Innholdsfortegnelse for December 1, 2015 i Just Cars

It’s due to bow out soon, but after 23 years and ten generations, Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution is going out with a bang in the form of the Evolution X ‘Final Edition’ – what Mitsubishi are describing as the most powerful Evo ever. The Evolution X (tenth generation) has been around since 2008, so rally-bred performance fans have been waiting a long time for this ultimate version, but a look at the specs suggests it’s been worth the wait. MORE GRUNT For starters, the engine is more powerful. The listed spec of 226kW (@ 6500rpm) and 414Nm (@ 3500rpm) from the Final Edition’s turbo-intercooled 2.0-litre MIVEC four is up 9kW and 48Nm on the regular Evo X. The power hike is achieved, in part, thanks to sodium-filled exhaust valves that increase…

Janis Joplin famously warbled “Ohh, lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz.” But the ’60s musical icon actually had one of the cars that her “friends” from that song owned, in the form of a Porsche. In December, the distinctive Porsche 356 SC 1600 cabriolet owned by Joplin will be auctioned in New York through RM Sotheby’s. In late 1968, Joplin bought the secondhand, 1964-model convertible from Porsche dealers Estes-Zipper in Beverly Hills. Soon after, the “plain” grey 356 SC was given to Joplin’s trusted roadie, Dave Richards, to personalise. Richards started by respraying the factory Dolphin Gray paint in Candy Apple Red, then hand-painted artwork, which he dubbed “The History of the Universe”, over the entire exterior. The artwork included stylised symbols, Joplin’s astrological sign, representations of the Californian…

At the 2015 SEMA Show at Las Vegas, Mazda unveiled two concepts that take the all-new, fourth-generation version of their sports roadster “to the extreme”. The work of Mazda’s in-house North American design teams, the pair of creations – the MX-5 Spyder concept and MX-5 Speedster concept - have been described by the company as vastly different takes on the production version MX-5. The MX-5 Spyder captures the character of a vintage roadster and translates it into a modern-day design, including bespoke leather interior, bikini top, carbon fibre aero kit, lightweight Yokohama ADVAN 17-inch wheels, and a new, specially-formulated Mercury Silver paint. The MX-5 Speedster is a study in the extremes of lightweight, purpose-built performance, paying homage to minimalist roadsters of the 1950s. The Blue Ether-painted Speedster is “uncompromised in…

When the phone rings and a voice says “are you free to drive a Ferrari?” there’s no need to check the diary! If the route takes in roads you were raised on, it’s even better. The resurrection of the Classic Adelaide Rally this past October (after a six-year hiatus) saw a multi-million dollar field take to some of the country’s best roads around the Adelaide hills. And I was going to be part of it. Prancing Horses Lead the Way Ferrari Australasia hauled a stack of high-priced machinery to Adelaide for the event, led by the subject of the phone call - the V12 all-wheel drive FF. The $630,000 FF was part of a contingent that included the maniacal F12, plus the 458 coupe and spider attending the Adelaide Motorsport…

How Does It Work? Scale restricts the engines ability to transfer heat resulting in elevated engine temperatures. This vehicle below had a build-up of mineral scale and oxide deposits in its cooling system causing the engine to repeatedly overheat To actually see the problem…a fibre optic camera was inserted into the top tank of the radiator. Images where taken before and after using the Liquid Intelligence 239 Engine Cooling System Cleaner Kit. The cleaning process took a little more than three hours to complete. These after images show that Liquid Intelligence 239 dissolved all the ferrous and mineral scale. The treatment restored the effciency of the entire cooling system back to new. Liquid Intelligence 239 entirely dissolved the scale deposits...restoring full coolant flow...and helped fixed the overheating problem.. This image…

At Mecum’s three-day Chicago auction on October 8-10, a faithful reproduction of the 1966 Batmobile was auctioned for US$110,000 (AU$141,900 approx.). Based on a 1973 Lincoln, the replica was created over eight years and cost a reported US$175,000. While it carried the authentic-looking body and all the period-correct features, like the fluorescent red striping, top beacon, dash compass and even a bat phone, this particular recreation had a few extra party tricks. The rear turbine had been rigged up to shoot flames, just like the TV car, with the rear rocket tubes able to produce a smoke screen, too. Fully street-legal, the replica was powered by a Ford 460ci V8 engine, matched to a new C6 automatic transmission and new 9-inch rear end. The car also came with modern features…

Shannons Sydney Spring Classic Auction was one of their best ever, with all 26 cars consigned for the November 9 sale finding buyers. A rare, Australian-delivered C1924 Hispano-Suiza H6B that ‘disappeared’ off enthusiasts’ radar, including American and French Hispano clubs, for more than 20 years was the top seller, but good prices (‘world market’ money in some instances) were achieved by many other vehicles, including those offered at No Reserve.. Records show that the Hispano-Suiza H6B, a 6.5-litre straight six ‘32CV’ model, left the French factory for Australia in 1924, the year after Hispano’s French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with its Spanish parent company. Some years later, in the early 1930s, the car was fitted with a body made by Martin & King of Melbourne. The H6B then went…

Chrysler’s Mopar performance division unveiled ten concept vehicles at this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas, but the one that captured the most interest was the Dodge Challenger GT AWD Concept. Combining 5.7 litres of V8 muscle with all-wheel drive, Mopar says this concept is a car that “lets you have your cake and eat it, too.” Details on the actual all-paw package are scant, but Mopar says it’s a true AWD system and not just a badge. This works in combination with a Scat Pack 3 Performance Kit for the engine, widebody kit with additional wheelarch flares (over 20x10 front and 20x11 rear wheels) and a lower ride height that combines a concept suspension kit with Mopar production strut tower braces. Finish on the GT AWD concept is Destroyer…

JUST CARS Auto Art – The Colouring Book for Car Enthusiasts Just in time for Christmas, JUST CARS presents ‘Auto Art’ – a colouring book that’s made just for car enthusiasts. From the talented pen of cartoonist Rick Chesshire and the JUST CARS crew, Auto Art features a bunch of favourite rides (XY GT-HO, Lambo Miura, ’57 Chevy, Plymouth RoadRunner Superbird, ’32 Ford hot rod and Porsche 356, just to name a few) across its 60 pages, so there’s plenty of variety. With simple pictures to colour for the little kids and more complex images for the big kids, Auto Art will keep revheads of all ages entertained these holidays. Auto Art also features puzzles and ‘How-Tos’ for budding automotive artists, as well as the chance for your car or…

The Prowler was one of the more spectacular cars produced by Chrysler during the 1990s. It was retro-styled deliberately because the styling guys wanted to create a hot rod type of sportster. It was based on a 1993 concept car of the same name. Like the Viper before it, the Prowler created a storm of interest from enthusiasts when shown, so much so that Chrysler virtually had no option but to go for limited production. Between 1997 and 2002 only 11,700 were produced but their legacy has survived. Styling was sensational, particularly its pointy nose with the exposed front suspension and wheels, 1930s waterfall-type grille and two-piece bumpers. Inside was seating for two lucky people and the driver faced a full set of dials. Power came from Chrysler’s respected 3.5-litre…

Toyota has announced a generous prize pool of $125,000 for the first local year of its grassroots Toyota 86 Racing Series. To be run at selected V8 Supercars events from 2016, the series will provide $50,000 cash for the series winner, plus a $20,000 ‘international VIP experience’. Second place will attract $30,000 cash, while the third place-getter will receive $15,000. An additional driver who finishes outside the top three and is judged a “rising star” will win an entry to a round of New Zealand’s equivalent series, the Toyota Finance 86 championship, including flights and accommodation. The Australian series is expected to start in May, 2016, with rounds scheduled for Sydney Motorsport Park (August), Sandown (September), Bathurst (October) and Sydney Olympic Park (November). Entry is $1,500 per round, with each…

Only a few months after his appearance in Australia at Meguiar’s MotorEx, the Kustom car scene has lost its ‘King’ with the passing of George Barris. Surrounded by family, at his home in California, George passed away on November 5, just short of his 90th birthday on November 20. GEORGE BARRIS – BRIEF HISTORY Known as the ‘King of Kustoms’ George Barris was born in Chicago in 1925, but he and brother Sam moved to California in 1928 to live with relatives following the death of their parents. George started customising cars as a teenager and set-up the ‘Barris Brothers Custom Shop’ (later Barris Kustom Shop, and later still, Barris Kustom Industries) with Sam in 1945. From the late 1940s, and stretching through to the 70s and 80s, the output…

PETER BROCK’S 1979 GROUP C HOLDEN TORANA A9X ENGINE Holden 308 ‘L34’ V8 CUBIC CAPACITY 5047cc POWER 390hp (291kW) TRANSMISSION Borg Warner close-ratio Super T-10 4-speed FRONT SUSPENSION Wishbone and swivel A-arms w/relocated suspension arms, RTS geometry, double-acting Koni shocks and coil springs REAR SUSPENSION Live rear axle, four-link w/uprated coil springs and double-acting Koni shocks BRAKES Discs w/modified four-piston Harrop calipers Fr/Rr WHEELS Magnesium CAC 15 x 10 Fr/Rr Confidence counts for a lot in motorsport. Of course, the roots of confidence come from things like a quick car, trust in the machinery you’re racing, faith in the abilities of your crew and support team, as well as belief in your own performance as a driver. In the late 1970s, Peter Brock seemed to have all these elements in…

Motorclassica returned for its sixth annual showing this past October, with the annual event once again staged at Melbourne’s iconic, heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building. The 23 to 25 October event saw more than 500 vehicles on display, both inside and outside, with a diverse range of classics on show. The range covered some of the earliest examples of the automobile, along with oddities and more familiar makes and models, with the growing number of prestige and luxury manufacturers at the show meaning there was an array of new machinery on display, too. Regardless of what your favourite make, model or type of vehicle was, it’s likely you would have found it at this year’s Motorclassica. Judging by JUST CARS ’ experience at the event, many did,…

How Does It Work? All Buna-N, Polyacrylate, Neoprene Rubber, Styrene-Butadiene Rubber, and, Polyacrylonitrile oil seals and gaskets are subject to wear deterioration, drying, hardening, shrinkage and sometimes cracking over time…..thus causing the gasket or seal to leak. An application of 50mls per litre of Liquid Intelligence 230 will rejuvenate most of these types of deteriorated oil seals in transmissions, power steering systems, differentials and engines. How Does Liquid Intelligence 230 Stop Oil Leaks? Liquid Intelligence 230 re-invigorates o ring material allowing fexibility to return for a tighter ft which prevents leakage. It also restores seals to tolerance and “un gums” frozen garter springs allowing for a tighter ft. I’m confident that Liquid Intelligence 230 will work regardless of seal construction or material if the seals integrity is undamaged. How can…