040 | Built to Race: Jeffrey Willerth's Datsun 240Z & 260Z Journey | Z Club of America

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

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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