News
STEADY!
Jan 10th
Unscrew rounded screws at a single stroke – that’s the promise and that is exactly what it delivers. The Matador Screw IT! extractor promises to do exactly what it claims.
How many times have you had to walk away from a job because of a cross-threaded or damaged screw? In the increasingly budget-conscious world of manufacturing the first cost-cutting exercise generally occurs with fastenings, screws and bolts. That’s where this ultra-handy Screw-IT! tool from Matador proves an essential item for every toolbox on the planet – no self-respecting DIY-er or mechanic should be without this uber-useful bit of kit.
You know how it More >
MULTI-PURPOSE CLEANING
Jan 10th
When you next pop into your local motor factors, pick up a handy box of multi-purpose microfibre cleaning cloths from Connect Workshop Consumables (part number 37310). These are multipurpose microfibre cleaning cloths that trap dust and debris. Perfect for the garage, workshop and home to clean and trap dirt without leaving smears or damaging paintwork.
The dispenser box of 50 enables individual cloths to be taken at ease when required and keeps remaining cloths away from the workshop environment until required. The 80 per cent polyester and 20 per cent polyamide construction makes them soft but very strong — they are More >
RAPID REPAIRS
Jan 10th
Speed and efficiency — two of the most important things when it comes to quick turnarounds on repairs. Laser Tools understands that sometimes traditional tools can be time-consuming — there must be a quicker way? That’s why they’ve developed the pull-back rapid-action ratchet. This ratchet redefines speed and effectiveness wherever you would use a conventional ratchet handle. The 3/8in inch drive spins more than 360-degrees with a simple pump of the patented pull-back grip. Two ratchet lengths are available: part number 7376 (350mm) and part number 7377 (230mm).
Simply attach your socket or driver, then secure onto the fastener that needs More >
CLEAN ENGINES
Jan 10th
Here’s one that could be of interest if you have a tired engine in your car…
Car parts distributor Randstad Ltd recently hosted a unique one-off event for motorists, giving their engines a free deep clean, while highlighting the pitfalls of a clogged diesel particulate filter (DPF), causing drivers to be potentially hit by replacement costs of up to several thousands of pounds.
Randstad’s industry-leading engine carbon cleaning brand TerraClean recently launched the competition on social media, giving away over £10,000 worth of services. The contest attracted hundreds of applicants, with 100 winners being drawn. Despite the wet and windy elements, 90 More >
SMART TAKE ON ALPINE THEME
Jan 4th
The latest project from talented French designer, Philippe Chalot (ex-Sbarro and AC3 356 replica), is a very clever Alpine A110 replica based on a Smart Roadster. A nifty concept along the lines of the much-missed Michalak, in my view.
Using the complete drivetrain and underpinnings from the Smart, the superbly-named Smarlinette is available in kit form priced at €16,540 (approximately £14,919, although dependent on the exchange rate, obviously), which buys you the GRP and polyester body components (front and rear sections, bumpers, bonnet and boot-lid), hinges, all lights, mirrors rear screen and includes the cost of dismantling and servicing your Smart More >
BLUEBERRIES ARE GOOD FOR YOU
Jan 4th
One of the best wheel cleaners I’ve come across comes from TDG Car Care and is their Blueberry Wheels Concentrate, which in my view is quite simply amazing.
It’s an acid-free product, designed, created and hand-poured by the manufacturer that takes out grime and crud that at this time of year cling to your wheels for fun.
Over the Festive period, I did a bit of detailing – just for a change! – and one of my cars had been assaulted by mud and filth on some East Sussex lanes that seemed to be etched on.
A quick shake of the bottle (you More >
ENJOY STRAWBERRIES ALL-YEAR ROUND
Jan 4th
During the same car care detailing session that spawned the TDG Blueberry Wheels news item also yielded this one, Luxury Suds shampoo from ADS Car Care, another of my favourite brands.
It is one of a line-up of shampoos from the East Sussex brand that also features shampoos with heady watermelon, purple grape and sweet shop flavours – the company loves a Body Shop or Lush-style scent on their products.
The Luxury Suds product has a strawberry whiff that could cause you a problem if you parked it next to a glass containing a Strawberry Crusha milkshake, so take care! Other brands More >
GASKET FIX
Jan 4th
As the weather gets colder, temperature changes within your engine can trigger problems such as a blown head gasket. As we (nearly!) all know, a blown head gasket has several tell-tale symptoms including white steam from the exhaust, engine overheating, creamy white liquid on the oil filler cap and excessive coolant consumption.
The average mechanical repair cost of a blown head gasket is over £800, based on research conducted at the end of 2018. Certain vehicles can cost over £1300 to put right. In many instances, the cost of repairing the engine outweighs the value of the vehicle itself.
Steel Seal is More >
KEEP YOUR BOOTS ON
Jan 4th
For drive-shaft and constant velocity joint rubber boots, traditionally the securing clamps have simply been compressed with clamp pliers.
However, on modern vehicles, the high-strength stainless steel clamps need much more force to compress them and secure the boot. For this reason, manufacturers now specify a torque figure that the boot clamps have to be tightened to.
If the clamps are not tightened to the specified torque figure, the boots could leak. The CV Boot Clamp Pliers from Laser Tools (part number 7316) is a robust, strongly manufactured tool that features a 3/8in drive and is specifically designed to be used with More >
PAINT BY NUMBERS
Jan 4th
If you are having problems matching the paint on a classic Triumph or MG, Moss Europe is now offering a complete range of colours that have been carefully blended to be an exact match to the original paint as used by the factory.
Moss can supply paint in either aerosol or brush-on format. The aerosols come in 400ml cans at £17.20 and the brush-on paints are available in 125ml cans with a brush in the cap at £11.20.
They can supply colours for the following: MG T Type MGA MGB, MGC and MG V8 Midget (and AH Sprite)
Triumph Spitfire
TR5 and TR6
TR2 – More >
