Enthusiast Essentials: next-level paint protection from Ceramic Pro

13 September, 2016

When you’re after paint protection, a wax coating is usually the common solution. Unfortunately that wax coating could end up being a false economy, as within weeks, and sometimes even days in harsher climates, the wax coating wears off, leaving you with unprotected paint without you even knowing.

Finding a long-lasting alternative is easy; Ceramic Pro is a nano-ceramic coating that doesn’t wear off, wash away, or break down over time. According to the Ceramic Pro team, it can’t even be removed with chemicals — think of it as a glass- or diamond-coat for your paint job. 

One of the best parts of waxing your car is the gloss, and watching the water bead off it. With the added protection of Ceramic Pro, you not only get an extremely high-gloss shine, the coating is extremely hydrophobic. The glass-like appearance, water-beading capabilities, and protection will last a lifetime too — if it’s properly maintained. 

Do it once, do it right comes to mind when you’re working with Ceramic Pro, as you will never have to wax your car again — simply have the protection completed and you’re good to go. If you thought Ceramic Pro was only for paint, think again. Ceramic Pro have a coating for your wheels, calipers, plastic surfaces, glass, leather, and more. 

Want to know more about Ceramic Pro? Visit ceramic-pro.co.nz or call 0800 20 20 25.

Racing Mazdas

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

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.”