Enthusiast Essentials: what we’re drooling over this month

24 August, 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.

Earl knows

Quality fittings can make or break the performance of any motorsport–oriented vehicle. Earl’s has the most complete line on the market, and is renowned as the world’s number-one motorsport hose and fittings source — if you want it done right, you buy Earl’s. Segedins Auto Spares now carries a large range of Earl’s fittings and hoses to suit all your performance and motorsport demands.

For further information, contact the team at Segedins Auto Spares on 09 638 6439, or head to holley.com/brands/earls/.

The ICE advantage

The thing about power is that you can never have too much, and a capable ignition system is one of the most important ways of getting there. Upgrade your system with an ICE 7051 Extreme Duty 6AL — a direct replacement for the MSD 6425 box — featuring an adjustable rev limiter, from 1000–10,900rpm, in 100rpm increments, via push-button switches. ICE’s unique digital inductive spark (DIS) technology also delivers a more powerful spark with longer duration across the rev range, when compared with conventional CDI ignition systems.

The ICE 7051 Extreme Duty 6AL is available for $450 (incl. GST) from myautomotive.co.nz.

Big red

Spruce up the man cave with a Teng Tools tool box. This particular model features six drawers on ball-bearing slides, with a lockable front cover and built-in combination lock — that’s right, no more worrying about losing the key! The drawers are load-rated at 20kg, with ample room to fit the bulk of your most used hand tools. And, if you’re the type who favours organization, each drawer has been designed to fit four Teng Tools TC trays (sold separately), giving each and every tool its own place — never lose that 9/16-inch socket again!

Grab one for $490.37 (incl. GST) from myautomotive.co.nz, and enjoy free shipping anywhere in mainland New Zealand.

Vintage style

Now these would look cool in your garage! Road-Relics stocks a range of reproduction parts for Australasian petrol pumps, with clock faces, decals, pump parts, visibowls, nozzles, and more, all to cover early electric and manual pumps.

Large decals have an RRP of $30, globes have an RRP of $395, and there’s a special RRP of $35 for an oil-bottle spout, cap, and decal of choice. All prices include GST. Call 027 9377 177, email [email protected], or visit road-relics.co.nz for more information.

Low loader

If your show car or race car sits at the right height, you’re probably no stranger to trailer-loading hassles. Futura Trailers has just the solution, with its new aluminium Low Loader. Lower it to the ground with just one press of a button, simply push or drive your car onto the deck, raise the trailer, tie the load down, and you’re off.

The trailers are built in Auckland from lightweight high-strength precision-machined 6005 aluminium, and simple lifting technology allows for safe and easy loading. Pricing starts at $7800 for the single axle or $10,900 for the tandem.

For more information or to order, email [email protected], phone 021 918 800, or visit futuratrailers.com.

Bagged out

Fortune Auto is a name that needs no introduction in these pages, and its all-new Air Cup Lift System is pioneering the way into a new form of air suspension. Offering the convenience of a conventional airbag system without the loss in performance, the Air Cup simply slips on the shaft of Fortune Auto coilover assemblies and extends it to lift a lowered vehicle 25mm to 50mm.

The Air Piston Lift System add-on kit for Fortune Auto coilovers starts at $2350, excluding the coilovers. Check out fortune-auto-newzealand.com for further information.

Get a grip

Not all clutches are created equal, and, unlike some off-the-shelf options, the Mantic Stage Clutch System is designed, engineered, and manufactured with one thing in mind: performance. The five stages of the range suit everything from street-performance to track weapons, and feature upgraded cover assemblies, multiple clutch-plate options, and patented ER2 Technology. With 200 vehicle applications in the range, there’ll be a clutch system to suit your build.

Visit clutchindustries.com.au, or call the team on 09 636 5428 for further information.

Escort services – 1968 Escort 1100 Restomod

The Escort started off as a 1968 1100 cc two-door sold-new in Britain. At some point it was retired from daily duty and set aside as a pet project for someone. When that project began is unclear, but much of the work was completed in 2014 including a complete rotisserie restoration.
By the end of 2014, it was finished but not completed. Its Wellingtonian owner bought it sight unseen from the UK and it landed here in early 2020. It was soon dispatched to Macbilt in Grenada North, Wellington for them to work their magic.
Macbilt had two instructions: to get the car through compliance for use on the road; and to improve the vehicle and finish the project so it drove as well as it looked. Looking at the car now, it has an amazing presence and stance. It can’t help but attract attention and a bevy of admirers.

Lunch with … Cary Taylor

Many years ago — in June 1995 to be more precise — I was being wowed with yet another terrific tale from Geoff Manning who had worked spanners on all types of racing cars. We were chatting at Bruce McLaren Intermediate school on the 25th anniversary of the death of the extraordinary Kiwi for whom the school was named. Geoff, who had been part of Ford’s Le Mans programme in the ’60s, and also Graham Hill’s chief mechanic — clearly realising that he had me in the palm of his hand — offered a piece of advice that I’ve never forgotten: “If you want the really good stories, talk to the mechanics.”
Without doubt the top mechanics, those involved in the highest echelons of motor racing, have stories galore — after all, they had relationships with their drivers so intimate that, to quote Geoff all those years ago, “Mechanics know what really happened.”