On this episode of Cool Cars With Chris, we're joined by Jeffrey Willerth of the Z Club of America at the legendary Willow Springs Raceway for a conversation about Datsun heritage, vintage racing, and the passion that keeps classic Z cars alive.
Jeffrey shares the story of his beloved Datsun 260Z that was stolen and recovered, how it sat in storage for nearly 30 years before finally returning to the track, and what it takes to build and maintain race-ready classic Japanese sports cars. We also dive into the origins of the Z Club of America, the growth of the All Japan Showdown, track days at Willow Springs, and why the Datsun Z remains one of the most beloved enthusiast cars ever built.
Whether you're a Nissan Z owner, Datsun enthusiast, racer, collector, or simply a fan of automotive history, this episode is packed with stories, insights, and motorsports passion.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• The history of Z Club of America
• Racing at Willow Springs Raceway
• Datsun 240Z and 260Z ownership
• Vintage racing and track days
• Restoring classic Japanese sports cars
• The All Japan Showdown event
• Building a dedicated race car
• The Nissan Z community
• Motorsport culture and driver education
• Jeffrey's journey through seven different Z cars
Links & Resources
🌐 Cool Cars With Chris
https://coolcarswithchris.com/
📺 Cool Cars With Chris YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@CoolCarswithChris619
📸 Cool Cars With Chris Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cool_cars_with_chris619/
🏁 Z Club of America
https://zclubofamerica.com/
📺 Courage YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@TheDriveNDad22
📸 Courage Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thedrivendad22/
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00:00 Introduction
00:24 Meet Jeffrey Willerth of Z Club of America
01:25 First Impressions of Willow Springs Raceway
02:10 Driving Willow Springs During Parade Laps
03:54 The Origins of Z Club of America
05:04 How the Z Community Evolved
06:28 The Story Behind All Japan Showdown
08:35 Building Southern California's Z Community
09:38 Jeffrey's Datsun Collection
10:23 The Stolen and Recovered 260Z
11:22 A Z Car Stored for Nearly 30 Years
12:02 First Track Day After Restoration
12:56 Building a Full Race 240Z
14:04 Life With a Dedicated Race Car
14:47 Owning Seven Different Nissan Z Cars
15:25 Favorite Cars at Willow Springs
16:31 Race Cars vs Street Cars
17:36 Dream Cars to Drive on Track
17:58 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
#CoolCarsWithChris #Datsun240Z #Datsun260Z #ZClubOfAmerica #WillowSprings