ZCCM issue 4.5-4.6 by Z Car Club Magazine

AN ASIAN TWIST TO THE OZARK MOUNTAIN WAY

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

15 YEARS OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 8 â&#x20AC;¢ I S S U E 4 .5 /4 .6

ZCARCLUBMAG.COM

Contents

zcarclubmag.com â&#x20AC;˘ may/june 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ issue 4.5/4.6

Features

eight

12 Q&A with ZDayZ Main Cat Hearders: Bryan and Michelle 15 years and counting. ZCCM takes a look at what makes ZDayZ tick with a Question and Answer session with Bryan Settle and his wife Michelle.

Departments 5 From the Editor 8 Events Branson Z Fest 2018

22 Around the Curve twelve

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 • 50 years is just around the corner! By: Art Singer, EIC (ZCCM), Albuquerque Z Car Club It’s hard to believe that 2019 will be fifty years since the Z car debuted (513 released). For this reason, I have decided to devote one print issue, not so much about the car, but the people who owned or owns one. I could do a history piece on the Z and rehash everything that has been told over the years. I would think most people that get this magazine have heard it all. I think its time to celebrate the owners of the car since it is you that has made the Z relevant still to this day. Z’s come in all different shapes and sizes, from trailer queens to rust-bucket flower pots. All have their place in Z car history. It’s time to celebrate the owners who have spent years keeping the Z in the forefront of import sports cars. Yes, there are many other import sports cars that have created a strong following, but known have been around as long as the Z car. One model for 50 years (a seven year break from 1997 to 2003 in the United States) is quite an accomplishment for any car manufacturer. I did a “Call for all Z’s” a while back asking for pictures and the response was awesome. I tried to keep up with the emails coming in. That lasted for a few days and then life got in the way. I have a lot of images still to convert and to put them in their proper year. I’m hoping to catch up by the end of July at which time I will probably do another “Call for Z’s”. This time it will be to fill spots (years) that I don’t have images for. My guess is I will need to find 5 years

of Z productions that I either have no images for or maybe just one. I would like to have five to ten cars in each production year. I will be bugging you one more time. 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. 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: • • • • •

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REAR RAIL

FRAME RAIL

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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

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

EVENTS • Branson Z Fest 2018 By: Art Singer, EIC (ZCCM), Albuquerque Z Car Club The word “change” was the theme for this years Branson Z Fest. Good or bad, depends on how you look at it. This years event went as smoothly as I have seen in years. No rain, no police, no evictions. There was your one or two attendees that might have had a few (did have) to many drinks. What event doesn’t have them? There were some missing “repeat offenders” this year, Pete Pitchford and Jean Hale to name a couple. Heck, even I came close to not making the trip. After 12 or 13 times in a row, you can’t blame someone for finally missing one. Branson is not your usual Z event. It is very laid back. There is no minute by minute, hour by hour or day by day schedule. It’s pretty much a carefree, do whatever you like event. The only Best of Show winner: Mike Wodopian

real structure comes in the form of the car show. No matter how easy going an event is, the car show is expected to be the anchor of the event. This years show was at the same location, so no change there. The change was with the trophies and Best of Show award. For the past 6 years or so I have been in charge of the car show and trophies (the days of just hanging out and writing an article are long gone) and I like to change things up every couple of years. I’m not a plaque or bowling trophy kind of guy, so I try to think of new ways to make the awards different than your average car show awards. I decided that since it was an Olympic year, I would go with an Olympic theme. So I went with medals (gold, silver, bronze) for the classes (see medals on page

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10). The medals themselves are your usual run of the mill medals. The thing that makes them stand out is the use of Z car images that are a part of each Z class. Stock, modified, convertible, etc., Since I usually run with the same awards for two to three years I decided it would be neat if the winners of this years show would have their cars on the next years medals. The Best of Show was as different as it gets. I happen to have a few posters of Bob Sharps 260Z race car. Autographed by both Bob and the artist Hector Cademartori. I had a plaque made and then framed it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be hard pressed to top that in the future. As I mentioned, change was the theme. The big change will come next year when BZF takes a year off as the main Z event in Branson. Next

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EVENTS

years event will probably sponsor an event at ZCON 2019 which will be held in Branson (hosted by the Ozarks Z Club) sometime in June 2019. Knowing Josh Lyman (president-OZC), he will do a great job as the chairman of ZCON 2019. For me, it looks like I will be able to step back in time and go to Branson as an attendee only and Michael Pinckard (organizer of BZF) will be able to take a year off to plan Branson Z Fest 2020.

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Q&A WITH BRYAN SETTLE

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It had been 5 years since I last was at a ZDAYZ event. I could write my usual article about everything I did on the trip. The flight to Atlanta, the 10 hour drive to Robbinsville, NC. It should have taken no more than 3 hours since it is only 159 miles away. But rush hour and a major downpour made it impossible to meet that timetable. Or I could talk about the bed and breakfast I stayed at, really beautiful and secluded. I’m glad I didn’t bring my Z because it would have never made it that deep into the mountains on a muddy and rock filled road. I could talk about all the really nice Z’s in attendance or the time I spent hanging out with the guys and gals from ZROC, which I want to thank for taking time out to help with some photos that I needed for this feature. It’s rare to see so many members (I’m guessing around 25) from a club travel as well as they do. But instead, I felt it was time to have a Q&A with Bryan Settle and his wife Michelle. After 15 years, I thought it would be nice to hear from the two top cat hearders, when and how ZDAYZ has gotten to where it is today, one of the premiere annual Z Events in the US. Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

Q: When did you first get involved

drive on my350z.com. I had known Andy since 1993 and he invited me up,

with Z’s, and what was your first Z,

so I said sure. At the time I was driving a heavily modified Ford Lightning built

Datsun or Nissan?

for drag racing. I didn’t know what or who to expect when I arrived, but I met

A: My Stepfather had a Datsun 720 when

a bunch of fun loving enthusiasts, some of which are still friends to this today.

I was in Junior High School, and my first

Fifteen years later, and we are still having a blast driving all day and partying

Nissan was a 1984 Sentra wagon that I

at night.

abused throughout High School. Back then, having a car full of speakers was the thing

Q: ZDayZ’s just celebrated its 15th year. When did you first get

to have, so that poor Sentra had two 12”

involved and when did you become the face and voice of the

subwoofers and an amp. I remember that for a period of what seemed like an

event?

entire summer one cassette got stuck in the player and it would play side 1,

A: As I mentioned, I was invited to the first year, in my Lightning. I told Andy

then side 2 and back to side 1, all summer long. I still struggle with listening to

at that time I’d be down to helping out if he decided to do it again. So in 2005

some of the early Mötley Crüe songs to this day. I had friends in life with Z

I assisted, still in my Lightning, I ferried the awards and other bulky stuff up to

cars, I even helped one friend move her Z to California; we drove from

the village. Basically, I was the events general laborer. Whatever needed

Charlotte Douglas airport to somewhere just north of Los Angeles in 40 hours,

doing, I did it. In December 2005 I bought my 350Z, so for ZDayZ 2006 Andy

where I caught my return flight back to Charlotte. At that time I was actually a

rented a U-Haul truck and trailer to haul the goodies and bulk items up to

Ford guy until I met the lunatics at ZDayZ. I bought my first Z, a 2003 track

Fontana, and I drove the U-Haul. At this point several of us were coming up

model 350Z, in December 2005. Currently in the stable is a 2016 Titan XD,

for the entire week. In 2007 I was there but didn’t do as much. In 2008 Andy

2004 G35 (weekend car) and 2003 350Z-ish racecar. My “Z” is barely a Z

came upon some duress in his life and couldn’t continue running the event, at the time ZDayZ staff included Glen, Morris, Andy, Matthew and myself. After 5 years, Andy offered to either end the event or let one of us take over. I said I’d do it if no one else wanted to. No one else did, so the event fell on my shoulders from that point on. 2008 was my first time on the microphone and I was horrible. I was too concerned with trying to emulate Andy and not be myself. Graham Hobbs (Captain Chaos) came onboard and saved me from myself. He became my mentor both at ZDayZ and when I took a leap into the automotive aftermarket industry, where I joined Momentum Performance as their Director of Sales. 2009 was my first full year, soup to nuts, organizing and running the event. I’ve been the chief cat herder for ten years, feels like dog years. I cannot remember a time when most of my life didn’t revolve around ZDayZ. Ten years as the monkey with the microphone, people must like what they hear

anymore, it took me 6 years with my travel schedule, but its nearly done. It’s a

cause they keep coming back?

wide body, right hand drive, LS3 powered Z-ish. I’m thinking about a Juke as a Daily if I can find one with a 6MT.

Q: How has ZDayZ evolved since your early days of being the main organizer?

Q: How did ZDayZ get its start?

A: Its hard to describe all of the changes, but let’s see if I can sum it up.

A: Andy Morris and Morris Morgan had the concept to create a driving event

Probably the most significant evolution has been my wife, Michelle, not only

when they received their pre-ordered Z33s. ZDayZ started off as a weekend

does she suffer ZDayZ and its attendees, but she is a willing participant. She

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jumped in with both feet She is now the COO and I honestly couldn’t run the event without her, she is the real VIP. Staff changes over the years have included: Michelle, Dean Lamanato, Jeremy Barrows, Alix Sebesta, Matthew Henderson, Morris Morgan, Glen Belnap, Lee Helpingstien, Graham Hobbs, Justin Alspaugh, Patrick McGinnis, David Beaton, Chris Grigg, Michael Doritty, Justin Mort (Thing 1), Andy Nelson (Thing 2), and Todd Weld. Fontana Village is for sale again, which would make it the fourth set of owners since our inception. We’ve seen Cabins razed and pot holes fixed. The speed limit on the tail of the Dragon has gone from 55 to 30. It seems that the only real constant, is change. So you asked how has the event evolved…. On paper its gone from a two day event to a four day event. In reality it has changed from a car event to a family reunion, that you don’t want to miss. We’ve grown from a three hundred person event to cramming nearly one thousand bodies into that tiny venue

car show parking/judging, exhaust competition, or anything else needing their

annually. We are proud to be a charitable organization with many recipients

help. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred they do an amazing job. That’s good

including; Wags4Tags, www.wags4tags.org, Make A wish, www.wish.org,

for all, as it frees up our bandwidth for ZDayZ and it gives the partners own-

Victory Junction, www.victoryjunction.org, and supporting the local law

ership of something. Historically speaking we’ve enjoyed around thirty percent of attendance as volunteers, or voluntolds in ZDayZ vernacular. Corporate partnerships are offered ownership of an activity, and like with the clubs, the cream always rises to the top. The Z1 deck party has been a staple event as long as I can remember, Nissan has owned the car show since 2009, to name a few events. Q: Due to limited room space. Have you ever entertained the idea of moving the event to a location that could handle more attendees? In other words, grow the event. A: Well yes. Not only limited space but for a while Fontana forgot they were in the hospitality industry, it felt more like the hostility industry. So we were actively looking to rehost the event, and thought we had found the perfect spot.

enforcement of Graham County. We continue to explore new and entertaining

It was another private village, much larger, with many amenities and nearby

ways to have as much fun as we can with our clothes on, and remain legal.

attractions. We were all but signing the contract when we found out there was zero tolerance on open alcohol, even on the cabin decks I approached the

Q: What do you believe is the driving force that makes ZDayZ a

town board and chamber and asked for leniency or an exception for the event

premiere event in the Datsun /Nissan Z community?

and was flatly told no. The other locations we found were missing something.

A: As I mentioned its more than an event, its family. One defining characteris-

Then Greg took over as Director of Operations at Fontana and he made some

tic is we don’t use the word sponsor, we use partner, which implies some own-

real improvements and so for at least the foreseeable future Fontana Village will

ership and reciprocity. For the club partners we encourage them to take own-

be the host for ZDayZ.

ership of an activity, be it a poker run stop or the entire poker run, beer-lympics,

You asked about growing the event, yes I have my dreams of starting a

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National/International club of Datsun/Nissan/Infiniti individuals with charters

wide organization. ZDayZ as an event will hopefully stay between the ditches

for each type of vehicle, i.e. trucks, 4DSCs, S cars, R cars, Z cars, etc… and

for as long as people come. A wise person once said, never put the sidewalks

have an annual centralized meet, that may or may not move around the coun-

where you want people to walk; let the people walk and find the path(s) they

try, that would enjoy factory support similar to what BWMCCA gets from

want to take and then install the sidewalks. That has been our philosophy

BMW. But with my current work load and job stresses, that’s only a dream.

throughout my leadership. ZDayZ is a crowd sourced event and therefore is ever evolving and changing.

Q: What inspires you to keep this event going year after year? A: I fear I’d be tarred and feathered if we ended it, lol. I cannot stress enough

Q: What does ZDayZ mean to you?

this is a family event. We are onsite for the entire week and it stills seems too

A: A metric f*cking ton of work every year; lol, ZDayZ is a ten month, fifteen

short and goes by too fast. What inspires us is the relationships we build and

hundred hour effort for me every year. But I cannot say it emphatically enough,

maintain every year. I don’t get a lot of spare time to actually interact with peo-

ZDayZ as an event is the family reunion you WANT to come to. Sure the vil-

ple at the event, but when I do it’s very rewarding.

lage is wonky and remote and the service is slow and cell signal is non-exis-

Q: 15 years and counting, there must have been some highs and

ine life without ZDayZ being centric to our lives.

tent, but that is, masochistically, part of the charm of the venue. I couldn’t imaglows. Let’s start with some of the highs of past years. There must be a few. A: Highs, there are a few. Personal highs include being awarded the Spirit of the Dragon Award back many moons ago. Other highs include renewing Mike and Tonda’s wedding vows at ZDayZ on stage, the personal relationship I’ve built with many of the attendees, volunteers, and partners over the years. Every year a couple of dudes roll all the way down from Michigan in a Lotus Exige. Trevor is well over 6 feet tall, and watching him unfold himself out of the Lotus after a twelve hour drive always brings a sadistic smile to my face. Event highs, where to start? Let’s see, the Juke-R was at ZDayZ, the global reveal of the Mid model refresh of the 370Z Nismo was at ZDayZ, the innovation station was at ZDayZ and Forsberg drifting Fontana Village. And of course, any year where no one gets hurt is the ultimate high for the event. Q: And what about the lows, any that come to mind? A: Likewise, far too often we see wrecks and/or injuries at ZDayZ, but one of the worst ended up in vehicular manslaughter charges a few years back. Our soapbox stance on driving within your limits and staying in your lane can not be said enough. The Monday after ZDayZ sucks every year, it’s the withdrawals of the people, energy and adrenaline. Q: How do you envision the future of ZDayZ going forward? A: I would like to restructure the partnership tiers a little differently and as mentioned previously I would entertain the idea of expanding ZDayZ into a brand-

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

ZCCNV club members

Mad Mike: like VISA, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everywhere you want to be.

ZROC club members

Z CAR CLUB MAGAZINE

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: Jim Ault 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: Ira Sanders Email: zroadrunner14@gmail.com Website: zccc.org

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 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

Connecticut Connecticut Z Car Club Location: Connecticut & surrounding area Contact: Ross Williams Email: officers@ctzcc.com Website: ctzcc.com

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

Illinois Windy City Z Club Location: Chicago Metro Area Contact: Ty Ozgen Email: tyozgen@gmail.com Phone: 630-910-3616 Website: windycityzclub.com

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: Tony Tanori Email: atanori@yahoo.com 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: Lee La Email: lee.la.0073@gmail.com or mtzclub@gmail.com Phone: 615-426-1918 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 14th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) Date: September 15, 2018 Location: Marina Green Park, Long Beach, CA Details: japaneseclassiccarshow.com

ZCON 2018 Date: October 16-20, 2018 Location:Atlanta, GA Details: zcon.org

SEMA Show

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Date: October 30th thru November 2nd, 2018 Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV Details: semashow.com