Enthusiast Essentials: what we’ve been checking out this month

3 October, 2016

With the diverse range of vehicles covered by our motoring titles, New Zealand Classic Car, NZV8, and NZ Performance Car, it’s clear that the car enthusiast demographic is incredibly varied. So how do you curate a shopping basket to cater for a car person, whether they’re into imports, V8s, or classics? Our editors have discovered a heap of products this month, and there’s sure to be something that every car enthusiast will want to add to their collection.

Braking power

These Project Mu two-piece SCR-Pro rotors have all the features you will find in a race option, packaged to fit onto standard cars. Perfect for all the weekend warriors, the cast-iron design has high levels of carbon and alloy, incorporating eight straight slots and an advanced core-vane design to improve heat dissipation — the included anodized, billet-alloy disc hats also make them lighter than OEM rotors.

To get your hands on the SCR-Pro rotors contact the North Shore Toyota team on 09 444 8825, or visit facebook.com/NSToyotaParts.

Glass galore

Whether you’ve got a street machine, a classic cruiser or a dedicated track car, Sandbrooks has just the windscreen you need. Standard windscreens can be sourced for most car makes and models, and they also offer a range of Rennenglas road-legal heated laminated glass windscreens — remove your heavy heater and install a heated windscreen to reduce on-track weight.

Prices vary depending on application and requirements, so contact the team on 09 278 9816, email [email protected] for more information, or visit sandbrooks.co.nz.

Drop in stock

Drop spindles are the best way to lower your car’s front end without adversely affecting suspension geometry — great for improving both stance and handling. Rods by Reid now has stock of its high-quality LVVTA-approved two-inch drop spindles to suit Holden front ends and its own LVVTA type-approved front suspension systems.

A pair goes for $975 (excl. GST), but get in quick — these drop spindles are very popular! Give the team a call on 07 552 5977, or visit online at rodsbyreid.co.nz or facebook.com/rodsbyreid.

The sound of power

If you’re after a quality muffler or resonator for your build, it’s hard to look past the range of AdrenalinR items manufactured right here in New Zealand. They’re made in-house from T304-grade stainless steel, so quality is assured, and they include patented spiral louvre baffles which disrupt and disperse sound waves, resulting in a lower decibel reading while increasing gas flow through the spiral scavenging effect. The louvre baffles have a 4.5-inch body diameter, and can be made to a range of inlet sizes — from two-inch to 3.5-inch. Need to know more? For more information visit adrenalinr.com or call 06 870 3526.

Charge to go

No garage is complete without a jump starter, so make yours a Jumpspower AMG15. Suitable for jump-starting up to 12-cylinder petrol or diesel engines under seven litres, the AMG15 also doubles as a portable power bank for smaller electrical devices. Its rugged case is resistant to both water and dust ingress, making it a perfect all-rounder suitable even for marine and heavy-duty workshop applications.

It’s priced at $259, and you can find more information by visiting jumpspower.co.nz.

Cool coolers

Start pinching the pennies, offer to vacuum for the rest of the year, or just beg the other half, because you’ve got to get yourself a Beerbowser. Beerbowser fridges are hand-crafted in New Zealand to replicate old-school petrol bowsers from the ’50s and ’60s, and they don’t just look the part — built around a Haier fridge, they’re brand new and come with a 12-month warranty. Priced from $2499 (incl. GST) and with a range of options available, visit beerbowser.co.nz or phone 09 971 8191 to complete your man cave!

Heritage Collection

The legend of the XKSS lives on through the Jaguar Heritage Collection — a celebration of this truly iconic vehicle. Inspired by the car’s rebellious personality and the personalities who’ve loved it, this exclusive range of luxury accessories and collectables is injected with the classic, understated style of the era. View the collection online at jaguar.co.nz/collection, or enquire with your nearest Jaguar retailer.

Racing Mazdas

12 June, 2026

Both Rod Millen and Ron Kendall were rotary racing kings, emanating from the North Shore of Auckland, where I grew up. And the ultimate rotary techno guru was Bill Shiells, who developed the engine into a rocket ship while working out of Gulf Mazda in Takapuna from 1969, and later in his own business, Rotorsport. He began to extract some phenomenal horsepower from the enigmatic rotary engine. Bill was one of the first to race the Mazda RX-2 Coupe in 1971 and achieved immediate success, causing others to sit up and take notice, particularly the North Shore’s racing elite. They included Robbie Francevic, Rod Millen, Ron Kendall, John Woolf, John Le Feuvre, and Rex Findlay.

Range Rover CSK — the original SUV

5 June, 2026

The Range Rover, thanks to Charles Spencer King, went into production in 1970 boasting an iconic shape that would last until 1996. The vehicle that would create the SUV moniker came about because Rover decided it was time to add a bigger four-wheel-drive vehicle, one with a 100-inch wheelbase, to the model range. Land Rover made a 109-inch wheelbase model but the standard vehicle had a 88-inch wheelbase.
The new model would be more suitable for road use than the existing Land Rover, which was considered to be predominantly for rural use. To make sure it could cope on any road it came standard with the Rover 3.5-litre V8 engine. The body design was originally sketched by King and went into production with only a few minor touch-ups by the Rover styling team.
According to King, “The idea was to combine the comfort and on-road ability of a Rover saloon with the off-road ability of a Land Rover. Nobody was doing it.”