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

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On this episode of Cool Cars With Chris, we're joined by Jeffrey Willerth of the Z Club of America [https://zclubofamerica.com/] 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 [https://zclubofamerica.com/] • 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/ [https://coolcarswithchris.com/] 📺 Cool Cars With Chris YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CoolCarswithChris619 [https://www.youtube.com/@CoolCarswithChris619] 📸 Cool Cars With Chris Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cool_cars_with_chris619/ [https://www.instagram.com/cool_cars_with_chris619/] 🏁 Z Club of America https://zclubofamerica.com/ [https://zclubofamerica.com/] 📺 Courage YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheDriveNDad22 [https://www.youtube.com/@TheDriveNDad22] 📸 Courage Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thedrivendad22/ [https://www.instagram.com/thedrivendad22/] If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. Your support helps us continue bringing you conversations with enthusiasts, racers, builders, collectors, and automotive personalities from across the automotive world. 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

036 | 2026 Honda Civic Si Build: 30 PSI Boost, Mods & Cars and Coffee 805 with Joey Moreno

Back at Willow Springs Raceway, I sit down with Joey Moreno to talk about the growing Cars & Coffee 805 movement, Ventura car culture, and his aggressively modified 2026 Honda Civic Si. Joey shares how the 805 car community is building momentum through pop-up meets and local Cars & Coffee events across Ventura, Camarillo, Moorpark, Montecito, and Santa Barbara. We also talk about what it takes to organize automotive events in California, working with city permits, and why building a safe and positive car culture matters. We also break down Joey’s brand-new Civic Si build — a car that barely stayed stock for a week before getting full bolt-on modifications, PRL performance parts, Hondata tuning, and nearly 30 pounds of boost on stock internals. Joey explains the tuning process, horsepower gains, future plans for a 400HP setup, and what it’s like modifying a brand-new platform right out of the showroom. https://www.instagram.com/carsandcoffee805/ [https://www.instagram.com/carsandcoffee805/] If you’re into Honda tuning, grassroots car culture, track days, turbo builds, or the SoCal automotive scene, this episode is packed with enthusiast insight and real garage talk straight from Willow Springs. * Cars & Coffee 805 and Ventura car culture * Organizing automotive meetups in California * Building a community-focused car scene * 2026 Honda Civic Si modifications * PRL Motorsports performance upgrades * Hondata live tuning * Running 30 PSI boost on stock internals * Future 400HP Civic Si goals * California car laws and tuning culture * Willow Springs Raceway atmosphere 🎙 Follow the podcast for more car builds, track days, interviews, and automotive culture stories. This episode is brought to you by Podtastic Audio [https://forms.gle/iUYAtaQbTsQBhurx5] — helping creators launch and grow professional podcasts from recording to production and marketing. https://forms.gle/iUYAtaQbTsQBhurx5 [https://forms.gle/iUYAtaQbTsQBhurx5] Follow & Connect 🌐 Website: https://coolcarswithchris.com/ [https://coolcarswithchris.com/] 📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/cool_cars_with_chris619/ [https://www.instagram.com/cool_cars_with_chris619/] 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoolCarswithChris619 [https://www.youtube.com/@CoolCarswithChris619] Follow Cool Cars with Chris for more car builds, track days, automotive events, and conversations with enthusiasts from all over the car community. Follow Courage: https://www.instagram.com/thedrivendad22/ [https://www.instagram.com/thedrivendad22/] https://www.youtube.com/@TheDriveNDad22 [https://www.youtube.com/@TheDriveNDad22] 00:00 – Intro & Video Podcast Announcement 00:39 – Meet Joey Moreno at Willow Springs 01:12 – Cars & Coffee 805 & Ventura Car Culture 02:11 – Supporting Local Car Meets Across the 805 03:05 – Planning Future Ventura Car Events 03:52 – City Permits & Organizing Car Shows 04:29 – Safe Driving & Car Community Responsibility 04:49 – Joey’s Brand-New 2026 Honda Civic Si 05:20 – Full Bolt-On Mods & PRL Performance Parts 05:44 – Hondata Tuning & Power Gains 06:06 – Turbo Setup & 30 PSI Boost 06:44 – Limits of Stock Honda Internals 07:02 – Future 400HP Civic Si Plans 07:32 – Modifying a Brand-New Car 08:07 – Dealer Reactions & Sleeper Civic Talk 08:39 – California Car Laws & Outro On this episode of Cool Cars with Chris, Chris heads out to Willow Springs Raceway to talk with Joey Moreno about the growing Cars & Coffee 805 community, Ventura car culture, and his heavily modified 2026 Honda Civic Si. Joey breaks down his full bolt-on Civic Si build featuring PRL performance parts, Hondata tuning, upgraded turbo performance, and nearly 30 pounds of boost on stock internals. The conversation covers Honda tuning, turbo Civic builds, SoCal car meets, Ventura County automotive events, and the future of grassroots car culture in Southern California. Joey also shares his plans for a future 400 horsepower Civic Si setup while discussing the realities of California car laws, aftermarket modifications, and performance tuning. If you’re into Honda Civic Si mods, JDM culture, track days, Willow Springs Raceway, Cars & Coffee events, turbocharged Hondas, or automotive podcasts, this episode is packed with enthusiast insight and real-world tuning talk. #HondaCivicSi #HondaTuning #TurboHonda #CarsAndCoffee #CarPodcast #podcast

1. juni 20269 min

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

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