NEW NUMBER FOR TYPE 65

At the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, Factory Five Racing launched the latest Gen 3 version of their Type 65 Roadster, which looks quite wonderful, from what I can see.

Said to be the world’s largest kitcar manufacturer, in volume terms, FFR’s MD, Dave Smith and R&D chief, Jim Schenck got to work completely re-designing the car originally launched 15-years ago.

The old 4in round-tube chassis was ditched and an all-new spaceframe was created with the aid of CAD, plus floors lowered by 2½in with the result being a frame said to be over seven times more torsionally stiff when compared More >

COOL BMW UNDERPINNINGS FOR SEBRING

I was really pleased to hear from Phil Overall, boss of Sebring International with images of the newly-completed demonstrator, now based on BMW E46 3-Series mechanicals and looking – to these eyes – absolutely exquisite.

BMW components opens the iconic specialist car brand up to a whole new audience and Phil, his wife, Sophie and team have worked long and hard and overcome a few hurdles to get to where they are now; fully ready to offer kit packages and fully built Sebrings.

The range consists of SX and MX and to make these very attractive packages even more mouth-watering is a quite extraordinary special offer included within the kit price.

For a More >

THESE WOULD TART THE OFFICE UP, EH?

There are no shortage of Christmas gift ideas for those with an all-consuming interest in motorsport or performance motoring, but Cobra’s latest trio of products might well appeal.

The racing seat specialist is offering a trio of home furnishings inspired by its range of FIA-approved, multi-championship winning range: the RXL Racing Bar Stool, the Cobra Classic Sofa and a line of office stools based on their signature range of bucket seats.

The RXL Racing Bar Stool is ideal for those that want to bring a touch of hardcore motorsport style into their home, and it doesn’t take too much imagination to see More >

PADDING IN THE RIGHT PLACES

Roll-cage padding is an oft-overlooked item and Merlin Motorsport stocks three different varieties, which would satisfy most needs from low- to high-impact protection.

They range from very affordable to higher price, higher density. Of course you get what you pay for but all are good value depending on your specific needs and budget.

MERLIN ROLL CAGE PADDING (2-metre length) – £16.32 inc VAT

LONGACRE HIGH DENSITY ROLL CAGE PADDING (3ft length) – £16.75 inc VAT

LIFELINE FIA APPROVED ROLL CAGE PADDING (600mm length) – from £32.81 inc VAT

More information from www,merlinmotorsport.co.uk or 01249 782 101 ENDS.

IS THERE A CURE FOR ‘COLLETS’?!

Minispares once again has stocks of standard single and triple-groove valve collets following a long period of unavailability.

Pre A-Plus narrow grove collet.

This is a genuine Mini Spares product that was specially designed by the company as they felt that everything else on the market was poor-fitting and unstable.

It wears part number 88G459 – sold as two halves per item: £2.69 inc VAT each.

Eight collets required per head.

Triple Groove Valve Collet (one half only)

Order as CAM6975 at a cost of £1.50 inc VAT per half.

Sixteen collets required per head.

For more details 01707 607 700 or visit www.minispares.com ENDS.

More >

PULL YOUR SOCKS UP!

Eurax has announced that it is now the exclusive UK distributor of ISSE products, including their Snow Sock range.

Snow socks have been around for years now and have established themselves as a superior solution to snow chains for driving in snow; they are easier to carry, fit and remove as well as being cheaper.

Now ISSE has taken things a step further by making their Super Snow Sock suitable for driving on snow-free and ice-free tarmac (up to 30mph) while providing better grip into the bargain.

Now there is no need to take the snow socks off until you reach the end More >

GET YOUR ANGLES RIGHT

B-G Racing has just announced a new addition to its range of precision instruments for the workshop and pits.

This highly accurate B-G Racing Digital Dual Axis Angle Gauge can be used to measure absolute and relative angles through a full 360° in single axis mode, and +/- 40° in dual axis mode.

A five-face magnetic construction with V-shaped grooves allows for easy, secure mounting to the required surface, while a rechargeable, extended life, lithium-ion battery and auto-off function allow for up to 40-hours operating time before recharging is required.

The large backlit LCD screen displays measurements to an accuracy of 0.1° with More >

ONLY STUDS NEED APPLY!

Wheel studs should be cleaned of dirt, corrosion and grease before refitting the wheels and wheel nuts. The usual rag or wire brush only does half the job and ends up being as dirty as the studs.

There is a better way! This new wheel stud cleaning tool-set from Laser Tools (part number 6602) offers a quick and easy solution to a very common workshop task.

Can be used by hand, or even better, with a cordless drill using the quick-chuck adaptor provided. Each brush is fitted with hundreds of tiny steel wires that scrub away dirt and corrosion in seconds. A More >

THAT’S ACE THAT IS…

We don’t cover that many bikes here BUT as a fan of anything two-wheeled and beautiful (oh and FAST, too!) I’m only too pleased to promote such items within these pages when they have a special ‘wow’ factor.

Best-known for their iconic Atom and Nomad, Ariel Motor also tip their hat to their heritage with the ACE motorbike and they’ve recently has announced a new version of their glorious Ace called the ‘R’, a tuned version of the standard, already potent bike.

The Ace R will feature a hot V4 1200cc Honda engine offering a substantial increase in power over the standard Ace. More >

YEP, IT’S A CLASSIC ALL RIGHT

Certain aftermarket products have become so well-known within the specialist car market that they’re held in high-regard by pretty much everyone, and a great example of this is the Mountney Classic Woodrim steering wheel.

A wheel that’s graced almost every type of car that you care to mention over the years, the Classic has never dipped in popularity and has never been out of production and can still be ordered directly from Mountney even today.

One of the reasons for the Mountney Classic’s incredibly long life is that fact that its simple, timeless design means that it looks right at home in More >

z library