BELT AND BRACES

When building a racing engine upgrading the timing belt might not be uppermost in the mind, however, that belt is vital to the survival of an engine under competition conditions.

This is why Burton Power is now offering a Gates Timing Belt for the five-cylinder Ford Focus RS and ST225 2.5-litre engine that has been specifically designed for full-on racing (although it is also suitable for road cars used for occasional trackdays).

At just £56.90 inc. VAT it’s cheap insurance for any engine. Order as part number T331RB.

For further details contact Burton Power on 0208 554 2281 or visit www.burtonpower.com ENDS.

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GRIP, GRIP, GRIP!

These new rapid-adjustment water pump pliers from Laser Tools are designed to hold pipes, components and fixings with a tenacious grip that won’t let go! Three sizes are available: 180mm (part number 8478), 250mm (part number 8479) and a mighty 300mm (part number 8480). They all feature a super-convenient, rapid-adjust, push-button mechanism that locks the pliers in the desired position. A quick press and adjust them again for the next job.

The 180mm version features 20 set positions that adjust from 0-42mm; the 260mm pliers have 16 positions and adjust from 0-50mm. The larger 300mm pliers feature 29 set positions and More >

IT’S RADICAL!

Radical Motorsport, has confirmed it has upgraded its popular SR10 to SR10 XXR format. The introduction of the SR10 XXR comes just one month after the latest model, the SR3 XXR, was released, aligning its two most popular race cars under the XXR banner.

Radical Motorsport has placed over 100 SR10s with customers since the model’s introduction in 2020, with United States-based customers making up 70 per cent of all orders. Bolstering the recognition in racing and popularity, Radical Motorsport has upgraded the SR10 to new SR10 XXR guise.

Months after the SR3 XXR’s introduction, the SR10 XXR has the XXR line’s More >

SIR JACK BRABHAM – NOT JUST AN F1 DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION!

STEVE HOLE looks at the career of one of his favourite F1 drivers Sir Jack Brabham outside of Formula One

The racing career of Jack Brabham has been well – and in some cases – excellently documented. What isn’t so well-known is his outside automotive business activities so we thought it was time to round them all up

Born in Australia in 1926, Jack Brabham won three F1 world championships in 1959, 1960 and 1966 and is still the only driver to win a world championship in a car bearing his own name and incidentally, the first racing driver to be knighted More >

RPS LTD PROJECTS FOR SALE DUE TO IMPENDING RETIREMENT

Loved our RPX

News this week that TKC Mag/totalkitcar.com’s good friends, Julie and Garry Hutton have announced their retirement.

They have many, many years of involvement with the kitcar industry of course, first with GCS Cars and a very good traditional roadster kit called the Hawke, which people still remember with fondness. Indeed, I saw one on the A21 in Kent just the other day.

Latterly they’ve been running RPS Ltd and have been producing some excellent GRP panels for the MGB and have also been producing the RPX (MG TF) and RPS-S (MGF) body conversion kits. We built an RPX several years More >

ANNUAL MAGIC FROM MERLIN

A new arrival each January that I do out of my way to get hold of is the Merlin Motorsport catalogue. The 2023 edition is available now and you can order a hard copy via post or alternatively, you view it in PDF form online by clicking the link here.

MERLIN MOTORSPORT 2023 CATALOGUE

You can also order a copy by calling 01249 782 101 ENDS.

MORE HYBRID SOLUTIONS

Turtle Wax has added a bunch of new products to its various line-ups for 2023. Four of them are for the Hybrid Solutions range with one for their standard products.

Pure Shine Misting Detailer (infused with Graphene), enhances colour and boosts shine, while it also has great levels of hydrophobic protection (beading in other words) and it also repels dust and crud.

You can use it as a quick detailer or as a topper (in multiple layers) following waxing.

The graphene infusion is patented and creates what Turtle Wax describe as a TIGHTER WEB OF PROTECTION™. The 591ml spray bottle costs £15.

Fabric Surface More >

STAY SHARP

New to the Laser Tools range is this multi-purpose blade sharpener (part number 8408), suitable for use on a wide range of blades found in the office, workshop, home, or garden.

Four sharpening tools are included to cover a range of different blade types — suitable for use on knives, scissors, shears, cutters, pruners, loppers and secateurs.

The sharpener features a TRP synthetic rubber non-slip handle with an integral hand guard to protect fingers. The end of the handle unscrews to reveal a container of anti-corrosion oil and a handy application sponge to apply oil to maintain the sharpener blades and protect More >

IT’S VERY SMART FABRIC

Gtechniq, the company behind products such as Crystal Serum and Exo Ultra Durable Hydrophobic Coating, has released the third iteration of the ever-popular Smart Fabric for sale online and through all good independent stockists.

The all-new Smart Fabric still delivers the same superb hydrophobic properties of its predecessor but now has the added enhancement of anti-mould and anti-mildew technology.

Preventing mould and mildew growth is crucial as once these microbes take hold of a fabric surface, they can be difficult to remove and can even start to degrade the fabric. Laboratory tests confirm that version 3 of the Smart Fabric repels water More >

GENERATING POWER

Two popular Clarke frame-mounted petrol generators are now back in stock, bolstering Machine Mart’s already extensive generator range.

The Clarke PG3800A EURO5 3kVA 230V Petrol Generator is a versatile unit, with two x 230V sockets that make it ideal for domestic and leisure use. This can include catering, stalls and school events, with the four-stroke, 5.6hp engine providing a reliable source of power where needed. This unit also comes with Automatic Voltage Regulation that enables the use of sensitive electrical equipment such as TVs and laptops.

The PG3800A has a large 15-litre tank that provides 8.2 hours running at ¾ load and More >

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