Auto Channel 23

ISSUE 23 APRIL 2020

THE VOICE OF THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

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Tips for workshops on the coronavirus front line WHEN WORKSHOPS OPEN AGAIN, THEY WILL COME FACE TO FACE WITH CUSTOMERS AND THEIR ‘PERSONAL SPACE’ — THE INTERIOR OF THEIR CARS orkshops will be keen to get back into business as soon as the lockdown ends but they will also need to take precautions for dealing with the coronavirus, Covid-19, as customers’ cars which can harbour this and other viruses.

While community spread may be contained in New Zealand by the lockdown, the virus is still active overseas so it’s possible the virus could be reimported later, and if we don’t have ‘herd immunity here’ because the lockdown stopped the spread, we will remain vulnerable until a vaccine is available.

As both bacteria and viruses can remain viable on hard surfaces like metal, glass, and plastic for days and possibly more than a week in suitable conditions, workshops will have to manage the risk to staff.

Roads and vehicles will continue to be the main arteries of life in New Zealand for the foreseeable future. Vehicles will continue to need service and

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repair, and that means workshop staff will be in the front line, coming into contact with both customers and their ‘personal space’, inside their vehicles.

In Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has advised that automotive brands and their dealer networks will remain open to provide sales and service support to customers.

Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, said: “The operation of motor vehicle dealerships, their service and repair centres, and key supply chain facilities play a critical part in supplying essential services to the community.

“At the same time, the automotive industry rates the preservation of the health and safety of our

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Equipment Specialist Contacts:

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Nigel Toa

027 475 2224

National Sales Manager

Kevin Odgers

027 279 1204

Auckland East & South

Dave Miller

027 492 8962

National Technical & Training Manager

Waikato & Bay of Plenty

Alan Dadswell

027 282 3966

Bruce Francis

027 494 2802

Lower North Island

Justin Mills

027 494 7186

National Diagnostics Sales Manager

Dean Guilford

027 643 1608

South Island

Brent Grindley

027 216 9173

Equipment Spares

Scott Townsend

027 246 3640

Dunedin South

Craig Everett

027 282 7423

Contents

From the Ed.

14 Covid-19 in cars The business case for tool hire

Cover / 4 6

Preparing for EVs

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No substitute for the right tool

20

Bringing business back

24

The three-legged stool

26

‘Mental’ VT Commodore

34

Rotary-powered Ferrari

38

Product profiles

40

Specialists in new, and old, VWs

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Building cars on a skateboard

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hings are moving fast!

As we researched advice for workshops the coronavirus situation was already changing and the country moved to alert level 3, with level 4 imminent. In a lockdown, obviously, most workshops will also be closed for the duration.

However the advice on our front page is still relevant for when the population gets on the move again.

Cars have many hard surfaces that are in close proximity to people’s faces. Even if the contagion is contained, the virus won’t have been eliminated.

Our research shows, perhaps surprisingly, that viruses survive better on hard surfaces than on soft or porous surfaces — usually for no more than 72 hours but in ideal circumstances and away from UV light it can be much longer.

Given its progress overseas, Covid-19 is likely to be with us for some time, so good hygiene practices at work and around vehicles will need to be brought in and maintained.

If the government’s energetic and proactive moves to prevent a spike of infections is successful and most people avoid contracting the disease during the epidemic, then we will have a large number of people still susceptible to Covid-19, until a vaccine is available.

Wipes and aerosols sprays will be with us for many months.

Here’s hoping the targeted measures put in place to keep the economy on life support also prove effective, and that people are soon free to resume a more normal life at home and at work.

Stay safe.

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Ian Parkes, Editor

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employees, dealer network, and customers as our number one priority. The industry has considered and adopted a number of additional hygiene and safety protocols, including extended cleaning processes, personal distancing, and contactless sales and service consultations — all with the number one priority of ensuring the safety and security of our communities,” Mr Weber said.

“It is largely business as usual — but with extra care and consideration for our key stakeholders.”

Implementing basic cleaning and sanitizing practices will go a long way to reduce risk to workshop staff. We have collated the top tips here.

Wearing disposable gloves, grab a rubbish bag and chuck out any litter in the car — food wrappers cups, discarded receipts. Vacuum any soft surfaces in the car including floors and seats.

Use disinfectant wipes to clean the dashboard, switches, cup holders, and interior handles. Note too that vents and the plenum chambers behind vents can harbour germs, especially as UV light, which kills a lot of germs, doesn’t reach in there.

Wipes won’t reach in there either, nor into other nooks and crannies like the recesses around switches. Consider using an antibacterial misting agent and giving those vents a squirt. Commercial products are available that won’t leave behind spots, stains, or residue like some cleaning agents.

And don’t forget to clean car keys.

You could also investigate sourcing handheld UVC fluorescent lamps or LEDs which can be used to disinfect work stations, equipment, tables, machines, keypads, computers, and of course car interiors.

UV, specifically UVC light — UV light in the 100–280mm wavelength — can kill up to 99% of harmful bacteria and viruses, including the Covid-19 coronavirus. It is regularly used in drinking water treatment.

The Car Coach Report’s consumer automotive expert Lauren Fix says the average vehicle has about 283 different types of bacteria in every square inch.

The average steering wheel has four times more bacteria on it than a typical public toilet seat. The worst spots in cars are the front seat cup holder, the dashboard air vent, the driver side floor mats, and

the door handles.

Ideally, after finishing work on a vehicle, you will repeat the interior sanitizing process before handing it back to the customer.

WORKSHOP CLEANING You may want to consider sanitizing your workshop, office area, and toilets several times a day to maintain a safe environment for everyone.

Consider suspending your lobby coffee and beverage service for a time, to reduce waste.

People may be reluctant to use it anyway. Provide disinfecting wipes and sanitizing gel in the waiting areas, as well as wipes in employee workspaces.

You could provide gel here too, but it’s better to encourage proper handwashing.

GERMS ON HARD SURFACES A variety of viruses can trigger the common cold, and cold germs can survive for days on hard, nonporous surfaces like desktops and handrails — even longer than they survive on bare skin.

However, they rarely remain infectious for more than 24 hours.

Influenza germs can survive in the air as droplets for hours and live on hard surfaces like phones and keyboards for up to 24 hours. Infectious flu viruses clinging to a tissue can last for about 15 minutes.

Viruses on the hands tend to fade quickly. Most will be only a minimal threat after five minutes. It may be a small window of time, but influenza germs don’t warn you of their presence and can make you very sick if you’re unlucky enough to encounter them when they’re infectious.

The highly contagious norovirus that triggers stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea can spread through small droplets that travel through the air before settling on surfaces. They don’t last on soft or porous surfaces but they can survive on hard surfaces.

The same is true for other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS. They can survive on hard surfaces for two hours to nine days but the risk is greatly reduced after 72 hours. The best advice of all is to wash your hands thoroughly.

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Auto Channel is the best way to reach the wider automotive industry. The publication is direct mailed to 11,367 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 #23 April 2020

Prestone — protecting cars for 93 years EVOLUTION AND INNOVATION HAVE KEPT PRESTONE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF AUTOMOTIVE PROTECTION PRODUCTS stablished in the US in 1927, Prestone has become a global brand in the protection of cars in extreme conditions. Its production and research and design facility in Danbury, Connecticut, keeps Prestone at the cutting edge of automotive technology.

In 1927, Prestone produced the first nonflammable ethylene glycol, to keep engines from freezing. It meant that continuing to drive through winter was no longer a rarity. For the past 93 years, Prestone has maintained its market positioning with industry-leading innovations.

In 1930 Prestone made the first inhibitor powerful enough to protect cooling systems from rust formation, giving the company a new leading element in its product range. Now, 90 years later, Prestone’s antifreeze/coolant contains patented Cor-Guard inhibitors which are formulated to help cooling systems run more efficiently, to extend engine life, and to prevent corrosion.

Throughout World War II the US military recognized the quality of Prestone antifreeze/ coolant and decided it was essential to keeping its

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vehicles running at their best in some of the most extreme conditions.

In 1962, the big three US automakers turned to Prestone, and installed ethylene glycol antifreeze solution in all new cars, making it a standard yearround performance fluid.

While Prestone’s packaging has changed over the years and its technologies have advanced, the company’s mission remains to protect drivers and their vehicles with cutting-edge products.

Today, Prestone’s coolant/antifreeze is used by OEMs globally.

Prestone has continued to improve its antifreeze/coolant technology and applies this expertise to other vehiclemaintenance products such as powersteering fluid, radiator flush and oil degreasers, along with patented Stop Leak technology for cooling systems. A range of Prestone Triple Seal Protection has been formulated with Kevlar to stop leaks by sealing them permanently without harming cooling systems.

For more information on where to purchase Prestone products, call Filpro Automotive on 0800 465 855 or email info@filpro.co.nz.

The key to workshop productivity A SPECIAL TOOL HIRE SERVICE OPENS SPECIALIST WORK TO MORE WORKSHOPS n this interview, All Euro Parts founder Auric Mirfin explains why his company focuses on special tools just as much as on high-quality replacement parts.

“Being a mechanic used to be a manual job,” he says. “Everything was done using trusty hand tools — how things have changed.

“Most newer cars are much more complicated and require specialist tooling. Fine tolerances throughout modern engines, interference-fit components, and tapered pulleys mean you can no longer just put a Twink mark on a pulley when resetting timing. Now each engine type has its own timing tools and buying all of these tools would cost thousands of dollars. All Euro Parts specialist tool hire service gives mechanics access to over 1000 specialist tools without any upfront cost. This means you can see how often you use a tool before you invest in buying one.

“One of the worst aspects of replacing a part, especially in a complex modern vehicle, is how much other stuff you have to dismantle and then put back together again.”

“Take, for example, a smoking BMW N62 engine with valve stem seal issues. This is an expensive and complicated repair which involves removing

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

the engine, cylinder heads, and cams. The AGA N62 Valve Stem Seal Tool Kit from the All Euro Parts tool range allows you to perform the valve stem seal repair without removing everything.

This saves you hours. It removes the need for cam timing tools — and it eliminates the risk of setting the timing incorrectly. Knowing you can get access to this toolkit means you can pitch confidently for this repair job, rather than see the customer go to another shop for the repair.

“Our hire prices are very affordable and they are even discounted when the parts for the repair are purchased through All Euro Parts. Most of the toolkits are easy for an experienced mechanic to use. They come with written user guides and, in many cases, there are also how-to videos available. The standard hire period is three days. This is flexible if required.

“The cost of hire tools can be charged to the customer, which is cost-effective for both the customer and the workshop. The workshop is able to complete more jobs in a shorter time frame without having to carry and amortize the cost of a tool purchase. The customer gets a good deal, too.

They pay a surcharge for the tool but they save on the labour time it would have taken to do the job without the tool.”

Got a tricky job and wondering if there’s a hire tool solution? Call All Euro Parts on 0800 255 387 to get advice on all the parts and tools needed for the job.

Pre-check aligner drives business A NEW DRIVE-THROUGH PRE-CHECK ALIGNER SPOTS MORE POTENTIAL SALES OPPORTUNITIES — AND CUTS DOWN ON NON-CHARGEABLE HOURS he Sice A100 Check pre-check aligner is a drive-through, fully contactless wheel alignment machine that checks toe and camber, giving readings for four wheels in as little as 30 seconds. It means cars coming into the workshop can be checked for alignment against tolerances for specific makes and models without needing to be put on a hoist.

Todd Jenkins of Century Distributors says the A100 is “really a tool to sell wheel alignments more than anything else”.

It overcomes the reluctance workshop customers might have to spend money on an alignment check if they don’t suspect a problem or they can’t see uneven tyre wear. An easy-toread printout shows the customer either that their vehicle is OK or that it needs an adjustment.

“It finds those firm leads that would have been missed if no check had been done,” says Todd.

As well as identifying every opportunity for alignment services, the machine also saves the unchargeable time involved in conventional

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LEASE SOLUTIONS

alignment checks.

If you were to check four cars a day, on spec, with a normal hoist and aligner set-up, that would take about an hour a day, which is 5 hours per week. This doesn’t include the vehicles booked in for checks, which obviously are chargeable.

If 50 per cent of the cars checked on spec do need an alignment — which is quite a high proportion — it still leaves 2.5 hours a week that isn’t being charged out, or leading to new business.

However, the cost of a 30-second check is easily absorbed in a standard service cost.

Todd says the A100’s huge benefit is its ability to check alignment on every single vehicle that comes into the workshop in under a minute. It can be controlled from a tablet in the car, too. The check can be made even quicker but simply inputting tyre size and driving through; this gives a reading without references to vehicle-specific tolerances.

Selby Allison of Allison Autos in Whanganui installed a Sice A100 in December. He says it’s the ability to do a quick check and show customers an easy-to-understand printout of the result while they are still onsite that he values. He uses the vehiclespecific info option to get more pass or fail read-outs for toe and camber.

“It definitely helps if we can show the customer it’s out,” he says.

Selby doesn’t mind if customers then go to a tyre shop for the alignment, as he doesn’t especially want to ramp up wheel alignments.

“We’re a service and repair business and for us it’s a customer service thing. It’s an example of the quality of service we provide — but for wheel alignment shops it would be ideal.”

The system includes a camera so you can show customers any rim damage in reports. There are add-on features such as a tyre tread depth scanner, and you can also integrate vehicle diagnostic tools to create full condition reports.

For more information on the Sice A100 Check, contact Century Distributors on 04 567 1405 or see centurydistributors.co.nz.

EQUIPMENT LEASE

We Lease All Leading Brands and Models

Wheel Balancers from $24 + gst per week Tyre Changers from $38 + gst per week Wheel Aligners from $159 + gst per week Two Post Hoists from $45 + gst per week 4 Post Hoists from $102 + gst per week Scissor Lifts from $44 + gst per week

Contracts include delivery, install and all servicing / repairs.

We lease ANY workshop equipment. For a quote call 021 614 421 8

Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

Castrol goes digital CASTROL’S NEW ONLINE PORTAL PUTS ORDERING IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND astrol has launched Castrol EXPRESS, a webbased portal that makes it simple and faster to order Castrol products directly from a PC, Android, or iOS smartphone or tablet.

The portal puts the complete Castrol range at customers’ fingertips, and it makes the ordering process faster and easier to manage than traditional methods. Customers can search the full product range, place new orders, and monitor delivery status 24/7. The new portal also makes it possible to log a repeat order in under a minute.

Customers can access hazard and storage information and technical specs through the app or website when ordering. They can also review and search all previous orders and account info such as invoicing data online.

Castrol EXPRESS is available to Castrol Trade customers for PCs through the website or smartphone apps can be downloaded from the App Store for iOS devices and from the Google Play store for Android systems.

Existing customers can sign up by sending an email to orders@castrol.co.nz and include relevant details: business name, account number, contact name, and business contact number.

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You can also register by filling in a form at castrol.com/expressnz. A Castrol representative will then be in touch promptly, welcoming you to the free Castrol EXPRESS service. Applications will be processed within 24 hours and customers will receive an email confirmation with login details for the apps or Castrol EXPRESS web page.

For more information on Castrol lubricants, see castrol.com/en_nz/new-zealand and for more on Castrol EXPRESS, see castrol.com/expressnz.

YOUR SHORTCUT TO EASIER ORDERING CASTROL EXPRESS ONLINE ORDERING BOOSTS EFFICIENCY AND IS QUICK AND EASY TO USE MAKING YOUR BUSINESS EASIER TO MANAGE. Setting up Castrol EXPRESS using our secure login portal is quick & easy!

PLUS the app means you can order direct from your mobile or tablet.

Castrol EXPRESS gives you an instant overview of your account, orders, invoices and delivery status.

Benefits include:

GET CASTROL EXPRESS TODAY!

Order products in just a few clicks.

Repeat regular orders in under a minute.

24/7 delivery monitoring.

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Access to hazard, storage & technical info as you place your order.

Review & search your orders.

Review & search all invoicing.

ONLINE PORTAL

Please email: orders@castrol.co.nz and include your Business name, Account number(s), Contact name, Business contact number and Email address.

You can also register at: www.castrol.com/expressnz Please allow up to 24 hours for your user registration request to be completed.

Ford introduces Puma SUV FRESH-FACED FORD ADDS CHARM AND CONNECTED TECH TO SMALL SUV RANGE ord’s new small SUV, the Puma, is aiming to win sales for the blue oval with a combination of a fresh personality and technological punch.

The all-new Puma will go on sale in the second half of this year. Like the upcoming Escape, which is based on the Focus platform, the Puma is sourced from Europe. It uses the same turbo-charged 3-cylinder 1.0-litre engine as in Ford’s current EcoSport small SUV — a motor that has racked up 11 engine of the year awards — but the new car’s styling sets it apart from the crowd.

The Puma updates Ford’s SUV line-up, which runs through the Escape and Endura models to the seven-seat Everest. The name was previously used for a European market three-door coupe from 1997 to 2002.

The new Puma is the smallest car in Ford’s SUV line-up but the equipment is impressive and features the new technology suites Ford is rolling out across its range in New Zealand. Features include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping aid with lanedeparture warning, traffic sign recognition, cruise control, driver impairment monitor, rear parking sensors, 180-degree split-view reverse camera, ISOfix hardpoint attachments, tyre pressure monitor, and side and side curtain airbags for the driver and passenger as well as the usual front airbags.

The vehicle also has voice-activated, in-built satellite navigation on an 8-inch full colour touchscreen, Bluetooth audio streaming, a seven-speaker audio system, and wireless smartphone charging.

It also has Ford’s new Ford Pass Connect modem — a ‘connected car’ technology that pairs with the FordPass smartphone app. It opens the

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Auto Channel Issue #22 March 2020

door to — well, opening the door, with remote unlock/lock, as well as remote start, remote vehicle locator and monitoring, live traffic updates, and vehicle health alerts.

It will also provide fast access to roadside assistance, service scheduling online, viewing the car’s service history, an online owners’ manual, and access to a ‘Ford Guide’, who can explain connected services by phone or email.

The Puma will initially be available in two models, the standard Puma and the ST-Line, which has red stitching on the interior trim, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a unique front apron with a different fog-light treatment, side skirts, and integrated rear spoiler, different 17-inch wheels on a lowered, sports suspension, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, paddle shifters, and metallic foot pedal inserts.

Both models have the same 92kW and 170Nm engine with high-pressure direct fuel injection, twin

independent variable cam timing, and fuel saving cylinder deactivation — no hybrid version at this stage — mated to a seven-speed gearbox.

The Puma is Ford’s first urban SUV to be equipped with selectable driving modes. Five modes are available: normal, sport, eco, slippery, and trail.

The 60/40 split-fold rear seat can be lowered for cargo space of up to 1170 litres. With the seats upright, boot space is 410 litres. That’s less than the EcoSport but the Puma does have a ‘Mega Box’ under the boot floor, which makes it easy to carry tall items like plants or even golf clubs upright. It also has a drain plug so you can hose it out. Just note that the mini spare tyre is carried in the Mega Box. If owners want to use the box and take the spare out, Ford recommends they carry a tyre inflation kit.

RRP for the Puma is $33,990 while the ST-Line model goes out at $37,990.

PEACE OF MIND

PEACE OF MIND

WITH FORD GENUINE PARTS Ranger 2006-2011 Cambelt Replacement Kit PART

PART NUMBER

Timing belt

WE0112205

Timing belt idler

WE0112730

Timing belt tensioner

WE0112700

TRADE PRICE1

GETGENUINE POINTS2

$ 51 $ 29 $ 147

76 pts 43 pts 220 pts GETGENUINE POINTS2

Clutch Kit PART

PART NUMBER

TRADE PRICE1

Clutch disc

WE0116460A

Clutch housing cover

WE0116410C

Collar / release bearing

LF0116510

$ 272 $ 220 $ 57

408 pts 330 pts 85 pts

Motorcraft Service Items PART

PART NUMBER

Fuel filter

AFG182MC

Air filter

AFA184MC

Front brake pads

UMY13328ZA9MC

Front brake rotors

H2MZ1V125K

Wiper blade insert

AWV61020S

TRADE PRICE

1

$ $ $ $ $

30 50 79 95 8

GETGENUINE POINTS2

45 75 118 142 12

pts pts pts pts pts

Call your local Ford dealer today 0800 FORD NZ (0800 367 369) 1

Prices are recommended only and are net after discount and exclude GST. Recommended prices were correct at the time of printing. 2GetGenuine reward points are awarded only to trade customers registered under the GetGenuine GetRewards Programme. Some exclusions apply. Images shown are example parts only. For full warranty terms and conditions ask your authorised Ford Dealer. Promotion ends 30 April 2020.

Beissbarth is back ONE OF THE OLDEST PREMIUM BRANDS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, BEISSBARTH, IS BACK IN NEW ZEALAND AND AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH REPCO stablished in Munich, Bavaria in 1899 to build car bodies and chassis, Beissbarth is associated with many motoring firsts. These include the first driver licence, issued in Germany to Daniel Beissbarth in 1899; the world’s first number plate, the number 1 on Beissbarth’s car; and the first Mercedes chassis, the Mercedes Knight, named after Gottlieb Daimler’s daughter.

After World War II, the company branched out into the design and manufacture of automotive wheel-changing, balancing, and alignment systems.

In 1951, Beissbarth developed its first automotive tyre-changer, which was revolutionary at the time, mechanizing many previously manual tasks.

Progress continued into the next millennium, and Beissbarth introduced the world’s first touchless wheel-aligner in 2006.

The company has a modern manufacturing facility in Italy employing more than 200 dedicated staff, backed by a global research and development team. All products are developed in close

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collaboration with both the auto aftermarket and major vehicle manufacturers.

Beissbarth service equipment is approved and recommended by many original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide. OEMs that value the precision, measurement accuracy, and efficient test procedures provided by Beissbarth include BMW, Daimler, Ford, Opel, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

Beissbarth has continued to innovate, and its range of wheel-service systems is now available in New Zealand through Repco. Beissbarth products for all workshop types include: • wheel-alignment systems • tyre-changers (passenger and heavy-duty) • wheel-balancers (passenger and heavy-duty) • tyre-tread-depth measurement systems • OEM-approved equipment.

Repco backs Beissbarth products nationwide with spares, service, technical support, and training. For more information, contact your local Repco branch.

Schaeffler offers aftermarket hybrid tech SCHAEFFLER AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET IS OFFERING A REPAIR SOLUTION FOR THE FEAD FOR 48V HYBRID VEHICLES he 48V INA front-end auxiliary drive (FEAD) kit is now available for the Renault Scénic and Mégane dCi 110 Hybrid Assist. The main components include the V-ribbed belt, tension and idler pulleys, and all necessary accessories. Schaeffler solutions for other hybrid vehicle applications will follow.

Hybrid cars with a P0 drive have an electric motor in the belt drive in addition to the classic combustion engine. The 48V FEAD system effectively converts belt-driven power-consuming units into power suppliers. The starter motor and alternator are replaced by a belt alternator starter (BAS) generator. In interaction with a 48V battery, the vehicle can coast with the combustion engine completely switched off, saving up to seven per cent of CO2 emissions. On acceleration, the BAS can also increase the drive torque, increasing both performance and comfort.

Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket’s vice-president of transmission systems, Rouven Daniel, says that garages should prepare themselves for a transitional period. “We see the addition of an electric drive to vehicle architecture initially as an evolution. The processes for diagnosis and repair might change, but undoubtedly independent garages will be able to repair hybrid and electric vehicles as well.” Schaeffler predicts we’ll see 30 per cent full electric vehicles, 40 per cent hybrids, and 30 per cent traditional combustion engines by 2030. “We therefore do not expect a revolution for the next few years but rather an evolution. With our portfolio, we are ideally equipped as a partner for our customers and garages,” says Daniel.

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

A latest-generation premium Beissbarth tyre-changer

An early Beissbarth dynamic wheel balancer ad and Daniel Beissbarth driving, 1899

Better harness for smart brake controllers DRIVERS OF MODERN CARS NEED TO MAKE SURE WHEN TOWING THAT ADDITIONAL INPUTS FROM THE TRAILER ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE CAR’S ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. utonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure, and collision avoidance are just a few of the modern systems impacted by trailer dynamics and the trailer’s electrical connections. The increasing weight of caravans, boats, and other dual-axle trailers is also a consideration.

Redarc Electronics, maker of the top-selling Tow-Pro electric brake controller, says correct installation of trailer connections is critical as modern vehicles can sense whether a trailer is connected or a trailer light globe has blown; they can even sense impending sway.

To protect vehicle systems and avoid false fault codes or damage to sensitive electronics, Redarc has launched a new range of wiring, which streamlines its existing range from 11 kits to just 3 kits.

The Universal Tow-Pro Wiring Kit (#TPWKIT-013) is suitable for vehicles in which the starting battery, Tow-Pro unit, and cable running to the cabin are all in line.

The Universal Tow-Pro Extended Wiring Kit (#TPWKIT-014) is suitable for vehicles with a starting battery on the other side of the vehicle from the rest of the installation. It has a longer positive power connection lead.

The Tow-Pro Wiring Kit to suit Ford Ranger and Everest (#TPWKIT-012) works seamlessly with all Ford on-board systems.

For more information on Redarc’s Tow-Pro Elite, Universal Wiring Kits, and associated accessories see redarcelectronics.co.nz/trailer-brakes.

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Preparing for an electric vehicle future n case you haven’t noticed, the only sectors of the new car market making increases in sales are in electric vehicles. While dealerships have a manufacturer-supported infrastructure to assist in complex repairs, the same cannot be said for the independent service sector. In order to stay ahead of this trend, workshops will have to create a plan to address the service, training, tooling, and diagnostic considerations for EV vehicle repair.

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GETTING STARTED As the independent service sector begins to plan for EV service, some common questions inevitably come up. What are the differences between servicing an EV vehicle and an internal combustion engine or ICE car?

What do I need to do to prepare for this technology?

They run high-voltage systems. Can we do the required work safely? Does my shop need any special electrical infrastructure to repair charging equipment?

THE ICE IS MELTING In EVs, the large, high-voltage battery is managed by a control unit that coordinates the flow between power to the wheels and regeneration of the battery.

This is very similar to the process on production hybrid electric vehicles. While these systems have their own unique considerations, they are typically not service considerations until something major like a battery or other related component fails. Besides these high-ticket items, these vehicles still have many of the systems we are used to servicing. One area to consider is that of cabin noise. Note that without the background noise of an internal combustion engine, small noises from brake pads and calipers can become a customer complaint. Same with wind or vibration. If you are not already familiar with analyzing noise, vibration, and harshness, now may be a good time to get some training. As your long-time customers buy into electric vehicles, they will certainly look to you for guidance. Do you know all you should about this technology? How will you educate a customer when they ask you, their personal automotive expert, which charging unit to use in their home? It’s time to hit the books, again.

SAFETY Safety has to be a priority when working with highvoltage systems. If you have already set up good hybrid electric vehicle service practices in your shop, you may already be prepared for EV safety.

Keep in mind that many of the voltages you will be dealing with can severely injure or even kill a technician. However, most manufacturers have gone to great lengths to install safety mechanisms such as high-voltage isolation, service disconnects, and contactors to prevent the presence of high voltage when servicing these systems. Basically, if

OUR PEOPLE. OUR PRODUCTS. OUR SERVICE. R & J Batteries’ network spans across Australia & New Zealand with a history of exceptional customer service. Our battery experts are equipped to find the best battery for any power requirement.

you follow the common-sense approach of reading before proceeding then you will almost always be safe. Personal protective equipment such as highvoltage lineman’s gloves and insulated tools will become a necessary step to maintaining personal safety in the workshop. Remember, you may need to quarantine an area of a workshop and notify other employees and customers of safety concerns while performing high-voltage repairs.

POWER SUPPLY Can the power supply in your workshop handle a high-capacity charging system? How will you test an HV-charging system problem without one?

While you may not be performing repairs such as this yet, you may very well be seeing them in the near future. It might be time to have a conversation with your electrician to make your shop EV ready.

TECH SUPPORT While new car dealerships have a team of experts available to guide diagnosis and repair or even a technical engineer on the road visiting dealerships, the independent repair market will have to make significant investments in training and technical support. MITO has developed an EV course.

DIAGNOSTICS Diagnostics are typically at the heart of any repair.

With that being said, shops should have access to factory-level scan tools whenever possible. OEM software subscriptions are available that allow independent workshops to download factory-

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

level diagnostics and programming. A factory scan tool interface along with a suitable laptop are the next considerations. Each manufacturer has a preferred USB-connected interface that will allow the end user the ability to connect to the vehicle’s OBD-II connector and utilize the factory software subscription. Unfortunately, these devices are typically proprietary, meaning you will need a different interface for each make you service and repair. However, the aftermarket is responding and a variety of aftermarket scan-tool manufacturers are addressing these issues. At this point it is worth talking to scan-tool suppliers, and, in particular,

looking at how they will support your use of the tool. Do they have skilled technicians at the end of the phone?

TOOLS When looking at tooling for the HEV and EV repairs, look no further than OE-recommended tools and equipment. It may be a surprise to some but the actual list of required equipment for these repairs is relatively small. For most manufacturers this comes down to a good insulation meter, commonly known as a megohmmeter, as well as a meter capable of reading very precise resistances

known as a milliohmmeter. The megohmmeter and milliohmmeter are two of the tools that you are most likely to see when diagnosing faults within the windings of motor generator units and the high-resistance, high-voltage wiring that carry the current for the motor generators. Megohmmeters are readily available through the name-brand electrical testing companies you are already familiar with. Whether or not this investment, which can be $1000 or more, is worthwhile will depend on how committed you are to moving into this business.

Insulated tools are often recommended by manufacturers. These, too, can be purchased through most major tool companies.

While this is not a specific hybrid/EV tool, a PC-based labscope can be of great use in HV and EV repair. With several HV additions, this tool can provide a wealth of information.

Differential probes, available through companies such aeswave.com, provide the ability to view live measurements from any pair of windings on a three-phase system. Just keep in mind that if you want to view all three phases simultaneously, you will need three differential probes in order to do so. Again, purchase from a company that can provide technical support.

GET READY Tesla has grabbed the majority of the global EV market share but industry predictions show almost all conventional car makers pushing back into this territory. It’s not a question of whether this technology will be heading your way, but when.

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Automaster Equipment — the lift specialist LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED, AUTOMASTER CELEBRATES 15 YEARS IN BUSINESS aving been in the business for 15 years and continually learning throughout that time, the guys at Automaster Equipment have specialized in tailoring their service to different customers’ needs.

“Our customer service focuses on understanding the requirements of our customers’ businesses.

That way we can help our customers to find the best-value product, not just in terms of upfront price but also of ongoing operating costs, return on investment, and product performance,” says Automaster director Gary Cotterell. “We know that some businesses will always want the highest quality. Some want quality solutions, but at a reasonable price, while others will simply want the lowest-priced equipment on offer.”

Automaster Equipment has a vast range of lifting equipment with a wide range of features, models, brands, and price points, which means it can supply exactly the right lift for each customer’s particular needs.

“There’s no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ at Automaster,” explains Gary.

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PEAK LIFTS Peak lifts are Automaster Equipment’s commercial-grade, low-cost option. The lifts

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

are simple, reliable, and very safe. They are often sold into home workshops and smaller professional garages throughout New Zealand.

The range consists of 4000kg two-posters and four-post parking lifts with optional jacking beams. Two-post lifts start from just $3095 plus GST. The lifts are commercial quality and are European CE safety certified. Automaster has been distributing the Peak range in New Zealand for the past eight years. It has selected these lifts for budget applications as they have consistently demonstrated levels of durability and reliability normally only seen in more expensive lifts.

AUTOMASTER LIFTS Automaster’s own brand of lifts is the biggest range the company carries and represents the very best value for money. They are fully featured and contain only top-quality components at great prices. The range covers motorcycle lifts, scissor lifts, single-post and two-post hoists, four-post standard, and wheel-alignment lifts in both 4200kg and 6400kg options. Also available is the 5000kg wheel-alignment scissor lifter, supplied with twin jacking beams. With 15 years’ proven performance in workshops across New Zealand, Automaster-brand products are proven performers and truly represent the very best bang for buck.

POWERREX KOREA In 2015 Automaster Equipment acquired the exclusive agency for premium-quality, featurerich, Korean-manufactured Powerrex lifts.

Automaster soon achieved strong sales and many satisfied customers for these lifts. To achieve product consistency, Powerrex Korea returned all its manufacturing to its Korean plant. It now completely controls all aspects of production ensuring that top-quality lifts are consistently delivered to its dealers. The range consists of two-post clear floor hoists with an ultra-low arm design. They can be supplied with screw-up or ratchet-up feet. The four-posters are available in 4500kg and 6000kg models in both standard and wheel-alignment configurations. Alignment scissor lifts in 4500kg and 6000kg are also carried in stock.

These lifts are tested and certified to Australian / New Zealand electrical and safety standards.

MAHA New to Automaster is the German-made premium-quality Maha range of two-post lifts, with manufacturers’ OEM approvals. The Mapower II two-post electro-mechanical drive lift has a 3500kg load capacity and the Maha HL CS 4.0 two-post hydraulic lift has a 4000kg load capacity.

For more information, call 0800 214 604, view the website (automaster.co.nz), or email info@automaster.co.nz.

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Hayman Reese expands X-Bar range MORE VEHICLES TO GET TOW BAR BUILT AUSSIE TOUGH FOR KIWI OUTDOOR ADVENTURES ayman Reese’s popular X-Bar is specifically designed to fit seven of the most popular fourwheel-drive utes along with the new Ford Ranger and VW Amarok models that are coming in May. X-Bar is the first tow bar to come with three recovery attachment points. The two outboard points are rated to four tonnes while the central recovery point is rated to eight tonnes. It is the only 8000kg rated recovery tow bar on the market.

That gives off-roaders plenty of scope for recovering their own or other vehicles, plus configurable towing options. Tow balls have been used in vehicle-recovery operations before now, but they are simply not safe for attaching strops — especially for any snatch-type manoeuvres.

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Auto Channel Issue #22 March 2020

Shackles and closed towing eyes as fitted to the X-Bar are much safer.

The new ute-body range is designed specifically to fit with the vehicle’s original rear step bumper and maintains the X-Bar advantages of recovery rating, engineered for strength and superior style.

The X-Bar ute incorporates a quick-release cover plate, which has been specifically designed to lift and lock open when towing.

This new feature provides easy access to hitch pin, shackles, and trailer plugs and pulls down for a clean look when not towing. The forged

ball mount, increased side-plate thickness, and forged rated recovery points ensure that the heavy-duty X-Bar is ready to handle towing and recovery needs.

The X-Bar comes with Metalshield two-stage paint protection as standard, SmartClick vehiclespecific wiring solutions, and a bolt bag. It also comes with a 50mm tow ball. A 1 ⁷/₈-inch tow ball is available as an option.

The X-Bar is priced from $1667.50 plus fitting and wiring. It is available now at Hayman Reese stockists around New Zealand. See x-bar.co.nz.

Filpro acquires Powerdown FILPRO STRENGTHENS ITS POSITION IN THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET AND SUSPENSION INDUSTRY ilpro Automotive, a supplier of automotive aftermarket products, has acquired ride control components manufacturer Powerdown Australia.

Powerdown will continue to manufacture its Powerdown-branded OEM and aftermarket products for trucks, heavy commercial trailers, buses and light commercial vehicles, as well as RAW 4x4 branded products for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Powerdown’s former managing director, Bruce Gatgens, has handed the reins to Filpro Automotive Australasia MD Roger Lassen, who will incorporate Powerdown into the Filpro Automotive group.

Filpro Automotive is a leading supplier of automotive aftermarket products, with warehousing and distribution networks in New Zealand and Australia. Filpro delivers a range of industry-leading products including Fram filters, Safeline brakes, Indy oil, Prestone, Redex, Simoniz, and Holts products.

The group’s extensive distribution network will expand the availability of Powerdown’s suspension products to customers in Australia, New Zealand, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the US. Powerdown has 37 years’ experience in the heavy vehicle industry. This exciting development will benefit both Powerdown and Filpro, along with its customers, through expansion and innovation.

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Filpro managing director Roger Lassen (left) clinched the deal with Powerdown’s outgoing managing director Bruce Gatgens

The Bendix Ultimate 4WD Brake Upgrade Kit with advanced brake pads and rotors, braided lines and a host of ancillary items is the ultimate brake upgrade for the latest 4WD vehicles such as Ranger and Hilux.

This comprehensive kit includes specially compounded high performance CERAMIC material brake pads for increased stopping power in extreme conditions plus the latest Bendix Ultimate Rotors designed and developed specifically for Australia’s demanding conditions.

Find solutions for every brake job at www.bendix.com.au Or freecall the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 Bendix is a trademark of Garrett Advancing Motion

No substitute for the right tool HERBERT LEIJEN TAKES US ON ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC JOURNEY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LONGER WITHOUT THE RIGHT TOOL.

his series of AECS articles goes through the diagnostic process AECS’ technical support team uses with problematic vehicles. We look at the issue involved and share how we resolved the problem. This an inside look, from the profound to everyday issues that automotive workshops encounter.

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REMEASURE The rocker cover was taken off the engine to make sure that the CH1 probes were actually connected to the injector of cylinder one.

Partial zoomed-in picture of second ATS scope recording That was a better measurement! Now we could get to work. The misfire was still every sixth cylinder but by looking at the injector pattern and the firing order we could see which cylinder was not firing.

Zoom in a bit further:

PROBLEM PRESENTED TO THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM 2007 Fuso Shogun 6M70 6-cylinder turbo diesel The truck was presented with a misfire to a workshop which has AECS equipment and AECS tech support. The diagnostician suspected that he had to replace an injector. His question to the support team was which injector did he need to replace?

MEASURE We asked him to measure the number one injector differentially and the crankshaft sensor signal offset or differential. The crankshaft sensor signal needed to be converted into a crankshaft speed signal, so we could look at the compressions and the energy delivery of each cylinder (DeltaN).

The following pattern was posted on the AECS tech support forum.

It was clear that the voltage of injector number one is zero when the injector was not activated, except from noise from all other injectors and when the voltage stacker (buck boost power supply) for injector one was ‘pumped up’ by the inductive force of injector two.

FIRING ORDER A look at the firing order of the engine showed that after injector 3 had fired there was hardly any speed rise of the crankshaft, only that caused by decompression, not by combustion.

FIXED? Injector three was replaced and the engine ran beautifully. The vehicle was given back to the customer, who promptly returned it after his first run with the same misfire!

The scope got connected again, and guess what?

ATS 6004XM crankshaft and injector signal recording; added is the rpm trace with the maths function of the scope

INCORRECTLY CONNECTED The injector signal was measured at the multi connector of the loom entering the engine’s rocker cover. Even though the scope was set up in differential mode, the signal did not show zero volts when the injector was not activated (AED training).

There was clearly a probe hooked up on the wrong wire.

It was very clear that this engine had a misfire! On every sixth rpm rise (combustion) the rpm stayed too low, yet the rpm drop rate was even (compressions).

We were looking at a cylinder-specific problem, not at a global (all cylinders) problem.

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

ATS scope recording when the truck came back after a few days’ service

You can clearly see that there is a problem on cylinder six! Number three is fine. Just to make sure that we were not looking at a worn engine with compression problems, EGR problems, or intake manifold problems, we added an extra line to gauge the compressions of each cylinder without the rhythm of the misfire affecting the compression speed drop of each cylinder.

This function is called ‘differentiator’. It calculates the expansion energy and compression energy of each cylinder, all from the crankshaft sensor signal measurement.

In the above recording’s differentiator, it was clear that there was nothing wrong with the compressions (so the air intake). All cylinders were having even compressions.

Cylinder six was holding back a bit; however this can be the result of the revs climbing too high from firm beats at one, five, and three. I am holding injector six as likely still OK. However, the injectors of cylinders two and four were seriously deficient.

Yet all injectors and the pump are new, and the rail has been cleaned out, so how is that possible?

CLEAN AGAIN The rail was taken off the engine and cleaned again but this time much more thoroughly. A small pocket of filings that would not be dislodged with solvent (brake clean) came out when a pipe brush was used.

All components were cleaned and injectors two and four were replaced under warranty. The truck has been on the road for several weeks now and is running fine.

CONCLUSION

TS 6004XM scope with the differentiator function used It could not have been any clearer! The compressions of all cylinders were equal, but the energy delivery of cylinder six was lagging way behind. Was it really the injector at fault this time?

A recording was made with the rail pressure included:

What an utterly frustrating job, and, more so, costly for the owner and workshop! However, the scope and the knowledge gained in the AECS training seminars were put through their paces. Many workshops that are not using AECS equipment and training worry about how complex diagnostics is. It isn’t!

In the recordings above you can see some of the unique features of ATS scopes, features no other scope on the market can offer — no matter what the equipment salesman tells you.

Is it really that complex, or have the scope and the AECS training and support dramatically sped up the conclusion-making process?

Agreed, the scope could not point out that there was a pocket of filings still stuck in the rail. However, you really need to think about this case as a whole.

Take away the scope measurements, or put in place an everyday scope which records just the crankshaft sensor and the injector pattern, without the ability to produce the DeltaN line and the differentiator line — how would you even start working out what the hell was going on, three times in a row?

Please consider AECS as your supplier for equipment, training, and support.

Herbert Leijen, AECS, 06 874 9077, info@aecs.net, www.aecs.net.

ATS 6004XM 4-channel differential/offset scope recording The cylinder six misfire was still clearly visible (drop in rpm at +/- 1800 rpm) but look at what the rail pressure was doing.

When injector six needed to take diesel, the rail pressure did not go down; the injector was not taking any diesel. This could only mean a blocked orifice in the common rail injector (Denso Common Rail Diesel training).

The injector rail was removed and cleaned. Metal filings were found in the rail.

The decision was made to replace the fuel pump and put a full set of injectors in.

Potentially, all injectors could have been blocked or partially blocked by particles left behind in the injector’s intake.

FIXED V2?

The truck was running absolutely fine and was sent on its way, only for it to come back again after a decent trip with another severe misfire. A new measurement was made and to our frustration the following was found:

2/3 injectors faulty?

21

Car news

Vehicle sales down in February otor Industry Association chief executive David Crawford says February 2020 registrations are down 2.2 per cent (261 units) compared to the same month last year, with 11,438 new vehicles registered.

“The month of February was up for passenger and SUV vehicles by 4.4 per cent (331 units) over February 2019, however, it was down 14.4 per cent (592) for commercial vehicles. While it was pleasing to see the passenger and SUV market remain strong, it is worrying that the commercial sector continues to be down, the fifth month is a row,” he said.

Pure electric vehicles remain steady, with 124 units sold in February, with PHEVs up slightly at 113 units and 551 hybrid vehicles continuing their solid sales performance.

Top sellers were the Ford Ranger (728 units), the Toyota Hilux (580 units), and the Toyota RAV4 (419 units). For the month of February, Toyota remained the overall market leader with 17 per cent market share (1892 units), followed by Ford with 11 per cent (1222 units). Mitsubishi was in third with 10 per cent market share (1,106 units).

In Australia, new vehicle sales decreased by 8.2 per cent on February 2019. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reported that SUVs accounted for 49.2 per cent of the market; 15,523 were light commercial vehicles (19.4 per cent) and 22,648 were passenger vehicles (28.3 per cent).

Chief executive Tony Weber said the sales results continued a trend of negative growth in the local market.

“There is no doubt that this is an extraordinarily

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difficult time for the automotive industry — a situation sadly underlined by the recent announcement of Holden’s withdrawal from the Australian market,” Mr Weber said.

The Toyota Hilux, with 3421 sales, again claimed the title of Australia’s best-selling vehicle, closely followed by the Toyota RAV4 with 3375 sales. The Ford Ranger was third with 3202 sales.

Toyota claimed the status of market leader, with 17,679 vehicles sales for the month and 22.1 per cent market share. Mazda, with 7230 sales, was the second highest brand for the month, claiming 9 per cent market share. Third was Hyundai, with monthly sales of 5945 and market share of 7.4 per cent.

Kia to reveal Halo EV in 2021 ia is to introduce an all-new electric vehicle next year as part of its plans to ramp up electrification to become a greener and more sustainable vehicle maker. Built on a new platform and designed to be a high-performance model, the new EV is expected to deliver greater mileage on a charge than the company’s current Niro EV, which already claims a 455-kilometre range.

The new model will spearhead plans by Kia to offer 11 fully-electric vehicles by the end of 2025 and take 6.6 per cent of the worldwide EV market. By that stage, the shortage of batteries that is currently limiting the supply of EV vehicles across the market should have abated, allowing Kia to boost production of electric cars to deliver more than 330,000 annually by 2025.

The new car is a pure-electric, four-door vehicle designed not to sit within the car industry’s accepted

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MotorSport New Zealand suspends events MOTORSPORT NEW ZEALAND TO SUSPEND ALL ITS PERMITTED EVENTS, AT ALL LEVELS, INITIALLY FOR TWO MONTHS IN RESPONSE TO THE FASTEVOLVING COVID-19 SITUATION, EFFECTIVE UNTIL 19 MAY otorSport New Zealand issued a statement saying that management and its board has agreed the most important thing to consider amid Covid-19 was the safety and well-being of all members of the sport, those who offer their services at events, spectators, and the community in general.

“In making this significant decision, both management and the board hope that the sport might be able to return to some form of business as usual before the two-month period in the event the Covid-19 situation shows signs of improvement,” the statement said.

“Naturally, this suspension will be subject to ongoing review and advice from both the Ministry of Health and the Government generally.

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

“MotorSport New Zealand understands the financial impact Covid-19 will have on our clubs and are actively investigating all avenues to ease the financial burden.”

Following on from this announcement, D1NZ managing director Brendon White postponed the national drifting grand final indefinitely.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the Valvoline New Zealand D1NZ Grand Final on 8–9 May at Pukekohe Park has to be postponed,”

vehicle categories. Its next-generation, zero-emissions power train is a low-mounted, induction-charged battery pack that powers electric motors on each axle.

AI learning applied to smart cruise control yundai Motor Group has announced the development of the world’s first machine learning–based smart cruise control (SCC-ML), a technology that incorporates the driver’s patterns into its self-driving behaviour, creating a custom experience for the driver.

The technology incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) within its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). It is planned for implementation in future Hyundai vehicles.

As the same driver may accelerate differently in high-speed, mid-speed, and low-speed environments depending on the circumstance, detailed finetuning was not previously available. That resulted in a reluctance to use the technology because it made drivers feel they couldn’t trust the system.

The new system will pick up habits such as maintaining a short distance from the preceding vehicle during slow city driving and a longer one when driving in the overtaking lane. Taking into account these various conditions, SCC-ML makes an analysis to distinguish more than 10,000 patterns, and this flexible SSC technology can adapt to any driver’s patterns.

The driving pattern information is regularly updated with sensors, reflecting the driver’s latest driving style. In addition, SCC-ML is programmed specifically to avoid learning unsafe driving patterns, increasing its reliability and safety.

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he stated. “Today, MotorSport New Zealand announced a two-month suspension on all motorsport in New Zealand. We respect and agree with the decision. First and foremost is the health of New Zealanders and our amazing community.

We will continue to work closely with MSNZ and stakeholders.”

White said D1NZ was working with venues on potential new dates for the last two rounds, with bookings across multiple venues in later months, and will keep fans updated.

“Sliding will happen again soon, but for now we wish all our fans and extended motorsport community to be safe and look out for those that are in need,” he said.

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Refilling the workshop STRATEGIES FOR BRINGING CARS BACK INTO THE WORKSHOP hen people are on the move again, getting their cars serviced won’t be their first priority.

Waiting for this to happen could be long and painful. We have looked here at strategies that will prompt customers and bring those cars back into your bays faster.

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GET ON THE PHONE Print out the last three months of recommended services or previously declined work. Reach out directly to these customers and offer a five per cent discount if they schedule in the next week.

This is different to offering customers a discount at the counter. It is providing a special discount in a special circumstance to get work through the door.

Make the point that the five per cent applies just for the next few days. It doesn’t hurt to acknowledge that you are looking to restart as soon as possible.

People will understand.

If you have to leave a message, don’t leave a message with the offer. The goal now is to make contact — again, so you can act quickly. If they decide to take up your offer in two weeks that’s good but not what you want right now. So say you are calling them about their car and ask them to call you back.

PLAN AHEAD It makes sense, during this downtime, to schedule in four-month maintenance-reminder phone calls.

Look back in your records for vehicles that were in for an oil change / maintenance service four to six months ago and that have not been back since.

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

Call them up, say their vehicle could be due for a service, and offer them a limited-time routine service special that will be expiring in about a week. Say you wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to take advantage of the special.

LOOKING FURTHER BACK Understanding that the average vehicle is driven between 12,000km and 15,000km annually and the average oil service is performed at 6000km to 10,000km, you should probably see customers on average two or three times a year. So take a look at customers who were in for a service six to 18 months ago but may not have been back in the past six months. There could be a lot of customers in this group. In most cases, if you haven’t seen a customer in six months they have either missed a service, used another provider for maintenance, or moved away.

This can be a very fruitful segment to address because they know you and will recognize your name. A ‘where have you been’ card can work well.

This segment is valuable and worth every cent to recover, so you could even give them a gift card.

If you are going to make a statement, then make it big. A $50 card wouldn’t be out of range given their value to your business.

If you have fleet customers, now is a good time to call them and see if they need anything done. If you haven’t visited or touched base with your fleets and local businesses for a couple of months, some will have forgotten about you. It’s quite possible they have new personnel who have no idea you were ‘their’ garage, or a place to which they could refer their customers. When it’s possible again, maybe visit fleet and business clients to assure them you are up and running again.

BLAST EMAILS Almost all of the Customer Retention Management (CRM) software systems have email-blast capabilities, so see how you can use this tool. If you don’t have a CRM provider, you can sign up with a company that provides this service.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME Before customers leave, make the next appointment.

Here’s a tactic we heard about that makes appointments a kind of game: when the departing customer makes their next appointment, they receive an envelope with a surprise gift inside; the gift is valid only if the envelope is opened at reception at that next appointment. At the very least, you should have something in your system that triggers a reminder to customers to make another booking. Texting is a great way to do this.

SOCIAL MEDIA Are you posting to your Google+ page or Facebook routinely? It doesn’t come naturally to all of us but if you can post interesting stuff that has happened in your place with a couple of photos, some people will keep you in mind. A very occasional post with a great limited-time offer — ‘Today only to our Facebook friends’ — could net you a couple of customer cars.

Don’t just rely on what you’ve always done to be good enough anymore. It’s quite possible that what has always worked in the past might not work in a very different present. The right recipe is to be proactive and creative.

Customers will still need to service their cars but are becoming more discerning shoppers. Surely it is the proactive businesses that reach out to connect and communicate with customers that will do best in the future.

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Demystifying vehicle diagnostics with ‘a three-legged stool’ USING THE RIGHT DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IS ONLY PART OF THE SOLUTION. USE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND GET GOOD INFORMATION TO HEAD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

is how the manufacturer designed that function to be carried out and its weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

The percentage can’t be much higher or the design would not have made it into production. You can use this principle to direct your diagnosis.

o what is the ‘three-legged stool’? Combining the proper training, the correct tooling, and a thorough understanding of how a vehicle works can streamline the diagnostic process, and lead to the root cause in a reasonable amount of time. If we describe knowledge, training, and experience as competence, the three legs become the technician’s competence, capable tooling, and adequate information.

THE TRUCK

THE INTERVIEW

This real-world example uses a 6.6-litre diesel truck with 186,000km on the odometer that has been experiencing a slow loss of coolant. It went into a workshop for routine maintenance and a check over. The vehicle was well maintained and in fine shape. The coolant overflow bottle had a very low level of coolant and, in the engine compartment, the unmistakable, sweet smell of hot antifreeze lingered over the hot power plant. The technician found and replaced a damaged hose.

When the driver came to collect the truck, he mentioned he had problems starting the engine from time to time. The workshop tried starting it a few times and it fired up easily. The battery condition was fine, so the driver left saying he’d bring it back if the problem showed up again.

The following Monday the driver was back saying the truck was hard to start again. Just think how often a so-called intermittent fault arises.

The technician who reported this example, Brandon Steckler, said: “We call it intermittent, but in fact once we figure out how to force the fault to reveal itself we can usually do so almost at will.”

Ask intelligent questions at this point to narrow down the failure criteria. Most mechanics will be able to recall a situation in which the job would have been a lot easier if they had known the owner had replaced a battery themselves a while back, or that an engine had boiled dry a while back but “it seemed all right” after the owner had replaced a split hose and refilled it.

Make sure to ask about weather, if the engine was hot or cold prior to the fault, the frequency of

S

THE 85/15 PRINCIPLE When it comes to experience most people will know that about 85 per cent of every action that occurs on vehicles occurs because it must. It is a matter of physics. For example, we can energize a fuel injector by providing a voltage source or, more accurately, providing both a voltage source and ground path. That is the 85 per cent. The 15 per cent

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

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a good idea to carry out tests on known good vehicles. Being comfortable with what ‘good’ looks like means that ‘bad’ will stick out like a sore thumb. A normal chart will show tall peaks initially, showing a momentary high rate of current flow because the starter uses a lot of energy to get the engine moving. Once it is turning, the energy required to keep it rotating diminishes. Next you will notice the repetitive peaks representing the top dead centre (TDC) of each piston’s compression stroke as the starter consumes more energy compressing the contents of the cylinder than it does simply rotating the crankshaft.

The technician placed a 600A rated current clamp around the heavy cable feeding the starter motor to eliminate the noise from the fuel-supply pump and glow plugs. It showed a higher peak on every eighth firing, indicating that the engine is probably trying to compress a liquid in one of the cylinders (coolant or fuel). There was no visible smoke once the engine had started. the fault, driving habits, and so on.

In this case, the symptoms only showed up after the vehicle had sat overnight. The driver described the hard-to-start symptoms as, “The engine seems to stutter while it’s cranking over, like perhaps the starter is failing”. That suggested that the engine became difficult to turn at some point in the 720-degree engine cycle.

You don’t need to be a diesel tech to work out what to do next. Knowing what to expect to see on a lab scope will take you a long way there. It’s

the vehicle overnight to cool down, then removed the glow plugs and cranked it. Sure enough, cylinder six expelled coolant from the glow plug port as the piston ascended towards TDC.

CONCLUSION The cylinder head for bank was removed for inspection (see below) and a crack in the coolant jacket within one of the intake valve ports was found to be the root cause of the hard-to-start problem.

The takeaway from that is that a solid foundation of basic knowledge and testing techniques will direct the right diagnostic direction. A technician doesn’t have to be a specialist in any particular make or model to perform a successful diagnosis. Having solid competence, capable tools, and adequate information will keep you grounded on the threelegged diagnostic stool.

THE GUILTY PARTY “I always let the results of my easy tests drive me to more pinpointed tests. This way, every move I make is justified. Every subsequent test will yield an answer.

There is no shooting from the hip,” Brandon says. “ In most cases, I would like to prove as easily as possible which cylinder is at fault to determine how far the vehicle will have to be disassembled for repair.”

The easiest way in this case would be to remove all eight glow plugs, as any liquid in a cylinder would be forced out, identifying the culprit. Brandon left

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Staying ahead of the competition HOW TO AVOID THE SILENT KILLER AND GET THE BUSINESS YOU ALWAYS WANTED few years ago, building a solid business was relatively easy. All you needed was decent gear, the ability to fix cars right the first time, and some kind of promotion, whether it was word of mouth, good signage, or some advertising.

Nowadays, it’s harder — even when workshops can remain open. Cars are being built better, requiring less servicing, and customers are more likely than ever to search online before they even pick up the phone. Qualified staff are getting rare and, of course, dealerships are doing everything they can to tie customers in to them. So how can you stand out from the crowd?

It’s time to remember why you got into business and what you wanted to achieve. You need to remind yourself of your goals and you need to create a plan for reaching those goals, dealing with the world as it is today. You can’t rely on just doing the same old thing.

The right goals and an action plan will enable you to make far better business decisions, and improve productivity and profits. Now is a great time to do this.

There are many reasons workshops fail, including lack of business skills and the unwillingness to reach

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out for help before it’s too late. That is a silent killer that preys on every small business owner, and if not caught early enough it inevitably puts them out of business. The good news is: if you are aware of it, you sidestep it and turn a good business into the one you always wanted. You need to get your head out of just managing day to day and plan things that will get you to your goals.

Some workshop owners started their careers as mechanics; others are entrepreneurs, but they have one thing in common: when they opened for business they were full of energy and enthusiasm. They worked six to seven days a week, and put in the long hours to make their dreams come true and build businesses they could be proud of.

Then they spent their time dealing with customers, ordering parts, working on cars, and putting out fires, changing from being an entrepreneur to being a manager. This is when the buzz of building a business transforms into a job, and burnout sets in. If this sounds like you, or where you are going, then it’s time to recapture the vision of the bright future you envisioned when you opened your doors.

The first thing you need to do is take a good hard look at your business, then set some long-term business goals that will get you excited again. This can have a dramatic impact on any business, and it

will have a life-changing impact on the people who take it on for real. When owners set goals that are three to 10 years out, they can be invigorated again and start taking the steps that will change their business and make it better in the future.

Successful businesses almost always have a vision and clearly defined goals, and driving towards those goals will give you a sense of purpose, it will inspire your employees, and it will keep you well ahead of your competitors.

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

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Ecowing tyres plant trees BUY A KUMHO ECOWING TYRE AND DISTRIBUTORS BLAIRS WILL PLANT A TREE eraldine-based nationwide tyre distributor Blairs is backing Kumho’s environmental credentials by supplying a tree to a local forest planting programme for every Ecowing tyre sold.

Blairs will buy an eco-sourced native plant for Talbot Forest Working Group, which is establishing wildlife corridors adjacent to the Talbot Forest Scenic Reserve near Geraldine. The working group is working with the Department of Conservation, the Timaru District Council, and Environment Canterbury to boost the health of the forest and its wildlife KH19 & KH diversity.

30 ‘A sa ve The KH27 Ecowing the tyres planet tywere designed to reduce re’ BUY OUR T rolling resistance and save fuel but also to reduce WE PLAN YRES – T A TREE carbon dioxide emissions during their manufacture.

Kumho says they offer up to five per cent in fuel savings over non-eco tyres.

For information on the planting project, contact gary.foster@timdc.govt.nz. For information on the offer or Kumho tyres, contact Blairs on 0800 809 096, or see blairs.co.nz.

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Flow Form Chasing gains with your race car? Improving aerodynamics can net some of the best bang-for-buck gains available — if you play your cards right. With so much misinformation out there, we speak with local aero expert Dave Higgins of Kinetic Sim to find out what works WORDS: MARCUS GIBSON PHOTOS: NZPC ARCHIVES ILLUSTRATIONS: KINETIC SIM

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erodynamics is the science of exploiting the airflow around your race car for downforce, reducing drag, and cooling. It’s a precision task that can pay huge dividends if you get it right, which is why the upper echelons of motorsport pay so much attention to it, with the likes of Formula 1, touring cars, and endurance teams devoting huge budgets and resources to it. But even at a grass-roots level, getting this right (without breaking the bank) can result in lasting and sizeable improvements to your lap times.

We’ve all heard that a race car like Rod Millen’s famous hillclimb Celica should, theoretically, be able to drive upside down in a tunnel at, say, 200kph, with the only thing holding it to the roof of that theoretical tunnel the passing air acting on the vehicle’s aero devices. While driving upside down would be trick and all, imagine the effect that that level of downforce would have on your grip levels, thus, the possible speed that you could take a corner. This is where literal seconds can be

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

slashed from a PB if you’re able to get the balance of you aerodynamic additions correct. However, this is where most come unstuck — in being able to test, or prove, the efficiency of their design. Unlike, say, engine upgrades, when a dyno will tell you the exact result of any change, without a wind tunnel or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis software (and the knowledge to run it), we’re really only guessing when it comes to aero, and must rely on the feedback from the driver’s seat. Just look at the current F1 front wing and how it changes over a season to get a picture of how exact this science is.

Despite the rise in popularity of aero in lower level motorsports such as Time Attack, in which wings, splitters, canards, diffusers, undertrays, and vents are now commonplace additions, few teams have yet engaged the likes of Kiwi aero engineer David Higgins to ensure that their chosen combination is efficient, effective, and making the most of their available budget. The cheapest way of ensuring whether that big wing

you purchased off AliExpress is actually a credible design is to grab a book on aero design. David recommends two books as a starting point — Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed by Joseph Katz, and Competition Car Aerodynamics by Simon McBeath — each is available online at around the $50 mark and will give you a solid understanding to make informed aero additions.

One of the most common mistakes made, and the single biggest piece of advice that David likes to give to budding designers, is to design your package to suit not only your car but also your class rules. All too often, people fall into the trap of using the likes of Google to design aero combinations or borrowing designs from control classes like FIA GT3. “Professionally built race cars are typically built to a set of strict rules or balance

of performance criteria. Many of the decisions made in their design are due to rules, and, in New Zealand, the classes we have are varied and don’t carry the same rule restrictions. You can certainly pick up design fundamentals and ideas from professionally built race cars, but, in terms of designing certain aerodynamic parts to mirror these cars, you may only be scratching the surface. Hence, it’s best to understand the local classes, rules, and where it’s best to concentrate for maximum performance within your budget,” David says.

This is something he is finding more and more of his customers are opting for: a push in the right

direction with some mentoring/coaching so that you can design and construct yourself rather than a full design service — in the same way that you might have an engine builder do all the machine work then take over yourself to do the final assembly. Getting advice on choosing the right wing element or designing your diffuser is a common route to take. All too often, these are poorly designed — in the most extreme cases, the lift generated can make the car unstable and slow it down, or the parts added can make the car heavier; produce inefficient downforce; or, in many cases, generate more drag. A piece of alloy or ACM protruding out from the front of your

bumper is an extremely common addition, but it is not going to be an effective aero device, as it will cause airflow separation on the leading edge, leaving a large pocket of low pressure underneath and blocking air from flowing under the car.

One of David’s most successful automotive projects to date is Andy Duffin’s FD RX-7, which utilized CFD analysis. “We had four months (including build time) to transform the 3 Rotor Racing FD RX-7 from what was essentially an SS2000 car to a WTAC [World Time Attack Challenge] Open Class car,” David told us. “We carried out a basic CFD analysis using an onlinepurchased CAD model and designed a new front undertray/splitter, bonnet, front guards, side skirts, [and] rear diffuser, and selected a rear wing top [for] which we designed our own end plates. In the first test, having never driven with aero, Andy was three seconds a lap faster, with more to come.”

CFD replaces the need for a wind tunnel, which is good, as there are no full-size tunnels in little old New Zealand anyway. To conduct CFD analysis, you need a CAD model of your car, which can be produced by scanning your actual race car, or the cheaper option, as they did with Duffin’s FD, is to purchase a pre-drawn CAD surface model, of which many are available online. These CAD models are not dimensionally the same as an actual car, but, if they are used for the external upper surfaces only, they can save a lot of time/money. The surface models then have all the detail added, including inside the guards, under the bonnet, the radiators, under the floor, the wheels, and the suspension.

Basically, the more detail that is added in, the more accurate the analysis will be. Once the CAD is completed, it’s then over to the complicated and time-consuming work of CFD analysis, which

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tests each part that you’re thinking of adding and how it will work as part of the entire package.

Doing this allows you to easily make changes to things such as the angle of your wing, the shape of your end plate, or even the ride height. If this were done in a wind tunnel, you’d need to have prototyped any parts that you want to tweak and be swapping and adjusting them on the fly, which, when you’re paying by the hour for a tunnel, can soon mount up your costs. As with CFD, you’ll only produce something once a design has been

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

finalized, and, at this stage, a CAD drawing can be sent out for the part to be CNC’d or constructed from measurements (taken by hand).

This type of design work does come at a cost, but it’s a fraction of the actual cost of producing the parts, as David states: “If you have neglected the cost of designing properly, then you have wasted a heap of money. It is always going to cost X-amount to construct a new body, splitter, wing, etc., but if you don’t spend the time and [seek] expertise before making it, then you have wasted

wthe 80:20 space, where we try to get 80 per cent of the gain with 20 per cent of the normal budget for an overseas, professional-style development.

We are trying our best to educate local grass-roots motorsport [about] ... the benefits of proper design and make this style of development — whether your budget is CFD analysis or not — affordable to local motorsport. For the cost of a few sets of tyres and some basic fabrication/composites, you can get permanent lap-time gains. Throwing tyres at a car will only help you for a few laps.”

Screaming Sacrilege PURISTS TURN AWAY — WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE IS SOMETHING THAT WILL SHOCK EVEN THE MOST NONCHALANT CAR BUILDER AMONG US WORDS: MARCUS GIBSON / PHOTOS: AARON MAI, JAROD CARRUTHERS

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irst impressions have the power to evoke strong emotion and perceptions, right or wrong, which are hard to break once formed.

A rotary-powered Ferrari is the type of car that will cause all types of misconceptions about its origin and its reason for existing. In the case of this particular example, owner Reuben Bemrose could easily lose the better part of a week trying to explain the reasons why he dropped a 13B bridgeport into a Ferrari 456. So while we’re here to tell you the tale of why, how, and when, we will kick things off by dispelling the two biggest misconceptions floating around about his brapping 456. Firstly, Reuben didn’t buy a $100,000 Ferrari and sink a grinder into its pristine panels. Secondly, this car only exists as a fun side bit to his over-the-top 2JZ WRX. It was never meant to have some hardout and ultimately expensive engine package like the internet is continually telling Bemrose he should have bolted between the struts. If he did that, it would have defeated the 456’s purpose, so chillout internet with your, “It should have a 26B in there,” comments.

Now we’ve set the record straight on those two points, let’s get down to business. This is a story that finds its beginnings halfway around the world with one of the richest men on earth — no, not Bemrose — the Sultan of Brunei, a man famed for his car collection (amongst other reasons we won’t touch on here). His car collection is so vast that it’s estimated to be upwards of 7000 cars,

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

It was never meant to have some hardout and ultimately expensive engine package like the internet is continually telling Bemrose he should have

all housed in a palace-like complex. Many are priceless one-offs, and many are obtained and never driven. Instead, they are simply filed away alongside hundreds of the same exotic marque.

Some reports put the number of Ferraris in his collection to be in excess of 300. And as it turns out, after tracing the vin number, this very 456 that was abandoned in a paddock as early as last year, once called the Sultan’s palace home, before being sold off and imported to New Zealand only to be unceremoniously written off with only 27,000km on the clock in a nose-to-tail. Just how it came into Rueben’s hands is a story that starts with his first foray into Ferrari ownership: a 550 Maranello engine. After selling the engine to a friend, the inlet manifold was gifted back and now serves as wall art in the Bemrose lounge. Spying a second Ferrari manifold on Trade Me, this time from a 456, Reuben thought, “Shit yeah, my wall needs that!”

“Darryl Turk said a rotary would be cool in this, I was like ‘Yeah, rotary, cool’. Two weeks later he phones me up to say he has built a 13B for it” He also enquired about what other 456 parts the seller might have on offer. Long story short, a year or so later, Reuben found himself handing over a small amount of folding stuff and loading a nonrolling written-off 456 shell onto a trailer, saving it from death by slow rot.

Not 100 per cent sure as to what he’d actually do with it, Reuben got together the parts to make it a roller and then poked it into the corner of the workshop for another day. A day that came when Darryl ‘Chicken’ Turk from EFI and Turbo stopped in to deliver parts for another project, as Reuben explains: “I got it rolling then just left it thinking one day I’d maybe put a Barra in it, or the RB26 that I had sitting there, and then it just came to me — I didn’t want it to end up as another 150k POS like the Subaru. One day, Darryl Turk was dropping off an engine and said a rotary would be cool in this, I was like ‘Yeah, rotary, cool’. Two weeks later he phones me up to say he has built a 13B for it. From there, I just kind of got carried away because we had a motor sitting there for it.” A plan was hatched to build something simple and fun, something you could beat on at events like Chrome and REunion and not care too much about. Throw the keys to the boys without cringing and go have some fun.

Before any of the fun could be had, the shell itself required some serious repairs. The funny thing is that, when you come up with a crazy project like this, everyone tends to pitch in to make it happen.

And, luckily for Reuben, he knows some very talented car folk who were more than keen to get in on the action. Zac from Carboglass has taken care of repairing the damaged front end and creating a

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one-piece front clip that would bolt onto the newly tube-framed front end by Bruce Graham. Bruce would also beat into submission the reason it was written off in the first place — the heavily damaged alloy rear quarters — to the point they only required a small skim of bog before painting in factory 456 silver. Bruce would also weld 85kg worth of bent tubes into the shell in the form a roll cage.

In late 2019, Reuben now had a shell that resembled a Ferrari and had an engine sitting there.

But what really propelled the car into what we’d consider a crazy build was a call from a mate who just happened to own what must be the world’s most modified Ssangyong race ute, letting him know he was upgrading the ute and had a bunch of parts for sale. It’s from this that things like the fourspeed TTi, OMP race seats, Tilton pedal box, Penske race shocks, three-piece sway bar, and alloy hubs came from — all for a price a every single one of us would find extremely hard to say no to.

Taking a rolling body and a pile of parts, then forming a running car is no easy feat, and it can be a process that spans months or years, unless you’re Reuben Bemrose and Chicken is hot on your tail to get it running. You’ve got to hand it to Darryl. He not only acted as the pusherman for the project, he’s been there from day one making sure it would damn well make the deadline of REunion. Three weeks out from the event, he phoned Reuben to give the old hurry up and told him to drop it off and he’d get it sorted. The next three weeks were nothing but a blur of travelling between Welly and Palmerston North, working the nightshift at EFI & Turbo, raiding both his WRX leftovers and Chicken’s parts stash to make it happen. Enter some very clever thinking and can-do attitude in adapting parts like a Toyota Yaris electric-steering shaft, a GT4 Celica driveshaft, and a Nissan 5.1-ratio

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

R200 diff. “It’s been interesting how parts have just worked. You kind of eye them up like, ‘Oh, this might work,’ go grab one and then make it fit. But it’s not sketchy in any way. There is nothing in it that I think is questionable. That’s just not in my nature,” explained Rueben.

The funny part about it is the quality of the final product. Considering it’s a fast and loose

affair, anyone could be fooled into thinking it had a cheque book thrown at it thousands of times over. But it owes Reuben next to nothing, and the amount of fun it will deliver over the coming years will be priceless. It’s built to thrash, and with a two-metre-wide track, aero that’s not like a potato, proper suspension, a sequential, 5.1-ratio LSD, and a big set of brakes, it’s a damn riot to pedal!

Blaze of glory WHEN HAYDEN WILBY GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE IN THE BURNOUT MASTERS AT SUMMERNATS, HE KNEW HE’D HAVE TO BRING HIS COMMODORE UP TO SPEED, AND HE MIGHT JUST HAVE NAILED IT … oy racers — two words that, through the early 2000s, would have struck a bolt of righteous anger through the heart of any watcher of the six o’clock news. At the time, the boy racer epidemic was just about one of the biggest issues facing New Zealand. It was a time before anyone rich or famous had made headlines for methamphetamine use, before the Christchurch earthquakes, before the global financial crisis, and well before the subsequent effects on the housing market.

It wasn’t that long ago, but it was a simpler time.

Hell, you’d have struggled to buy a phone that could take photos, let alone use the internet anywhere other than at home or the office.

And, in those simpler times, there would have been no way a younger Hayden Wilby could ever have imagined owning something like this mental VT Commodore — never mind pouring a small fortune into building it in a few months in order to ship it off to Australia to do a couple of burnouts. Why would you go to the lengths and expense to do so, when midnight burnouts in industrial areas get the blood pumping just as well? He might not have known it at the time, but Hayden was paving the way to this car all those years ago, in those much simpler times.

We’re not going to name names, but sources in the Wellington scene at the time reckon that

B

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

Hayden always had V8s, even when all the young guys were getting around in modified Jappas. These days, most of those guys have grown up and moved on to good old-fashioned pushrod power, flying the flag that Hayden has waved from day dot. And since he’s always been partial to the odd skid, when Hayden decided that he’d get back into burnouts — legally — by entering the New Zealand Burnout

The old VT SS would have been a bit of a dream rig when Hayden was younger, and, when this particular example came onto the market, it ticked all the boxes Championship (NZBC), he’d only be doing it in a V8.

The old VT SS would have been a bit of a dream rig when Hayden was younger, and, when this particular example came onto the market, it ticked all the boxes: LS power; six-speed manual; and, most important, it was the right colour! The fact that it was way up in Auckland didn’t deter him, and, as soon as he’d hauled it halfway across the North Island, his legal burnout career began. Hayden put in the big kilometres, and accompanying days off work — a big ask when you run your own business — to travel all over the country, and, the better he got at getting the tyres off, the tougher the Commodore became.

The Holden’s first major revision came with the addition of a Holley tunnel-ram manifold and Enderle Big & Ugly injector hat, transforming the naturally aspirated (NA) LS into a rev-happy animal.

The next big change is the real reason we’re featuring it, though.

By the end of the second NZBC season, Hayden had finished up in second place, nabbing a Burnout Masters Golden Ticket — in plain English, an invitation to compete in the world’s premier burnout competition at Summernats in Australia. “Once I had the Masters ticket, I decided to go big and give her a makeover … it was never supposed to be this big!” he laughs.

Hayden’s number-one priority was a repaint; you don’t bring something beaten-up to represent your country on the world stage. Thus, Hayden chose Delta J Panel and Paint to sort a show-quality finish.

“I left the colour choice up to Dyson and Rixsta with only one rule: it had to be some form of orange or ginger. DNA El-Nino Candy was the colour they chose,” he says. “Many already know this, but she is named ‘NUTOUT’ for a reason. My wife is a fiery ginger that is always nutting out about the money I waste on cars, [and] with the Arcus Performance and Delta J upgrade, this car is now a perfect representation of her — a beautiful angry ginger!”

You can’t miss the Arcus Performance half of that equation either: a blacked-out blown mill that towers head and shoulders above everything. It’s a Warspeed top-end package, comprising a high-rise supercharger manifold, water-to-air intercooler, BDS 8-71 supercharger, and Enderle Big & Ugly injector hat with throttle-position sensor (TPS) keeping the Link ECU informed.

Hayden explains: “I hadn’t intended on adding the supercharger for Summernats, but once the original LS1 was stripped down, everything was in such good condition — which is hard to believe after the beating it took over the year — that I was able to talk Joel [Arcus] into putting my blower on it!”

That said, it probably wouldn’t have taken much, as Joel’s got a super-tough blown-and-injected Camaro burnout car of his own. Combined with his passion for GM LS engines, Joel was the ideal candidate to sort all of Hayden’s dirty work.

The LS in Hayden’s rig retains its stock rotating assembly, albeit with ARP fasteners and a doublerow timing chain hanging off the Kelford blowerprofile cam. It’s similarly straightforward at the top end of the long block — stock heads with double valve springs and upgraded rocker trunnions to deal with big revs and big pressure. To make it all work, a Link ECU has superseded the standard GM Delco unit, with standard LS1 coil packs and MSD leads proving to be more than up to it. But, as out of the blue as the blower addition may have seemed to those in the know, perhaps more surprising was

Hayden’s decision to stick with the T56: “We also decided to stay manual, as it’s just more fun, plus, the Mantic clutch was still mint and it meant we were able to re-use it.”

She is named ‘NUTOUT’ for a reason; my wife is a fiery ginger that is always nutting out about the money I waste on cars. with the Arcus Performance and Delta J upgrade, this car is now a perfect representation of her That is a huge point of difference — and one that earns Hayden massive cool points — where Powerglide and Turbo-Hydramatic autos rule the roost in the world of burnout transmissions. While

shock loading of the driveline is an obvious concern when abusing a manual box in that manner, the driveline is far from stock, comprising custom onepiece driveshaft and Showtime Customs & Fabrication axles rated to 1000hp in the independent rear.

Showtime Customs & Fabrication also supplied the front drift knuckles and 50mm shortened rear arms, and, with BC Gold coilovers all round, it’s got more than a mean stance — Hayden’s even had it sideways on exhibition at the D1NZ National Drifting Championship. Plus, a well-sorted suspension setup also means that he can fully utilize the grunt at his right foot around a tight burnout pad.

The Summernats pad at Exhibition Park in Canberra isn’t tiny, but it’s tight. It’s got a long and narrow run in and exit chute, and with the number of cars that lay rubber down in the Aussie heat, the surface is as sticky as a burnout pad can get. It’s the ultimate torture test for any car that makes the cut, and a world away from Hayden’s boy racer days, but that might just be his secret weapon. Those Aussies go alright, but they didn’t grow up hacking skids in the backstreets of Wainuiomata!

39

Products

The latest automotive products

Delkor Batteries setting the standard

It does what it says on the bottle

Passing mudster Blairs now has Xterrain and Mudster tyres in stock in anticipation of the upcoming wet season. Big aggressive sidebars really help when driving through that winter mud. Sizes available from 15-inch to 17-inch. For more information, contact Blairs on 0800 80 90 96, or see blairs.co.nz.

‘Stabilize’ describes making oils work better, harder, and longer at their fundamental job of lubricating and protecting equipment.

Morey’s Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer makes oil perform better in all types of engines, gearboxes, differentials, transmissions, and hydraulics, regardless of the oil brand you use. How? Its high-quality additives lower temperatures, adhere better to stop metal to metal contact, stop oil and water from emulsifying, and reduce engine blow by.

Morey’s Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer is available in 500ml, one-litre, and five-litre bottles, as well as a 20-litre pail, and 60-litre and 208-litre drums.

For stockists call 09 813 9200 or email info@moreyoil.co.nz. For more information, see moreyoil.co.nz

For 14 years running, Delkor products have won the Korean Standard-Quality Excellence award. Delkor batteries are a powerful solution for any automotive make or model. Built stronger with ‘PowerFrame’ grid technology, they will provide longlasting battery power for any 12-volt application. Delkor batteries are exclusively distributed by R&J Batteries. Contact your local distribution centre for more information, on 09 636 5980 or 03 341 0090, or visit rjbatt.co.nz.

Say goodbye to oil leaks

Easy Lift wheel trolley Built by Ahcon in Denmark, this revolutionary wheel trolley keeps wheels and tyres at a comfortable working height, adapting the height according to load. For use in multiple applications across workshops, it takes the strain off knees and backs in the tyre fitting and balancing process.

The trolley is built with heavy-duty springs and four heavy-duty castor wheels with two lock points for ease of use. For more information, email sales@centurydistributors.co.nz.

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Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

Rislone Hydraulic Seal contains a premium field-proven, zinc-based additive package that restores hard, brittle, shrunken, and worn out seals, o-rings and gaskets, reducing fluid leaks during operation.

This unique formulation does not thicken hydraulic fluid, so oil stays in grade.

Chemical polymers work where other stop-leaks fail, such as on small wear grooves and pits in the shafts, forming a film between the seal and the shaft that helps to prevent leaks. Hydraulic Seal works on many elastomer types including polyacrylate elastomers like n-butyl acrylate and nitrile rubber. For more product or stockist info, freephone 0800 227 422 or visit smitsgroup.co.nz.

ReCoila electrical cord reel Cables and cords left lying around are easily damaged which increases the risk of electrical shorts, damage, and even electrocution. The ReCoila GEN III Electrical reel ensures cables and cords are coiled and stored safely when not in use. They come with a two-metre inlet cable, complete with plug and socket. They are also fitted with an overcurrent protection device and comply with AS/NZ3105:2007. Contact Emco on 07 850 5240 for further information or email sales@emco.co.nz

For off-road action With its extra recovery points, higher departure angles, and protected connection points, the X-Bar is specced for off-road action. It sits up to 100mm higher than other bars, offering an average of five degrees more departure angle than OEM and other aftermarket towbars. The integrated bash plate and protected trailer plug mounts provide additional off-road protection. X-Bar comes with an eight-tonne central recovery point flanked by two four-tonne recovery points in a fully Australian Design Rules (ADR)–compliant towbar. It has custom forged 700-grade steel recovery points and towball mount, high-tensile Australian Standard grade 10.9 fasteners, and protected trailer socket mount points. Available exclusively through Beaut Utes and ARB 4x4 centres nationwide. See x-bar. co.nz for stockists, or call 0800 698 277. Priced from $1795 plus fitting.

Old-Skool DTM is going old school, bringing out a whole ‘DTM Old-Skool’ range of wheels. These classic ‘OldSkool IV’ mesh-style wheels are available in 15- and 18-inch. Not only do they have the right dish design but the IV is also available in aggressive offsets. Completing their blast-from-the-past look are the red and gold dome resin centre caps. Check out these and the rest of the DTM Old-Skool range at dtm.co.nz.

Touchscreen wheel balancer Seeing heat The Launch Thermal Imaging Camera provides a reliable and accurate non-contact method that highlights thermal variations, helping you to diagnose problem areas or check solutions. It can be used for checking air conditioning hoses, evaporators, condensers, fuel injection nozzles, hydraulic systems, wheel bearings, turbos, glow plugs, differentials, fuses and wiring, catalytic converters and exhausts, battery systems, brake rotors, tyres, misfire detection, and more. For more information, see aecs.nz/thermal or call the team at AECS on 06 874 9077.

The all-new Corghi EM9580C Plus LaserLine Touchscreen wheel balancer with touchscreen monitor, electronic clamping, and automatic wheelsize detector is fast, accurate, reliable, and easy to use.

The graphic interface and touchscreen technology simplify and speed up operations and work programme selection. After spinning, the wheel is braked and stopped at the right balancing position. The integrated LED light illuminates the work area to facilitate rim cleaning and application of the counterweights. See automaster.co.nz or call 0800 214 604 for more information.

41

The right fumes The sad fact of the matter is that most old or high-performance cars have their own special smell, and while you might be fond of said smell, it’s likely your non-car-fanatic passengers just think it stinks like grease, petrol, or a pair of dirty socks that has been stuffed under the seat.

Wildcat air fresheners are here to save the day. Available in both Leaf (hanging type) and Hide It (normally under-the-seat) types, there is a wide range of fragrances to suit any palette, with some of the Leaf fragrances also available in three packs. Available from leading automotive and hardware stores throughout New Zealand.

Sort your sump plugs Plastic sump plugs remove the risk of damaging sump threads that can cause costly delays in the workshop. BNT stocks single-use plastic plug kits and kits of aluminium, fibre, and o-ring washers.

Choose an introductory offer of plugs (APSP25) with 25 assorted sump plugs for $159.95, or a kit of 330 assorted washers (AWA380) for $169.95. A plastic plug tool kit (PTKO1) is also available for $59.95.

For more information visit your local BNT store or see bntnz.co.nz to make contact, prices exclude GST.

One antifreeze does it all Prestone says that unlike other inhibitors which can take up to 8000kms to start protecting the cooling system, the CorGuard technology in this Antifreeze/Coolant Concentrate begins immediately. And it is compatible with all coolants used in all light automotive vehicles. It mixes with any other colour antifreeze/coolant while retaining the original cooling system colour. This eliminates the need to hold three or four different coloured antifreeze/ coolants in the workshop. It’s available in 20-litre containers and 208-litre drums. Prestone is an OEM global supplier and the concentrate, 93.4%/1040gm of ethylene glycol per litre, will not void manufacturers’ warranties. For more information, call 022 401 8651, or email sbrokenshire@filpro.co.nz.

42

Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

Vehicle-specific mounting kits for add-on filters Ryco has designed vehicle-specific component kits for mounting either or both Ryco’s fuel water separator and its crankcase breather assembly.

Built tough to last and resist engine vibration, these mounts secure equipment that cleans up the mixture going into your engine. Designed to fit most vehicles with dual battery setups. For more information go to ryco.co.nz or call 0800 838 222.

Kylie and Vagn Dyson

Streamlined ownership at Qualitat European QUALITAT EUROPEAN IS THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT SUPPLIER OF VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI PARTS, AND THE NEW-LOOK MANAGEMENT TEAM AIMS TO KEEP IT THAT WAY ualitat has been operating since 1972 as an independent Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, and Seat workshop. It also supports other workshops, carrying over 50,000 parts for these makes for 9000 customers on their database.

Q

Director Vagn Dyson says Qualitat European sources all parts from Europe, mostly from Febi Bilstein and Hans Pries but also Vierol, Hepu, Zimmerman, and I&A, as well as OEM suppliers.

Quality has been integral to the business since its inception and Vagn regularly attends aftermarket trade fairs in Europe to stay current, he says.

VW and Audi buyers tend to be loyal and many have a classic as well as a modern car. The aircooled side of the business remains a strength, as these cars get a lot more care, attention, and

The Qualitat European team: Alaster, Vagn, Dan, Shane, Holly, Sam, and Scott

upgrades now than they did when owned by students in their youth. Prospects for growth are also strong as sales of Skoda and now Seat models increase in New Zealand.

Vagn and his wife Kylie, long time partners in the business, took full ownership of Qualitat European a couple of months ago after buying the other half share from Wayne and Josie Fenton, who have retired after being part of Qualitat from the start.

Vagn says: “We have not changed the work culture. We treat people how we’d like to be treated, and the business always puts quality first — in service and the products we sell.”

The Dysons have made one key change — Qualitat European is now part of the Blackfern Cooperative. For more information, contact Qualitat through the Blackfern website, call 09 579 3710 or see qualitat.co.nz.

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 t, LE rie en Ra RK tra S s ts gs SH ns : , , cl lu O flu ea b P id ne ric C , O a rs n bu , C ts N lb SU ar , P SU s, flu SP C PE M a A sh Ti E re , a B e N es , A er L r S E o o bu d IO irc so S 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 e : oc n dr o, AR ks ds es pe K , s rf ET up or , p m AC a W ai n C n O t/ ce ES w pa SO D RK ra r 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 I , RE , s ist PM pe s, PA E ci ele N Au IR al c T 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 s, rb W DS en s, su ox in C t sp es d R m sc E 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 o ,s re re & m 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

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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smitsgroup.co.nz or 0800 227 422

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patchrubber.co.nz or 0508 837 248 dtm.co.nz or 0800 621 233 penriteoil.co.nz or 0800 533 698 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

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treadwayequipped.co.nz 0800 436 436

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.

44

Auto Channel Issue #23 April 2020

DON’T DON’T GET GET CAUGHT CAUGHT OUT OUT BY

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(09) 6386439 parts@1stparts.co.nz • Excellent Service • Knowledgeable Staff • Top Quality Parts

381 - 385 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland.

AutoGage Tach w/ Shift light

QTEC Exhaust Cut Outs

Go from stealth quiet to wide open power and experience the gains even if you are already enjoying an aftermarket exhaust system.

You control the volume, you control the power.

Open your exhaust with the flip of a switch. Run it closed, run it all the way open or any position in between. Adjust your back pressure to save gas. Does not matter whether you call it a electric exhaust cutout, exhaust dump or e-cutout you know your getting the ultimate exhaust upgrade for your car or truck.

Available in 2-1/2”, 3”, 3-1/2” & Low Profile Oval All Exhaust Cut Outs Are Recommended for Off Road Use Only*

The Auto Gage line of instruments provide the best bang for the buck performance in the industry. For a fast street car or a weekend racer, Auto Gage provides levels of accuracy and durability unheard of in the price category.

FEATURES • 5” Silver Face • 0-10,000 RPM • Built in Shift Light • 12 and 16 Volt Compatible • Compatible with most 4, 6, and 8 cylinder engines

OVERSTOCK

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On

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GM 350 Crate Motor 200HP

All new - not remanufactured! The classic 350 is offered here in our most economical SmallBlock engine assembly. Designed to replace production engines used from 1973-1985, it features a durable, yet value-driven, shortblock assembly and iron cylinder heads with early-style perimeter hold-downs. Better still, it includes a stronger four-bolt main block and smooth flat tappet hydraulic camshaft.

Ford 9” Diff Head Combo

Everything you need to build your complete Ford 9” center section! Using products from the biggest differential brands on the market provide a strong and reliable package for your perfromance street vehicle.

DIFF COMBO INCLUDES • Strange Pro Iron Case • Strange Cast Iron Daytona Pinion Spport • Strange S Series 1350 Yoke • Midwest Truetrac Differential • Motive Gear Rebuild Kit • Motive Gear Ring Gear & Pinion (Selected Gear Ratio Only)

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The Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R is the Undisputed Classic Hot Rod tire. The Sportsman S/R radial is built in our unique “Flamed” tread pattern. The extra wide rears with matching skinny fronts makes for the best combination available.

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Holley Sniper EFI

Holley just brought EFI within range! It’s economically priced so you can have all the benefits of EFI and still have money to finish or upgrade the rest of your ride!

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VACANCY For a National Parts Supplier To join Blackfern Co-operative

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Sniper EFI Hyperspark Distributor

Do you need to upgrade your ignition system due to a recent Sniper EFI installation, but have no idea which option is best?

Introducing HyperSpark Ignition, from Sniper EFI. The complete system consists of a CD Ignition Box, Billet distributor with Hall effect crank signal sensor FEATURES • Hall Effect crank trigger sensor • Billet distributor housing • Easiest plug and play • Comes with Cast Gear Installed

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All prices exclude G.S.T & may be subject to change without notice.

Contact: Roger Castleton 027 252 2533 or roger@blackfern.coop

3/05/2019 3:15:28 p.m.

45

Hyundai to base next-gen cars on skateboards NEW DESIGN TAKES CARS BACK TO THE DAYS OF SEPARATE CHASSIS AND BODY CONSTRUCTION yundai Motor Group has engaged a company called Canoo to jointly develop an electric vehicle (EV) platform, based on Canoo’s proprietary skateboard design, for upcoming Hyundai and Kia models.

As part of the collaboration, Canoo will provide engineering services to help develop a fully scalable, all-electric platform.

Canoo, a Los Angeles–based company creating EVs for subscription only, offers a skateboard platform which houses the most critical components of the vehicle with a strong emphasis on functional integration, meaning all components fulfill as many functions as possible. This reduces the skateboard size, the weight, and the total number of parts, which ultimately provides more interior cabin space and a more cost-effective EV offering. In addition, the Canoo skateboard is

H

a self-contained unit that can be paired with any cabin design.

Hyundai Motor Group expects an adaptable all-electric platform using Canoo’s scalable skateboard architecture to allow for a simplified and standardized development process for Hyundai and Kia electrified vehicles. This is expected to help reduce cost, and that gain can be passed along to consumers. Hyundai Motor Group also expects to reduce the complexity of its EV assembly line, allowing for rapid response to changing market demands and customer preferences.

“We were highly impressed by the speed and efficiency with which Canoo developed their innovative EV architecture, making them the perfect engineering partner for us as we transition to become a front runner in the future mobility industry,” said Albert Biermann, Head of Research & Development, Hyundai Motor Group.

Canoo unveiled its first electric vehicle for subscription only on 24 Sept. 2019, just 19 months after the company’s founding in December 2017.

Auto Channel is the best way to reach the wider automotive industry. The publication is direct mailed to 11,367 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 New- and used-car dealers Air conditioning repairers Heavy machinery dealers Trucking and transport

Auto Channel Issue No. 24 distributed 5th May

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.

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Auto Channel Issue #22 March 2020

SERVICE • KNOWLEDGE

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

AIR INTAKE HOSES ALUMINIUM PIPING BALL JOINTS BUMP STOPS COUPLINGS CRANK PULLEYS DAMPERS DIFF MOUNTS ENGINE MOUNTS HANGER MOUNTS IDLER ARMS IDLER PULLEYS LOWERING BLOCKS SILICONE HOSES

from

QUALITY • LATEST RANGES

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SPRING SEATS / PADS STEERING RACK ENDS STEERING RACK MOUNTS STRUT MOUNTS SUBFRAME MOUNTS SUSPENSION ARMS SUSPENSION BUSHES SWAY BARS SWAY BAR BUSHES SWAY BAR LINKS TENSIONERS TIE ROD ENDS U-BOLTS UNIVERSAL MOUNTS WHEEL HUBS & BEARINGS

CLASSIC to NEW

Rsts A C li

Recia E Dp

UN S

WHANGAREI . HENDERSON . PENROSE . HAMILTON . PALMERSTON NORTH . LOWER HUTT . CHRISTCHURCH

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