something for everyone at zdayz 2012

SOUNDZ of Richmond
Something for everyone at ZDayZ 2012
By Lily Stevens
“If you don’t find
something that excites
you at ZDayZ,” says
event organizer Bryan
Settle, “then you might
not have a pulse.”
We agree! For months – if
not a solid year – members
of ZCAR have looked forward
to the ninth annual ZDayZ
extravaganza, which was
held May 17-20 in Fontana
Village, NC. The event, which
has become synonymous
with both camaraderie and
competition, lived up to – and
sometimes surpassed -- its
well-earned reputation. With
over 700 attendees, ZDayZ
2012 has already gone down
in the record books, with
respect to participation.
The centerpiece of the gathering, of
course, is the notorious Tail of the Dragon.
Stretching 11 miles along NC Highway
129, the Dragon consists of 318 hairpin
curves and switchbacks. It’s a must-drive
experience for sports car and motorcycle
enthusiasts alike.
As early as May 13, club members
started rolling into Fontana Village.
Connie and Barry Smith arrived at the
Fontana Village Campground early in
the week. After nearly a year of getting
Connie’s 1988 300ZX, affectionately
dubbed ‘CowboyZ’ ready – she was ready
to test-drive the Dragon before the
masses descended. Quite accustomed
to twisties, Connie found the drive less
daunting than she anticipated. Club
continued on page 5
Next meeting: Monday, June 18
Join us at our next monthly
meeting on Monday, June 18 at 7 pm
at River’s Bend Grille in Chester. Enjoy a delicious dinner with
a great group of like-minded Z car
enthusiasts!
v i s i t
u s
Meetings are usually over by 8:30
pm, when we continue the
“car talk” out in the parking lot.
River’s Bend Grill is located
at 13283 Rivers Bend Boulevard,
Chester.
o n l i n e
You can get directions by calling
(804) 530-9953 or visiting www.
riversbendgrillandbar.com.
Z you there!
at w w w. r i c h m o n d zc a r . co m
June 2012
N e w s f r o m t h e Z C a r A s s o c i at i o n o f R i c h m o n d
Upcoming Events
ZCAR Club Officers
Saturday, June 16, 2012, 8 am
Cars & Coffee~Williamsburg*
The Coffee House at Williamsburg Crossing, Williamsburg, VA
http://www.carsandcoffeewilliamsburg.com
President
Sam Stevens
757.814.7976
[email protected]
Monday, June 18, 2012
June Club Meeting
River’s Bend Grille
13283 Rivers Bend Boulevard, Chester, VA
www.riversbendgrill.com
Vice President
Greg Carter
804.310.5375
[email protected]
Sunday, July 8
ZCAR Summer Picnic SEE INFO ON PAGE 4
Osborne Park & Boat Landing
9530 Osborne Turnpike, Henrico, VA
Event Coordinators: Maggie and Willie Wilson
Monday, July 16, 2012
July Club Meeting (see location above)
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Cars and Coffee Williamsburg (see location above)*
2
Saturday, August 11 or Sunday, August 12
(date and event TBD)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Cars and Coffee Williamsburg (see location above)*
Monday, August 20, 2012
August Club meeting (see location above)
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Cars and Coffee Williamsburg (see location above)*
Monday, September 17, 2012
September Club meeting (see location above)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
ZCAR’s 11th Annual Ztoberfest
Sheehy Mechanicsville
6564 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville, VA
http://richmondzcar.com/show_registration.php
*Not an official ZCAR event
Monthly Finances
as of May 21, 2012
Beginning Balance Deposits
Expenses
Ending Balance
Paypal Acct Balance:
Total Funds Available:
$3,611.03
$ 77.00
$ 25.00
$3,663.03
$ 100.74
$3,763.77
Treasurer
Maggie Wilson
804.748.9621
[email protected]
Secretary
Nancy Fetty
804.639.9769
[email protected]
Member-at-Large
Jack Waters
804.561.1354
[email protected]
Membership & Webmaster
Mark Meade
804.379.7156
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Lily Stevens
757.272.5371
[email protected]
Newsletter Publisher
Lorraine Meade
804.314.9862
[email protected]
ZCCA Liaison
José Cardona
757.753.8281
[email protected]
Activities Coordinator
Greg Stocksdale
540-446-4506
[email protected]
Photographer
Nick Sletnar
804.379.7156
[email protected]
ZCAR Store Position Open (Interested
members please contact club president)
We Are ZCAR!
That’s the spirit!
by Sam Stevens, ZCAR President
May 2012 was an exciting
month for so many in the ZCAR
family. At the outset, I would like to
take a moment to recognize our
members who recently married. I
know everyone joins me in sending
congratulations to Jack and Juanita
Waters – and to Jay and Kathy
Beard. We wish you all the best!
Next, switching gears to
ZDayZ – with nearly 30 members
participating, we had a fantastic
club presence at this year’s
gathering. In groups that began
departing as early as Sunday, May
13, we’d all arrived by the first day
of registration on Thursday, May
17. You can read about the event
and folks’ memories of ZDayZ 2012
elsewhere within this newsletter,
but I will take a moment to mention
one topic in particular: ZCAR Spirit.
With your help, in the weeks
leading up to ZDayZ, I made sure
that CEO Bryan Settle was aware of
how willing ZCAR members were
to support this year’s event. Many
of our members staffed registration
throughout the day on Friday, and
then worked as parking attendants
for the car show the following
day. An event the size and scope
of ZDayZ depends upon this kind
of participation from clubs and, of
course, we considered it an honor
to participate. Imagine my surprise – and
Our Club Vice
President, Greg
Carter, with the
ZCAR Spirit of
ZDayZ award.
pride – to learn later that
our support had not gone
unnoticed. This year, during closing
ceremonies Saturday evening,
ZCAR was presented with not one
– but two – awards for Spirit and
Support of ZDayZ 2012. The “Spirit
of ZDayZ” award was a first-time
ever award. So, congratulations! It
took the willingness of each of you,
working together, to make this
recognition possible. In closing, we all know that
spirit is not merely something we
offer to CEOs for trophies at events
far from home. Club spirit takes
many forms, and is more important
than any trophy. Sometimes
kindness is the finest form of
spirit. At other times, spirit moves
us to be understanding and
patient. For a long time, ZCAR
spirit points have been awarded to
members merely for attendance
and participation. This award is
a reminder that spirit goes far
beyond attendance. Anyone can
show up, but people truly do notice
the little things that we do. I enjoyed sharing ZDayZ with
those among you in attendance at
this year’s event, and am proud to
be among those who planned the
many facets of such a successful
trip which took us so far from
ZCAR’s Richmond home. Many members have already
pre-registered for lodging at ZDayZ
2013 and others considering
attendance at next year’s event
may wish to do the same. For
more information, please contact
Greg Stocksdale at activities@
richmondzcar.com for assistance
with cabin choices.
Here’s to the Spirit of ZCAR and
next year!
We Are ZCAR!
June Meeting Agenda
Old Business
• Approval of minutes
• Introduce officers for reports
• Treasurer
Status of club funds
• Member-at-Large
Congratulations to newlyweds
• Membership and web
• Activities
• ZCCA Liaison
• Vice President
New Business
• Ztoberfest status and update
• By-Laws
• Bowling recap
• Annual Club picnic
• Business cards
• June Birthdays
3
ZCAR Zoomings
The Minutes of the Monthly Meeting of the Z Car Association of Richmond—May 21, 2012
The monthly meeting of ZCAR
was held Monday, May 21, 2012 at
River’s Bend Grill.
President Sam Stevens called the
meeting to order at 7:10 pm and
welcomed all attendees, members
and guests. Sam reminded
attendees that minutes from
last month’s meeting are in the
monthly newsletter. A motion was
made, properly seconded, and last
month’s minutes were approved.
4
Mechanicsville to further discuss
details surrounding the annual car
show. Greg confirmed that there
will be online show registration.
(80 people since some of
the memberships are family
memberships). There is no change
since last month.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Maggie Wilson’s report
is on page 2 of this newsletter.
Maggie noted that details of
income and expenses are on file
and with Nancy Fetty, Secretary.
Traffic on the website has increased
compared to the same time period
in 2011 and 2010.
Sam then invited the officers to
provide their respective updates.
Member-at-Large’s Report
No report because Jack and
Juanita are on their honeymoon!
Congratulations Jack and Juanita!
Old Business
Vice President’s Report
Vice President Greg Carter updated
the group on Ztoberfest. He has
a call in to Dominick at Sheehy
Membership & Website Report
Membership and Webmaster Mark
Meade reported that we currently
have 58 active members, not
including honorary memberships
ZCCA Liaison Report
In José Cardona’s absence, Sam
shared that Chris Karl, President of
the ZCCA, is interested in providing
more support to local clubs for
car shows, etc. Sam met Chris at
ZDayZ and talked with him about
potential Ztoberfest support.
Activities Report
Activities Chair Greg Stocksdale
reported on two upcoming events:
continued on page 16
Maggie and Willie Wilson invite you to the
Annual ZCAR Picnic
Sunday, July 8 • 1–5 pm
Osborne Park & Boat Landing
9530 Osborne Turnpike, Henrico, VA 23231
Provided:
Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, chips, and drinks
Fun in the sun with all kinds of games!
Please bring a side dish or dessert to share and let us know what it is when you RSVP to prevent duplicates.
RSVP by June 24 to Greg Stocksdale at: [email protected]
ZDayZ 2012
continued from page 1
member Jose Cardona teased her, “it’s because you
never went faster than 25 MPH!”
By mid-week, three other caravans arrived.
With 15 cars, including Nick’s XTerra, ZCAR was
well-represented! At first light on Wednesday, Greg
and Laura Stocksdale drove down from their home
in Northern Virginia to lead the first group, which
consisted of Greg and Catherine Carter, Michael
Carter, Jose Cardona, Tony Chase and Beverly Brown,
Andre Hebert and Carolyn Varnier, and Sam and
me. For the second caravan on Wednesday, Theo
Hartmann led a group which included John and
Gaile Cormier, Nick Sletnar, Rico Bou and Suzanna
Chhannt (and Rico’s cousin Ricky), Tom Hartmann
and Martina Muelhaupt. Finally, early on Thursday
morning, Mark and Lorraine Meade set out with
Chuck and Nancy Fetty, and Willie and Maggie
Wilson.
Over the next four days, with some 30 members
in attendance, ZCAR enjoyed a wide variety of
scheduled and unscheduled events.
On Wednesday evening, Connie and Barry
hosted early arrivals with a spaghetti dinner.
Members on site converged on the Hartmann cabin,
making Connie’s preparations easier on Delia, who
was recovering from recent foot surgery. Folks
provided salad fixings, plastic ware and coolers
with their beverage of choice. Connie’s spaghetti
will not soon be forgotten! Also, Nick Sletnar (the
most gracious of bartenders) served up his signature
margaritas and pina coladas.
It was beginning to feel a lot like ZDayZ!
Thursday morning, after a (light, so as not to lose
it) continental breakfast at the Stevens/Cardona/
Chase cabin, the first wave of dragon slayers
departed. Led by Sam (while I made announcements
like: “motorcycle!” or “truck!” to our caravan members
via our two-way radios), we tamed the Dragon and
then set out to drive the Cherohala Skyway via the
Tellico Plains route. My favorite part of that cruiZe
continued on page 6
5
from top: Connie
Smith lets loose in the
Smoky Mountains
during her first ZDayZ.
• ZCAR members
Maggie, Gaile, Chuck,
Nancy, Delia, Connie
and Willie show
their colors as they
volunteer at the ZDayZ
registration desk. •
Theo Hartmann with
his award-winning
ZFIRE. • The gals
showed their ZCAR
spirit with “Z” toes!
ZDayZ 2012
continued from page 5
6
from top: The spririt
of red, white and blue
• Tom and Martina
during the Z-1
Motorsports party. •
“Rico” and Suzanna
with the beautiful
Smoky Mountain
backdrop. • Mark with
Connie and Barry
Smith’s Yorkie, “Z”. •
Tony and Bev on the
deck enjoying the
company of Z friends.
• Nancy, Sam, Lily and
José partaking in the
$1 beer special.
was the drive along the summit where the
road stretches seemingly forever, across
the length of a mountain ridge – with
dramatic drops and views on either side.
Other club members tackled the don’ttake-your-eyes-off-it Dragon and/or the
scenic Cherohala Skyway at their own pace
– and at their own leisure. Indeed, ZDayZ
consists of many planned and scheduled
components but it’s also a quasi-vacation
for many of us, so flexibility was the rule.
A little sidebar: We were honored to
have Kevin White, a young man attending
his very first ZDayZ, join us for the day’s
run. Kevin, who is serving in the United
States Air Force, is about to leave for Korea
and it was our pleasure to spend time with
him. We met Kevin for the first time at the
spaghetti dinner Wednesday night and
by Saturday, ZCAR’s leadership voted to
sponsor him while he is serving overseas.
We’ll keep in touch with him, send him
care packages, feature his updates in our
newsletter and look forward to cruising
with him again when he returns stateside.
You may also watch for Kevin’s updates on
ZCAR’s Facebook page.
Club members were on their own for
Thursday night’s supper; many of us opted
to sample the casual fare at the Fontana
Grille while others chose instead to drive
into adjacent Robbinsville for dinner.
By Friday morning, participants
continued to pour in with Z caravans
from all around the country. Anticipating
the demand, Bryan Settle had arranged
volunteers from many clubs, including
ZCAR. Some 19 members of our club
volunteered their time and efforts to
help out at the registration tables and/or
parking at the car show. Many thanks to
the following club members for their
stalwart efforts during this busiest
ZDayZ ever: Jose Cardona; Greg,
Catherine and Michael Carter; Greg
and Laura Stocksdale; Chuck and
Nancy Fetty; Willie and Catherine
Wilson; Theo and Delia Hartmann;
John and Gaile Cormier; Tony Chase
and Beverly Brown and Barry and
Connie Smith.
Once registration obligations
were fulfilled, folks enjoyed events
ranging from the Drop Top Cruise
to the Poker Run and Dynosty
Dyno Competition. The unveiling of
the Project 370Z car was also very
cool and freebies/giveaways were
abundant and in demand.
On Friday evening, members
gathered for the welcome dinner
in the resort’s dining hall, and
then spilled out onto the newly
constructed deck, for a party hosted
by Z-1 Motorsports. The $1 beers
were flowing, the deejay was rocking;
a great time was had by all.
Saturday morning dawned sunny
and cool, perfect for the car show
at the ball field, followed by the
wildly popular exhaust competition.
Despite everyone cheering Theo and
ZFire on – ‘twas not to be. Theo was,
of course, not the only competitor to
be DQ’d for squealing rubber.
After a day on the ball field,
the Stocksdales, Stevens and
Carters hosted a cookout at the
Stocksdale’s cabin. Just prior to the
evening’s festivities, there was an
impromptu cornhole tournament
between ZCAR and the Carolina Z
Club. Carolina Z had requested an
opportunity to win back their club
tee-shirt from Delia Hartmann (see
June 2011 newsletter). Sam and I
were busy with dinner preps, but as
folks trickled into the cookout, they
reported that we’d lost the shirt. At
least for this year...
Next up was the closing awards
ceremony. Everyone was thrilled to
learn that ZCAR took six trophies and
awards! (See box)
After an incredible four days
packed with all sorts of activities –
and spending time with new and
old friends – it was time to pack up
and head back home. On Sunday,
members trickled out at their own
pace. We have early birds like the
Stocksdales who didn’t wait for first
light – they were DC-bound by 5 a.m.;
followed by the second and third
wave of travelers. Connie and Barry –
the first to arrive – were also the last
to leave – departing for their home in
Check out more photos and video!
Member
Awards:
Michael Carter:
1st Place - For his S130 280ZX
Connie Smith:
1st Place - For her Z31 300Z
Theo Hartmann: 1st Place - For
his 280Z; as well as a second
award for his Nismo for “most
horsepower for a naturally
aspirated vehicle” on the Dynosty
Dyno.
Club Awards:
Club Spirit Award - ZDayZ 2012
Club Support Award - ZDayZ 2012
South Hill on Monday morning.
Our club may be headquartered
in Richmond, but the reach of our
membership of nearly 80 Z and
G car lovers stretches from the
Washington, DC metropolitan area
to Richmond to Hampton Roads and
Southside Virginia. We continue to
grow. Hard to tell what 2013 will
bring but this much is for certain:
ZDayZ will celebrate its 10th birthday
next year on May 16-19 and many of
us have already booked – or will be
booking – cabins or other lodging in
Fontana Village, NC for ZDayZ 2013! z
Michael Carter’s video:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s456sswaeok6qmo/Rt%20129%20Tail%20of%20the%20Dragon.m4v
Nick Sletnar’s photos:
http://nixpix.smugmug.com/Events/ZDayZ-2012/23108930_cWKSd4
Lorraine Meade’s photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73048435@N06/sets/72157629821745554/
Lily Stevens’ photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4161423400962.2181674.1445388165&type=1&l=8e88461cf9/
7
That’s what they said...
Best memories of ZDayZ 2012
8
Mark Meade:
One of the highlights of ZDayZ
2012 for me took place on the way
there. In the western outskirts of
Asheville, where Route 40 rolls six
lanes wide through a gap in the
mountains, the elevation changes
are significant enough to prompt a
swallow to clear eustachian tubes.
Caravan participants from
previous years will recall the fun
we had in that area. It’s a sinuous
climb and descent where trucks
are relegated to the right-hand
lane. Lesser cars lose momentum
on the way up and fry their brakes
on the way down.
This year, our convoy
encountered a couple of Skylines
in those mountains (no, not that
skyline – although it, too, was
pretty).
These were Nissan Skyline
GT-Rs, the predecessors to
today’s GT-R supercar. These
third generation R32 Skylines
were the twin-turbocharged
contemporaries of my twin turbo
‘93 Z car. One was competition
blue, and right-hand drive. The
other was a Nismo, in the
traditional gunmetal grey. Both
were being driven in a sporting
way, belching fireballs as their
catalytic converter-less exhausts
burnt the excess gas dumped
when their wastegates opened
between shifts.
As we pulled up to them, we
waved, and gave each other the
universal sign of appreciation – a
“thumbs up.” Then the driver
in the blue car gave another
universal sign: he “revved” at me,
downshifted, and looked over
with an ear-to-ear grin on his face,
waiting for me to acknowledge his
challenge.
I do not condone street
racing, and neither does the Z Car
Association of Richmond. But, in
the spirit of showing him what
the old lady (“Fairlady” that is –
the name of the 300ZX in Japan),
I downshifted too, and pulled a
couple of car lengths ahead before
we encountered traffic.
Those two Skylines joined our
caravan for a while. I was certain
they were headed to ZDayZ.
But they were not on our radio
frequency, and took an exit –
maybe to get some gas (?) – before
we got off of Route 40.
Greg Carter:
Oh my! Where do I begin? I
love everything about ZDayZ from
the anticipation of caravanning
down together as a club – to
seeing all the Zs together – to just
going from cabin to cabin and
getting together with everyone. This year I really enjoyed
running the Dragon because the
car felt so much stiffer with the
modifications I’d done. And of
course it was Michael’s first time
to ZDayZ and he brought home a
trophy from the car show for first
place in his class. With all that said, I can’t wait til
next year!
Michael Carter:
This year was my first time
attending the ZdayZ event,
although I have been to Fontana
Village years ago when I used
to whitewater paddle on the
Nantahala River.
My favorite part of ZDayZ
was pretty much everything
– from meeting new people and
hanging out with club members,
to (especially!) driving the Dragon.
If I absolutely must have a favorite
part, it would be the driving on the
twisty roads of the Dragon and the
Cherohala Skyway.
Jose Cardona:
My memories from an EPIC
ZDayZ 2012 are the good times
shared with good friends, meeting
old friends and making new ones.
The smell of Zs all over the place
while smoking a cigar on the porch
was the most relaxing time. The Club
cruise and driving the Dragon one
more time was great too.
This was also the first time in
three years of attending ZDayZ that I
won a raffle prize so it caught me by
surprise and I was very happy. Can’t
wait for next year for another great
time!
Sam Stevens:
To understand my fondest
memories of ZDayZ 2012 you’d
have to understand how I perceive
the event. I approach it simply – as
a vacation spent with friends. So,
my fondest memories are not the
thrill of the Dragon or the scenery
of the Cherohala Skyway, but those
of being in the mountains with Lily,
and running into Mike (from Florida),
Dwight and Leanne (Kentucky)
and Brian (Michigan) – or meeting
Kevin (North Carolina) and others
who come from all over for the
same thing. We come to experience
camaraderie found on curvy roads
in daylight, followed by debriefs and
story-telling on various cabin porches
at the end of each day. With old friends like Jose, whose
laughter always comes easy while his
cigar glows brightly, curls of smoke
escaping into the darkness. Or Tony,
whose eyes nearly pop from his
head while listening to something
incredible, laughing so loud it shakes
the rafters. Or with new friends like
Beverly, who revealed a little more of
her personality each time she spoke.
At ZDayZ, relative time stops for
just a little while and is replaced with
the kind of time it takes to catch up
with an old friend—or make a new
one. And if you are lucky, like Lily and
I were, you’ll find just enough of that
kind of time to make a new one. Tony Chase:
First of all, it was so good having
Bev with me on this trip. She was
really great! I have never had such
a good time at a big car event like
this…as I had with her this year. My
other memories are about car trouble
and feeling sick on the Dragon. But
the fact is that my car broke and I
didn’t sweat it. I was still determined
to go to ZDayZ and have a good
time, no matter what the situation.
On the way down to Fontana, I
think we were stopping for fuel or a
taco when I noticed something was
wrong with the supercharger on
my 350Z. It didn’t keep the car from
being drivable – a little fine-tuning
and she was good to go. But the issue
did keep me from entering my car
in the car show at ZDayZ. A shame,
too, because the vehicle is a beauty
and not just under the hood; I had
recently had side skirts installed. But
nothing stopped me from enjoying
the trip and chilling with Bev and my
friends from ZCAR and other friends
from last year – friends from Ohio,
Florida and Indiana.
Of course, the major memory
I have is about almost losing it
on the Dragon. Not the car – but
the contents of my stomach. It
happened on the Thursday morning
Dragon/Cherohala run.
continued on page 16
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Best wishes to our members with birthdays this month.
June 14.......................................................Lorraine Meade
June 18............................................................ Frank Besosa
June 19........................................................Tom Hartmann
June 24.................................................................Fred Buoni
June 26...............................................................Ron Perkins
June 27...................................................... C. Krusen Heller
June 29......................................................... Dawn Pearson
9
Hot ModZ
Shhhhhhhh...
By Mark Meade
What have you done recently
to improve or personalize your Z
Car? Share your recent “hot modZ”
with us by writing to Lily Stevens at
[email protected]. Be sure
to include photos, so we can all oooh
and aaaaaah (and maybe even learn
something)!
10
It’s a sure sign of aging when
a sports car-owning man decides
he’s willing to trade a little speed
for comfort. If he’s married, he
could rationalize that decision
as one he made to make the car
more hospitable for his wife – even
though she rides along without
ever complaining.
Having spent more than ten
years exchanging parts to make my
car faster, this month I chose to add
some weight, to make it quieter.
While I was at it, I upgraded my
stereo system (yet again) – to make
the new quietness sound even
sweeter. But that’ll be a separate
article. For now, let’s just focus on
the sound deadening.
Of course, expecting a car
to be both comfortable on long
distance cruises and quick when
participating in track events,
involves compromises. Either that,
or a whole lot of money. (Have
you priced a new Ferrari or Lambo
lately? Composites ain’t cheap!)
The factory-installed sound
deadening used in Z32s consists
of a combination of asphalt-based
Mark applies RaamMat to partially stripped interior.
Holes are sealed with RaamMat and mass loaded vinyl.
damper, a shredded fiber decoupler in various thicknesses – depending on
where it’s used – and a thin layer of vinyl. In particularly noisy areas such as over the wheels, all three are used
together.
There are plenty of resources available on-line for anyone
interested in learning the ins and outs of sound-proofing cars
(sounddeadenershowdown.com is particularly informative). Unfortunately,
they all point to the same conclusion: if you want to make it quiet, you’re
going to have to add WEIGHT.
My compromise was to add as little weight as possible, in strategic
locations, and – in a nod toward trackday performance – in a way that can be
relatively easily reversed when desired.
I had already done some basic sound
deadening many years ago, by layering a
few square feet of Brown Bread damper
over various flat panels of sheet metal,
mainly on the floor of the rear hatch, and
over the rear wheels. I didn’t use much
of it, and – frankly – it didn’t make much
difference in terms of noise suppression.
This time around, the damper I
bought was from RaamMat, which uses a
butyl rubber base rather than asphalt. The
advantage of butyl is that it’s very sticky,
and has no odor. As with the Brown
Bread, I cut the RaamMat into pieces and
stuck it onto flat metal panels subject to
the low frequency vibrations caused by
exhaust, rolling tires, spinning gears, and –
on the bigger panels such as doors – even
wind. (Sheet metal flutters in the wind.)
There are several areas in the
Z32 that seem especially prone to
reverberations. The entire rear hatch
acts like an echo chamber, where wide
and under-insulated wheel wells full of
wide and sticky tires (designed more for
grip than for quietness) team up with
over-sized exhaust pipes and straightthrough mufflers, and a rear suspension
with bushings stiffer than stock. Together,
all this mechanical coolness generates
a symphony of aural delights that some
might characterize as “noise” when
subjected to it for hours at a time.
In addition to the hatch, the floor
panels and kick panels of the passenger
compartment, and the doors got the same
treatment. I reached through crevices
to stick the damper onto outside panels,
and then layered it over those crevices, to
The heavy vinyl is attached with velcro, to simplify removal for track events.
thwart any outside sounds from invading the interior.
While I was researching, I read somewhere a statistic suggesting
that a hole comprising only 5% of the surface area of a panel would
allow something like 70% of the sound through that panel. I
probably haven’t remembered the numbers right, but it was an
impressive figure – enough that it convinced me to plug any holes
that weren’t being used, and to shrink the holes that were.
After the damper, I applied a layer of closed cell foam,
also known as Ensolite. While the damper controls lowfrequency vibrations (sounds), the foam insulates against high
frequencies. This foam is very stretchy, and – as purchased from
Raam Audio – comes with a peel-off backing that allows it to be
stuck to pretty much anything. Very useful stuff!
I used the foam to insulate against wind noise within the hatch,
all around the plastic trim surrounding the rear quarter windows,
over the wheel arches, in the doors, and strategically throughout the
rest of the car. Since it weighs next to nothing, I wasn’t concerned
about any effect the foam might have on raising the car’s center of
gravity.
The final component, on the other hand, I used sparingly. It’s
HEAVY, weighing one pound per square foot. One slab, which I cut,
using the rear carpet as a template, weighs nearly ten pounds! But
that weight is what allows mass loaded vinyl to block the
continued on page 12
11
Hot ModZ
continued from page 11
12
transmission of sound.
I bought a remnant from what was
left of a roll of “AudioSeal” from Acoustical
Solutions (acousticalsolutions.com), a
company located here in Richmond that
sells sound-proofing materials to building
contractors. I’m glad not to have had to pay
for shipping this stuff!
Because it’s so heavy, I want to be able to
use the vinyl only when in cruising mode. So
rather than fasten it into place permanently,
I attached it using Velcro. Or – in the case of
the piece that goes beneath the rear carpet
– let it rest under its own weight.
Of course, very few jobs ever go as
smoothly as we’d like them to. This one went
off track when I was attempting to re-attach
the gas-charged hatch supports. They use
relatively delicate (8M on one end, 9M on
the other) bolts and narrow nuts in the
chassis to hold up that hulking, 80-pound
(estimated) expanse of glass and metal. The
threads on all of the nuts were pretty
ragged. One of them required a helicoil, and
two required a thorough re-tapping.
With that out of the way, the interior
pieces all fit back securely into place,
promising a rattle-free, low-noise ride to
rival the BMW’s…except I forgot to mention
the effect that the new coilovers, with their
stiffer spring rates and pillow-ball bushings,
have on ride quality. The front used to
be the quiet end of the car. Now the midsection and back ends are so quiet, I can
hear the road noise transmitted through the
front suspension. Oh well. So much for the
preferences of an aging sports car owner.
A better sound system will help
camouflage the remaining noise. Check for
that article in a future issue. z
Hatch strut attachment points needed some refreshing.
Door-mounted seatbelts, stereo, alarm, power windows, power mirrors,
power locks: There’s a lot going on in the doors!
Partially finished door shows RaamMat on exterior sheetmetal. Insets show
interior of door panels, before and after applying Ensolite.
Zooming In
Get to know Andre Hebert
by Andre Hebert
Zooming In is a monthly series
highlighting one of our club members
chosen at random. Zooming In is a
way for our club members to get to
know one another and hopefully
discover commonalities and
interests....other than our Z cars!
Unlike most of the ZCAR
members I have met so far, I have
not always been a car enthusiast;
I was more into motorcycles than
cars.
Sport motorcycling was my
passion for quite a while. My whole
family was riding motorcycles,
starting with my parents and then
my brother and sister. I started
driving motorcycles when I was
around 12 years old. Of course, at
that time, I also enjoyed sports cars
and, especially, muscle cars. But
as soon I hit 16 years old, I got my
driver license and bought my first
bike. I had many different bikes over
the following years, until I became
a dad in 1992. Then, family took
priority and I became a safe driver,
at least when the family was with
me!
I bought my first car when I
was 21. Before, that I did not need
one since there was always a car
available in the driveway of the
family house. The car I bought was
a used Pontiac Lemans. A nice,
two-door car with lots of power, but
no handling! After that, all the cars
I owned were only for practical use,
no fun!
Andre with his 350ZX roadster.
I grew up in a small town
called La Tuque in the province of
Quebec Canada. I used to spend
all my summers fishing, hunting
and trapping with my dad. My
hometown is situated in an outdoor
paradise, surrounded by forest
and lakes, so fishing was great and
enjoying time with my dad was even
greater.
After finishing trade school as an
electrician in 1979, I started to work
in the bowling business. Eventually,
I learned that they were building
a new bowling center in town.
Knowing the owner and his son, I
offered my services to help with the
installation of all the electronics and
electrical equipment. It went well,
and the bowling center hired me as
their main technical guy.
After two years working at the
bowling center, I was ready for a
new challenge. Looking to return
to school in electronics, I asked the
bowling manufacturer which installs
the equipment in my center if they
would have a summer job for me.
The owner called me the next day
and I started working the following
day. I moved to the wonderful city of
Quebec and started work – traveling
all over Canada and, eventually, all
over the world!
I never went back to school.
Travelling the world has been an
extraordinary experience. It’s made
me appreciate what I have and the
quality of life we can enjoy here in
North America, because things we
take for granted are often available
to just a few in many other countries.
I have wonderful memories of all
those trips, lots of funny moments.
In 2003, the Canadian bowling
manufacturer I was working for was
acquired by an Italian company.
continued on page 14
13
Andre and Carolyn Varnier
at ZDayZ in May.
Zooming In
continued from page 7
14
At that time I spent most of my
time between Italy and Canada,
learning their product and teaching
them our products. I also visited
the distributors we had all over the
world, in order to train on the new
products.
I had the chance to visit some
countries that I had always want to
visit, but did not get a chance before
– places like Australia, New Zealand,
and Russia.
In 2005, we merged with
AMF Bowling in Richmond and
became QubicaAMF Worldwide.
I was offered a job in Richmond
-- taking over the redesign of a new
Pinspotter and supervising the
transition of the others products
that were originally manufactured in
Canada.
So, in November 2006 I moved
to Richmond where I discovered
a very nice city. I was very warmly
welcomed in my new adoptive city.
I found many similarities between
Richmond and Quebec; both cities
are about the same size and both
have a lot of history.
My history with Z cars started
last June.
I was looking to buy a functional
car and perhaps a new motorcycle.
Then, I saw a white 350Z Roadster.
I did not know too much about Z
cars, so I started to do some online
research and found out that there
were a lot of positive reviews and
an active enthusiast community for
these cars.
On a Saturday morning, I
decided to stop at the dealer to have
a closer look at the 350Z Roadster.
After looking at it, the salesman
offered to let me test-drive it. I fell in
love with that car. Two hours later,
I was driving it back home. Since
then, I drive it every time I get a
chance – either for going to work
or just to drive it for the pleasure of
having the top down!
At the beginning of this year, I
started to look for a car club in the
Richmond area, and I found ZCAR
online. I registered and learned that
the following Monday was the next
club meeting. I went to the meeting
and discovered a great group of
people who welcomed me very
warmly. I was looking to find a car
club where activities included not
only nice drives, but also good
friendships between the members.
That’s exactly what I found with
ZCAR.
Since then, I have enjoyed every
activity I have participated in with
the group – sharing great moments
and making new friends.
We just came back from
ZDayZ. That was my first ZDayZ,
of course, and it will not be my
last. It was great to spend quality
time with all the Z enthusiasts
in an environment that was very
relaxed and casual. The location
was fantastic, with activities for all
tastes. Driving the Dragon for the
first time was a great experience;
I even went back just for the fun
of driving it again. There were also
many others nice roads, different
ones, but as much fun to drive. In
Canada we don’t have anything
like the Dragon, but there are
some very beautiful scenic drives
in almost every part of Canada.
Where I grew up, there are some
secondary roads that are very
challenging, especially during
winter times – in snow. Best way to
learn how to drift!
In terms of family, I have a son
and a daughter - now 18 and 20
years old - who have been very
supportive in my choice to move
in Richmond. They love coming
to Richmond for vacations. My
daughter Carolane is studying
Industrial Design, and my son
Christophe is studying at a culinary
school and hopes to become a
chef. They both live with their
mother in Quebec City and, of
course, I’m very proud of them.
I’m looking forward to more
ZCAR activities and to cultivating
friendships with all the members! z
ZCAR members bring home trophies from
Tidewater Z Club’s Odyssey Car Show
By Michael Carter
Three Carters, three trophies! Michael, Catherine and Greg were all trophy winners at the Tidewater show.
On Saturday, May 5, ZCAR
made its presence known at the
Tidewater Z Odyssey Car Show,
held at Pomoco Nissan on Mercury
Boulevard in Hampton.
Greg, Catherine, and Michael
Carter met up with Tony Chase on
I-64 at the rest area in New Kent
and made our way to Sam and Lily
Stevens’ house in Williamsburg.
There, we met up with Anthony
Freedman, who had spent the night
at Sam and Lily’s.
After coffee and pastries, we
hit the road, heading out on I-64
East. Just outside of Hampton, Jose
Cardona merged into formation
and we continued on – pulling into
Pomoco Nissan around 10 a.m. to
line up and wipe down our cars for
the show.
Maggie and Willie Wilson
arrived on scene, along with Chuck
Fetty, Osvaldo Rivera and Jay Beard.
We all wandered around looking at
all the cars and chatting – having a
good time discussing the different
cars and mods. We also met many
of the Tidewater Car Club members,
most of whom must be 240, 260
and 280Z owners, given the large
number of those types of cars at
the show.
We handed out flyers for ZCAR’s
Ztoberfest show to be held at
Sheehy Nissan in Mechanicsville on
October 14. Then, after we made
our picks for judging, a couple of us
went across the road where there
was another car show going on –
Corvettes and other classic muscle
cars.
When the judging was over
and raffle giveaways completed, it
was time for the awards. ZCAR took
home 6 awards in all. (see box)
After the awards were given
out, we got in our cars and lined
up in formation to make our way
home. Sam led the way back to
ZCAR
Member
Awards:
Catherine Carter:
1st place 300ZX (Z32)
Michael Carter:
1st place 280ZX (S130)
Anthony Freedman:
1st place 370Z (Z34)
Tony Chase:
1st place 350Z (Z33)
Gregory Carter:
2nd place 370Z (Z34)
Maggie Wilson:
2nd place 350Z (Z33)
I-64 West and then we all took
our separate routes back to our
respective homes/destinations for
the evening.
Many thanks to the Tidewater Z
Club for hosting a great show! We
hope to see many of them at our
Ztoberfest show later this year! z
15
ZCAR Zoomings
continued from page 4
June bowling event: ZCAR
members will gather Sunday June
10 at 1:00 p.m. for bowling at AMF
Mechanicsville. Following bowling,
Andre Hebert has arranged for a
tour of the AMF Factory. Also, for
those interested, a dinner gettogether following the event is
planned. Please check your emails
for details regarding this event and
RSVP to Greg ASAP.
16
Sunday July 8 ZCAR Picnic: Hosted
by Willie and Maggie Wilson, the
picnic will be held at Osborne
Landing (same as last year) at 1 p.m.
Please save the date for a day full of
fun. Details to follow.
They said
NEW BUSINESS
News from ZDAYZ:
Twenty-nine ZCAR members were
in attendance at ZDayZ 2012. Also,
ZCAR was presented with the first
ever ZDayZ Club Spirit Award for its
sponsorship, great attendance and
tremendous help both prior to and
during ZDayZ over the 3-day event
Many members won awards during
the car show. See page 7 of the
newsletter.
A nice young man attended ZDAYZ
and spent a great deal of time
with members of our club during
the event. This young man, Kevin
White, is in the Air Force and will
be deploying soon. The executive
board members met and voted for
the club to “adopt” Kevin while he
is away by asking members to send
letters, emails, care packages, etc.
His contact info is:
Kevin White
[email protected]
May Birthdays:
Sam recognized members with
May birthdays, including: George
Metcalf, Michael Carter, Theo
Hartmann, Brian Godsey, John
Cormier, Darrell Scruggs, Aleta
Perkins, Sam Stevens, and Barbara
Csomay. Happy Birthday to all of
you!
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50
p.m. z
Minutes submitted by
Nancy Fetty, Secretary
continued from page 9
Fortunately, there was a nice little
pull-off at the end of the Dragon’s 11
mile-stretch and we pulled over to
collect our wits (and so forth).
While everyone was oohing
and ahhing over the scenery and
snapping photos of cars and each
other, we remained in my car to
catch a little nap. I had to get a few
winks because that’s how bad I
felt. I was so glad when we pulled
over and I just knew I’d be good to
go with five minutes’ sleep.
The rest of the day (and the
weekend) went off without a hitch.
Oh well, I guess we live and we learn!
Greg and Laura Stocksdale:
Trying to isolate the single best
memory from our 2012 ZDayZ
trip was much harder than we
expected it to be. We had so many
great times during the trip; trying
to pick one as the best seemed
unfair to all of the other memories.
So, in fairness, we decided to
include several.
Many thanks to everyone for
making this trip one of our best
vacations yet.
The arrival dinner at Theo
and Delia’s cabin with Nick as the
bartender and Connie (she is a
hoot) as the chef was a blast.
The Dragon and Cherohala
Skyway run that Sam and Lily led
on Thursday morning couldn’t
have gone better. A great run with
a nice lunch made for a great day.
Tony suffered from some nausea
during the Dragon portion, but
after a quick rest on an overlook he
was feeling much better.
Laura and I enjoyed our stint
at the registration desk, although I
did have a difficult time letting my
mentor (Catherine Carter) go. It was
almost like the mother bird pushing
the baby bird out of the nest.
One of the best times however,
was jointly putting together an
impromptu cookout with Sam, Lily,
Greg (a.k.a Little Greg), Catherine
and Mike for the group at our
cabin. We pitched in all the food
we had which quickly disappeared
with the surprisingly great turnout.
We have already booked the same
cabin and we plan to hold this
event again next year! z
“Creative license” seen at ZDayZ...
17
ZCAR Marketplace
The following items are for sale by Richmond Z Car Association members
18
WICKED CAS 370Z
STEALTH MAGIC BOX
Fairly new enclosure for 10”
flat sub that is totaly stealth
/
hidden / incognito ...
MADE OUT OF FIBERGLASS
WITH RE-INFORCED RIBS
ON TOP PLATE FOR STRENGTH. Top plate seen is part
of the enclosure for air space. Speaker not included!
Here’s the site http://www.wickedcas.com/product.
php?productid=131 Ships for $450; asking $400 OBO
asking price: $400.00
contact: [email protected]
1987 300zx
1987 300zx 5 speed. New timing belt and rear brakes.
Good tires. Very nice paint and interior. No rust ever.
Extremely dependable. This is a very clean car with
188,000 miles. It uses no oil. Call 804-398-8396
asking price: $4,300.00
contact: [email protected]
2009-2011 NISSAN 370Z
Standard - Mini Mask
(Brand New)
Bought before I got the Clear
Bra installed and never used
it. Part# 2222815 - Protects Leading Edge of Hood - Easy
to Store When Not in Use - Easy to Install / Remove Heavy-Duty Vinyl with Soft Fleece Backing Comes with
instructions and clips. Email to [email protected]
asking price: $30.00
contact: [email protected]
2004 Front Bumper—Blue
asking price: $125.00
contact: [email protected]
Brand new stainless steel F.I. muffler
73 240z powered by Chevy 355 and th350
Great, fun, fast car needs work to be street legal
but runs like a champ. Will entertain any and all
trades of equal value of all chassis Z cars.
asking price: $4,000
contact: [email protected]
06-09 350Z
Carbon Fiber
Front Lip
Used with a few
slight scratches
and one rock chip.
Item has been cleaned and recoated.
asking price: $79.99
contact: [email protected]
2 tires - Bridgestone
Potenza RE050
245/40/ZR19
Two Bridgestone
Potenza Re050 1/2 to
2/3 life left - significant
tread life remains as
these tires came off the front of a 2010 370z (less
than a year old.) Great shape - No punctures. Price
listed per tire.
asking price: $120.00
contact: [email protected]
Brand new stainless steel F.I. muffler (one side canister). It
has a little dent but it will work good for a project car. NO
2004 Hood OEM—Blue
resonator!
asking price: $150.00
asking price: $75.00
contact: [email protected]
contact: [email protected]
List your car(s), parts and accessories for sale in future issues of the newsletter by e-mailing
[email protected] or on our web site at www.richmondzcar.com
About Us
Club History
The Z Car Association of
Richmond (ZCAR) was formed
in 1996 before the annual Z Car
convention, which was held in
Denver that year. The president
of the Z Car Club Association
(ZCCA), “Mad Mike” Tailor himself
was instrumental in the club
formation and also helped us to
achieve the honor of being the
last ZCCA Charter Member. We
currently have about 60 active
members. Our group’s by-laws are
available on our web site, www.
richmondzcar.com.
Events
ZCar is a peoples club and the
club members organize events,
both technical and social. We help
each other to get things going and
as a result we jointly have a good
time with our cars. Participation
in club events is encouraged,
and rewarded through friendly
competition in the “Mr. K Z Car
Spirit Award” championship.
Typical club events include:
n Sunday Drives
n Technical Clinics
n Car Shows
n Club Picnics
n Gimmick Rallies
n Winery Tours
n Cookouts
We try to have events for
everyone, not just the car nuts
among us. For this reason, spouses
or partners are welcomed to the
meetings and events.
Meetings
We meet on the third Monday of
every month at 7 pm at the River’s
Bend Grill, at 13283 River’s Bend
Boulevard in Chester, for a bite to
eat and social talk followed by the
club meeting. Most of the time,
the meeting is over by 8:30 and
we relocate to the parking lot for
more Z car talk.
Club Newsletter
As part of your membership,
you will receive our monthly
newsletter, ZsoundZ of Richmond,
by e-mail.
n Event T-shirts
Nissan Sport Magazine
n Portfolio
Included in
the ZCar
membership
is a subscription to the quarterly
Nissan Sport magazine. This is a
publication exclusively devoted
to Nissan/Datsun Cars.
Dues
Member
Discount Program
As a member of ZCAR you are
entitled to vendor discounts up
to 30% for parts and services on
your Z.
Club Merchandise
ZCAR offers a variety of products
for sale with the ZCar club logo:
n Club jacket
n Baseball caps in different colors
n Shirts (Polo, Golf, Denim)
The regular annual dues for
ZCAR are:
Single–$40.00/year
Family (2 members)–$45.00/year
Apply for membership using our
on-line application form, or by
downloading our Application
Form from www.richmondzcar.
com with your check payable to Z
Car Association of Richmond.
Mail to:
Z Car Association of Richmond
P.O. Box 5673
Midlothian, VA 23112
Got any Z car-related news?
We want to hear about it!
Please send submissions
to be included in the next newsletter to:
[email protected]
19
Z Car Association of Richmond
P.O. Box 5673
Midlothian, VA 23112
Top Non-Officer Club Championship Standings as of June 4, 2012
1st Place (tie)...................................20 Points........................................ Greg & Laura Stocksdale
1st Place (tie)...................................20 Points........................................ Lily Stevens
2nd Place..........................................19 Points........................................ Catherine Carter
3rd Place...........................................17 Points........................................ Michael Carter
4th Place...........................................15 Points........................................ Mark and Lorraine Meade
5th Place (tie) .................................13 Points........................................ Nick Sletnar
5th Place (tie)..................................13 Points........................................ Willie Wilson
6th Place (tie)..................................12 Points........................................ Jay Beard
6th Place (tie)..................................12 Points........................................ Delia/Theo Hartmann
6th Place (tie)..................................12 Points........................................ Andre Hebert
7th Place ..........................................11 Points........................................ Jose Cardona
8th Place (tie)..................................9 Points.......................................... Chuck Fetty
8th Place (tie)..................................9 Points.......................................... Tom Hartmann
9th Place ..........................................8 Points.......................................... Gaile and John Cormier
10th Place .......................................6 Points.......................................... Tony Chase
Detailed and up-to-date standings for all members are at:
www.richmondzcar.com/championship.php