ZCON ’05 - A National Success!

“It was, hands down, the best Z convention I ever attended” said 280ZX owner John Hunter Dailey of Williamston, North Carolina, in a recent interview in Sport Z magazine.  John was speaking of the 18^th Annual Z Car Club Association (ZCCA) Convention held in Syracuse as the Great Northeast Z Adventure.  Our three upstate clubs, ZCCR, ZANY and ZACNY took great pride in hosting the event last August after more than a year of planning and preparation.  The week’s events included an opening reception and Texas Chili party on Monday, road rally, tech inspections and an evening keg ‘n klean detailing party on Tuesday, two car shows, indoor and out, at Driver’s Village on Wednesday followed by a great clambake with live music in the evening, a full day of track events at Watkins Glen on Thursday including track school with hot laps for the racers and warm lapping for the rest with over a hundred Zs touring the track at noon. Friday played host to an autocross event and the evening banquet. Over 400 folks participated in this year’s event which many claimed set the benchmark for future Zcons to come.

Gold Awards Back For 2005

After several years without a successful entry, the ZCCA awarded National Gold Cup and Gold Medallion awards to three contestants at Syracuse’s ’05 convention. The top honor for a modified car went to Ray Haren, whose ultra-modified 1972 240Z scored 290 points out of a possible 300. Meanwhile in the stock class, two exceptional vehicles won Gold Medallion awards. The first went to our long time friend from north of the border, Charlie Osborne, for his pristine 10^th anniversary edition 1980 280ZXwith 291 points. Many of you know Charlie as the president of Zedd Findings, Inc., a favorite supplier for Z restorers at www.datsunzparts.com. Also taking gold was our club vice president, Roger Casanova, scoring an incredible 297 points with his 1990 Canadian spec 300ZX Twin Turbo, a truly spectacular original car. Congratulations to these gentlemen for their contributions to the show.

Membership Meeting

On Saturday, April 1, we are planning a membership sign-up/renewal drive to be held at Driver's Village from approximately 10 AM until 2 PM.  We hope to set up in Center Court or nearby depending on whether there are any other scheduled events that day.  We are still waiting for confirmation from Driver's Village and will send out a reminder with final times and location prior to April 1. In addition to joining or renewing your membership for $20 (single or family) we will have some convention souvenirs to hand out and some club merchandise (shirts, hats, jackets and sweats) for sale.

Join Us For Opening Day!

Our second club event will be the traditional Opening Day at Watkins Glen on Sunday, April 30 when you can take your Z, or any car, out on the track for 3 paced laps of the NASCAR circuit for $20.  Of course the drive down and back is just as much fun and will be a chance to really exercise your car and let it stretch its legs. More info will distributed as the date approaches.

June Event Preview

On Sunday, June 4, 2006, the Sports Car and Vintage Auto Festival returns to upstate New York after a one year hiatus at a new location in nearby Farmington, NY. Since 1972, the MG Car Club and Victor Lions Club have hosted what has become one of the largest shows in the state. Entering its 35^th year, this show which started out as a British marque event, now hosts over 1000 entries in every category from Alpines (Renault) to Z cars (Datsun/Nissan). There is no other show in the Northeast where you can view this variety of automobiles in one spot. You’ll see Ferrari F1s, Rolls and Bentleys, Morgans, Corvettes, Cobras, Muscle cars and a huge car corral with nearly 100 vehicles for sale. The Z class includes six trophies for I-6 and V-6 Zs and draws about 30 cars. Join us for a caravan down the Thruway as we join our friends from ZCCR at this early season event.