In Kissimmee, a stone's throw South of Orlando.
It's not pronounced like an Italian saying "give me a kiss"--
those natives I have heard, say it "Kis-SIM'-muh."

Don't know if we can be helpful at this late date, but
we have a timeshare there (Cypress Palms) which we
can't use, since we can't fly due to Kathy's stroke.

FWIW, ~Rick~

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All Z Best,.......Kathy & Rick

1969 Z.CAR (#00013 10/69) 8/30/76
1969 ITSA.Z (#00171 11/69) 8/24/73
1970 OLD.Z (#06289 6/70) original owner
1971 510 2dr since 12/31/75
1969 1600 rdstr (our 160-Z)
1971 (#19851 1/71) sold
1975 75.Z (#01343 1/75)

Folks, we have discovered the paradise. It's name is Saint Augustine and it's breathtaking. Dream beaches, wonderful properties directly at the beach, small islands, dreamlike lagoons and again: so much free space. Who lives here, obviously made it!
Tomorrow it goes to the gulf. This is a trip back in the past of my Z. In Gainesville I meet the previous owner, in Ocala we want to visit the Nissan trader who has handed the car to the first owner, 40 years ago. And in St. Petersburg, in the gulf, other highlights are expecting us. We keep you up to date. It must be a blessing to live in such a nice country.
BTW: I will try to get a trial run in the new Dodge Challenger - great car, love the muscles. I don't see them so often, so please bear with me..

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Mein Gott! What a wonderful way to spend your teenage birthday!

I really enjoy "traveling" with you through these pictures. Thank you for the Marine Corps picture ~ it is my favorite one.

Your observations make us appreciate the USA more than we normally do. Too often we spend our days locked in traffic, yelling at slow cars and pounding on the horn, instead of looking around and enjoying the beauty we live in.

There are beautiful sights in Germany, too, which delight Americans when they visit there. But the scenes you show us here have real beauty too.

Those houses along the beach are summer homes, owned by private families. Sometime a family might rent them or let friends stay there for a few weeks. Hurricanes usually destroy them, and the insurance rebuilds them, so most of the Beach Houses you see along the Florida coast will be quite new.

I once had the chance to buy beachfront property in NC for $3 an acre! Some banks there were giving away 1/2 acre on the beach if you opened a savings account with them! Today you can't buy any of the NC Silver Strand ~ every foot is owned by someone, and the cost is tremendous.

That alligator reminds me of my 6th grade math teacher.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOUISA!!!!

FROELICH GEBURTSTAG!

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1970 240Z

Jacksonville - Gainesville - Ocala - St. Petersburg. How often had my Z crossed these streets since December 1970. An important day - I've learned a lot about the past of the car. In Gainesville, in my Z's former home, we've met Dale, the previous owner. A very nice guy. He told me how he sat behind the front seats in the trunk as a ten year old boy looking through the rear window up to the sky while his father was driving to guess right where they were actually driving. How funny is that! I've got pics of my Z as it stood at the beach north of Daytona - twenty years ago. I was surprised to hear and see how the engine was removed and rebuilt. The family cared for the car for more than 38 years and it was difficult to part with it. But Dale knows now better than before that someone makes sure that this unique Z will survive for many more years. We left Gainesville with a good feeling.
Tomorrow we are going to meet Carl Beck and on Sunday Jim in his remarkable garage. What a final!

What you see below is the glorious view from the backside of our hotel. May be we stay here and don't return.

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Things happen here in the US I will never forget: sitting on the passenger seat and have a ride in the famous Baja Z that Peter Brock was driving at the 1973 Baja 500. This unbelievable sound, this unbelievable performance. World class!

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

Well, it looks like Thor found Carl's garage!

It's wonderful that we have members there in Florida. This is what a Club is all about. Thor, our member from Germany, visits Carl Beck, one of our members in Florida.

They actually spent a lot of time together in Nashville at the Nationals, so they're already friends.

Tomorrow Carl will take Thor and Gabi to our member (and PreZident of the Sun Coast Z Club) Jim Frederick to see Jim's astonishing Z Mecca!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN-Z6Zt8F1U

Jim has 20 very early 1969 & 1970 240Zs, including #16. That car was long thought to be the earliest survivor of the original boatload of Zs sold to America (until #13 was rediscovered), and is considered the first 240Z actually sold here. Among Jim's collection is Paul Newman's personal 240Z, which Bob Sharp made sure he had running right.

On this single trip, Thor will have seen 1969 240Zs #13, #16, Carl's Baja rallye car, and driven my #02807. I know he will return to Germany with a greater appreciation for his own 1970 car! And he has met a Club full of his American Z brothers and sisters.

What a wonderful trip this is for him.

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1970 240Z

Our 40th anniversary Datsun Trip across the miraculous East Coast is almost finished. Time for a resume:
driving a Z on US streets (fabulous, Thanks Frank! That was so great!)
facing a couple of the eldest: lucky#13 (Hey Rick, this challenges you for nobody!)
#16, #19, #42, #48, #52 plus 7 vintage Zedds (I felt shortly before the cardiac infarction, thanks Jim for your time)
Sitting next to Carl in his Baja Z driving along a Florida Interstate (Upsetting Carl, thanks a lot, was a wonderful time)
The Nashville Convention (hot weather, hot cars, Mr. Matsuo and live from Japan: Mr. K (to be closer in is not possible)
Meeting all you GuyZ - this was the biggest! Z owners, whether old whether anew, are a first-class community, a great family. I am glad that I can belong to it.
My own Z? Now I know what I have there!

Zee you guys!

BWT: pic shows a chapter of a japanese manual (Nissan Fairlady Z) - the people feel well on it - I thinks that's why we love our Zedds!

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T. Link
Germany
1971 240z (HLS30-16506)

i am very jealous! looks like you guys are having a blast!


Soon it will be our turn and we will have a great time over in Germany.

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Mike Tubiak
1978 Datsun 280Z - HLS30-438694

Well, today (Wed) was Thor's fly-away day. He called me ystrdy but I somehow missed the call. He left a message saying they have said goodbye to Carl Beck and Jim Frederick and were headed to Orlando. There they would surrender their rental van and sleep overnight at the airport inn, ready for their flight to Germany today. Thor said he would try to call me before boarding the airplane if there was time, but I got no call.

I imagine them now, sleeping over the Atlantic ocean, dreaming dreams of Z cars and happy Club members here in America. I hope we zee them all again someday soon.

I think TheZMan is planning us a Club trip to Bavaria! Not sure how well we would all do as a group, without our Zs

I only hope Thor looks at his 1970 240Z with new eyes when he first opens his garage upon returning home.

He certainly has some interesting stories to tell his buddies back in the GDR!

Farewell, Family Link. We enjoyed meeting you. Thanks for the happy memories ~ please come again soon!

Frank

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1970 240Z

As usual, Frank the accomplished reporter said it best.
I can only add two things: AMEN to everything he said, and

Not to forget Carl's cars (other than the restored BRE BAJA car)
(ZMecca always seems to grab the headlines, which if you had
ever been there, would be understandable).
Carl's original-owner '72 (forgot the VIN, gotta visit ZHome again)
The restored silver #HLS30-00020
The rare 12/69 car #00587, which may be the last of the true
69's other than the isolated aberrations with much higher VINs.
(Depending on whom you listen to, there may be as few as 12
Z's (minus attrition) with build date 12/69, due to production
having been temporarily halted while the infamous crankshaft
harmonic issue was being resolved.)

All Z Best,.............................Kathy & Rick

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All Z Best,.......Kathy & Rick

1969 Z.CAR (#00013 10/69) 8/30/76
1969 ITSA.Z (#00171 11/69) 8/24/73
1970 OLD.Z (#06289 6/70) original owner
1971 510 2dr since 12/31/75
1969 1600 rdstr (our 160-Z)
1971 (#19851 1/71) sold
1975 75.Z (#01343 1/75)

Well, it's been almost a month since we've seen Thor and his family (seems like longer, doesn't it?), but he has been in contact with us.

They arrived home safely from Florida, altho mechanical problems with the aircraft delayed them for many hours. They were all exhausted when they arrived back in Germany. Thor got some sleep, then went to the place where his Z stayed while he was in the USA. I can only imagine the reunion! (Each time I'm away from my Z for awhile, the first time I zee it again makes my pulse race faster).

Thor sent me an email saying he got a visit from Mad Mike! They had met in Nashville for the ZCon and Thor told Mike where he lived. Mike was visiting Germany and stopped off to say hello! How cool is THAT? Thor's only home a week and he gets visitors from America already!

Today Thor called me and left the message that he was driving in his Z and thinking of us! You can't imagine how happy that made me feel ~ he said the weather was perfect and the Z was perfect and he was just overwhelmed and wanted to share the moment with his American Z family. I never heard my phone ring, or I could have talked with him for hours about that!

I'm trying to learn how to SKYPE so I can call him for free in Germany. The last time I called him it cost me $150 and the wife hit the overhead about that, so I'm not gonna call there too often anymore. SKYPE is free ~ that's the way to go.

So you can all picture our German Z brother zipping around in the Black Forest in his perfect 1970 240Z, drawing attention, waves, and thumbs-up from everyone who zees him.

Thor also said his car will soon be entered in a national car show and he hopes to earn another trophy. I will get more details on that as soon as possible.

It was great to hear his voice, even tho I missed the call.

ENJOY THE RIDE, Thor!

Frank

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1970 240Z