Auto Channel #27

ISSUE 27 AUGUST 2020

THE VOICE OF THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

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Holden gears up for the next 10 years GENERAL MOTORS HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS 30 HOLDEN DEALER SERVICE CENTRES IN NEW ZEALAND, AND WILL CONTINUE SERVICING THE AUSTRALIAN BRAND’S VEHICLES FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT DECADE olden New Zealand’s general manager aftersales, Stephen Matthews, says that while General Motors decided in February to retire the Holden brand, ending Holden’s 65-year run as Australasia’s only home-grown major car brand, it is business as usual for the support team. “Holden has not ‘gone’,” he explains. “That’s a phrase you sometimes hear — that Holden has ‘gone’ — but of course the cars are still here and all of the dealers are fully committed to supporting them for at least

H

Holden New Zealand's Greg Sillitoe and Stephen Matthews. the next 10 years.

“Effectively, there’s no change to Holden owners or to workshops servicing those cars,” he says. “As the branding states, we are ‘still at your service’.”

Holden New Zealand is as committed as ever to

supporting the vehicles with genuine Holden and ACDelco parts.

“Our main message is that there is no change.

If anything, we can be more committed,” says Stephen.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Contents

From the Ed.

8 Backing Holden all the way

Cover / 6

New way to get gas

8

Smarter Fords

10

Five ways to preserve revenue

14

Skills still required in plastic

22

Car news

24

Oil-handling insights

28

Petronas comes to New Zealand

29

Feature car: iron block LS VK

32

Tech feature: nitro funnycar care

36

Product profiles

40

Directory listing

44

Electrical top tips

46

hile the hole in the year’s trading due to lockdown will leave a scar on many businesses, we can be thankful that, in this industry at least, the energy has returned, giving us all the best opportunity to recover.

We are seeing signs in our business that people in the trade are regaining confidence and want to stimulate trade. Certainly, on our front page, Holden New Zealand is keen to get the message across that it is even more business as usual as it sharpens its focus on parts and service. It also makes the point that the Holden Trade Club focuses on best price without fripperies, which seems to suit the mood of the moment.

Businesses are looking at different ways to stimulate trade — perhaps with some of the digital marketing tools some got familiar with during lockdown — but our story on five ways to preserve revenue emphasizes the value of concentrating on existing customers first.

There’s good news, too, from the government, which has changed depreciation rules, making it easier to acquire new gear that will help businesses invest in their future and step up their efficiency — perhaps investing in new waste-oil handling, as outlined on page 28, or other gear valued up to $5K.

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Ian Parkes, Editor

10

Auto Channel is distributed 11 times per year.

To receive your free copy or to change your address simply visit autochannel.co.nz.

3

New vehicle sales recovering slowly LATEST FIGURES FOR JUNE SHOW DEMAND FOR NEW VEHICLES STILL SHOWING COVID IMPACTS egistrations of new vehicles in June 2020 were down 17.5 per cent on the same month last year with 11,514 units going to new owners.

There is a positive number in there as it is better than 29.1% decrease for the year to date compared with 2019. New registrations for the year to date totalled 53,699 to the end of June.

Sales in May were down 32 per cent to 8313 units year on year and 90 per cent (9601 units) in April.

The Motor Industry Association’s chief executive, David Crawford described June as a “steady but weaker market compared to 2019”.

“Sales of both passenger and commercial vehicles were down, confirmation the market is tightening its belt in a recession,” he said.

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The top three sellers in June were all pickups — the Ford Ranger at 641 units, the Toyota Hilux at 595 and Holden Colorado at 482. Toyota remains the nation’s top-selling vehicle brand with 16 per cent market share (1874 vehicles, followed by Holden, 995 vehicles accounting for nine per cent whie Ford secured third with eight per cent of the market, selling 868 vehicles.

Commercial vehicle registrations were down 21 per cent at 4103 sales, while passenger vehicles including SUVs fared better at 7411 registrations, down 15.3% compared with last year.

Sales of electric vehicles were steady but modest. Just over 130 pure electric vehicles were registered in June. Fifty-four plug-in hybrids were sold while hybrids accounted for another 590 sales.

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Auto Channel is the best way to reach the wider automotive industry. The publication is direct mailed to 11,298 New Zealand businesses in the following automotive sectors: Automotive workshops, parts importers and distributors, transmission specialists, automotive recyclers, towing operators, panel beaters and painters, crash repairers, tyre dealers, suspension and underbody repairers, steering specialists, towing operators, auto-electrical repairers, newand used-car dealers, air-conditioning repairers, heavy-machinery dealers, trucking and transport

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

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The warehouse stocks 37,000 parts lines and ships 2000-2500 a day 25, who handle 2000–2500 part shipments a day. While new Holden cars are no longer part of the picture, the other and larger streams of the business — Holden and ACDelco parts and the Isuzu trucks business — remain in full swing.

He mentions that it was personally satisfying to keep the dealer support network, with all its expertise and experience, intact after the February announcement. It also makes for a clean transition, as there is no change for existing vehicle owners.

Stephen acknowledges that some dealers could change their name to reflect the replacement car brands that they are adopting for new car sales, but this will have little impact on Holden customers.

“It’s a mature network; many dealers have had an association with Holden for many years, and it’s well known, so customers will continue to take their cars there. That’s much easier than asking customers to do something different,” he says.

Step forward, ACDelco The Holden New Zealand team is already looking at how the market will change over the decade that General Motors has committed to supporting Holdens.

Owners of newer cars usually get their cars serviced at main agents or approved workshops during the warranty period, which, in Holden’s case, is an industry-standard three years or 100,000km.

While Holden encourages all owners to continue using genuine OEM parts, it also provides a more cost-effective — but still fully approved — line of parts through its ACDelco parts range.

“A set of OEM brake pads might be $139. The ACDelco parts will be $79, but the specifications and compounds will be 100 per cent compliant with OEM standards,” Stephen says.

“As cars get to six or seven years old, their third or fourth owners will consider cheaper parts, meaning the ACDelco option becomes a stronger proposition over time. The New Zealand team is already moving to strengthen this side of the business.”

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

Greg says that, in addition to Holden parts, ACDelco has a large range of service kits, filtration, fluids, light bulbs, hose clamps, and other consumable items for most makes, and the ranges continues to grow.

Holden’s premier trade club Greg says the ACDelco proposition is simple.

Following a strategic rethink when the Holden Trade Club was launched for independent workshops in 2012, it focuses on offering the best range at the best price.

Stephen says they researched what workshops really wanted from a trade club or buying scheme, and that led them to move right away from the points model.

“No gimmicks, no barbecues. How many barbecues does a workshop need, and who even gets the barbecue, anyway?” he asked.

Most telling of all, research showed 50–60 per cent of members of existing schemes did not redeem their points at all. That persuaded Holden to launch the Holden Trade Club, fully focused on offering the best price. It ensured that the customer got the benefit of club membership

with every purchase — and it worked. After the launch, the club delivered a 25 per cent increase in sales.

“We believe it was all about making the price right for members, and for us it’s about volume,” says Stephen.

So, delivering good value, a comprehensive onestop shop, and the quality you’d expect from an OEM supplier made for a satisfying deal all round.

Greg says that once workshops appreciated the pricing benefit they got with club membership, the ‘bumper-to-bumper’ comprehensive service and high fulfilment rate completed a compelling package of benefits. It assured workshops that the time they would otherwise spend shopping around would rarely be worthwhile.

He says the bumper-to-bumper mantra means what it says. ACDelco even offers ACDelco-branded oils. He explains that there’s a bewildering range of choices available, and it’s not just about getting the right SAE viscosity grade. Modern engines are built to fine tolerances that demand the right specifications. By buying ACDelco oils, they automatically meet the ‘dexos’ certification required for modern Holden engines. Although other branded oils have been awarded that standard, all ACDelco oils comply.

Holden New Zealand will also continue to offer industry training and support in the training facility at the Mangere East head office and warehouse.

Greg says training courses on both Holdens and Isuzu trucks, and non-technical courses such as customer service, are held every week. Around 800 trainees complete courses each year.

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Eziswap Gas taps into a different supply model EZISWAP FREES WORKSHOPS FROM THE TYRANNY OF GAS-CYLINDER RENTAL he country’s only Kiwi-owned nationwide industrial gas supplier also offers workshops an alternative to ongoing gas-cylinder rental charges.

Eziswap Gas borrows from the barbecue gasbottle swap model for low-volume industrial gas users but it offers an even better deal for higher volume gas users. Eziswap’s Tristan Marris says both arrangements mean that workshop owners can forget about paying rental fees every month for cylinders sitting in their workshops, whether they are using them or not.

“Kiwis hate that,” he says. “It’s a hidden cost that over time adds up to a substantial sum — and you keep paying. It’s like death by a thousand cuts.”

Low-volume users, such as the home workshop market they also supply, buy their initial cylinder for a project and swap it for a refill as necessary. They can also sell the cylinder when the project is done or they no longer need it, and get that money back.

“The cylinders hold their price,” says Tristan.

For higher volume commercial users there’s an even better deal. Eziswap will supply the cylinders as well, meaning that the customer is effectively just paying for the gas when they swap their cylinder for a full one. Customers just need a decent level of usage to make this arrangement worthwhile.

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Delivery is available in selected areas.

Eziswap Gas offers the usual range of industrial gases in B-, D-, F-, and G-cylinders. Retail pricing

starts at $253 for a B-cylinder of argon (refill $70), both plus GST. Shieldmix, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, MAPmix, oxygen, acetylene, and helium are also available for industrial and hospitality use, and more.

Commercial users and higher users of gas should contact Eziswap Gas directly to confirm pricing.

The company started in 2009 and now has 57 swap centres around the country. For more information, see eziswapgas.co.nz or email sales@eziswapgas.co.nz.

Schaeffler REPXPERT

Ezyswap Gas’s Tristan Marris

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INSTALL A RYCO CABIN AIR FILTER. Ryco Customer Service: 0800 838 222

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

www.ryco.co.nz

Hardy handheld spotlight HIGH POWER, DURABLE, WITH CORDED OR BATTERY POWER, THE NEW COLT 1000 SPOTLIGHT OFFERS POWERFUL AND RELIABLE HANDHELD LIGHTING arva’s hardy new Colt 1000 LED handheld spotlight is the successor to Narva’s popular Colt 100 handheld halogen spotlight.

“Thanks to LED technology, the new Colt 1000 is a more robust and reliable night-time light for professional and recreational users, and will perform in a variety of outdoor conditions,” says Tim Paterson, national sales manager for Griffiths Equipment, which distributes Narva lighting products in New Zealand.

The rechargeable variant (part No. 71000) provides a beam pattern range of up to 244m at 1 lux and 2500 lumens while the corded Colt (part No. 71001) bumps this up to a beam pattern range of up to 285m at 1 lux and 4000 lumens. The corded Colt comes with a 12/24V accessory plug.

The light output for both models comes courtesy of its six high-powered 3W LEDs, which deliver 5700K of crisp white light.

The lights feature heavy-duty casings that make them fully sealed and waterproof to IP66 standards, and they have foldaway hooks.

The rechargeable spotlight features a 7.4V lithium battery that delivers up to 2.5 hours of constant usage time, while recharging from flat takes only 1.5 hours using the 240V charger included. For users who plan to stay off the grid for longer periods, additional spare batteries (part

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

no. 71007) are available at extra cost and are easily interchanged.

Narva’s new high-powered Colt 1000 LED handheld spotlight is available from leading automotive outlets throughout New Zealand.

www.jbweld.com www.jbweld.com

FordPass connects to the future NEW RANGERS, TRANSITS, AND EVERESTS ARE FORD’S FIRST CONNECTED VEHICLES IN NEW ZEALAND ew Zealand customers can now get into new vehicles connected with FordPass Connect as the first connected Ford Rangers, Transits, and Everests arrive in dealerships across the country.

The vehicles have an embedded modem that pairs with the FordPass smartphone app, unlocking a range of new connected services. The first ‘connected car’ services include remote lock/ unlock, remote start (auto only), vehicle status and remote vehicle monitoring, live traffic updates, vehicle locator, and vehicle health alerts.

Ford says the FordPass smartphone app simplifies the ownership experience by offering smartphone access to vehicle information, including

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warranty details and owner manual, roadside assistance contact numbers, and online service booking at participating dealers.

Ford New Zealand’s communications manager, Tom Clancy, says the technology has the potential to offer untold benefits to commercial users in the future. He says Ford has not gone into commercial products in depth yet. That development will partly be driven by user demand as operators get familiar with the technology and see the potential.

The FordPass app is now available for download free of charge for Apple and Android devices. All new model year Ford releases will arrive fitted with FordPass Connect. Ford New Zealand aims to have

Hybrid transit arrives ARRIVING IN SHOWROOMS IN OCTOBER IS THE TRANSIT CUSTOM PLUG-IN HYBRID VAN ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR. IT DELIVERS A 56KM ZERO-EMISSION DRIVING RANGE AND MORE THAN 500KM TOTAL RANGE USING 1.0‑LITRE ECOBOOST PETROL ENGINE RANGE EXTENDER. nyone who has used an electric car or hybrid understands the cost savings on offer so this technology makes especially good sense in commercial vehicles, and its being a hybrid puts paid to range worries.

The van features a 13.6kWh battery that can be charged with mains electricity for zero-emission driving and comes with an eight-year/160,000km warranty. The van offers a 1130kg net payload and unchanged 6.0m³ load volume as the compact battery pack lives beneath the floor.

The Epower Pack also enables operation or charging of high-power electrical equipment from the battery.

Ford is also offering a Transit Tourneo Titanium Plug-In Hybrid eight-seat people mover featuring a quiet and spacious rear compartment with leatheraccented seats.

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

The 92.9 kW electric motor drives the front wheels exclusively. Ford’s multi-award-winning 1.0‑litre EcoBoost petrol engine takes the range to 500 kilometres consuming just a quoted 2.7l/100km.

Operators can choose four modes to suit different conditions: • EV Auto optimizes performance and efficiency by monitoring battery energy levels and the current driving scenario, such as motorway or stop-start driving, before adding in the engine • EV Now deactivates the engine until battery levels reach a minimum state of charge • EV Later prioritizes the range extender engine and leverages regenerative charging • EV Charge utilizes the range extender to power the vehicle and to top up the battery Drivers can also choose the degree of energy

full line-up coverage early next year.

In addition to FordPass Connect, new Ford models get SYNC 3, enabling Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice-activated satnav, and autonomous emergency braking.

Key features of FordPass and FordPass Connect include: • Vehicle status and remote vehicle monitoring: Through the FordPass app’s vehicle status feature, owners can check fuel level, tyre pressures — where digital read-out tyre pressure monitoring system is fitted — and mileage through their smartphones.

• Remote start and stop: Drivers can start their vehicles’ engines from home, the office, or elsewhere via smartphone, to start heating or cooling or windscreen defogging to the last known setting. This helps ensure a comfortable interior on hot or cold days. It also means that if someone is out of the vehicle briefly and decides to stay away longer, they can shut the engine off.

• Remote lock and unlock: Drivers can lock and unlock their vehicles remotely, or they can let passengers in whether they are there or not.

• Live traffic updates: The live traffic update provides accurate, convenient navigation in congested areas before heading off.

• Vehicle locator: Courtesy of a map and location tracker in the FordPass app, drivers can find their way back to their vehicles in large parking areas.

• Vehicle health alerts: The FordPass app sends vehicle health alerts to smart devices. These alerts include anticipating service needs, drawing attention to low washer fluid, and more. They are designed to identify specific issues and describe corrective action.

For more information on FordPass Connect see ford.co.nz/fordpass, or download the FordPass app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

recovery and braking assistance afforded by the regenerative charging system.

Inside the cabin, a power/charge gauge replaces the standard rev counter, helping drivers maximize the electric driving range.

A smaller gauge for battery state of charge and distance-to-empty for both the battery and the range extender is visible on all screen displays.

PEACE OF MIND

WITH FORD GENUINE PARTS Territory PART

MODEL

PART NUMBER

Spark Plug

2011 onwards

AGSP22Z13

Oil Filter

2011 onwards

AFL101

Air Filter

2011 onwards

AFA101

Fuel Filter

2011 onwards

BG9155B

Cabin Filter

2004 onwards

BG19N619A

Brake Pads, Front

2004 onwards

BR2Z2V001A

Brake Pads, Rear

2004 onwards

BR2Z2V200B

Brake Disc, Front

2004 onwards

5R2Z1125A

Brake Disc, Rear

2004 onwards

3R7Z2C026A

Suspension Bushes

2004 onwards

BAF4B424A

PART

MODEL

PART NUMBER

Spark Plug

2008 onwards

AGSP22Z13

Oil Filter

2008 onwards

AFL101

Air Filter

2008 onwards

AFA101

Fuel Filter

2008 onwards

BG9155B

Cabin Filter

2002-2014

BG19N619A

Brake Pads, Front

2002 onwards

BR2Z2V001A

Brake Pads, Rear

2002 onwards

BR2Z2V200B

Brake Disc, Front

2002 onwards

5R2Z1125A

Brake Disc, Rear

2002 onwards

3R7Z2C026A

Hub & Bearing, Front axle

2008 onwards

J2MZ1104B

2002 onwards

BAF4B424A

TRADE PRICE1

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

15 18 49 28 43 73 78 95 95 58

22 pts 27 pts 73 pts 42 pts 64 pts 109 pts 117 pts 142 pts 142 pts 87 pts

TRADE PRICE1

GETGENUINE POINTS2

Falcon

Suspension Bushes

Prices are recommended only and are net after discount and exclude GST. Recommended prices were correct at the time of printing.2 GetGenuine reward points are awarded only to trade customers registered under the GetGenuine GetRewards Programme. Some exclusions apply. Images 1shown are example parts only. For full warranty terms and conditions ask your authorised Ford Dealer. Promotion ends 31 August 2020.

GETGENUINE POINTS2

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

15 18 49 28 43 73 78 95 95 227 58

22 pts 27 pts 73 pts 42 pts 64 pts 109 pts 117 pts 142 pts 142 pts 340 pts 87 pts

Hitting the sweet spot in European aftermarket SCHAEFFLER OFFERS SCALE, SCOPE, AND INNOVATION IN THE EURO AFTERMARKET he goal of any workshop tasked with repairing European cars is to preserve the value inherent in these car brands, while offering quality repairs at competitive prices.

A massive specialist industry is answering the call. The Schaeffler Group is a leading global supplier to the automotive sectors in both the OEM and aftermarket areas, and its product range is available in New Zealand through All Euro Parts.

Schaeffler supplies high-precision components and systems for engines, ancillary systems, transmissions, and chassis, as well as manufacturing rolling and plain bearings for industrial applications.

It is one of the biggest names in the business.

The technology company has around 89,000 employees in 170 locations in over 50 countries, creating a worldwide network of manufacturing, R&D facilities, and sales companies.

Schaeffler is one of the largest OE parts manufacturers for chain-drive systems. The Schaeffler INA aftermarket brand offers belt and chain-drive timing systems, external belt-driven equipment in its FEAD (front-end auxiliary drive) range, and valve train and cooling-system solutions. Its INA Timing Chain Kits include the timing chain, timing-chain sprockets, hydraulic and mechanical chain tensioners, tensioning rails and guide rails, as well as gaskets and mounting

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parts. Schaeffler also offers INA Timing Belt Kits.

The INA FEAD Kits comprise V-belt, tension and deflection pulleys, all necessary accessory parts, and a belt-position diagram to assist with easy fitment.

The INA valve train portfolio includes camshafts, bucket tappets, hydraulic camshaft timers, and control valves.

Schaeffler also offers mechanical, switchable, and electric water pumps. The INA Thermal Management Module (TMM), invented by Schaeffler,

uses sensor-controlled rotary vanes to adjust the temperature balances in power trains.

Schaeffler is a development partner to all major automotive manufacturers in the transmission field. Its LUK portfolio offers repair solutions for continuously variable, double-clutch, automatic, and manual gearboxes. Meanwhile, Schaeffler’s FAG brand offers high-quality components for suspension, steering, damping, and bearings.

Schaeffler also offers free technical support for mechanics via its portal.

Visit repxpert.com.au to get the new Repxpert app, or download from the App Store or Google Play.

Schaeffler products are available from All Euro Parts.

Call 0800 255 387 or see alleuroparts.co.nz.

Visit schaeffler.com.au/aftermarket for more information.

Schaeffler REPXPERT

Rely on Schaeffler’s INA engine expertise for OE quality spare parts and repair solutions for the timing drive, front end auxiliary drive, valve train and cooling system. schaeffler.com.au/aftermarket Technical info: repxpert.com.au

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

Sice contactless wheel aligner catches the eye SICE’S NEW CONTACTLESS WHEEL ALIGNER DRIVES UP CUSTOMER SERVICE magine doing an instant wheel-alignment check on every car that drives into your workshop without attaching targets, or having to sell the service first.

That almost spooky level of added value and business generation is now a reality.

Sice’s new A100 contactless, clampless wheelalignment pre-check system does this and more. It checks both front and rear axles within 30 seconds.

Controlled via a wireless smart tablet, the A100 gives an easy-to-read printout, or report via an app, to advise customers of the state of their alignment, measured against databank tolerances.

The system can sit just inside the workshop doorway so it can be applied to every vehicle. The operator simply has to take the control tablet into the car, which has a handle so that it can be hooked over the steering wheel, to drive the check. He or she simply has to drive the front and rear axles onto the plates between the system’s protective floormounted bull bars and the scanners do the rest.

The A100 even has add-ons such as a tread-depth scanner, built into the drive-through system, and vehicle safety-check integration. An Auto QR function means you can print and apply a QR code sticker to the vehicle — say, in the door jamb — allowing you to call up full records with a quick scan on subsequent visits. And your customer can also see the check-up

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results via a phone app, real time, anywhere. Sice’s own information shows more than 50 per cent of checks show vehicles need some corrective action.

Century Distributors’ Todd Jenkins says the A100 is generating a lot of enquiries. “There’s nothing else like it,” he says. “It’s clearly a step forward from even the simplest target-based systems. It’s obvious when you think about it: wheel rims are usually perfectly round, so just imaging the wheel and measuring the ellipse will tell you how far out of alignment it is.

“It saves time as operators don’t need to lift the vehicle (or buy a lift!), they don’t need to sell the service first; it’s very fast and it can give workshops a head start on other vehicle checks with other inputs. “It’s the ultimate tech for smart vehicle checks.”

But you don’t have to start at the top. Sice’s range starts with the A92 aligner at $18,999 plus GST, which has motorized beam movement and features to rival more expensive competition.

All 3D aligners work from a database covering 20,000 vehicles and can be optioned with wireless tablet remotes, drive-on assist cameras, steering angle–calibration tools, and much more, says Todd.

For more info on Sice’s range of wheel aligners, see centurydistributors.co.nz, call 04 567 1405 or email todd@centurydistributors.co.nz.

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make sure they are satisfied with your work? Texting can be time-consuming, but you can get software to text via computer. However you do it, showing customers you actually care about their vehicle, opinion, and satisfaction should not be something you just do when you have time; it’s an investment in your business.

Offer incentives

Five steps to keeping the till ringing FOCUSING ON ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT BE YOUR SOLE ROUTE TO PROFITABILITY hen marketing your workshop’s wares, you certainly want to seek new customers through a variety of channels, but, when it comes to keeping your sales bucket full, it’s more cost-effective to maintain and mine your current customer base than to constantly recruit new ones.

If a workshop loses approximately 18 per cent of its current customers every month, it might have to increase its customer acquisition by 30 per cent to see a 10 per cent gain in sales. Imagine if that shop cut the sales leak in half. Now that 10 per cent gain rises to nearly 20 per cent, doubling the sales for that month.

According to an article in Entrepreneur magazine, it costs at least five times more to attract a single new customer than to retain the customer you already have. Simply by increasing your customer retention rate by only five per cent, you can double your annual profits. Match that with a well-planned new-customer acquisition strategy, and your business will be booming.

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Find the leak To stop a sales leak, first you have to find it.

Look at your customer database from a month or a year ago, and then check to see which of those customers are still with you. If you had 500 customers over the past year, but only 250 of those have returned, your attrition rate is a whopping 50 per cent.

If the customer moved, there’s nothing you could have done about that. If the customer started using your competition, that is an issue that you can control. To be fair, finding out why someone left might not be easy, but it is perhaps the most important of these steps. It may require developing a survey, making a phone call, or sending an email, but it is important to find out why someone left you.

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

They may feel they are getting better value with your competition. Your competition may offer a service or product that you don’t. They may have had a better experience elsewhere. Knowing that, you can do something about it.

Don’t take existing customers for granted Most workshops will bend over backwards and offer incentives to attract new customers, but few have any programmes in place for existing customers.

The number-one reason most workshops lose sales has everything to do with the customer experience. Price, unless they can compare directly, is much less of an issue. Delivering top-notch customer service starts with being a ‘Yes’ shop. That means saying yes when a customer calls about scheduling an oil change, even if you’re backed up with repair work. It means saying yes when a customer asks if they can drop off a car early or pick it up late. It means saying yes to texting or calling with updates when it’s convenient for the customer, rather than when it works best for you. Saying yes will lower the risk of them jumping ship to a competitor.

Communicate, communicate, communicate Staying in touch is the best way to make sure you are front of mind for your customers. It’s easy to forget that the competition may well be trying to lure them away. You can contact them through email, directmail campaigns, Facebook, or even phone calls. Text messaging is also becoming a more popular way to remind them about upcoming appointments, alert them about special offers, or prompt them to book services that might be coming due. If you replaced the brakes for a customer, why not text simply to

Pay attention to your most valuable customers by offering incentives such as gift cards, discounts for referrals, or specials for recurring visits. Look at your customer database to find your most valuable customers and it becomes a lot easier to offer them a reason to return.

You don’t have to be contacting your existing customers every day, or even every month. Two to four times a year is more than enough. Doing this will help your customers think of your workshop as ‘theirs’ — something that they are a part of and want to see succeed.

The feel-good factor If a customer had a bad experience at your shop with an employee or manager, it’s unlikely they will return. This means training your employees to value their interaction with the customer. Your staff has to make the customer experience not just pleasant but, if possible, enjoyable. What if your employees made the customer experience not just good but memorable? Now, your customers will want to return to your shop for future services.

Automotive workshops are different to most retail services because customers may only visit a shop once or twice a year — typically for a repair — but services such as oil changes, tyre rotations, and brake inspections can serve as a constant source of revenue throughout the year. So, if your customers are pleased with their experience, it’s the perfect time to schedule them for a future oil change or tune-up. Then contact them in the future to remind them of the appointment and, if applicable, offer a discount for said service.

Customers who feel valued, who have a sense of ownership in a shop, will become walking billboards for that shop.

You will always have leaks in your revenue bucket, and you should always be looking to grow your new customer base. But if you nurture the relationship with your existing customers, you’ll plug some leaks and end up spending less money in the long run to grow your business.

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John Bean wheelalignment systems — when quality counts HAVING INVENTED WHEEL ALIGNERS, JOHN BEAN KNOWS WHAT WORKSHOPS REALLY NEED wo new wheel aligners from John Bean have been designed with technician productivity in mind. The maker claims that they are the fastest beam aligners available today.

These new units with John Bean’s latest generation software offer a 35 per cent improvement in speed for compensation time and 40 per cent faster caster swing.

The V2280 also offers an automatic camera beam, which coordinates with the movement of the hoist to follow the targets, avoiding the need to spend time adjusting the height of the camera beam. The V2260 offers all the same accuracy and performance but has a manually adjustable beam providing a more affordable option.

Repco’s national equipment manager, Kevin Odgers, says that John Bean offers more upmarket products but John Bean’s ‘workhorse’ range is ideal for workshops and tyre shops that want a fast, effective, and robust system — with the

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

quality, assurance, and support that come from one of the most respected names in the business.

It was designed with the help of technicians to make the core functions quicker, meaning technicians never have to wait for the system. That makes it ideal for workshops with high productivity, such as tyre shops and fast-fit centres.

The targets are light, ergonomically designed, and easy to use, but the real time saving comes in the new Next Gen software package.

A new user interface has been optimized for legibility and ease of use. It has predictive logic that minimizes work processes, meaning it only offers the steps necessary to complete alignment. All other functions are just a click away. The John Bean proprietary operating system, which is not Windows based, is robust and trustworthy. The vehicle-selection procedure is faster than ever. All vehicle data appear on a single screen, and the alignment history can be accessed by typing in the vehicle registration number.

Alignment diagnostics based on the ‘compensate, warn, alert’ system checks vehicle dimensions; detects stress and damage to suspension, hoist, and clamps; and compensates for minor damage or wear. The compensate, warn, alert approach means small errors are accepted without notification; medium errors are signalled to the user and compensated; and, for critical errors, the system displays the corrective actions required.

It avoids unnecessary steps — for example, some vehicles don’t allow caster adjustment.

The system will also identify mismatched tyre sizes, and, if adjustment is required, its EZ-Toe allows adjustments to be made while the wheels are turned, making access easier. It also has a wheelsoff mode.

Since the cabinet is independent from the camera beam, the V2280 and V2260 can be used in a range of workspaces. Separately powered, the cabinet and cameras are connected by a standard network cable of up to 50m long. The new units support a wireless portable display for a remote view of wheel-alignment readings. Cloud-service remote reporting allows storage and remote retrieval of wheel-alignment reports, meaning operators can save, organize, share, and print files from any internet-connected PC or mobile device.

The optional mobility kit combines the cabinet and camera system in a single, agile mobile unit.

“These redesigned aligners provide the innovative technology and ease of use that our customers have come to expect from John Bean,” says John Bean’s director of product management, Adam Brown. “For workshops looking to upgrade their alignment business, or starting out on alignments, these aligners offer the superior productivity, time-saving efficiency, and the flexibility required to improve the bottom line.”

In 1925, John Bean engineers designed the first dedicated mechanical alignment machine that could diagnose alignment problems. In 1934, the company introduced the first dynamic wheel balancer. In 1947, John Bean launched the Visualiner, the first optical wheel aligner in the world, which quickly became the industry standard.

A partnership with GPC Equipment throughout Australia and New Zealand ensures that John Bean can provide the innovative technology, productivity, and support that set this US manufacturer’s product apart.

For more information, contact your Repco or Appco sales representative or equipment specialist.

Calibrating a windscreen camera REMOVING A WINDSCREEN CAMERA FROM A BROKEN SCREEN AND REPLACING IT ON THE NEW ONE IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT SOUNDS. TECHNICIAN JOHN ANELLO STEPS US THROUGH THE PROCESS was recently called to a panel beaters to calibrate a front-facing windscreen camera on a replacement windscreen on a 2019 Honda CRV. The vehicle was equipped with the Lane Keep Assist System that worked in conjunction with the electronic steering.

If one component of this advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) is disturbed in any way, it places a liability on the repair tech to make sure the system is put back to specification. There may be no lights on the dash or even a code stored in memory, but, knowing that the system has been tampered with, the manufacturer recommends a calibration be performed.

If an aftermarket windscreen is used, you must make sure it is to factory specification, having a proper glass pitch and a composition of glass material. If any of these requirements is not met, then the camera calibration process will fail. This body shop settled on a factory-original windscreen.

To calibrate properly, you need a large space in front of the vehicle — 10m of open area in front of the vehicle and about 4m of width. There also cannot be any black-and-white objects in the aiming space, because any may confuse the camera.

It is equally important that you work on a level floor

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that has no pitch or roll for drainage. The vehicle and frame machine must be on level ground to properly align the camera. You will also have to find the centre line of the vehicle. This can be done by first using a plumb bob at the rear of the vehicle to mark the floor (Figure 1). Next, you will need to plumb the front of the vehicle. In this case, I centred a five-way laser directly under the plumb bob (Figure 2). By rotating the laser

housing, I directed the laser line to hit a laser target that I placed on the marking on the floor at the back of the vehicle. The laser also shot out in front of the vehicle, so I could place a mark ahead of the vehicle.

To locate my frame machine, I made a measurement of 4m from the centre of the left front wheel — the distance reference point — out towards the front of the vehicle and moved my laser along the centreline line until its horizontal laser line reached the 4m distance (Figure 3). This would be the actual spot that my frame machine would be centred on.

The frame machine came with an attached four-line laser, so I simply turned it on and aligned the horizontal and vertical lasers with the 4m mark and the centre line of the vehicle (Figure 4). I locked and levelled the frame, referencing the bubble gauges on the frame. It is equally important to set

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

Figure 3

Figure 5

Figure 4

the height of the frame arms that hold the targets to the specific height from the floor for this vehicle.

This was easily done using a laser measure attached to the frame. Next, I set up the two camera target supports to be equally distant from the frame centre at about 630mm, using the measured markings on the frame machine.

The last step was to place the targets on the target supports so that the camera was ready to be aimed. You will see the targets placed on the frame arms (Figure 5) have inverse patterns. There is a right and left target for this vehicle, and you want to make sure that you do not place them on the wrong sides.

These targets are specific to this vehicle. You

really have to make sure you don’t use a target that is not properly configured for the vehicle you are working on. A wrong target or frame specification set-up may not allow the camera to finish its calibration, or it may give spurious results that will be a liability issue on your part. Once I made sure everything was to the proper settings, all I had to do was hit the ‘continue’ button on my scan tool and the camera calibration was successfully completed.

The set-up procedure takes a lot of patience and time, but it is critical to follow every step. The procedures on this vehicle may not apply to the next year, make, or model vehicle that you encounter, so each job you perform becomes a challenge. This

vehicle required only a static calibration, but some vehicles may require a dynamic procedure on the road, reading actual road markings.

These dynamic calibrations can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes of driving, and you must be on a roadway that is straight, with clean lines, staying in the centre lane, maintaining the right speed, and with at least five car lengths clear ahead. If there is heavy traffic or bad weather, then the procedure will never complete, and you will need to pick another time or day to perform the dynamic task.

Some manufacturers may require both a static and a dynamic calibration, so be prepared to spend some serious time on such vehicles.

EMCO is an Industry Leader in the distribution of lubricant and fluid equipment including: • Hose Reels • Pumps • Mobile dispensing equipment EMCO is a one stop shop, specialising in advice, installation of pipework and equipment as well as servicing of fluid management systems.

We distribute and sell a great range of lubrication equipment from leading brands including RAASM, GRACO, ReCoila and Macnaught.

Here is what one of our customer had to say recently about an installation job EMCO completed: “When we were building our new Flagship Toyota dealership here in Hamilton, we worked closely with James Driscoll and his team from EMCO. They were very easy to work with right from involvement during initial concept meetings and quotes, clarifying technical queries about pipe systems and equipment that they recommended…through to the installation of equipment from oil, water and air lines, oil fill manifold cabinet through to double skinned tanks. The work was completed on time with EMCO working closely with our construction company and meeting our high standards and expectations both from a functionality and aesthetic point of view.”

- Alistair Silcock, Aftersales Manager, Ebbett Toyota

Contact EMCO on 07 8505240, email sales@emco.co.nz or visit our website www.emco.co.nz 19

The Goldilocks wheel balancer CORGHI’S EM9550 WHEEL BALANCER STRIKES THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN SIMPLE OPERATION AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER FEATURERICH BALANCING AT THE RIGHT PRICE orghi’s experience in wheel servicing really shows in this machine. The basic operation is fast with minimal input required by the operator but, when needed, the machine has the features that allow the operator to deliver more complex balancing tasks fast. It also has hidden weight technology, available at the touch of a button.

Keeping it simple means that the EM9550 balancer also achieves extreme reliability in the most demanding environments.

The large digital display with graphic option makes it the work of a few seconds to set up the machine to user preference, with options for more or less automation, and lights and laser operation.

If required you can add a zero-gravity wheel lift to avoid lifting the wheel up manually. You don’t have to enter dimensions on the EM9550, just move the ‘data arm’ to the internal edge of the rim and

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automatically it picks up the diameter and offset.

Closing the hood allows another sensor to pick up the width. If you want to use stick-on weights, just move the data arm to the inside of the wheel, and the machine will calculate the best location for this type of correction. The FSP (Fast Selection Program) function automatically activates the correct balancing programme, avoiding the need for selection via the keypad.

At the end of the spin, the wheel is stopped and locked automatically in the correct balancing position to apply the weights — clip-on weights at 12 o’clock and stick-on weights at 6 o’clock. The new integrated LaserBlade pointer guides the operator to the best weight position within the alloy rim and an LED light illuminates the work area to facilitate rim cleaning and application of the counterweights.

A hidden weight option allows the operator to hide weights behind wheel spokes. After the operator has indicated the spokes’ positions, it splits the corrective weight between each of them.

The patented space-saving wheel-guard design allows the machine to be positioned flat against a wall, saving space.

It will also take wheels up to 44Â inches (111.8mm) maximum diameter.

Assigning and identifying operators also allows three operators to use

the machine simultaneously without having to reprogramme wheel dimensions, although operation is so fast this will rarely be used.

For more information on the Corghi EM9550, email info@automaster.co.nz, call 0800 214 604, or go to automaster.co.nz/products/corghi-em9550 to watch a video of the machine in action.

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

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Fivethousanddollar tax break for low-cost gear BUSINESSES CAN DEDUCT 100 PER CENT OF THE COST OF GEAR COSTING UP TO $5K IN A SHORT-TERM POST-COVID-19 TAX BREAK or one year only, businesses will be allowed to deduct the full cost of business asset purchases with a value of less than $5K in the year they purchased them for tax purposes. This is instead of having to spread the cost over the life of the asset. To put it another way, it means that the purchase of any equipment under $5K can be fully depreciated in the first year.

The mechanism that allows this is new legislation that temporarily increases the low-value asset threshold for depreciation from $500 to $5K. Raising the low-value threshold allows the immediate expensing of assets purchased on or after 17 March 2020 that cost less than $5K.

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The government is only raising the threshold through to 16 March 2021 — a year in total. It helps encourage businesses to keep investing in their businesses throughout the Covid-19 outbreak.

For assets purchased on or after 17 March 2021, this threshold will reduce, but it will be fixed at double the previous level — that is, a permanent increase from $500 to $1K. Note that the government is also allowing depreciation for commercial and industrial buildings for the 2020–’21 tax year. Previously, tax

depreciation on all buildings was at zero per cent because of 2011 tax changes.

Now, eligible businesses can claim depreciation deductions on their tax returns for commercial and industrial buildings. The changes are designed to help business cash flow in the short-term, and economic recovery long-term, through investment in new and existing buildings. Depreciation is not applicable to residential buildings, as they depreciate at a much slower rate.

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Bruce Francis

027 494 2802

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027 643 1608

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Scott Townsend

027 246 3640

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027 475 2224

Auckland East & South

Dave Miller

027 492 8962

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Alan Dadswell

027 282 3966

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Justin Mills

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21

Top tips for plastic repairs YOU WILL STILL HEAR PEOPLE SAYING THE ERA OF REPAIRS IS OVER AND GOING WITH IT IS THE CONCEPT OF CRAFTSMANSHIP … t’s certainly true in many areas of vehicle repair that swapping out damaged parts with replacements is cheaper and more efficient than reforming steel.

However, the increase in the use of plastic parts is actually increasing the demand for good hand skills and experience working with this material.

Reforming and restoring plastic often proves cheaper than replacing an entire part and it involves the kind of craftsmanship that is being lost on the metal side of repairs. Mastering this work is essential to properly bringing a part back to life. The following guide to quality plastic-repair techniques comes from plastic-repair specialist Polyvance.

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Cleaning, reforming, and aligning tears

Nitrogen-welding basics Welding with nitrogen calls for skills with both hands: one controlling the torch and the other feeding the rod. Do not ‘puddle’ the rod as you would in metal welding. Instead, melt the bottom surface of the rod and the top of the bumper at the same time and fuse them together with downward pressure on the rod. This process creates a stronger repair, because it leaves the basic structure of the rod intact.

Remember the five important factors for plastic welding: TFAPS — temperature, flow, angle, pressure, and speed.

Temperature: Set the temperature on the

nitrogen welder’s dial to the proper setting based on the type(s) of plastic. For example, the PP/ TPnO setting will generate an air flow of about 370–425°C. Flow: Set between 11 and 18 litres per minute depending on the plastic thickness — more for thicker, less for thinner.

Angle: Maintaining 45 degrees between the torch and the bumper is optimal. Aim the stream of hot air a little in front of the rod; for a thick rod like the 06 profile, focus a little more heat on the rod.

Pressure: Put as much downward pressure on the rod as possible to help the rod fuse with the bumper. Keep a steady downward pressure on the rod and keep the rod moving slowly. Don’t overheat the rod, letting it fold over.

Speed: Weld 10–15cm per minute. This can be difficult with a thin rod like the 03 profile, since the rate is so slow. With thicker rods, like the 06 profile, you may need to go even slower. The important thing is to move steadily as you keep proper downward pressure on the rod, while also making sure the bumper and the bottom surface of the rod are both melted before they come together.

Plastic damage comes in many types and often in combinations. To ensure strength in any repair, it is vital to clean contaminants from the damaged area following these steps: Step 1: Clean dirt from both sides of the repair with soap and water. Dry with a clean cloth or compressed air.

Step 2: Spray a dedicated, specialized plastic cleaner onto the surface and wipe off while wet with a clean, lint-free cloth. Wipe in one direction to avoid spreading contaminants back over the clean area.

Distortions If the plastic is distorted, heat with a heat gun and reshape the distorted area. Always heat the plastic all the way through by holding the heat gun on the area until the opposite side of the plastic is uncomfortable to the touch. Once heated, force the plastic back into position with bumper rollers or an appropriate tool, then cool the area with a damp cloth. Stretched areas can be shrunk with the bumper cold. Keep working until the plastic is smooth, then sand over with 80 grit to help identify remaining low spots. Push out remaining low spots and repeat the process.

Note that thermoset polyurethanes (PUR, RIM) feature a ‘memory’ that will often helpfully cause them to return to their original position if warmed gently under a heat lamp or in a heated spray booth.

Tears If a part is cut or torn to the edge, align the surfaces using aluminium body tape and begin the repair process on the back. By aligning the outer surface, you minimize the amount of filler required to restore the proper profile to the part.

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

When welding plastic, the goal to weld the rod and the repair area at the same time, without ‘puddling’ as one typically does when welding metal

The five important factors for plastic welding are — temperature, flow, angle, pressure, and speed (TFAPS).

Make sure your equipment settings and processes follow all five

Repairing cracks with a nitrogen plastic welder The repair steps listed here are specifically for a PP/TPO bumper torn to the edge, though the technique can be adapted to other specialty repairs on tabs and mounting holes.

1. Clean the bumper before you grind it. Start by washing the entire bumper (not just the repair area) with soap and water.

2. Use a red scuff pad to spread the soap and scuff the plastic. This will put small sanding scratches into the bumper to help further improve adhesion.

3. Rinse off the soap and allow the bumper to dry.

Once dry, clean the bumper with a specialty plastic cleaner to remove all solvent-soluble contaminants such as silicone-, wax-, and mould-release agents. Apply the cleaner in a heavy, wet coat; let it sit on the surface for a few seconds and then wipe dry with a clean paper towel before it evaporates. Caution: Do not simply soak a rag in cleaner and wipe it around, since this only moves the contamination around on the surface without removing it.

4. Align the outer (cosmetic) surface. Plastic has often been stretched or distorted in the damaged area.

5. Before welding, align the crack as closely as possible. If the plastic is dented or stretched, heat with a heat gun and push the plastic back into position.

6. Once the plastic pieces are lined up, use aluminium body tape on the outer (cosmetic) surface to minimize the need for filler.

7. Prepare the back of the crack first. Prep the back with 50- to 80-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface and remove any paint overspray.

8. Grind the surface flat if it doesn’t need to be smooth on the back. Grind a V-groove if the surface needs to be flat when finished. Always grind at a slow speed, as going too fast creates

friction heat that will melt and smear the plastic.

The goal is to create a good, rough sand scratch in the plastic without melting it.

9. Weld the back of the crack. For maximum strength, use the R02-05 wide ribbon. This wide ribbon spreads the load over a large area for maximum strength. Start the welding by preheating the end of the welding rod and the bumper at the end of the crack. The plastic will start to turn glossy.

10. At this point, push the end of the ribbon rod down into the plastic and bend it towards the welder. Make your pass by melting the bottom surface of the rod and the top surface of the bumper simultaneously, forcing the melted plastics together with steady downward pressure on the welding rod. Again, the proper welding pace is 10–15cm per minute. Always melt both the rod and the bumper at the same time.

11. Weld a tee. After completing the weld down the crack, reinforce the repair by making another cross-stitch weld at the end of the crack along the edge using the R02-04 ribbon for edge reinforcement. (As the original extruded structure of the ribbon is not disrupted in the welding process, trying to tear the bumper is like trying to tear the rod in two. As long as the rod is welded solidly to the bumper, this will provide plenty of extra strength.)

12. Prep the front side for welding. After the back weld is cool, peel the aluminium tape off the front side. Using a 6121-T or 6125 cutter bit in a rotary tool, grind out a V-groove down the crack in the plastic about 1.5–2.5mm deep.

The width of the V-groove should match the kind of rod you want to use on the front side.

Most of the time, the R02 round rod is the best choice because it is easier to finish as it is a narrow rod. In this case, grind the V-groove about 3mm wide. For stressed areas, or anywhere you want added strength, you may choose to use a ribbon on the front side. In that case, grind the V-groove a little wider than the width of the ribbon.

13. Sand off the paint immediately adjacent to the V-groove with 80 grit in a dual-action (DA) sander.

14. Weld the front side of the crack. Using your selected welding rod or ribbon, perform the weld in the prepared V-groove the same way you did on the back side.

15. Finish the weld. Once the weld is completely cool, sand with 50- to 80-grit sandpaper in a grinder or DA sander. Be careful not to sand too fast, as this will just melt and smear the plastic. It’s best to use a sharp, new piece of paper and slow down the sander a bit to keep the plastic from melting.

Sometimes, the repair may be finished out and feathered with the welding rod, but most often you will need some filler in the low spots.

As always, be sure to follow all OEM and repair instructions. Plastic repair requires experience, so practice your skills and help train others.

Polyvance’s head trainer John Wilburn trains Jeff Bown the head trainer for MSO Crash Champions.

Be sure to take advantage of available plastic-repair training and build your experience

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Car News

Kombi’s big brother steps ashore VW’S KOMBI REPRESENTS THE ROMANCE OF SUMMER ROAD TRIPS LIKE FEW OTHER VEHICLES. AND THEY ARE STILL GREAT IF YOU ARE YOUNG (AND WEALTHY), BUT THESE DAYS PEOPLE EXPECT A BIT MORE ROOM AND COMFORT IN A CAMPERVAN. ENTER THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN GRAND CALIFORNIA. t’s nice timing, now that more of us will be holidaying at home. The vast open spaces called to mind by the Grand California name are delivered

by Volkswagen’s Crafter platform, with a higher lid.

As such, it comes fully loaded with the safety and driver-assistance features, including cross-wind assist — handy on ski-access roads — and, for those not practised in manoeuvring a bigger vehicle, it has 360° parking sensors. That gives space for something no Kombi ran to: a separate wetroom, including toilet, shower, and sink.

Volkswagen’s general manager of commercial vehicles, Kevin Richards, sums up the model’s topical appeal. “If those memories on the road in a Kombi during the ’70s are still making you smile, then the Grand California is the vehicle for you. Take the iconic two-tone paint finish, a more sophisticated interior, and you have got an adventure that awaits — just a slightly more grownup version.”

With living space to spare on its LWB platform, and a full queen-size bed, the 680 model is designed for a couple. If you need to cater for kids, the 600 model based on the MWB Crafter has an extendable loft bed and a panoramic sky roof.

Both models come with dual-fuel heating and air conditioning (optional) for beach or skifield adventures, and a 110-litre fresh water tank, all

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managed from an intuitive control panel — there’s also full media connectivity.

The OEM-integrated design holds out the prospect of trouble-free turnkey operation, which maximizes holiday hours. Another advantage over most other campervan options is the 4Motion four-wheel drivetrain, offering much greater goanywhere capability.

Starting at $159,000 including GST, plus onroad costs, both models have four-wheel drive as

standard and are powered by a two-litre turbodiesel engine, driving 130kW and 410Nm through an eight-speed gearbox.

’70s concept cars shine online A VIRTUAL ONLINE CLASSIC CAR CONCOURS COMPETITION, LAUNCHED TO FILL THE GAP LEFT BY THE LACK OF ACTUAL CONCOURS COMPETITIONS, IS ALSO GIVING SPACE TO GREAT CONCEPT CARS. wners from around the world submitted cars to www.concoursvirtual.com in June in 15 classes, including art deco era cars, Formula 1, and concept cars of the ’70s. Judges include the Duke of Richmond, who founded the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival, as well as the car collector and Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason.

Cars can be viewed online until 9 August, when the best-of-show awards will be announced. Entrants and viewers are being encouraged to donate to Unicef UK, via a JustGiving campaign, with the aim of raising £100,000 from the show.

“The love of the automobile endures!”

McKeel Hagerty, CEO of classic car insurers Hagerty, which is sponsoring the event. “Through pandemics, wars, recessions, and uncertainty, people who love cars will carry on. The Concours Virtual is a celebration of that spirit.”

See the website to vote in the people’s choice of the remaining categories.

Some category winners have already been announced including: Class A: 1893 Salvesen Steam Wagonette wins Best in Class — Pre-War Preservation Class B: 1957 BMW 507 owned by Elvis Presley wins Best in Class — Hollywood Legends Class C: 1939 Delahaye 165 (Figoni & Falaschi ) wins Best in Class — Cars of the Art Deco Period Class D: 1932 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible Coupe 1932 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible Coupe (Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum)

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Heat treatment for bird poo AUTOGLYM INTRODUCES ‘REFLOW’, WHICH REPAIRS ETCHING MARKS AND DULL SPOTS. his harm-free, water-activated treatment removes bird-lime deposits and fixes damaged lacquer.

Ideal for smart repair businesses and return-towork dealerships.

Available at www.autoglymprofessional.com.

Bird poo. It’s one of the things that car dealers, valeteers, and owners fear most. If left on car bodywork, it can etch marks into a lacquer finish and create faded spots.

Enter Autoglym with a heat-treatment product that will repair bird-lime deposits with minimal hands-on effort.

Autoglym Reflow is a water-activated treatment that you simply apply and leave on dull or etched lacquer surfaces. It heats up and reflows the lacquer surface allowing the distorted or misshapen surface to self-heal.

Reflow takes just 30 minutes to work and offers repairers huge labour-saving opportunities compared with wet sanding and abrasive polishing, which could take a couple of hours to achieve similar results.

It won’t necessarily work on old or badly tarnished paint finishes, but its makers say it should fix most minor imperfections on modern paint finishes.

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Paul Caller, CEO of Autoglym, said it could allow customers to avoid spending on respraying or relacquering entire body panels. “We believe this is the most innovative product the automotive refinishing industry has seen in years and offers a great profit opportunity to those offering smart repairs and localized bodywork refurbishment.”

It was designed and developed inhouse at the company’s UK headquarters.

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The best and the worst WARRANTYWISE, AN EXTENDED CAR WARRANTY PROVIDER, HAS TABLED THE TOP 10 MOST AND LEAST RELIABLE USED CAR BRANDS AND MODELS IN THE UK, ACCORDING TO ITS RELIABILITY INDEX. ith data compiled from over 131,000 active extended car warranty plans, the reliability index ranks every car on a combination of factors that include the frequency of repairs and the cost to carry out those repairs.

Honda reigned supreme, scoring 89.38/100 on Warrantywise’s Reliability Index. More than 1500 active Warrantywise plans on Honda vehicles show that they were the most dependable cars, with average repairs cost of £538.59.

Lexus occupies second position, thanks in part to the flawless RX, which recorded not a single fault nor repair, making it undeniably the most reliable model. The Lexus CT reinforced the brand’s standing, with the luxury compact car coming eighth overall in the Reliability Index.

Toyota and Suzuki rank third and fourth, respectively, while Dacia cements its position at number five. Next, comes Hyundai (6), Smart (7), Kia (8), Fiat (9), and Renault (10), to round out the top ten brands overall.

Lawrence Whittaker, CEO of Warrantywise, said Warrantywise boasts one of the largest data samples when it comes to painting an accurate picture of used cars currently on the market. He says any savings on purchase price can be immediately off-set if a used car develops faults outside of manufacturer warranty, so the index was valuable in

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providing precise, quantifiable data on the best and worst-performing used cars.

The least reliable car brands on the list are dominated by high-end luxury and supercar marques. Ferrari scored a mere 13.84/100 in the Reliability Index with an average repair cost of £4913.46 and 36 repairs lodged out of 116 warranty plans in total (62 per cent repair percentage). Next comes McLaren (15.12/100) followed by RollsRoyce (26/100). The Bentley Continental GT is in the unenviable position as the least reliable used car mode. The most common faults with this car relate to the fuel system, electrics, and engine, with one repair bill costing over £10,000 to rectify an electrical issue.

POS. Make Model 1 Lexus RX 2 Honda Jazz 3 Mitsubishi ASX 4 Dacia Sandero 5 Mazda 2 6 Volkswagen UP! 7 Nissan LEAF 8 Lexus CT 9 Ford Ecosport 10 Suzuki Alto

ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVS) ARE OFTEN SEEN AS A BURDEN ON ELECTRICITY NETWORKS, INCREASING DEMAND BUT A UK DISTRIBUTION NETWORK COMPANY, WESTERN POWER DISTRIBUTION (WPD), SEES EVS AS A SOLUTION.

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POS. Make Model 1 Bentley Continental GT 2 Audi A7 3 BMW X6 4 Porsche Cayenne 5 Chevrolet Captiva 6 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 7 Jaguar XJ 8 Audi Q7 9 Mazda CX5 10 Land Rover Range Rover

Top ten most reliable used car models

EVs enlisted to smooth out power peaks n partnership with CrowdCharge, WPD’s Electric Nation project is recruiting 100 Nissan EV owners to take part in the trial of vehicle to grid (V2G) smart charging technology.

Top ten least reliable used car models

Roger Hey, WPD’s DSO Systems and Projects Manager is an electrical engineer and he was was surprised to see how much energy an EV battery could store.

“One of the latest Nissan LEAFs with a 62 kWh battery would be able to put energy back into the grid that would be the equivalent of powering a house for days. Multiply this by millions of EVs across the UK and there is the potential for huge storage which can mitigate the peaks in electricity demand. And people could be rewarded for offering their EVs as a service to the grid.”

EVs can be charged at night, off-peak then supply power back to the grid at peak times.

As electricity networks have to be designed to meet peak demand Roger sees V2G as a huge opportunity to reduce the extent and cost of upgrades to the electricity network as well as deferring additional electricity generation.

Currently, only Nissan EVs can be used for V2G charging but other makers will follow suit.

Currently serving around 9 million customers, the network operator predicts that there may be up to 3 million EVs in its area by 2030, with 217,000 chargers connected to the network by 2023.

A tool has also been created by WPD and EA Technology which will assess the impact of EVs on local low voltage (LV) networks. Developed as part of the original Electric Nation smart charging project, this shows where networks are becoming constrained as a result of local clusters of EVs, and will help to highlight where proactive reinforcement can help to avoid network constraints, in particular due to EV connections.

Raising the level of fluid control PAYING ATTENTION TO WASTE-OIL HANDLING IMPROVES WORKING CONDITIONS, EFFICIENCY, AND KEEPS THE WORKSHOP COMPLIANT WITH UNFORGIVING REGULATIONS he days of the old 44-gallon drum out the back are gone. Planning the management of waste oil generated in a workshop needs as much attention today as any other aspect of running a modern business.

There are good reasons for doing so besides the need to stay compliant with waste-oil regulations.

Efficient waste-oil handling leads to a cleaner workshop environment and avoids the potential for spills and the hazards that creates for staff, as well as the time and effort required to clean up — not just the mess on the floor but the residue and stains left.

“That’s if it makes it to the floor,” says Advance Fluid Control (AFC) director Ronnie Malcolm. “Usually someone wears it first.”

Spilt oil can make a huge mess, and Ronnie points out that it will often find its way to a drain.

That is rarely the end of the matter. Councils these days are quick to act on chemical and oil spills into waterways.

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Sticking to the rules To the credit of many workshops, Ronnie says, environmental protection rates fairly high among the reasons his customers look to improve their waste-oil handling system, although ever-stricter rules designed to protect both the environment and people working with hazardous materials have tended to focus attention on this issue.

AFC sales manager Laurie Wills says that the regulations are detailed and complicated, but AFC has developed a deep understanding to help customers meet their waste-oil compliance obligations. It has developed a comprehensive brochure on oil-handling systems and published a white paper on its website that provides a

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handy guide for the benefit of workshop and industrial customers.

For a simpler take, the brochure includes a seven-point list of must-haves for sites with wasteoil storage. It highlights the additional steps required for the different capacities stored on-site.

On the plus side, there’s now a broad selection of equipment available that minimizes the potential for spills while handling different and sometimes slippery containers.

Customer experience Jim Anderson, building maintenance and property manager at South Auckland Motors, decided to address the company’s oil and waste-oil handling processes on three sites. He called in AFC to assess the company’s needs and design the upgrade.

“AFC have proven to be specialists in this field with the experience and knowledge to ensure we got a functional and professional system,” says Jim. “The end result is tidy, efficient, looks great, has improved our waste-oil handling, and has removed any concerns around compliance or environmental issues. I highly recommend anyone looking at upgrading their waste-oil system get in touch with Advance Fluid Control.”

Laurie says that one of the key components of managing waste oil effectively is a tank-level alert system. Judging by the reasons that have prompted many calls to AFC, he says overfilling waste-oil storage tanks has to be the main reason for significant spills on-site. AFC’s system features a control box that can be placed in a prominent location with a three-stage LED warning-light system. There’s also an optional in-line solenoid that shuts off transfer pumps when the tank is full.

Simple solutions Starting at the vehicle end, AFC offers a range of mobile sump drainers. They include deep trays that roll along service pit rails or mobile 65–100 telescopic drainers fitted with large collection bowls for use under hoists. These can be paired with evacuation pump stations or discharge stations (for both oil and coolants).

AFC also has a range of free-standing or wallmounted basins or trays, which help keep workshop areas tidy and efficient and make installation of a pumping system worthwhile. The pump system can transfer the waste oil from the basins to either a 1000-litre plastic tank — the maximum size in plastic for waste oil — or larger double-walled steel tanks located on-site. As well as promoting better oil handling to staff in workshops that might have used more manual systems in the past, the new systems are easier and faster to use than transferring oil to drums. They simplify the emptying of oil filters and small trays and they are much cleaner to use. They usually have steel-mesh filters, which also remove foreign bodies from waste oil.

AFC recommends and uses Orion waste-oil transfer pumps, made in Sweden. They are powerful and effective and feature an ‘anti-racing’ mechanism that reduces cavitation due to air locks or empty lines. They are also compatible with other noncorrosive fluids.

AFC also supplies waste-oil tanks. Its cylindrical 1000-litre plastic tanks feature a built-in float-level indicator, a suction tube for emptying the tank, and a large lid for direct access with a drainer basket. AFC also has the TSW range of steel double-skinned oil tanks for customers wanting a holding tank of more than 1000 litres. TSW steel tanks are available in 2000-, 2500-, 3000-, and 4990-litre capacities and custom-size tanks are available on request.

See advancefluidcontrol.co.nz or call 0800 538 058 for more details.

Oil Distributors brings Petronas to market LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BIG FOUR OIL COMPANIES FOR LUBRICANTS BUT WANT THE BENEFITS OF SCALE AND QUALITY TO MATCH? PETRONAS COULD BE THE ANSWER n 2019, Kiwi family-owned Oil Distributors was approached by Petronas Lubricants International to launch its oil and lubricants in New Zealand.

Oil Distributors’ business development manager, Garth Suckling, says it was an exciting opportunity

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to partner with a name synonymous with cutting-edge technology and high-performance motorsport.

Petronas is best known through its partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 (F1) team that has won the F1 World Championship for six consecutive years. Keeping the Mercedes-AMG F1 cars performing under extreme conditions is testament to its lubricants’ quality and the effectiveness of its Cooltech oil technology. The feedback from this white-hot crucible transfers back into the company’s products, but Petronas does not have to rely just on results from racing. In 2017, it also established Europe’s largest lubricants research and development technology centre in Turin, Italy.

The 17,000m2 facility has no less than 11 test cells.

Petronas is big, and there’s a reason the towers bear that name. Petronas Lubricants International was formed in 2008 from the merger of Petronas Lubricants Malaysia and FL Selenia of Italy, making it the fifth largest oil and gas producer worldwide

and top 10 among lubricant blenders. The company sells more than 100 million litres of lubricants per annum in more than 90 countries. Petronas Lubricants is OEM supplier to Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Honda, Iveco, CNH (Case New Holland), and Fiat Chrysler.

Petronas is one of only two oil companies globally that designs and develops its own oils.

It produces its own base oil, known as ‘Etro’, from unique feedstock using a proprietary hydrotreatment and wax isomerization process.

The team at Oil Distributors reckons it has oil in its blood. It is a third-generation wholly New Zealand– owned family business that began importing and manufacturing agricultural equipment in the early 1960s. Since the ’90s it has focused on offering the highest quality lubricants, with a reputation for problem-solving and technical solutions.

Now with Petronas broadening its range to a complete lubricant supply service — bulk supplies arrive mid month — Oil Distributors is joining the Blackfern Cooperative and adding another special offering to Blackfern members.

Blackfern’s Roger Castleton is pleased to welcome the company on board, and he says all purchases from Oil Distributors through Blackfern will enjoy permanent double reward points.

For more information see blackfern.coop or oildistributors.co.nz, or call 0800 70 10 10.

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Morey Oil — keeping it in the family orey Oil South Pacific Ltd began 37 years ago when Lex Payne, who enjoyed reconditioning and servicing small engines alongside running his Riverton supermarket, took an interest in the Morey Oil product

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that a family member was representing in Auckland.

A trip to the US to meet the founder of the product (Clinton Morey), allowed Lex to secure the distribution rights for Morey Oil throughout the South Pacific region.

Growing the business and expanding into Morey’s other niche markets soon took priority for Lex and his wife Phyllis, necessitating the move to Auckland.

As they built the brand’s reputation and presence in New Zealand, they also took it to Australia, establishing an Australian distribution centre in Brisbane.

Shelley Free, brother Brett Mitchell (Auckland), and sister Yvette Edgar (Brisbane), are the second generation now running the business. Morey’s Upper Cylinder Lubricant & Injector Cleaner, Diesel Smoke Killer & Injector Cleaner, Chain Oil and Air Tool Oil are blended and manufactured on site in Auckland. All other products are imported in bulk from the US and decanted on-site in Auckland.

The company’s biggest asset remains its strong reputation and longevity in a market that has seen similar products come and go.

Product quality, outstanding customer service, along with long-serving staff members, have been the cornerstone of the business throughout its 37 years. It has been ISO9001-14001 accredited since 1996.

“As you can imagine, it’s a well-worn family saying but we aim to keep

Redarc beats the flat-battery blues here’s nothing worse than looking forward to hitting the open road, only to find out that your battery is dead. Vehicle batteries generally discharge one per cent a day, which means, if used infrequently, the battery will go dead.

Redarc’s 4, 6, 8, and 10A SmartChargers by DEFA are designed to automatically charge and maintain 12V batteries. The 4 and 6A variants are ideal for maintenance charging for bikes and scooters, while the 8 and 10A variants are suitable for caravans, campers, and RVs. SmartChargers are compatible with all common battery types — gel, lithium, AGM, or lead acid. They recognize the type of battery that they are connected to and adjust their charging process to suit. A clear display shows the status of charge and battery-charge level.

SmartChargers are shockproof, spark-proof, and protected against reverse polarity. The practical integrated cable storage avoids stray cables or the need for a pouch.

To learn more, see redarcelectronics.co.nz/smart-chargers.

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this business running like a well-oiled machine,” says Shelley.

Four ways to save costs WHEN PROFITABILITY IS UNDER PRESSURE IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO CHECK THERE ARE NO LEAKS IN THE BUCKET 1. Do the numbers Review your profit and loss statement, and take a look at each and every line item. For each item, ask yourself up to three questions: first, is the line item going to lead to an immediate profit? An example of this would be parts purchases or labour. If the first answer is no, ask yourself if the line item will lead to a potential profit in the near future. An example of this would be your advertising or marketing investments. If the answer to this question is no again, then ask yourself if the line item will lead to any foreseeable profit at all. Examples of these items would be insurance, investments, utilities, and your water cooler payment. Once you have the answer to these questions, it will be much easier to see where you can scale back or even put certain items on hold for the time being.

2. Top down Take a look at the top two or three most expensive items on your financial statements each month.

When you look at these expenses, dive deep into every single line item that goes along with it. That way, nothing will slip through the cracks and you

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can get a complete picture of your business’s finances, which will help you determine areas where you can save.

that you are meeting their expectations. This will save you valuable time in the long run and will make both of your businesses more successful.

3. Enlist supplier support Remember that your suppliers are your partners, and it’s important to treat them this way. It may pay to have a meeting with each of your vendors and have an honest conversation with them to make sure your partnership is as mutually beneficial as possible. During these discussions, make it clear what you expect from the vendor and make sure

4. It can’t hurt to ask To save on what’s likely one of your biggest expenses, I recommend that you sit down with your landlord or mortgage owner and have a conversation with them to see what can be done to reduce this cost. You might be surprised to see what they are prepared to do to help in situations like the one we are facing today.

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Straight shooter THERE’S AUSSIE MUSCLE, AND THEN THERE’S THIS. ZAC WILKINSON’S NONONSENSE BLUE MEANIE–STYLE DRAG WEAPON IS AUSSIE MUSCLE REDEFINED WORDS: CONNAL GRACE PHOTOS: STRONG STYLE PHOTO aiuku is a strange place. A rural district south of Auckland, it seems to be a breeding ground for a disproportionate number of high-powered vehicles, predominantly turbo LS Commodores. Zac Wilkinson’s latest effort doesn’t even try to buck that trend — if anything, it simply pushes the ’Uku even further into ‘turbo-LS-capitalof-New Zealand’ territory.

Like it or not, the GM LS family of engines is the modern-day small block Chev, and it’s here to stay. Where the old small block enjoyed almost a half-century as the world’s go-to V8, the LS has brought that same abundance and affordability to

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the table, along with a raft of the bigger and better — six-bolt mains, availability in alloy and iron blocks, and a plethora of aftermarket support. But, even in stock form, the LS is known for its abundance and strength, and plenty of automotive tinkerers have enjoyed great results by screwing some form of gofast gear onto a relatively stock LS. The results are plastered across the internet, in the form of fourdigit dyno papers and single-digit timeslips.

But while the big-power LS phenomenon is nothing new, Zac has been messing with LS engines for as long as any other bloke; keen readers may remember his twin-turbo LS–powered Navara from

back in the day, featured in NZV8 Issue No. 76.

“I was halfway into another project when I picked the VK up,” he explains of his latest and most indepth build. “It was originally going to be a tubbed street car, but I’d seen a Blue Meanie drag car in Australia, and that was that — I hadn’t seen much in the way of drag-raced Commodores over here, which changed the game plan.”

The VK, which Zac had bought from under a tree, was luckily in reasonable nick — good enough that he could focus his abilities on re-engineering it completely. Being a welder-fabricator by trade, he also had the ability to build it exactly how he wanted.

Being built for drag racing, the biggest alteration is at the rear end — mini-tubbed rear guards that easily swallow a pair of 15x12-inch Weld wheels and 28x11.5 Mickey Thompson drag tyres. Underneath is a back-halved chassis with ladder bars, chosen for their ease of setting up, hanging a Currie nine-inch diff off a set of custom coilovers with drag shock inserts, all done in-house by Zac. That Currie housing holds a Strange full spool, 31-spline drag axles, and 3.5:1 gears — just as tough as the trans-braked and reverse-pattern TH400 by Chuck Mann at Rotorua V8 Performance — so the reason for this mechanical overkill should be pretty bloody obvious, if you’ve been paying any attention.

“Having already had boosted LS engines before,

I stuck with that motor choice but instead of going big cubes like everyone else, I went smaller and went to a factory GM 5.3 iron block — it’s a very cost-effective engine and can obviously still make some really good power with boost,” Zac says.

Using an iron block casting removed the main shortcoming of the alloy LS; its tendency to split under high boost, and with the machining completed by Franklin Engineering and the short block assembled by local LS guru John Vollebregt, it’s a beefy bit of kit. The iron block runs an LS1 crank, Eagle H-beam rods, Wiseco pistons, and a custom-profile turbo cam, so there’s enough tough equipment in there to pump out some serious numbers, and that’s before the monster top end package comes into the picture.

GM ‘241’ LS1 heads have had the ports cleaned up and been fitted with double valve springs, and the Holley Hi-Ram intake and 105mm throttle body take everything the huge BorgWarner S480 turbo sends their way.

GO-FAST JUICE E85 is quickly becoming the go-to fuel of choice for anyone wanting to push every last screed of performance out of their engine, especially when forced induction is involved. E85 is an unleaded petrol mixture comprising 85 per cent ethanol content, and the high proportion of ethanol has two major effects — it increases the fuel’s octane rating, and provides a cooler, denser intake charge, making it less prone to detonation, meaning that the cylinder can see far more pressure than a pump gas engine.

However, E85 also requires a stoichiometric air– fuel ratio of around 9.8:1, whereas regular pump fuel is around 14.7:1 — an E85 engine must run significantly richer, which is why Zac’s LS requires eight 2200cc injectors for fuel delivery to keep up with the S480 turbo’s airflow.

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1985 Holden VK Commodore Engine: 5.3-litre LS, iron block, LS1 crank, Eagle H-beam rods, 2000-series rod bolts, Wiseco pistons, ARP studs, custom-profile turbo camshaft, YellaTerra pushrods, Cometic head gaskets, 241 heads, tidied ports, stock valves, double valve springs, roller rockers, Holley Hi-Ram intake manifold, Holley 105mm throttle body, BorgWarner S480SX turbo, PWR waterto-air intercooler, coated five-inch stainless exhaust, JAZ fuel cell, two AEM fuel pumps, eight Bosch 2200cc injectors, SX FPR, standard ignition coils, Taylor ignition leads, Fenix radiator, Haltech Elite 2500 ECU Driveline: GM TH400 transmission, reverse pattern, transbrake, upgraded internals, Aeroflow trans cooler, Currie nine-inch, Strange full spool, 31-spline axles, custom driveshaft Suspension: Custom coilovers with drag inserts, custom ladder-bar rear Brakes: VZ Commodore booster, VT Commodore two-piston front calipers, EB Falcon single-piston rear calipers

Such an induction set-up also entails a voracious appetite for fuel, especially considering the use of E85, and that base has been covered via a Jaz fuel cell with two AEM pumps, eight Bosch 2200cc injectors, and an SX rising-rate fuel-pressure regulator (FPR).

The stock LS ECU was also put on the shelf in favour of a Haltech Elite 2500 ECU, but the LS still runs standard coil packs, just with upgraded Taylor leads.

All that muscle worked to give Zac a magic number of 956hp (713kW) at 23psi on the High Performance Rotaries rolling road dyno — really impressive, considering that’s well over 1000hp (746kW) at the crank — but the real teller was a quarter-mile timeslip of 9.4s at 140mph (225kph) at Night Speed Drag Wars, straight off the trailer and with no prep. There’s an eight-second quarter in it with a bit more track prep, but the VK isn’t just a rough-and-ready drag car.

The Group A bodykit and bodywork has been ironed smooth and coated in iconic Formula Blue

by Scott Webb, and the interior is just as much a blend of show and race. It’s all factory ’80s style inside, but the addition of a Kirkey race seat, B&M shifter, quick-release wheel, and six-point cage

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The real teller was a quarter-mile timeslip of 9.4s at 140mph (225kph) at Night Speed Drag Wars

Wheels/Tyres: 15x4-inch and 15x12-inch Weld Prostar wheels, Mickey Thompson Sportsman front runner tyres, 28x11.5 Mickey Thompson rear tyres Exterior: Group A bodykit, Formula Blue paint Chassis: Back-halved chassis, mini-tubbed rear Interior: Kirkey bucket seats, B&M Quicksilver shifter, quick-release steering wheel, six-point roll cage Performance: 956hp (713kW) at the wheels; eight-second potential

make it apparent that there’s a bit more grunt on tap than a blue 202 could muster.

This is an exercise in less is more — Zac built the car to drag race, and he’s kept it straight to the point. Huge power, beefy driveline, simple set-up, and immaculate presentation.

“I wanted the whole set-up to be an easy car to take racing,” he explains. “As the drag scene is quite a family-orientated sport, I’m looking forward to my girls being involved in this with me, to which they are showing a lot of interest.”

That means Zac’s probably going to be back in the garage building them something to race before too long. We can take a guess as to how that one will be making its power!

Driver: Zac Wilkinson Age: 36 Occupation: Fitter-welder Why the VK? There aren’t any Blue Meanies at the drags Build time: Four years Length of ownership: Four years Zac thanks: Wayne from ProTune; Gavin, Pat, and Mark from High Performance Rotaries; Jason at JK Auto Electrical; Adam Basher at Motorsport Plumbing Supplies; Strongweld Engineering; Scott Webb; John Vollebregt; and my family — Shane’o Wilkinson and my daughters Tayla, Peyton, Koby, and Lukha

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Paying the price FIVE-SECOND QUARTER-MILE PASSES MAY BE AWESOME, BUT THEY DON’T COME WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF WORK! WORDS AND PHOTOS: ADAM PRESTNEY eliably making 4000-plus horsepower out of a 513ci (8.4-litre), blown and injected, nitro-fuelled engine that goes down the quarter-mile in fiveand-a-half seconds at over 400kph one time is a big ask. It’s a bigger ask still to run those passes three times in an afternoon, but the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars proves that it is doable, and the cars put on one hell of a show proving it.

I’m lucky enough to have been involved in the series for the last few years, working on the ‘One Bad Kiwi’ Pontiac, driven by Morice McMillin in the series, and have had the pleasure of hosting the team at our workshop in New Plymouth after the Meremere round for their between-racemeeting servicing. The Aeroflow team shipped their own race transporters over from Australia. One is dedicated to transporting five funny cars on the two levels, and the second unit houses two cars in

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

the upper level, and all the spare parts, tools, and equipment needed to support them at the track in the lower level. After the Meremere round — and destined for the next round at Masterton Motorplex one month later — the truck-and-trailer units (and one trailer) drove down to Pirtek Taranaki, where they would be based for routine between-racemeeting maintenance. This work was carried out by six full-time staff members who spent two weeks here in New Zealand. Here’s what they went through to get the cars ready to race at an event that we now all know was cancelled due to coronavirus.

Chassis and body Once the team arrived, they set to unloading the first five of the eight cars to be inspected, stripped,

cleaned, and rebuilt. They started by removing the bodies from the chassis, leaving the bodies outside to be washed and inspected for any damage. Each chassis was then put up on a rolling stand ready to be stripped of all panels, rear wheels, transmission, bell housing, clutch, and diff head. The complete chassis was then thoroughly wiped down from front to back and inspected for any cracks and damage that could occur from tyre-shake and the extreme forces applied to them. Likewise, the diff head was removed from the rear-end housing and inspected for wear and cracks. After the Meremere round, Morice, driver of One Bad Kiwi, had said there was noise in the rear end, towing back after the final round, and this proved to be from a cracked pinion gear. This was replaced with one of the three spare diff heads carried in the trailer.

Gearbox These cars run a two-speed planetary-style (think Lenco or B&J) transmission. The team remove this from the chassis, the fluid is drained and then pulled apart to have the clutch packs. Gearing is then inspected for wear, and any parts that could cause a problem at the next meeting are replaced. The key for the Aeroflow events is to put on a show for the crowd, so mechanical issues are avoided as much as possible.

Clutch The three-disc centrifugal clutch is the secondmost-important part of getting these race cars down the track next to the engine tune-up. These clutches are tuned via centrifugal counterweight pressure to slip almost the whole way down the track, allowing the power of the engine to plant the tyres to the track surface and not just smoke the tyres. Each clutch consists of one pressure plate, one flywheel, three clutch friction plates, and two steel floater plates. After every pass down the track, a crew member of each car will cool down and readjust the clutch, allowing for wear of the three friction plates anywhere from 0.5mm to 3mm per pass.

After a meeting (three quarter-mile passes), the clutch is completely disassembled, all plates and wearing surfaces are measured for thickness and documented, two of the three friction plates are replaced with new ones, and all worn surfaces are refaced on a clutch-grinding machine and checked for straightness. The fresh clutch is then reassembled and reinstalled and set to a base setting ready to be seated with a ‘throttle blip’ on the first warm-up to bed the new plates in. The titanium bellhousing and clutch-release bearing are thoroughly inspected for any wear or damage also.

These occasionally require repairs or replacement.

Engine Most nitro-burning drag racing engines do one pass before they are stripped and inspected but the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars team do this after one meeting (three passes). As these cars don’t have any data logging on them, this inspection is very important for the health of the engines. These 4000-plus horsepower engines are skilfully tuned by spark-plug reading, timeslip, and driver feel, which only makes the inspection all the more important to ensure that the engines are happy and healthy. The engine is left in the

chassis, stripped of all its accessories, push rods are checked for straightness, rocker arms are inspected for any damaged adjuster balls and tips, and lifters are removed and inspected for wear and damage.

The cylinder heads have the valve-spring pressures checked and recorded while still on the engine,

aluminium parts only allow a short service life before they need to be replaced with new parts. The pistons suffer the same fate, living a life of between 18 to 24 passes before being replaced.

The main caps and bearings in the bottom end of the engine that hold the crankshaft in are removed,

before being removed to be leak checked. After Meremere, a couple of cylinder heads needed some valves replaced and some were to be re-lapped due to wear and tear.

Next up, the sump comes off and the connecting rods and pistons are removed. As the rods and pistons are taken out, the big end bearings are inspected for signs of damage. The pistons and rings are given a going over to make sure there are no jammed rings and no piston damage.

The connecting rods have a short life cycle of 20 runs. They might still look brand new, but the massive amounts of stress and load on these billet

inspected and reinstalled before the piston and rod assemblies are cleaned, pre-lubed, and reinstalled back in the motor. Copper head gaskets are used to seal the billet aluminium cylinder heads to the billet engine block. These are installed onto the engine before the cylinder heads are fitted and torqued down to 160lb·ft (217Nm).

The headers on these cars get a really hard time, as you can imagine, due to the extreme pressure and heat forced out of the engines. Therefore, these headers are pressure tested after each meeting and any cracks or damage repaired.

Supercharger The supercharger is one of the first things to come off the engine to be serviced, and this, along with the nitro fuel, is what makes these cars what they are — loud, with big header flames, and fast. The superchargers on the Aeroflow Outlaw Nitro Funny Cars are very small: a 6-71 standard helix running at a maximum of 50 per cent overdrive and making around 30psi of boost. Once installed on a rotating bench stand, the supercharger is flipped upside down, and Clinton, the head mechanic, uses feeler blades to check the clearance between the Teflon sealing strips and the housing. If these clearances are too loose, the supercharger will not make as much boost at the same desired overdrive.

If this is the case, the supercharger is completely stripped and the two rotors removed. The rotors then have the white Teflon sealing strips removed and replaced. Before the supercharger is reinstalled, the manifold is torqued to the engine using a specially machined flat plate fitted with 12 dial indicators. This makes sure that the manifold-tosupercharger surface is flat and true to make a perfect sealing surface.

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Reassembly After all the major components have been inspected and reassembled, the full car reassembly takes place. The full-time crew reinstall and set the clutch, gearbox and driveline, headers, fuel pump, and oil and fuel lines. The valve lash is then set, rocker covers and all panels installed, rear tyres refitted. Finally, 20 litres of oil and 40 litres of fuel are put in the tanks ready to be fired up!

Fire-up day!

Four days after the team of six crew arrived, they had already stripped, inspected, rebuilt, and readied five complete nitro funny cars ready to fire them up, check ignition timing, make sure there were no leaks, and bed the fresh clutches in with double throttle whacks.

Three days later, they had the other three cars rebuilt and ready to fire up too. No one else in the world owns eight nitro funny cars, so seeing five of these parked in a line and being a part of the fire up is a pretty amazing spectacle. Each car is individually started up on car stands by the crew, with Morice in the driver seat. The first thing checked once fired is whether there are any leaks, and then a timing light is used to make sure the base ignition timing is correct.

From there, Morice runs the car through the gears and checks the reverse gear. One of the crew then adjusts the barrel-valve fuel setting to where it would be on the run, and Morice pulls as hard as he can on the brake; releases the clutch; and, with the throttle stop installed, whacks the throttle twice in a row to seat the fresh clutch pack. The car is then shut off and the same process is repeated on the rest of the cars. Once the start-ups have been completed, the crew drains the oil and fuel, and rechecks the valve lash clearances and the clutch.

Reload After the cars have been fired up and checked, they are put onto the ground and the bodies are refitted.

There is a lot to load into the trailers besides the cars: the team’s 10 toolboxes; a rack full of three sets of ready-to-go rear slicks; 600 litres of oil that needs to be pumped from 205-litre drums into 20-litre race jugs; 1500–2000 litres of fuel; pro jacks; jacks and car stands; and, of course, all the merchandise that needs to be stocktaken, sorted, and repacked.

When all that is done, it’s finally time for the cars to be loaded into the trailers. This small hard-working team of six full-time staff took eight just-raced nitro funny cars and in eight days completely stripped, inspected, replaced parts, rebuilt transmissions and diffs, welded headers, refitted engines, fired up, and loaded them into trailers ready to head down from New Plymouth to Masterton Motorplex for the 21 March meeting.

Since the meeting didn’t take place, the cars were instead shipped back to Australia. The Meremere round was a huge success, though, so we’re hopeful it can be repeated again next year!

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

WHEEL HUBS & WHEEL BEARINGS / KITS

R A ts

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The latest automotive products Products

Raising the level

Hyper-cool coolant Hy-per Cool Super Coolant by Rislone contains wetting agents that lower the surface tension of the water/coolant mixture, improving heat transfer in the cooling system. Dissipating heat more efficiently this way can reduce engine temperatures by up to 14°C, moving the threshold for overheating. Hy-per Cool Super Coolant lubricates and protects water-pump seals and helps prevent corrosion of all metals commonly found in cooling systems, including aluminium.

It is compatible with all types and colours of antifreeze coolant. It contains no glycol, and it is a high-performance coolant safe for track use. Part number 41300 is 473ml, four per case. For stockists or product information, call 0800 227 422 or check out smitsgroup.co.nz.

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Royal bearing King race bearings are used throughout the race industry and are recognized as a reliable product. The unique metal construction results in increased load capacity and the bearings are engineered with a distinctive geometric design to extend the limits of power, performance, and durability. They are compatible with all crankshafts. Priced from $30, these bearings are now stocked at 1st Auto Parts. Call 09 638 6439 to enquire about King race bearings.

Advance Fluid Control’s TST double-walled clean oil and coolant tanks are designed to offer the highest level of performance and environmental protection for mechanical and industrial workshops. They save valuable workshop space and ensure a clean and professional look. Incorporating customized elements such as hose reels, oil bars, etc., will raise any workshop’s fluid handling to the next level. For more information, call Advance Fluid Control on 0800 538 058, email sales@advancefc.co.nz or visit advancefluidcontrol.co.nz.

Automatic alignment workhorse

Four-post power for alignments

John Bean’s 2280 combines advanced 3D-imaging alignment with the simplest, most intuitive software to create the essential tool for any alignment tech. Designed with technicians, it offers intelligent and predictive alignment workflow for the selected vehicle without unnecessary steps, so operators never need to wait for the system.

Rolling compensation time is reduced by 35 per cent and caster swing is 40 per cent faster than previous models. The 2280 also offers an automatic tracking camera beam, all for $29,995, excl.

GST. For more information, contact Repco on 0800 003 030.

Powerrex’s SL-3600A is a premium-quality four-post wheel-alignment lift supplied with two centre jacking beams. This Korean-made lift features a three-button control panel for up, lock, and down and a six-button remote control with up and down controls for the lift and each jacking beam. Each jacking beam also has electrical switches on each side for operating it from under the car. No air lines are required. It is CE and Australian/New Zealand safety certified. See automaster.co.nz/products/powerrex-sl3600a for product information and videos, call 0800 214 604, or email info@automaster.co.nz.

Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

Lynx fresh Kiwis have grown up with the familiar fragrance of Lynx, and for many it was and still is the absolute ultimate deodorant in a can. Now, you can carry that fragrance into your car with the range of Lynx car fresheners. Offered in Gold, Black, Ice Chill, Dark Temptation, and the iconic Africa, these are available to suit your mounting preference in 3D-hanging, vent, minivent, and gel-can options. Available from all leading automotive, hardware, and big box stores throughout New Zealand. Contact your local stockist for pricing. For further information, visit griffithsequipment.co.nz.

Full timing kit for VW Group 1.2s Schaeffler has launched a new INA Timing Chain Kit for Volkswagen Group 1.2-litre TSI engines (VW, Audi, Skoda) from 2008 to today, part number 559 015 630. The kit contains more than 25 parts. Besides timing chain, chain tensioner, and slide and guide rails, it includes the crankshaft sprocket, gasket and mounting parts, and Chain Protect’additive. For more information, contact All Euro Parts on 0800 255 387, or visit alleuroparts.co.nz.

Raasm air or water hose reel This 3∕8-inch Raasm fixed air-water hose reel comes with an ABS drum and brackets in painted steel. The retractable 18m black rubber hose is ideal for keeping busy workshops tidy and working efficiently. Check out model number 9430.102. Contact Emco on 07 850 5240, or email sales@emco.co.nz.

Stop-start car batteries from Century Another cool profit centre Summers are getting hotter, so air-con servicing becomes an increasingly valuable service to offer. Features of the Heshbon HR-371 air-con fluid recycler include automated recovery and recycling management, manual or automatic operation, and a dual operating mode: expert or beginner.

It has a programmable vacuum phase automatic air-purge system and programmable maintenance. Options are available for all refrigerant types. RRP $5599 plus GST, delivered. For more information, contact sales@centurydistributors.co.nz or call 04 567 1405.

Century ISS Active Stop-Start batteries are specially designed to deliver fuel-saving and emission-reducing benefits while also meeting the high electrical demands of vehicles fitted with ‘idle stop-start’ (ISS) systems. Innovative design features and advanced raw materials are incorporated to deliver superior cycling performance, high charge acceptance for rapid recharge in between engine-off modes, and the extra power to run on-board electrics while the engine is switched off. For more information on Century’s products and services, contact your local Century representative on 0800 93 93 93 or visit centurybatteries.co.nz.

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Breathe freely in your vehicle Without an effective cabin-air filter installed, the air inside your vehicle can contain over 10 times more pollutants than the air outside. Ryco’s MicroShield cabin range filters out more than just pollen. The filters provide a barrier to fungal spores, dirt, dust, and bacteria, and they also help to remove airborne dirt that can build up on the vehicle’s interior surfaces.

They are designed to filter out particles of 2.5μm and above. For more on Ryco’s extensive cabin-air filter range, including the latest MicroShield technology, see ryco.co.nz

Free Schaeffler app for mechanics Not so simple grease

Morey’s Moly Complex EP2 Grease is a lithium complex grease designed to offer excellent mechanical and chemical stability over a wide temperature range from –40° to 204°. Formulated with five per cent molybdenum disulphide, this grease is recommended for Caterpillar applications like the 994 series loaders and 5130 and 5230 series shovels. Its adhesive- and water-resistance qualities make it an ideal chassis lubricant for off-road trucks, and construction, agricultural, logging, and mining equipment. Morey’s Moly Complex EP2 grease is available in 450g cartridges, 2.5kg and 18kg pails, or in 55kg and 180kg drums. See moreyoil.co.nz or call 09 813 9200 for more info and stockists.

Schaeffler has introduced a mobile app giving mechanics free technical support.

The Repxpert App makes finding the right spare parts and all related technical information fast and easy. Mechanics get free access to TecDoc and other solutions such as barcode scanner, installation videos, DMF values, and Schaeffler product information (Luk, INA, and FAG). For more details, visit repxpert.com.au or download the app from App Store or Google Play.

Beam me up The Werther International Beamsetter is designed to check vehicle headlamp alignment. It is made in Italy and is CE certified and approved. It measures optical heights from 250mm to 1.5m. The reading screen can be adjusted by a simple mechanical worm screw, so there’s no need to calibrate. A special introductory price applies through to the end of September. Call your local BNT or Autolign branch to find out more.

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

The only slightly less automatic workhorse John Bean’s V2260 offers all the features of the 2280 aligner — advanced technology, intuitive software, predictive alignment workflow, and video speed cameras that mean you never have to wait for the machine. It still captures vehicle dimensions, cross diagonals, tyre size, offers EZ-Toe, a separate cabinet, cloud-based and remote-report printing, and a wireless remote display option. However, moving the camera beam on the V2260 is manual.

It comes in at $25,995, excluding GST, but including delivery, installation, and training. For more information, contact Repco on 0800 003 030.

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Supplier directory

PA R Be TS

a S ra ring UP di s P at , d LY or iff : s, s, en al SE gi ter RV ne n O IC co ato ils E ,g C m rs, po br re O as N ne ak e, S nt e c co UM s, om ol A W Ba p an B O tte on L t R , E rie en Ra K t S r an : s ts gs SH , s cl , lu O fl ea b P ui ne ric C d, rs an O bu , C ts N lb SU ar , P SU s, flu SP C PE M ar , A sh Ti E a B e e N er L es , r A bu od SIO irc oso ES on ls : sh s, N ,a es ba & br , b ll j S as ea oin TE AF iv rin ts E es TE , r RI g , s, ac N Au R sh k G di M oc en : dr o, AR ks ds es pe K , s rf ET up or , p m AC W ai an C nt ce ES O /w p S D RK ra ar O ia S p, ts, RI g ha no HO dr bo ES nd sti P iv d : el y c E to s, Q iv ki e ts ol ho U s, is IP , RE sp ts M PA , ec e E N Au IR l ia ec T l to ist tr : en E SER se ics gi lec V rv , p ne tr IC ic ow i e c re al E: eq er bu , g W ui to ild ea pm ol IN r s b , D W S en s, su ox in C t sp es d m sc RE en , c irr re E sio yli or en N nd n S s, s ,c e w ,c & oo r h ip hi G W er p LA lin ead H s, re S g s, E O E cu pa S EM LS st irs : om , s re re & pa p T fit ide irs lac YR m gl , c em E en as S: o t s, e ns n AU t um , TO t re ab yre st R le s, s, fit su ora EFI in tin pp tio N ne g lie n, ISH r t /b s, sm E ub ala sp a R es nc ra sh S: in yp re g, ai pa nt ir er s, s, au pa to in b tc o or dy re ct io n

YOUR GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND'S LEADING AUTOMOTIVE TRADE SUPPLIERS

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0800 472 787 0800 200 100 0800 445 889 0800 333 125 aecs.net 06 874 9077 bntnz.co.nz 09 414 3200 hcb.co.nz or 0800 422 228

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precisionequipment.co.nz 0800 246 478

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jasoceania.co.nz or 0800 527 335

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dieseldistributors.co.nz or 09 265 0622 09 836 6673

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autolign.co.nz or 09 574 2288 tatp.co.nz or 0800 268 266

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smitsgroup.co.nz or 0800 227 422

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griffithsequipment.co.nz or 09 525 4575

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parts@1stautoparts.co.nz or 09 638 6439 mountshop.co.nz or 0508 866 686

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bmw.co.nz or 0508 269 727 cyb.co.nz or 09 978 6666

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0800 465 855 0800 549 429

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automaster.co.nz or 0800 214 604 centurydistributors.co.nz

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dtm.co.nz or 0800 621 233

nzmotoroils.com or 0800 942 645

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0800 383 566 06 306 8446 or blackfern.coop redarcelectronics.co.nz 0800 757 333 or fenixautoparts.co.nz

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crc.co.nz or 09 272 2700 rjbatt.co.nz or 09 636 5980

 Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

patchrubber.co.nz or 0508 837 248

penriteoil.co.nz or 0800 533 698

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smitsgroup.co.nz or 0800 227 422

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treadwayequipped.co.nz 0800 436 436

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sales@advancefc.co.nz 0800 538 058 holden.co.nz/dealers

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07 850 5240

0800 188 122

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mmnz.co.nz or 0800 54 53 52

cooldrive.co.nz or 0800 327 868 ryco.co.nz or 0800 838 222

ford.co.nz or 0800 367 369

tyreorder.co.nz or 0800 80 90 96 moreyoil.co.nz or 09 813 9200

The Auto Channel supplier directory is your easy reference for sourcing a range of automotive products and services.

This directory is a paid service for businesses who supply to the New Zealand automotive trade.

To secure your inclusion, contact Mark Everleigh on 09 222 1729 or mark.everleigh@parkside.co.nz.

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a S ra ring UP di s P at , d LY or iff : s, s, en al SE gi ter RV ne n O IC co ato ils E ,g C m rs, po br re O as N ne ak e, S nt e c co UM s, om ol A W Ba p an B O tte on L t R , E rie en Ra K t S r a s ts gs SH : n , s cl , lu O fl ea b P ui ne ric C d, O rs an bu , C ts N lb SU ar , P SU s, flu SP C PE M a , a AB sh Ti E r e e N es , A er L r S bu od IO irc oso ES on ls : sh s, N ,a es ba & br , b ll j S as ea oin TE AF iv rin ts E es TE , r RI g , s, ac N Au R sh k G di M oc en : dr o, AR ks ds es pe K , s rf ET up or , p m AC W ai an C nt ce ES O /w p S D RK ra ar O ia S g p, ts, RI ha no HO dr bo ES nd sti P iv d : el y c E to s, Q iv ki e ts ol ho U s, is IP , RE sp ts M PA , ec e E N Au IR l ia ec T lis t : to S t s ric en E ER er s, gi lec V vi po ne tr IC ce w i c re al E: eq er bu , g W ui to ild ea pm ol IN s, rb W DS en s, su ox in C t sp es d m sc RE en , c irr re E sio yli or en N n, nd s, s S co er w ,c & ip hi G W ol he er p LA in ad H s, re S g s, E O E cu pa S EM LS st irs : om , s re re & pa p T fit ide irs lac YR m gl , c em E en as on e S: t s, AU su nt, TO m ty re ab re st R le s, s, fit su ora EFI in tin pp tio N ne g lie n, ISH r t /b s, sm E ub ala sp a R es nc ra sh S: in yp re g, ai pa nt ir er s, s, au pa to in b tc o or dy re ct io n

PA R Be TS

Take care when charging through electrical systems testing YES, VEHICLES ARE BECOMING MORE COMPLEX AND NOWHERE IS THAT MORE EVIDENT THAN IN THEIR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THREE TOP TIPS WILL HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK hese three steps will help you avoid issues that can mask or multiply the problems with a circuit.

No one wants to correct a problem they have introduced instead of the actual root cause. As well as throwing you off the scent and causing confusion, these red herrings simply incur additional cost or downtime.

T

Avoid temptation Many diagnostic tests ask you to back-probe a terminal at a component to measure voltage with the circuit intact. There’s give and take with this; you could force a loose connection at the terminal to make contact. Place the probe in different points to help avoid making a false connection. You might force the terminal connection open, though. That could cause you to miss the problem that caused the original complaint. Bottom line: avoid the temptation to push harder on the probe when it appears no connection is made. You don’t need to get a bigger hammer to put parts together. Rather, use caution and follow recommended published service practices.

that burned in a circuit. You can prevent issues by using fused jumper wires to avoid damaging the rest of the circuit. Be sure to check service information for recommended amperage protection on jumper wires or the amperage protection determined by the vehicle fuse for that circuit.

Don’t power through Applying power to an electrical component could damage the component. Unlike some other cases, more power is not a good idea here. Don’t connect battery voltage to these components, but rather be sure to use only voltage at the manufacturer’s recommended specification.

Auto Channel is the best way to reach the wider automotive industry. The publication is direct mailed to 11,298 New Zealand businesses in the following automotive sectors: Automotive workshops Parts importers and distributors

Take a jump

Transmission specialists

Yes, jumper wires are a great way to test circuits that are not easily accessible. But you also might find a short circuit that caused damage to a ‘fuse’ or wire

Automotive recyclers Towing operators Panel beaters and painters Crash repairers

1400 horsepower electric Mustang IN CASE ANY MUSCLE CAR AFICIONADOS ARE TEMPTED TO SNIFF AT FORD’S ELECTRIC MUSTANG, THE BLUE OVAL HAS COME UP WITH THE MUSTANG MACH-E 1400 eveloped over 10,000 hours in collaboration with RTR using a Mustang Mach-E GT body-inwhite, the prototype uses seven electric motors to target 1400 peak horsepower (1044kW).

“The challenge was controlling the extreme levels of power provided by the seven motors,” says Mark Rushbrook, motorsports director, Ford Performance. “Mustang Mach-E 1400 is a showcase of the art of [what’s] possible with an electric vehicle.”

Vaughn Gittin Jr, RTR Vehicles founder, motorsports champion, and professional funster, says: “Getting behind the wheel of this car has completely changed my perspective on what power and torque can be. This experience is like nothing you’ve ever imagined, except for maybe a magnetic roller coaster.”

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Auto Channel Issue #27 August 2020

Tyre dealers Three of the seven motors — five more than in the Mustang Mach-E GT — are attached to the front differential, and four are attached to the rear in pancake style. A single driveshaft from each stack connects them to the differentials. The setup can be adjusted for everything from drifting to high-speed track racing using rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and front-wheel drive.

It allows the team to investigate the effect of different layouts on energy consumption and performance. Drift and track set-ups have completely different front-end configurations, such as control arms and steering changes to allow for extreme steering angles in drifting.

Downforce is targeted at more than 1000kg at 257kph.

The Mustang Mach-E 1400 is set to debut at a Nascar race soon.

Ford is investing more than US$11.5 billion in electric vehicles worldwide.

Suspension and underbody repairers Steering specialists Towing operators Auto-electrical repairers New- and used-car dealers Air-conditioning repairers Heavy-machinery dealers Trucking and transport

Auto Channel Issue No. 28 distributed 2 September

Editorial: editor@autochannel.co.nz Advertising: Mike White michael.white@parkside.co.nz All other enquiries to: autochannel.co.nz Auto Channel is produced by Parkside Media, publishers of New Zealand’s three biggest-selling automotive magazines NZ Performance Car, New Zealand Classic Car, and NZV8.

Get kitted out with the ultimate professional tool kits 245 PC Combination Tool Kit + Tool Chest

513 PC Combination Tool Kit + Tool Chest & Trolley

SAE

SAE

METRIC

METRIC

Tool Kit Contains • 26” 7 DRAWERS CHEST • EVA SOCKET TRAY • UNIVERSAL JOINTS • WRENCH SETS • FLEX FLARE NUST SETS • LONG BALL HEX KEY SETS • SCREWDRIVER SET • PLIER SET • PUNCH & CHISEL SET • HACKSAW • BALL PEIN HAMMER • SCISSORS • FEELER GAUGE • HI-LO VOLTAGE TESTER • TAPE MEASURE

1699

$

Tool Kit Contains • 42” 8 DRAWERS CHEST • 42” 11 DRAWERS TROLLEY • 94 PC 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” EVA SOCKETS • 24 PC RATCHETING WRENCH • 39 PC RATCHETING SCREWDRIVER SET • 30 PC. BIT SET • 20 PC SCREWDRIVER SET • 15 PC METRIC WRENCH SET • 15 PC SAE NON-RAT WRENCH SET • UNIVERSAL HACKSAW • MAGNETIC TOOL PICK UP • ROUND TELESCOPING MIRROR • MAGNETIC TRAY WITH COVER • 12 PC PUNCH & CHISEL SET • 16OZ & 32OZ FIBERGLASS BALL PEIN HAMMER • 7 PC PLIER SET • 6 PC METRIC FLEX FLARE NUT • 5 PC SAE FLEX FLARE NUT • 13 PC TORX SOCKET SET • 12 PC 3/8” HEX BIT SAE SOCKET SET • 12 PC 3/8” HEX BIT METRIC SOCKET SET • 26 PC METRIC & SAE LONG BALL HEX KEY SET • 8 PC SECURITY TORX SET • 3 PC ADJUSTABLE WRENCH SET • 41 PC WRENCH INSERT BIT SET • 10 PC METRIC STUBBY WRENCHES • 10 PC SAE STUBBY COMB NON-RAT WRENCH SET • 10 PC SAE 6 PT. SOCKET SET 10mm 1/4” & 3/8” DRV • 5 PC. STRAIGHT FLUTED SCREW EXTRACTOR SET • MULTI PURPOSE FLEX LED LIGHT • 4 PC 7” INTERNAL/EXTERNAL SNAP RING PLIER SET • 7 PC HOOK & PICK SET

THE ULTIMATE GEARWRENCH TOOL PACK EVERY MONTH Packed out with 314 PC. Premium Tool Kit + 26” Roller Cab & Tool Chest!

To enter, simply purchase any HiKOKI Power Tool

COMPETITION ENDS 30 SEPTEMBER 2020.

Terms & Conditions apply. One entry per invoice.

• 4 PC MINI HOOK & PICK SET • FENDER COVER • 40 PC METRIC RATCH TAP AND DIE DRV TOOL SET • 5 PC MIXED MINI PLIERS SET • 35 PC MICRODRIVER SET • 1/4” BREAKER BAR 5.5” • 3/8” BREAKER BAR 12” • 1/2” BREAKER BAR 15” • 10 PC UNIVERSAL ADAPTER SET

4549

$

DRIVE MORE WOF’$ TO YOUR WORKSHOP. 800

WOF’S TO BE WON

Give your customers the chance to win back the cost of their WoF in August & September.

Register with Repco or Appco to be part of the “Win your WoF back” promotion.

Contact your local sales rep for full details and terms & conditions.

0800 472 787

0800 200 100