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Tornado Sports Cars…………….has just launched their all-new monocoque chassis, for their GT40 replica.
The chassis has been designed by an ex-F1 engineer and has been under development for the last two years and Tornado believe it to be the first and only self assembly component form vehicle available worldwide, which features a carbonfibre monocoque chassis, which is of similar construction to an F1 racing car.
Production sportscars based on this type of chassis usually cost in excess of £800,000 but Tornado’s aim was to keep the classic sixties styling of the original GT40 and combine it with the very latest state of the art carbonfibre chassis as used on many modern day supercars in order to obtain the highest possible levels of performance.
The monocoque is manufactured entirely in-house using newly acquired specialist machinery and facilities so that production costs can be kept affordable and offers ultra light weight, combined with high stiffness and strength, giving a good power-to-weight ratio, braking efficiency and handling characteristics available.
All brackets and mountings are accurately located by CNC machinery and jigs in the correct position to make assembly easy. There is no welding or fabrication required by the customer.
The front and rear uprights are cast in aluminium and the dampers are full alloy units. Many other lightweight components and parts have also been specifically developed.
Every single part required to complete the build of the car is available direct from Tornado Sports Cars and all are supplied packed, part numbered and with all required fixings.
Most components are directly interchangeable with Tornado’s spaceframe-based cars, which allows these chassis to be exchanged for the new monocoque type.
Due to the high costs of carbonfibre, a version of the chassis manufactured in aluminium is also now also available. This version of the chassis is up to 60 per cent lighter than other aluminium GT40 replica monocoques currently available, Tornado claim.
The cost of the basic Tornado TS40 with a carbonfibre chassis, which also includes body and suspension parts is £21,091 inc VAT. The aluminium version, meanwhile, costs £12,866 inc VAT.
For further details contact Tornado Sports Cars on 01562 820 372 or email info@tornadosportscars.com or even visit www.tornadosportscars.com ENDS.
Tiger Racing…………purveyors of fine sportscars, has just announced a performance sump (or even, oil pan, for our North American readers) to suit the Duratec HE four-cylinder engine that costs just £199 inc VAT, while they also now supply a kit to match their ERA aluminium sump to a Zetec E ‘Blacktop’ engine that brings everything needed to carry out the conversion, including the sump, for £233.85 inc VAT.
More from www.tigerracing.com or 01733 849 328 ENDS.
Contralube770 is now available……….in 134 branches of Maplin’s electrical stores.
Contralube 770, was launched in the Autumn of 2009. Being a specialist product it was initially only available through a small number of retailers the biggest of which was Maplin Electronics. Maplin took the product on but initially it could only be ordered via their website.
As the word has spread about the superb performance of this specialist electronic connection protection gel, sales have increased month after month. As a result of this ever-increasing demand, Maplin purchasing staff have now decided to make Contralube 770 available to purchase in all Maplin retail shops.
Contralube is recommended for use with multi-pin connectors, spade, bullet and any other type of push fit electro mechanical contact area. The problem – vibration corrosion, oxidation, intermittent circuitry faults/gremlin problems, water penetration and general weatherproofing issues. The solution is Contralube 770.
“As a relatively small manufacturer, this is a big deal for us” Contralube say. “I hope the product continues to exceed our and customers expectations.”
Contralube 770 is available in Maplin shops; visit one of their stores and ask for product code N73HL or order online. More info on contralube is available at www.contralube.com ENDS.
Always handy to know about good quality paint………and body repair shops that do a great job and offer real value for money and there’s only a few around the country that I would trust with my projects.
One of these is Kolorshack, based in Walsall and run by Phil Perkins, who offer a complete service from a basic body repair – fibreglass remedial work a speciality – to a complete spray job (House of Kolor paint system) to full restoration work.
The company is part of FleetlinkUK, of the very small number of commercial vehicle de-fleeters in the UK. What’s a vehicle de-fleeter, Stevo, I hear you ask? Well, I didn’t know such companies existed myself until Phil told me. In a nutshell, once a large truck and/or van fleet is replaced, the old vehicles get fed through to the secondhand market. One could just peel graphics and such like off the side of a truck but the ‘shadow’ outline would still be there and if AB Greengrocers wants to make a professional impression they don’t really want ‘Fred’s Parcel Service’ to be visible through his nice logo. Vehicle de-fleeters remove all previous identification marks and tidy up odd misdemeanours incurrered by often less than sympathetic fleet drivers.
More information from 01992 457 922 or fleetlinkuk@btopenworld.com ENDS.
Saturn Sportscars, manufacturers of the Haynes Roadster…………has launched a compact motorbike instrument that neatly displays the majority of essential readings. Made by KOSO, this instrument displays speed, rpm, coolant temperature and oil temperature.
The speedo uses an active speed sensor, which can be installed in a suitable location on the rear drivetrain, propshaft flange, driveshafts or rear hub.
The tacho is connected to the various locations including, spark plug wire/cap, coil positive
wire, from the original tacho feed, and the pressure and temperature readings are taken from engine sensors - included with the kit with standard fittings.
The KOSO not only provides readouts, it can also time a 0-60mph sprint times or
time over a measured distance and also records maximum speed and rpm on a given run. Also gives a bright two-stage shift light, which can be set at 100rpm intervals, speed warning light, temperature warning lights - all set by user, while other features include standard dashboard indicator lights and fuel gauge.
The unit comes in two versions – up to 10,000 or 20,000rpm depending on engine installation and comes complete with extensive manual and fitting instructions.
The unit costs £225 inc VAT from Saturn Sportscars. For further
details, call them on 01429 864 377, email info@saturnsportscars.co.uk or visit
www.saturnsportscars.co.uk ENDS.
Autoglym has just launched a new air-conditioning cleaner that is intended to kill bacteria that can build-up in your car if the system isn’t used for a while, while it can also make you ill thanks to bacteria growing and at the least giving off nasty odours.
The Autoglym air-con sanitizer kills all germs lurking within your air-con system while giving off a rather nice lemon-flavoured whiff. Unlike, some similar products on the market, the Autoglym product doesn’t just sort out the air conditioning as it also disinfects the car’s upholstery, plastic surfaces and carpets.
It’s on sale at good (and crap ones too, inevitably) notor accessory shops, priced at £11.99 with more information from www.autoglym.co.uk ENDS.
Rally Design has a joint venture with FEV Ltd……….to produce an inexpensive 2.25kg plumbed-in fire extinguisher system, which incorporates the FEV 'ADS' system.
The ADS pressurised bladder system is superior to any of the umbilical pick-up systems currently available - its unique operation ensures full and uninterrupted total discharge whatever the orientation of the vehicle, fully MSA homologated.
The quality of FEV Ltd is recognised when you realise that they supply all of the F1 grid and their top of the range FX G-TEC gas systems are normally rightfully expensive, but due to bulk buying supported by Rally Design's volumes, this entry level system is now available at a competitive £92.83 inc VAT.
The system includes ally bottle, nozzles, pull cables, piping, ‘E’ decal and full fitting instructions.
For more information view on Rally Design's website or www.f-e-v.co.uk.
More information from 01227-792 792 or via www.rallydesign.co.uk ENDS.
Having dedicated an afternoon to workshop or DIY tasks,………..there’s nothing more frustrating than digging out your power drill only to discover that the battery is flat. The new 18v Lithium Ion Hammer Drill from Black & Decker® holds charge for up to 18 months, eliminating this common problem and ensuring your drill is ready to use when you are.
This innovative product is the first Black & Decker® drill to be launched with Lithium Ion technology. With added battery energy for powerful performance, the drill allows you to drive up to 500 screws into wood and drill up to 25 holes into concrete from a single charge. Furthermore, the Lithium Ion battery maintains full power throughout use so as not to affect performance and holds charge when not in use, meaning there is less need for recharge.
On the rare occasions that the battery runs flat, the slide pack battery system, with a secure fit, is quick and easy to remove for charging. With just a one hour charge time, this power drill fits perfectly into your busy schedule, while guaranteeing fantastic results every time. The Lithium Ion technology ensures the battery can be recharged many times without losing performance, so that this premium power drill will continue to produce quality results for years to come.
The new 18v Lithium Ion Hammer Drill is designed to make those DIY tasks trouble-free. Now 33 per cent more compact and 27 per cent lighter than previous Black & Decker® power drills, it is also equipped with an ergonomic handle to achieve maximum comfort for the DIY-er. The LED worklight provides visibility when working in dark areas and eliminates the hassle of juggling a torch and your drill.
With various fantastic features, the new 18v Lithium Ion Hammer Drill is effective when working with a range of materials including brick, metal and wood. Equipped with one high-speed gear to deliver performance and a low speed gear for power, the drill is versatile depending on the task in hand. The variable speed ensures perfect screwdriving, while the hammer action is designed for tasks that involve masonry. The drill is strong and durable, with a 13mm single sleeve metal chuck and 24 clutch positions for precision work.
More information from www.blackanddecker.eu ENDS.
Oil Spy is an interesting product……………..that can help you work out the health of your engine. Sure many of us only really worry if the car doesn’t start, there are others who would like to know how well their motor is.
Apparently, the company say they use ‘tribology’ (the study of friction, lubrication and wear) although their product avoids the necessity to send an oil test result off to a laboratory, which can be a pain and not to much expensive and uses old, proven technology re-launched.
One drop from the dipstick of warm engine oil placed in the centre of the special paper that’s part of the kit, will spread into a stain that can identify potential engine issues, within about 15-minutes. If the stain is a pale, light or golden brown colour, all is well. If it’s darker, then that’s OK, too, but if it’s dark brown then there is evidence of carbon, sludge, wear debris and oxides, plus any sticky deposits and solids will also be evident. The darker the centre, the poorer the oil condition.
The second ring (around the centre spot) is the one that will show whether the oil has oxidised and if the two spots have merged then the oil is in really bad condition and needs replacing quickly.
If there is water present in the oil this will show itself as a peak around the outer edge of the second ring, and if there’s water in the oil, it will be there.
Oil Spy say that the key to this test is to start a history that will allow you to learn the health of your engine, while it can also be used on a prospective purchase and the Oil Spy test cards will fit into a business card holder for this purpose.
I used it on my small fleet of vehicles and although the first one was somewhat spoilt when I unknowingly dabbed a Marmite-stain on the card, which caused a bit of head scratching for 10-minutes, I can tell you, before realisation dawned that I didn’t have yeast in my engine!
More information from www.oil-spy.com or 01590 689 777 ENDS.
