Well, here we are again and the first quarter of 2021 is at an end.
As a club we have hosted 2 events so far this year.
Ellerslie Concourse
The first was the Ellerslie Concourse in February, where we had 8 cars on show. My thanks to those who brought their cars along. The format for this event included a few changes. They added a 50/50/50 class to the judging, which was basically for younger cars and younger entrants. Both the cars and entrants needed to be under 50 years old and car value needed to be under $50,000.00. Hence the 50/50/50. Our club had two members enter their cars. I feel that this class, really for the first time, created a truly real interest in the JDM cars. Sky TV also popped past and did a quick review on a couple of our Cars. I never saw the clip as I don’t have sky, but my neighbor saw it and said it was part of a feature on the concourse.
Trackday
The second event was our Track Day, which we hadn’t held for a few years and as a committee we were really keen to get this operational again. This is the first time that I have been the main organizer and I would like to say a very big thanks to Andy Mygind, who has been the main organizer for all the previous track days that I have attended. There is a lot involved in organizing this event, especially dealing with Motor Sport NZ and the Taupo track guys. Having to do this work myself was quite an eye opener, its actually a lot of work.
The event went off very successfully and was enjoyed by all involved. My thanks to all the participants who came along with their cars, and also a big thanks to those who took passengers for a real motoring experience, particularly Keith, who took passengers out with him most of the day. I spoke to one of the boys that took a spin, and he was absolutely stoked by not only being offered the chance to go for ride, but the amazing experience he had.
I would also like to thank all those who volunteered to help on the day; Marshalls and also timekeepers. Our motorsport representative was very impressed with how the event was run. I aim to publish the results on the forum in the coming weeks.
We had a good range of cars, including the 240Z’s, a 280Z, a Z31 300Z, several Z32 300Z’s, 350Z and a 370Z.Non Zs included Audis S3 and RS3, an RX7, Datsun Sunny Rally Prep car and also one of the 3.3 turbo Kia Stingers. Although most of the drivers were experienced, we also had a few novices, one being Phil with his Kia Stinger. It was his first time on the track, and he did really well and thoroughly enjoyed the day. He commented that the driver training was excellent and really helped him. My thanks to Anthony Baker for his excellent Drivers briefing, and those that did in-car training.
I note that we had 15 cars on the day and that we really needed 30 to break even. I would encourage members to really think about doing this event next year. It’s a great experience and you don’t have to do any more or less that you feel comfortable with. Its not expensive considering that it is an all-day event. It is also, an opportunity to meet up with club members from around the country. We had a BBQ dinner together in the evening which was a great opportunity for everyone to socialize and discuss their experiences from the day.
400Z
Not a lot of news around the forthcoming 400Z except that it is still coming and will look very similar to the concept car released earlier. I also note that a bit of info has been released to the public through factory insiders. Is it true???. The word is that it will be quicker than the Supra and that Nissan has developed the current 370 chassis design for the 400, which has greatly reduced development costs, translating into a lower purchase price. I would expect it to be cheaper and more powerful than the Supra. I guess it would have to be. Here are a couple of links that have come my way, if you haven’t seen them yet.
youtube.com/watch?v=89J8YgSzg4M
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1eVHd-H0Tw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBc7RNAN0I0
Tech Corner:
350Z
You have heard me say it before and I will say it gain, the 350Z is the best value for money sports car on the market today. Yes, they are getting older now but still offer a lot of car for your buck. My wife owns a convertible 350Z, manual. She wanted an auto but that was not going to happen. We have had the car for 9 years, used as a Sunday car, and we love it. Its handles really well, nice and firm without being too hard, and plenty of grunt. I love taking this car on long trips as it’s comfortable and exciting to drive spiritedly. One of the good things about the 350Z is that there is a ton of aftermarket parts available for it, unfortunately mostly in the states but its there. From body panels and bumpers to performance engine parts and a tone of suspension parts. Check out these sites.
EnJukuracing www.enjukuracing.com
ConceptZ Performance conceptzperformance.com
Performance parts www.proimporttuners.com
Vividracing www.vividracing.com
Whitehead Performance www.whiteheadperformance.com
The list goes on, all you need is money and time. But if that’s not you, keep it standard and just enjoy. We have noticed that prices for good cars are on the move upward. So now is the time to buy a very good Sunday car.
News
We now have 169 members. We have had the free membership offer for 2020-2021. At the end of June fees will kick in again for the year 2021-2022. We will retain the previous pricing at $60.00 for Motorsport NZ membership, $30 for social membership, and $10.00 for partners. We have worked hard to provide members with value for their membership commitment, and I hope that you are all happy with the different newsletters we have sent out, the events we have held and also the Spotlight articles. We note that the newsletters get a good open rate, but the Spotlight articles do not.
We are very open to member contributions to both the newsletter and the Spotlight mailouts. I would love to do a Spotlight article on a 350Z or 370Z. If you have one and have either had it for quite some time, or done modifications to it, I would love to hear from you. You don’t need to sweat about writing something up, just give me some facts and info along with some pictures and we will put it all together.
