ZCCM 6.5-6.8 R

Z - C A R I C O N : Y O S H I H I K O M AT S U O 1 9 3 4 - 2 0 2 0

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

From

SILVER to GOLD

Robin Bolz’s Award Winning 1976 Datsun 280Z

M AY-A U G 2 0 2 0 • I S S U E 6.5 /6.8

ZCARCLUBMAG.COM

Contents

zcarclubmag.com • may-aug 2020 • issue 6.5/6.8

Features

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8 Precious Metal Robin Bolz’s 1976 280Z has gone through a few transformations in its lifetime and the road to gold was paved with many detours along the way.

Going from silver to gold has been a long one, but well worth the wait.

Departments 4 6 20 22

From the Editor Yoshihiko Matsuo Interview Collector’s Corner Around the Curve

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publisher: Nelson Ackerman, nlackerman1@aol.com editor-in-chief: Art Singer, arts.zccm@gmail.com managing editor: John Moran, moranjf@hotmail.com advertising: call 505.835.9170 for a media kit

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FROM THE EDITOR • Another big loss in the Z community By: Art Singer, EIC (ZCCM), Albuquerque Z Car Club

We’ve lost another Z icon in the Datsun/Nissan world.

Mr. Yoshihiko Matsuo, the Chief Designer of the 240Z passed away on July 11, 2020. I could’ve relisted all of his accomplishments over the years, but you should be able to find that information on many websites by doing a simple search. So instead of another bio, I decided to reprint an article from a Sport Z Magazine Q&A with Mr. Matsuo back in 2003 by Brian Long. I thought it would be nice for everyone to read, in his own words what he thought of the 240Z as well as all the generations after it. You might be surprised with his ranking of the Z car, which at the time, there were five generations to choose from.

I’m still working on my new project, a 1985 300ZX. It’s a red on red coupe that had a blown motor. After getting it running I found out that there was a cooling problem. I could drive it for about 20 minutes with everything acting normal. But after 20 minutes or so, the temperature gauge would start to spike way past the halfway point. Turns out, the radiator was about 75% clogged. Anyone who owns a Z31 knows that to remove the radiator, you have to remove the front cap of the Z. Not as hard as it seems, but a pain in the butt

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nonetheless. Instead of replacing it with a new radiator, I decided to have rod out done on the original one. What a difference, the Z now runs cool even with the 100 degree temps we have been experiencing in the Southwest.

From what I hear, ZCON is still on for this year. Not sure how it will all go together, but so far there has been no mention of cancelling the event. I will end up driving to Nashville and I’m hoping that my travels through Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas won’t be much of a hassle since Coronavirus restrictions won’t be as harsh.

ZCCM is still in search of Z-cars for the "Behind the Wheel" section of the magazine. If you own a nice Z and would like to see your car gracing the pages of the magazine and don't mind writing about it then send me an email at arts.zccm@gmail.com to get the ball rolling. Who knows, it might turn into a feature (see above) if there is a really good story behind it! Most BTW's only need between 400 to 700 words and about 5 to 8 hi-res images. This is your chance to see your car in print and it also looks nice displayed in the rear hatch area of your Z at your local car show. So get out from behind the wheel and show the world what you got.

www.baddogparts.com Bad Dog Parts specializes in the sale of used, new, and custom designed 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 adds strength, or ease of operation to your Z car, we have a line of custom 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

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FRAME RAIL

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

Email: john@baddogparts.com

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QA &

WITH DATSUN 240Z CHIEF

Yoshihiko Matsuo was born in Kobe in 1934. Educated at the Nippon University, he joined Nissan shortly after his graduation, and immediately made an impression in the styling department as something of a cocky upstart. His first project was actually a fairground car, to see what he was capable of. A few were built for one specific attraction, but this was a complete waste of his talent and a good design—it resembled an Italian thoroughbred and would have lent itself beautifully to a contemporary 360 or 500 cc Kei (light car) chassis. Nonetheless, his outspoken ways soon paid dividends, as he was given the chance to do what he said he could—improve on a Pininfarina design. His proposals were deemed a great success, and when the styling department was reshuffled, he was appointed the head of the sports car section.

Matsuo-san eventually left Nissan in the summer of 1973 to form his own consultancy business located in Tokyo. Interestingly, Matsuosan’s son trained as a designer in the 1970’s. At Mazda, Matasaburo Maeda designed the first RX-7; his son designed the first RX-8.

members back then, finally had a plan of action drawn up in early 1966.

Being a big company like Nissan, we had to think of volume sales, which meant making something suitable for America. We also had to

An overall view of the various styling clays produced. These were then reviewed by the top management, which duly approved the legendary coupe launched at the Tokyo Show in October 1969. From left to right: Fumio Yoshida, Kiiro Nishikawa, Yoshihiko Matsuo, and a Mr. Tamura.

SZM: When were you given responsibility for the Z project, and what had you done for Nissan before it?

Matsuo: I joined Nissan as a cheeky freshman in April 1960, incorporate off-the-shelf components in order to keep costs down. I straight after I’d graduated from university. I hadn’t been there long figured $3,800 would be the target price—about twice that of a when I remember seeing the prototype for the second-generation Bluebird. Initial proposals included an open car and a closed coupe Bluebird. Everyone was in awe of the machine, having been designed to be powered by a 2-liter four.

While the design was in progress, Katayama-san came back to by the Pininfarina studio, but I wasn’t impressed and said it wouldn’t sell. When I was proved right a few years later, the styling chief asked Japan to see the new Bluebird. He saw the clay model of our sports me to modify the rear end seeing as I was the only one who’d coupe, and immediately said this was the car he needed for the States. criticized it. Ultimately, I managed to push through a sports sedan He went to all the right people and the project began in earnest....

After getting approval, it was decided America would get a 2.4design, which gave birth to the Bluebird SSS. After this, in 1965, I liter six-cylinder engine, and the body would be a two-door sports became the head of the Sports Car Studio.

A year or so before, Mr. Goertz had been acting as a consultant, coupe with a rear hatchback. The designs were duly passed and and with our Kimura-san and Yamaha, a luxury sports car prototype production took place at Nissan Shatai [Nissan Body], although there were still some doubts regarding sales known internally as the A550X, with volume. The management thought a figure retractable headlights and no rear hatch, of 1,000 units a month if we were lucky; was produced to his design. There were I was convinced we could sell three times intentions to put this model into limited that amount. Ultimately, the car proved production, but the project was cancelled extremely popular and was even selling due to a problem which arose between for a hefty premium in the early days.

Nissan and Yamaha. Yamaha later approached Toyota and it ultimately SZM: As a matter of interest, while you provided the basis for the 2000GT. were designing the Z, what cars provided In autumn 1965, we were given the you with inspiration? go-ahead to design an all-new Nissan Matsuo: The Porsche 911 was new at sports car. There was no schedule in the time, and that was looked at, along place, and with the Fairlady Roadster still with the Jaguar E-type and contemporary in production, there was no great rush.

Our studio, which consisted of only three Work in progress, June 1967. Matsuo-san can be seen leaning on Ferraris. However, these were all to 6

the rear quarters.

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

DESIGNER YOSHIHIKO MATSUO

BY BRIAN LONG for his great work, and for the Z car—a vehicle synonymous with Mr. K—to be held in such high regard 30 years after its debut.

A Porsche 911 was one of many reference cars used by Matsuo-san and his team.

SZM: As a top designer, how do you rank the five generations of Z cars? Which do you like the best?

Matsuo: From a design point of view, of course I have to say the original 240Z is best! What else would I say? But I like the fourth generation, too. Next would be the third generation (after its facelift), then the current car, and finally the second generation.

expensive, so were not regarded as competitors, just reference vehicles.

SZM: The 240Z made its debut as a coupe. I know you were thinking of other body configurations. Could you please tell us about them?

Matsuo: The coupe was naturally given the majority of attention.

However, to increase market share, a 2+2 body was prepared, and I also had ideas for a Targa-type open roof and a sports wagon. The popularity of the coupe meant these other body styles were rendered unnecessary, although the president ordered the 2+2 to be built at a later date. A prototype of the Targa model was produced, incidentally, but the sports wagon never made it beyond the drawing board.

SZM: I can well remember Mr. K [Yutaka Katayama] asking you to stand up during his induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame—it sent a clear message to the uninformed that it was you who’d designed the legendary Z car. How did you feel that night in Detroit?

Matsuo: That night at the AHF provided me with one of the happiest memories of my life. When Mr. Katayama was inducted and he called down from the stage to introduce me to the gathered crowd, I cried when I stood up. I was so happy for Katayama-san, being recognized

Yoshihiko Matsuo (chief designer, at left), with Yoshida-san (assistant designer), Shitara-san (one of the modellers), and Kurisaki-san. The Z car is almost there.

SZM: If you were designing the sixth-generation Z, can you give us an idea of what we could expect to see?

Matsuo: I would try and bring the design even closer to the original.

As an example, the new VW Beetle, Jaguar S-type, Mini, and Bentley Continental all have distinct styling links with their namesake from the past. While the basic profile of the Z is still there, I think more could have been done with regard to the detailing.

The Fairlady Z at the time of its launch. On the left is the rather special Z432 model (for the home market only), while at the rear we can see a luxury Z-L. The latter had a 2-liter engine, but with a 2.4-liter hump, lhd, and a few detail changes, it became the US-spec 240Z.

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

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How Robin Bolz

Turned His 1976 280Z

from Silver to Gold

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Story by Robin Bolz

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Precious Metal

Picture taken by first owner Brad Ehler just after purchase, July 3, 1976

he story of my 280Z began for me on a beautiful May evening in 1979 while taking my thengirlfriend, now wife home from a date. We were both students at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and were about a week away from graduation. We had dated each other throughout our four years of college, so she knew full well that I was a “car guy” who often tagged detours on to the end of our dates to cruise the local car lots in search of dream machines.

But with graduation looming and gainful employment after school already assured, my car spotting had become much more serious. To help my family financially, I had lived at home throughout college and had long suffered the disgrace of having to drive the family station wagon around town. So to say that I was anxious and excited at the prospect of buying my first car after a lifetime of lusting over sports cars I had seen in countless car mag-

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azines and on the road, would be an understatement of enormous proportions.

As luck/fate would have it, we took some random back streets home that night, and as we came up one particular hill, the headlights of the family’s Chevy Malibu wagon flashed across the side of a silver 280Z parked along the street. My head naturally craned to catch a glimpse as we drove by and I saw what I thought was a “For Sale” sign in the window. So, I swung a U-turn and came back to shine the headlights of the family wagon on the car to see what I could about its condition. Given the limited lighting, it looked good, so I took down the phone number on the sign and called the next day.

When I saw the car in daylight the next day, my high hopes that it would be a solid car were confirmed. It was a 1976 280Z, silver (paint code 306) over black, with an ample 48,000 miles on the

First day I brought the car home – May 22, 1979

Same car and home 32 years later

clock (mainly from highway driving), but showed no signs of a garage in which to be parked! We both had found good jobs in damage, misuse, or abuse. The paint was clear and shiny, the Palo Alto, so we commuted together in the Monte Carlo to shield interior was flawless, the engine fired up and purred like a kitten, the Z from the wear and tear of daily commuter traffic. Life was and the mechanicals checked out perfectly with no drips, no runs, going well until one fateful evening in April 1983 when we returned and no errors! This was obviously a very well-cared-for car. So, after home late from work. We pulled into the driveway and I got out to a spirited and successful test-drive, I negotiated an agreeable price unlock and open the garage door. As I approached it, the door and the car was mine! The owner, Neil, was also a University of looked as though it was already slightly open. Knowing for certain Wyoming student from Michigan who had purchased the car only a that I had locked it that morning, my heart sank as something told year or so before from the original owner, a Laramie resident. Neil me that when I raised that door my beloved Z would be gone. was an incredibly reluctant seller who loved the car dearly. But his It was.

Apparently, thieves had broken into the house in the middle of father worked for one of the big three automakers back in Detroit and thought a two-seat (foreign-built no less!) sports car was too the day. Many of our possessions were missing and many more impractical for his son going to school in snowy Wyoming, so he were literally lined up at the door to be taken away. Apparently, had given him a brand new small pick-up truck. His loss was something had spooked them and they left hastily before they could make off with the rest of the certainly my gain. loot. Most unfortunate of all, I had I proudly drove my new car left the Z keys conveniently home on May 22, 1979 and only hanging on a hook right next to about a week later, drove it to my the interior door leading to the new home (first apartment) in garage. as is common in many Bellevue, WA to begin my homes. I might as well have had a post-college career and life. My sign on the wall pointing to them wife and I were married later that saying, “Please Steal My Car.” Too summer in August, so I always get tempting to resist, the thieves had to tease her that I have had the simply loaded some of our stuff car longer than I’ve had her! into the Z and driven away, using it For the next 20+ years, my as a second get-away vehicle. trusty 280Z was my daily driver.

Robin (left) and Brad meeting for the first time in 2011 I was completely devastated. In My wife had brought a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo into the marriage, so we could use it for any addition to the normal trauma of being burglarized, I had lost my “heavy lifting,” allowing me to keep the Z from the more abusive dream car, my most prized possession. The police who came to the activities of daily car use. It always had a good coat of wax on it house tried to be encouraging, telling me that typically house when it was rainy, was always covered when it was sunny, and I thieves aren’t car thieves and vice versa, so they thought there was dutifully washed and cleaned my pride and joy whenever the a good chance we’d find the car somewhere at some point. Of weather allowed. I swapped out the original steel wheels, hubcaps course, on the downside, they said if they did manage to retrieve it, and tires only about a year later to some bigger rubber and I should not expect to find it in the same pristine condition in which black-centered Compomotive alloys with a polished lip, put louvers it left my garage.

Generally, I’m a guy with a pretty positive outlook on life, but my on the back window, and added some Anza dual exhaust tips, as wife recalls that I was the most depressed she’s ever seen me in the these were the “in vogue” Z mods of the day.

By late 1982, my wife and I had fled recession-ravaged Seattle for days that followed. But the good Lord was watching over my Z, and the warmer and more economically prosperous climate of the me, as miraculously, about two weeks later, I got a call from the San Silicon Valley in California. We rented a house from my cousin who Francisco Police Department telling me they had found my car in lived in the area, and for possibly the first time in the car’s life, it had the city. They wouldn’t give me any details over the phone but told Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

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Precious Metal me it was missing its wheels and had been towed to their impound yard where I could come and retrieve it. Luckily, my Uncle Tom, who lived only a few miles away, happened to own a 1978 280Z. So, we put his car on jack stands, took his wheels and tires, put them in the back of his truck, and headed for San Francisco.

Besides the missing wheels and tires, the car had suffered some damage, but nothing irreparable. The perpetrators were clearly not car thieves. They had stolen the easy stuff like the wheels, the wiper arms, and a few other various minor odds and ends. They had clumsily torn out the center console trying to remove the stereo, had bent the headlight rings apparently trying to pry the headlights out through the front, and had stolen the license plates thinking that would make it harder for the police to trace. The worst damage

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was the piece under the front bumper and the bottom of the fenders just behind the front wheel wells, which were crunched when they dropped it off the jack after taking the wheels. But thanks to a great insurance company that worked with me to replace and repair all the damage, I had my baby back in shape again in a matter of months.

We remained in the Bay Area for another nine years before returning to the Seattle area in early 1992 where I had landed a job at an up-and-coming software company called Microsoft. The success of that company during the ‘90s is now legendary, and by 1997, I found myself in the truly fortunate position of being able to consider buying the second car of my life. Of course, I had replaced the well-worn Monte Carlo with the obligatory minivan as our family grew, but that doesn’t really count in my book as getting to buy a car!

By 1999, I had actually acquired two more cars: a 1998 Aston Martin DB7 Coupe, which I still own today, and a 1998 Mercedes CLK320 for my daily driver. These two plus the minivan plus the Z meant that I had managed to outgrow my 3-car garage. So, I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with my beloved 280Z. I had done my very best to lovingly care for the car throughout its life, but after 20 years of near daily use and 226K miles, the paint was fading, the dash had finally cracked, the driver’s seat was torn, the engine was tired, and the suspension needed work along with the exhaust and numerous other bits and pieces. While waiting for the Aston to be delivered from the East Coast, my wife asked me what I intended to do with the Z. I told her that I didn’t really know, but that I thought I would probably end up just selling it. But knowing me as she does and proving to me yet again why the best decision of my life was to marry her, she emphatically said, “I am NOT letting you sell that car!” What a woman, huh? I was immediately touched by her intimate understanding of who I am as a man, what’s important to me, and by her deep care and concern for my ultimate well-being and happiness. Then she said, “…because I know if you sell that car, three years from now you’re going to hate yourself for it, and I don’t want to have to hear you complain about it for the rest of my life!!” So much for the deep care and concern for my ultimate happiness! But she redeemed herself by adding “Come on, you’re a car guy…you love that car. You should do something fun with it!”

Those are words I think she probably came to regret at various times over the next many years, but nonetheless, with her generally

unwavering support, I embarked on what would turn out to be a decade-long, multi-stage restoration/modification adventure that would span two states, three different shops, a myriad of incredible craftsmen, and countless hours of research, mock-ups, experimentation, blood, sweat, and tears. It was one of the most incredible and enjoyable journeys I’ve ever been on.

I began by scouring the Seattle area for someone I could trust to do the restoration I wanted. I was looking for a complete cosmetic and functional refresh of everything on the car: new engine, new suspension, new interior, new wheels & tires. Essentially, I wanted to replace and/or upgrade everything that needed to be replaced to get it back on the road as a fun, capable driver. Although I had loved cars since I was a kid, my interests were more around their styling and driving performance than their mechanical workings. My father had never worked on his own cars, so I had no practical experience

whatsoever that would allow me to even think about doing any of this on my own.

Remember, back in 1999, people were not yet having Zs restored to high standards simply because they were not worth enough money to warrant that kind of investment. The shops that worked on Japanese cars I found were mostly just everyday mechanics who didn’t possess the variety of skills necessary to do what I wanted, and who weren’t willing to take on overall supervision of an entire restoration project. After months of searching around Seattle, I finally called a friend of mine, who ran Scott’s Performance (now Z Car Garage) in Santa Clara, CA, to see if he had any ideas. Greg Scott and his team had looked after my Z car during the 10 years I had lived in the Bay Area and was a true Z enthusiast. He had built himself a super-hot 240Z that he tracked regularly and used to school guys in Porsches and Corvettes, so he knew what he was

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Precious Metal doing and was all about quality. I told Greg of my plight, and he suggested I ship the car down to him and let him bring my car back beyond even its former glory.

After exchanging some emails about my basic vision and requirements and settling on a ballpark cost figure and other details, I drove the car down to Santa Clara to drop it off into Greg’s more-than-capable hands on June 25, 1999. The key things we agreed to were to swap in a rebuilt L28 Turbo from a 1982 280ZX Turbo with a modern turbocharger and intercooler, put in the matching 5-speed transmission, retrofit the car with 240Z bumpers, keep the front air dam which I had put on the car in 1983, and retain the silver/black color scheme and as many original parts as possible.

Overall, the idea was to keep the clean look of the original S30 design while improving all the important functional bits.

Greg and his team (which at the time included a young Rob Fuller,

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who many may know as the current owner of Z Car Garage in Santa Clara) did an amazing job over the next 14 months. When I picked up the car on August 17, 2000, it looked beautiful, was fast, handled like it never had before, was clean and comfortable, and had the truly classic S30 Z look that we all know and love. But as fantastic as it was, I’ll have to say that there were a few details in the engine bay and the interior I wished they had done differently. Regrettably, I had not been as involved in the build as I should have been or wanted to be, as a combined result of the physical distance and my hectic work schedule.

I took the car home and had been enjoying it immensely until one fateful day in 2002 when I was showing it off to a fellow Z club member and co-worker. I had gotten on the throttle fairly hard and under heavy acceleration heard a loud “pop.” I slowed the car down and it seemed to be running perfectly fine except that no

boost was registering on the boost gauge. As I told you, I’m no mechanic, but it seemed obvious that something had gone awry with the turbocharger. Fortunately, my co-worker owned a Z32 and told me, “Tim Anderson is the guy around here for turbos.”

So, I took the car to Tim, and his diagnosis was that the blow-off valve was insufficient to handle the 16lbs of boost we were running which resulted in the bending of the impeller shaft and the complete disintegration of the impeller blades. Thankfully, all the damage had been on the exhaust side, so no debris had found its way back into the cylinders. Although obviously unfortunate, I saw this needed repair as an opportunity to change some of those things I would have done differently in the first restoration. My objective this time was to really clean up the engine bay by removing as much unnecessary clutter as possible. Since I now had other cars to drive, I wanted to make the Z into more of a show car with a super clean engine bay like some of the American muscle show cars we’ve all seen.

Tim was literally a Master Mechanic, and a large, humble, honest, mild-mannered man with lots of creative ideas. Over the next year or so, he got the engine bay successfully torn apart, procured a new turbocharger, and fitted a new custom aluminum radiator which allowed us to re-route the new mandrel bend tubing to the intercooler to be more logically and safely run through the front wall of the engine bay instead of under it as Scott Performance had done. He also cured a hidden rust problem under the battery tray, did quite a bit of bodywork smoothing out spot welds in the engine bay, and had a truly beautiful custom fuel rail CNC’d to his specifications out of billet aluminum by an amazingly talented and eccentric machinist friend of his.

But for all his great vision, expert knowledge, and excellent work, unfortunately, the business end of Tim’s shop had run into some difficulty. He informed me one day that he was closing his shop and was going to work for the local Infiniti dealer. I asked him what that would mean for my car, and he assured me that he fully intended to finish the project from his home garage. I was skeptical but didn’t really have many alternatives at that point with my car scattered in god-only-knows how many pieces and places.

As I feared, the months dragged into well over a year with only intermittent communication from Tim and virtually no progress on the car. I discovered that he had been injured at work and was really struggling to recover. I know he honestly felt terrible about the whole situation and sincerely wanted to finish the project, but finally, in August 2005, I came with a tow truck to his house to retrieve as much as I could of my once-beautiful Z car.

After once again polling some of the members of the local Z Car Club of Washington (ZCCW), I had decided to entrust the (hopefully final!) resurrection of my beloved 280Z to a gentleman named Duane Bender, who owns and operates Vintage MotorWorks in Kirkland, WA. As it turns out, Duane himself is the long-time owner of a beautiful 240Z, is an active member of ZCCW, and has a deep love and appreciation for Datsuns and Z cars in particular. He is also very engaging, capable, honest, diligent, talented, and just an all-around great guy to hang out with. Duane and I hit it off almost immediately, although he still tells me to this day that when I went over my vision with him, he didn’t believe that I was serious about my intention to take the car to the levels I was describing. But all those years with the car in pieces had made me more determined than ever to do something spectacular and unique with it no matter how long it took.

Duane and I began working together through the basic plan Tim and I had developed for the overall look of the engine bay. There were a couple of broad, overall design principles that we stuck to religiously throughout the build that helped guide us along the way and I think resulted in the hopefully coherent and consistent final product you see today. One was that absolutely everything in the engine bay would be either silver or black; no red wires, no green battery tops, no blue hose connectors, etc. Another was that we would strive to hide as much “plumbing” (particularly electrical wiring) as possible until it was absolutely necessary for it to appear as close as possible to its ultimate connection point. An obvious exception to this rule was the mounting of the fuel rail on top of the hand-formed custom aluminum intake manifold cover which required that individual braided fuel lines be extended across the top of the engine to connect to custom aluminum injector bosses.

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Precious Metal Certainly not as efficient as the typical mounting of the fuel rail across the injectors themselves, but I thought it would give the top of the engine an interesting and unique look. Yet another principle was to use brushed aluminum instead of polished surfaces to give the engine a more subtle, industrial look as opposed to the “blingy” look of so many show cars. And the final major principle was that of consistency and order. These can be seen in the small details such as the consistent use of half-round hex-head bolt heads, the use of engraved block-off plates, and the consistent application of various sizes of the same billet compression hose clamps throughout the engine bay.

I also didn’t want this car to look like just a collection of aftermarket bits and pieces purchased from a catalog. As a result, there are so many custom pieces on the car; I can’t possibly detail them all here. One of which I am particularly proud is the hand-fabricated

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aluminum intake manifold cover that allowed us to accomplish four important things: (1) square up the look of the manifold to the valve cover for a cleaner visual appearance, (2) provide a place to mount the custom CNC’d fuel rail, (3) hide much of the electrical plumbing for the injectors, and (4) provide heat protection to the bits on top from the turbo below. Another of my favorites is the valve cover.

Most will recognize it as a stock cast aluminum L28 cover, but will notice the apparent lack of an oil cap. On closer inspection, you’ll realize that the cap has been recessed into the top of the valve cover. This was accomplished by machining out the top of the stock cover and CNC’ing a billet piece that included enough material at the front end to recess the oil cap to a flush mount. The billet aluminum piece (with its engraved design to match the fuel rail) was welded into place, the welds were ground down and then the entire piece was painted to match the exterior of the car with the

lettering and stripes filled with black paint.

So, I served as Chief Designer with Duane as Chief Engineer and General Contractor, and we enlisted the help of well over a dozen specialty craftsmen to design and build various parts of the car when they exceeded Duane’s or my capabilities. This final build was primarily focused on the engine bay, although we also replaced the seats (from a Lotus Exige), the floor pedals, and other small interior bits, as well as a completely new Magnaflow exhaust. We designed and installed a hand-fabricated custom grill, and had the car completely repainted by a Pebble Beach Concours Best-of-Show winning painter, Jon Byers of Byers Custom & Restoration in Auburn, WA. The color we chose (Mazda Sunbeam Silver Metallic) is actually a little lighter than the original Nissan silver, and also has a much smaller and tighter metal flake in it so that it looks like plain silver in flat light but really glistens in bright sunlight.

All-in-all, Duane and I spent six years to complete the car as it sits today. We completed it just in time to take to the 24th Annual ZCON in Savannah, GA where it won Best in Class – Modified 280Z, Best in Show Engine, Overall Best in Show, and the coveted Gold Cup. It has been the cover insert car on Nissan Sport magazine, it was the first Japanese car to be featured on the cover of Griot’s Garage catalog, and was even featured in a Japanese magazine, Nostalgic Speed, whose photographers shot the car at the park in Long Beach, CA following the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) in September 2012. The organizers of JCCS graciously hooked me up with copies of the magazine several years later, but I’ve never been able to read the article since I can’t read Kanji!

One final story, because I think it really speaks to what I’ve found to be my greatest joy of owning this car. Through a set of circumstances much too complex to detail here, I knew that Neil

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Precious Metal

With a little help from “Mad” Mike Taylor, Robin gets his poster signed by Mr. K in late 2011

(the car’s second owner from whom I had bought it) had long since moved to Tennessee. After some digging and Googling, I tracked down an address and contacted him, letting him know that I still owned the car, had done “some work” to it, and that my wife and I would be trailering it to Savannah for ZCON. We arranged the trip so that we could spend the night near his home on our way to Georgia, and had an amazing evening reconnecting with him and meeting his lovely wife and children, and of course, reuniting him with HIS long-lost Z car. All the effort of finding him was more than worth it just to see the look of joy on his face when he saw the car coming out of the trailer! It’s a moment I don’t think either of us will ever forget.

During my search efforts to find Neil, my curiosity was also piqued about who the original owner of the car was. That information had been blacked out with a Sharpie in the owner’s manual that

had come to me along with the car, so I always had thought it was forever obscured. But upon close inspection, I found I could just barely make out what I thought was a name etched in the paper by a ballpoint pen beneath the blackness. Again, through the wonders of Google and with a little deductive reasoning, I found that a person living in Laramie matched the name I thought I had uncovered.

So, I called Brad, introduced myself, told him that we had never met and warned him that I was going to ask him a rather off-the-wall 18

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

Duane Bender, owner of Vintage MotorWorks LTD, and Robin at ZCON 2011

question: “Did you buy a silver Datsun 280Z on July 3, 1976 from a dealer in Ogden, Utah?” After a stunned moment of silence, he cautiously replied, “yes…” and I revealed to him that I had owned the car for the past 32 years, and that I had restored it to a rather high level. He was shocked, to say the least, that I would take the time and effort to track him down after all these years but was incredibly grateful that I had. We made plans to meet in Laramie on the return leg of our Savannah journey, and had a wonderful time getting to know each other and bonding over the car. It was truly a thrill for both of us to have him actually drive a car he had owned and loved so long ago and that he thought he would certainly never see again in his lifetime. He regaled me with stories of how he had traded his Fiat X-19 for the shiny new Z that had captivated him from the showroom floor of the dealership over the 4th of July weekend of America’s Bicentennial, and how he and his wife had taken it on their honeymoon trip to San Francisco and the Grand Canyon the following year. He had sold it to Neil because it was just too impractical for his new married lifestyle but had always loved and remembered the car. He sent me pictures of the day he brought the car home, and in 2018, contacted me again to tell me he had found the car’s original window sticker in a box as he was cleaning things out and had sent it to me in the mail!

It just goes to show that when you make the effort to build relationships and share your passion with others, it always has a way of coming back to you in ways you never even imagined.

When I step back and consider everything about my 280Z and my long journey with it throughout my life, I’ve discovered that there is something much more important about it than simply having a beautiful object to sit in my garage and drive on sunny days. Sure, I love my Z because it’s been a part of my life for almost two-thirds of my time on this planet, and I love it for the beautiful and extraordinary car it has become. But honestly, what I’ve come to value even

Robin’s 280Z being judged on its way to the Best of Show and Gold Cup awards at ZCON 2011

280Z Specs

more than the car itself are the people the car has allowed me to meet and touch along the way. I’ve felt the gratitude of the previous owners to whom the car has again brought great joy. I’ve seen the enthusiasm of the gifted craftsman, many of whom I have established lasting friendships with, who contributed their immense talents to building something not just for money, but for the shared passion and enjoyment of it all. I’ve heard the joy in so many people’s voices as seeing my car elicits wonderful stories and memories from them of people, places, and things that have

Engine L28ET 2.8 liter turbocharged/intercooled fuel injected inline 6-cylinder Stock block, pistons, P90a head and manifold from 1983 280ZX Turbo Turbo System Garrett GT2860RS dual ball bearing turbo .48 turbine A/R ratio, optimizing low-end torque & boost response Spearco 1-992 Intercooler with custom piping GReddy PRofec B fully adjustable electronic boost control system Custom 2½ inch stainless steel Magnaflow exhaust Engine Management Simple Digital Systems EM-4 6F engine management system GM LS1 multiple coil pack direct ignition system

Engine Performance Maximum crankshaft horsepower: 288 bhp @ 5000 rpm, 16 psi boost Maximum torque: 274 ft/lbs @ 4500 rpm Full boost achieved at 2600 rpm

touched them throughout their lives. At car shows, I’ve witnessed the smiles on the faces of young children who remind me more than a little of myself at their age, as their eyes open wide when I tell them they can sit behind the wheel.

In the beginning, I thought I was simply spending a bunch of money to have a nice car rebuilt for myself to enjoy. But in the end, I’ve realized that many people I now call friends have helped me build something that is ultimately for the enjoyment of all. And that makes the long journey far more than just worthwhile.

Transmission Nissan 280ZX 5-speed manual Matching R-200 3.90 rear end

Suspension Eibach progressive rate coil springs with Tokico gas shocks Suspension Techniques front & rear anti-sway bars Arizona Z Car rear end components

Brakes, Wheels & Tires Wilwood 12” 4 wheel disc brake conversion, 4 piston calipers 16x7 Panasport racing wheels with 11mm offset 225/50/16 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position tires

Miscellaneous Engine and mechanicals built

by Vintage MotorWorks Ltd, Bellevue, WA Paint and body by Byers Custom and Restoration, Auburn, WA Curb weight: 2,615lbs

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COLLECTOR’S CORNER • John Moran’s 280-ZZZAP arcade game – Empire Z ZZZAP! In 1977, the 280Z Sunburst onto

car. When Midway first introduced the arcade

the scene with an eye-catching yellow color and

game in November of 1976 at the Amusement &

Special Décor Package (SDP), commonly known

Music Operators Association Show, it was called

as the ZZZAP-Z. This 280Z was drenched in

Midnite Racer. Micronetics’ Night Racer and

Sunburst Yellow (code 411) and the SDP includ-

Atari’s Night Driver were also at the event. Their

ed decal stripes for the hood, roof, deck, and

similarities appeared to be more than just 3

sides as well as racing mirrors and rear window

people showing up to an event in the ‘70s in the

louvers. I have been to countless shows and

same plaid outfit. Game programmer Jay Fenton

events and have only seen a couple in person

was open about saying copyright laws were a

over the years. Nissan even had a hard time

little more lax and it was not unusual for games

tracking one down to accompany their more

to be copied at that time. Shortly after, Bally,

recent display of the Chicane Yellow 370Z

which had acquired Midway in the late ‘60s,

Heritage Edition, which they said was inspired

decided to separate their game from the pack

by the 280Z ZZZAP.

with a sweepstakes promotion, including RCA

Just as rare is the arcade game. Oddly

TVs, CB radios, and a 280Z. Yes, the grand

enough, the arcade game actually preceded the

prize was a 1977 280Z, so they decided to do

Collector’s Corner article, I mentioned this as the

a tie-in and renamed Midnite Racer to 280-

crown jewel of my collection. I had the unit

ZZZAP. I will avoid opening the can of worms on

shipped from Wisconsin to SoCal and it looked

whether a tiger without stripes is still a tiger, but

like it had been spared from the life of 1970’s

interestingly, the cars on the flyers and even on

bowling alleys and arcades. The artwork on the

the marquee of the game did not have the SDP.

cabinet came in stripes or sports cars, but they

By the time the grand prize was actually

were not Zs. However, the marquee included a

awarded, it was reportedly a 1978 model and

yellow Z or, as mine has, just “280-ZZZAP.” The

went to a winner in Rhode Island.

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only problem was it didn’t completely work. The

Fast-forward to June 2018, and I felt like a

next challenge was finding someone that could

winner, too! Years of searching finally paid off

work on an arcade game that came out before

when I came across a rare 280-ZZZAP arcade

Space Invaders. After contacting a couple

game posted on eBay. In a recent ZCCM

people who couldn’t or wouldn’t work on it, I got

lucky and found probably one of the only people willing and capable of getting under the hood, Kent Tieche at Game Doc in Sun Valley, CA. Kent fixed a short, dialed in the graphics, and it was off to the races!

The game appears primitive by today’s

gas. The throaty engine sounds like they may have

standards, but a 3-D arcade game from a first-

swapped out the 280Z fuel injection for a triple-

person perspective probably made some butterfly

carb setup. As you approach the corners, a rec-

collars flutter at the time. The background is a

ommended max speed is posted above and you

painted night horizon and the foreground is the

can hear the tires squeal if you enter a corner too

hood of a 280Z, both illuminated by a fluorescent

hot. If you go outside the white posts – like many

bulb. In between, a black and white screen

of my golf shots – you will hear a crash and a

displays a constantly changing stream of white

word like “Pow,” “Zap,” “Wam,” or “Zork” will

posts along the sides of the road, giving the feel of

appear. The volume is adjustable, as is the coin-op

negotiating an open road at night. The controls

mode, time, and language. However, it seems like

include a steering wheel, gas pedal, and shifter

“Zork” would be somewhat universal. When the

with low and high gears. Unlike my 260Z 2+2, the

time runs out, you are rated from 1 to 5 and earn

speed goes from 0 – 200 MPH and can be seen on

the title of “Road Hog,” “Fender Bender,” “Hot

the lower part of the screen along with the time and

Wheels,” “Pro Racer,” or “Champion,” respective-

score in a dashboard area. The time is adjustable

ly. Find one of these machines and you will

from 60 to 99 seconds and extended play kicks in

definitely feel like a “Champion!”

with a minimum score. The score is based on distance traveled and playing this game definitely feels like you have traveled right back to the ‘70s!

Put your quarter in, make sure you are in low gear, and as soon as the little guy

walks

onto

the

screen and waves the flag, put your foot on the

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AROUND THE CURVE ZCCM is 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 way to 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 arts.zccm@gmail.com or 505-835-9170 for more information on how your club can become a partner.

• Partner Club Directory Arizona Desert Z Association Location: Phoenix, AZ Contact: George Geringer Email: dza@desertzassocation.com Website: desertzassociation.com California Group Z Sports Car Club Location: Southern California Contact: Ian Stewart - President Email: ian@groupz.com Website: groupz.com Z Club of San Diego Location: San Diego, CA Contact: Chuck Golden Email: chucksbarandgrill@cox.net Website: zcsd.org Z Owners of Northern California Location: Northern California Contact: Linda Williams - President Email: pres@zonc.org Phone: 408-761-1869 Website: zonc.org Colorado Z Car Club of Colorado Location: Denver & surrounding area Contact: Jason Spegal Email: jspegal@spegalnetworks.net Website: zccc.org Connecticut Connecticut Z Car Club Location: Connecticut & surrounding area Contact: Ross Williams Email: officers@ctzcc.com Website: ctzcc.com Illinois Windy City Z Club Location: Chicago Metro Area Contact: Ty Ozgen Email: tyozgen@gmail.com Phone: 630-910-3616 Website: windycityzclub.com

Indiana Indy Z Club Location: Indianapolis, IN Contact: Scott Caylor - President Email: IZCC@indyzcarclub.org Phone: 317-698-8144 Website: indyzcarclub.org Kentucky Bluegrass Z Car Club Location: Louisville, KY Contact: Bill Edens - President Email: bzcc@bellsouth.net Phone: 502-241-3812 Website: bluegrasszcarclub.com Missouri Ozarks Z Club Location: Springfield, MO Contacts: Josh Lyman - President Email: Ozarkszclubprez@gmail.com Phone: 417-597-0872 Facebook.com/groups/ozarkszclub New Hampshire Z Car Club of New England Location: New Hampshire Contact: John Jeffries - President Email: john@baddogparts.com Phone: 617-510-2694 Website: zccne.org New Mexico Albuquerque Z Car Club Location: Albuquerque Metro Area Contact: Nelson Ackerman Email: nlackerman1@aol.com Phone: 505-239-6833 Facebook: Albuquerque Z Car Club New York Z Association of New York Location: Upstate New York Contact: Mike Roth Email: rothm@srgarch.com Phone: 518-857-5026 Website: zanyz.com

North Carolina Triad Z Club Location: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point Contact: Matthew Ragan - President Email: president@triadzclub.com Phone: 336-399-0961 Website: triadzclub.com Triangle Z Club Location: Raleigh, NC Contact: Bud Hansen - President Email: budhansenus@hotmail.com Phone: 919-215-2698 Website: trianglezclub.com Ohio Cleveland Z Club Location: Northern Ohio Contact: Karen Karl - President Email: kmk@bricekarl.com Website: Clevelandzclub.com Z Car and Roadster Owners Club Location: Central Ohio Contact: Jessica Padavana Email: jessica.padavana@gmail.com Phone: 614-315-1955 Website: zroc.org Oklahoma Oklahoma Z car Club Location: Tulsa and Oklahoma City Contact: Pete Pitchford Email: petepitchford@gmail.com Phone: 405-612-1146 Website: okzcc.com Tennessee Middle Tennessee Z Club Location: Central Tennessee Contact: Bob McGehee Email: rmcgehee22@gmail.com or mtzclub@gmail.com Phone: 615-260-5669 Website: middletennesseezclub.com

Texas Cowtown Z Club Location: Ft Worth and Arlington Area Contact: Mike Brunner Email: mtbrunner14@hotmail.com Phone: 817-441-6471 Website: cowtownzclub.com Z Club of Texas Location: Dallas Metro Area Contact: “Mad” Mike Taylor Email: zmadmike@airmail.net Phone: 214-533-0922 Website: zcluboftexas.org Virginia Tidewater Z Car Club Location: Eastern Virginia Contact: Todd Wagner Email: zfixers@cox.net Phone: 757-851-8098 Website: tzccva.org Z Car Club of Northern Virginia Location: Tysons Corner Contact: Bernie Bilski Email: yugobernie@cox.net Website: zcarclubnova.org Washington Z Car Club of Washington Location: Washington State Contact: Marty Molloy Email: twin.turbos@yahoo.com Phone: 425-367-9065 Facebook: facebook.com/DatsunClub Web Based Z Car Clubs Classic Zcar Club Location: Internet Contact: Mike Gholson Website: classiczcars.com

Smokey Mountain Z Car Club Location: Eastern Tennessee Contact: Tony Price Email: tonyprice1@yahoo.com Phone: 865-681-7986 Website: smokymountainzcarclub.com

UPCOMING EVENTS ZCON 2020 Date: September 14-19, 2020 Location: Nashville, TN Details: zcon.org

SEMA Show Date: Cancelled due to Covid19

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Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

SU’S RETURN OLD OR NEW SCHOOL, THE CHOICE IS YOURS

SU ‘roundtop’ carbs were first developed for Nissan in the 1960’s by SU Carrburetter Ltd. Due to stricter emission standards, the roundtops were replaced in 1973 by more emissions friendly Hitachi flat top carbs which in turn were replaced by fuel injection. SU Carburetter Ltd. decided to produce a limited supply of the origional ‘roundtops’. These are the exact same carbs from the 1970’s but with upgraded hoses and gaskets to be able to tolorate ethanol.

SU Carburetter Ltd. also developed a more advanced set of SU’s for your Z car.

The 2019 edition (ABF973) can be installed in about 2 hours and includes an integrated enrichment valve for easier cold starts, a dual pass through fuel feed system that helps balance fuel levels between carbs, an integrated float system that resists vapor lock and a dyno tested needle configuration that allows you to drive easily around town without sacrificing performance. Both versions are new in the box and require no core charges or exchanges.

HIF44 velocity stacks for the 2019 Roundtop are a traditional race track option that looks great on the street. A mounting system has been developed to handle deep K&N filters.

HIF44 - $100 a pair plus shipping

Classic Roundtops - $975 plus shipping

ABF973 - $1175 plus shipping

Turn key installation available at Choice Auto Repair, Raleigh NC 919-233-0033 For more info visit: roundtopfuelsystems.com

ZEDD FINDINGS Zedd Findings has been selling the Z & ZX floors, front frame rails along with the lower rear panel for over 25 years. We have recently added the inner rocker panels for the 1970 to 1978 Z cars, as well as much more to Z enthusiasts all over the world.

“Small enough to listen - large enough to service” Replica Z & ZX Floor Systems, Front Frame Rails and Rear Lower Panel

240Z Floors

280Z Floors

Inner Rocker Panel-Inside Inner Rocker Panel-Outside

280ZX Floors

Lower Rear Panel

Front frame Rail-Inside

Front frame Rail-Outside

Zedd Findings

603 Compass Court, Kingston, Ontario K7M 8V9, Canada Telephone/Fax: 613-389-1397 • Cell: 613-539-7966 • Email: zeddfind@kos.net Domain: www.datsunzparts.com or www.datsunzparts.ca

Operator/Owner: Charles Osborne

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