TECH TALK WITH EIJI HOSOMI: PT. 4
240Z Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE
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J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 • I S S U E 3.7 /3.8
ZCARCLUBMAG.COM
Contents
zcarclubmag.com • july/august 2017 • issue 3.7/3.8
Features
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8 Coming Home: Reunited 24 Years Later It’s very rare that a car owner buys a car as the first owner, sells it 13 years later and then finds it again 24 years after that. Bill Jones, from Albuquerque, NM is one of those rare owners. With a little help from Carl Beck, it’s here to stay.
Departments 5 7 14 16
From the Editor Moving Parts Tech Talk Around the Curve
publisher: Nelson Ackerman, nlackerman1@aol.com editor-in-chief: Art Singer, arts.zccm@gmail.com managing editor: Keelan Murphy, keelan.zccm@gmail.com advertising: call 505.835.9170 for a media kit operations: Printing: Short Run Printing Ltd, distribution: Lita Singer
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Z Car Club Magazine is a bi-monthly digital publication and a printed version comes out three times a year (April, August and December). No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written permission of the publisher. This publication is distributed with the understanding that the information presented herein is from various sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, safety, or completeness. Unsolicited material will not be returned. PRINTED IN U.S.A.
FROM THE EDITOR • Getting in shape? It’s not what you think! By: Art Singer, EIC (ZCCM), Albuquerque Z Car Club It’s tough being 58, thinking like I’m 24 and moving like I’m 90, but that seems to be the range of age that I’m in. I’m working really hard to try and get into some kind of shape and right now that shape is a pear. At least I’m trying, I think. One thing is for sure, my project 350Z is much better than me at getting into shape. I’ve had a chance to do a few things to get her in daily driver condition. Starting with new tires and a front-end alignment. The tires that were on it made me feel like I was driving a covered wagon. The next thing I did was run Seafoam throughout the entire system. I added it to the oil, the gas and I also ran it through the intake manifold system. I also replaced the air intake system with a Ram air intake and at the same time replaced the MAF sensor and throttle body. Turns out the air intake had some pieces glued on and when I started removing parts, things fell off. It’s why I decided to replace everything. It was also the reason it had a heatsoak issue. Every time I would drive the car for a half hour straight in 90 degree weather, stop for a half hour and then try and drive it again, it would stall as if it wasn’t getting any fuel. I could let off on the gas, rev it and then it would come back to life and drive normal again. Turns out the problem was a hole in the MAF sensor. The previous owner put a piece of metal tape over it thinking it would fix it. It didn’t.
With that problem solved I can finally move on to bigger and better upgrades. This Fall should be a lot of fun. Stay tuned. There have still been quite a few readers wanting to send in articles on their Zs. The problem (if you want to call it that) is, they are mostly coming from the S30 crowd. I would love to see some later model Z owners (280ZX, 300ZX, 350Z and 370Z) get involved and start submitting some articles on their cars. As much as I love the S30, I would like to see more variety, including the newer models in the pages of ZCCM. A few good pictures and a good story behind the car is all it takes to make it happen. Even the 510 and Roadster owners are welcome to submit an article. 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.
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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:
CALIFORNIADATSUN.COM
• • • • •
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
REAR RAIL
FRAME RAIL
Have a need to make your Z more rigid? Add our optional rear frame rail section and you tie in the front end to the rear wheel well making your Z handle like it was always meant to. 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
KEEP IT COOL WITH 280Z AND 280ZX CUSTOM HOOD VENTS These fiberglass cowl--style hood vents are direct replacements for the factory hood vents in the 1977 and 1978 280Z as well as the 1979 to 1981 280ZX. Vents can also be used on earlier 240Z and 260Z models to improve engine bay cooling at idle or in traffic, prevent vapor lock, and reduce thermal stress on wiring harness connectors and other engine components.
We also carry a wide variety of fiberglass rebody kits along with widebody fenders, flares, hoods, airdams and various body parts for the 240z 260z 280z and 280zx.
Visit our website or give us a call at
www.ZTRIX.com • 480.229.1831
MOVING PARTS ZCCM’s Moving Parts column digs up the latest and greatest parts and accessories for your Nissan, Infiniti, or Datsun. Know of a product that should be featured? E-mail details to arts.zccm@gmail.com.
GFO Oil Additive You might remember reading about GFO back in late 2016 in the SEMA article. I said then that at some point I would be testing their product. I finally was able to test it on my 350Z. The Z has 78,000 miles on the motor and I used Mobil 1 5W-30 Advanced Full Synthetic. After changing the oil and filter, I drove the car on a tank of gas without the additive in the crankcase. I then drove it with a full tank plus the GFO oil additive. In both cases I drove the car the same way, averaging about 50 miles a day. I would say it was evenly split between city and highway driving. On the first tank of gas (without GFO) the car averaged 23.81 mpg. On the second tank of gas (with GFO) the average mpg was 25.63. With almost a 2 mpg (an 8% increase) gain and the fact that the engine seemed to idle a lot smoother, I would say that GFO achieved what it says it can do. GFO says that there product will increase fuel efficiency from 3% to 15% which means that the 8% increase I achieved is not bad for starters. I will repeat the test in another 5000 miles to see what the long-term effects are with GFO in the crankcase and see if it can increase the mpg’s.. GFO Oil (GFO) is a patented, eco-friendly engine oil enhancer that has been demonstrated in 3rd party testing to improve fuel economy (MPG) and reduce hydrocarbon emissions in both gas and diesel vehicles. GFO is organically derived, biodegradable, and non-toxic, making it unique when compared to all other oil additives on the market today. GFO can be used easily in any environment without safety, toxicity or disposal concerns. With GFO, you can save on your fuel and benefit the environment! Details: gfo-oil.com
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COMING HO In the summer of 1969 I got the itch to get a sports car. I toured the Spokane Washington dealers for MG’s and Triumph’s and test-drove each model they had to offer. I stopped into the
Toyota dealer and talked to them about the 2000GT, but on Air Force pay I could not handle the $7,000 price tag. The Jaguar XKE was really nice, but again out of my range. My last stop
was at Valley Datsun where I saw the 1600 and 2000 roadsters. I test drove each. The 2000 was by far the best of all I had driven in my price range. I decided that is what I would get.
The next day I got a call from the Valley Datsun sales manager and he says, “I have
something to show you.” So I take a quick drive out and he takes me into his office. He hands
me a single page, two-sided brochure of the 240Z. WOW!!! I said, “Forget the roadster, I want
one of these.” (Note: I donated that brochure to Carl Beck for his Z Library) In October I placed my order for the 240Z. I got orders from the Air Force in November to the Philippines. I kept
my order for the 240Z, but had to wait until I returned to Spokane in July 1971 to take delivery.
I took delivery of HLS30-30855 on July 2, 1971 at Jaremko Motors in Spokane (just think what the SN may have been if I hadn’t gotten sent overseas). A beautiful silver with the slotted mag wheels. While looking it over, a high school boy came up to look at it and he asked if it was mine. I replied, “Yes.” His response was, “it must be nice.” Indeed it was!
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STORY BY BILL JO
G OME
RS L A
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ITED 2 N U 4 E
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R
Since I had a sports car now, I decided it would be fun to get involved with a
There were times over the years I wondered if “my” Z was still around,
club so I joined “Northwest Motor Sports (NWMS). This was a club whose
parked in some backyard, or in a junkyard someplace. I had registered her on
members raced and autocrossed. I got to know people who raced 240Z’s and
Carl Beck’s Z Car Registry and had told Carl I would love to have her back.
learned what went into a Z racecar. This proved to be the starting point of
So, fast-forward to August 2008. Out of the blue I get an email from Carl with
“improving” my Z. Handling and engine performance is what I learned were
a photo attached, only showing the headlight nacelle and front side marker
the areas to focus on. So I installed the following BRE/Interpart suspension pieces: lowering springs, Mulholland shocks, and front and rear sway bars. I also installed front and rear offset bushings and tension/compression rod bushings from FAR Performance. This definitely improved the handling. For aerodynamics I installed the BRE clear headlight covers and the front “Spook” with brake air ducts. I also purchased the fiberglass headlight covers, which were painted to match the car. I then moved to drive train improvements and installed the 5-speed transmission and 4.44 LSD from Datsun Competition. I had the close ratio gears removed and installed the gears used in the 2000 roadster, which made it streetable. After talking to the FAR Performance folks at a SCCA race in Portland, Oregon I took a trip to their shop in Mt View, CA where they installed a DeLong cam, SM needles in the carbs, and recurved the distributor. There were a couple accessories I added to the car which weren’t performance related, but to me, added a bit more individualism to it – the rear window louvers, European taillights, and the two button rally clock. My Z was fun to drive and definitely turned heads. I had many fun trips, successes at autocrosses, and the opportunity to meet many people involved with racing Z’s. I took great care of her, which paid off when I reached a point in life where I needed to take time for me. Time came for me to sell my 240Z in June 1984. At the time I was a salesman for Russ Dean Datsun/Nissan in Pasco, Washington. We had received a 50th anniversary 300ZX, which was displayed on the showroom floor. My sales manager asked if I would like to display my Z as well. I said “sure.” After a couple of days the other salesmen asked if I would sell my “Z” and I replied, “If the Russ Dean Datsun/Nissan Showroom - 1984
price is right.” As much as I hated to part with my baby, a couple wanted to buy her
for $7,000. So off my Z went to a new home in June 1984 and me on a year plus adventure. 10
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In the hills of North Georgia - August 2008
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Carl Beck’s garage in Clearwater, FL - August 2008
Back home in New Mexico - September 2008
light. Holy crap!!!!! It was “MY” Z!!!! The mounting hardware for the headlight
original owner would really like to get it back. The gentleman said that if I want-
covers and the BRE sticker on the side marker lights gave it away. Carl asked
ed it back, that he would go looking elsewhere for another Z. Carl Beck, his
me to verify the serial number of my Z and said don’t ask questions and that
son Carl Jr, and friends of Carl helped load the car and transport it to
he would get back to me.
Clearwater Florida.
Turns out my Z had been located as a ”Barn Find” in the hills of northern Georgia. A gentleman had located a Z that was for sale and had been told it
I made arrangements to have her trucked to New Mexico. We were finally reunited on September 8, 2008 - 24 years, 2 months after I sold her.
was a 1970 by the wife and a 1971 by the husband. The gentleman asking
Overall she was in really good condition, but not real pretty. Had some
how to tell what year it was posted on Classic Zcar Club’s website. At the same
rust in the doglegs, but none anywhere else. She had never been in an acci-
time, he also contacted Carl Beck. When he told Carl the serial number, Carl
dent. The road to a complete refresh started that fall, but was a slow process
told him he knows the car and the original owner. Carl also mentioned that the
as work and everyday life always took time away from her, plus I soon discovered that to do it right was going to take time. The only things missing when she returned was the Datsun Comp 5-speed transmission I had put in, (it had been replaced with a 280Z 5 speed), the headlight covers, rear window louvers, and the spare tire. I did my best to bring her back to the level that she was at when I first sold her, minus the BRE headlight covers, Datsun Comp transmission, and a 5/71 spare tire/wheel. Luck was on my side when I was able to source a new set of Mulholland shocks and new, in the box, Interpart louvers. After five plus years, she was completed in April of 2014. With a few added additions, like Libra wheels and a roll cage, it’s back to where she was when I first drove her. I’m older now and hopefully a little wiser and can say with almost 100% certainty; she’s here to stay.
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OUT OF THE GARAGE
Part Four: Feeding the Beast Feed my Frankenstein…as Alice Cooper’s
is not the case anymore. Technology is relatively
install. The hardest part is to have the O2 sensor
song goes. As discussed in the previous session,
cheap and labor is expensive. So, let’s put the
bung welded to the exhaust.
you can give your engine more air relatively easi-
technology to a good use to help you monitor
ly. Now it’s time to feed your engine more fuel.
how your engine is running, rather than spending
rich, but also shows you by how lean or how rich
Well, that was easier said than done. The real
hours and hours guessing whether your engine is
at any given RPM. It is not a mighty tool, but it is
question is how much fuel to add or take away?
running lean or rich.
a really good and effective tool to let you monitor
Experienced tuners can tell how the engine is
Wideband O2 sensor system is a gadget that
It not only tells you if you are running lean or
how well your engine is burning fuel.
running, whether rich or lean, and by approxi-
shows you the actual and real time air to fuel
mately how much, but not everyone has these
ratio. A wideband system usually consists of an
special skills and even the experts can appreciate
O2 sensor, a computer (usually smaller than a
one of the guiding variables, and should not sole-
a helping hand from modern technology as well.
cigarette box) and a gauge. There are many com-
ly rely on the stoichiometric value (the
Technology used to be expensive and labor used to be cheap. Well, where I come from, this
I’d like to side track a bit and insert my assertion here that you should use a wideband only as
panies that make Wideband systems, and typical-
Stoichiometric air/fuel ratio of gasoline is 14.7 to
ly it isn’t that expensive and it is quite easy to
1 (in mass)) that your wideband gives you. Theoretically, a perfect combustion occurs when you see 14.7 (or 1.0 Lambda) on your wideband display, however, due to the fuel contents, fuel burn speed, and various other reasons, you may want to stay somewhere between 12 and 13.5 when it comes to a naturally aspirated carbureted car. Some forced induction cars may sometimes require much richer condition. Lean condition may often be detrimental to the engine, so if anything, you may want to stay on a slightly richer side. Also, don’t misunderstand, your wideband alone does NOT tune your car or change the air to fuel mixture, it just monitors the A/F ratio. How you use that information is the key. In case of carburetors, you can use the readings from the wideband to change the needles and jets to adjust the fuel mixture at given RPM range. SU carburetors don’t have jets, but you
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can change the viscosity of the damper oil to alter the reaction speed of the pistons, which ultimately changes the fuel mixture. Fuel injection systems rely on the O2 sensor reading to determine the amount of fuel needed to burn to ensure complete combustion. However, stocks ECUs don’t usually or easily allow users to tap into them to make changes. You can sometimes “trick” your factory ECU system, to a degree, to spray extra fuel (or take away fuel). In the case of early fuel injected Z cars (280Z, 280ZX, 300ZX, etc); this can be done by playing with the MAFS (Mass Air Flow Sensor). This method usually only shifts the fuel curve up or down, but does not let you change the curve itself, and thus, although it may be helpful to some, it won’t be enough for many. For those who need more control of fuel map, you may either have your ECU re-programmed by licensed professionals, or use a standalone ECU. The take away from this session is, whether carbed or fuel injected, naturally aspirated or forced induction, feeding your engine with an optimum amount of fuel ensures the complete burn and therefore the maximum power output. In doing so, you are minimizing the risk of engine damage and saving the environment, and ultimately your wallet.
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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 Datsun Southwest Location: Tucson, AZ Contact: Jon Figueroa - President Email: speedgato@yahoo.com Phone: 520-208-7212 Website: datsunsouthwest.com Facebook: facebook.com/BanzaiDattoSouthwest Desert Z Association Location: Phoenix, AZ Contact: Jack Saxton 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: Jason Green - President Email/: zoncpres@gmail.com Phone: 707-681-8717 Website: zonc.org Colorado Z Car Club of Colorado Location: Denver & surrounding area Contact: Ira Sanders Email: zroadrunner14@gmail.com 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 Kentucky Bluegrass Z Car Club Location: Louisville, KY Contact: Bill Edens - President Email: bzcc@bellsouth.net Phone: 502-241-3812 Website: bluegrasszcarclub.com Maryland Maryland Z Club Location: Finksburg, MD Contacts: Mark Lambert - President JoAnne Gardner - VP Email: mdzclub@mdzclub.org Phone: 410-857-4320 Website: mdzclub.org 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: Brent Heath Email: Zaddict96@gmail.com Phone: 216-408-0105 Website: Clevelandzclub.com Z Car and Roadster Owners Club Location: Central Ohio Contact: Tom Marshall Email: tommarshall1@twc.com Phone: 614-451-1890 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 South Carolina Upstate Z Club Location: South Carolina Contact: Greg Groppe - President Email: bluez280@afo.net Phone: 864-884-7001 Website: upstatezclub.com Tennessee Middle Tennessee Z Club Location: Central Tennessee Contact: Robert McGehee Email: rmcgehee22@gmail.com or mtzclub@gmail.com Phone: 615-361-4574 Website: middletennesseezclub.com
Smokey Mountain Z Car Club Location: Eastern Tennessee Contact: Tony Price Email: tonyprice1@yahoo.com Phone: 865-681-7986 Website: smokymountainzcarclub.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 Association of Richmond Location: Richmond, VA Contact: Chris Grigg Email: President@richmondzcar.com Phone: 804-467-5067 Website: richmondzcar.com And we're on Facebook! 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
UPCOMING EVENTS 13th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show Date: September 23, 2017 Location: The Queen Mary - Long Beach, CA Details: japaneseclassiccarshow.com 2017 Z Nationals Date: October 13-14, 2017 Location: Coolray Field, Lawrenceville, GA Details: znationals.com
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