So, lots of scramble before ZCON this year. Home state convention with a lot of Japanese club members coming over to join in the fun. Looked to be a good time.
Z-Lab hadn't seen track action in a bit because racecar things are expensive when hit all at once. New front rotors/pads, new helmet, etc. adds up. So I had to get through all that. Oh, and it was burning a lot of oil after the last time it was on the track for some reason and it took me quite awhile to figure that out.
Getting the tt.NET meet organized was a challenge (thanks to Onion & David R for the assist). The convention schedule kinda got jacked up because COTA kept changing things forcing the ZCON host club (CZOT) to go with the flow. We decided close to the buzzer to just do a drinking thing during the downtown party night and call it a day.
During the Courtesy Nissan car show in the spring, Mad Mike's wife, Katie and I talked about me trailering her 'Toy Car' 2000 Roadster down for her. My trailer was mid re-work, getting new paint and some much needed aluminum refresh.
The car hauler also had some details to attend to beforehand, etc. So there was a lot of stuff to get square. The Ultimate Club members arrived in Dallas on Saturday before leaving to convention on Sunday. They had a BBQ dinner and some drinks at Mad Mike's. I say they instead of we, because when I went to pick up Toy Car Saturday morning with the car hauler and trailer I had lighting electrical problems that took the rest of the day to work around and didn't get to go play... I still need to get it fixed correctly and took several hours out in the sun. *grumble*
So got the Z train put together Saturday evening. Car hauler with Z-Lab, freshly reworked trailer with matching Toy Car loaded. Mindi and Miles rolled down in the XTerra for a support vehicle. They planned to do other activities in the Austin/San Antonio area while I Z-dorked out.
The convention didn't open until Tuesday. We were there on Sunday afternoon. Got things unloaded. There were a couple other arrivals already. The Japanese were out and about. Hit the pool and relax for a bit. Went out and had Pint House Pizza for dinner, which was nice (and air conditioned).
Monday we took the Japanese to a ramen shop (that they would go back to at least 3 more times during the week) with the DSCC members. Bernie and Dave landed, but we couldn't connect with them. Went to a local autoparts store. Not Super AutoBacs by any stretch but whatever. Went to a Grand Sears for some tool shopping. Then they were off to do ZCCA stuff for the rest of the day.
My family and I went to downtown Austin and visited ToyJoy, which is a crazy toy store south of the Capitol. Bought some goofy stuff for gifts and then went to check out Shiner's Saloon where our tt.NET drinking night was going to be later in the week. Made sure everything was square there and then asked where the best burger was nearby. Bartender said Casino El Camino so we went down the street to get what turned out to be a really damn good burger in a divey bar.
Checking out the beer selection at Shiner's Saloon
Getting picked up by our server at Casino El Camino
Tuesday was opening day. I was slated to be an instructor for track day, so we had an opportunity to go drive on Harris Hill Raceway to become familiar with the track. I've driven there a few times previously, so no big deal. Track has had some surface repairs, but the stretch going up the hill was un-repaired and rough as hell. Cars were bottoming out, etc. No bueno. I got Z-Lab shaken out and the burning oil issue was confirmed fixed. Just had to drain oil out of the low spots in the plenum to finish it off by driving some laps. When I loaded the car, I noticed it was cording the front right tire. Was pissed about this because I only had one weekend of track time on the front tires. Figured I'd just instruct and not drive on track day and do sometihng to get prepared for parade laps at COTA (I was also slated as a pace car). Got back to the hotel, cleaned up and went to the Opening Dinner in the Hotel.
tt.NET table at the back of the room of course. Normal stuff happening here. Who what when where download an app to keep up to date how, etc. Adam bid up hot laps in the Prince R380 racecar at COTA to $1,200 for Make-a-Wish (Mr. K's favorite charity). Exciting stuff! Good work Adam!
ZCOT/Chili Party was immediately afterwards. Chili + margaritas + sake? The Ultimate Club members brought sake to share with the chili. Hang out in the hotel bar afterwards.
Wednesday is the Judged Car Show at The Oasis on Lake Travis outside Austin. Get things set up in the 300 Degree booth and it's really windy. I spend all day making sure our canopy doesn't take flight and land on NISMO's car or some other nice Z by casually holding on.
Sean bought Kuah's green time attack car last year and has done a little work to it.
I didn't take a lot of pics at the show because I had to leave Black Market Bernie at the booth with the tt.NET merch. Dangerous, I know. Some of the pics I took here I wanted to group with other pics of the same car from the People's Choice show further down the page.
Almost all of the cars that scored high enough for Gold Medallion/Cup judging were Z32s... thought that was interesting.
Some drone footage of the show I found.
After the show all the sun/windburnt people went inside the Oasis to get adult beverages and some fajitas to watch the sun set over Lake Travis.
Curly (DSCC), Yasu & Hideo (Ultimate)
Ring the bell! Sunset!!
Thursday was the official track day at Harris Hill. Had to get there at 7:10 for Instructor meeting so I didn't stay up Wednesday night.
So Jon from SPN and I were looking at the belting on the front outer edge of the tire during the car show and concluded that it was cut, not worn. The screw heads on the fender liner had cut the shaved tire when I was bottoming out on the uphill stretch. *fark*! I had made arrangements with Discount Tire to get the correct Nitto NT01 in hand and have someone swap it for me during the track day. That didn't make good logistical sense after pressing the go button Tuesday morning, so I just decided I would drive on the tire, go easy on LH turns and check it after every session. I was comfortable with it for 3 sessions out of 4, then it started to stretch once the track surface heated up. I definitely needed a new tire before parade lapping at COTA. I don't want to be the person with some mechanical failure out on the track.... so just get the correct tire on there that's not shaved and deal with it later.
Closest to theoretical best lap of the last session according to my telemetry. Might not be the best of the day but it's clean with no traffic to get around. Car in front is one of the SPN Performance cars with Kerry at the wheel. We were like this for pretty much the entire session threading through traffic. Nice running. The yellow idiot light on the dash is the Accusump valve opening to maintaining oil pressure.
L2R - My student for the day, Adam (abozx), myself and Scott (zfreak(Dallas)). Adam's car was great. Low mile sapphire blue TT that tracked well for us all day. Tires would get greasy about the same time the brakes got soft at the end of the session. I did a checkride with Scott. Scott's car is a big beasty thing and didn't play well once the day heated up unfortunately. Was a lot of fun to ride in both for very different reasons. Adam started connecting the dots by the 3rd session and was having a blast out there. I like those kind of students... I think we'll see him out hitting the apexes again.
So Nissan brought out the Prince R380 racecar, the NISMO 370 and a BRE 240 (replica?). They made about 5 laps and then went back on the trailer. Cool to see a 50 some odd year old Japanese racecar get around the track. Toy Car was in on the lunch laps too.
Waiting for the tt.NET crowd at Shiner's Saloon
Miles hustling Yasu at Connect 4.
I didn't take many photos at the tt.NET event. Too busy catching up with guests. We handed out 90+ wrist bands and it sounded like everyone had a great time from what I heard.
Had to put Z-Lab on blocks to get the front tire replaced Friday morning.
Friday afternoon we loaded out to do parade laps & group photo at Circuit of the Americas. This was a bit of a beating. COTA basically was saddled with AMG's dickishness (who rented the track after ZCON had made plans from what I understand) and COTA passed it off on ZCON. Got there on time and had to wait 2.5 hours in a hot parking again. The instructions from the COTA people on how they wanted to facilitate parade laps was a mess, and proved itself on the track. My run group went from 9 cars to 2 in the first corner on track because they sent us out ahead of the very first group on the track finishing their first lap. My ducklings got cut off and blended into the first group out. Sorry, guys! We only got to go around 1.8 times supposedly. I took my remaining 2 ducklings around at the restricted top speed of 60 most of the way and said frig off at pit in and made a 2nd pass. We did well, I suppose. I understand there was some jackass in a Supra driving 15mph around the track. I dunno. Pitted in and waited to go back out for photos.
Adam took his 'spirited' laps in the Prince R380 along with some other Nissan special interest cars.
We pitted out and went to the carousel around the COTA tower to get the group photo. I let Hideo drive Z-Lab around since he let me drive his TT over in Japan. They showed us the photo at the Closing Dinner and it will be made into a poster print... I'll definitely get one of those. On the way back to the parking lot, we got a little Tunnel King driving (Hideo's nickname is 'TK' because of this) going under the track headed out. He's got nice video of my straight exhaust revs in there I need to get.
Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and cleaned up. We took Yama-san and the Ultimate/DSCC folks out for a nice steak dinner and Shiners. Tamura-san from Nissan also joins us. He is working on one of the specialty 370Z projects for Nissan currently. At dinner we decided we weren't going to the car show in the morning, just show up late to see the cars. I was wiped from being on hot pavement for the whole week and didn't care to unload/load Z-Lab and set up the booth again. We planned on getting up and going for ramen, then taking the Ultimate guys to see the State Capitol for a tour... fine with me.
So, the last few nights the hotel lobby bar is busy. We have some booze and snacks and settle into an out of the way lounge area. Bernie and Adam are rolling Japanese style, shoes off at the side of the carpet and sitting on the floor around the central coffee table thing. So, that's what we all do. I brought a bottle of TX whiskey and some shot glasses (Sue the Dinosaur, Graceland and Buc-ee's). We're outside the front elevators, so it was funny when people would come through and if they were known to the group there was a 'Norm!' sort of exclamation and then make them drink something before they are on their way. Some couldn't escape the gravity and stayed. We make a mess and proceeded to get low.
VIP! No photo!!
Milo & Morita-san
Next morning, I feel rightly like crap. Surprisingly (because I didn't check the weather the night before) it's overcast and briefly raining. Oh, well. Get some folks rounded up for ramen and we head out around 11a. I'm driving with my family & Dave in the back of the Xterra. Everything is OK until we get off the highway, my head starts spinning. Get in the parking lot and get sick. It's funny because me getting sick after drinking since my much younger days has only happened with the Japanese around. Reality is, I'm 'fine' until I get in a swerving car and my ears get out of sorts. Fail x 2. We get to the ramen place and fuel up (I don't), then go to the Capitol for a few minutes. The car show closing is not far off, so we cut the visit short and get over to the People's Choice Car Show after lunch.
I believe this is the special program car Tamura-san was in charge of.
350Z Concept car... well, it was more of a new 240Z concept back in 1999, but since it was in the gap between Z32 & Z33 I'll pin it to the 350. This pointed more to what not to do with this new Z.
Special interest BRE car. I'm not sure if it is a repro or a resto. Sounded awesome when the throttle as applied. Wolf Pack photo bomb.
NISMO branded SPLparts suspension components! Nice work Sean!!
ASC built this soft top pace car TT for CART Indy Car races back in 1990.
Tons of safety gear/lights support in the trunk.
Engine Fire? I'd prefer not, thanks anyway!
And this is where it gets crazy. The Prince R380 (Prince was acquired by Nissan in the 1960s and is where the Skyline came from for Nissan). I saw this thing get unloaded at the hotel and was speechless. I've seen pictures of this car and know a little about it's story but to see it randomly appear out of nowhere blipping the engine down the street coming to the hotel was astounding. Take a look at the Wikipedia link above for some background. Fun Fact: Adam found out the designer of the R380 completed his career with Nissan/Prince by designing the Mid-4 in the 1980s, so there's a little Z32 heritage in there somewhere!
Way old-school Polyply tires.
Hand formed exhaust.
Where are Adam's seat belts??
*whew* OK, on to the regular people stuff that caught my eye at the show!
Saturday night was the Closing Dinner @ the COTA Media Center. This was hands down the best venue I've seen at a ZCON. Huge space (we had 1/2 as many people in there as it would hold) with projectors down one wall so it was easy to see the dinner presentation, PA was great... all very nice.
Yama-san had hand drawn a concept car image during his tech-talk that auctioned for like $3,500. There was also Dream Garage Mr. K. signed poster print that went for $3,600. Really impressive bidding!
Next year ZCON is in Atlanta in October and tied into Z Nationals. It should be a strong Z32 convention!
Tamura-san signed Mile's RC GTR!
Adam & Dave
These Conventions aren't all fun and games and stuff - Bernie probably.
Yama-san signed a few things for me. This is my David Kimble Cutaway drawings book. He does the cutaways for Motor Trend and Road & Track. Got my tt.NET shirt signed, a license plate and my new helmet signed too!
Yama-san, his wife, myself and Miles.
Miles & Sakurako
Afterward is was Groundhog Day with most of the same players in the same positions doing the same thing as the night before. I went light but was obligated to share some quality sake and a few Shiners before retiring.
Dave drinking a Pace picante sauce make shift bloody mary shot...
For me, this is the best part of ZCON... just sitting around BSing about whatever. Beer turned to various booze and they went on into the smaller hours of the morning. I left at like 2a or so, completely beat.
Got up Sunday morning, finished packing, loaded up the trucks & said 'See you soon' to everyone I could find. Got home in a few hours and started the long unfolding process...
Later
When was the last time you *really* did something with your Z to call yourself a Z enthusiast?
My ZCON2017 Recap! - 
