Jan2001ODO

On Saturday morning at Tynan's Nissan instruction facility when Bob Kropp spoke to hearty ZCCC members who braved the cold and wind to hear this dynamic gentleman speak. Bob originally hails from Indianapolis, but became a Colorado resident many years ago before moving to California. While teaching at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Bob saw his first Datsun Roadster. In a never ending quest for speed, he soon discovered he could change the carburetor and the car would run at 140 mph, a positive event for someone who aspires to be the land-speed record holder.

Bob's first interest began at the age of 5 and later he decided that any car that couldn't go fast didn't belong in his driveway! The Z first appealed to Bob because it would go 125 right off the showroom floor. While looking at the first 240Z in a Denver showroom, the dealer mentioned that he needed a technical advisor and the rest of Bob's Nissan affiliation is history.

Bob has worked for Nissan for 23 years, developing extensive training programs for Nissan mechanics. He comes to Colorado periodically for week-long training sessions.

He currently has seven Zs in his family, mostly of the early vintage years.

Bob showed the History Channel Video tape of the History of The Z car, followed by some video of the one year Nissan Z restoration program from several years ago. Bob's son works for Pierre Perrot whose company, Pierre'Z in the Los Angeles area, restored the 240Z series cars to better-than-new condition and offered them for sale to the public complete with warranty. The first restored Z premiered February 26, 1997.

Bob then opened the seminar up to questions from the attendees. As usual, time slipped quickly away without the opportunity for everyone to get the answers they wanted.

Many of the ZCCC attendees along with Bob and Darryl Schuck adjourned to a nearby restaurant for lunch where the wonderful experiences that Bob has had enlightened the club.

Bob has agreed to share some of his technical tips with us in an "Ask Bob" column to be published in the Odometer on a time available basis. Those seeking technical advice are asked to submit their questions to the editor either at bob@dimensional.com (a different Bob) or at zccc@yahoo.com.

We're greatly indebted to Mr. Kropp and Tynan's Nissan for setting up this seminar. Hopefully, this won't be the last opportunity to hear this knowledgeable gentleman speak about the cars he obviously loves!

The Z Car Club of Colorado is proudly sponsored by Tynan's Nissan.

At long last we have a sponsor. As of January 1, 2001, Tynan's Nissan will be our sponsor. The sponsorship agreement was discussed and approved at the November 15th board meeting.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ron Gardner for all the time and effort he has put into this project. He has proven to be a most valuable asset to our club and has become a close friend. As most of you know, Ron is retired. I, however must still work. I arrived at work November 7th at 6:30 a.m. and discovered via a phone message, that we had a confirmed sponsorship agreement. I took the liberty of informing Ron at 6:55 a.m. I must say Ron and Cynthia were most gracious!

I would like to hit on a couple of issues in the agreement between Tynan's and ZCCC. The Odometer is the biggest expense that our club deals with every month. The monthly newsletter is the glue that holds ZCCC or any other club together. The Odometer has always been a first rate monthly publication, and will now be able to continue as such. This will be due to a monthly contribution toward Odometer expenses, provided by Tynan's.

At our last general meeting, our guest speaker was Darrell Schuck, Service Manager for Tynan's Nissan and Dave Bakko, Parts Manager for Tynan's. I want you to know, both managers are very enthusiastic and dedicated to the sponsorship agreement.

While we were negotiating the sponsorship agreement, Darrel, Ron and I were concerned about how to get members to visit Tynan's Nissan. It was during our discussion the we came up with the monthly incentives. Tynan's has agreed to provide some very attractive incentives to keep us coming back. Please watch for them in upcoming issues of the Odometer.

Another very attractive portion of the Sponsorship Agreement is a 20% discount on both parts and labor. As most contract agreements tend to be rather lengthy, I have chosen not to quote all the terms of this agreement in my monthly letter. If any member wishes to review the agreement, please contact Ira Sanders or me for a copy.The web page, ZCCC.org, has been updated to reflect our status as a sponsored club. There is also a hyperlink to Tynan's Nissan's web page. Our webmaster, Walt Caron, as done an excellent job of setting this up, you might let him know what you think of the web page. Make sure you check it out.

Please remember, there is a very important formula for keeping a sponsorship package alive and well:

Sponsorship = Support

Support = Sponsorship.

According to the Sport Z Magazine, the new Z car will debut sometime in January. I read an article about "Mad" Mike's (ZCCA President) trip to Japan. All he said was "WOW". I understand that the New Z car has a significant influence from clubs around the world and I'm sure it will be a winner. We also have tentative plans for a car show at Tynan's Nissan when the New Z Car is premiered in the Denver Area.

I think 2001 is destined to be our best year yet. The membership numbers are increasing. The new Z car is coming. The treasury has stabilized. We also have several great events coming up for 2001. Don't forget about the chili cookoff - check your newsletter for details of this and other upcoming events.

Beginning January 1, 2001, Tynan's Nissan will become the official sponsor of the Z Car Club of Colorado. In addition to some financial support for our biggest expense, the Odometer, they will feature monthly specials for ZCCC members in good standing which will greatly benefit our cars and our pocketbooks.

Darrell Schuck, Service Manager, and Dave Bakko, Parts Manager of Tynan's revealed their plan for working with ZCCC. Darrell said they have assigned Jay Kettering as our personal Service Representative and Nissan Master Technician Jimmy Burnett as our dedicated service person. Jimmy has been a Nissan mechanic for 30 years and is a Z specialist. Their offers are not limited to only Z's, but include all Nissan products owned by ZCCC members.

In addition to this specialized service, Tynan's will host technical seminars in the future and make their vast array of knowledge and contacts available to the club. Plans are already in the works for a car show at their facility when the new Z arrives in Denver.

When taking advantage of the special offers, ZCCC members are asked to call Jay Kettering at a special telephone number to schedule service. Jay's number is 303.367.7240. ZCCC members who have already contacted Jay indicate he and his staff are very anxious to help us and get our problems fixed quickly and correctly.

ZCCC is very grateful to Tynan's Nissan for this offer of sponsorship. Members are reminded that a sponsorship like this isn't a one way street.

You've had a couple months' notice to practice and perfect your favorite chili recipe so there's no excuse except to get everything together for the Z Chili Cookoff to be held Saturday, January 20, 2001 at Governor's Hall Clubhouse (directions below).

There will be six categories of chili to enter and an equal number of categories to sample. The winner will be determined by popular vote. The categories are as follows:

Twin Turbo Hot Stuff

300ZX New Mexico Green

280ZX Texas Style (meat only)

280Z Vegan Style (beans only)

260Z Beans and Meat

240Z Other Style Chili of Your Choice

Entrants are asked to submit their creations in crock pots if possible. You can submit entries in any or all categories. Judging will be by attending chili lovers. All the fixin's will be provided by the club including tableware, accouterments (fancy word for the good stuff you pile on chili), liquid consumables, dessert and Rolaids.

Saturday and Sunday March 3 and 4 have been reserved for the 2001 Z Ski Trip at Ski Cooper.

Plans are to meet inside the ski lodge at 9:00 A.M. on Saturday, March 3rd. We'll then go out for a glorious day of skiing at 10:00 A.M. If you arrive late, look for us on the slope.

Those wishing to spend Saturday night at the Delaware Hotel in Leadville can make reservations by calling 800.748.2004. Please call soon for reservations as they are (at this writing) about 75% full.

We are planning to eat dinner at Quincy's Restaurant in Leadville which is approximately one block from the hotel. It is a very popular restaurant so we plan to go early in order to avoid the rush, probably before 6 p.m. Sunday is open for skiing or returning home.

Be on the road early Saturday to avoid the traffic and meet us on the slopes.

Courtesy Nissan in Richardson, TX is taking orders for the new 2003 Z which should appear this January at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.

The $1,000.00 deposit will be held by Courtesy and will be applied toward the sticker price, yet to be determined.

If you want to be among the first to receive your Z, you can take the first of the arriving cars. Cars may also be ordered with choice of transmission, leather or cloth interior and a choice of the following colors: black, white, silver, red, yellow, blue, green and beige, subject to change by Nissan

Nissan Division General Manager, Bill Kirrane, who recently returned from Tokyo, said he has fallen in love with the car, and best of all, the convertible version of the Z will be ready at the same time as the coupe. Be the first on your block to own one!

Courtesy can be reached at 800.527.1909 or you can order online at www.courtesyparts.com.

Do you know how many people it takes to make ZCCC be a successful club?

This isn't a trick question. The answer - it takes everyone! Some jobs are more work than others and some are a snap requiring only a small amount of time per month.

We just happen to have two of those jobs available right now and desperately needing someone to take over for the rest of the year (hey, that's only 10 more months!)

ZCCC needs a Sergeant-at-Arms and a Concessions Coordinator.

The Sergeant-at-Arms is the individual who will be in charge of tickets/door prize activities. This is a great way to meet new members, old members and non-members and to help the club coffers.

The Concessions person is primarily responsible for the Z Store - the club inventory of saleable items with the club logo. You're only limited by your imagination and can do as little or as much as you'd like. Help support your club!

Contributed to "The Z Car Home Page:

Written by McKeel Hagerty

Insuring classic and collector cars can be confusing for first-time buyers and veterans alike. Many questions arise as to the types of vehicles that can be covered, coverages, costs, claims, etc.

How are most collector cars insured? Less than half of the collector vehicles on the road today are insured by specialty programs. Although, collector car insurance has been available for five decades, most owners of collectibles, specialty cars and street rods are still insuring them through a standard insurance company despite the higher cost and often more restrictive policies.

Are specialty insurance program premiums less than standard insurance premiums? Yes. Standard insurance annual premiums can cost up to 500% more than those offered by a specialty program. Although standard companies provide adequate coverage for the "daily driver", they rarely offer the added benefits associated with collector car programs. One example is that a stock vehicle, valued at $10,000, can be covered by Hagerty Classic Insurance for as little as $90-95 per year.

What are the different kinds of insurance coverage? There are three types of automobile insurance offered today: Actual Cash Value (ACV), Stated Value, and Agreed Value. ACV coverage is what insures most everyday cars and pays out a depreciated "book" value in the event of a claim: the older a car is on an ACV policy, the less value it has. Some insurance companies offer Stated Value policies for collectibles. These policies are better than ACV because they allow you to "state" a value for your vehicle greater than its depreciated "book" value. But, Stated Value can still depreciate vehicles because the policies generally require the insurance company only to pay "up to" the "stated" amount. Only Agreed Value insurance policies guarantee you will get all of your money back in the event of a total loss. There is no depreciation of a car's value with an Agreed Value policy.

What kinds of vehicles are collectible? This is a difficult question to answer briefly because the market is broadening so rapidly. It's not just Ford Model A's, '57 Chevys and Packards anymore. Now, Hot Rods, muscle cars, vintage pickups, vintage racers, sports cars and even 70's cars are being collected. The old categories of "antique and classic" are still there for the purist, but today people are collecting more and different cars than they used to. Yes, even AMC Pacers are finding a niche within the hobby, especially if they have the Mojave stitched interior option!

Do specialty insurance programs have a vehicle age cutoff? While the old standard used to be 25 years and older, it is always best to inquire on a per-vehicle basis. We take a much broader view about the age of the vehicles we will insure. There are new cars that are insurable as collector cars. These tend to be exotics and sports cars, however.

Do collector car programs impose mile restrictions? Many specialty programs strictly limit owners to driving their collector vehicles to 2,500 miles per year. They may even require annual odometer readings. Our insurance offers flexible usage guidelines. This means that if a person has regular cars that are driven daily and their collector cars are used on a limited basis consistent with owning a valuable vehicle, then we do not strictly limit the mileage they may drive.

Am I limited to driving my collectible only in parades or shows? What if I want to take a Sunday cruise? Enthusiasts like to share their collector cars with the public but they also just enjoy driving them around. While some programs require that collector cars are only to be driven in activities of public interest, we also allow for and encourage the private enjoyment of collector cars.

Are there other usage limitations? Yes. Most specialty insurance programs, including Hagerty do not allow vehicles to be used for the commercial transportation of goods or passengers, for racing, or for daily transportation.

Are young drivers covered in a specialty insurance policy? It depends. Many specialty insurance companies require that all drivers be 25 or older; some even require that a person be 30 years old. While Hagerty generally will not consider an owner/applicant who s younger than 21, we are somewhat more flexible when a family of collectors has teenage drivers with clean driving records.

What is the determining factor of computing an annual premium? First and foremost, insurance is regulated on a State by State basis. So there are slight differences from State to State, but generally they are fairly consistent. Physical damage coverage, comprehensive and collision, makes up the majority of a given premium. This is calculated by the value of the car and it's age. For example: the physical damage price on a 1965 Mustang worth $10,00 is $60 with Hagerty; if the car was worth $20,000 then the physical damage rate would be $120. Liability coverages are much more complicated to explain, but fortunately for consumers they are very inexpensive, usually somewhere between $30-50. And with Hagerty, in most states, we charge liability only one time. So no matter how many cars you own, we charge that $30-50 only once. We even have a customer with 2007 cars and is charged only one liability charge.

What if I have five cars? Do I get a break on my premium? You can depending on the company. After all, you can only drive one car at a time!

How do you value a classic? While we are not in the business of appraising cars, we are in the business of insuring the "value" of cars. So we spend a great deal of time watching the market value of cars and helping people adequately insure their car for an appropriate value. With this, there are many factors that we consider when valuing a vehicle. The first consideration is whether the car is a stock original vehicle. If so, there are many resource guides and pricing books that can provide value guidelines based upon the overall condition of the vehicle. These are somewhat less useful for newly restored vehicles and even less useful for street rods; because every newly restored car is restored to a different level of perfection and every modified car is different by nature. So with both newly restored cars and modified cars we dig a little deeper into the project, the amount of money spent on it, the type of parts used, etc. Our best advice is for people restoring cars or building a street rod to keep detailed lists of the work performed and receipts for all parts and labor. This will help us when attempting to insure the car properly and the whole process will be smoother. Occasionally, appraisals help but they're not always necessary.

Isn't it easier to stay with my standard insurer? Ask yourself the following:

- Do I mind paying a significantly higher annual premium?

- Do I mind paying more than one liability charge on my collection?

- Will I get the full value of my classic back if it's totaled?

The bottom line? Classic car insurance will save you a lot of money. Interested hobbyists and collectors can now afford to own, insure, and enjoy their classics because specialty insurance programs offer lower rates and better benefits than standard insurance companies.

Hagerty Classic Insurance has been in the insurance business for five decades and in the specialty insurance field for fifteen years. As the leading specialty insurer of classic and collectible automobiles in the United States, Hagerty's goal is to provide superior service and programs to its customers. For additional consumer information on collectible car insurance, call Hagerty's at 800.922.4050 or visit www.hagerty.com.

Note: This information about classic car insurance is reprinted strictly on an informational basis for the benefit of ZCCC members and does not necessarily reflect an endorsement for Hagerty Classic Car Insurance.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ben educating motorists about driving safely around big rigs since 1994, when it launched the No-Zone* Campaign, a public awareness effort to promote safer driving near large trucks. No-Zones are the blind spots around big trucks that prevent the drivers from seeing other vehicles. Collisions with big rigs are most like to occur in these blind spots.

_ Be aware not only of the truck, but the driver, too. A good rule of thumb is, if you can't see the driver in the mirror, then he or she probably cannot see you.

_ Do not linger when passing a large truck; you may be in one of the driver's blind spots. After passing, wait until you can see the entire truck cab in your rear view mirror before moving into the truck's lane.

_ Don't cut in front of trucks. Drivers need at least 10 to 20 feet of space between the truck and the vehicle ahead to maneuver safely. And what happens if you both have to hit the brakes? At 55 miles per hour, it takes a large truck more than the length of a football field - twice the distance of a passenger car - to stop.

_ Respect the No-Zone behind a truck, which may extend as far as 150 to 200 feet. In addition, drivers of vehicles following too closely behind trucks cannot see what's ahead. If the truck brakes suddenly, the vehicle behind has no warning.

_ Give large trucks plenty of room to maneuver. For example, when making a right turn at an intersection, large trucks typically must pull to the left first.

_ Never cross behind a truck that is backing up. Hundreds of motorists and pedestrians are killed or injured each year behind trucks. Truck drivers do not have a rearview mirror and may not see you crossing behind them.

According to a 1999 study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which examined the factors involved in car-truck collisions, "Drivers of passenger vehicles, rather than truck drivers, are disproportionately responsible for crashes involving passenger vehicles and large trucks."

Common lengths of big rigs on the highway today range in length from 60 feet for an 18-wheeler, 90 feet for a "Rocky Mountain double" (a full length trailer with a half-length trailer); 105 feet for a triple trailer combination and 110 feet for a turnpike double (two full length trailers). The average passenger car is 18 feet. In a contest between a car and a truck, the truck is going to win!

*Large truck "No-Zones" include an area behind the truck which extends approximately 200 feet, a 10-20 foot zone immediately ahead of the cab; and areas on the left and right and behind the cab where the driver can't see you.