2000 to provide a mediumfor Z car enthusiasts in eastern North Carolina whoproudly drive Datsun/Nissan Z-series sports cars. Itwas, and still is, our intent to attract local Z ownersto meet and exchange information about the care,maintenance and customization of their 240, 260,280, 300, 350, & 370 model Z cars. The EmeraldCity Z Club meets on the 2nd Tuesday of eachmonth at 7:00 pm at CPW's Restaurant, located at2422 Stantonsburg Rd. in Greenville, NorthCarolina. Visitors and prospective members are wel-comed to attend and observe.

Empire ZEmpire Z is Southern California's Z club of theInland Empire. Lots of events going on in SoCal andwe hope you can join us for some. On August 12,we had 14 Zs and many friends come out for agreat time at our 10th Annual BBQ at the scenic

California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside, CA.We are also fortunate to have other Z clubs nearbyand joined Group Z for their OC Drive throughSantiago Canyon on July 13. Next up, we have our7th Annual Car Show at Nissan of San Bernardinoon October 12. We have teamed up with the SanBernardino City Dog Shelter and there will be dogsavailable for adoption at the show and a portion ofthe proceeds will go to the shelter. Checkout our

website and facebook page at www.empirez.comand www.facebook.com/inlandempirez for info andlots of photos. Club meetings are held at 8 pm onthe first Thursday of every month at Denny's at 715N. Milliken Ave., Ontario, CA. All Z cars are wel-come!

Maryland ‘Z ClubThe Maryland ‘Z Club is a group of individuals whoappreciate the Z car, from the first 1969 240Z totoday’s 370Z. The mission of the club is to unite allDatsun and Nissan Z car enthusiasts, provide infor-mational services to its members, serve as a forumfor the sharing of information between its members,obtain discounts and benefits for its members, andassist its members with all aspects of Z car owner-ship. See mdzclub.org for all the details.

Middle Tennessee Z Club The Middle Tennessee Z Club (Nashville) attended aJuly private garage tour featuring 4 dozen collectorcars, automobilia and collectibles, and cruised thehistoric Natchez Trace Parkway after the Saturdaymorning Cars & Coffee in Franklin, TN, held acrossthe road from the Nissan headquarter building.Upcoming events include two cruises to southernKentucky for a distillery tour and back road drives(great BBQ too... ever seen a 6 inch pork chop?) inOct. and possible events to Cumberland Caverns foran in-cave concert and a winery tour. Several mem-bers frequent the local cruise-ins and car showsincluding Augusts Music City BBQ Fest Car Show onthe closed honky-tonk lined streets of historic down-town Nashville.

Oklahoma Z Car ClubThe Oklahoma Z Car Club, had a great turn out forthe Bob Howard Nissan car show in Oklahoma Cityon July 20th. On September 1st the club hosted

another track day at the Oklahoma County Sheriff’straining facility in Oklahoma City and on the 22ndthe club will be at Mexico Joes restaurant inStillwater for a quarterly meeting. Events are open toeveryone and more information can be found on theclub website, OKZCC.com and on Facebook bysearching OKZCC.

• Partner Club Happenings

CLUBS IN GEAR

Smoky Mountain Z Car ClubThe Smoky Mountain Z Club enjoyed a winery tourto several wineries in August. The club invited mem-bers of the Middle Tennessee Z Club to join in thetour that included driving some of the great backroads of the Cumberland Plateau. The club also hadan overnight trip to Blowing Rock, NC, stopping atthe City Garage Car Museum in Greeneville, TN toenjoy a wide variety of classic automobiles. Afterenjoying the Blowing Rock area, the club drovesome of the great roads in upper East Tennesseeincluding the well-known area known as” TheSnake.“

Triad Z ClubThe Triad Z Club started in the early 70's.We arelocated in the heart of the triad between Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point NC. The Z Club contin-ues to grow with new members attending our cruise-in's held in May and October at Modern Nissan.Our members car's range from early Datsun 240z'sto 2012 Nissan GTR's. Meetings are held on the3rd Tuesday of each month at Modern Nissan at6:30pm. Recent events planned for the club will beour annual cruise-in on Saturday Otober 5th atModern Nissan in Winston-Salem.

Triangle Z ClubThe Triangle Z Club is located in theRaleigh/Durham area of central NC. We have anactive membership, with owners of every model of Zrepresented. We encourage Z, ZX, SkyLine, GT-R,G35 and G37 owners and enthusiasts to come outand meet the great group of people in our club. Ourmeetings are normally held on the first Thursday ofevery month. The meeting location is published onour web site: www.trianglezclub.com. We have afull schedule of events coming up for the second halfof the year; which included a cookout at KevinBrown’s house (TZC president), in August. Our annu-al auto show on Sunday October 13th at LeithNissan in Cary, NC. Registration is onMyAutoEvents.com. Pre-registration is $25 until9/27/13, $30 day of the show. Judging will be a“People’s Choice” format, with numerous categories.Please visit our web site for further details.

Upstate Z ClubThe Upstate Z Club, based in Greenville, SC, is ded-icated to connecting Datsun/Nissan Z and Infiniti Gowners and enthusiasts of upstate South Carolina.We provide means and activities of interest to clubmembers that enable them to meet and exchangeinformation regarding the care, maintenance, cus-tomization, and driving of their Z or G cars. Clubmeetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of every month.Check upstatezclub.com for meeting location, eventinformation, blogs, local forums, and other greatinformation.

Windy City Z ClubThe Windy City Z Club had a great showing at ourannual Cruisin Z USA 2013 Car Show. The weath-er was great as was the location. It was he heldwithin the streets of an outdoor shopping center sothere were plenty of things to do besides beingentertained by Z cars. We had early 240Z’s to thelatest 370Z’s in attendance. Several members also

attended the 2013 Midwest Z Heritagefest as wellas the National Convention. As the summer drivingmonths come to a close, we will be attending otherlocal car shows, do driving events and celebrateOktoberfest with a local Nissan dealer. Pleasecheck out our website for more information.

Z Car Club of IdahoZ Car Club of Idaho continues to grow and this yearthe club will have the opportunity as a group of Zsto be in the post Thanksgiving Holiday Parade.Those with convertible Zs can carry the queen andher court. Meetings are held the third Wednesday ofeach month at 7:00 PM. Contact Nancy Barham,208-375-0265 for more information.

Z Association of New YorkOn August 18th, ZANY had a successful show at theHistoric Saratoga Racecourse which is celebratingit’s 150th year of racing. We had approximately 60

to 70 cars show up of all different makes and mod-els from z’s to corvettes to muscle cars, even aZepher showed up. The proceeds were given to theLustgarden Foundation for Pancreatic CancerResearch. Our next event will be in September whichwill be a fun Road Rally enjoying the fall foliage ofthe Adirondack and ending up at Mike Roth’s houseto view his new garage. Then it will be time for win-ter to set in and put the cars away for another sea-son.

Z Car Association of RichmondThe Z Car Association of Richmond has had anactive summer. We have made the run to other clubcar shows, where we represented our club well withseveral of our members coming home with trophies.We had our annual summer picnic at OsborneLanding. Also, just to get together and cruise in Julywe had a weekday Z In and dinner at Quaker Steakand Lube. We are in registration mode for our 13thannual Ztoberfest Car Show, Sunday, October 13,2013. The car show will be held at RichmondSheehy Nissan on Broad Street in Richmond VA.Check out our Webpage at www.richmondzcar.comto register for this years event. Last year we hadfolks from as far away as Tennessee andPennsylvania. We hold our monthly meeting theThird Monday of the month at Rivers Bend Bar andGrill in Chester VA. at 7pm. Come and join us.

Z Car Club of New England ZCCNE club members also participate in events heldby other Z clubs, meet at local car shows and cruise-

ins, and get out on the NHMS race track to feedtheir need for speed. Our club website can be foundat: zccne.org. Yearly dues are $25.

Z Car Club of WashingtonThe ZCCW has been busy with our latest events! InJuly, several ZCCW club members were at the Showand Shine car corral, during the Pacific Northwest

Historics Vintage Races at Pacific Raceways. Josh'sCape Flattery Drive out to the Northwest tip ofWashington State made for a great weekend, withmiles of twisty roads along the coastline. In August,our Annual Car Show at Nissan of the Eastside inBellevue brought out some new cars to see, and thefun continued the next weekend at The Meeting ofThe Minds, a 3 day Z camp out and car show inPort Townsend. The next event for the ZCCW mem-bers will be a September scenic drive through a fewmountain passes in the North Cascades overHighway 20 to Central Washington and back, oneof our favorite drives of the year. October will findour ZCCW members cruising through the mountainsagain on our overnight Leavenworth/Cabin drive.Griots Garage in Tacoma, will be the place for ourholiday party again in December.

ZcarsOfNEbraskaZcarsofNEbraska just finished our very successfulcharity car show "Hot Cars for Heroes" benefittingthe Wounded Warrior Project. $7760 was raised forthe charity and over 200 vehicles were in atten-dance! The entire day was a huge success where theweather was perfect and club members fromOmaha, Lincoln, Kansas City, and surrounding loca-tions greatly supported and ran the days events! Iwould like to give a special thanks to Dr. KeithLoudhia for all of his help along with our club mem-bers for making this event a HUGE success! As clubPreZident, couldn't be proud of everyone thatstepped up to raise money for this noble cause.


CLUBS IN GEAR

Upcoming events include a September 15th "Meet inthe Middle" with the Heart of America Z Car Clubfor some outdoor recreation and a picnic, along withour Zocial at Jason's Deli in Omaha the first Tuesdayof the month, and our usual Zocial in Lincoln thethird Thursday of the month (location to be deter-mined yet).

Z Car and Roadster Owners ClubZROC had over 30 cars turn out for ArthritisFoundation Car Show in July. August was a verybusy month; the club had a large turn out for boththe Indy Car and Nationwide NASCAR races atMid-Ohio. We also took a back roads drive to theUS Air Force Museum in Dayton and had a large

group of members in attendance for this event.ZROC has a drive through Southeastern Ohioplanned for September along with other fun drivesand events. Check us out at zroc.org or our

Facebook group page.

Z Club of San DiegoWell the Clock is ticking for the next Z CONVEN-TION! We will be hosting ZCON 2014 in SanDiego California. The Host Hotel is that Kona KaiResort and Marina. Reservations for the hotel arenow open and 50 of the 129 are already filled.At $149.00 they are going fast, normal rate is over$300.00. You can call direct to 619-221-8000 andreserve your room today. Checkout the resort atresortkonakai.com. This is the Z party that the westcoast has been waiting for so register today atzcsd.org and join ZCSD for the Ultimate Z Party.

Z Club of TexasZCoT was founded in 1986 and currently has over200 Members. ZCoT was a Charter Member of theZCCA and hosted the second annual ZCON in1989 as well as hosting the 2006 ZCON, The Clubis dedicated to the enjoyment of our Z's and the fel-lowship of all Members. Club activities include par-ticipation in many local car shows, various drivereducation events, as well as Community Serviceactivities where members prepare meals for a localhome for battered women. ZCoT also helps RonaldMcDonald House by manning their annual Trainsdisplay at a local mall - their largest fundraisingevent of the year. The Club also has a monthly TexasTour where the participants do some "spirited" driv-ing on the back country roads outside of the DFW

area to arrive at a unique restaurant for lunch. Oneof ZCoT's (in)famous Founding Fathers - 'Mad' Mike(dubbed the "uncle' of the 350Z for his efforts tobring back the Z) was the first executive director ofthe ZCCA and is still active, attending many Zevents locally and worldwide.

ZSport San AntonioSince 1995, ZSport San Antonio is dedicated to pro-moting interest, support, and fellowship in the Datsunand Nissan Z car’s heritage throughout Texas. Ourmonthly meeting is on the second Tuesday of eachmonth. This summer brought a variety of events,beginning with a cruise and climb to EnchantedRock, BBQ Pool party, Adopt-A-Highway service,then finished with a Tech day and AutocrossChallenge. Future events include a show and shineand a trip to the newest K1 Karts. We developed anew club logo and are purchasing t-shirts, fliers,stickers, and more! Keep in touch through our forum(www.zsport.org) and Facebook page!


Bad Dog Parts specializes in the sale of used, new, and customdesigned parts for owners of 1st generation Z cars (1970-78).We do on occasion carry parts for later model Zs.

And for those looking for something a little different, that addsstrength, or ease of operation to your Z car, we have a line ofcustom made parts which are available:

• 240/260/280 coupes and 2+2 frame rails • optional rear rails • replacement OEM style seat brackets • front sway bar strengthening plates • single jack point plates

Have a need to make your Z more rigid?Add our optional rear frame rail section and you tie in the frontend to the rear wheel well making your Z handle like it wasalways meant to.

What we design and build we use ourselves.....and for those ofyou concerned with sending your hard-earned Z dollars tosomeone you’ve never meet, we offer a 100%, no questionasked refund policy.

Email: [email protected]

www.baddogparts.com

REAR RAIL

FRAME RAIL


CLUB SPOTLIGHT

• Tidewater Z Car Club: Still Going Strong

The Tidewater Z Car Club, Based inTidewater, VA was established in September of1995 and is still going strong. We have a verydiverse group of club members with a variety ofall generations of Z cars. Visit our website TZCC-VA.ORG or for those of you who are facebookfriendly you can see us there by looking up theTidewater Z Car Club to see photos of ourevents, member’s cars and our event calendar.

We use many avenues to attract and recruitnew members from printed teaser cards to tech-nology as referenced above by the face bookpage.

Monthly meetings are held on the secondMonday of the month and the club has at leastone Z car event each month. Events vary monthto month and our members are never disappoint-

ed by the wide variety of things to do.Some of our annual events are the ZOdyssey Z Car Show Held at PomocoNissan In Hampton VA, who generouslysponsors the show, our annual Pig pick-ing BBQ, a Wine tasting weekend drive,a Christmas party and at least one gim-mick rally.

The club believes in giving back tothe community and throughout the yearwe raise money to give to a charity of the clubschoosing. A couple of our biggest fundraisers isthe Annual Z Odyssey Z Car Show and the AllImport Car Show. We attend other car showsand do cruise-ins, such as Cars and Coffee as agroup to help promote the club and just gettogether and enjoy the love of cars.

Our members interests in activities for theircars vary greatly and some like to do only onething others two or three and then there are someof us that just want to do everything possible. Soyou have the car show only guys who love to pol-ish their cars and only come out on sunny days.There are the members that like to show theircars but love to do wine trips, rally’s and otherdriving events. Then there are those that like todo everything plus motorsport events. You know,autocross or gymkhana as it is known in someplaces. Then there is the track lover who doeshigh performance driver school/education eventsso that they can get the thrill of high-speed driv-ing without the fender rubbing of racing.

1975 Championship T-Shirt$22.00 plus Shipping

Signed 1/43rd scale 240Z Championship Car$22.00 plus Shipping

Signed Championship Poster$20.00 plus Shipping

For ordering information contact:Scott J Cole of RDZ MOTORSPORTS and chairman of Bob Sharp Racing and memorabilia

email: [email protected] or call 203-885-8221Pay Pal accepted

BOB SHARP RACING & MEMORABILIA

All in all the Tidewater Z Car Club Is just a great club of fun loving Z car owners thatalso welcome the Datsun 510’s, Roadsters and the Infinity G series of cars to get togetherevery month and enjoy each other’s company, show off your ride, talk about vehicle modifi-cations performed, needed repairs, your upcoming enhancements and other car relateditems. So if you are ever in the area, feel free to attend a meeting or an event with or with-out a Z. You will always be welcomed with open car doors.

• the right stuff: Ron Janicki – Desert Z Association

I began collecting Datsun Z-Cars in themid 1970’s. Currently the collection stands at428 cars. Most of them are Z-Cars, with a fewGTR’s, 510’s & Roadsters adding to the mix.

The pictures give you an idea of just howobsessed I am with the Nissan/Datsun brand, Mycollection is scattered all over my garage andden. They are on display as opposed to beingsaved in the original boxes. I have also collectedall the Z magazines and articles I could find overthe years as well as newsletters from the WindyCity Z Club going back to1975 when we firstjoined, until present.

My first full size Z was a new 1973 240 Z,purchased in Rochester, N.Y. in December of1972. It was my wife's daily driver in Chicago.

It rusted, I repaired it, had it painted, and sold itin 1979. That same year I bought my current1971 240Z that sits along side of my 2003

350Z. Everything was rebuilt, thenpainted and pinstriped in 1981. Thatis exactly how it looks today.

We joined the Desert Z Associationin Phoenix, when we moved to Tucsonin 2002. A few years later I was oneof the founding members of the TucsonZ Club. The Phoenix club has visitedmy garage twice over the recent yearsand called it a "Shrine to the Z Car"

COLLECTOR’S CORNER


Zccm issue #3 (1 32)

Documents

z enthusiasts

z car revival

tidewater z club

club spotlighttidewater

n ef e

cleveland z clubzcon

various z car clubs

z club of san diego