LHD saga !

Click the pic to read the latest on the LHD saga - original link is at SA Hotrods webpage

Event Notice : OBZ Festival and STATESIDE Open Day

OBZ FEST SA HOTRODS SHOW

SA HotRods is invading the biggest street festival in South Africa, the OBZ Festival.
This is not just a street festival but an all-encompassing music festival. Bands, such as aKing, Hog Hoggidy Hog and Nine, promise a local musical smorgasbord that will tempt even the most discerning of palates. And that is just the music.

The OBZ festival is about so much more, which is why WE WANT YOU to come.

Date: Sat, 6 DecTime: 11h00 to 22h00
Venue: The Village Green parking area, opposite Spar, in Observatory

Bring your Hot Rods, Muscle Cars and Choppers to show off in the heart of the festival, the Village Green area.

The Village Green area will be where the main stage and most of the action happens. It will be given a makeover with some considerable urban renewal initiatives – professionally-run bars, deli-style organic food vendors, security, space to move and plenty of loos.

We will have the SA HotRods stand and show in a secure area on the opposite side of the Green from the main stage.
Thus, you will be getting to show off your hot ride in a prime, free parking area in the heart of the festival. This parking area will be the most secure place you can park your ride so you can explore the festival with peace of mind.

If you want to bring your ride, email philippa@sahotrods.com.For more information check out: http://www.obzfestival.com/.

STATESIDE OPEN DAY
American automotive specialists, Stateside, invite you to show off you Classic Car, Muscle Car or Hot Rod alongside their stunning, newly completed projects. SA HotRods will of course be there, basking in a sea of gorgeous cars, to promote and encourage enthusiasts.

Date: Sun, 7 DecTime: 09h00 to 14h00
Venue: 5 Dwyka Str, Stikland, Cape Town

Motor shows are finally growing up and leaving school fields so join us at these world class festivals, on your doorstep.

Why K&N Air Filters are the Best

Click the diagram to read an interesting article on the merits of the K&N air filters above the traditional paper filters, a testimonial provided, of course, by K&N....

Gallery link: Goodguys Rod & Custom Association Show-Pleasanton,California

Click to visit the photo gallery from a fantastic event held recently in California, USA.....linked at SA Hotrods (dot) com....

Tuning the Chevy : A diary

It's been a month since I joined the V8 world, and have the following to report :

The engine was "blowing" Champion plugs at high revs, and, on reccomendation by the legendary Thundersports, I replaced all 8 with NGK 6BPFS, and the improvement was both immediate and significant! With the spark now healthier, the revs respond a lot earlier to the throttle, and she starts easier as well.

What was interesting with the plugs, was the range of prices they were being sold at - I found them in Richards Bay at R15 and R20 each, whilst Thundersports were asking R25 each...

A starting problem prompted me to take the car to a workshop near me, and they replaced the battery, which had been "cooked", due to not getting sufficient charge, or due to reaching the end of it's useful life?
The friendly and helpful team at Car Service City, Umhlanga, were excited to work on the car, and excercised great care and respect at all times....

I ordered a K&N performance air filter, in order to give the huge 750 Holley carb the air it needs to really make the engine roar, but when it arrived, it was slightly too large for the filter housing - will need to order a larger one from Thundersports...

After finding and fixing a wiring fault, replacing the tappet cover gaskets and adjusting the vacuum advance on the monster carb, Mervin and the boys at Car Service City returned the Chevy to me with a purr and a new willingness to roar!

After a test drive, it was determined that the knock that we heard coming from underneath was a result of worn bushes on the rear suspension - replacements will be ordered, to be installed next weekend. In addition, the vehicle pulls left on braking, and that'll also be checked out at that time.



With the oil leak hopefully a thing of the past, it was safe to pull the Chevy into the garage, even though it meant that would spell the end of any previous shortcut access from inside the kitchen....if this reduces the dust accumulation and the chance of chips and scratches the reduced access would be worth it!

Mustang Roundup - 2 November 2008 Cape Town

Click the pic to view the gallery of photos from the recent gathering of the Mustang Owner's Club - some FANtastic vehicles on display......don't forget a towel to wipe off your drool ;)

SA HotRods Website

Click the pic to visit the homepage of SAHOTRODS magazine - they have a forum, and galleries and loads of event information for Street Rod, Muscle Car and Bike enthusiasts....

Pony at Gateway

This beautiful 1972 convertible 'Stang was spotted at Gateway one evening....

Porsche at La Lucia Mall

This Cayman S is probably NOT the car I would choose to take shopping on a Saturday morning, but these are the cars the peeps in La Lucia are driving, doll !

Doctor's Car ?

Saw this Maserati in the carpark at Medical Mews, adjoining Parklands Hospital, in Durban last month....niiiiice !

55 Chevy !

Spotted this great-looking 1955 Chevy on the way to work this morning....I HAVE to get my Chevy running properly, STAT !

Got my first V8 Muscle Car !

Yip - I finally found 1, and bought it! It's a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle 4-door sedan, with a 350cu inch (5.7L) V8 Chevy engine inside !

I will write up the story of the purchase, and the journey thus far, so watch this space !

New Audi A4

Apparently, I was one of the "priveleged few" to be invited to take a seat in the new A4...feast your eyes on the pix I took - she's a STUNNER !!!

Rad photos : Autostyle Event - 1 June

After a gratifying gym session on Sunday morning, we stopped by the Autostyle event....


One of the sweetest rides at the Autostyle Sound-off and Dynorun event outside Gateway yesterday...

The VeeDub club was well-represented, and this Bug was in fantastic form!

Big Ol' V8's always get my motor running....

I was starting to redline....!

The engine scream from this baby set off Adam howling in agony, and Aziz decreed that we should avoid these car shows in future....but, we won't !

Top Gear News : New BMW M1 ???

Get the lowdown on the M1 Hommage, from Top Gear, by clicking on the pic....

Article : Interview with Mr T

click the pic to check out an interview with Mr T, as conducted by Top Gear...

Link to online photo album : Auto Africa 2006

http://picasaweb.google.com/aroonpatel/AutoAfrica2006

Visit there to check out the pics I took at Auto Africa 2006 - will you be there this year?

TG Article : Clarkson on Attraction

Click the pic to read Clarkson's Rule of Attraction, courtesy of Top Gear (TG)

Test drive report : Alfa Romeo 159

Date : 4 March 2008
Car : 2007 Alfa Romeo 159 3.2 V6 Q4
Power : 191 kW
Driver : Chief_A
Rating : ****

Alfas certainly have the looks, but do they have the performance to match? After driving this machine, my opinion is an EMPHATIC yes!
Pushing this car to nearly maximum revs in the 4 of 6 gears that I could access on the test drive roads around the dealership, and taking bends without giving the throttle any reprieve, I couldn't get the wheels to loosen their grip - I only discovered the reason later when the white-knuckled salesman told me that the Q4 badge on the tail of the 159 meant that it had 4 wheel drive!

The sound from the exhaust was a terrific roar, and I particularly enjoyed the gearshift - the gear lever is not fluid, but is firm and decisive and gears are nicely close together, making for rapid selection - not as rapid as that DSG box I once operated, but a close 2nd.

I loved this car, and came very near to actually trading in my 2001 Audi and pitching up at home with a sexy Italian, but their are many more girls to date, before making my next marriage proposal...

A is for Alfa Romeo

This very first blog post of many is to mark the start of a project, thought up by the group that calls themselves The Chieftains : to drive the cars they dream of driving....in alphabetical order!