MY TOP TEN GREATEST HOT RODDING MOMENTS

Saw this in Hot Rod Magazine and had to share. 

MY TOP TEN GREATEST HOT RODDING MOMENTS
IN NO REAL ORDER:
1. I love getting a new engine running for the first time. It’s not so much the thrill of accomplishment that makes it good—it’s the sensory experience, starting with the scent of cooking paint, RTV, and headers. It’s the sounds of power, the snap of the throttle, and meeting the new mechanical life you’ve created. All very Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein.


2. There’s no feeling in the world like blatantly outpowering someone else’s junk. On the dragstrip, it’s a huge ego pump to run down the other car and pass it like it a dog that hit the end of its chain. It’s even better on a road course—or a rent-a-kart track, whatever—when you chase a guy lap after lap and finally get the line and pass him righteously. On the go-kart deal, you might as well spin him on your way by. Same high, maybe better.


3. The entirety of Speed Week at Bonneville counts as a prime moment for me, but the best of that comes after making a successful run down the track. You gain acute focus running 250-plus mph, and that lingers even after the parachute settles to the ground on the return road. With the engine clicked off and the car rolling to a stop, you hear every whine of the gears and every creak of the Heim joints and can identify the crackle of each salt crystal crunched under the slow-moving tires. There’s usually a long minute or two before a chase truck arrives, and in that solitude—the Salt Flats are silent but for the ticking of cooling headers—there’s ultimate contentment. Unless stuff is on fire. That takes the edge off a little.


4. Ever walk up on a car that just grabs you? Admittedly we’ve become jaded as far as cars go, so when it happens these days, it’s amazing to be captivated by a machine that nails all the cues. Such a discovery might lead you to ditch plans for your current project car and start dreaming of changes based on newfound inspiration. And then never get them done.


5. It’s never a bad day when the UPS guy shows up, because you get to open a box and fondle a new speed part. You’ll even forget that you’re going to set loose a hundred foam peanuts that will haunt your backyard for three generations.


6. Troubleshooting is awesome. When you figure out that the left rear-wheel bearing went out because the gear oil was low, because the pinion seal leaks, because the driveshaft is vibrating, because the U-joint angularity is wrong, because the trans mount broke, because the motor mount rubber is gooey, because the oil-sending unit leaked all over it—well, that’s a great moment. Gearhead sleuthing is cool. Fixing it? Not so much.


7. Ambition and delusion enjoy no greater moment than when you hand over the cash to lock in a new project car. It all goes down-hill from there, but we choose to ignore that. There’s no Surgeon General’s warning against buying too many cars.


8. There’s always something you figure you can’t do yourself. Rebuild an automatic trans, rewire a car, weld aluminum, tune EFI—you name it. Thing is, you can do it. When you overcome the can’t, you’ll feel even more satisfaction than when you get to the next level in Angry Birds.


9. Every great road trip has a moment at which bliss takes over. It can be the just-right comfort in old seat springs during a pleasant summer evening, right when the sun comes beneath the clouds and the car settles into that one perfect rpm where it’s just happy. It can be a moment of discovery in a remote junkyard, or a weary smile at the end of a long day when the first bottle cap pops off, trailing a mist of Corona. You can’t look for that moment. It has to find you. Enjoy it, because the iPhone will soon deliver an email from the office for total buzz kill.


10. Hot rodding has many highlights, and among the best is overcoming a personal challenge. That’s what prompted this column. At this year’s HOT ROD Drag Week™, extensively covered in this issue, I was thrilled with the number of participants who really get it, who understand that they get to pick their own victories. They aren’t there to win, they’re out for the experience, to make a single pass that’s a personal best, or—most often—to just finish. Add it all up, and I think it’s easy to see why we’re hot rodders. Don’t try explaining it to anyone else. They either get it or they don’t.


—DAVID FREIBURGER


EMAIL ME: HOTROD@HOTROD.COM


Facebook: FACEBOOK.COM/HOTRODMAG


YouTube: YOUTUBE.COM/HOTRODMAGAZINE


HOT ROD: HOTROD.COM

Hidden Toxins in Classic Cars

Most people, whether or not they love classic cars, at least have an appreciation for them. A well maintained classic car is attractive to look at and serves as an homage to nostalgia. People who own a classic car may go to painstaking lengths to preserve the appearance and function of the car. Unfortunately, most are completely unaware of the fact that classic cars may also contain toxins that are unsafe to be around, and are no longer used in the production of new vehicles. Most people realize that there are toxins in the exhaust, but toxins may be found elsewhere as well.


One of the most troubling possibilities is the threat of asbestos. Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral that was widely used by industry as a fireproof insulator. It was also used in the brake pads of many kinds of classic cars. Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos was later linked with a rare and horrendous cancer known as mesothelioma. When the fibers are inhaled or swallowed, they stay in the body for the rest of your life. For this reason, special care is necessary if any work is performed on the brakes or clutches of a classic car. Mesothelioma is a very serious disease that has no known cure. The survival rate is extremely low, and by the time symptoms manifest there is nothing that can be done to stop the spread of the cancer.

Another threat to be considered is lead. This is a toxin that was formerly used in paint, and many classic cars still have a lead paint job. If you plan on stripping the pain from your car, this is something that you should be aware of. When paint is stripped away from the car, paint dust may be released into the air where it can be easily inhaled. If lead paint is breathed in, comes in contact with the skin, or ends up getting swallowed, it can lead to serious health problems. This includes nervous system disorders that can impair your memory, thought capacity, and bodily control. It can also affect your ability to reproduce, cause pain in your muscles and joints, and increase your blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Finally, another relatively common toxin that you should be aware of is bromine. This may be found in parts of the car's interior. It is most commonly found in plastic and vinyl car parts. Examples include the car seat, seat belts, and dashboard. Short term exposure to bromine results in inflation or irritation of the throat, nose and mouth. It can also irritate the skin. Being exposed to bromine for longer periods of time can lead to damage of the kidneys, problems with memory and learning, and issues with breathing.

By Brian

Ford Shelby GT500 gets some intercooler love

Our army of spy photographers managed to snap a few photos of a Ford Shelby GT500 strutting a new intercooler. If you take a close look, you can see piping through the upper and lower grille as well as the vehicle's mocked-up fog light openings. Chances are the new equipment is merely part of a scheme to make the vehicle's supercharger a little more efficient, though it's entirely possible that the big bad snake is rocking something exciting under its hood. Something like a twin turbocharged V8.

Though we've been more than a little skeptical about notions of a forced-induction V6 or four-cylinder Ford

 Mustang model, we wouldn't be surprised to see the GT500 grow a turbo or two. There's no telling exactly what the engineers at Dearborn could come up with if they scrapped the old supercharger in place of a pair of turbos. Modern variable vane units have all but eliminated lag, and ditching the blower would simultaneously do away with heaps of parasitic drag on the engine. We'll keep our ears to the ground for more on this one.

For Sale @ Custom Car Sales

Image Credit: CarPix

Source autoblog

Ford to bring back the 65′ Mustang…if you can build it, they will come

Always wanted a 1965 Mustang? Hate looking through throngs of used cars and high priced classics with unknown problems? Ford has you covered! That’s right, you can soon buy a brand new 1965 Mustang. Only one hitch… you will have a little bit of wrench work to do.

Ford’s reproduction business is going to release brand new 1964 1/2 through 1966 Mustang bodies. Eager owners to be will have to hunt down and assemble the cars themselves. With the popularity of the classic Mustang and amount of after market outlets for parts and specialists I would expect to see many of these repro’s hitting the streets soon!

View full post on Muscle Car Blog Mark Ponter

PRE 1989 VEHICLE IMPORT

The Department of Infrastructure has recently begun rejecting Import approval applications for the importation of modified pre 1989 vehicles.

Many innocent individuals have been caught by this sudden change in policy, and have vehicles in transit or stranded in foreign or domestic ports.

The Department has belatedly placed an Alert notice on their website, and have issued a new version of the Vehicle Standards Bulletin (VSB) that relates to importation.

The Import Alert can be viewed here.The revised Information Brochure (VSB10) can be downloaded here

Post your thoughts on this by commenting below and don't forget to share this with your other online mates. This is a very real threat to our lifestyle and the Government needs to be made aware that we will not stand for it!

More info:

• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Website

• Head over to http://www.ozrodders.com/board/ to read a lenghty discussion on the topic.

• Author

  
  

  Robert Barion

  Rob is a passionate Hot Rodder into all things old with fours wheels and an engine. Currently in the early build phase of a 1930 Model Roadster being build in a traditional style he also runs his own website design business - Motionworx - to pay for his addiction, i mean hobby.

Well done Sydney Speedway

Congratulation Sydney Speedway

Great to see a venue realise that looking after fans is the secret to sucess. We at Custom Car Sales will be going to as many events at Sydney Speedway as possible this season due to the following story on http://www.sydneyspeedway.com.au/news/607-tyrepower-sydney-speedway-admission-prices-slashed.html



Tyrepower Sydney Speedway owners and management have listened to fans’ demands for cheaper admission prices and have lowered costs at the front gate, effective this Saturday night, October 29.

The Tyrepower Sydney Speedway office has been bombarded with emails and phone calls from patrons requesting a more affordable night at the speedway. The incredible response to the gold coin charity night in aid of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead provided an insight into what race goers wanted after they voted with their feet and turned up in their thousands.

The new price structure is: ADULTS $20; AGED & DISABILITY PENSIONERS $18; HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS $15. A new family super pass comprising TWO ADULTS AND TWO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS is priced at a very reasonable $50.

Meanwhile the admission policy of all children aged 12 and under (accompanied by an adult) admitted FREE will continue.

The newly introduced admission prices will remain in force up to and including December 10.

Management will then review the price structure for the international season with a possible increase during the high time of the season.

But the main theme is the focus on patrons and what they want for the remainder of the season.

“The fans have let us know in no uncertain manner they believed our original prices were too high and they wanted us to reduce entry costs,” Tyrepower Sydney Speedway Assistant Manager Rod Britton said.

“We’ve done that so the ball is now squarely in their court. It is up to the fans. With the international season there will be a review of pricing for Boxing Night and January, but really it is the fans who will then determine what is happening for the rest of the season.

“With this new pricing, we want a fifty percent increase in attendance figures because lower prices is what fans have asked for and if that is achieved in this period between now and December 10, then we will most definitely look at bringing the prices back to what applies from this coming Saturday night, October 29, after the international season.

“It is up to the fans if they want to know what is happening. It is up to them to tell us. You show us with your feet and the reduced prices will remain in force later in the season.

“So the response of the fans is vital and will clearly determine what happens at the front gate after the high time,” Britton concluded.

By Janson Kane

from Sydney Speedway website

Camperdown Cruise grows into a $2 million bonanza

A $200 barbecue event five years ago has sparked a predicted $2 million bonanza for Camperdown this weekend with what could be Australia’s biggest rockabilly festival.

Up to 10,000 people and more than 600 classic and customcars are expected to descend on the town, which will be rocking with concerts, street stalls and even a burlesque peep show. Fans and performers are coming from as far as the Netherlands and New Zealand. They have booked out all accommodation in Camperdown, Terang, Cobden and other district towns, plus more than 100 private homes are taking in guests.

According to organiser Arthur Bruce and Corangamite Shire Council’s Terry Binder, the annual Camperdown Cruise is shaping up as a rockabilly mecca like Port Fairy’s acclaimed folk festival and Warrnambool’s Fun4Kids Festival.

For Sale 1956 Ford Victoria. Would be a great car for this show

“It’s a unique opportunity to showcase the town and make it a sustainable major festival,” said Mr Binder, who is the shire’s economic development and tourism manager. This is the first year the shire has officially backed the event, which flew under the radar in its early years. “It’s hit a chord with fans,” Mr Binder said. “There’s a growing rockabilly and retro move around the world and Camperdown is well placed to build on that. “It will be the biggest event the town has hosted, with up to 10,000 people and will have huge economic impact.” It’s the realisation of a dream for Mr Bruce, a local custom car restorer and rockabilly fan. His first festival attracted 15 cars and ran on a $200 budget for a sausage sizzle to raise funds for local charity.

This year’s budget is $100,000 to set up the entertainment. “I’ve been told it could generate more than $2m for the district,” he said. “Last year it grew to about 400-plus cars with 225 rockabilly event entrants — this year there’ll be more than 600 cars and more than 560 entrants. We’ve got a great team of helpers and funds will go to various smaller district organisations.

It costs just $5 to walk into the main performance and display area. Cars will be lined up almost the entire length of Manifold Street.”

He has secured 16 top-level bands and singers, including Dutch star Miss Mary Ann. The Theatre Royal will feature three dance floors, 10 bands and three DJ s starting tomorrow night, while the Commercial Hotel will host free concerts on Saturday and Sunday afternoons before a best-of-the-bands finale Sunday night.

A stage will also be set up at the historic clock tower base where an Elvis impersonator celebrant will conduct a wedding ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Other features include displays of custom vehicles and artists, trade stalls, a world-famous tiki carver, a bowling lane for children and an adults-only peep show.

This article thanks to:

Peter Collins

The Warrnambool Standard

1965 CHEVY IMPALA SS

Custom Car Sales just had one of the coolest Chevrolet Impala's I have seen in a fair while. Just take a look at first glance the fantastic blue color that just seems to make ever line on the car smooth and almost soft.


It does help to have a good photographer as this person must be.




A bit about the car..

The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United States, competing against the Ford Galaxie 500 and the Plymouth Fury when full-size models dominated the market. The Impala was distinguished for many years by its symmetrical triple taillights. The Caprice was introduced as a top-line Impala Sport Sedan for the 1965 model year becoming a separate series positioned above the Impala in 1966, which itself remained above the Bel Air and Biscayne. The Impala continued as Chevrolet's most popular full-size model through the mid-1980s. Between 1994 and 1996, Impala was revived as a muscular 5.7-liter V8–powered version of the Caprice Classic sedan. In 2000, the Impala was re-introduced again as a mainstream front-wheel drive full-size sedan.

Ed Cole, Chevrolet's chief engineer in the late 1950s, defined the Impala as a "prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen."

As you can see this car didn't roll off the line like this, just pop the hood and you will see what I mean.

Tucked away is a 350 cube V8 with a A 1-77 Weiand supercharger and plenty of good looking engine bling.

You won't be disappointed when you see the interior photos either. It has been redone to look great and I am sure very comfortable.

Checkout this Chevrolet Commercial ad series. makes me wonder whether TV advertising had more direct impact selling a particular car. 


Whether you like to original or custom checkout www.customcarsales.com.au and if you have a car to sell it's only $15 runs till it sells.

  

Tip for getting your car sold..

1966 Cadillac DeVille Soft Top Convertible 

Good Morning all. 
We thought we would start the week with giving you a tip to help buyers find your car for sale online. No matter where you advertise you car you should give every photo a detailed name. What do we mean and why? Well the file name is what you camera or computer reads to find and identify the picture and with changes is search engines if you rename your photo 1966 Cadillac DeVille Soft Top Convertible, when a buyer Google's that car,your photo will come up in the images search and lead the buyer to the site you have advertised it on.  This only take 1 min to do and may get your car sold and cash in your pocket.


Its a pretty simple thing that will help you in the long run. Cheers have a great day..

Important Info for Modified Cars

We saw this on the Love of cars website and wanted to pass it on

The Vehicle Safety Compliance Certification Scheme (VSCCS) is a new scheme under which RTA licensed business partners will be able to certify that modified production vehicles (light vehicles, motor cycles and trucks), individually constructed vehicles and personally imported vehicles meet the applicable vehicle safety standards. The following provides an update on the progress of the scheme.

Timeline
The VSCCS is scheduled to commence on 30 September 2011. The RTA is currently accepting Expressions of Interest to become a VSCCS Licensed Certifier. Visit http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/authorisedinspectors/vsccs/index.html for details.

Engineering Certification Scheme members
The Engineering Certification Scheme (ECS) ceases to exist on 29 September 2011. Members will receive further advice on the close down of the old scheme. You will be required to complete an ECS Exit Advice Form to formalise the final stage of ECS. You will be forwarded this form in due course. We wish to take this opportunity to thank all current ECS members for their contribution over the past 30 years. Current ECS members who wish to apply to become a Licensed Certifier under the VSCCS should lodge an Expression of Interest with the RTA as soon as possible. The RTA is currently conducting visits with existing ECS members to enable a smooth transition between the ECS and the VSCCS.

Certificates
ECS certificates cannot be issued after 29 September 2011. Please remind your customers they need to present certificates to the RTA within 14 days of issue.

Insurance
Holding professional indemnity and public liability insurance will be a business condition of the VSCCS. The RTA has arranged to provide licensed certifiers with access to Principal Arranged Insurance (PAI). PAI insurance enables you to be covered for both Professional Indemnity and Public Liability for the certification of modified vehicles in a single premium.

The insurance premium will be $2,800 per annum payable each year that you are a member of the scheme. The premium will cover your insurance whilst you are a member of the scheme and for a period of seven years after you leave or retire from the scheme. Full insurance details and a copy of the policy will be provided at the induction and if you have any further queries regarding insurance please send them to vsccs@rta.nsw.gov.au.

Interviews for persons who have lodged an Expression of Interest
If you have met all the selection criteria for entry into the scheme, you will have been contacted to attend an interview. Interviews will be held in Sydney metro and regional areas from August 2011. Persons invited to attend an interview will be sent a letter confirming interview details and an outline of what they are required to prepare for the interview. Letters will also be sent to those applicants not meeting the criteria. If you are one of these persons you may contact the VSCCS Manager on 1300 336 206 or email vsccs@rta.nsw.gov.au to discuss the matter and any further information you may wish to provide the RTA in support of your application.

Induction
If you are successful with your application, you will be invited to an induction training session about the VSCCS and the RTA’s business requirements. Inductions will be held in Sydney on 19 September and 20 September 2011. The purpose of this induction is to provide licensed certifiers with the business rules to carry out vehicle certifications and meet their obligations as a licensed certifier.

Licenses
A license will be issued to persons who have met the entry criteria, completed induction training and paid the relevant license fees.

Further Information
For scheme information please visit http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/vsccs. If you have any further questions please call the VSCCS administration on 1300 336 206 or email vsccs@rta.nsw.gov.au.

Tracey Pickham – Manager, VSCCS

Remembering the days of hot rods, custom cars and rock-n-roll

In the late 1950s hot rods and custom cars cruised New West’s Columbia Street, and the Hollywood Bowl at 759 Carnarvon St. was the swingiest dance hall north of Seattle.
Teenagers flocked to the Hollywood Bowl on weekends where the girls would sit along one wall and the stag line on the other, with couples jiving to rock ‘n’ roll music on the spring-loaded dance floor.
One night in 1958, teenagers Lonna and Myrna passed a brand new black Chevrolet Impala parked outside as they headed for the Hollywood Bowl. “I’m going to go home in that car tonight,” Lonna joked.

During the evening, a 22-year-old construction administrator named Jim Pratt asked Lonna to dance. As the evening went on, he asked her how she got to the dance.
“I told him that I had walked and he asked me if I would like a ride home. He didn’t look like a bad guy so I accepted,” Lonna recalls. She almost fell over when they walked out of the dance hall and she was guided to the black Impala.
Jim Pratt had traded in his 1955 Chevrolet hardtop for the $3,200 black Impala at Collier’s Chev Olds on Vancouver’s Georgia Street. He had a full-time job at Dominion Bridge and was able to finance the difference.
He would park his new car right on the entrance to Vancouver’s Second Narrows Bridge, which at the time was under construction. He was working in the office which doubled as the first-aid shack when tragedy struck on June 17, 1958. The bridge collapsed resulting in the death of 18 workers. Jim Pratt grabbed a first aid kit and did all he could.
“I knew them all and still feel an overwhelming sadness for what happened that day,” he says.
He and Lonna drove the black Impala during their four-year courtship. Then they hid the car from their friends on their wedding day in January, 1962. But it was discovered and coated with Brylcream hair tonic. “It took hours of work to get that off the windows,” Pratt recalls.
The name Impala was first used by General Motors for a one-off GM Motorama show car in 1956. Chevrolet introduced as its top model the flamboyantly styled Impala two years later. It was offered as a convertible and a sport coupe, and had the Impala script, insignia and crossed-flag emblems on the front of the hood. It sported ribbed body sill panels, large chrome air scoops ahead of the rear wheels on the fenders and one on the rear of the roof, and a competition-style, deep two-spoke steering wheel with Impala medallion and Impala script on the dash. It also featured multi-coloured interiors and six tail lights for a distinctive look over all other Chevrolets.
By the mid-1960s, Jim and Lonna had been blessed with two of their three children, and the sporty two-door Impala had become impractical as a family car. It was traded in for a 1964 Pontiac station wagon.
The years went by as the Pratt’s raised their family with Jim spending 25 years with Dominion Bridge before the couple bought and ran three Pantry restaurants for 20 years. Over time, memories of the 1958 Impala became family lore.
In 1994, Jim spotted a photograph of a 1958 Impala at a classic car swap meet in Cloverdale. The car was in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island and the owner’s wife had told him to either fix it or sell it. He sold it to Jim.

That started a six-year restoration where Jim Pratt was the general contractor and a restorer did the work. “I sent 183 pieces of chrome and stainless to the platers,” he recalls.
His biggest challenge was answered when a friend called him from a classic car swap meet to say the steering wheel and horn ring he had been trying to source for three years were there for sale. It cost $350 but it was the red and grey colour Pratt wanted and the fragile horn ring which was prone to breaking was in perfect condition.
The car was completely disassembled right down to the bare frame for the restoration, and the entire body was dipped to remove all paint and any corrosion.
“The body was in remarkably good condition and didn’t have any rust,” Pratt notes.
As the car was being reassembled, Pratt added some of the options he wished his original black Impala had, including fender skirts, a custom continental kit and dual antennas.
The results are spectacular, with the gleaming black paint dramatically accented by chrome and stainless and a spectacular red interior just like that of his first Impala.
“I loved growing up in the ‘50s with the cars, the music and the girls,” Pratt says of the era his car represents. He drove his youngest daughter to her wedding in the Impala and the couple’s five grandchildren love the restored car that has given 11 years of family enjoyment.
“We increasingly worry about the car when we leave it parked anywhere,” Lonna says. She drove the first Impala regularly but doesn’t drive the restored car. The couple has come to a crossroad where they are hoping a new owner will take over ownership of their beloved Impala.
Until that happens, the car is a wonderful reminder of an exciting time in their lives, and one particular night at the Hollywood Bowl that a 1958 Chevrolet Impala helped cement a loving relationship that has lasted more than half a century.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Remembering+days+rods+custom+cars+rock+roll/5438433/story.html#ixzz1Ygoz32vC

Ford Falcon FG MK II breaks cover

Very quietly, amid the background chatter of the Frankfurt motor show, Ford Australia has announced a revised version of its Falcon that is due to go into production in the fourth quarter of this year.

The "Smart Design" FG Falcon MkII brings a subtle new exterior look along with several interior updates, and comes at an interesting time. Just this week, the global chief of Ford design, J Mays, indicated to Australian journalists in Frankfurt that the fate of the under-performing Australian made Falcon could finally be decided by early 2012.

For years, the big Ford has been the subject of speculation about its ongoing viability in a market that is consistently trending towards smaller cars.

The crunch may be just around the corner. "This just isn't the show to talk about [the future of the Falcon] but it won't be too far away," Mays said at Frankfurt.
With its future hanging in the balance, the Falcon - in FG MKII form - offers a minor visual upgrade that is underpinned by significant additions that improve the car's safety, functionality and perceptions of quality.

Among the features most likely to be applauded is the adoption of new touch-screen technology for controlling audio, phone and satellite navigation systems. To be standard on all Falcon sedan models apart from the base XT, and all utes, except the entry XL model, the new eight-inch touch-screen system retains the functionality of the current system but in a more user friendly form.

When satellite navigation is fitted, the touch-screen functionality represents a big improvement over the clumsy remote control systems currently used. On upmarket G6E models a new satellite navigation system also incorporates a TCM Traffic Message Channel as standard.

The new touch-screen technology matches the Commodore's similar iQ system, in that it has several advanced functions to the Falcon's satellite navigation, including "green routing" that not only calculates the fastest or shortest routes, but also the most economical. Furthermore, it provides over speed and speed camera warnings, "advanced" lane guidance and signpost information indicating which lane to use, and the choice of 2D or 3D map displays.

Also new is an updated instrument cluster with new graphics and "improved functionality".

Falcon owners will now also experience better connectivity with a new USB input able to play MP3 audio files. The USB input is located in the centre storage bin adjacent to a new iPod holder and a re-located auxiliary input socket.

From a safety perspective, Ford now makes side curtain airbags standard on all sedan models and equips all utes with head/thorax side airbags. Rear parking sensors on all Falcon sedans are part of the MkII update as well.

Stability control – a new Generation 9.0 system – also spreads across the range and is now a standard fitment on base workhorse ute models.

FG Falcon MKII models should be quieter too, with the adoption of sound-deadening technology refined during development of the new Territory model.

Buy this historical falcon

Visually the changes are not insignificant, even if they apply just to the front end. Territory-style lower air intakes, new slimline upper grille and new bumpers give a bolder look on all variants, while upmarket versions gain a new lighting package with projector headlights. Top shelf models, G6E and G6E Turbo, get new LED displays on the outer bumper, beating Holden to the punch on the LED front.

XT, G6, G6E, G6E Turbo and XR6 variants benefit from new alloy wheels, while an optional luxury pack for XR6 models brings updated 10-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels.

MkII FG Falcons also get a new badging strategy that distinguishes the latest models.

No announcement has yet been made on pricing for the MKII FG Falcon.

Ref www.carsales.com.au newsletter

Manukau’s Full Throttle Festival Accelerates Into October Wednesday, 21 September 2011, 10:25 am Press Release: REAL NZ Festival

Media release

21 September 2011

Manukau’s Full Throttle Festival Accelerates Into October

• Free three day celebration of all things automotive and motorsport
•
• V 4 and Rotary Show kicks off festival in fine street style
•
• Military vehicles, Army and re-enactment displays on Saturday
•
• Kartsport and car clubs headline attractions for In Gear Sunday
•
• V8 Rod and Custom show to bring back smoking streetkarna action
•
•
The biggest and most popular festival of its type returns to Manukau at Labour Weekend, and organisers say the show will be bigger and more spectacular than ever.

The 2011 Full Throttle Festival at Manukau’s TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre will feature an exciting three day free programme of car shows, displays, demonstrations and action ranging from drift cars to competition karts and V8 Rod and Custom cars.

Held over all three days of Labour Weekend, October 22-24, the event is a celebration of all things automotive and motorsport.

The first day is based around the popular V 4 and Rotary Supershow, with a show and shine display inside the TelstraClear building and drift action in the tarmac action zone set up in the main car park beside the building.

The second day is In Gear Sunday, a chance for the many car clubs of the region to put their best vehicles on show. Leading car clubs already confirmed are the Mustang Car Club and the Vauxhall Opel Sport car club.

The clubs will be joined by an on-track demonstration from the karting fraternity, the “incubator” of every recent Kiwi racer who has gone on to prominence on four wheels. Kartsport NZ will have a static display for the whole three days and will have information available for people who are interested in the sport.

In Gear Sunday is also finals day for the Rugby World Cup, and the site will feature family-oriented rugby activities inside TelstraClear Pacific Event Centre on the day, with a free live screening of the final match that evening and the second day of the Indigenous Ink tattoo exhibition. Junior, the Heart of the Nation festival’s Biggest Fan, is a 5 metre marionette. He will be onsite and will have two walk-about sessions in the tarmac action zone during the day.

Full Throttle goes loud for the final day, Labour Monday, with a full day of V8 Rod and Custom action in the tarmac zone, where the Manukau Rod and Custom Club will run a tarmac streetkarna. The action on this day is open to rod and custom car owners from clubs across the region and is a sure crowd pleaser as drivers put their V8-engined cars through their paces.

Inside the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre the final day features a hot rod and custom car show and shine display with everything from “daily drivers” that give an idea of how people catch Rod and Custom fever through to full-on show cars that take years to create and can cost the same as a house.

A major drawcard across the Saturday and Sunday is Manukau MX 2011, a motocross race event that attracts hundreds of riders and draws spectators to watch the riders race across the low grassy hills, jumping their bikes high in the air as they fight for track position. The event attracts the best motocross riders in New Zealand to race in an urban environment unlike any other in their race calendar.

Fans of military vehicles will have their share of excitement on the Saturday of Full Throttle. The New Zealand Army will have a Unimog on site, offering rides to festival fans; and on the same day the military vehicle enthusiasts will display a wide range of Jeeps, trucks, armoured cars and more, many of them having seen service in WW2. Military re-enactors will have static displays in a marquee and there will be battle displays using the military vehicles. There will be opportunities to ride in military vehicles during the day in exchange for a gold coin donation. An Army information display will also be a feature of the military area, based in a recruitment bus parked alongside the static displays area.

Throughout the weekend, the four wheel drive and offroad racing set will be there in force with sprint and race action and driving demonstrations on the massive grassed areas. There will be race demonstrations from the ATV (quad) racers of Auckland ATV Club along with static displays and races for the new KiwiTruck junior offroad race category.

Counties Manukau Offroad Race Club will bring static displays of offroad race vehicles and manage on-track demonstration events. Among the fullsize offroad race and four wheel drive vehicles is the new Cooper Tyres Nissan Pathfinder V6 of Jared McGillivray and a new American race truck being prepared for its competition debut by Kevin Hall. Tony McCall’s new BSL Terra Chev is being rebuilt after its troubled Taupo debut and is expected to be on static display all three days, taking to the grassed race track on the Monday.

Full Throttle organisers say owners of club, competition, 4WD, V8 and other suitable vehicles including modified motorcycles (“choppers”) and fast road and race bikes who would like to join the Full Throttle Festival and put their vehicles on display or be part of the action each day can contact Mark Baker on (09) 296 8636, 021 2120607 or veritas.nz@xtra.co.nz

The 2011 Full Throttle Festival is an Auckland Council event and is part of the 2011 REAL New Zealand Festival.

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