Info? The #55 red, white, & blue 280Z race car

[Vintage Racer]

This car was at the SVRA 12 Hour Sebring event.

I didn't meet the owner. Is he here? Is anyone familiar with the car?

I noticed the HSR and NASA stickers on the car.

[bigoak]

Listed as follows from the SVRA website:

Mahanor, Larry

1977 Nissan 280Z

Sunrise, FL

Not sure if a member.

[preith]

I rememberd seeing it pictured on Dave's (arizonazcar) website, revisted it:

The owner is listed as Larry Mahanor as well. I believe he's been running that car for a number of years now and I don't think he's a member here.

[bigoak]

A little search revealed he's the Competition Racing Director for NASA - Florida region. You can contact him here:

lmahanor@drivenasa.com

There is no privacy in an internet age...

[MikeW]

There is no privacy in an internet age...

I was actually trying to look up what appears to be

Jack A Atwell

Accounting Services, CPA/??

Miami Lakes

I don't know if that's a current sponsor or if it's a vintage thing.

[Vintage Racer]

A little search revealed he's the Competition Racing Director for NASA - Florida region.

There is no privacy in an internet age...

That is interesting. One of the few rules in vintage is that a car must be retired from current racing groups. I don't write the rules nor will I enforce them.

I am surprised that the tech guys at SVRA didn't at least make him remove his NASA stickers before going out in the vintage group at Sebring.

I was also confused about the Nissan markings on the car. This is not period correct for a 1977 Datsun 280Z.

Listed as follows from the SVRA website;

Did you notice the two 1970 240Z's listed as raced by Terry Taylor of Sebring? And the 1971 Datsun 240Z raced by Guy Marvin of Jacksonville?

http://www.svra.com/SVRA/SVRAHome.nsf/attachmentweb/EJEN-7MR23T/$file/Entry+List+-+By+Name.pdf?OpenElement

[HS30-H]

I was also confused about the Nissan markings on the car. This is not period correct for a 1977 Datsun 280Z.

It's been 'period correct' since about 1934.

Nissan built it, after all.

[Vintage Racer]

It's been 'period correct' since about 1934.

Nissan built it, after all.

IMO, "period correct" means as it was raced. No one that I know of raced a 1970 Nissan 240Z or a 1977 Nissan 280Z. My 1981 car was a Datsun 280ZX, and the later cars were 1984 Nissan 300ZXs. There was never a Honda NSX.

It doesn't amount to a pile of beans :classic: ; it's just history. I always liked the Datsun name. It was a combination of the DAT Motors name and the "sun" on the national flag.

I also prefer Jaguar to Tata.

[sblake01]

Alan, should I tell him or will you?

[HS30-H]

Alan, should I tell him or will you?

Beat my guest

[sblake01]

You know, after thinking about it, I'll pass. Mr. Jagger seems to be quite happy within his own logic. I came to that conclusion based on another exchange we had in another thread. That's fine. I wouldn't want to be the one to deprive him of that bliss:)

[zbane]

...No one that I know of raced a 1970 Nissan 240Z or a 1977 Nissan 280Z.

...in the North American market. The rest of the world, however, is a different matter...

My 1981 car was a Datsun 280ZX, and the later cars were 1984 Nissan 300ZXs.

My '79 is labeled as such on the rear hatch: Datsun 280zx by Nissan

Transition time.

There was never a Honda NSX....

sold by that name in the North American market. Acura was/is the "luxury" brand from Honda meant for the North American market (yes, it has expanded to other markets as well) and needed a luxury/high performance model for the Acura lineup.

However, in all markets outside the NA one, the NSX was indeed labeled and marketed as a Honda, not Acura.

Not picking on you, just a friendly reminder that we are talking about a car sold in many markets, under two different names.

Edited April 21, 2009 by zbane