2017 3M NEW PRODUCT CENTRAL
MEGUIAR’S MotorEx is not only the number one place to see Australia’s blockbuster show cars. It’s also the home to all the latest products and services aimed at the automotive enthusiast marketplace. At Meguiar’s MotorEx Sydney 2017, a host of exhibitors were showcasing interesting and innovative new products. As part of 3M New Product Central, a selection of these outstanding new products received a 3.5m-tall teardrop banner to help generate maximise spectator awareness. Here’s a rundown on each of the selected finalists.
Meguiar’s – Fast Finish
MEGUIAR’S Fast Finish is a game-changing way to add long lasting paint protection to your car. Its revolutionary aerosol formula is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Unlike a traditional liquid or paste, you simply spray Fast Finish onto the supplied Supreme Shine Microfiber towel, wipe onto the surface and wipe off – that’s it, no buffing needed! This makes Fast Finish, way easier and unbelievably quick to apply – you’ll get ’round an entire car in minutes, not hours. Best of all, Fast Finish lays down a synthetic polymer coating that lasts up to full year. That’s right, when applied to paint surfaces free of bonded contaminates, Fast Finish not only reduces your work load, it also delivers a full year’s worth of water beading paint protection – all while maintaining the legendary slick surface and brilliantly-glossy finish that Meguiar’s is famous for. And for those chasing an ever deeper, richer, show car shine, you can apply your favourite Meguiar’s polish, wax or sealant straight over the top. Info: www.meguiars.com.au, 1800 347 570.
3M Australia – Air Tools
3M’s new air-operated Pistol Grip Disc Sander, 10mm Belt Sander and Cut-Off Wheel deliver the performance you need to get the job done right. The lightweight Pistol Grip is perfect for tight spaces and will accept 50mm and 75mm Roloc Discs. As well as the usual deburring, cleaning and finishing jobs, the 10mm Belt Sander will quickly and cleanly remove spot welds when fitted with 3M’s Cubitron II, belts. With its 75mm Cubitron II cutting blade, the 3M Cut-Off Wheel will slice through even high-strength steel and aluminium with clean, straight lines and minimal effort. Info: www.3M.com.au, 136 135.
American Legend – One-Piece Cast Wheels
AMERICAN Legend’s specialty is classically-styled, deep dish wheels that give your hot rod, street machine or muscle car that all important stance and persona. In addition to their high-end American-made two and three-piece forged billets, American Legend also offers a range of affordable one-piece, pressure-cast wheels. From left to right the four styles include; Sprinter, Cruiser, Racer and Streeter. Each wheel is available in an array of standard finishes, which includes polished, machined and powder coated. They’re all available in diameters ranging from 17 to 20-inch diameters, widths from 7 to 10-inches – all in popular stud patterns. Best of all, American Legend’s innovative web-site based Car Configurator enables you to see how they’ll look on your car. You can either upload an image of your own vehicle, or use one of the existing images from American Legend’s massive archive. Info: www.americanlegendwheels.com, 1800 350 622.
Mal Wood Automotive – T5 Upgrades
ORIGINALLY designed and manufactured by Borg-Warner some 30 years ago, the Tremec T5 five-speed transmission was factory-fitted to a huge array of vehicles and has become one of the most popular gearboxes in the conversion market. To keep these transmissions going, Borg-Warner/Tremec specialist, Mal Wood Automotive (MWA) has tooled up to make new, factory-style rear extension housings in addition to an ultra-short billet extension housing. The two new extension housings allow for a broad range of shifter locations starting from as little as 300mm from the box’s front face. MWA is able to build a T5 to suit your specific application, offering various ratio combinations, different input shaft configurations, performance upgrades, as well as short-shifter options. This broad versatility combined with MWA’s range of bellhousings for popular engines, enables them to adapt the T5 to an incredibly wide range of engines. All of which makes the T5 a perfect fitment into everything from hot rods, street machines, muscle cars and classic vehicles. Info: www.malwoodauto.com.au, (07) 4661 3548.
3M Australia – Accuspray
THE 3M Accuspray ONE spray gun kit is a lightweight, utility spray gun with disposable atomising heads. Instead of time consuming cleaning and maintenance procedures, you simply change out the replaceable, see-through atomising heads to experience the performance of a new gun, every time. The versatile system is offered with 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0mm heads, which will also work with your current gun portfolio. Instead of stopping for a full gun clean, you can move quickly between jobs by simply changing the atomising head, making them ideal for small jobs? With 3M’s Accuspray technology, there’s also minimal overspray for reduced material consumption. It’s also compatible with 3M’s Paint Preparation System – for even greater transfer efficiency, reduced solvent usage and clean up time. Info: www.3M.com.au, 136 135.
Bluewire – GM Push-Button Start
BLUEWIRE Automotive’s RF engine start kit will convert your factory keyed ignition to convenient push-button operation, as found in high-end luxury and performance vehicles. Joining their universal dash-mount kits, is this direct-fit kit to suit HQ to WB Holden, LJ to UC Torana, VB to VL Commodore and 1970 to 1981 Camaro. The stylish billet machined button is a press-fit into your factory column, while the hideaway control module easily hooks into your vehicle’s accessory, ignition, start and brake light circuitry – it also comes complete with two key fobs for greater convenience. Info: www.bluewireautomotive.com, 0422 392 797.
Hare & Forbes – SWIFTY compact Plasma Cutter
WITH its 610x610mm cutting table and 240-volt operation, the Swifty Unimig Razor Cut 45 from Machinery House is a compact CNC plasma cutter with big capabilities. Its size and weight makes it ideal for portable, or benchtop operation – perfect for smaller workshops! Yet this industrial-grade machine has the grunt to slice through steel, cast iron, brass, copper and aluminium – up to 8mm in thickness. Even better, the high-performance model can also perform Plasma marking thanks to the Hypertherm 45XP Plasma system. It’s robust, reliable and stacked with features that are capable of opening a whole new world of possibilities. Info: www.machineryhouse.com.au, (02) 9890 9111.
Clutch Industries – Mantic Grooved Clutches
AVAILABLE through Clutch Industries, the Mantic Stage 1 and Stage 2 clutch kits feature their patented ER2 (pronounced E-R-squared) Groove Technology. The innovative grooves, CNC-machined into the pressure plate surface increases the clutch’s Mean Effective Radius, delivering increased torque capacity. The grooves also assist in heat dissipation delivering improved thermal efficiency. When combined with 20% greater clamping force, the street-orientated Mantic Stage 1 and 2 kits provide significantly higher capability over OEM specification. They also feature an SG Iron pressure plate, which has three times the burst strength of a traditional clutch, making them ideal for high performance applications. For competition applications, Mantic step things up with their Stage 4 and Stage 5 kits. And for the 4WD brigade, the 4Terrain Ultimate range also features the same innovative ER2 Groove Technology. Info: www.clutchindustries.com.au, 1300 369 787.
Castlemaine Rod Shop – VB to VS Commodore IFS
CASTLEMAINE Rod Shop’s completely re-engineered IFS front end for VB to VS Commodores joins their ever-growing list of fitments covering most Holdens, Torana’s, Falcons and Valiants, along with pre-73 Mustang. Each double A-arm IFS features heavy-duty components, modern geometry with abundant adjustability, along with anti-dive, double-adjustable coil overs and either two-inch dropped or standard-height spindles. By enabling the removal of the Commodore’s factory strut towers, the Rod Shop’s IFS creates additional header room, plus increased clearance for bigger wheels. To make fitment as easy as possible, it works with factory racks and clears existing engine and exhaust combinations. Brake options include Wilwood’s high-performance 320mm rotor and four-piston caliper set-up, or their 355mm rotor and six-piston caliper combo for some serious stopping power. Numerous engine mount options will accommodate factory fitments, plus most popular conversion, including; LS, SB Chev and even BB Chev if so desired. Info: www.rodshop.com.au, (03) 5472 2853.
Harrop Engineering – TVS2650 Supercharger
JOINING Harrop’s existing line-up of patented TVS (Twin Vortices Series) superchargers, is the new TVS2650 – Harrop’s largest and most efficient supercharger to date. Fitted with Eaton’s largest ever rotating group, all casting, machining and assembly work on the new supercharger takes place here in Australia, at both their Wingfield casting facility in South Australia and Preston HQ in Victoria.
Delivering a very healthy 2650cc of displacement per revolution, the TVS2650 is designed for even the largest displacement engines and extreme performance applications. Its capability was emphatically proven during testing of production-ready prototypes, where a TVS2650-equiped LSX 427 by Sam’s Performance churned out an insane 1121hp and 1053lb/ft of torque! Such extraordinary performance levels are achieved through the rotor’s high-helix angle and high volumetric efficiency, combined with enhanced thermal efficiency of the inlet and outlet ports. All of which comes together to make the TVS2650 hands down the biggest, baddest supercharger ever offered by Harrop. Info: www.harrop.com.au, (03) 9474 0900.
Haltech – Engine harness & Data Logging
FOR those contemplating an EFI engine conversion, Haltech’s range of engine-specific terminated harness and ECU kits are by far the easiest and most time-effective wiring solution. Each harness is made to suit a specific engine and uses factory-style connectors, along with a pre-terminated Haltech ECU connector. All the engine connectors are clearly labelled and terminated at exactly the right length and location. Each harness is ready to run, as they incorporate all the necessary relays, plus external connections such as ignition, start, warning lights, battery, earth and fuel pump.
Once your engine is wired, plug the other end to the appropriate Haltech Elite ECU and you’re ready to tune! For those also looking for data acquisition and data logging, integrating Haltech’s Street Ready IQ3 dash display and logger is now simpler than ever. The IQ3 Street is one of the easiest to use and most cost-effective display and logging solutions currently available. For a full list of Haltech’s Terminated Engine Harnesses, head to: www.haltech.com, (02) 9729 0999.